Evening NEWS DIGEST
26 April 2017: 28 Rajab 1438: Vol: 8, No:175
INDIA: MCD POLLS
Delhi MCD results 2017: BJP scores hat-trick, decimates AAP; Kejriwal’s party blames EVMs
http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/mcd-election-results-2017-counting-begins-can-kejriwal-s-aap-beat-modi-wave-in-delhi/story-xpbRonawnk8ALeqLfwjJxL.html
Delhi: BJP on Wednesday was all set to retain Delhi’s three civic bodies for the third time in a row, dealing a body blow to the AAP, which blamed EVMs for its poor show in the municipal elections. According to the Delhi election office, the BJP had won 174 wards, AAP 44, Congress 27 wards so far. BSP won 2 wards in the east municipal corporation, the INLD bagged one seat and one ward went to an Independent candidate. (For live updates, click here).In the north body, the BJP won 62 wards, AAP 18 and Congress 13. In the south MCD, the BJP won 66, AAP 16 and 11 went to the Congress. In the east Delhi municipal body, 46 went to BJP, 10 to AAP and three to the Congress.Voting for 270 of the total 272 wards of the three municipal corporations saw around 54% voting on Sunday. Election was countermanded in two wards following the death of candidates. hindustantimes
Live BJP retains all Delhi municipal corporations
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/delhi-municipal-elections/article18212514.ece?homepage=true
14 Muslims including 7 women win in MCD elections
http://viewsheadlines.com/mcd-election-result-2017-name-of-muslim-winning-candidates-in-delhi-6-women-14552/
New Delhi: As far as Muslim community is concerned, AAP seems to be the main choice in the Delhi MDC electionS. 7 Muslim candidates fighting on AAP ticket emerged victorious in largely Muslim constituencies. Congress party was the second choice for the community as 6 Muslim candidates won on Congress ticket while 1 candidate won on the BSP ticket. But the Congress party must be feeling happy that as far as Old Delhi area is concerned the community has largely backed the Congress party.The most amazing aspect of Muslim winning candidates was the fact that 7 of the winners were women. But this might be more to do with the reservation of those wards for women candidates, than the sudden empowerment of the females in the community. Their names: Abul Fazal Enclave Abdul Wajid Khan(AAP), Daryaganj Yasmin Kidwai (Congress), Sarita Vihar Juhi Khan( AAP) Zakir Nagar Shoaib Danish( Congress), Ballimaran MD Qazzafi (Congress), Delhi Gate Aaley Muhammad Iqbal (Congress),Jama Masjid Sultana Abad(Congress), Quraish Nagar Shaheen( AAP), Chauhan Banger Abdul Rehman(AAP), Ghondli Shahnawaz ( AAP), Kardam Puri Sajid (AAP), Mustafabad Shakila Begum(AAP), Seelampur Shakila Begum(BSP), Bazar Sita Ram Seema Tahira( Congress). ViewsHeadlines
Delhi MCD election results 2017: BJP wins massive mandate but all its Muslim candidates lose
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/delhi-mcd-election-results-2017-all-muslim-candidates-from-bjp-defeated-4629126/
New Delhi: BJP received a massive mandate from the voters of Delhi to continue in power in the Capital’s municipal bodies–South MCD, North MCD and East MCD. Votes for elections to 272 wards were counted on Wednesday and the result showed massive popularity for the BJP and anti-incumbency for the Aam Aadmi Party. The ruling BJP won 184 seats in total but, all five Muslim candidates fielded by the party were defeated.BJP gave tickets to Kuwar Rafi from Zakir Nagar, Sartaj Ahmed from Chauhan Banger, Sabra Malik from Mustafabad, Fahimuddin Saifi from Delhi Gate and Rubina Begum from Quraish Nagar. However, none of them was able to emerge victorious in the election.The winners from these constituencies were all Muslim candidates themselves. Shoab Danish (Congress) from Zakir Nagar, Abdul Rehman (AAP) from Chauhan Banger, Shakila Begum (AAP) from Mustafabad, Aaley Mohammaed Iqbal (Congress) from Delhi Gate and Shaheen (AAP) from Quraish Nagar. indianexpress
BJP candidate Rafi throws biggest surprise got 3rd position in Zakir Nagar
http://www.okhlatimes.com/bjp-zakir-nagar-mcd-polls/11424/
MCD election: BJP did research on EVMs for 5 years, says Manish Sisodia
http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/mcd-election-results-2017-bjp-did-research-on-evms-for-five-years-says-manish-sisodia-4628803/
New Delhi: Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, following the party narrative, claimed that EVMs were behind BJP victory as the saffron party heads towards a huge victory in MCD elections 2017. Sisodia, in a series of tweets, said that the BJP had research on EVMs for five years after losing the 2009 elections. “BJP ne 2009 ka chunav haarne ke baad 5 saal EVM par research kar mahaarat haasil ki aur ussi research aur mahaarat ke dum par chunaav jeet rahi hai,” Sisodia tweeted. (After losing the 2009 elections, BJP did a research on EVMs for five years and gained expertise. On the basis of this research and expertise they are winning elections)Sisodia also said senior BJP leaders GBL Narsimhrao and L K Advani had also written a book on EVMs. “EVM tampering desh ke loktantra ki ek aisi kadvi sachai hai jiska shuru me mazaak ud sakta hai lekin mazaak ke dar se hum sach bolna nahi chhod sakte,” Sisodia added. (EVM tampering is a truth of our democracy and people can make fun of it in the beginning but that does not mean we will stop speaking truth.) indianexpress
EVMs Tampered, Indian Democracy is in Danger:Ashutosh
https://www.thequint.com/hot-news/2017/04/26/mcd-election-evm-tampering-aap-bjp-congress-ashutosh
AAP leader Ashutosh on Wednesday once again raised doubts on the credibility of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM). Ashutosh said that the lead gained by BJP can only be possible because the EVM was tampered. He also said that Indian democracy is in danger.Everyone says that BJP is the most corrupt party. It has ruined MCD. Still BJP wants us to believe that they can win? Can you give me one reason why people in Delhi will vote for BJP? thequint
Give us full access to EVMs, experts tell EC
https://thewire.in/128417/evm-election-commission/
