Evening NEWS DIGEST
18 March. 2017: 18 Jamadiul Akhir 1438:Vol:8, No:144
INDIA: POLLS & POLITICS
Yogi Adityanath as UP CM: BJP chooses far-right leader for Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas in UP
http://www.india.com/news/india/yogi-adityanath-as-uttar-pradesh-chief-minister-bjp-chooses-far-right-leader-for-sabka-saath-sabka-vikaas-in-up-1938240/
Lucknow: Mahant Yogi Adityanath, the lead priest of Shri Gorakhnath Mandir, is the new CM of UP. Adityanath’s elevation came as a shock for political pundits, considering his far-right ideological stance. By choosing him for the top job, BJP top brass has seemingly endorsed his Hindutva brand of politics. According to experts, Adityanath would fail to work upon the guidelines of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas as promoted by PM Modi.“By appointing Adityanath as CM, BJP would be misreading the mandate. The landslide verdict which BJP won was due to the promise of vikaas. People did not voted for Hindutva. By appointing Adityanath as the CM, I see BJP returning back to the ’90s,” veteran journalist Rajdeep Sardesai said on India Today.Apart from his political clout in eastern UP, Adityanath also remained a popular personality in western UP, where communal tensions continue to prevail post-Muzaffarnagar riots. During his campaign for the initial phases of elections, Adityanath had reiterated that “Kairana has turned into Kashmir”, with “Hindus being forced to flee similar to Pandits of the Valley.”Accusing the Akhilesh Yadav-led govt of providing refuge to Muslim rioters, Adityanath had said, “Why are there no riots in eastern UP? And why there have been 450 riots in western UP? Because this govt has empowered goons of a certain community.”Despite his massive electoral appeal, Adityanath was expected to be trailing in the race till earlier in the day. However, the tides seemingly changed after he flew to Delhi on sudden notice in the afternoon, for a high-level meeting with BJP head Amit Shah. Aggrieved by pary not paying heed to their demand, the Hindu Yuva Vahini, Adityanath’s cultural outfit, had decided to contest elections from the Poorvanchal belt in UP. However, Adityanath’s intervention compelled the Hindu Yuva Vahini to back down from the electoral race.Appointing Adityanath as the CM involved a number of risks for the saffron party. Apart from creating anxiety among the state’s 19% Muslim population, BJP could also end up disenchanting the right-leaning liberals who sided with BJP considering PM Narendra Modi’s poll plank of vikaas. Secondly, Adityanath’s skill as an administrator has not been put to a test.Third, Adityanath also remains an unreliable personality, who could resort to arm-twisting tactics, as seen in the manner Hindu Yuva Vahini was used before the elections. Fourth, the party could face dissent from OBC and non-Jatav Dalits, who could resent with the appointment of a hardline Brahim as CM. It could nullify the social engineering undertaken by Amit Shah over the past couple of years to shed the Brahmin-Baniya tag from BJP. India.com
UP's next CM Yogi, a mascot of unapologetic Hindutva
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-uttar-pradesh-s-next-cm-yogi-adityanath-a-mascot-of-unapologetic-hindutva-2358122
Yogi Adityanath to take oath as CM tomorrow with Keshav Maurya and Dinesh Sharma as his deputies
BJP names controversial leader Yogi for UP CM post
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/politics/180317/bjps-yogi-adityanath-to-be-new-chief-minister-of-uttar-pradesh.html
BJP, RSS Tussle Behind Delay In Picking UP CM
http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/bjp-rss-tussle-behind-delay-in-picking-up-chief-minister-suspense-grows-1670909
Maurya, Adityanath’ supporters stage demonstration as BJP decides UP CM
http://indianexpress.com/elections/uttar-pradesh-assembly-elections-2017/keshav-prasad-maurya-yogi-adityanath-supporters-stage-demonstration-as-bjp-decide-up-chief-minister-4574758/
Supporters of BJP leaders Keshav Prasad Maurya and Yogi Adityanath were seen staging demonstration outside party headquarters in Lucknow where top leadership will be meeting this evening to decide the new CM of UP. Supporters of both leaders want them to be made CM even as various sources say that Manoj Sinha is the first choice for the post.indianexpress
Deprived minorities will see growth under new UP govt: Naqvi
http://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/deprived-minorities-will-see-growth-under-new-uttar-pradesh-govt -mukhtar-abbas-naqvi/593146/
New Delhi:The central and the state-level schemes “stuck” in UP will be revived and “deprived minorities” will see growth, Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said today. After the meetings of the Governing Body and General Body of the Maulana Azad Education Foundation, an autonomous non-profit minority welfare institution under Minority Affairs ministry, he said that BJP does “empowerment and not appeasement”. A BJP govt is set to take charge in UP after an impressive win in the Assembly elections by the party, which had not given to any Muslim candidate. “Socio-economic development schemes of both the state and the Centre were not getting implemented. PM’s 15-point programme was virtually shut down (in the state) which provides for roads, education infrastructure and jobs,” Naqvi alleged.PTI
Trivendra Singh Rawat sworn in as Uttarakhand CM , 4 ex-Congressmen in cabinet
http://indianexpress.com/elections/uttarakhand-assembly-elections-2017/trivendra-singh-rawat-sworn-in-as-uttarakhand-chief-minister-bjp-narendra-modi-4574735/
RSS sanskar & Shah ties get Trivendra Rawat CM chair
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/rss-sanskar-and-shah-ties-get-trivendra-singh-rawat-cm-chair-4574188/
Mamata on EVM tampering row: Election Commission must call an all-party meeting
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/evm-tampering-election-commission-mamata-banerjee-uttar-pradesh-election-all-party-meeting/1/906894.html
