Posts
Evening NEWS DIGEST
5 Nov.2017: 15 Safar 1439:Vol:9, No:38
INDIA
After Jay Amit Shah, NSA Ajit Doval’s son puts BJP in a spot; Cong demands Ministers in NGO should quit as MPs
http://www.apnlive.com/india-news/after-jay-amit-shah-nsa-ajit-dovals-son-shaurya-puts-bjp-in-a-spot-31085
Weeks after questions over BJP national president Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah’s business dealings were silenced through judicial gag orders, the saffron party now finds itself in a spot over allegations made against another son – that of Ajit Doval, National Security Adviser and close confidante of PM Narendra Modi.A report published by The Wire, on Saturday, raised the possibility of a “prospect of conflict of interest” in the running of India Foundation, an influential think-tank, of which NSA Ajit Doval’s son Shaurya Doval is the executive director. The Foundation has as its directors Nirmala Sitharaman and Suresh Prabhu, Union ministers for defence and commerce respectively along with MJ Akbar and Jayant Sinha, ministers of state for external affairs and civil aviation respectively. In addition to the four members of PM Narendra Modi’s council of ministers, the Foundation also lists Ram Madhav, the influential BJP national general secretary with his roots in the RSS, as its director.The news report says: “the India Foundation’s opaque financials, the presence of senior ministers as directors and the fact that executive director Shaurya Doval’s day job is running Gemini Financial Services – a firm that specialises in ‘transactions and capital flows between OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) and the emerging Asian economies’ – also raise the prospect of conflict of interest and lobbying, problems Narendra Modi had promised to banish forever from the corridors of power.”The report goes on to say that “every event the Foundation organises is attended by key decision-makers in that field, which in turn guarantees not just a full house but also sponsorship – both by Govt bodies and private companies, Indian and foreign” and that “despite the presence of ministers on its board of directors, it refuses to part with any information about its source of revenue.”Reacting sharply to the allegations and speculations raised in the report by The Wire, former Union minister and Congress veteran Kapil Sibal, on Saturday, demanded a CBI inquiry against the India Foundation and said that “PM Narendra Modi should fire all the four ministers who are on the board of the India Foundation. We want to ask Modiji when he will fire them”.Sibal’s broadside against BJP and PM Modi came soon after Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at the saffron party, drawing parallels between the rise in fortunes of Amit Shah’s son and the purported impropriety by the son for Modi’s NSA.Much to the chagrin of the BJP, the Congress had coined the name – Shah-Zada – for Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah when The Wire published a story about a 16000-fold rise in the junior Shah’s company’s turnover during the period since Modi became PM in May2014. Rahul’s ‘Ajit Shaurya Gatha’ was a clear reference to the meteoric rise of India Foundation, run by NSA Ajit Doval’s son Shaurya.The report in The Wire claims that its author, senior journalist Swati Chaturvedi had sent a detailed questionnaire “to all 6 high-profile directors”of India Foundation seeking their response the speculation of a possible conflict of interest and over the issue of propriety, or the lack of it, in the association of top ministers with a think-tank whose founder also deals with company that directly or indirectly have dealings with Union Govt.The report states that: “Ministers chose not to reply while Madhav promised that the ‘appropriate person’ would respond with answers. That never happened. All that Shaurya Doval was prepared to tell The Wire when asked about the source of foundation’s revenue was: “Conferences, Advertisement, Journal.” He did not answer questions about the origins of this revenue or explain how the India Foundation, which he said was registered as a trust, financed its day-to-day operations, including the rent for its posh premises on Hailey Road in Lutyens’ Delhi, and salaries for its staff.”“The Wire wrote to 4 ministers who serve as directors about the propriety of the India Foundation hosting events funded by donations or sponsorship from companies that may have business matters with their ministries. ‘Would you accept that there is a conflict of interest involved in you serving as a director on a foundation that receives funding, directly or indirectly, from foreign companies,’ The Wire asked Nirmala Sitharaman, ‘especially those that have dealings with ministries you have handled such as commerce and industry,and now defence?’Similar questions were put to Prabhu,Akbar and Sinha.Till the time of publication, none of them chose to reply,” report adds further. apnlive
Ministers in Ajit Doval son’s NGO should quit as MPs, demands Congress
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/ministers-in-ajit-doval-sons-ngo-should-quit-as-mps-demands-congress-4922991/
After Story in The Wire, Opposition Leaders Demand Probe Into India Foundation
https://thewire.in/194367/india-foundation-opposition-demands-probe/
3 young men - Hardik, Jignesh, Alpesh- thwarted pitch for BJP in Gujarat:The Hinfu spl report
http://www.thehindu.com/elections/gujarat-2017/the-parivartan-brotherhood-how-three-young-men-have-queered-the-pitch-for-the-bjp-in-gujarat/article19977437.ece
The driver of the taxi I take at Ahmedabad airport says, with a certainty that is surprising, that the ruling BJP will be voted out of Gujarat in December. “It’s time for parivartan (change),” he says, stressing, “no party should rule for as long as BJP has done here. This Govt has become very corrupt, and there’s also demonetisation and GST. So, people want to get the Congress in to teach BJP a lesson. I say, let’s vote for the Congress and then throw them out after 5 years and get the BJP back in. We need a change every five years. It keeps the Govt on its toes.”And then, lest anybody thinks he is biased for religious reasons, he adds, without being asked:“By the way, I’m not a Muslim; I am a Hindu.”After 22 years of non-Congress rule, a period marked entirely by BJP regimes — except for a one-and-a-half year stint by a RJP govt — there is a perceptible change in mood in Gujarat.The spell that Narendra Modi had cast over the State in his more than 12 years as CM has finally been broken, and ordinary Hindus — as the driver underscored — are actually questioning his record, even scrutinising his promises.What has caused this change? Ask anyone — academics, civil servants, village folk, shopkeepers — and they will tell you that it is because three young men representing different social segments have been able to tap into people’s discontent against BJP in the State.Indeed, what is happening in Gujarat bears a striking similarity to the way India Against Corruption movement and the Gandhian activist Anna Hazare helped to create a mood against the Congress-led UPA in the run-up to the general elections of 2014.If 24-year-old Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti chief Hardik Patel cast the first stone in mid-2015, launching an agitation seeking reservations for his community of Patidars (or Patels), then Alpesh Thakor,41-year-old founder of OSS (Other Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Ekta Manch and the Gujarat Kshatriya Thakor Sena, immediately raised the flag to protect OBC quota.Some even say that Thakor’s movement was instigated by BJP to neutralise the Patidars.True or not, he reportedly negotiated with BJP for a place in the party. But in September this year, he turned down an invitation to attend an OBC conclave in Thakor-dominated Kheda district called by BJP head Amit Shah, forcing the latter to cancel the event. A month later, he joined the Congress officially. His movement to enforce prohibition has also gone down well with rural women.And then in mid-2016, after four Dalits were publicly stripped and flogged in Una in Gir Somnath district, 36-year-old lawyer and activist Jignesh Mevani mobilised Dalits across Gujarat to fight back.Today, it is acknowledged by all but the most diehard Modi supporters that the Centre’s decision last Nov.to demonetise 86% of the country’s currency, combined with the imposition of a complicated GST earlier this year, has taken its toll on small and medium businesses across the State. For a mercantile people like Gujaratis, there can be nothing worse than the disappearance of an enabling environment to make money, and this has ensured that “vikas (development) has gone crazy” jokes spread like wildfire across social media.To counter this mood, and the fact that Modi has actually become the subject of jokes and even derision in some quarters, BJP has released a short video film that makes an emotional appeal to Gujaratis. It aims to counter the criticism of Modi as a “dictator who disrupted people’s lives” by arguing that the country has never had a PM like him — someone who has worked tirelessly without a day’s break, fought black money, motivated soldiers, and is trying hard to create a “clean India” without playing caste or vote-bank politics the way other politicians do.Congress spokesperson for Gujarat, Manish Doshi, says, “Modi magic was based on a 70% focus on propaganda, 20% on self-advertisement, and only 10% on administration.No real work was done. Only his cronies benefited. He has fooled too many people too many times. That bubble has burst.” thehindu
‘RAM’ Vs ‘HAJ’: ‘Unable’ to Manage Voters’ Resentment, has BJP Begun Playing Communal Card in Gujarat?