New Delhi: A group of trained engineers and scientists, from India and abroad (drawn primarily from IITs and other premier science institutes), have, in response to the Election Commission’s EVM challenge, urged chief election commissioner Nasim Zaidi to allow them an opportunity participate in the exercise fully and fairly to assess the security strengths and weaknesses in the security of the electronic voter machines.However, the 27-member group has said that for a truly objective and fair assessment of the machines and “to understand what kind of tampering is possible, actions that might be performed by an insider in the process, or a criminal, should be allowed during the challenge.”In this regard, the group noted that the EC had in 2009 prevented some type of access – when it disallowed physical tampering – and therefore “it should explain why an insider or a criminal would not have that kind of access”.Incidentally, after allegations of EVM tampering were raised by several parties, including the Aam Aadmi Party, the Congress and BSP, the EC had issued a detailed statement on the subject.In light of similar allegations having been raised in the past, it had written:“In an extraordinary measure, the Commission invited those who had expressed reservations about EVM to come and demonstrate the points made in their allegations from 3rd to 8th Aug.2009. Those invited included political parties, petitioners before various courts and some individuals who had been writing to the Commission on this issue. One hundred EVMs brought from ten states namely, AP, Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and UP , were kept at the Commission’s office in readiness for scrutiny and for any application to establish its alleged fallibility."EVMs were offered for such demonstration in the presence of a technical experts group as well as engineers representing the EVM manufacturers, BEL and ECIL. Outcome of this exercise is that none of the persons, who were given the opportunity, could actually demonstrate any tamper ability of ECI-EVMs. They either failed or chose not to demonstrate. thewire
OTHERS
J&K: Amid student protests, govt orders suspension of social media services for a month
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/j-k-amid-student-protests-govt-orders-suspension-of-internet-services-for-a-month-4629246/
New Delhi:In the wake of prevailing situation in the Valley, J&K govt on Wednesday ordered suspension of social media in the trouble-hit region for a period of one month or till further orders are in place. According to officials, the Home Department via a order said that social media services in the Valley shall not be transmitted with immediate effect for a period of one month or till further orders.Officials further said that the state home department has invoked powers conferred on it under Indian Telegraph Act and Information Technology Act to take this decision. However, it was not clear whether the order affects all internet services or just the mobile internet services, which are already suspended since April 17.The banned services in Kashmir include Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, QQ, wechat, Qzone, tumblr, google+, Baidu and Skype. indianexpress
Girls take Srinagar streets by storm
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/girls-take-srinagar-streets-by-storm/article18204451.ece
Srinagar: Angry male teenagers and youth in their early twenties throwing stones on the streets of the Kashmir Valley is commonplace.But what has taken everyone by surprise is girls, some in their school uniforms and others donning hijabs, also joining the protesters, hurling rocks and venting their anger on police vehicles.Perhaps the first time they took to the streets was last week, when many of them were at the forefront of the protests. At least one of them was even seriously injured in the violence.On Monday, many protested again, bringing the commercial hub, Lal Chowk, to a standstill. The girl students belonged to the prestigious Govt Women’s College, M.A Road, and juniors from the nearby Kothi Bagh Higher Secondary School. They were seen raising anti-India and pro-azadi slogans.Later, armed with stones and plastic cones, the girl laid an ‘ambush’ on 3 police vehicles at Exchange Road and threw stones at them. thehindu
Geelani terms killing of PDP leader by militants 'un-Islamic'
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/608208/geelani-terms-killing-pdp-leader.html
Srinagar:Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Geelani on Tuesday condemned the killing of a leader of ruling PDP by militants in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, saying it is “un-Islamic and inhuman” to kill an unarmed person.While condemning the killing of advocate Abdul Gani Dar, Pulwama district president of PDP, octogenarian Geelani in a statement said, “Secret killings will lead us to chaos. Killing merely on political affiliations or for one’s political ideology is against the teachings of Islam.”While Geelani has been condemning killing of unarmed persons in the past, he has rarely raised his voice against killings of mainstream politicians and political workers. “There is no justification for these killings. Teachings of Islam assign extra ordinary worth for human life and saving a human being is like saving of the whole humanity,” he said. deccanherald
Geelani denounces political murders in Kashmir
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/hurriyat-leader-geelani-denounces-political-murders-in-kashmir/story-0pFFjLeGBGFgEn9ndUGDeO.html
PDP old guard looks beyond Mehbooba Mufti, she digs her heels in: indianexpress
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/pdp-old-guard-looks-beyond-mehbooba-mufti-she-digs-her-heels-in-bjp_pdp-alliance-4628491/
New Delhi: Rebuffed by the Centre on starting a dialogue with stakeholders in the Valley, J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti has returned to Srinagar where she is not only grappling with a crisis that threatens the future of the ruling PDP-BJP alliance but is also staring at a rebellion in her own party.While the BJP continues to play “tough”, sources said at least 3 top leaders of the PDP are “hobnobbing with the BJP with an aim to divide the party and continue the alliance in case of a break-up… the old guard (of the PDP) feel peeved because they feel a few youngsters are running the party”.With the political grey zone carefully created by the PDP disappearing and support for the party dwindling, its leadership is “looking at ways to keep the alliance afloat” and “stay in power” because other options appear to be running out.On her return to Srinagar after meeting PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday, Mehbooba Mufti has held two meetings — first with senior PDP functionaries on Monday evening and another with legislators on Tuesday — at her Fairview residence to discuss the latest developments. Barring ministers Nayeem Akhtar and Haseeb Drabu, who were not in town, sources said all others were present. indianexpress
Are PDP and BJP Headed for a Break-Up?Mudasir Ahmad
https://thewire.in/128593/pdp-bjp-alliance-kashmir/
SC pulls up trial court in Sabarmati blast case, orders release of undertrial Kashmiri AMU scholar after 16 years
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/sc-pulls-up-trial-court-in-sabarmati-case/article18211620.ece