New Delhi:In the wake of allegations of rigging of EVMs in recently concluded UP assembly election, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has said that the Election Commission should convene an all-party meeting to discuss the matter. "Whether one would accept or not is absolutely their choice. But the Election Commission may call an all-party meeting. Let the issue be discussed", Mamata said.When asked whether she was in favour of an investigation into the charges of tampering of EVMs, she said, "I have seen the Election Commissioner's version that there is nothing. But I have also gone through a video tape of BJP leader Subramanian Swamy in which he says these EVMs can be tampered with."Banerjee showed journalists footages of Swamy's video in which he talked about the possibility of voting machines being manipulated.In the video clips, Swamy is seen saying that EVMs were made in Japan, but ballot papers were used even there during elections because the machines could be rigged to favour a certain outcome.IndiaToday
BJP MLA in UP proposes to change Islamic learning centre Deoband’s name to ‘ancient name Devvrad’
http://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/bjp-mla-in-uttar-pradesh-proposes-to-change-islamic-learning-centre-deobands-name-to-ancient-name-devvrad/592218/
Saharanpur:Deoband, known across the world as a centre of Islamic learning, will be renamed as Devvrad after the BJP govt assumes power in UP, newly-elected local MLA Brajesh Singh said.Invoking Deoband’s association with Mahabharat-era, Singh said his first proposal in the legislative assembly would be for restoring the original name of the historical place. Singh’s assertion has not gone down well with Opposition leaders who have rejected the suggestion, even as right wing organisations like Bajrang Dal have supported it.Ex-MLA Mavia Ali said it would have been better had Singh focused on working for the development of Deoband and ensuring district status for it instead of getting into issues that divide people. Deoband is one of the 5 constituencies in Saharanpur district of North UP with a sizeable Muslim population. PTI
OTHERS
Blow to tribes, Dalits, backward castes as Govt cuts funding for social discrimination research centres
https://www.telegraphindia.com/1170317/jsp/frontpage/story_141123.jsp#.WM0Dcm-GOzf
New Delhi: Govt has decided to stop funding research centres on social discrimination at several universities, prompting accusations of shielding the "Brahminical social order"."It's ironic that these centres, which research Dalits, BR Ambedkar's philosophy, social exclusion and inclusive policies like reservation, are being closed down when the University Grants Commission is funding courses on Vedic studies," said N. Sukumar, Ambedkar scholar and teacher of political science in Delhi University.These "centres for study of social exclusion and inclusive policy" had been envisaged under the 11th 5-year plan (2007-12) and subsequently started at 35 central and state govt universities. The decision to fund them is usually renewed from plan period to plan period.Now, prodded by the govt, the regulator has written to some of these universities that it would stop funding these centres once the 12th plan ends on March 31 this year."I am directed to inform you that UGC will not provide financial support to the centre after the end of XIIth Plan as per the order received from MHRD (ministry of human resource development)," says the order, issued by UGC undersecretary Sushma Rathore. The Telegraph has seen a copy of the order, dated March 6, that JNU received on Monday. Ministry and commission officials said the letter had gone to many of these universities that have these centres and have not upgraded them to departments, which are permanent establishments that receive uninterrupted non-plan funds from the regulator. "Further, UGC will not be liable to the scheme of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy after the completion of XIIth Plan in any matter of functioning of the Centre; No communication whatsoever will be entertained or solicited by UGC," letter says. Commission chairman Ved Prakash was evasive when this newspaper contacted him."The letter says only funding under the plan will stop, not non-plan (funding)," Prakash said and hung up. The centres researching social exclusion hardly receive non-plan funds.A text message to HRD ministry spokesperson Ghanshyam Goel brought no response.Rathore's letter has hung a cloud over the future of the MPhil and PhD scholars enrolled in these centres and the professors who teach them.Pramod Kumar, the JNU registrar, confirmed that these teachers' appointments would be valid only till March 31."Many who were on lien have returned to the centres they came from. The students will be transferred to other centres; we'll request teachers of related subjects to take them in," he said.Sukumar, the Delhi University teacher, said the latest order had targeted the centres researching social exclusion because they "question the hierarchical Brahminical social order, and UGC doesn't want such questions raised".He said the regulator should have strengthened these centres by providing additional funds to their host universities so they could convert them into regular departments.Kancha Ilaiah, director of the centre researching social exclusion at MANUU, Hyderabad, said he had not received a similar letter from the regulator.Told about JNU, he criticised the regulator's decision. Ilaiah said these centres study marginalised communities such as tribes, Dalits, backward castes and minorities, creating databases with details of their landholding patterns, livelihood, health, education and the like."These are used to tell the State where exactly to invest for these communities' uplift. The public perception of this govt will change if it closes these centres; it will not send out a good signal," he said. telegraphindia
UGC Cuts Funding For Social Discrimination Research Centres Across Country
https://thewire.in/117004/ugc-funding-social-discrimination/
UGC to stop funds to centres studying social discrimination
http://indianexpress.com/article/education/ugc-to-stop-funds-to-centres-studying-social-discrimination-4574086/
New Uniforms For Rajasthan Govt Schools Are Suspiciously Similar to RSS Uniform
https://thewire.in/117217/rajasthan-govt -school-uniforms-rss/
