Evening NEWS DIGEST
26 Feb.2018:09 Jamadiul-2 1439:Vol:9, No:129
INDIA
Bring Madarsas and missionary schools under RTE: NCPCR
http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2018/feb/26/bring-madarsas-and-missionary-schools-under-rte-ncpcr-1779260.html
New Delhi:National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has recommended that religious minority schools such as Madarsas and missionary schools be brought under the ambit of Right to Education act.The child rights’ body has also put a question mark on the quality of education being imparted in Madaras and has said that about 2 crore children attending these institutes across India are “as good as out-of-school kids”.The views were presented by the NCPCR in a meeting of the monitoring committee on minority education that was constituted by HRD ministry last year.Several NGOs, education experts and representatives from centre and the states took part in it on Monday.“The irony is that while missionary schools follow fundamental syllabi like normal schools and have become elitist, Madaras are just imparting religious education and are meant for marginalised and deprived sections—but they both enjoy some exemptions from RTE provisions,” NCPCR member (education) Priyank Kanoongo told The New Indian Express after the meeting.“We feel that changes should be made in the law to ensure that missionary schools start giving 25 per cent reservations to students belonging to economic weaker sections and syllabi followed in Madarsas should progress towards universal curriculum so that children attending them don’t miss out on their fundamental rights of education,” he added.“There should be a bridge between Article 21 (A) which provides the right to education to children between 6-14 years and Article 30 of the Constitution which deals with minority education.”NCPCR team over last one month has been reviewing Madarsa and missionary school education in 18 cities across India including in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand and has found that the quality of education in most Madarsas is not up to mark.These recommendations by NCPCR, which have large policy implications, have come at a time when several BJP-RSS leaders have also suggested that changes in the existing provisions should be made to bring exemptions offered to minority institution to an end. newindianexpress
Prez gives nod to Rajasthan Animals Act amendments, asks state to exclude buffalo from bovine list
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/president-ram-nath-kovind-rajasthan-animals-cow-act-amendments-vasundhara-raje-5079096/
New Delhi:President Ram Nath Kovind has approved amendments to the Rajasthan Bovine Animals (Prohibition of Slaughter and Regulation of Temporary Migration or Export) Act 1995, which gives the authorities the right to seize vehicles used in the illegal transportation of cows, besides making such an act punishable with arrest. However, Kovind has asked the Vasundhara-led government to make a clarification in the Act and asked them not to include buffaloes in the list of bovine animals, ANI quoted state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rajendra Rathore as saying.“ State govt has made a significant amendment in Rajasthan Bovine Animals (Prohibition of Slaughter and Regulation of Temporary Migration or Export) Act 1995, providing rights to seize vehicles used in the illegal transportation of cow and arrest those responsible. When we sent this to the President for concurrence of the amendment, he asked to make a clarification that buffaloes are not included in the bovine list,” Rathore said. The development comes at a time when Rajasthan has a rise in cow-related violence and smuggling cases. On Sunday, a suspected cow smuggler was killed during a chase by police in Rajasthan’s Alwar district. Last year, dairy farm owner Pehlu Khan was beaten to death by suspected gau rakshaks in Alwar. The incident had led to an outrage in the state.indianexpress
Whatever Decision SC Takes on Ayodhya, BJP, RSS Will Tear People Apart: Arundhati Roy
http://caravandaily.com/portal/whatever-decision-sc-takes-on-ayodhya-bjp-rss-will-tear-people-apart-arundhati-roy/
NEW DELHI: It is the sad demise of love and gentleness — at the behest of skewed patriotism and extreme nationalism — that comes across as the most troubling feature of current times for writer-activist Arundhati Roy.The very fundamentals of the country, she contended in an interview to IANS, are being broken down even as a “parallel state” has come to function alongside the ruling regime.The motive? “An ideological preparation to change the constitution”.“There’s an aahat which I think many people are not hearing and something that is being very seriously silenced is that we are living in a situation in which your entire attention has to go on criminal emergencies — who is being lynched, who is being killed and so on — you don’t realise that behind each of those things, there’s a huge amount of fear and terror and huge communities are being pushed into these. I don’t think people in Urban India are aware of the agrarian crisis and the extent of it,” Roy said.She also said that “the IQ level has dropped a lot in this government” and there is “a chilling effect on people” when they read about Justice Loya or Sohrabuddin cases. “You see what is going on in the Supreme Court and at once you sense the fear in the media. What happens is that even bureaucrats are frightened, ministers are frightened. You are taking away the initiative of everybody, every decision cannot be taken by two people. But people are scared to take decisions, they are scared even to say anything. So what you are seeing is not something being ripped out, actually every knot is being untied. So you will only get a handful of threads in the end. That is very terrifying,” she contended.“What I truly fear is that there is a sense this year that the tide is changing and there is a panic among the BJP and RSS, so they will do everything they can to re-polarise. We are waiting for the Ayodhya judgement from the SC. Whatever happens, it will be used to tear people apart. No matter what the court says, the verdict is going to be used to tear people apart. And the timing of the judgement is so vital to the elections that it terrifies me,” she added. She also said that “there could be limited war” to suit the election mood.“They are going to try and cover the noise of communal polarisation this year. I don’t know whether they will succeed but that bugle has already been sounded,” Roy added. IANS