New Delhi:“Police made me a terrorist… may be because I am from Kashmir,” Gulzar Ahmed Wani told the Supreme Court on Tuesday. Wani, through his counsel Mohd. Irshad Hanif, was replying to Chief Justice of India JS Khehar’s question as to why a “legitimate man” needs so many names.The Supreme Court cause list identifies Wani as “Irshad, Ashraf and Abdul Hamid.”“How many names does a legitimate man need? I have only one name…why do you have so many aliases?” Chief Justice Khehar asked Hanif. “The police have given me [Wani] many names. I cannot tell you why they gave me aliases…I cannot answer for them,” Hanif responded.Wani, who said he was a Ph.D scholar at Aligarh Muslim University before his arrest in the 2000 Sabarmati Express blasts case, has spent the past 16 years in jail. He has been acquitted in 10 of the 11 charges he faced, even as he continued to languish as an undertrial. His bail application was rejected by the Allahabad High Court in 2015, which said the “release of such persons would adversely affect the interest of society”. Bench of Chief Justice Khehar and Justice DY Chandrachud was hearing his appeal filed two years ago.“What a shame. This man spent the past 16 years in jail and he has been acquitted in 10 of a total 11 charges he has faced…What a shame,” Chief Justice Khehar told the UP State counsel.The court found that the prosecution has only examined 20 prosecution witnesses in the Sabarmati train blasts case in the past decade-and-a-half. There is a total of 96 witnesses.“Why should he suffer jail because you cannot lead evidence?” CJI Khehar asked the State counsel.The Bench gave the trial court a deadline of 6 months – by Oct.31, 2017 — to complete the trial. It ordered that Wani would be released on bail on Nov.1, 2017, whether or not the trial is completed. Hanif argued that the entire story of the prosecution was “engulfed in doubts and shrouded in mystery.” Petition said the entire evidence against Wani was based on the disclosure statements of the co-accused.Wani was named accused in Sabarmati train blasts case on the sole basis of a statement made by Mohd. Aqil, a co-accused, during interrogation. Aqil told the police that he and another accused Mohd. Maroof planted the bomb in the train on Aug.14, 2000 at the instance of Wani, who hatched the conspiracy. Both Aqil and Maroof were granted bail in 2001. thehindu
Sabarmati Express blast: Supreme Court grants bail to former AMU scholar after 16 years
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/sabarmati-express-blast-supreme-court-grants-bail-to-former-amu-scholar-after-16-years-4628225/
SC gives ‘future’ bail to terror accused Gulzar Ahmed Wani, who’s in jail for 16 yrs
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/sc-gives-future-bail-to-terror-accused-whos-in-jail-for-16-yrs/articleshow/58370198.cms
SC pulls up UP govt, calls Kashmiri man’s incarceration a ‘shame’
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/sc-pulls-up-up-govt-calls-kashmiri-mans-incarceration-a-shame-4628571/
Sabarmati Express blast: Supreme Court grants bail to former AMU scholar after 16 years
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/sabarmati-express-blast-supreme-court-grants-bail-to-former-amu-scholar-after-16-years-4628225/
Police made me a terrorist: Gulzar Ahmed Wani
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/police-made-me-a-terrorist/article18211277.ece
Bail to Pragya no surprise: NIA’s ex-prosecutor Salian
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/bail-to-pragya-thakur-no-surprise-says-nias-ex-prosecutor-4628437/
Pune: Rohini Salian, former special public prosecutor in the Malegaon blasts case who had raised the red flag on the investigation into the case, on Tuesday said the bail order for Pragya Thakur was on “expected” lines. “After NIA said they have no objection, what is there to be surprised about? It was to be expected,” said Salian, who in June 2015 had told The Indian Express that after the new govt assumed office in May 2014 an NIA officer had asked her to go soft on the accused. Her allegations had led to a series of counter-allegations by the NIA, which later sent a proposal to denotify Salian as its prosecutor. She had later named the NIA officer who had come with the message. On Thakur’s bail, Salian said, “I have washed my hands off this case, so I don’t want to comment too much. Once I remove myself from a case I simply move away. I do not think about it. I am now disconnected with the case and do not take any further development personally in the case.” Stating that she is “an Indian, a Hindu, and I firmly believe in karma”, Salian said, “I believe Shani Shaneshwar, the God of justice, will ensure that justice prevails and everyone will get what they deserve.”Indian Express
Sadhvi’s bail: evidence for NIA, not for HC: thehindu
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/sadhvis-bail-evidence-for-nia-not-for-hc/article18210990.ece
Mumbai: Bombay High Court ruling on Tuesday granting bail to Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur in the Malegaon blast case varies on several key observations made last year by the NIA court while rejecting her bail plea.On June 28, 2016, while rejecting her bail plea, Special Judge S.D. Tekale of the NIA court said, “There are reasonable grounds to believe that the accusations against Sadhvi are prima facie true.”Today’s high court order, while referring to statements of witnesses present at the Bhopal meeting in which the alleged conspiracy was hatched, says, “Their statements recorded by ATS do not disclose any objectionable and incriminating material against her. Though there is some material on record that she was present at the Bhopal meeting,it, however, shows that apart from her, several other persons were also present at the said meeting. In our view, the same cannot be considered as circumstance against her alone, excluding the other participants, especially, now in the absence of any objectionable and incriminating material attributed to her.” NIA court had said, “At the prima facie stage without going into the question of which versions of the witnesses is correct, a safe conclusion can be drawn on the basis of the statement that in Bhopal meet applicant (Sadhvi) was present and in the said meeting there was discussion about growing jihad activities in Aurangabad and Malegaon and the accused was asked to do something for its prevention by expanding Abhinav Bharat Sangatan in the said area.”
Contradictions galore in NIA, ATS investigations
http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-contradictions-galore-in-nia-ats-investigations-2416286
A probe has 2 facets: Under NIA, statements retracted on Pragya Singh Thakur
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/a-probe-has-2-facets-under-nia-statements-retracted-on-pragya-singh-thakur-4628424/
I lost 7 years to false terror charges, now I want to achieve my dream: Yahya
http://twocircles.net/2017apr26/408478.html
