Evening NEWS DIGEST
15 March. 2017: 15 Jamadiul Akhir 1438:Vol:8, No:142
INDIA: POLLS, POLITICS & EVMs
Muslim leaders struggle to understand how BJP won in minority-dominated UP seats:HT report
http://www.hindustantimes.com/assembly-elections/muslim-leaders-struggle-to-understand-how-bjp-won-in-minority-dominated-up-seats/story-pY8ysbbOkzaJ8oNlWdFRFO.html
Lucknow:Deoband was considered a Muslim stronghold that would be impossible for the BJP to breach because of the minority community’s perceived dislike of the saffron party.But when assembly election results for UP started pouring in last Saturday, the home of one of the world’s most-respected Islamic seminaries became the first seat the BJP won en-route its landslide victory in India’s largest state.Deoband wasn’t the only one. BJP won 62 of 82 constituencies where Muslims comprise a third of the population, triggering speculation that pockets of the minority community had voted for the saffron party.But clerics and Islamic bodies analysing the results say the answer is far more complicated: A mix of a split in the Muslim vote and many in the community voting for the BJP, notwithstanding directives by local elders and leaders.Kamal Farooqui, a member of AIMPLB executive body said in several constituencies, Muslims had voted for the BJP.“Muslims would vote even more if the BJP moves carefully,” Farooqui told HT on phone. “See Muslims vote like other communities on personal preferences too. It’s a myth that they vote as a bloc.”Farooqui, however, made it clear that he didn’t think Muslims voted for the BJP on the issue of triple talaq, as has been speculated by various politicians.“I am not sure if Muslims would welcome anyone tampering with Shariat. But the community is opening up to BJP and it would have been much better had they fielded Muslims too,” he said. PM Narendra Modi and various BJP leaders have called for an end to the practice of husbands seeking divorce by uttering the word “talaq” thrice, terming the ritual anti-woman. Prominent Sunni cleric Khalid Rashid Firangi Mahal said there was no concrete evidence to establish Muslims had actually voted for the BJP by design. “In several seats split in Muslim votes helped the BJP. We are still analysing the results,” he said.Other experts pointed at data that showed the Samajwadi Pary-Congress alliance and the BSP had jointly polled more votes than the BJP in 370 of the state’s 403 seats.“So I would go with the theory that it’s more a case of BJP benefitting from split Muslim vote. BJP seems to have benefitted by default than design,” said Athar Hussain from the Centre of Objective Research and Development (CORD). He said the SP won all 7 seats with more than 50% Muslim votes “BJP seems to have scored in constituencies where the Muslim population was below 30%.”
Myths of Muslim, Dalit and Jat votes busted:TOI report
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/elections/assembly-elections/uttar-pradesh/news/myths-of-muslim-dalit-and-jat-votes-busted-numbers-show-1st-two-groups-backed-sp-and-bsp-while-the-3rd-stood-by-bjp/articleshow/57639878.cms
Every election campaign throws up myths that get busted by the results. But then, the results themselves generate new myths. Recent UP Assembly elections are no exception. Analysis of detailed results and comparison to earlier elections show up the truth about three riddles and the myths that pose as their answers: what happened to the Muslim vote? What happened to the Dalit vote? And what happened to Jat vote? Individual votes cannot be tracked, but voting trends in constituencies give an indication of where preferences of communities are heading. The campaign saw an intense battle between SP and BSP to win over Muslim votes which make up about 19% of the electorate.BJP's resounding victory, even in Muslim concentration areas, has led to speculation that, either the Muslim vote got divided between SP and BSP letting BJP win easily, or that Muslims voted for BJP. Both appear to be erroneous theories.SP (29%) and BSP (18%) together got 47% vote in the 59 constituencies in UP where more than a quarter of the voters are Muslim. This is virtually unchanged since 2012 elections, although it went down to 43% in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.So, the Muslim support for the two parties is intact.The difference this time was that BJP mopped up most of the other votes — getting 39% of total votes.This was less than their 43% in 2014 Lok Sabha elections, but still so far ahead of the rivals that they won 39 seats while SP won 17 and BSP ended up with none. SP's 29% vote share in these seats shows that its Muslim support base largely intact.There was a much hyped battle between BJP and BSP to win Dalit votes, especially non-Jatav Dalits. Dalits make up about 21% of the population in UP. Since BSP lost badly in the elections ending up with just 19 seats, there was a view that Dalits voted en masse for BJP.Actually, BSP has got 24% votes, down from its 27% in 2012 but up from 23% in 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Among 85 reserved seats in the state, BJP outflanked all other parties by getting 40% of the votes with BSP a distant 2nd at 24%.