Salman Nadwi to Float Inter-religious 'Manav Kalyan Manch' to Solve Babri Dispute
https://www.news18.com/news/india/evicted-aimplb-leader-to-float-inter-religious-manav-kalyan-manch-to-solve-babri-dispute-1673097.html
Lucknow: Maulana Salman Nadwi, who was earlier ousted from the AIMPLB, is all set to float an inter-religious platform with an aim to resolve the Babri Masjid dispute. The platform that would be known as ‘Manav Kalyan Manch’, is expected to be supported by Art of Living founder, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Nadwi plans to address a formal press conference on March 1, which will be attended by Sri Sri.According to Nadwi, one of the three key agendas of the ‘Manav Kalyan Manch’ will be to punish the people who had demolished the Babri Masjid. Secondly, the board will work to get a piece of land bigger than the disputed land for Masjid-e-Islam and an Islamic University and lastly, ensure that no such claims are made again on any other mosque, madarsa, mazar or kabristan.Nadwi has said in a statement that all those who agree with the agenda are welcome to join him “as this is the only way to settle the Babri Masjid dispute in Ayodhya”. Also, he has welcomed people from all walks of life, irrespective of their caste or religion, to form the ‘Manav Kalyan Manch’. Nadwi said, “The Board is acting in a dictatorial fashion. I was only putting out my view. How is it wrong to pray for unity and harmony in the country? After the Board expressed its views on Friday, I myself said that I wouldn’t want to be part of such a platform. I will continue my efforts and will go to Ayodhya.”News18
Sacked AIMPLB member Salman Nadvi to form new board on Ayodhya
https://www.thestatesman.com/india/sacked-aimplb-member-salman-nadvi-to-form-new-board-on-ayodhya-1502592199.html
Najeeb's mother holds protest outside CBI HQRS
https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/najeebs-mother-holds-protest-outside-cbi-hqtr/1261240
New Delhi:Ahead of the hearing of the missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed's case in the Delhi High Court, his mother Fatima Nafees along with a group of supporters today staged a protest near the CBI headquarters here. Police pushed back the protesters who tried to remove barricades and lay seige at the two gates of the CBI building. "I'm not alone, the entire Hindustan is watching this and is supporting me. People of all religions and brothers and sisters all are with me. You cannot continue this attitude anymore," Nafees told the people who had gathered for the demonstration on the eve of the court hearing. The protesters and the Delhi Police personnel were involved in scuffles for over two hours after the demonstration began at around 3 pm.At around 6pm, some of the protesters squatted near the main entrance and stopped officials from exiting. They were later removed by the police."No one was detained. Most protesters dispersed by evening and only a few were left at the site," a senior police official said. Addressing the protesters, Nafees accused the Delhi Police personnel of harassing protesters and calling them "Bangladeshis".Two of the protesters were taken to a nearby hospital - one due to breathing issues and other for bleeding.A cousin of Najeeb, Sadaf Musharraf said they would not disperse until they get a concrete response from the CBI."We do not have any option other than doing this," Musharaff said.outlookindia
My son will come back: Najeeb's mother
http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/my-son-will-come-back-najeeb-s-mother-118022600911_1.html
JNU’s Najeeb Falsely Linked to ISIS Using Fake News Reports, Again
https://www.thequint.com/news/webqoof/fake-news-najeeb-ahmed-linked-to-isis-twitter
Following a protest call by former JNU Students’ Union vice president Shehla Rashid at CBI headquarters in New Delhi on Monday, 26 February, to highlight the police inaction in the Najeeb Ahmed case, a discredited news story from 2017 linking Najeeb to ISIS is going viral, again.In an attempt to mar the protests, some people are sharing a discredited 2017 report of The Times of India which said Najeeb could be an ISIS sympathiser.The story, published on TOI’s front page on 21 March 2017, claimed that Najeeb’s internet browsing history allegedly showed that he searched for ISIS’ “ideology, execution and network” and also for “ways to join ISIS” and similar queries.After a few journalists tried to verify the information, the Delhi Police denied the allegations, and a petition demanding an unconditional apology from the national daily had been brought up. The article was not retracted and has now resurfaced again.Amid uproar, The Times of India was compelled to publish a 75-word comment from the Delhi Police, denying access to information on Najeeb’s search history.Senior BJP leader Ram Madhav retweeted Jaswant Singh, a BJP member, who shared the link to the fake news report. He later deleted the tweet and apologised for sharing the same.Senior journalist Swapan Dasguptaa too retweeted Jaswant Singh’s tweet, but has now removed the post.