https://newsclick.in/ram-vs-haj-unable-manage-voters-resentment-has-bjp-begun-playing-communal-card-gujarat
Defensive on development and perhaps unable to manage the voter resentment as the polling nears, the BJP is now playing communal card to consolidate Hindu votes in its favour in the upcoming Assembly elections in Gujarat which will elect a new house comprising 182 members on Dec.9 and 14.A new poster titled ‘Pasangi Tamari’ (Your Choice) is being circulated on WhatsApp that asks electorates to choose between RAM and HAJ.‘RAM’ has been derived from the names of Gujarat CM Vijay Ramniklal Rupani, BJP President Amit Shah and PM Narendra Modi. The photos of the three leaders have been used right above the respective letters of their names (R-Rupani, A-Amit Shah and M-Modi).Right next to it are photos of Lord Rama in aggressive pose flying over the proposed structure of Ram temple in Ayodhya. The poster a lotus – poll symbol of BJP – above the picture of Lord Rama.The bottom of the poster has the word ‘HAJ’ in bold. The HAJ stands for Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakore and Jignesh Mevani. The picture of the trio, who has launched an impressive campaign against the ruling BJP, stands next to the picture of Holy Kaaba, where Muslims go to perform haj every year.In a clear attempt to communalise the polls, the election symbol of the Congress party – Hand – is printed just above the holy Islamic site. The poster seeks to brand the grand old party along with the three activists on the side of Muslims.Similarly, RAM trio (Rupani, Shah and Modi) has been portrayed as the voice of Hindus.The poster has been made viral in the local WhatsApp group run by the local unit of the RSS, the political mentor of BJP,in Amraiwadi Nagar in Ahmedabad. Newsclick.in
Kashi Vidyapeeth:No seats for ABVP in Varanasi varsity polls
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/kashi-vidyapeeth-no-seats-for-abvp-in-varanasi-varsity-polls-4923027/
Lucknow: ABVP failed to win any of the 4 seats in the students’ union elections in Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth, a state university, in Varanasi on Friday.While Samajwadi Party’s student wing, Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha (SCS), managed to hold on to its seats of vice-president and library secretary, it lost the president’s post to Independent candidate Rahul Dubey.SCS and Congress’s student wing NSUI had supported common candidates this year.ABVP could not retain even the post of general secretary — the only seat it had won last year.While Rahul Dubey received 2,365 votes against ABVP’s Valmiki Upadhyay (1,393) in the contest for president, Roshan Kumar (3,185) of NSUI-SCS alliance bagged vice-president’s post, defeating ABVP’s Dayashankar Yadav (1,458).Anil Yadav, an Independent candidate, won the seat of general secretary by bagging 2,842 votes. ABVP’s Ankita Singh received 1,690 votes. NSUI-SCS candidate Ravi Pratap Singh (2,084 votes) won the post of library secretary, defeating ABVP’s Sarvesh Pathak (631 votes). indianexpress
UP civic polls: BJP fields 25 Muslims in first phase
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/up-civic-polls-bjp-fields-25-muslims/articleshow/61515147.cms
Lucknow: BJP has given tickets to nearly 25 Muslims for the first phase of local body polls in UP. The number is all set to go up significantly for the second and third phase of polls which will cover most of west UP districts.The party has given tickets to 5 Muslim candidates for Lucknow's Malihabad nagar panchayat.In Amethi, BJP has fielded Muslims candidates in Mishrauli, Babaganj South and Ghosiyana wards in Musafirkhana nagar panchayat. The party has also given tickets to a few Muslim candidates in Pratapgarh district.BJP spokesman Chandramohan Singh told TOI that the ticket distribution is in accordance with party's 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' policy.BJP has given tickets to five Muslim candidates from Lucknow's Malihabad nagar panchayat elections. It has fielded Atiya from Joshin Tola, Ali Mohammad from Mohammadan Tola, Imran Ansari from Chaudhrana, Naziya from Kewalhar ward and Azra Bano from Samda ward. Similarly, Abdul Gafoor Khan has been made BJP candidate from Kurshat nagar panchayat of Unnao. In Sonebhadra district, BJP has given ticket to Sarafat Ali from Hameednagar Mahal ward. In Amethi, the saffron party has fielded Tarzan Khan from Mishrauli ward, Shahadat from Babaganj South and Sikander Ahmed from Ghosiyana in Musafirkhana nagar panchayat. In Ghazipur, Mushtaq has got BJP ticket from Jamaniya, Akhtar Jamal from Ansari Mohalla and Feroz from Muhammadabad. Timesofindia
Jamaat Raises Alarm Over 431 Police Encounters Under Yogi Govt, Demands NHRC Probe
http://caravandaily.com/portal/jamaat-e-islami-raises-alarm-over-431-staged-encounters-by-up-police-demands-nhrc-probe/
New Delhi:Jamaat-e-Islami Hind in its monthly press meet has raised alarm over the recent police encounters being carried on in UP. While briefing the media, JIH Secretary, General Muhammad Salim Engineer, said, “We are extremely disturbed by the media reports on UP police having conducted 431 encounters of alleged criminals, in which 17 have been killed.” Interestingly, these encounters, Engineer claimed, have taken place in less than 6 months of the present UP Govt coming to power. “This tendency to gauge improvement in law and order by the number of police encounters is quite worrying especially if the police officers are doing so under political pressure. The mentality to control crime by resorting to extrajudicial killings is not healthy for any democracy and the unprecedented number of encounters gives rise to apprehension that some of them may be fake and used as an excuse to eliminate suspects and hostile elements coming under the police dragnet,” he added. The Jamaat put forward its demand of the National Human Rights Commission to take cognizance of these fake encounters being conducted in UP. The press meet was addressed by Jamaat President, Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari. Replying to queries posed by the media in regards to the efforts of Sri Sri Ravishankar to intervene in the Babri Masjid issue, Maulana Umari, reiterated the stand of the Jamaat and the All India Muslim Personal Law Board to reject any out of court settlement. He said, “We will only accept, court judgment.”On being asked to react to the possibility of another Muslim organization –PFI being banned by the Govt of India, the JIH General Secretary said, “We are against this propensity to ban legitimate organizations. If someone has broken the law then he or she should be punished but outlawing the entire organization is unacceptable.” caravandaily