Kejriwal suspects major EVMs tampering in Punjab
http://www.business-standard.com/elections/punjab-assembly-elections-2017/arvind-kejriwal-suspects-tampering-with-evms-in-punjab-117031500519_1.html
New Delhi:Electronic voting machine (EVM) tampering may have led to AAP's poor showing in Punjab, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said, alleging it could be part of a conspiracy to keep the party out of power in the state.AAP chief, whose party won 20 seats in the 117-member Assembly with a vote share of 24.9%, claimed that around 20 to 25 % of its votes may have been "transferred" to SAD-BJP coalition. The poll result is "beyond understanding" and raises a "big question mark" on the reliability of EVMs as political pundits across the spectrum had "predicted a landslide" for AAP, he said.Kejriwal claimed that tampering with EVMs could have been done "selectively" in significant states like Punjab, where plans were to "keep AAP out of power". At the same time, the AAP supremo said he takes the "whole responsibility" of party's performance in the state. Kejriwal demanded that the votes registered in EVMs be compared with the Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) in around 32 places in Punjab and all other four states where the the paper audit system was used.He claimed that in some of the booths, the number of votes AAP got was even less than its volunteers deployed there, adding that it has raised suspicion of foul play. He said if there is "any mismatch" between the votes polled for parties and the VVPAT then there is a need to look at another "option" to conduct polls."Such a move is necessary to maintain the credibility of the EVMs and people's trust on electoral processes. You cannot brush it under the carpet. There will be no democracy if people lose trust in elections," he said."How did the Akalis get 30% vote share when an AAP sweep was a foregone conclusion? No one said Congress will perform so well and it got a two-third majority. We suspect that 20-25% of AAP votes may have been transferred to SAD-BJPthrough EVM tampering, he said.He said similar suspicions have been raised after the civic polls in Maharashtra and UP Assembly polls, where the BJP fared exceedingly well.Kejriwal said that before BJP's 2014 Lok Sabha victory, even some BJP leaders like LK Advani and Subramanian Swamy were not in favour of EVMs."Several technologically advanced countries like US, Netherlands and Germany have done away with the EVMs as they suspect that these machine are prone to tampering. Even the Supreme Court is of the same opinion," he said.PTI
Kejriwal alleges major EVM tampering in Punjab
http://www.thehindu.com/elections/punjab-2017/kejriwal-alleges-major-evm-tampering-in-punjab/article17465937.ece?homepage=true
20-25% of AAP's votes was transferred to Akalis: Kejriwal
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/elections/news/25-30-of-aaps-votes-was-transferred-to-akalis-arvind-kejriwal/articleshow/57645271.cms
Kejriwal alleges EVM foul play, says there’s need to probe symptoms of fraud
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/arvind-kejriwal-alleges-evm-foul-play-says-theres-need-to-probe-the-symptoms-of-fraud/
Not just Mayawati, Kejriwal: Many developed countries find EVMs unreliable, rely on paper ballots
https://scroll.in/article/831816/not-just-mayawati-kejriwal-many-developed-countries-find-evms-unreliable-rely-on-paper-ballots
Election Commission should dispel doubts over EVM: Ex-Election Commissioner Quraishi
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/election-commission-should-dispel-doubts-on-evm-tampering/article17465899.ece?homepage=true
New Delhi: Ex-Chief Election Commissioner, SY Quraishi, has asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) to “proactively and aggressively” counter doubts raised by leaders of various political parties over tampering of EVM, lest they raise doubts on the integrity of the polling process. Quraishi, said the electoral process conducted by the Commission was fair and doubts over its integrity need to be dispelled by the organisation. More than political parties the message should be conveyed to people, Quraishi said. “ECI should communicate to the people on EVMs so that there is no doubt among the people. All political parties at one time or the another have raised doubts over the EVMs at one time or another but kept quiet when they won instead of eating their words. It’s the voter who needs to be conveyed the facts,” he said. Quraishi also said ECI had undertaken, before the Supreme Court, that the 2019 General Elections would be held using Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines.“That would require two million machines, as of now one million should have been manufactured. It would be good if subsequent elections be held with these VVPAT machines. Some VVPAT machines have been used in this set of elections, but their use can be expanded,” he added.the hindu
Protest held in Ghaziabad against irregularities in electronic voting machines
http://www.hindustantimes.com/noida/protest-held-in-ghaziabad-against-irregularities-in-electronic-voting-machines/story-jqk2dwUunDFDgGeCKnSe6K.html
Noida:A group of protesters on Tuesday, at district HQRS of Ghaziabad, demanded an inquiry into the alleged irregularities in votes registered through the EVMs in the recently concluded assembly elections. The protesters alleged that there were several irregularities in EVMs that led to the BJP gaining the majority of seats in the UP assembly elections.However, none of the protesters could explain the issue or support their allegations with facts.“We just read the news and also received messages on social media that EVMs led to the victory of the BJP. Even BSP chief Mayawati had raised the issue with the Election Commission,” Pranvir Singh, a protester, said.“We demand that an inquiry be initiated and the formation of the govt be put on hold. Also, we want an assurance that only paper ballots will be used in future elections,” Ajay Kumar, another protester from Vijay Nagar, said.Some of the protesters claimed that a majority of BSP votes in some polling booths went to BJP, while others claimed that votes in Muslim settlements had also gone to BJP. However, none of the protesters could produce proof for their claims.Some even claimed they had data of polling booths, even before the administration could come out with the official data. However, none of them could produce the data when sought.Priti Jaiswal, the additional district magistrate (city), was handed over the memorandum by the protesters, who claimed that they did not belong to any political party.HT