Hounding of Islamic scholars’: PFI condemns arrest of Peace International School head
https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/hounding-islamic-scholars-pfi-condemns-arrest-peace-international-school-head-77078
Following the arrest of Peace International School’s MM Akbar by Kochi police on Sunday, members of the PFI and it’s political wing, the SDPI are airing their objections.In late 2017, a lookout notice was issued by the police for Akbar, who headed the chain of 13 schools which used textbooks with objectionable and communally sensitive content.Defending Akbar, PFI Kerala President Naseerudin Elamaram alleged in his Facebook post that there is a pattern of hounding Islamic preachers, who make an effort to speak out against Hindu extremism.“The police have detained MM Akbar, Islamic scholar and preacher in the Hyderabad airport. Akbar was on his way to Doha from Australia and had a stopover in Hyderabad when the police detained him. Police had registered a case with a non-bailable offence on the Peace School issue and this is why Akbar’s passport was seized during immigration.Just like how Zakir Naik was hounded, the agenda of hounding Islamic scholars and preachers is clearly visible in this incident as well. It is important for our society to be aware of hidden agenda to obliterate persons and organizations who speak out against Hindu extremism.We hear that swift legal intervention is happening in his case. However, we hope that Kerala government will revoke the case against Akbar, who is truly innocent, stop his arrest from happening. However, if the attempt is to continue anti-Islamic campaign and hounding of Muslims, society we will come together as one and protest,” the post read.Following the arrest, SDPI staged a protest in Parappanangadi, Malappuram.thenewsminute
Nirav deposited Rs 900 mn in PNB hours before note ban: NCP's Adv. Majeed Memon
http://www.business-standard.com/article/finance/nirav-deposited-rs-900-mn-in-pnb-hours-before-note-ban-ncp-s-majeed-memon-118022500264_1.html?1519548935
Mumbai: NCP MP Majeed Memon has quoted a report alleging that the accused celebrity jeweller, Nirav Modi had deposited cash worth Rs 900 million at one of the branches of the scam-hit PNB, hours before the announcement of demonetisation. "When Nirav Modi left India, at that time it was reported that some hours prior to Prime Minister's announcement of demonetisation in 2016, Nirav Modi deposited Rs 900 million of cash in one branch of PNB, and he probably exchanged it for bullion or something," Memon told ANI, and added, " I think that there should be proper investigation to see if there is any element of truth to it."Memon also took to Twitter to convey the same, and hinted on suspicion of connivance between the accused and BJP-led government at the Centre, by adding, "What does it suggest?"For the unversed, PNB detected a Rs 1.77 billion dollar (Rs 11,400 crore) scam earlier this month, in which Nirav Modi acquired fraudulent letters of undertaking from one of its branches for overseas credit from other Indian lenders.Mehul Choksi, Modi's uncle, is also being probed for his involvement in the fraud. PNB lodged two financial fraud complaints of Rs 114 billion and Rs 2.8 billion against Nirav Modi, his family members and the owner of Gitanjali Gems.ANI
Security concerns for India as China plans military observatory in Maldives
http://www.timesnownews.com/india/article/maldives-india-abdulla-yameen-china-joint-ocean-observation-station-makunudhoo-south-china-sea/202535
New Delhi:In another security challenge for Indian government, China is planning to establish a Joint Ocean Observation Station in the Maldives. The Opposition in the Maldives is claiming that the observatory will also have a military application.According to a report in the Times of India, political sources state that the observatory will be located in Makunudhoo and will allow the Chinese a vantage point of an important Indian Ocean shipping route through which many merchant and ships pass. The observatory will be alarmingly close to Indian waters.The report adds that China and the Maldives finalized an official agreement called the Protocol on Establishment of Joint Ocean Observation Station last year, around the time they also signed the controversial Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Officials are yet to check the specifics of the agreement before offering a comment.A leader of the main opposition in the Maldives told TOI that the challenge for India will be to ensure that this observatory does not turn out to be another significant addition to Beijing’s alleged 'String of Pearls' encirclement of India.Another concern for India is that this observatory is turning out to be like the one China announced in the South China Sea, which is meant to send a message out to the world of China’s control of the SCS waters. India, the US and several other nations have been pressing for freedom of navigation in the disputed South China Sea.TOI
China's ocean observatory in Maldives sparks fresh security concerns