In Sept.2016, the BJP-led Rajasthan govt decided to change the school uniform for govt schools, reportedly to better represent ‘Indian culture’ and so that children attending these schools do not feel inferior to children going to private schools. State school education minister Vasudev Devnani had said at the time, “The existing uniform has become synonymous with the poor state of affairs in the govt schools over the years. Now, govt schools are fast changing, progressing and have superseded private schools in many ways. The colourful new uniform will boost the confidence of our students”.The decades-old blue shirt with khaki shorts and skirts uniform was set to be changed to yellow and blue or white and grey from the next school session, April 2017. However, it now appears that the uniform that has now been decided upon is not as colourful as the children may have been led to hope.A five-member committee had been created by the govt to decide the new uniform. On Feb.17 PTI reported that the new uniform that the Rajasthan govt had decided upon were to be light brown in colour. On March 17, Hindustan Times reported that the new uniform was inspired by the new RSS uniform introduced last year. Devnani has said that the new uniform will be a light brown shirt or kurta paired with a darker brown shade for shorts or skirts and salwars. The bottoms will be the same colour as the RSS’s trousers.Incidentally, the RSS’s decision to change it’s uniform from khaki shorts to trousers was made in March last year.THE WIRE
Court lifts ban, JNU students can now protest at Freedom square
http://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/court-lifts-ban-jnu-students-can-now-protest-at-freedom-square/story-D6WY9FseLYxbCv6fDu2dVK.html
‘Freedom Square’, a popular protest site at JNU, will be open again for students with the Delhi high court on Friday lifting its earlier order restraining students from protesting within 100 metres of the admin block.“What would be the purpose of the protest if it was not visible and was held at some remote corner,” Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva said as he allowed students to protest in the front garden and pavement of the administrative block with the conditions that the exit and entry routes to the building not be blocked and decibel levels are kept low.While modifying its March 9 order, the court said it was looking to protect bonafide students of JNU and stressed that no outside organisation or association be allowed to dictate how the varsity or its students should function.The court said a large number of student protests at varsity only indicates that “there is something wrong somewhere”. It made the observation after JNU said in the past nine months there have been 92 protests in the campus and these were disrupting the functioning of the varsity.During the hearing, the court asked whether the JNU has ever introspected as to why so many protests, almost 10 every month, were being held there only and not in any other university. HT
No more deprivation points: JNU will lose its essence, say students
http://indianexpress.com/article/education/no-more-deprivation-points-jnu-will-lose-its-essence-say-students-4574087/
New Delhi: JNU is set to lose the most unique feature of its admission policy — the deprivation point model — with the Delhi High Court Thursday asking it to follow the 2016 UGC guidelines “without any deviation”. JNU’s “deprivation point model” facilitates entry of students, especially women, from backward regions. UGC guidelines do not mention the model and have recommended giving 100% weightage to viva-voce marks and making the entrance test the sole qualifying criteria for MPhil/PhD admissions. As of now, JNU follows a 70:30 ratio for written test and viva marks. After protests by students alleging discrimination at the viva level, the university decided to alter the ratio to 80:20. However, with deprivation points on the verge of being scrapped, current students — who made it to the institution on the basis of such affirmative actions — said JNU would lose its essence if the diverse mix of caste, class, region and gender ceases to exist.Chitra Saini, who is doing her MPhil in West Asian Studies, has benefitted from the deprivation points model, not once but twice. Hailing from Churu in Rajasthan, and born into a lower middle class OBC family which speaks Hindi at home, Saini was completely thrown off by the English questions in her entrance exam when she applied for BA in 3 languages in 2011.
BJP govt in Gujarat mulls life in jail for cow slaughter, beef transportation: HT
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/bjp-govt-in-gujarat-mulls-life-in-jail-for-cow-slaughter-beef-transportation/story-GvGfcCftEKsauOzanhy4nN.html
Ahmedabad:Cow slaughter and transportation of beef in Gujarat may soon attract life imprisonment as the BJP govt is preparing to come out with possibly the harshest law in the country to “protect” cattle.Though a bill to this effect is yet to be tabled in the assembly, the issue has already become the central theme of CM Vijay Rupani’s public speeches amid speculations that the party will push for an early state election. Buoyed by the BJP’s landslide victory in UP, the party believes that enacting a stricter cow protection law will help consolidate votes in the elections to be held in the backdrop of Patidar agitations for reservation in govt jobs and colleges.“We had fought a case in the Supreme Court to bring a law in Gujarat to save cows. Now, we want to make this law stricter. We will introduce a bill in the ongoing budget session of the assembly,” Rupani had said on March 12 in Junagadh at a function organised by Swaminarayan Sect.A significant number of Patidars, or Patels – a crucial vote bank of the BJP – are followers of this religious sect.Sources say that the new bill proposes life imprisonment and fine up to Rs 1 lakh for the offence. Besides, the vehicle can be confiscated permanently. Offence is also likely to be made cognizable and non-bailable
Cow, its urine and dung on Rajya Sabha discussion menu
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/cow-its-urine-and-dung-on-rajya-sabha-discussion-menu-4574094/
New Delhi: Cows are the only animal that inhale as well as exhale oxygen; ghee made of cow’s milk contains 47% oxygen;and “gaumutra (cow’s urine)” in sugarcane field will ensure longer, thicker and sweeter sugarcane and yield more sugar, BJP MPs said in the Rajya Sabha on Friday.The remarks were made during a discussion on a private-member resolution moved, and subsequently withdrawn, by DMK’s T Siva, seeking steps for protection of indigenous cattle breed. B K Hariprasad of the Congress, who supported the resolution, said there should not be any discrimination against buffaloes or bulls. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the govt could keep in mind the suggestions offered by Siva.In resolution, Siva sought amendment in Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, to exempt bulls from application of provisions that restrict their utility and training for various purposes. Siva also batted for saving diesel by “replacing tractors with cattle for…ploughing and transportation”. Nine of 10 MPs who spoke on the issue supported Siva’s resolution. Jairam Ramesh opposed it, saying the resolution was aimed at Jallikattu more than protecting the indigenous breed of cattle and promoting organic manure, as was made out by the DMK member. Basavaraj Patil, BJP MP from Karnataka, said, “Ghee made of cow’s milk has up to 47% oxygen. Cow is the only animal which takes oxygen and gives back oxygen.”He claimed that if a cow carcass is buried, its “chemical action” is worth fertilizer amounting to Rs 8,000. indianexpress