Protest in Ghaziabad over alleged tampering with EVMs
http://twocircles.net/2017mar14/406272.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Twocirclesnet-IndianMuslim+%28TwoCircles.net+-+Indian+Muslim+News%29
BSP smells foul play in EVMs, to observe black day on 11th of every month
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/bsp-smells-foul-play-to-observe-black-day-on-11th-of-every-month-4570033/
Lucknow:Continuing her tirade against the BJP for her party’s humiliating defeat in UP, BSP supremo Mayawati on Wednesday accused the saffron party workers of tampering with EVMs and announced to observe black day on the 11th of every month. “BJP tampered with the EVMs and to hide their crime they are saying in social media as to why didn’t they win in Punjab, Manipur and Goa if they tampered with the machines. They didn’t pay attention to Punjab because they didn’t have a very good relation with the Akalis. And if they have not done anything then why are they giving clarifications via the media? Why are they saying that they have not done any tempering?” she said in Lucknow.ANI
Mayawati Rakes Up EVM Issue Again, To Move Court Against Alleged 'Tampering'
http://www.outlookindia.com/newswire/story/mayawati-rakes-up-evm-issue-again-to-move-court-against-alleged-tampering/966837
Parliamentary panel to seek expert help to test authenticity of EVMs
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/parliamentary-panel-to-seek-expert-help-to-test-authenticity-of-evms/story-dNL8FdJBJwIxblJiJPY1YO.html
New Delhi:After several leaders cast doubts over the authenticity of EVMs in elections, a parliamentary panel has decided to invite Indian and international experts to examine if they can be tampered with.The latest to cast doubts was Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal who on Tuesday instructed his chief secretary to urge the state election office to hold municipal elections in Delhi through ballot papers. In a letter earlier in the day, Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken demanded the same, saying serious doubts have cropped up in the minds of voters about the free and fair nature of the electoral process. Hours after results of UP elections last Saturday, BSP chief Mayawati attributed her party’s debacle to the tampering of EVMs in favour of the BJP. hindustantimes
Congress demands use of paper ballot in place of EVMs for by-elections in MP
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/congress-demands-use-of-paper-ballot-in-place-of-evms-for-by-elections-in-mp/story-pEiaqU2WRcCXFOFsdfDNEP.html
Bhopal:Madhya Pradesh unit of Congress on Tuesday demanded that next month’s by-elections in the state be held through paper ballot and not the EVMs.“Serious doubts have cropped up in the minds of voters. So polling for by-elections to Ater and Bandhavgarh Assembly seats should be conducted through the paper ballot,” state Congress president Arun Yadav told reporters here.To a question about BSP supremo Mayawati’s allegation that EVMs were tampered with during the UP elections, he said he had similar apprehensions.PTI
Azmi demands SIT probe in tampering of EVMs in polls
http://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/mumbai-abu-azmi-demands-sit-probe-in-tampering-of-evms-in-polls/1034514
Mumbai: Samajwadi Party MLA and Maharashtra president Abu Azmi demanded to constitute a SIT to probe into the tampering of EVM.Azmi while addressing the press conference on Tuesday in Mumbai said, “I’m surprised people suffered alot after demonetisation, many lost their lives while standing in queue. Also in Maharashtra around four thousand farmers committed suicide due to drought still the BJP stood as number one party in Maharashtra and UP states.” free press journal
Omar doubts Modi wave behind UP poll victory
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/omar-doubts-modi-wave-behind-up-poll-victory/article17464564.ece
Srinagar : If BJP credits PM Narendra Modi for its UP victory, it should also explain the Delhi and Bihar debacles, former J&K CM Omar Abdullah said as he asked the Opposition to begin preparing for “tough” 2019 polls.“If the Modi wave succeeded in UP, then why did it not in Delhi or Bihar? We only count our successes and blame someone else for our defeats. If the BJP credits Modi for the UP win, which it should, then it should also give explanation about Bihar and Delhi,” he said.PTI
Goans take to streets to protest against BJP government, placards say #NotMyCM: jantakareporter
http://www.jantakareporter.com/india/goans-say-notmycm/107042/
The Congress and the BJP today clashed over govt formation in Goa and Manipur with the opposition party accusing its rival of “stealing” the mandate of people using money power, drawing a sharp reaction that it complains “a bit too much”. Meanwhile, hundreds of people who voted against the BJP government took to streets on Tuesday to protest against Goa Forward Party’s leaders for betraying the mandate of ordinary voter.Goa Forward Party’s former chief,Prabhakar Timble, who had resigned in protest against his MLAs’ decision to support the BJP, tweeted, ” Who says Goans voted for development? Vote was to keep BJP off power and Goa off Parrikar.”