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/chinas-ocean-observatory-in-maldives-sparks-fresh-security-fear/articleshow/63072040.cms
India extends diplomatic hand to Pakistan, invites its commerce minister for key WTO talks in March
http://www.firstpost.com/india/india-extends-diplomatic-hand-to-pakistan-invites-its-commerce-minister-for-key-wto-talks-in-march-4367487.html
In a significant diplomatic development, India has invited Pakistan's commerce minister Pervaiz Malik to participate in the informal WTO ministerial meeting in New Delhi on 19-20 March. Malik has reportedly confirmed his attendance for the event.According to a report in the Indian Express, while Malik's meeting with Union commerce and industry minister Suresh Prabhu is confirmed, it is still not clear if he will also meet external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj or Prime Minister Narendra Modi.The invitation to Malik comes after last December's secret back-channel negotiations between the two national security advisors, Ajit Doval and Nasser Janjua, the report said.The meeting also holds significance as the decision to participate in the SAARC summit, to be held in Pakistan, comes up again for consideration by the Centre.firstpost
India reaches out, invites Pakistan Minister for WTO talks in Delhi
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-reaches-out-invites-pakistan-minister-for-wto-talks-in-delhi-5078232/
UP Police Got Furquan Released From Jail, Shot Him Dead In ‘Encounter’ Two Weeks Later
http://caravandaily.com/portal/up-police-got-furquan-released-from-jail-shot-him-dead-in-encounter-two-weeks-later/
Lucknow: Ignoring snubs from the National Human Rights Commission, the Uttar Pradesh government of Yogi Adityanath continued allowing police encounters since BJP came to power in the state in March 2017. In 10 months of its regime, the state police conducted 1038 encounters killing 32 alleged criminals, and the Yogi government has official boasted of these killings. But families of many of the victims have come out alleging that their dear ones were killed in staged shootouts.Eminent investigative journalist Neha Dixit visited families of 14 of the people killed in the alleged encounters. Furquan was one of them. In her long piece published in The Wire, she penned chilling details about how Furquan and 13 others were separately gunned down.Furquan, 40, showed up unexpectedly at his home in Shamli on October 8, 2017, full seven years after he was arrested and put in the Muzaffarnagar jail for his involvement in a village brawl. His sons, aged 12 and 10, could not recognise him because they were just 5 and 3 respectively when he was sent to jail.“We did not have the money or a guarantor to get him released so we were surprised that he was out,” says Nasreen, his wife. The villagers informed her that a week back, the police came to the village to negotiate a settlement with the complainants in Furquan’s case. That is how he was released. Two weeks later, on October 23, 2017, he was shot dead by the police in an ‘encounter’. caravandaily
I quit: Kashmiri student, who went missing from AIIMS Bhubaneswar, left this note in hostel room
http://www.timesnownews.com/india/article/bhubaneswar-aiims-suhail-aijaz-kataria-all-india-institutes-of-medical-sciences-odisha-jammu-and-kashmir-kupwara-i-quit/202612
Bhubaneswar: A second-year student from Jammu and Kashmir, studying at AIIMS in Bhubaneswar, has been missing for over a fortnight.Suhail Aijaz, a resident of Kupwara district in the northern state and pursuing MBBS at the institute since 2016, left his hostel on February 9 and has been missing since then.His father Aijaz Ahmad Kataria told Kashmiri news agency that he last spoke to Suhail on February 6, when he had called to ask for some money to be deposited in his account. He deposited the money and didn’t hear from his son after that. He stated that the institute authorities were the first ones to tell him that his son had gone missing.Local Kashmiri media stated that the police recovered a note from his hostel room in AIIMS, which contained the words: “I quit and please forgive me.” The note also said, “I was happy with my friends.”The second-year student had informed the authorities of the institute that he was going to Chandigarh with his friends to attend a wedding ceremony there and would be back on February 17, Commissioner of Police Y B Khurania said."He had been telling us since a month he is going for his cousin's wedding and left on 9th February. He had said he'll be back by 16th or 17th Feb. When he didn't come back, I called up his home and got to know there's no wedding. He had three to four numbers but all of those are switched off," his friend told ANI.Times Now
Kashmiri AIIMS Student Said He Was Off To A Wedding, Missing For 2 Weeks
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/kashmiri-student-of-aiims-bhubaneswar-missing-search-on-to-find-him-1817088
Bhagwat Urges Whole of India to Join RSS, Says Hindus Responsible for Progress of Country
https://thewire.in/227635/mohan-bhagwat-urges-whole-of-india-to-join-rss-says-hindus-responsible-for-progress-of-country/?utm_source=fbpage