Jamaat rejects out of court settlement of Babri issue
http://theindianawaaz.com/jamaat-rejects-out-of-court-settlement-of-babri-masjid-issue/
India To Expedite Request For Zakir Naik's Extradition From Malaysia: INDIATIMES
https://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/india-to-expedite-request-for-radical-islamic-preacher-zakir-naik-s-extradition-from-malaysia-332999.html
India will "very soon" make a request to Malaysia for the extradition of Zakir Naik, the external affairs ministry said, amidst reports that the preacher was there after being given permanent residency. Asked about reports that Naik has been given permanent residency by Malaysia, which maintained that it has not received any official request from India related to terrorism allegations involving the preacher, Kumar said, "Our legal process is nearing completion and we will be making an extradition request very soon." Kumar also said that the nature of the extradition request will be known in next few days.
PFI writes to home ministry, explains why it should not be banned
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/pfi-writes-to-home-ministry-explains-why-it-should-not-be-banned/articleshow/61509617.cms
New Delhi: Popular Front of India (PFI), facing prospects of a ban under UAPA over alleged involvement of its cadres in terror cases and alleged 'forced' conversions, on Saturday said it had written to the home ministry and NIA seeking to be heard on why it cannot be banned both "legally and democratically". "PFI as an organisation cannot be banned. We have written to the home ministry, national security adviser and NIA asking for a hearing (before a decision is taken on imposing a ban on the outfit)," said PFI secretary Anis Ahmed at a press conference here. Describing PFI as a social organisation working for marginalised communities, especially Muslims, he claimed it had no links to terror and could not be held answerable for activists of its alleged 'front' organisations. One such activist Zainaba was found by NIA to be the common mentor behind the 'forced conversion' of two Kerala women, including Hadiya, to Islam."Zainaba is not a PFI member," Ahmed said adding that it was therefore for her alone, and not PFI, to offer any clarifications on the alleged sting operation where she is shown linking PFI and Sathyasarani to 'forced' conversions. "She has already claimed the (sting) video is doctored," he added. Incidentally, the NIA dossier on PFI forwarded to the home ministry describes Zainaba as the president of National Women's Front, "the women's wing of PFI".Asked why PFI was offering legal help to Hadiya alias Akhila Asokan when it was not linked to her conversion in any way, Ahmed said it was only because "we believe that a right has been denied to the girl, who is a major, (to embrace Islam and marry of her own free will)".Ahmed even denied that P Ahmed Sherief, the reported PFI leader shown in the media sting as acknowledging funding of the outfit through hawala, was a founder member of the outfit. The NIA dossier, however, lists one P Ahmed Sherief as the district committee member of PFI and co-coordinator of a PFI front, National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation.NIA confirmed that it had indeed received a representation from PFI seeking to be heard, but only said the letter had been documented in the case file for now.TOI
Kamal Haasan should be shot dead:Hindu Mahasabha
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/kamal-haasan-should-be-shot-dead-hindu-terror-says-akhil-bharatiya-hindu-mahasabha-leader-4922405/
Lucknow: A senior leader of a Hindu outfit – Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha – on Friday slammed veteran Tamil actor Kamal Haasan for his “Hindu terror” remarks and said people like him should be “shot dead”.Mahasabha vice-president Pt Ashok Sharma said these people accused the followers of Hinduism of Hindu terror only to “push their own biased communal agenda”. “There is no other way to handle people like Kamal Haasan but to either hang them or shoot them dead,”he said.Angered by the remarks of the actor, Sharma said people who used such language or were so biased against the Hindu religion and its faithfuls had no right to live. Members of the Mahasabha have also announced to boycott all films of actor and all actors from his family, including his daughter Shruti Haasan. The outfit has also exhorted others to follow the suit and boycott films of such artistes.IANS
'Just Asking': actor Prakash Raj After Kamal Haasan Remarks On 'Hindu Terror'
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/if-lynching-not-terrorising-what-is-prakash-raj-backs-kamal-haasan-1770816?pfrom=home-topstories
Chennai:Noted South Indian actor Prakash Raj, who risked the wrath of right-wing social media users last month with his comments over the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh, has commissioned a sequel.Seemingly voicing support for Tamil mega-star Kamal Haasan who provoked a similar confrontation yesterday saying that terrorism has infected right-wing groups, Raj said, "If instilling fear in the name of religion... culture... morality is not terrorizing...then what is it. Just asking."In a Twitter post titled "To whomsoever it may concern", Raj added: "If abusing and manhandling young couples on the streets of my country in the name of morality is not terrorising... If taking law into hands and lynching people on slightest doubt of cow slaughter is not terrorising... If trolling with abuse, threat... to silence even a slightest voice of dissent is not terrorising... Then what is terrorizing... Just asking."indianexpress
After Kamal, Prakash Raj, Arvind Swami hit out at right wing
https://www.thequint.com/news/india/prakash-raj-and-arvind-swami-speak-up-on-terrorism-and-right-wing
All Gau Rakshakas Are Hindu Terrorist, People Who Lynch Dalits Are Hindu Terrorists: Congress
https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/all-gau-rakshakas-are-hindu-terrorist-people-who-lynch-dalits-are-hindu-terroris/303902