Shivraj Chouhan mum on rumours of shifting to Centre
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/shivraj-chouhan-mum-on-rumours-of-shifting-to-centre/story-cYeEbYjyv3i6yBJAUxNTeJ.html
Bhopal:Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan refused to comment on rumours that he would be moving to New Delhi, possibly to take charge as the country’s next defence minister. When asked by journalists on the sidelines of a programme he attended Tuesday night, Chouhan refused to say anything on the same. Union finance minister Arun Jaitley currently holds additional charge of the defence ministry.HT
Manipur gets its first BJP govt as Biren Singh takes oath along with 8 ministers
http://www.livemint.com/Politics/g88KvqgErUY6DkvQBzIZqO/Live-N-Biren-Singh-to-be-sworn-in-as-Manipur-CM-today-Amit.html
New Delhi: N. Biren Singh has become the first-ever BJP CM of Manipur after taking oath on Wednesday along with eight other ministers in capital Imphal. Singh, who was invited by governor Najma Heptulla on Tuesday evening, has the support of a coalition of 32 MLAs.LIVE MINT
EVMs fraud controversy: List of countries that have banned electronic voting
http://www.india.com/buzz/electronic-voting-machines-evms-fraud-controversy-list-of-countries-that-have-banned-electronic-voting-1927574/
There Is No Evidence That A Single Muslim Voted For BJP In UP: Rukmini S Editor,
http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2017/03/14/there-is-no-evidence-that-a-single-muslim-voted-for-the-bjp-in-u/?ncid=fcbklnkinhpmg00000001
OTHERS
PM Modi degree row: DU says it has no data of students passing out in 1978
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/pm-modi-degree-row-du-says-it-has-no-data-of-students-passing-out-in-1978/story-HR7NtcwNJbcZ94Ih6xIbxO.html
New Delhi: The controversy over PM Narendra Modi’s degree refuses to die down. Delhi University’s School of Open Learning (SOL), from where he is said to have passed out in 1978, says it doesn’t have records for that year as these are maintained only for one year. In response to an RTI query by this IANS correspondent seeking a list of students who had qualified for a BA degree in 1978, the SOL said: “The data is not maintained in the branch in the order as desired by the applicant.”Replying to two other queries on the results of students who qualified for the same degree in 1978, including their roll numbers, names and father’s names, SOL said: “No such list is maintained in the branch. As per weeding rules of the university, spare copies of the published result is kept only for one year.”A consolidated reply from the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO), Meenakshi Sahay, on the same query said:“Information sought by the applicant was endorsed to Dean (Exam), OSD (Exam), Joint Registrar (Degree) and Section Officer (Information) of the University, who are the deemed PIOs under section 5(4) and 5(5) of RTI, 2005.” “Further, relevant input, received from the Dean (Exam), OSD (Exam), Joint Registrar (Exam), indicates that the University, otherwise, treats the data of the students pertaining to the examination taken by them while pursuing a course in the University as personal to the students concerned which can be disclosed only to the student concerned,” she added.IANS
FIR registered in JNU student death: thehindu
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/fir-registered-in-jnu-student-death/article17466144.ece
New Delhi:Police have registered an FIR against unknown persons for allegedly abetting the alleged suicide of a JNU student here two days ago.Provisions pertaining to the Prevention of Atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Act would also be slapped. This had been a demand of the father of 28-year-old J. Muthukrishnan, who did not leave any suicide note but mentioned in several Facebook posts the discrimination he faced. Earlier, the police said the posts would also be a part of the investigation. However, in order to establish the circumstances that pushed him to take the extreme step, the police said, it would be necessary to find out his activities in the three days between the death and time he wrote those posts. Foul play was ruled out prima facie.