'Gandhiji was a Jihadi of a non-violent kind, inspired by Islam and imbibed that in his satyagraha'
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/in-other-news/180317/islam-influenced-gandhijis-struggle.html
Bengaluru:“Mahatma Gandhi was a Jihadi of a non-violent kind. Jihad in Islam means 'struggle with one's own conscience’. He was inspired by Islam and imbibed that in his satyagraha,”said Gita Dharampal, from South Asia Institute. Presenting a paper at The Energy Resources Institute, on ‘Gandhi and Islam’, Gita explained his efforts to bring Hindu-Muslim unity. “I want this paper to provide answers to present concerns. Right from the cold war, the bombing of Iraq, Afghanistan, oil politics, bombing of twin towers was all part of power politics; and less to do with Islamic radicalism,” she said. Gandhiji had 4 agendas in mind - Satyagraha, Hindu-Muslim unity, abolishing untouchability and the Swadeshi movement. He supported the Khilafat movement, which pressured the British to let the Ottomon Caliph retain his power.“The Ottomon empire was a Muslim one. Fall of this meant a fall for Islam and Muslims comprise one-fourth of India's population. He joined the Khilafat movement, initiated by Indian Muslims, to bring Hindu-Muslim unity,” Gita said.She spoke about Gandhi attempting to maintain harmony between the two religions, especially with regard to cow, an animal considered sacred by most Hindus." One can't kill a Muslim to save the cow. A Hindu must urge the Muslim brother to save the cow," she said. However the British disturbed this harmony by painting the Mughal era as 'dark ages'. Gita said what Gandhi propagated was more of contemporary Islam that became part of his spiritual struggle against violence. DECCAN CHRONICLE.
2 missing Nizamuddin clerics in custody of Pakistani intelligence agencies over links with MQM: Report
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/2-missing-nizamuddin-clerics-in-custody-of-pakistani-intelligence-agencies-report/articleshow/57703643.cms
New Delhi: 2 Muslim clerics from Delhi who went missing in Pakistan are "in (the) custody of Pakistan's intelligence agencies, over their alleged links with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Altaf Hussain",reported PTI today, quoting unnamed official sources.Syed Asif Nizami and his nephew Nazim Nizami, the 2 Sufi clerics from Delhi's Nizamuddin Dargah, went to Pakistan on March 8. They reportedly went missing from Lahore airport, from where they were scheduled to fly to Karachi, a few days ago."The personnel of an intelligence took both the clerics into custody after getting them offloaded and shifted them to an undisclosed location for investigation," the sources told PTI on the condition of anonymity. "They are being interrogated for their alleged links with Altaf's partymen in Karachi," the sources said, adding they will be freed if nothing is established against them.The news comes in a day after external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said Pakistan's spy agency ISI likely abducted the two men. She said the Pakistani "hosts" of the khadims were "under pressure not to speak to Indian High Commission". Hussain, the self-exiled leader of the MQM, has been living in London for the ast 24 years. "Critics accuse Hussain of being a terrorist and fanatic. He has used his base in the UK to dial up and dial down street violence depending on political necessity, they allege," wrote British paper The Guardian, last year.TOI
Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah clerics in custody of Pakistan’s intel agency, taken to undisclosed location
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/hazrat-nizamuddin-dargah-clerics-in-custody-of-pakistans-intel-agency-taken-to-undisclosed-location-4574709/
No private airline is ready to take Haj pilgrims to Mecca: Piyush Goyal on Air India
http://www.businesstoday.in/india-today-conclave/2017/haj-pilgrims-piyush-goyal-air-india-disinvestment-yemen/story/248254.html
Speaking at the India Today Conclave 2017 in Mumbai, Piyush Goyal, Minister of State with Independent Charge for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mines said that every big country needs a national carrier.Responding to a question regarding disinvestment of Air India, Goyal said that Air India played a key role in bringing Indians who were stuck in Yemen back to the country during Operation Rahat in 2015.Hinting that the govt has no plan to sell the national carrier, Goyal said none of the private airlines would agree to operate Haj flights to take muslim pilgrims to Mecca.He also compared Haj flights by Air India as an example of 'Sabka saath, sabka vikas'. Earlier, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said in a written reply in Lok Sabha Sabha that the govt is not considering inducting banks as strategic investors in Air India or privatising the airline.Comptroller and Auditor General of India in a report earlier this month said that Govt may need to reassess amount of bailout funds given to Air India because the state-run carrier has breached loan limits set under a govt restructuring plan, causing its finances to be squeezed.businesstoday
Waqf tribunal constituted to look into disputes: AAP tells Delhi HC
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/waqf-tribunal-constituted-to-look-into-disputes-aap-tells-delhi-hc-4573668/