New Delhi: Just two weeks after Mohan Bhagwat claimed that the RSS could assemble its cadres to fight much faster than the Indian army could in a situation of war, the Sangh parivar chief offered more gems on Sunday. He has now urged the whole of India to join his organisation.“Just one organisation is not enough to complete the entire task. The whole of (Indian) society should join the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. There’s no other option,” he said.Bhagwat further stated that Hindus need to unite since India is their responsibility and if the country did not do well, Hindus would be questioned. According to RSS leader, doing so is necessary for bringing a collective change to the society, Telegraph reported.Speaking at the 25th Rashtroday Samagam (Nation-Awakening Conclave) in Meerut in western Uttar Pradesh, Bhagwat said: “All Hindus are one, say with pride we’re one. Hindus must unite, this is our duty.” Further stressing that if the country remains united, “we can cut through a lot of barriers,” the RSS chief added, “If we don’t remain united, the whole world can take advantage of that.”The gathering on Sunday was apparently the 93-year-old RSS’s biggest ever congregation.This, however, is not the first time that Bhagwat has urged India’s Hindus to come together. In mid-December, he asserted that the meaning of Hindutva is to unite all communities, adding that anyone living in the country is automatically a Hindu. “Muslims in India are also Hindus,” RSS chief had stated. Reiterating this on Sunday, Bhagwat stated: “Whoever believes that ‘Bharat Mata’ is his mother is an Indian and a Hindu.But some people don’t realise this.” According to an Indian Express report, Sangh chief also claimed that hardline Hindutva stands for commitment to truth and commitment to ahimsa (non-violence). “When we become hardliners we will celebrate diversity more,” he said before cautioning: “But the world has a rule that it listens to good things only when there is a power standing behind them.”TheWire
'Even Hanuman Had to be Reminded of His Strength': Bhagwat Makes 'Hindu Unity' Pitch
http://www.news18.com/news/politics/as-western-up-caste-fissures-open-up-rss-chief-mohan-bhagwat-hails-hindu-diversity-1671931.html
If BJP wins Meghalaya, Muslim houses will be checked for 'meat': Ghulam Nabi Azad
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/260218/if-bjp-wins-meghalaya-muslim-houses-will-be-checked-for-meat-ghula.html
Guwahati:Ruling Congress party is leaving no stone unturned to defeat the anti-incumbency in the frontier state of Meghalaya by launching a direct attack on PM Narendra Modi and accusing him of pursuing the agenda of “Hindutva”.A day after releasing the manifesto of the party committing at least one job to each family, leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad on Sunday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s special interest in North Eastern Region was aimed at strengthening RSS base in the Christian dominated area.Azad, while addressing a public rally in the state, said, “BJP is following same strategy in both----Kashmir and Northeastern states. They want to propagate Hindutva in Meghalaya as well.”Pointing out that BJP is anti-Christian, Azad said that they follow the dictate of their mentor RSS which has the agenda of controlling the Christian states.Deccan Chronicle
Delhi chief secy ‘assault’: Delhi Police say reports of CCTV footage tampering are incorrect
https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/delhi-chief-secy-assault-police-say-cctv-footage-tampered-with-govt-plans-live-stream-of-all-meetings/story-qMzOVC12MDa7oyFRIx2NXM.html
New Delhi:The Delhi Police on Monday denied as “factually wrong and irresponsible” a report that the department told a local court the CCTV footage from chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence collected in connection with the alleged assault on chief secretary Anshu Prakashwas tampered with.News agency ANI earlier reported additional deputy commissioner of police (north) Harendra K Singh told the court that the time stamp on the clip did not match the sequence of events during the meeting between Prakash, Kejriwal and a few Aam Aadmi Party MLAs that took place in the living room of the chief minister.“Today, the defence counsel while arguing for the bail of the accused stated that police must prove that tampering has been done. It was informed to the court that the site visit reveals discrepancies in the timing. Only FSL will be able to tell if any tampering has been done,” Singh said.HT
After Chief Secretary Assault Case, Kejriwal Govt Mulls Live Streaming of Meetings With Babus
http://www.news18.com/news/politics/after-chief-secretary-assault-case-kejriwal-govt-mulls-live-streaming-of-meetings-with-babus-1672585.html