Case of abetment to suicide registered in JNU scholar death
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/case-of-abetment-to-suicide-registered-in-jnu-scholar-death/articleshow/57648731.cms
Shame on us for not being able to end persecution of Dalits:Chidambaram
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/shame-on-us-for-not-being-able-to-end-persecution-of-dalits-rues-chidambaram/story-RROB6UMxNcNF9Gu8mrJANI.html
New Delhi: People of the country should hang their heads “in shame” for not being able to stop the persecution of Dalits, former Union minister P Chidambaram said on Tuesday. Congress leader was referring to the suicide of Hyderabad University research scholar Rohith Vemula and the assault against Dalits in Gujarat’s Una in making his point.“All of us should hang our heads in shame that we have not been able to put an end to the persecution of Dalits. Exclusion and expulsion are used to exclude students from participating in legitimate university activities,” Chidambaram said.His comments assume significance against the backdrop of the alleged suicide of JNU Dalit scholar Muthukrishnan, who was associated with the students movement that followed Rohith’s death in January last year.PTI
Tufts professor Chakravorty says demonetisation was a poor policy with poorer execution
http://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/tufts-professor-says-demonetisation-was-a-poor-policy-with-poorer-execution-links-modis-move-to-a-bollywood-blockbuster/588978/
New Delhi: After Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen’s comment that demonetisation is a “despotic action that has struck at the root of economy based on trust”‘, another Prof , this time of Tufts University, Bhaskar Chakravorty, in an article published yesterday in Harvard Business Review titled “Early lessons from India’s Demonetisation Experiment”, said that “four months have passed since demonetisation and the country has emerged with few obvious scars””. In another article titled, India’s Botched War on Cash’ published soon after demonetisation, he had said that demonetisation was a policy failure.He said, although the impact on corruption has not been felt yet, but Modi’s govt has been rewarded with victory in mid-term state-level elections and that is being seen as a “referendum on its unprecedented action”.In another article titled, India’s Botched War on Cash’ he had said that demonetisation was a complete policy failure. financial express
Outside RBI: Soldier back from Siachen to man who found old notes his father left in locker
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/outside-rbi-soldier-back-from-siachen-to-man-who-found-old-notes-his-father-left-in-locker-4569532/
ED summons Geelani, Yasin Malik in FEMA case
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/ed-summons-separatist-leader-syed-ali-shah-geelani-yasin-malik-in-fema-case-4570248/
New Delhi: ED has summoned J&K-based separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Yasin Malik in connection with its probe against them in two separate FEMA cases. While Malik has been asked to appear before the central probe agency in state capital Srinagar on March 28, Geelani has been summoned on April 2. Officials said Geelani is required to be questioned by its sleuths with regard to a 2002 case when the Income Tax department had recovered USD 10,000 from a house in Hyderpora area Srinagar belonging to Geelani.They said Geelani’s statement would be recorded under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) once he deposes.The FEMA case pertaining to Malik is based on a 2001 FIR of local police where they seized $ 0.1 million from a person identified as M A Dar and his wife.PTI
3 militants, girl killed in Kupwara encounter
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/kashmir-militant-encounter-terrorist-operation-armed-forces/
Srinagar: 3 militants and a minor girl were on Wednesday killed in an encounter between the ultras and security forces in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, police said. The girl’s brother and a policeman were also injured in the encounter which started Wednesday morning.Security forces this morning launched a cordon and search operation (CASO) in Kalaroos village of the district following specific intelligence inputs about the presence of militants in the area, a police official said.During the gunfight, the official said, a minor girl Kaniza (12) was hit by a “stray bullet” and died on the spot, while her brother Faisal was injured and has been rushed to a hospital for treatment.PTI
Rumours in Kashmir: Bulbs, sim cards ‘helping’ security agencies kill militants
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/rumours-in-the-valley-bulbs-sim-cards-are-helping-security-agencies-kill-militants/story-g4uWjnPtynmEDNNpYiWJUK.html