Feb.18, 2008, was an important date for Yahya Kammukutty. A software engineer with more than 10 years of experience, Yahya had quit his job a year ago and had started freelancing with various companies. In a week’s time, he was scheduled to conduct his first training programme for young professionals and for Yahya, things were going as per plan.April 24, 2017. Yahya, now 41, meets me in a small commercial building located just in Nellikaparamba. Yahya asks me to come to the first floor, where he is in the process of setting up a small company, which will cater to software solution and Enterprise Resource Planning. It is a modest setup; Yahya sweeps the room himself before we sit down to talk.A conversation which reveals why it took 9 years for him to do what he always wanted to do.Yahya wrapped up his day’s work on Feb.18 and went home like every other day. His family, then consisting of three kids and his wife was waiting for him. Like every other day, he had his dinner and went to sleep. The same night, there was a knock on his door, and when he opened the door, Yahya saw 2 men in plain clothes. They claimed to be from the Police, showed their ID cards and he was asked to come along.“I was taken to outskirts of Bangalore (Yelahanka) and from there, brought back to the city. While coming back to the city, I was blindfolded,” says Yahya. On the first day of my detention, asked me about my views on Islam, hoping to use something I say as a proof of my intentions,” he says, smiling. His family was running from pillar to post the next day trying to find his whereabouts but to little avail. “They visited almost all the police stations in Bangalore but the police refused to help and claimed lack of information in this regard. twocircles
Sena's UP ex-chief Pawan Pandey claims kar sevaks were given training to pull down Babri Masjid
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-sena-s-up-ex-chief-claims-kar-sevaks-were-given-training-to-pull-down-babri-masjid-2415971
Lucknow: After former BJP MP Dr Ram Vilas Vedanti, yet another Babri Masjid demolition accused has come out with a startling revelation: that kar sevaks were given proper training in UP , Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra and provided with equipment to raze the Mughal-era mosque 25 years ago. Talking to the DNA, ex-UP chief of Shiv Sena and a close associate of its founder Balasaheb Bal Thackeray, Pawan Pandey claimed that all equipment for demolishing the mosque were kept at Karsevakpuram. " Moment kar sevaks attacked mosque, equipment were handed over to them to execute the task of demolishing Babri mosque," he said. Pandey claimed that he was provoked by the statement of Vedanti that there was no conspiracy in demolition of Babri mosques. "I wanted to record my statement before the designated court under Section 313 of CrPC but Vendantiji provoked me to come out in open," he said.Pandey said that thousands of kar sevaks were given training in demolition at Kamadgiri Parvat temple in Chitarkoot in UP , other places in Maharashtra and MP. "If a conspiracy was not hatched for the demolition of Babri mosque then why its strategy was chalked out well in advance and why kar sevaks were trained?" he asked. Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray used to call Pandey his third son and he had participated in almost all meetings related to temple movement and kar seva between 1989 and 1992. He was also a close disciple of late Mahant Ramchandra Paramhans Das, the architect of temple movement and then chairman of Ram Janambhoomi Nyas."Preparations for razing the Babri mosque were on for two years, ever since first kar seva failed in Oct-Nov 1990 following firing on kar sevaks. Whatever happened in Ayodhya on Dec.6, 1992 was very well planned in advance and the rehearsal and proper training were given to those opted for the kar seva," confided Pandey. Pandey further revealed that during a crucial meeting in 1990, it was formally decided to pull down the structure as that was the only way to pave way for the construction of Ram temple. "When everything was pre-planned then Dr Vedanti's statement that he was the one who had ordered for the demolition and Advani and others had hatched no conspiracy is ridiculous," he quipped.He claimed that Adavniji, Dr Vedanti and others were sitting on a dais in Lakshman Teela. dnaindia
Babri Demolition Was Planned, Karsevaks Trained: Ex-MLA, Ex-Sena leader Pawan Pandey
http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/babri-demolition-was-planned-karsevaks-trained-alleges-ex-legislator-1685952
Most opportune time to build Ram Temple; Mahant Das
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/ram-temple-mahant-nrityagopal-das-ayodhya-narendra-modi/1/938763.html
Agra;With the BJP scoring victories after victories in elections all over India, not just the party and the VHP, but even the Hindu ascetics and saints are now demanding that the govt should build the Ram Temple in Ayodhya now. Renowned Hindu saint Mahant Nrityagopal Das, who is also the chairman of Ram Janmabhoomi Shrine Board, said that this is the most opportune time for building the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, as both the Central and the state govt s have great souls like PM Modi and CM Yogi Adityanath at the helm. If the Central and UP govt s together failed to build the temple now, this opportunity could be lost for a long time. indiatoday
Hindu Rashtra Sena chief, 14 others acquitted in murder attempt, rioting case
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/hrs-chief-14-others-acquitted-in-murder-attempt-rioting-case/articleshow/58369109.cms
Pune: A sessions court acquitted Hindu Rashtra Sena (HRS) chief Dhananjay Jayram Desai and 14 others in a murder attempt and rioting case registered for the violence between the members of two communities in Janwadi in Chatushringi area on Jan.2, 2012.Additional public prosecutor Vilas Ghogare-Patil told TOI, Later, cross-complaints were registered. Desai is currently lodged in Yerawada jail in connection with the murder of IT professional Mohsin Shaikh during the violence that erupted in the Hadapsar area on June 2, 2014 following an objectionable post on social media.TOI
Hindutva distorting Hinduism: Nayantara Sahgal
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/hindutva-is-distorting-hinduism-nayantara-sahgal/story-Lux3P5uIK8uDOeo5RuD2pL.html
Hindutva is a brand of fundamentalism and the Hindu right wing is distorting what Hinduism stands for, said renowned author Nayantara Sahgal, who was among one of the first writers to return her Sahitya Akademi award to protest against intolerance in the country.She also said the situation in the country is worse than the Emergency era, but said figures likeKanhaiya Kumar, students’ union president of JNU, offered hope.Speaking to IANS on the sidelines of the first edition of the Dehradun Literature Festival here, Sahgal, niece of India’s first PM Jawaharlal Nehru, lamented the fact that the Hindu right seemed to be becoming like the terror outfit IS and said it was “time for a debate on the tendency of Hindutva to become like IS, to cut off people’s heads”.IANS
Saharanpur violence: BJP MP was in crowd that vandalised my office, says SSP
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/violence-in-saharanpur-crowd-vandalised-my-office-bjp-mp-was-among-them-says-ssp-4625518/