New Delhi:AAP govt on Friday informed the Delhi High Court that it has constituted a tribunal to prosecute all disputes in respect of waqf property and waqf issues. The submission was made before a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice V K Rao, which was hearing a plea seeking setting up of a tribunal. The petition has also sought a direction to enforce eviction orders which have already passed and awaiting enforcement for last many years regarding 990 waqf properties illegally encroached upon in the national capital.Acting on the plea, the counsel for the Delhi govt said that on March 15 a notification regarding constitution of a 3-member Delhi Waqf Tribunal was issued. “Delhi Waqf Tribunal for determination of any dispute, question or other matter relating to a waqf or waqf property, eviction of a tenant or determination of rights and obligations of the lessor and the lessees of such property under the said Act has been constituted,” the govt said.The bench, however, asked govt’s counsel to file by May 29 its response explaining as to why no action was taken despite the eviction order.PTI
Malegaon Blasts Case: Omission in 2011 order allowed Lt Col Purohit to stay in hospital ward of prison
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/malegaon-blasts-case-omission-in-2011-order-allowed-lt-col-purohit-to-stay-in-hospital-4574128/
Mumbai: Special court hearing Malegaon 2008 blast case has ruled that an omission made in a 2011 order changed its meaning and impact allowing accused Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit to remain in a hospital ward of the jail till date. The observation is in connection with an application made by co-accused Ramesh Upadhyay claiming that the omission was part of an ‘intentional collusion’ between Purohit and the court staff. Upadhyay has claimed that the words ‘for a limited specific period’ were altered in a 2011 order passed by the court which led to Purohit being lodged in the hospital ward not for a temporary period as was intended but a permanent one. The court, however, dismissed Upadhyay’s plea seeking criminal action against the court staff instead stating that “effective action can be taken or inquiry can be made in respect of alleged misconduct on administrative side”.Last month, after Upadhyay’s plea, the court had directed Taloja jail authorities to submit the copy they had received of the order of April 30, 2011 regarding Purohit’s hospital ward stay. “It is clear from the said copy that while conveying the order to the jail authority the words ‘for a limited specific period’ were omitted as well as second paragraph of the order was also not conveyed to the jail authority,” court has observed.indianexpress
Ajmer blast:Quantum of punishment likely on March 22
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/ajmer-blast-case-quantum-of-punishment-likely-on-march-22-4574645/
Jaipur:The special NIA court here is likely to pronounce the quantum of sentence in the Ajmer Dargah bomb blast case on March 22 after it continued to hear arguments on the sentencing of the two convicts. Defence counsel Jagdish Rana said the magistrate deferred the verdict and posted the matter for Wednesday. The court had on March 8 convicted Bhavesh Patel, Devendra Gupta and Sunil Joshi and acquitted others including Swami Aseemanand. Joshi has already died..PTI
Samjhauta Blast: NIA court summons 13 Pak witnesses
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/samjhauta-blast-case-nia-court-summons-13-pakistan-witnesses-4574603/
Chandigarh:Panchkula Special NIA court on Friday summoned 13 Pakistani witnesses in the 2007 Samjhauta Express bomb blast case to appear in court from July 4 to 7. The blasts had occurred near Dewana railway station in Panipat district of Haryana, killing 68 people, mostly from Pakistan, and injuring 12 on the intervening night of Feb.18 and 19, 2007. Rajan Malhotra, NIA’s counsel, confirmed that the NIA court has summoned 13 Pak nationals, who were either travelling on the train that fateful day or are family members of the victims, to appear in the case. indianexpress
Guard against majoritarianism, says President
http://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/guard-against-majoritarianism-says-president-117031701084_1.html
New Delhi:President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday said the country “must always guard against majoritarianism” and India needed a strong Opposition standing guard. The President cautioned against over-centralisation of power, and said a diverse country like India was best served by a parliamentary, and not a presidential, system of governance where power is delegated. He asked scholars and political scientists to analyse the consequences and long-term implications of moving away from the classic tenets of a parliamentary system.The President, speaking at an event in Mumbai, left people in little doubt that his comments were in the context of BJP winning in UP and other states, and PM Narendra Modi emerging as the country’s most popular leader. Mukherjee said he was “extremely happy” to hear Modi speak about the need for humility in the aftermath of his party’s victory in the recent elections, where the PM said while elections are determined on the basis of “bahumat”, or majority, the states will be governed on the principle of “sarvamat”, or consensus. businessstandard
Hindu fundamentalism more threatening than Islamic terrorism: Guha
http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/hindu-fundamentalism-more-threatening-than-islamic-terrorism-guha-116031600605_1.html
New Delhi:Describing BJP president Amit Shah and SP leader Azam Khan as the most "dangerous politicians in the country," historian and author Ramachandra Guha has cautioned that India needs to be vigilant against rising Hindu nationalism. Speaking at the opening session of 5-day literary festival 'Spring Fever' late on Tuesday here, Guha said the country has witnessed rise in Hindu nationalism post Partition and during Ram Janmabhoomi movement."Rising of Hindu nationalism in the country is not new. It happened immediately after Partition and during Ram Janmabhoomi movement, and both were orchestrated by the RSS. It has severely affected the secular, cultural and political fabric of the country, and I hope that the situation shouldn't escalate to that level," said Guha.Guha also noted that Hindu fundamentalism is more threatening than Islamic terrorism in India. "The reason is within India, Hindus are 85 . I am terrified at the thought of Hindu majoritarianism, because that is what we were not," said Guha, adding that Islamic terrorism is a dangerous phenomenon in the global scenario.He said that in the current context, however, Hindu fundamentalism was confined to a few states.IANS