Congress leaders Dinesh Gundurao, dubbing cow vigilantes as terrorist, said all the people who take law in their hands and terrorise people are terrorist."Yes, there is (Hindu terror). Who killed Mahatma Gandhi he was a Hindu terrorist. People who are lynching and beating up Dalits, all these gau rakshakas are Hindu terrorists. These are the few who terrorise people. All these people, who take law in their hands, decide to take action on their own based upon some ideology," Gundurao said.The Congress leader further said fundamentalism exists in our country and that we should confront it rather than running away. "BJP supports any right wing Hindu organisation and they will oppose any left wing or Hindu organisation. They support Gau Rakshaks. Kamal Hassan said it differently. But the truth is it (Hindu terror) exist," he added.ANI
Hindu terrorism exists in our country, we should confront it: Congress leader Gundurao
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/kamal-haasan-hindu-terrorism-exists-in-our-country-we-should-confront-it-congress-leader-dinesh-gundurao-4921258/
Despite SC Order, Gujarat BJP Leader Accused of Activist’s Murder Refuses to Surrender
https://thewire.in/194333/bjp-solanki-gujarat-amit-jethwa-murder/
Amreli: Khamba, a small village on the edge of Amreli district in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, is where 62-year-old Bhikhabhai Jethwa lives alone. His four children were born, raised and married from here, the house Bhikhabhai still lives in. A happy, middle-class joint family lived in the house together until Amit Jethwa, Bhikhabhai’s eldest son and the sole earner of the family, was murdered in 2010.Amit, a prominent environmental and RTI activist, was shot dead on July 20, 2010 in front of the Ahmedabad high court. He had been seeking information using the RTI on the illegal mining of limestone in the Gir region of Gir Somnath district, which had continued unabated despite prohibition orders from the Govt . In the process, Amit came to confront Dinubhai Boghabhai Solanki, a BJP leader and former MLA from the Kodinar assembly seat, and then MP from the Junagadh Lok Sabha constituency. Solanki had allegedly been involved the illegal mining of limestone in the area.Amit had filed a PIL petition naming Solanki as one of the many involved in the illegal mining months before he was shot dead. thewire
Ratan Tata testified in Netanyahu graft probe, says Israel media; Tata’s office claims report ‘incorrect’
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/ratan-tata-testified-in-netanyahu-graft-probe-says-israel-media-tatas-office-claims-report-incorrect-4923783/
Jerusalem: Ratan Tata has “testified” before Israeli police in connection with allegations of corruption involving PM Benjamin Netanyahu, reports in Israeli media said, which were denied as “factually incorrect” by the noted Indian industrialist’s office.Tata “testified to the police for two hours regarding suspicions that he was involved in a case in which the PM is alleged to have received gifts valued at hundreds of thousands of shekels,”Times of Israel reported. The investigation into allegations against Netanyahu related to the expensive gifts has been dubbed as Case 1000, and also involves Israeli businessman and Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan. According to a Channel 10 report, Milchan allegedly asked Netanyahu to promote a free trade zone near the Jordan-Israel border. The request by Milchan was allegedly made following consultations with Tata. Initiative never came through.When contacted, Israel Police national spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld said he had “no idea whatsoever”. Meanwhile, a statement emailed to PTI by Tata’s office did not deny the meeting between him and the Israeli officials. But it said the reports in Israeli media on the contents of the meeting were “factually incorrect and appear to have been motivated”. “Tata holds Netanyahu in high esteem and considers him to be a respected friend. Allegations such as those made seem baseless and highly motivated,” the statement said. Tata Group said a few days before the ‘Fuel Choices and Smart Mobility Summit’ on October 31 in Israel, a section of the press reported that in connection with their probe of Milchan, an Israeli investigative team might also speak to Tata while he was in Israel. It said Tata was advised to cancel his visit but as he had nothing to hide, he attended the conference in Tel Aviv as planned.PTI
Meet Mahiruddin Ahmed: Another Indian soldier in Assam hounded as a ‘foreigner’
http://www.catchnews.com/amp/india-news/meet-mahiruddin-ahmed-another-indian-soldier-in-assam-hounded-as-a-foreigner-88162.html
Mahiruddin Ahmed, a retired Indian Army Havildar based in Assam has been accused of being an illegal immigrant. He has been asked to come and prove he is an Indian citizen by a Foreigners Tribunal in Barpeta, Assam. His wife Husainara Begum, too, has been served with a similar notice.This comes barely a month after a retired officer of the Indian Army was accused of being an illegal immigrant by a tribunal and served a notice.Speaking to Catch from his village Khablarbhita in Barepeta, Mahiruddin Ahmed says he received the notice in September. “I have since spoken to a Colonel in Kolkata and other Army Officers in Guwahati,” he says.Ahmed says this is the first time he received the notice from the Tribunal. “Although, about 15 months back I had come to know that they marked me a ‘D Voter’ (doubtful voter) in 1997.”The retired havildar has served all over the country including in Nagrota in Jammu in his 18-year stint with the Army, which ended in 2004. Ahmed’s brother Jalaluddin Ahmed worked as an Assistant Sessions’ Judge in Assam.Ahmed and Husainara will appear in front of the Foreigners Tribunal on November 6, with the documents.In Oct., after the case of Azmal Haque, retired army officer asked to prove his citizenship came to light,DGP of Assam Police had called it a case of mistaken identity.catchnews
Article in RSS monthly: ‘Deendayal Upadhyaya was against Hindu-Muslim unity’
http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/lucknow/article-in-rss-monthly-deendayal-upadhyaya-was-against-hindu-muslim-unity/