New Delhi: A week after Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash alleged assault by 2 AAPMLAs at the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence, the Delhi government is mulling a plan to broadcast live stream all meetings with bureaucrats.According to a Delhi government source, the move is aimed at creating greater transparency in the inner workings of the government and a way for the Kejriwal-led outfit to avoid any further allegations from bureaucrats. The meetings are likely to be live streamed on the Delhi government site.A source added, “We are also considering a move to put all files online so that people can know who has signed on the file, who has not, who is the next person who has to sign the file etc. They will know who has raised what objections to which move of their government.”The Delhi state budget is expected in the month of March. If the Kejriwal cabinet approves the decision to live stream meetings and live track the movement of internal files, the budget is likely to provide a separate allocation for this move. News 18
Centre’s failure to honour promises causing unrest among people: Andhra Pradesh CM
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/centre-s-failure-to-honour-promises-causing-unrest-among-people-andhra-pradesh-cm-chandrababu-naidu/story-otiR63gRNjRrQaeb7oLsyH.html
Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday used the global investors’ summit platform to once again express his displeasure over the Centre’s failure to fulfil its commitments towards the southern state.Speaking at a special plenary session of the CII Partnership Summit on the concluding day, Naidu said there was growing unrest and impatience among the people with the Centre not honouring its commitments made at the time of bifurcation of the state.“Ever since the combined state was divided (to carve out Telangana), the residuary Andhra Pradesh had been facing a lot of neglect from the Centre. Injustice was done to the state in all aspects,” he said. “What they committed, they are not giving, causing unrest among people.”HT
People who don’t say ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ are Pakistanis: BJP MLA
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/people-who-don-t-say-bharat-mata-ki-jai-are-pakistanis-bjp-mla/story-Iv3Bf5TRMMKI0dNtpMiLhN.html
Days after declaring that India would become a Hindu nation by 2024, UP BJP MLA Surendra Singh on Monday said those who desist from saying “Bharat Mata ki Jai” are Pakistanis. At a function in Ratsad here on Sunday evening, the legislator last evening also said that such people should not be given the permission to enter politics.“Those who have reservation in saying Bharat Mata ki Jai and Vande Matram are Pakistanis and they have no right to live in the country,” the MLA from Bairia said.“People who do not give the status of mother to their motherland, their patriotism is doubtful... Those who have a problem in saying Bharat Mata ki Jai and Vande Mataram should not have the permission to do politics,” he said.PTI
In Delhi lecture, Jordan King to highlight India's success in averting ISIS, al-Qaeda threats
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/jordan-king-to-deliver-lecture-on-indias-success-in-moderate-islam/article22857018.ece?homepage=true
NEW DELHI:India’s religious plurality and success in fighting off the influence of Islamist terror groups such as al-Qaeda and ISIS will be highlighted as Jordanian King Abdullah II delivers a special address at Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan on Thursday. King Abdullah will land in Delhi on Tuesday for a three-day visit, officials confirmed.Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who met with King Abdullah in Amman earlier this month, will also attend the function on March 1, where the Jordanian King will speak on “Islamic Heritage: promoting understanding and moderation,” to an audience that includes academics and Islamic scholars, as well as representatives of all denominations of the Muslim community.“[The King] has personally chosen to give this address in Delhi, as Jordan has studied how India has been able to avoid the threats from ISIS and other groups,” an official involved in the planning of the visit said on Monday.King Abdullah, who is himself the 41st generation descendent of Prophet Muhammad and the Custodian of the Holy Sites in Jerusalem, has taken a leadership role in countering extremism and radicalisation in the Arab world through what is known as the “Aqaba Process” initiative, officials said.Although Jordan is home to about 2 million Palestinian refugees and more than 660,000 refugees from Syria, it has remained peaceful compared to the rest of the region and is seen as an “oasis of stability”, the officials added.During the event, which officials said would be the “first of its kind” for New Delhi, King Abdullah will also release an Urdu translation of his cousin Prince Ghazi Bin Mohammad’s book A thinking person’s guide to Islam, which includes a chapter on jihad and the “Crisis of ISIS”, detailing how countries like India have escaped jihadist influences due to the moderate, “or Hanafi, non-Takfiri” form of Islam followed in the country.The Jordanian King will be in New Delhi from February 27 to March 1, and will hold bilateral talks with Mr. Modi on March 1, before the address. The hindu