Centre should make law for construction of Ram Temple: VHP
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/centre-should-make-law-for-construction-of-ram-temple-vhp-4573722/
Ranchi:A VHP leader on Friday said the Centre make a law for the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya. “Hindu Samaj will not accept any more delay in the construction of Ram Temple. Centre should make a law for its construction,” VHP’s International Joint General Secretary Surendra Kumar Jain told a press conference here. Ram Temple is the country’s “symbol of pride and self-respect”, Jain said and claimed that ‘Jan Jagaran (awareness of people) would start from March 28 to April 10 across the country and under the programme meetings would be held in all the blocks of the country with active participation of five crore people.PTI
Bombay HC seeks details of Bilkis Bano gangrape convicts from CBI
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/bombay-hc-seeks-details-of-bilkis-bano-gangrape-convicts-from-cbi-4573548/
Bombay High Court has asked CBI to submit details of all the convicts in the 2002 Bilkis Bano gangrape case related to the sentence prescribed to them and the period they have spent in jail so far. A division bench of Justices V K Tahilramani and Mridula Bhatkar had last year reserved its judgement on the appeals filed by 11 persons convicted in the case and also the appeal filed by the central agency seeking death penalty for three of them.The bench asked CBI counsel Hiten Venegaonkar to submit the details of convicts, the sentence awarded to them and the period they have spent in jail so far. “We want the exact time period they (convicts) have already spent in jail pending trial and till date,” the bench said.PTI
MP: Communal campaign on social media lands Nitesh Verma in jail for 3 years
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/madhya-pradesh-social-media-communal-violence-jail-khandwa-court/1/905501.html
Bhopal:In a first of its kind verdict, a Khandwa district court in Madhya Pradesh has sentenced one person for 3 years in prison for inciting communal violence on social media. The accused identified as Nitesh Verma has also been fined Rs 2100.The incident was first reported three years ago when the city started witnessing communal clashes after a derogatory post hurting religious sentiments of the minority community went viral on social media. The derogatory post was made from an account that featured the name of BJP leader Amar Yadav who was also the chairman of the Khandwa Municipal Corporation at that time.After violence erupted in the city Amar Yadav complained to the police saying someone had created a fake Facebook account in his name and used his picture before posting the derogatory comments and pictures.IT cell of the Khandwa police investigated Yadav's complaint and reached Nitesh Verma through the IP address of the computer that was used for creating the social media profile through which the derogatory comments were made. indiatoday
UP: A Bulandshahr village tense after bid to hoist BJP flag on mosque
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/meerut/up-village-tense-after-bid-to-hoist-bjp-flag-on-mosque/articleshow/57681144.cms
Meerut: Tension rose in a Bulandshahr village in UP after a group of men who were celebrating BJP's victory in the state elections allegedly tried to hoist the party flag on the roof of a local mosque on Wednesday night. Police and PAC personnel have been deployed in the area; senior officials are monitoring the situation.The incident took place at Chachrai village in Jehangirabad block of Bulandshahr. Village has a population of 2,000 with Hindus and Muslims in equal number. Mohsin Ahmad, a villager who was present during the incident, told TOI,"It was around 9.30pm when a procession of men with tilaks on their foreheads passed through the area beating on drums celebrating BJP's win. A few of them stood in front of the gate of the mosque and then began hoisting the flag on the roof of the mosque. Some of us objected to this, which led to an altercation." timesofindia
Cops ‘beat’ Dalit to death for applying Holi colours on upper caste in Jharkhand
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/cops-beat-dalit-to-death-for-applying-holi-colours-on-upper-caste-in-jharkhand/story-R7FC87pAkCDXyC3d8EolJL.html
Dhanbad:A 52-year old Dalit man was allegedly beaten to death by the police for throwing coloured powder on an upper caste on Holi in Jharkhand’ Koderma district, victim’s widow said.The family of victim Pradeep Choudhary said that the deceased, along with other villagers, had sprinkled abir (coloured powder) on a local chowkidar Rajendra Yadav as a gesture of goodwill on Holi.However, Yadav took exception to the action and called upon police to teach the group a lesson. “Police started beating up Pradeep till he fell unconscious. They then took him to the police station,” Pradeep’s widow Jashwa Devi said.Jashwa claimed that she along with her brother rushed to the Satbarwa police station but officials did not allow them to see Pradeep and instead abused them over their caste.Jashwa said police eventually dropped Pradeep home the next morning.HT
Muzaffarnagar riot victims attacked for objecting to harassment
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/muzaffarnagar-riot-victims-attacked-for-objecting-to-harassment-4574543/
Muzaffarnagar:6 Muzaffarnagar riot victims, two of them women, suffered injuries after they objected to the alleged sexual harassment of some girls by a group of youths who pelted stones at them at Palda village in the district.Police said a complaint has been lodged against a dozen people. Two of them have been identified as Gulab and Naeem, who are currently absconding.According to the complaint lodged by one Iqbal, the youths were harassing some girls at Palda village where the victims of the riots had been rehabilitated in 2013. When they raised objections to the youths, they were pelted with stones and suffered injuries.The injured persons, including two women, were shifted to hospital.PTI
Man kills sister in Odisha to appease Goddess Kali
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/man-kills-sister-in-odisha-to-appease-goddess-kali/articleshow/57654773.cms?from=mdr