Lucknow :In the middle of a raging debate over the ‘climate of intolerance’ in the country, an article in RSS mouthpiece Rashtra Dharma has claimed that Sangh ideologue Deendayal Upadhyaya was against ‘Hindu-Muslim unity’ and believed that issue of ‘unity’ was ‘irrelevant’ and appeasement of the Muslims.Titled “Muslim Samasya: Deendayal Ji Ki Drishti Mein”, the write-up appeared in a special edition of the Rashtra Dharma, which was released by Union Minister Kalraj Mishra in Lucknow on Sunday. This special issue of the monthly magazine is dedicated to Upadhyaya and carries articles about him and his views.Written by Dr Mahesh Chandra Sharma, the article even claimed that Upadhyaya said that “a person turns an enemy of the nation after becoming a Muslim”.According to the article, Upadhyaya also believed that while a Muslim may be good individually, he in “bad in a group”, and further a Hindu – who may be bad individually — is “good as part of a group”. The author said that the difference in the nature of the groups must be understood.When contacted, Rashtra Dharma editor Anand Mishra ‘Abhay’ said that special issue on Upadhyaya was compiled at a very short notice.About the article on Muslims, Mishra said, “I agree with the facts given in the article. This is true that the Muslims could not unite with the Hindus. Muslims even fight among themselves and with other communities like the Sikhs and the Parsis. Ram Manohar Lohia also agreed with Upadhyaya’s views. It is necessary to learn from history to improve our present and future.”In the article, the author further claimed that Muslims still dreamt about restoring the Mughal rule and that Pakistan was a medium to achieve that target. Talking about Upadhyaya views on Muslims and Hindus, write-up added:Advocating political defeat of the Muslims, the article claimed that changing the mentality of Muslims in India would be difficult till Pakistan was defeated “politically”.“Political defeat will end his aggressive attitude and he will return to his original Hindu nature,” read the article.According to the author, Upadhyaya called those advocating Hindu-Muslim unity as ‘Muslimparast’ and opposed such ‘unity’ policy of the Congress. indianexpress
India ordered to probe 2,080 mass graves in Kashmir
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/11/india-ordered-probe-3800-mass-graves-kashmir-171103114819966.html
Srinagar: The state-run human rights commission has told the Govt in Kashmir to investigate at least 2,080 unmarked mass graves discovered in border areas of restive region.Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP), a human rights group in Kashmir, told the commission there were 3,844 unmarked graves - 2,717 in Poonch and 1,127 in Rajouri, twin districts in the region that lie along LoC.In response, the commission acknowledged the presence of 2,080 unmarked graves and asked the Govt for a comprehensive investigation to be completed in 6 months, including DNA tests of the bodies to compare it with family members of the disappeared. In 2011, the commission directed the Govt to investigate the mass graves. At the time, a special team from the commission said 2,730 unidentified bodies were buried in 38 sites across northern Kashmir."The commission has no hesitation to issue the same directions, which were already issued in the case," the recent order said. APDP maintains 8,000 people have disappeared in the decades-old conflict, and accuses Govt forces of staging gun battles to cover up killings.The association welcomed the commission's latest demand to investigate mass graves in J&K state. Aljazeera
Dialogue only option to resolve Kashmir issue: Geelani
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/dialogue-only-option-to-resolve-kashmir-issue-syed-ali-shah-geelani-4922820/
Srinagar: Dialogue is the only option to resolve the Kashmir issue and separatists are not against it, Syed Ali Shah Geelani said in Srinagar on Saturday. Hurriyat hawk alleged the Centre “is not sincere about resolving the Kashmir issue”.“We are not against the dialogue process, but we favour only meaningful and result-oriented negotiations. We have a clear agenda and our viewpoint is unambiguous … that the issue can be resolved through dialogue,” he said.He said the onus lies with the central Govt to “illustrate its seriousness and sincerity” to resolve the issue. Geelani said a conducive atmosphere for negotiations is of “prime necessity”.PTI
ED notice ‘means of coercion’ to meet J&K interlocutor, says JKLF chief Yasin Malik
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/ed-notice-means-of-coercion-to-meet-jk-interlocutor-says-jklf-chief-yasin-malik-4922739/
Srinagar:JKLF chief Yasin Malik said Enforcement Directorate (ED) notice against him for alleged forex violation was a “means of coercion” to meet the Centre’s newly appointed interlocutor on Kashmir, adding that such tactics cannot break his spirit. “Centre is arresting family members of separatists and militants. Son of Syed Salahuddin was recently arrested by NIA. NIA and ED are sending a series of notices. What is the aim behind all this? Such notices will not break our spirit, rather will increase it. We are ready to sit in prison,” he said.PTI
Article 35(A) was never part of Indian constitution: J&K advocate general
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/article-35a-was-never-part-of-indian-constitution-jk-advocate-general/article19977163.ece?homepage=true
Srinagar: J&K Advocate General Jehangir Iqbal Ganai has said Article 35A, which is being contested in the Supreme Court (SC) through a number of petitions, “is not a part of the Indian Constitution.”“There is an argument projected that the President has no powers to amend the Constitution. The fact of the matter is Article 35 (A) is not part of the Constitution of India. It’s a part of the Constitution only applicable to J&K. There is a difference. So there was no requirement of Parliament amending it,” Ganai said. He said Parliament as such had no powers to add any article of the Constitution to J&K’s Constitution except to Article 370. thehindu
Centre asks J&K govt to stop ads to newspapers publishing 'anti-national articles': greaterkashmir
http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/kashmir/centre-asks-jammu-kashmir-govt-to-stop-ads-to-newspapers-publishing-anti-national-articles/265079.html
Centre has asked J&K Govt to stop advertising in local newspapers allegedly publishing "anti-national articles", a media report said.Home Ministry, according to HT, has told the state Govt that some publications were publishing “highly radicalised content, glamorising militants and anti-national elements”.Centre has written to the Mufti-led Govt in the state to deal strictly with such newspapers, said the report.