Saharanpur:In 2007, denial of permission for a Ravidas Jayanti procession led 32 Dalits from Saharanpur’s Sadak Dudhli village to convert to Sikhism. 10 years later, the village is tense over a procession in memory of Dr BR Ambedkar. With a population of 1,500 Dalit voters and 6,000 Muslim voters, the rural belt of Sadak Dudhli has a history of communal tension. This time the tension began after a request to take out a “shobha yatra” on April 14 — Ambedkar Jayanti — was turned down by administration, citing law and order issues.However, a procession was taken out in the village without the necessary permission. BJP MP Raghav Lakhanpal was allegedly in the crowd along with BJP MLAs, leaders and workers. The event saw stone-throwing between Muslim residents and yatra participants, who were allegedly not from the village. Vehicles and shops were attacked, SSP’s residence was vandalised. “After police stopped the procession, a section reached my residence. There were around 400 people. CCTVs were broken, the name plate was vandalised. They ransacked my office. BJP MP was part of that crowd,” said Saharanpur SSP Love Kumar. indianexpress
Adityanath govt to roll out a new family planning scheme in UP
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/yogi-adityanath-govt -to-roll-out-a-new-family-planning-scheme-in-uttar-pradesh/articleshow/58373597.cms
Lucknow: Free condom boxes at strategic locations in cities and villages, a kit for newly-wed couples with packs of condoms, emergency contraceptive pills and a pregnancy testing kit, and saas-bahu sammelans are UP govt ’s latest tools to drive home the message of family planning in its post populous districts.The Yogi Adityanath govt has decided to roll out a new central family planning scheme, ‘Mission Parivar Vikas’ in UP, which his predecessor Akhilesh Yadav ignored despite the centre’s directions last November. timesofindia
Adityanath scraps 15 holidays in UP, Muslims unhappy Prophet’s birthday features on list
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/yogi-adityanath-scraps-15-holidays-in-up-muslims-unhappy-prophet-s-birthday-features-in-list/story-C6Ioncmg7JOvmjudDH0bRL.html?li_source=LI&li_medium=recommended-for-you
Lucknow: UP govt has cancelled 15 public holidays marking the birth or death anniversary of eminent personalities. Among the cancelled holidays are Milad un-Nabi, Chhat and Valmiki Jayanti.However, the move to cancel the holiday on Milad un-Nabi (Prophet Mohammad’s birthday) is likely to raise eyebrows. More so, since it is a holiday in most other states, including almost all BJP-ruled states, as is Ram Navmi and Janamashtami.UP Muslim clerics took a dim view of the Yogi Adityanath govt ’s decision to cancel holidays on Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi as well as on the occasion of ‘Alvida’ – the last Friday of the month of Ramzan before Eid.Sunni cleric Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahal said, “It’s unfortunate that the UP govt has cancelled these holidays on days that are of special significance to the community. While on the day of Alvida, the faithful offer prayers in large numbers the Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi holiday was in fact there since the days of the VP Singh govt at the centre.”“Several functions are held on the occasion and even non-Muslims participate in the functions in large numbers. Moreover the decision to do away with holidays on these two important days may not reflect well on the govt not just among the Muslims in India but across the globe.”Kalbe Hussain, son of prominent Shia cleric and vice president of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, said, “Since the govt has also cancelled holidays pertaining to other religions too, it doesn’t across as a wholly unfair decision. At the same time it would be nicer if the govt considered a roll back, especially on the day of Alvida simply because it’s a day when the community prays and fasts. So it would send a nice signal if govt considers this point too.”Maulana Salman Nadawi, a Muslim scholar from prominent Lucknow-based Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama , said, “I guess these two holidays have been kept in the list of restricted holidays. Moreover the holidays associated with other religions too have been cancelled. So I don’t think it would be right to say that the govt has deliberately discriminated against any particular community.”Athar Hussain, from the centre of objective research and development said, “Govt is apparently trying to initiate a new work culture in the state and that’s something to be welcomed. However on matters where religious sensitivities are involved it would be nicer if the govt considered a roll back. But I would also say that the CM Yogi Adityanath is right when he says that these holidays should become occasions to make students aware of the significance of the occasion.”UP has 42 public holidays of which at least 17 are related to the birth anniversaries of eminent personalities. hindustantimes
Muslims neighbours cremate Hindu youth with full rites in Malda, chant ‘Hari Bol’
http://www.hindustantimes.com/kolkata/muslims-neighbours-cremate-hindu-youth-with-full-rites-in-malda-chant-hari-bol/story-e4Q854biSVfLA1HCoReq3H.html
Kolkata; In these times of rising divisiveness, the last journey and rites of a Hindu youth in a remote corner of Malda, one of the poorest and notorious districts of the country, can easily stand out as an example of unorchestrated harmony between communities.A group of Muslim youths took the body of Biswajit Rajak, 35, a Hindu who died on Monday, to the crematorium and even chanted the name of Hari (equivalent of Ram Naam Satya Hai) following the Hindu tradition. They carried his body on their shoulders for a distance of 3 kms to the crematorium, and performed all the traditional Hindu rituals including consigning the ashes to the nearby river and taking a dip in the river after the cremation.Rajaks are so poor that they could not pay the crematorium and associated charges.The incident took place in Sheikhpura village of Manikchak block in Malda district, about 350 km away from Kolkata.HT
If RSS workers can be made Governors, why can’t Mohan Bhagwat be made President: Uddhav Thackeray
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/if-rss-workers-can-be-made-governors-why-cant-mohan-bhagwat-be-made-president-uddhav-thackeray-4628394/
Mumbai: Shiv Sena has once again reiterated its demand to make RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat the President of India. “We had suggested Mohan Bhagwat’s name because we honestly feel he should be the President of the country. He is the most eligible candidate for our resolution of a Hindu rashtra. Look at the appointment of governors.If RSS workers can be appointed as Governors of states, there should be no problem in making Bhagwat President,” said Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai on Tuesday. Sena had last month demanded that Bhagwat be made the President. The demand was seen as an attempt to put the BJP in a quandary and came in the backdrop of the Sena feeling slighted over the treatment it was being meted out by the BJP.However, Thackeray subsequently visited Delhi for an NDA leaders’ meet, where he met PM Narendra Modi. Subsequent to the meeting, party had tempered its criticism of the BJP. indianexpress
PM talks about Muslim women’s plight; What about my daughter-in-law widowed by Gau Rakshaks?