Bhubaneswar: Murder stemming from superstition reared its ugly head again in Odisha. Close on heels of recent murder of a girl during practice of witchcraft at Jharsuguda, a man allegedly hacked his sister to death in Balangir district on Wednesday to appease a village goddess.Police arrested the accused Tripura Mallick, 47, from his house at Dangaghata under Balangir Sadar police limits. "We are verifying the superstition angle behind the murder. Neighbours claimed Mallick killed his sister to appease Goddess Kali. We seized the sword using which he killed his 34-year-old sister Ranga Mallick," SP (Balangir) Ashish Kumar Singh told TOI. TOI
Delhi blasts convict moves HC for quashing of money laundering case
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/blast-convict-moves-delhi-hc-for-quashing-of-money-laundering-case-4573793/
New Delhi:Tariq Ahmed Dar, who was convicted in the 2005 Diwali-eve serial blasts in New Delhi that had claimed 67 lives, on Friday moved the Delhi High Court seeking quashing of a money laundering case against him. Justice SP Garg issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and asked it to file a response on Dar’s plea, who was recently granted bail by the trial court in the same case. The trial court had allowed Dar’s bail plea noting that he was in custody in the money laundering case for over 5 years which was 70% of the maximum sentence of 7 years for the offence.The convict has urged the court that unless he is found to have committed scheduled offence, he cannot be prosecuted.PTI
Bengaluru terror case: ATS arrests Habib Miya in Tripura:
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/bengaluru-iisc-terror-attack-2005-gujarat-ats-arrest-suspect-tripura-4573615/
New Delhi: Gujarat ATS on Friday picked up a suspect from Tripura in connection with the 2005 terror attack at Bengaluru’s Indian Institute of Science (IISc). ATS identified the terror suspect as Habib Miya. A retired professor was killed and four others were seriously injured in the attack.Eyewitness accounts claimed that it was carried out by a lone gunman, who used an AK-47 and hand grenades. He was driven away in a white ambassador after the attack, according to eyewitnesses. All metropolitan cities in southern states have been put on high alert in the aftermath of the attack. indianexpress
NIA to chargesheet 8 from Kerala, TN for ‘IS terror plot’
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/nia-to-chargesheet-eight-from-kerala-tamil-nadu-for-is-terror-plot-4574175/
1 million sign petition by RSS-backed body against triple talaq
http://www.india.com/news/india/triple-talaq-one-million-muslims-sign-petition-by-rss-backed-body-against-controversial-divorce-practice-1937149/
New Delh: At least 1 million Muslims across India have reportedly signed a petition to end the controversial practice of triple talaq. Reports say that these include women in majority, who have signed the petition against the divorce practice. In the past few months, many voices have come out against the triple talaq issue. The petition has been floated by Muslim body Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM) affiliated with RSS, say reports. The body has also called for a national debate on triple talaq.“This is a problem of the community and the stakeholders within the community as well as the representatives from the state and the govt must come and sit together to start a debate on this so that Muslim women can claim a human status,” body was quoted as saying by Mail Today.india.com
Violent protests not terror, use least harmful measures: Israeli counter-terror expert
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/violent-protests-not-terror-use-least-harmful-measures-israeli-expert-4574172/
New Delhi: A leading Israeli counter-terror expert has warned against confusing violent protests with terrorism, and advocated the use of “least harmful measures” to contain such agitations, including in J&K. Otherwise, Prof Boaz Ganor said, there is a danger of the protesters being radicalised and turning to terrorism. Ganor, who heads counter-terror studies at the IDC college in Israel, also described surgical strikes as a “wise” option against terrorism and cautioned that the next big security challenge for India would emanate from the proponents of “global jihad”, especially Islamic State and al-Qaeda.Without naming Pakistan, Ganor further said that Israel can learn from India on fighting terror because this country has for years experienced “organised terrorism” that is mostly “state sponsored”.Asked about the use of pellet guns on protesters in J&K, Ganor said, “As a counter-terror expert, I don’t see violent protest as terrorism. One needs to use all possible measures to prevent violent protests… hopefully, with little damage, injuries or killing. One reason is you don’t want to kill and secondly and importantly, you will end up radicalising protesters using harsh measures and some of them might turn to terrorism, which you don’t want. You need to use the least harmful measures for those violent protests.”Asked about surgical strikes, like the one carried out by the Indian Army across the LoC last September on terrorist launch pads, as a viable counter-terror measure, Ganor said, “I think surgical strikes are crucial… as effective counter-operational capability to fight them. If need be, to kill them, destroy their camps. Hard power is important.”Ganor, who is in Delhi to attend a counter-terror conference, said, “Most terrorist organisations are embedded in society and they know that if states go after them, there will be collateral damage…(But) surgical strike also means wise strike, it doesn’t mean bombarding civilian areas, it means pinpointed strike. Collateral damage is counter productive, it creates more hatred and unites people to join militant groups against the states.”According to Ganor, the next challenge for India, which is situated at the centre of the Indian Ocean rim and is a mixture of cultures and religions, will come from “global jihad”, especially Islamic State and al-Qaeda.With IS losing ground in Syria and Iraq, the threat for India and its neighbouring countries has gone up,said Ganor.Indian Express
Pak move to declare Gilgit-Baltistan as 5th state not acceptable: Kashmiri separatist leaders
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/pakistans-move-to-declare-gilgit-baltistan-as-5th-state-not-acceptable-kashmiri-separatist-leaders/