US discusses Maldives turmoil with India
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/us-discusses-maldives-turmoil-with-india/article19983305.ece
New Delhi:Amidst growing political turmoil in Male, a team of U.S. diplomats met senior MEA officials to discuss the events in the Maldives on Thursday.The team, led by US Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Atul Keshap, shared their concerns about the political situation with Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar, and spoke about development cooperation in Sri Lanka, The Hindu has learnt.Among concerns on the Maldives was the crackdown by the Govt on Opposition leaders, most of whom, like ex-President Mohammad Nasheed are in exile facing prison terms, or like former President Gayoom’s son Faris Maumoon, are under arrest. The American diplomats also said the action in Parliament in August, where the Army was called in to stop lawmakers from passing an impeachment motion against the Speaker of the assembly, was “very discouraging”.Asked about the concerns from US that called the parliament action “disturbing and unfortunate” in a public statement, Maldives Ambassador to India Ahmed Mohamed said the allegations that the Yameen Govt was undemocratic were “sensational” and represented a “western double standard”.“We have said other countries must not be prescriptive or interfere in our affairs,” Mohamed told The Hindu in Delhi. US diplomats also brought up the growing influence of Chinese investment, as well as its maritime presence, with the China-Maldives “friendship bridge” from Male to Hulhumale, an island being developed by Chinese companies, becoming the focus of their attention. The MEA refused to comment about whether India shared the concerns the U.S. team expressed, but a senior official confirmed the meetings in Delhi this week. thehindu
Haj subsidy to be phased out next year
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/haj-subsidy-to-be-phased-out-next-year/article19977130.ece?homepage=true
New Delhi:Haj subsidy borne by the Govt and extended to pilgrims travelling to Saudi Arabia could be phased out as early as 2018. The subsidy was to be phased out after a Supreme Court order recommended the same to the Govt in 2012, with 2022 as the outer limit.A meeting of the review committee on the subsidy and Haj services, comprising senior officials of the Ministries for Minority Affairs, Civil Aviation and External Affairs and the Haj Committee of India, was held on Thursday where the decision was announced.Haj Committee reportedly asked for a phasing out with the 2022 deadline in mind saying it would affect pilgrims from small towns.Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi confirmed that the phase out would be as early as 2018, with the subsidy reduced to “almost nil” from Rs450 crore being spent this year.“The decision is in consonance with the Supreme Court order. The subsidy has been progressively reduced since 2012 and we are looking to phase it out completely by 2018. We would like to spend the funds on educational programmes especially for girl children of the minority community. Subsidy is only one aspect of the Govt ’s responsibility with regard to Haj, we are committed to a more transparent and open system for sending pilgrims and their safety and security while they perform the pilgrimage,” the Minister told The Hindu.He also said that a new Haj policy had been almost finalised and would be made available to the court and the public soon.He added that it was in the Modi Govt ’s regime that Haj quota for India was increased by the Saudi Arabian govt by 34,000. thehindu
1 dead, 10 injured in communal clash over demolition of toilet in Aligarh: dnaindia
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-one-dead-ten-injured-in-communal-clash-over-demolition-of-a-toilet-in-aligarh-2557744
One person, belonging to the minority community, died and about 10 others were injured when members of the two communities fired at each other and threw bricks in a clash over demolition of a toilet near a mosque in communally-sensitive Aligarh district of UP on Saturday afternoon. Tension prevailed in Khurramnagar under Vijaygarh Police Station in Aligarh district when members of the two communities clashed with one another following a long dispute over toilet near a mosque. Soon it turned violent when someone opened fired killing 18-year-old Haseen Khan on the spot.The small dispute soon took communal colour and members from both the communities used sharp-edged weapons to attack each other leaving about ten injured, four of them seriously. The mob also torched a few vehicles.The injured have been admitted at the district and other hospitals. Police Force and RAF have been deployed in and around mosque in Khurramnagar village. The situation is tense but under control. FIRs have been lodged from both sides blaming each other for the communal clash.
3 yrs after all arrested acquitted, ‘conspirator’ held in Akshardham case
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/akshardham-attack-case-three-years-after-sc-rejects-probe-new-arrest-4922689/
Ahmedabad: Abdul Rashid Ajmeri, 60, accused by Ahmedabad Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) of carrying out the 2002 terror attack on Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar, was arrested on Saturday, moments after he landed at Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport from Riyadh.Ajmeri’s arrest — he is the ninth accused to be arrested — comes three years after all the others arrested in the case were acquitted and the Supreme Court set aside the Gujarat Police’s DCB, Ahmedabad, investigation.Ajmeri is one of 28 people accused by DCB of carrying out the Sept.24, 2002, attack on the Akshardham temple. While 8 of them went on trial, the DCB declared 20 of the accused, including Ajmeri, absconders.In 2006, a special POTA court had convicted six of the accused and sentenced Ajmeri’s brother Adam and Abdul Kayum to death while awarding jail terms ranging from 10 years to life to Mohd Hanif Shaikh, Abdullamiya Yasinmiya Kadri, Altaf Hussain Malek and Shaanmiya Sajjadkhan alias Chandkhan.HC had confirmed the POTA court’s judgment. However, in May 2014, the Supreme Court set aside DCB investigation and acquitted all six persons who had been convicted by the POTA court. Months after this judgment, trial court acquitted two others, Hyderabad-based Shaukatullah Ghori and Ahmedabad-based Majid Patel.Advocate Khalid Shaikh, who has represented some of the accused who later got acquitted, said, “Technically, Ajmeri will have to face all the procedures, including the trial. But police may even close the case in view of the Supreme Court judgment.” indianexpress
Azamgarh youth arrested from Mumbai airport for suspected terror links: thehindu
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/azamgarh-youth-arrested-from-mumbai-airport-for-suspected-terror-links/article19986957.ece
Lucknow:UP police have arrested an Azamgarh-resident on the suspicion of plotting terror attacks in the country.The suspect, identified as Abu Zaid, was arrested by a team of the UP Anti-Terror Squad from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport in Mumbai on Saturday night.Zaid was returning from Saudi Arabia, the ATS said.According to the ATS, Zaid, who was living in Saudi Arabia, induced and mobilised members in India for a terror module.Zaid's name came into light, an ATS spokesperson said, during investigation of the 4 youths who were arrested in an premptive operation from different parts of the country in April."Solid evidence" of Zaid's culpability in organising members for terror activities was "found from the mobiles of the arrested perons," ATS spokesperson said.
Is another Hadiya-like case now being scripted in Rajasthan?