http://caravandaily.com/portal/is-this-justice-slain-phelu-khans-frail-mother-asks-govt /
New Delhi: “Kisi aur maa ko es umar main apna beta khoney kaa dard sehna naa padey.” (May no other mother has to bear the pain of losing her son!)These heart-rending words were uttered by Angoori Begum, the visibly frail 85-year-old mother of dairy farmer Pehlu Khan, who was mercilessly beaten to death by a self-proclaimed band of ‘gau rakshaks’ (cow-vigilantes) in Alwar, Rajasthan recently. Pehlu Khan was the resident of Jaisingpur village in Nuh tahsil of Mewat district in Haryana. However, till date, the Rajasthan police have not arrested the main accused of this heinous crime who were named by Pehlu Khan in his dying statement. Not a single penny as compensation has been given to his family either by Haryana or Rajasthan govts, both ruled by BJP.Angoori Begum, who visited Delhi to demand justice for her son, lamented in feeble voice that no official from the govt s of Haryana or Rajasthan visited her family till date.Speaking to Caravan Daily, Angoori Begum, who cannot hear properly due to old age, asked why there are two standards of justice in this country. “What was my son’s crime? Does rearing and farming of cows by Muslims is a crime?”“First they brutally killed my only son and injured his 2 sons. He was the lone breadwinner of the family. And on top of it, police have also slapped cases against them. Is this justice?” She asked. caravandaily
No case against Pehlu Khan, say police
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/alwar-lynching-no-case-against-pehlu-khan-say-police-4628455/
Jaipur: The police said that there were no previous cases against Pehlu Khan, a day after Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria had claimed in the Assembly that the dairy farmer who was lynched by cow vigilantes had three cases against him. “Anyone carrying cattle illegally is a smuggler. Pehlu Khan did not have valid documents. He already had three cases of cow smuggling registered against him,” Kataria had told the Assembly, sparking an uproar by the Opposition. But Alwar SP Rahul Prakash said, “There were cases against Pehlu’s son Irshad but none against Pehlu.”According to the police, there were two cases against Irshad dating back to 2011 — one each in Haryana’s Mewat and Rohtak districts. A third case was lodged in Haryana against Pappu Khan and Saeed Khan in 2007. “Gulab Kataria has no right to occupy such a high post when he is misleading people and that too in the State Assembly,” said Sher Mohammad, chief of Alwar’s Meo panchayat. indianexpress
Jaipur;After 'Padmavati', ad film set vandalised for placing Urdu posters on temples
http://www.abplive.in/movies/after-padmavati-ad-film-set-vandalised-for-placing-urdu-posters-on-temples-520557
New Delhi: A local organisation of Jaipur, 'Dharohar Bachao Samiti' disrupted the shoot of an advertisement film for recreating a Pakistani ctity. The outfit went on the rampage and vandalised the sets. Production house, Good Morning Films was shooting for Volkswagen Polo Hatchback near City Palace when the incident happened. In order to give the site, a feel of the place, the crew of the film placed Urdu banners and signs on temples, buildings and landmarks. The banners had writings such as 'Welcome to Lahore', 'Karachi Sweets' and 'Rawalpindi Chai Wala'.As per a report in Indian Express, around 11.30 am on April 25, Tuesday, approximately 40 members of Dharohar Bachao Samiti which claims to conserve ancient temples, stormed into the location and damaged the sets. The Police bluntly refused to acknowledge that there has been vandalism.ABP LIVE
UP:Muslim minor elopes with Hindu boy, girl’s family seeks help of clerics:HT
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/muslim-minor-elopes-with-hindu-boy-girl-s-kin-approach-clerics/story-9MsnT50qhIZ5JHyLDBKEPK.html
Bareilly: The family of a 16-year-old Muslim girl of Hajiyapur locality of Bareilly, who is believed to have eloped with her 20-year-old Hindu neighbour on April 17, has approached local clerics after the police failed to find the couple.Tired of running from pillar to post in search of their daughter, the family decided to take the help of clerics. “We wanted to keep it in the family but were forced to approach clerics after the police failed to take any action in our case,” said the girl’s father.The clerics have termed the girl’s disappearance an attempt at religious conversion and are now planning to take up the matter with administrative officials.The girl’s family said they were away on the day she went missing. Her aunt, who lives right across the narrow ally leading up to their house, was the last person to see her.Alleging discrimination due to their religion, the girl’s mother said, “My family has not been at peace ever since she left home. We have approached every one from the police to the administration for help but no one is taking any action. Is this because we are from a different community?”The girl’s kin lodged a police complaint against the youth, Avdesh, and his family.The police said they were investigating the matter and will soon arrest the youth.But even after eight days, the police is yet to trace the missing duo. Meanwhile, the incident has divided the Hindus and Muslims of the neighbourhood. “Had it been a Muslim boy and a Hindu girl, the entire police force would have been searching for them but in our case, no one seems to care,” lamented Yasin Khan, a resident.HT
UK broadcast regulator finds Times guilty of biased coverage
https://www.thequint.com/india/2017/04/25/uk-broadcast-regulator-finds-times-now-guilty-of-biased-coverage
United Kingdom’s broadcast regulator Ofcom has found Indian TV channel Times Now guilty of not delivering news with impartiality, CrowdNewsing reported.According to an investigation led by Ofcom, an episode of the Newshour — the channel’s primetime debate that was broadcast on 1 August 2016 did not reflect the views of the Pakistani govt “or otherwise rebutting the criticism being made of it”. The episode in question, anchored by former Times Now journalist Arnab Goswami, was aired two months after the Uri attack.In a report of its findings, it said:Ofcom viewed the 18 additional episodes of The Newshour broadcast between 3 August 2016 and 30 September 2016...(on) the Pakistani Govt ’s policy towards Kashmir; and alleged terrorist activities towards India. However, the programmes also featured highly critical discussion about the Pakistani Govt ’s policies and actions in other areas such as its treatment of the separatist movement in the Pakistani province of Balochistan. Ofcom’s concern in this case was not whether the Licensee had reflected a range of viewpoints, but the manner in which those viewpoints were dealt with by the presenter, Arnab Goswami. thequint
Rajdeep booked for inviting Nandini Sundar on India Today show
http://www.jantakareporter.com/india/rajdeep-sardesai-nandini-sundar/118880/
A little-known right-wing group has filed a legal complaint against veteran journalist, Rajdeep Sardesai, for inviting Nandini Sundar on his India Today show on Monday night.The complaint was filed by a representative of a Hindu observatory group.Reacting to the development, Sardesai told Janta Ka Reporter, “Nandini provides an important perspective into a very complex issue of Maoist conflict in India. She’s an authority on the subject and her book Burning Forest has extensively dealt with the Maoist conflict in Chhattisgarh. On the show, we also had a minister and a former DG of CRPF. It’s a shame that now think they can decide who we invite on shows!”Sardesai later tweeted, “Now RW (right-wing) loonies will decide who to invite on shows! Wow! Hate-mongers ok, scholars not! Jantakareporter
Aadhaar leak no temporary glitch but a long-running problem: Economist Jean Dreze
http://www.hindustantimes.com/ranchi/aadhaar-leak-no-temporary-glitch-but-a-long-running-problem-economist-jean-dreze/story-7RJyYEza8HMfrRNiYrCzcP.html
Ranchi: Renowned economist Jean Dreze on Wednesday said the Aadhaar information leak on a Jharkhand government’s website a few days ago was no temporary glitch, but the result of prolonged negligence on the part of the authorities concerned.“It was a blatant case of negligence, not a temporary glitch,” said the economist, who is credited with conceptualising the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and working with Nobel laureate Amartya Sen on several developmental projects.Jharkhand was the first state to witness a series of such Aadhaar information leaks on government websites across India this week. It was also the gravest, considering that it made personal banking details and Aadhaar-related information of over 1.4 million pensioners available on the public domain website for days.