Srinagar:An increase in militant deaths across Kashmir – especially its southern region – has given rise to rumours that intelligence agencies have “enrolled” common technological devices such as electric bulbs and sim cards in their crusade against rebel elements.According to sources, it began with unverified reports that residents of South Kashmir were smashing subsidised LED bulbs being distributed by the govt under the Ujala scheme. There was a widespread belief that they were fitted with “micro chips that could track down militants the moment they enter a person’s house”. Some even claimed that the bulbs – distributed at Rs 20 against actual market price of Rs 250 – were fitted with surveillance cameras. According to another rumour that began doing the rounds after two alleged militants and a civilian were killed on March 10, a senior separatist leader has asked Kashmiri residents to boycott a mobile company that’s distributing “free sim cards” – equipped with inbuilt technology capable of tracking militants – across the state. However, leader has denied issuing such a statement.As many as 11 militants were killed in seven encounters across the Valley last month.HT
4 months after Faisal’s murder, Kodinhi residents continue fight for justice, support his family
http://twocircles.net/2017mar14/406260.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Twocirclesnet-IndianMuslim+%28TwoCircles.net+-+Indian+Muslim+News%29
The state of Kerala is not short on tourist attractions. Every district boasts of something that separates them from the others; whether it be the beaches, forts, the backwaters or the waterfalls. Nevertheless, among all these, the town of Kodinhi in Malappuram has its own claim to fame, and not all of it is because of its landscape. As you enter the town, you are reminded that you are stepping into “God’s own Twins village.” This small village with a little over 2,000 families boasts of over 200 twins, a feat achieved nowhere else in the world. This phenomenon has meant that over the past few years, a number of people visit this tiny village to marvel at the twins.But if you were to visit Kodinhi now, more than the twins it would be flex boards with the picture of a smiling man that will catch your attention. The picture is that of Faisal P, a recent convert to Islam who was hacked to death in the early hours of Nov.19 near Farook Nagar market in Kodinhi. The flex boards are peppered across the village, reminding the residents as well as the visitors that nearly four months after Faisal’s murder, his memory is well and truly alive in the village and that they will continue to fight for justice.Twocircles
Hizb Kashmir chief terms nationalism ‘un-Islamic’; asks militants, stone pelters to fight for Islam: newindianexpress
http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2017/mar/15/hizb-kashmir-chief-terms-nationalism-un-islamic-asks-militants-stone-pelters-to-fight-for-islam-1581672.html
Srinagar: Hizbul Mujahideen’s Kashmir chief, Zakir Rashid alias Moosa, has released a new video in which he terms nationalism and democracy as “un-Islamic” and asks militants and stone pelters to fight for supremacy of Islam.He also warned policemen and informers and asked them to repent. Zakir said nationalism and democracy are un-Islamic.He asked the stone pelters to introspect. “They (stone pelters) should introspect why they are pelting stones at Indian force personnel.”“I see many people in Kashmir are engaged in war of nationalism, which is totally forbidden in Islam,” he said, adding “Nationalism and democracy are un-Islamic”.
‘Seminary seniors, shrine, imambara were terror targets’ claim ATS sources: indianexpress
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/ats-probes-terror-suspects-seminary-seniors-shrine-imambara-were-terror-targets-4569411/
Lucknow:The alleged terror module behind the Bhopal-Ujjain train blast had plans to kill 3 senior members of a Lucknow-based Islamic seminary for condemning the acts of IS, sources in the anti-terror squad questioning the suspects said. The group, which had done a recce of the seminary, also wanted to target the Dewa Sharif shrine in Barabanki and the Asifi or Bada Imambara in Lucknow, the officers said. ATS sources said the details of the plot to attack the seminary members became known during the questioning of Mohammad Gaus Khan, a ex-IAF corporal whom investigators have called the “motivator” of the alleged terror module. “Mohammad Gaus Khan revealed during his interrogation that they had planned to shoot 3 top men of the seminary and a recce had already been done by the group….They had also planned to target Dewa Sharif and Bada Imambara after executing the killings. These terror acts in and around Lucknow was the reason behind making group’s HQRS in Lucknow,” said a senior ATS official. ADG, Law and Order, Daljit Singh Chowdhary said, arrangements to provide security to the seminary members was under way. The seminary is believed to hold a place of importance in many Islamic countries.