http://caravandaily.com/portal/is-another-hadiya-like-case-now-being-scripted-in-rajasthan/
Jaipur:Members of some Hindu right-wing groups including VHP and Bajrang Dal were seen shouting communal slogans outside the Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday. Inside the court was a 22-year-old girl in hijab – Arifa or Payal Singhvi, as she was before converting to Islam. She was responding to the queries posed by the judges hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by her brother. Accused in the petition was Faiez Modi (ignore the surname), a local Muslim youth. Payal, a post graduate in commerce, was preparing for Rajasthan Administrative Services exam, but all of a sudden she left home on Oct.25 and didn’t return, said her brother in the petition. The family approached the local police station in Pratap Nagar, who refused to file FIR saying that Payal has already approached the Jodhpur Police Commissioner with a written notice and relevant documents about her conversion and marriage to a Muslim man. In the notice, Payal told the police officer that she had converted to Islam and married to Faiez Modi in April this year. Then the family approached the Jodhpur bench of the Rajasthan High Court with a habeas corpus petition. Hearing the petition on Oct.30, 2-judge bench called for SHO of Pratap Nagar police station with all related documents. SHO appeared before the court later in the day and presented the documents including Nikahnama.The court said: “Prima facie, we are of the opinion that investigation is to be made by the SHO to ascertain the correctness of the fact of conversion of the religion by corpus Payal Singhvi as well as of the “Nikahnama” which states that the nikah was solemnized on 14.04.2017 because the sister of the petitioner, Payal Singhvi was residing with the family of the petitioner who belongs to Hindu religion till 25.10.2017, then how conversion of religion from one community to another community was made in the month of April, 2017.”The court directed SHO of Pratap Nagar to register FIR upon the complaint filed by Payal’s brother same day and “conduct investigation to ascertain the correctness of facts and submit the outcome of the investigation on or before 01.11.2017.” The investigating officer was also directed to recover Payal and produce her before the court on the next date of hearing (1Nov).In the petition her family had alleged that she was induced and threatened by the accused. However, on Nov.1 when Arifa or Payal was produced before the court, she denied any inducement or threat.The court has ordered investigation into the case and has sent the girl to a woman’s care centre. It is clear from the media reports that the Hindu right-wing wants to use the case to polarize the society.Terrified, Faiez’s family has locked itself at home and is not coming out to tell their side of the story.Caravan Daily
MP:Children restored by court, parents of Christian Colony scared to return home
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/children-restored-by-court-parents-of-christian-colony-scared-to-return-home-4923042/
Indore : Parents of Christian Colony here whose children were allegedly illegally confined after a protest by the Hindu Jagran Manch (HJM), claiming forcible conversion, are not returning to their homes out of fear.Dennis Joseph Michael, whose three children were among the seven — between the ages of 6 and 17 — taken away from the Indore railway station and kept at a shelter home for a week, is now at an undisclosed location. “All these days I was moving around dazed looking for my children. Now that we have got their custody, we are too scared to return,” says Michael. indianexpress
Shah seeks report from state BJP on poor turnout at yatra
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/640935/shah-seeks-report-state-bjp.html
Bengaluru:A day after the state BJP was left red-faced due to the poor turnout at the launch of its Nava Karnataka Nirmana Parivarthana Yatra, the party has started deciphering reasons for the flop show.The party had expected three lakh workers to attend the launch of the Nava Karnataka Nirmana Parivarthana Yatra at Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) but only a small percentage of that number actually turned up at the venue.According to BJP sources,central leadership has expressed its displeasure to the state unit for embarrassing party national president Amit Shah, who had to launch the yatra in front of scores of empty chairs.Shah, it is learnt, has now sought a report through BJP national general secretary P Muralidhar Rao on what went wrong. deccanherald
WORLD
Saudi detains princes, ex-ministers including billionaire prince Talal after cabinet reshuffle
http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/saudi-arabia-appoints-new-ministers-economy-and-national-guard-1250279911
Saudi Arabia has detained 11 princes and dozens of former ministers through its newly formed anti-corruption committee, including erstwhile national guard minister Mutaib bin Abdullah. According to an MEE source in Riyadh, Mutaib was arrested along with his brother Turki. Famous multi-billionaire prince Al-Waleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz and a number of former ministers and businessmen were also arrested. Both Mutaib bin Abdullah and Al-Waleed bin Talal are senior members of Saudi's royal family.Also among the arrested were Waleed al-Ibrahim, founder of MBC broadcasting group, and billionaire businessman Saleh Kamel.The arrests came hours after Saudi appointed new ministers. Economy minister Adel Fakieh was replaced by Mohammed al-Tuwaijri while Khaled bin Ayyaf replaced Mutaib, son of the late King Abdullah, as national guard minister.The new anti-corruption committee, headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was formed by royal decree earlier on Saturday.The arrests and dismissals came just two months after King Salman replaced his nephew Mohammed bin Nayef with his son Mohammed as the country's crown prince.The move consolidates Mohammed's control of the kingdom's security institutions, which had long been headed by separate powerful branches of the ruling family."Since Mohammed bin Salman became the crown prince in June, we've seen a lot of upheaval," Ian Black, of the London School of Economics, told Al Jazeera."We've seen the announcement of this very ambitious Saudi plan to transform the country the Saudi economy, Vision 2030.""The breadth and scale of the arrests appears to be unprecedented in modern Saudi history," said Kristian Ulrichsen, a fellow at the Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University.In Sept. authorities arrested about 2 dozen people, including influential clerics, in what activists denounced as a coordinated crackdown. Analysts said many of those detained were resistant to Prince Mohammed's aggressive foreign policy that includes the boycott of Gulf neighbour Qatar as well as some of his bold policy reforms, including privatising state assets and cutting subsidies. middleeasteye
Saudi princes detained, ministers dismissed
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/11/saudi-ministers-national-guard-economy-dismissed-171104190619900.html
Billionaire prince with stakes in Twitter, Apple among those arrested in Saudi sweep
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/billionaire-prince-with-stakes-in-twitter-apple-among-those-arrested-in-saudi-sweep/article19986886.ece?homepage=true
Foreign Ministers of anti-Qatar bloc hold talks in Abu Dhabi
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20171105-foreign-ministers-of-anti-qatar-bloc-hold-talks-in-abu-dhabi/
The foreign ministers of a Saudi-led bloc boycotting Qatar held talks in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, according to Egypt’s foreign ministry.The top diplomats of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain met on the sidelines of the Sir Bani Yas Forum, ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said on Twitter.He said the meeting “reflected common interests”, but without giving more details.On Friday, Egyptian authorities said Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry will attend the 8th annual session of Sir Bani Yas forum to discuss a host of issues, including the Qatari crisis, the Middle East peace process and developments in Iraq and Libya.The meeting came days after Bahrain’s Foreign Minister, Khalid Al Khalifa, suggested explicitly on his Twitter account freezing Qatar’s membership at the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). middleeastmonitor
Bahrain re-opens border dispute with Qatar: aljazeera
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/11/bahrain-opens-border-dispute-qatar-171105062102281.html
Bahrain has claimed right to take Qatari territory, as tensions between the 2 Gulf countries heighten amid political deadlock. A press release published on the country's state news agency on Saturday said that Bahrain had "every right to claim what was cut off forcibly from its land and to dispute the legitimacy of Qatari rule".The statement, which references a historic border dispute that was solved by an international court in 2001, did not specify whether Bahrain intends to take any action.