Hyderabad: Historic Osman Shahi mosque fights apathy, committee members fume
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/historic-osman-shahi-mosque-fights-apathy-committee-members-fume/articleshow/63076614.cms
CHARMINAR: The historic Osman Shahi mosque, located in the heart of bustling Afzalgunj area is crying for immediate attention and restoration.The Masjid-e-Osman Shahi' committee members have brought the issue to the notice of officials time and again, but no initiatives were taken to begin renovation of the masjid.Taking strong exception against the TSWB officials' apathy, committee members said that abutment by trees, and the pathetic condition of the roofing and walls pose a serious threat to the devotees."It is a Qutub Shahi era's mosque built almost 300 years ago. The existing condition of structure poses a serious threat to devotees. Prior to this, some portion of the masjid has collapsed, and in the same place a big tree has grown up over time. It's roots have gone deep into the basement and all along the walls causing further damage to the mosque. The dilapidated and weak entrance of the masjid may fall anytime," said Masjid Committee President Mohammed Abdul Raheem. Committee members said they approached the Waqf board as well, but the board failed to heed their advice."Telangana Waqf Board Chairman Mohammed Saleem appears to be active, but the oldest Masjid is being neglected unfortunately," criticized the mosque committee president.timesofindia
UP: Religious structures on metro, PWD land likely to be shifted
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/noida/religious-structures-on-metro-pwd-land-likely-to-be-shifted/articleshow/63072366.cms
Noida: The district administration has said it would shift a decades-old Shani temple in Sector 63 within a month after the NHAI sought its relocation for widening NH-24.According to officials, the land on which the temple was built belongs to the PWD. In an order on Friday, the Allahabad high court had directed immediate shifting of all religious structures that were constructed on public land after Jan. 1, 2011, and encroached on roads, pathways, lanes and side roads. On encroachments before January 2011, the court directed that they be shifted from their present place within six months.DM, district police chief and circle officers of police would be held accountable for the encroachments on road after June 10, 2016, the court had said.The administration has now asked the mahant handling the temple’s administration to vacate the plot and identify another piece of land for relocation.While district administration claimed it doesn’t know of any religious structures coming up on public land after 2011, a mosque in Sector 76, which was built in 2011, has come under its radar. The Markaz Masjid was built on a plot given to Barola village in the sector for a graveyard. The land has now been allocated as parking space for upcoming Sector 78 metro station.“Authority gave us this land in lieu of a plot in Sector 49 which was acquired for a road. It was intended for a graveyard, but a masjid was built because there was no one here,” said Azad, the caretaker.The mosque will have to be shifted elsewhere as the metro parking has to come up on the area now. “This matter has been going on for quite some time. Since the Noida Authority owns the land in question, we will write to them asking them where the mosque could be shifted,”Vineet said.TOI
Sridevi died due to accidental drowning, case transferred to Dubai Public Prosecution
https://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/sridevi-s-funeral-today-body-to-arrive-in-india-after-autopsy-in-dubai-updates/story-UdYI4FFPEDyhn8UjfP1GLL.html
Bollywood’s actress Sridevi, died in a Dubai hotel on February 24. She suffered a cardiac arrest while she was taking a bath on Saturday night, getting ready for a dinner with her husband Boney Kapoor. Sridevi was in Dubai for her nephew Mohit Marwah’s wedding. She was joined by her younger daughter Khushi and Boney. Her husband flew back to India after the wedding on Wednesday and came back on Saturday to surprise his wife at the Emirates Towers Hotel, where she was staying. According to a report in TOI, the two chatted for 15 minutes before she went into the bathroom. Boney knocked on the door after 15 minutes but broke it down upon not getting a response.Boney found Sridevi lying unconscious in the bathtub. He called a friend for help and reported the death to the police at 9pm. The report also said that while several media outlets are reporting cardiac arrest as the cause of her death, there has been no confirmation yet. However, Sanjay Kapoor, Sridevi’s actor brother-in-law, told Dubai’s Khaleej Times, “We are completely shocked. She had no history of a heart attack.” An autopsy was conducted on late Sunday night and a chartered flight has flown to Dubai to bring her body back to India.Forensic reports reveal Sridevi died due to accidental drowning, as per a report in Gulf News.HT
WORLD
Report: Is Russia preparing Assad’s successor in Syria?