Srinagar;Any move by Pakistan to declare Gilgit-Baltistan as its fifth province will not be acceptable, Kashmiri separatist leaders said today. In a joint statement Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik said J&K is a long-standing issue in the international forum, and the world community has agreed to decide its political destiny through resolutions acknowledged by the UN.“Unless and until the people of J&K are provided an opportunity to decide the future course of the state through referendum, no division, alteration and changes are acceptable,” they said.Rejecting any idea of merger of any part or division of J&K to India or Pakistan, they said “both India and Pakistan have no authority to alter the geographical status of the state.”PTI
Why spend public money on providing police protection to politicians: Bombay HC
http://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/why-spend-public-money-on-providing-police-protection-to-politicians-bombay-hc/story-DcpUb4W0cBzD8M5P1jpBcI.html
Mumbai:There is no need for the state govt to spend public funds on providing police protection to political leaders because their parties are perfectly capable of taking care of them, the Bombay high court said.“Why is the taxpayer’s money being spent on former members of the legislature and their relatives?” asked a division bench comprising chief justice Manjula Chellur and justice Girish Kulkarni. Hindustantimes
Security at Taj Mahal stepped up after reports of possible terror attack: ndtv
http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/security-at-taj-mahal-stepped-up-after-reports-of-possible-terror-attack-1670678
Agra blasts: Twin low-intensity explosions near Cantt railway station, no injuries reported
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/agra-low-intensity-blast-live-updates-injuries-casualties-4574397/
60% of engineering graduates unemployed
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/trend-tracking/60-of-engineering-graduates-unemployed/articleshow/57701033.cms
Jat stir: Sec 144 imposed, internet services suspended in Haryana
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/jat-stir-sec-144-imposed-internet-services-suspended-in-haryana/articleshow/57706751.cms
WORLD
UN official resigns over Israel apartheid report
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/03/official-resigns-israel-apartheid-report-170317182241142.html
The head of the UN' West Asia commission, Rima Khalaf, has resigned over what she described as the pressure to withdraw a report that was critical of Israel.The report accused Israel of imposing an apartheid regime on Palestinians. Lebanon-based Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), which comprises 18 Arab states, published the report on Wednesday and said it was the first time a UN body had clearly made the charge. "It was expected that Israel and its allies will exercise pressure on the UN secretary-general to distance himself from the report and that they will ask him to withdraw it," Khalaf said in Beirut on Friday. aljazeera
Death toll rises after US airstrike in Syrian mosque: observer groups
http://abcnews.go.com/US/death-toll-rises-us-airstrike-syrian-village-observer/story?id=46198902
US warplanes struck a mosque compound in northwestern Syria Thursday, killing dozens of people, observer groups and eyewitnesses said today.US military officials confirmed the airstrike but said the target was a large gathering of al-Qaeda militants meeting in a building that they said was across the street from the mosque.At least 49 people were killed and more than 100 injured in the attack in the rebel-held village of al-Jina in Aleppo’s countryside, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.The targeted building was a center for Islam lectures that belongs to the mosque and is part of the same compound, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and eyewitnesses said. “If fighters were among those killed, they were attending a religious lecture, not fighting or preparing to fight,” Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told ABC News.ABC News
Airstrike on Syrian mosque is war crime: Turkish Dy PM
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/airstrike-on-syrian-mosque-is-war-crime-turkish-deputy-pm-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=110976&NewsCatID=510
Turkey's Deputy PM Numan Kurtulmuş condemned the bombing of a mosque in northern Syria as a “war crime”.An airstrike on a mosque in the village of Al-Jina, located west of Aleppo city towards the border with Idlib province, killed 58 people at night of March 16.“This is a crime against humanity, this is a war crime,” Kurtulmuş said. Anadolu Agency
Moscow says US behind Syria mosque attack, not Russia
http://www.worldbulletin.net/todays-news/186449/moscow-says-us-behind-syria-mosque-attack-not-russia
Syria: Rebels leave Al Waer district under evacuation deal
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/03/rebels-leave-al-waer-district-evacuation-deal-170318094703849.html
Scores of rebel fighters and their families have begun leaving the last opposition-held area in the Syrian city of Homs, state media and witnesses say, under an evacuation deal with the govt expected to be among the largest of its kind.By midday around 100 fighters and their families had left the city, once known as the epicenter of the 2011 uprising against President Bashar Assad. They were bound for a town on the Turkish border after the latest in a series of local agreements in which opposition fighters have relocated to the rebel-held north after months or years under siege in the country's major cities. Green govt buses ferried the fighters, who were carrying assault rifles, and their families from the northern Al Waer neighborhood to Homs' western entrance, where they disembarked and had some of their bags searched under the supervision of Syrian and Russian military police. aljazeera
29 killed in pro-Houthi strike on mosque in Yemen
https://in.news.yahoo.com/29-killed-pro-houthi-strike-mosque-yemen-172004401.html
About 29 pro-govt soldiers were killed and 89 others injured when missiles fired by Shiite Houthi gunmen struck a mosque in Yemen's northern province of Marib on Friday, a military official told Xinhua.According to local official, pro-Houthi forces fired ballistic missiles and struck the mosque inside a military base of the Saudi-backed Yemeni govt forces in Marib. IANS
Iran pilgrims to join this year’s hajj: Saudi
http://www.siasat.com/news/iran-pilgrims-join-years-hajj-saudi-arabia-1153534/
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 2:35 PM)
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