Thousands march through London to oppose Balfour Declaration
http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/thousands-marched-through-london-oppose-balfour-declaration-498366841
London:Thousands of people marched through London on Saturday to call on Britain to apologise for the Balfour Declaration. The demonstration came as UK PM Theresa May this week celebrated the centenary of the controversial 1917 document which paved the way for the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. Organised by Friends of Al-Aqsa, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Palestinian Forum in Britain and the Muslim Association of Britain, protesters marched through the heart of London from outside US Embassy in Grosvenor Square to Parliament Square in Westminster. The Balfour Declaration, which is dated 7 November 1917, is a 67-word letter from Balfour, the foreign secretary of David Lloyd George’s British Govt , to Walter Rothschild, the leader of the British Jewish community, which is considered by Zionists to indicate British support for the establishment of a Jewish national home in Palestine, which was then under the control of the Ottoman Empire.While Israel reveres Arthur Balfour, naming streets and a Tel Aviv school after him, Palestinians decry his declaration as a promise by Britain to hand over land it did not own, which led to the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 and the eviction of many Palestinians from their lands.Some of the signs held at the London march included hundreds of "Free Palestine" placards and home-made signs aimed at Balfour. middleeasteye
Lebanon PM Saad Hariri announces surprise resignation over assassination fears
http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/lebanon-pm-saad-hariri-announces-surprise-resignation-over-assassination-fears-1666079471
Lebanon's PM Saad Hariri has announced his resignation, saying that he sensed a "plot to target his life".In a statement broadcast from Saudi Arabia on Al-Arabiya, the PM said that the climate in Lebanon resembles that before the assassination of his father.He also criticised Iran and Hezbollah's "grip" on the country."We are living in a climate similar to the atmosphere that prevailed before the assassination of martyr Rafik al-Hariri," he said."I have sensed what is being plotted covertly to target my life."In his statement, Hariri said Iran was "losing in its interference in the affairs of the Arab world," adding that Lebanon would "rise as it had done in the past" and "cut off the hands that wickedly extend into it".Hariri became Lebanon's PM late last year after a political deal that also brought Hezbollah ally Michel Aoun to office as the country's president.Hezbollah is politically dominant in Lebanon, but its ties to Iran and its support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have angered some Lebanese.Hariri has visited Saudi Arabia, where he has strong political and business ties, twice in the past week, meeting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other senior officials.Beirut-based al-Jadeed television reported Hariri's resignation statement was made and broadcast from the Saudi capital Riyadh.Aoun's office said Hariri had called him from "outside Lebanon" to inform him of his resignation.Hariri flew to Saudi Arabia on Friday after a meeting in Beirut with Ali Akbar Velayati, the top adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Afterwards, Velayati described Hariri's coalition as "a victory" and "great success".Emile Hokayem, an analyst on Middle East affairs at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, tweeted that the resignation represented a failure to contain Hezbollah's influence in Lebanon. middleeasteye
Lebanese PM Saad Hariri resigns citing Iranian meddling
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/11/lebanese-pm-saad-hariri-resigns-citing-iranian-meddling-171104115027805.html
Gordon Brown says Pentagon misled UK over case for Iraq invasion
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/05/iraq-weapons-mass-destruction-america-misled-britain-gordon-brown?CMP=share_btn_fb
The US defence dept knew that Saddam Hussein did not have weapons of mass destruction but kept Britain in the dark, according to an explosive new claim from Gordon Brown.In an extraordinary allegation, the former PM states that a secret US intelligence report into Iraq’s military capabilities was never passed to Britain and could have changed the course of events. The revelation leads Brown to conclude that the “war could not be justified as a last resort and invasion cannot now be seen as a proportionate response”.He adds that the evidence in question was never examined by the Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq war, which concluded that Britain chose to join the invasion before “peaceful options for disarmament” had been exhausted. Brown’s intervention will reopen the debate about Britain’s decision to join the US-led invasion of Iraq. Tony Blair used the assertion that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction to argue that Britain needed to join the military action.Brown makes the claim in his new book, My Life, Our Times, published this week. He writes that there was a “rush to war” in March 2003, adding that he asks himself “over and over whether I could have made more of a difference before that fateful decision was taken”.He said that as chancellor he had little more access to intelligence than other cabinet ministers, but was reassured by MI6 that evidence about WMDs was well-founded. However, having reviewed the evidence since leaving office, he writes that he now believes “we were all misled on the existence of WMDs”. theguardian
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
Shaurya Doval’s Response to The Wire Raises More Questions Than It Answers:SIDDHARTH VARADARAJAN
https://thewire.in/194372/shaurya-doval-response-the-wire-questions-answers-india-foundation/
If freelance Muslim spokesmen do not shut up, it's advantage BJP:Saeed Naqvi, IANS
http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/if-freelance-muslim-spokesmen-do-not-shut-up-it-s-advantage-bjp-comment-special-to-ians-117110400329_1.html
How pornography removes empathy, and fosters harassment and abuse: Sam Carr, University of Bath
http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/how-pornography-removes-empathy-and-fosters-harassment-and-abuse-71114
Sexual Predators in Uniform:NIRIKSHA SANGHVI and PAVANI NAGARAJA BHAT
http://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/en/NewsDetail/index/2/12158/Sexual-Predators-in-Uniform
NTPC Explosion: Were Safety Measures Bypassed Due to PM Modi’s Visit?Newsclick
https://newsclick.in/ntpc-explosion-were-safety-measures-bypassed-due-pm-modis-visit
Junior Doval, the Question of Conflict of Interest and Saudi Connection;V. Arun Kumar
https://newsclick.in/junior-doval-question-conflict-interest-and-saudi-connection
My citizenship being questioned after serving 18 years in Army:Army veteran Mahiruddin Ahmed
http://caravandaily.com/portal/my-citizenship-being-questioned-after-serving-18-years-in-indian-army/
“When I kept waiting for a dinner invitation from Yasin Malik”:Kuldip Nayar
http://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/en/NewsDetail/index/4/12160/When-I-Kept-Waiting-For-a-Dinner-Invitation-From-Yasin-Malik
Is Govt's crackdown on fake news another way of controlling media?: Sandip Roy HuffPost India
http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2017/11/04/is-the-Govt s-crackdown-on-fake-news-another-way-of-controlling-the-media_a_23266596/
Jinnah’s Daughter Dina Wadia Dies, Leaves Behind Disputed Property:The Quint
https://www.thequint.com/news/dina-wadia-jinnah-daughter-passes-away
A year after demonetisation, Kanpur traders face ‘chillar’ problem:Maulshree Seth
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/a-year-after-demonetisation-kanpur-traders-face-chillar-problem-gst-4922921/
Less than half of new MBA graduates get jobs, trend at 5-yr low
http://www.hindustantimes.com/education/fewer-than-half-of-new-mba-graduates-get-jobs-as-economy-sputters-trend-at-5-year-low/story-y0byvSQwx5en27kI0QzM5L_amp.html
How uncle-nephew duo stole 50 million litres oil from country’s largest onshore fields:HT
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/how-an-uncle-nephew-duo-stole-50-million-oil-from-the-country-s-largest-onshore-refinery/story-EjkMMLY4ITiYk3uzvijVDM.html
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:07 PM)