Jamia students' drone-detecting system to be used by Airport Authority of India
http://www.indiatomorrow.net/eng/jamia-students-drone-detecting-system-to-be-used-by-aai?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=emailemail&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Indiatomorrownet+%28IndiaTomorrow.net%29
A software developed by Jamia Milia Islamia students to detect "unwanted drones" at or near airports will be used for security by the Airport Authority of IndiaNew Delhi, April 25: A software developed by Jamia Milia Islamia students to detect "unwanted drones" at or near airports will be used for security by Airport Authority of India (AAI), a varsity statement said.IANS
SC asks Centre to consider making a law to regulate NGOs, disbursal of funds
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/sc-asks-centre-to-consider-making-a-law-to-regulate-ngos-disbursal-of-funds-4629096/
New Delhi: Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Centre to consider making a law to regulate NGOs, disbursal of funds to them and consequential proceedings on account of defaults and asked it to respond in 8 weeks. A bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar said the existing regulations were not sufficient to regulate the NGOs across the country, the disbursal of funds and consequential defaults.The bench, which also comprised Justices D Y Chandrachud and S K Kaul, granted eight weeks to the Centre to mull over the idea of legislation and apprise the court about its stand.PTI
Jewish bahu of Nehru family: Hungarian wife of BK Nehru shared close rapport with Indira Gandhi
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/the-jewish-bahu-of-anand-bhavan/article18209963.ece?homepage=true
New Delhi: Apart from being the oldest living member of the Nehru family, Fori Nehru, who passed away at 109 on Tuesday, was the founder of the Cottage Industries Emporium, is known to have played a silent role in the 1971 War, and inspired a classic on Jewish history.In 2010, when she granted this reporter a rare audience, I found her pre-occupied by the plight of miners trapped in a Chilean copper mine.“Have you been following the condition of the miners in Chile? I am so happy that they were finally rescued by NASA,”she said to me, offering tea on a wintry evening in Dharamshala.Fori, a Hungarian by birth, was Magdolna Friedman before she married Jawaharlal Nehru’s cousin, BK Nehru, in 1935 after completing her studies at London School of Economics.During the late 1960s, PM Indira Gandhi summoned BK Nehru, then India’s ambassador to the U.S., to become the governor of Assam. During 1971 war, it was Fori who travelled along India’s frontiers in Assam, Tripura and Meghalaya to supervise the condition of the refugees driven out by the Pakistan army. Her role in Indira Gandhi’s life has been chronicled by the latter’s biographers. During Indira’s first prime ministerial trip to Washington DC in 1966, Fori, as the wife of the Indian Ambassador , threw a party that would break the ice between the temperamental Prime Minister and President Lyndon Johnson. Among the Nehrus, Fori enjoyed a special rapport with Indira Gandhi.It is well known that during the Emergency, officials and Congress party members were reluctant to tell the Prime Minister the truth about forced sterilisations and other excesses.Sensing growing restlessness in the country, however, Fori, in a rare moment of candour, brought Indira face-to-face with the enormous tragedy that the Emergency had unleashed on the people. Thehindu
Filing false case against spouse amounts to cruelty to grant divorce under Hindu Marriage Act: SC
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/filling-false-case-against-spouse-amounts-to-cruelty-to-grant-divorce-sc/articleshow/58365313.cms
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has held that filing false criminal complaint and making baseless allegations against spouse amounted to cruelty to life partner under Hindu Marriage Act and divorce could be granted on that ground.A bench of Justices Adarsh Kumar Goel and Deepak Gupta allowed divorce plea of a husband on the ground that his wife not only filed false criminal complaint against him before Police but she had also made baseless allegation of dowry demand and torture against him in letters written to various authorities including chief minister of Rajasthan and the chief justice of high court.The court noted that the man was given clean chit by state police after conducting thorough inquiry on two complaints filed by the wife and the allegations against him and his family members were false and baseless."Mere filing of complaints is not cruelty, if there are justifiable reasons to file the complaints. Merely because no action is taken on the complaint or after trial the accused is acquitted may not be a ground to treat such accusations of the wife as cruelty within the meaning of the Hindu Marriage Act. However, if it is found that the allegations are patently false, then there can be no manner of doubt that the said conduct of a spouse levelling false accusations against the other spouse would be an act of cruelty," the bench said.TOI
WORLD
RAW providing safe haven to Pakistani Taliban chief, says breakaway faction spokesman
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/raw-providing-safe-haven-to-pakistani-taliban-chief-says-ehsanullah-ehsan-breakaway-faction-spokesman/article18221720.ece?homepage=true
Karachi: Grab from this “video confession” released by the Pakistan military shows Ehsanullah Ehsan, former spokesman of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. Pakistan military releases “video confession” of Ehsanullah Ehsan who was captured by the Pakistan military last week.The Pakistan military on Wednesday released a statement of the spokesman of Jamaatul Ahrar (JuA), a banned militant group in which he has claimed that Afghan and Indian intelligence agencies have been using and funding Pakistani Taliban (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan) to launch terrorist attacks in Pakistan.Ehsanullah Ehsan, who was captured last week by the Pakistan military, said in a video confession that Indian intelligence agency RAW and Afghan intelligence agency NDS have provided safe heavens to terrorist organisations in Afghanistan.Ehsan was spokesman of JuA, a breakaway faction of the Taliban, which is responsible for major terrorist attacks in Pakistan over the past two years. Hundreds of people were killed in Wagah and Gulashan Iqbal Park attacks in Lahore and two major attacks in Quetta in 2016.Ehsan claimed TTP chief Mullah Fazlullah — Pakistan’s most wanted man — is being given safe heaven by RAW and NDS.Military spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor in a tweet said that Ehsan exposed hostile foreign agenda and their designs to destabilise Pakistan. thehindu
Turkey detains 1,000 in crackdown on alleged Gulen supporters
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/turkey-detains-1-000-in-crackdown-on-alleged-gulen-supporters/story-XBoJiTh43QZsWIOQox6leL.html
Istanbul: Turkey on Wednesday detained over 1,000 suspects in a massive new crackdown on alleged supporters of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, a week after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan won a referendum on ramping up his powers. A total of 1,009 suspects have so far been detained in raids in 72 provinces across the country, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu was quoted as saying by Anadolu agency.AFP
Mosul Op: 8,000 Iraq troops killed as Daesh make propaganda gains
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20170426-mosul-op-8000-iraq-troops-killed-as-daesh-make-propaganda-gains/