UP ATS hands over Lucknow terror operation probe to NIA
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-up-ats-hands-over-lucknow-terror-operation-probe-to-nia-2352635
75 arrested for alleged links with ISIS: Govt
http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/kashmir/jk-resident-among-75-arrested-for-alleged-links-with-isis-govt/243730.html
New Delhi:A total of 75 people were arrested from different states for alleged links with dreaded terror group ISIS, the Centre said . Minister of State for Home, Hansraj Ahir informed the Rajya Sabha that as per the available information, NIA and state police have arrested altogether 75 individuals for suspected links to the ISIS network.Of the 75 persons, 21 were arrested from Kerala, 16 from Telangana, 9 from Karnataka, 8 from Maharashtra, 6 from MP, 4 from Uttarakhand, 3 from UP, 2 from Rajasthan, 4 from Tamil Nadu and one each from J&K and West Bengal. PTI
Mumbai ATS arrests 26-year-old techie Awesh Sk in MP
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/ats-arrests-26-year-old-techie-in-mp/articleshow/57638875.cms
Khargone: Mumbai ATS on Tuesday arrested a techie in Khargone, Madhya Pradesh, on suspicion of his association with a terror outfit.Awesh Sheikh (26), an MTech, was picked up in Talai Mohalla and was being brought to Mumbai, said sources.Sheikh's mobile and laptop were seized. The police said he was linked to a social media group with "suspicious people". NIA is investigating a case registered against Awesh in Nagpada police station in Dec. "Case was registered in Mumbai. We just helped in the investigation," Khargone SP D Kalyan Chakrawarthy said. timesofindia
Bihar ATS arrests suspect Shivan Soni from Begusarai, railway maps recovered: India Today
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/bihar-ats-terrorist-arrest-begusarai-railway-maps/1/904138.html
Patna: Bihar ATS on Tuesday afternoon arrested a suspect who was carrying railway maps in Begusarai district. The arrest was made on basis of intelligence inputs received by the Bihar police recently. Shivan Soni was arrested from Khajahanpur village under Cheriya Bariyarpur police station.According to sources in the police, Soni is a native of Faizabad in UP and had eight months back married a girl in Begusarai. Villagers have informed the police that Shivam had frequented Begusarai 4-5 times after his marriage and whenever he came he used to spend huge amount of money. They also found few railway maps from Shivam's possession triggering suspicion about him. This led to villagers informing the police.The suspect is under arrest and is being questioned by ATS and intelligence officials at an undisclosed location. india today
Bombay HC asks BMC about Muslim cemeteries
http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-hc-asks-bmc-about-muslim-cemeteries-2352992
Mumbai: Bombay High Court has asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to place on record its policy with regard to allotting land for a Muslim cemetery in each ward, and whether it is done based on the population of the community in the ward.A bench of Chief Justice Manjulla Chellur and Justice GS kulkarni has also asked the BMC to list the steps it proposes to take to meet the demand for land in the future.The direction was given during the hearing of a petition filed by Bandra resident Furqan Qureshi over the failure of the authorities to allot land for the community to bury their dead. The petitioner informed the court about development plans for an area in Bandra (west) which was reserved for a Sunni cemetery, but is now being allotted to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority for Metro work. dnaindia
HC orders temporary freeze on 47 hectares of land for Metro-3
http://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/bombay-high-court-orders-temporary-freeze-on-47-hectares-of-land-for-metro-3/story-Bt6x9ALoOtcYokbn2COSzJ.html
Bhushan attacker is now BJP spokesperson
http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/prashant-bhushan-attacker-is-now-bjp-spokesperson-4569445/
New Delhi:Delhi BJP appointed Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga as a spokesperson on Tuesday. Bagga had in Oct., 2011, attacked Prashant Bhushan over a statement made by the lawyer on Kashmir. After the attack, he had tweeted, “He try to break my nation, i try to break his head (sic).” A trial in that case is underway.Bagga was then a member of Bhagat Singh Kranti Sena. In May that year, Bagga and 3 others were arrested for disrupting an event to launch Arundhati Roy’s book. i.express
Enemy property bill to hit 1,519 properties in UP
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/enemy-property-bill-to-hit-1519-properties-in-uttar-pradesh/articleshow/57640257.cms
Lucknow: The enemy property bill, which was passed by the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, will affect 1,519 properties in UP. Raja of Mahmudabad, who holds 936 properties across UP and Uttarakhand, will be the most affected.After the bill turns into an Act, the custodian appointed by the Central govt will take control of all the properties identified as 'enemy property', seizing the heir's right to ancestral property.As many as 622 of the 1519 properties in UP are already vested with the 'custodian' and 897 are in process. timesofindia
Mathura: Over 12 people injured in clash of 2 groups
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/mathura-over-12-people-including-6-cops-injured-in-clash-between-two-groups-4569570/
Mathura:A clash erupted between two groups during Holi celebrations in Aduki village here following which over 12 people, including six police personnel were injured. “While 22 people have been arrested, hunt for others is on and an armed guard has been posted in the village,” SP city Ashok Kumar said, adding the situation is under control. “The trouble began yesterday when a person allegedly made an adverse remark during Holi celebrations at the house of the former gram pradhan. Following this, a clash erupted between the two sides,” a police report said. indianexpress