A major international news outlet has confirmed a story broken by MEMO two months ago, revealing that Iraqi combat fatalities over the past six months in fighting against Daesh militants in Mosul has exceeded 8,000 men.Qatar-based Al Jazeera, which has an extensive network of correspondents in Iraq, including those actively covering the operation to uproot Daesh from Mosul, reported over the weekend that an Iraqi security source had confirmed that around 8,000 Iraqi soldiers and police forces had been killed in the fight against the militant group.According to Al Jazeera, the number of fatalities is due to the fierce defence being put up by Daesh fighters who, according to Iraqi sources, do not number more than 1,000 men focused in the remaining parts of western Mosul still under their control.These combat deaths also do not include the fatalities suffered by Shia jihadists fighting under the umbrella of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), a state-sanctioned but Iran-backed paramilitary organisation said to be an Iraqi version of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).MEMO had already broken the news that Iraqi forces had suffered fatalities of 7,000 men by February, and this was a combined figure that accounted for deaths from the Iraqi army, Kurdish Peshmerga militias, police units and Shia jihadists.In the absence of any inquiries into these abuses and others that have been perpetrated since the war against Daesh was launched in 2014, a lack of accountability and a trail of devastated Sunni cities may lead to Daesh gaining a political victory once the battle for Mosul is concluded, even if it fails militarily. Mamoon Alabbasi, a London-based Iraqi journalist who has covered govt and militia human rights abuses, told MEMO that, by doing little apart from condemning these abuses, the Iraqi govt risked a continuation of the sectarian violence in Iraq. middleeastmonitor
7,000 Israeli soldiers abscond every year
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20170426-7000-israeli-soldiers-abscond-every-year/
New data issued by the Israeli army showed that about 7,000 Israeli soldiers fail to complete their military service mostly under the medical and psychological pretexts, Israeli newspaper Haaretz revealed yesterday.The data also revealed that 22 % of soldiers left the army, including 14.6 % males and 7.4 % females.Army sources have said that the actual number of soldiers who abscond or do not continue their conscription is higher however the army is not reporting the full details.To avoid military service, obligatory after the completion of secondary school, many Israeli families send their children abroad.Last month, thousands of Orthodox Jews protested in Jerusalem against mandatory military conscription, considering it a reason for deviation. middleeastmonitor
Israel demolishes Palestinian structures in Ramallah
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20170426-israeli-forces-demolish-structures-in-ramallah/
Israeli forces demolished several commercial buildings and levelled Palestinian lands in Ramallah’s western town of Ni’lin.Eyewitnesses told Quds Press that the occupation forces protected the bulldozers while they were demolishing Palestinian structures near the Ni’lin military checkpoint to the west of Ramallah.According to local sources, the forces razed lands that were being used by Palestinian workers for parking while they are working in Israel.Palestinian workers from various parts of the West Bank use Ni’lin military checkpoint to cross into the occupied territories. middleeastmonitor
Iran’s Khamenei says next president should be less engaged with West: middleeastmonitor
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20170425-irans-khamenei-says-next-president-should-be-less-engaged-with-west/
Iran’s supreme leader called on presidential candidates on Tuesday to champion economic self-sufficiency, further distancing himself from Hassan Rouhani’s policy of opening to the West and seeking foreign investment.Allies of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who aim to reclaim the presidency for their hardline faction, hope voters will punish the pragmatist President Rouhani for the slow pace of economic recovery despite the lifting of sanctions under a nuclear deal, the hallmark of his first term.“Candidates should promise to focus on national capabilities and domestic capacities to resolve the economic issues … rather than looking abroad,” Khamenei was quoted as saying by state TV as saying on Monday.Rouhani’s main hardline rival in the May 19 election, influential cleric Ebrahim Raisi, has promised to create over 1.5 million jobs a year if elected. Another candidate, Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, has promised to create 5 million jobs per year.
France: Assad govt behind chemical attack
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/04/france-assad-goverment-chemical-attack-170426110307603.html
France claims it has scientific proof that the Syrian govt was responsible for a suspected chemical attack that killed 87 people earlier this month.Foreign Minister Jean-March Ayrault said on Wednesday that chemical analysis of samples taken from rebel-held village of Khan Sheikhoun "bears the signature" of President Bashar al-Assad's govt ."There is no doubt about the responsibility of the Syrian regime given the way that the sarin used was produced," Ayrault told journalists after presenting a report on findings at a meeting of French defence chiefs.He said the substance France believes was used in the attack contains hexamine, a component that was also found in a gas attack in northwest Syria in 2013."We are now in a position to confirm that the sarin used on April 4 is the same sarin that was used in an attack in Saraqeb on April 29, 2013," he said. aljazeera
1000% rise in Muslim profiling by US Customs officials since Trump took office: Muslim group
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/trump-immigration-ban-us-custom-muslim-profiling/1/938901.html
Washington:Islamophobic incidents involving US Customs and Border Protection officials have risen by about 1,000 % since President Donald Trump took office in January, a Muslim activist group said on Tuesday.According to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, preliminary data collected from its branches across the US found that instances in which officials were accused of profiling Muslims accounted 23 % in 2017.Of the 193 Customs and Border Protection (CBP) cases in 2017, at least 181 were reported after the January 27 Muslim travel ban. In the first three months of 2016, the group reported 17 cases, according to a report in The Independent."These are incidents which are reported to us and which we examine," Corey Saylor, director of CAIR's group that monitors Islamophobia, told The Independent."We look at these very carefully. Around 50 % , we reject," he said.IANS
FLASH: NEWS & VIEWS
There are many parallels between Nazi Germany and what is going on in India by saffron gangs: Prashant Bhushan -
http://www.jantakareporter.com/india/parallels-nazi-germany-india/118686/
A Party Which Didn’t Sweep the Streets for 10 Years Has Swept the MCD Polls Again. Here’s Why: Yogendra Yadav
https://thewire.in/128570/mcd-verdict/
Past Continuous: How the 1987 Meerut Riots Announced the Future of Babri Tensions: Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay
https://thewire.in/128084/meerut-riots-babri-masjid/
Muslims must work with other marginalised communitie to counter RSS propoganda: Mukhtar Ahmad
http://twocircles.net/2017apr25/408393.html
Who exactly is Assamese? A petition before SC may change the definition yet again: Arunabh Saikia
https://scroll.in/article/835523/who-is-assamese-a-new-petition-before-the-supreme-court-may-change-the-definition-yet-again
When it Comes to Rape By Men in Uniform, Media Forgets the Victim is Also Part of the ‘Nation’: Kavita Krishnan
https://thewire.in/126186/rape-security-forces-afspa/
Govt websites are leaking Aadhaar numbers. Who will take action against govt?Anumeha Yadav
https://scroll.in/article/835546/the-centres-casual-response-to-aadhaar-data-breaches-spells-trouble?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Apr_26.Aadhaar&utm_content=2017-04-26+2+%2810%216078342392282%21qwaya%210%29&utm_term=Apr_26.Aadhaar
Surgical strikes an option against terrorist acts: India’s new military doctrine
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/surgical-strikes-an-option-against-terrorist-acts-india-s-new-military-doctrine/story-gDvJHtVyWCxWLAG7u7rhvK.html
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:00 PM)
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