Noise pollution plaint against Azan: Petition against Thane police commissioner, officer in-charge
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thane/city-activist-files-petition-against-police-commissioner-officer-in-charge-who-fail-to-take-action-against-noise-pollution-plaint/articleshow/57636633.cms
Thane: Activist Dr Mahesh bedekar, who has filed various petitions against the increasing noise pollution in the city, recently sought intervention of the Bombay High Court to initiate contempt of court proceedings against the Thane police commissioner Param Bir Singh and the officer in-charge AV Pophale of the Naupada Police Station for failing to adhere to the norms of the silence zone.Dr Bedekar knocked the doors of the HC after the police authorities reportedly turned a deaf ear to his repeated complaints about the blaring loudspeakers atop a mosque near Masunda lake overlooking that the fact that the area falls under the silence zone. The activists said the sound from the loudspeakers violates the norms laid down under the silence zone and is a cause of inconvenience to the students of the MH High school in the close vicinity.TOI
HRD Ministry: AMU, Allahabad University and 11 other varsities identified as non-performers
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/education/story/hrd-ministry/1/904264.html
HRD Ministry has released a list of universities which have not been performing up to the mark. Renowned universities such as AMU and Allahabad University have been identified as "non-performers" by the ministry. India today
Underage marriages in UP on the decline: NFHS
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/underage-marriages-in-uttar-pradesh-on-the-decline-nfhs/articleshow/57646224.cms
WORLD
Pakistan set to declare Gilgt-Baltistan as fifth province
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pakistan-set-to-declare-gilgit-baltistan-as-fifth-province/articleshow/57647939.cms
Pakistan is planning to declare the strategic Gilgit-Baltistan region as the fifth province, a move that may raise concerns in India as it borders the disputed Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Pakistan's minister for inter-provincial coordination Riaz Hussain Pirzada told Geo TV that a committee headed by advisor of foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz had proposed giving the status of a province to Gilgit-Baltistan."The committee recommended that Gilgit-Baltistan should be made a province of Pakistan," Pirzada said on Wednesday.He also said that a constitutional amendment would be made to change the status of the region, through which the $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) passes.Gilgit-Baltistan is treated as a separate geographical entity by Pakistan. PTI
‘If Turkey-EU deal fails, 200,000 refugees will come to Greece’
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20170315-if-turkey-eu-deal-fails-200000-refugees-will-come-to-greece/
Some 200,000 refugees and migrants would flock to Greece if the agreement between Turkey and European Union collapses, the Vice President of the New Democracy (ND) party, Adonis Georgiadis, warned yesterday.In an interview with Greece’s Skai TV, Georgiadis said that if the conflict between Turkey and European countries continues, Ankara will end the refugee deal.“Then 200,000 refugees and migrants will most likely reach the Greek islands,” he stressed. middleeastmonitor
Out of the UNHRC, US will not be able to ‘shield’ Israel
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20170315-out-of-the-unhrc-us-will-not-be-able-to-shield-israel/
In the letter, which is addressed to UN advocates and human rights group, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says that the US is sceptical about its membership given the fact that other countries with a poor record of human rights are also members, including China,Egypt and Saudi Arabia.9 groups advocating the US’ continued membership have said that if the US does withdraw it will diminish the country’s ability to shield Israel from unfair attacks.In 2006 then US President George W. Bush refused to join the council over concerns at how it treated Israel but Obama overturned this decision in 2009.
Israeli cabinet postpones vote on annexation of W.Bank settlement
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20170315-israeli-cabinet-postpones-vote-on-annexation-of-west-bank-settlement/
No activists, Brotherhood members or indicted prisoners included in Sisi amnesty for 2,033 detainees
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20170315-no-activists-brotherhood-members-or-indicted-prisoners-included-in-sisi-amnesty/
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has issued an amnesty for 2,033 detainees imprisoned on criminal charges relating to public demonstrations over the past four years, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported on Tuesday. The amnesty is the second in four months and follows Sisi’s pledge made during a youth conference in 2015 that he would release a new batch of prisoners.No members of the Muslim Brotherhood are on the list, although local sources say that youths who have renounced the movement, and Salafist ideologies, after sitting with Sisi’s religious advisor inside prison are set to be released.
Regime strike kills 11 in Syria’s Idlib: Local source
http://www.worldbulletin.net/todays-news/186309/regime-strike-kills-11-in-syrias-idlib-local-source
At least 27 Palestinian refugees killed last month in Syria
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20170315-at-least-27-palestinian-refugees-killed-last-month-in-syria/
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:17 PM)
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