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180226-report-is-russia-preparing-assads-successor-in-syria/
Germany’s Spiegel magazine recently published a lengthy report in which it speculated that Russian President Vladimir Putin might be preparing Syrian regime General Suheil Al-Hassan to replace current President Bashar Al-Assad in a future compromise.Published last week, the report said Al-Hassan is well known among regime supporters and is feared among his opponents.According to the magazine, the Russian army, which began its military operations in Syria in September 2015, worked side by side with Al-Hassan while Russia has awarded him several medals most recently in August 2017 in recognition of his combat achievements.Spiegel said Al-Assad, who is willing assassinate anyone that might jeopardise him or his leadership, would not hesitate to assassinate Al-Hassan if he threatens his rule. middleeastmonitor
'Hell on Earth' in Eastern Ghouta must stop: UN chief
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/02/earth-eastern-ghouta-stop-chief-180226095712324.html
Ongoing attacks by Syrian government forces and their allies has created "hell on Earth" for civilians stuck in a rebel-held Damascus suburb, the UN's chief said on Monday, as air strikes and ground operations continued despite a days-old ceasefire.Russia's President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, ordered a "humanitarian pause" from 9am-2pm local time on Tuesday to allow civilians to evacuate Eastern Ghouta. The bombardment of rebel-held enclave over the past week has been one of the heaviest of Syria’s seven-year war, killing more than 550 people in 8 days, according to a toll compiled by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor.Rebel shelling has caused 36 deaths and a number of injuries in Damascus and nearby rural areas in the last four days, Zaher Hajjo, a government health official, told Reuters news agency.United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate implementation of Saturday's Security Council resolution for a 30-day ceasefire in Syria.Syria's Civil Defence rescue team, also known as the White Helmets, said on Sunday at least one child died as a result of suffocation.According to the Syrian opposition's health officials, victims were showing symptoms "consistent with exposure to toxic chlorine gas".
Observatory: US-led coalition kills 25 in Syria, mostly women and children
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180226-observatory-us-led-coalition-kills-25-in-syria-mostly-women-and-children/
A US airstrike in the Syria has killed 25 civilians, over half of whom were women and children, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights revealed today.The attack took place on Friday, south of the country’s eastern province of Deir Ez-Zor, in the settlement of Dahra Alouni close to Al-Shaafa region. The strike allegedly hit a school in the town which was housing displaced civilians. Dozens were injured as the four houses next to the school were also destroyed by the impact.When asked about the report, coalition spokesman Colonel Ryan Dillon said: “We take all allegations seriously and as we always do, we will put it into our civilian casualty assessment and we will publish the results of those on a monthly basis.”This was the second attack committed by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in a week, after at least 15 people were injured last Monday in the town of Al-Bahrah. Last month, three women were also killed after a hospital in Hajin city was struck.The SDF, made primarily of Kurdish forces, has been battling Daesh forces in Deir Ez-Zor since late 2014 when the group had held most of the province, except for one large pocket where Syrian regime troops and 93,000 civilians had been fighting for three years.Despite being driven out of large parts of the province, Daesh militants still control pockets of the area with many of its fighters being deployed on the eastern side.
Iraq sentences 15 Turkish women to death for joining IS
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180226-iraq-sentences-15-turkish-women-to-death-for-joining-daesh/
The Iraqi Criminal Court yesterday sentenced 15 Turkish women to death for belonging to Daesh.“The verdict came after the defendants confessed to belonging to the Islamic State [Daesh],” AFP quoted a judicial source as saying.The source added that another Turkish woman was sentenced to life imprisonment.Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Criminal Court in Baghdad said in a statement last week that the court had sentenced a Turkish woman to death by hanging on charges of joining Daesh, noting that ten other women of different nationalities were sentenced to life imprisonment.Earlier this month, the Iraqi authorities announced the extradition of one of Daesh’s most prominent leaders after he was arrested in Turkey in a joint operation between Iraqi, Turkish and American intelligence services.middleeastmonitor
Yemen: 3 days of air strikes on Houthi-controlled Hudaydah
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180226-yemen-three-days-of-air-strikes-on-houthi-controlled-hudaydah/
The Saudi-led coalition has carried out a three-day intensive air strike campaign in Hudaydah which came to an end yesterday, Al Jazeera reported.Dozens of Houthi fighters have been killed in the strikes, while thousands of civilians have been displaced.The Houthis have claimed on open source networks that the Saudi-led coalition is either bombing Hudaydah or continuing its blockade. But Saudi Arabia reportedly lifted the air, land and sea blockade on Yemen back in November last year.The former UN Envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh, successfully prevented Saudi Arabia from executing a deadly assault on Hudaydah, which is the only life-line left for civilians in Yemen. Despite this momentum by the UN, it appears Saudi Arabia is continuing its strikes on the port at a steady pace.
Over 1,000 Palestinians in Gaza died from Israeli blockade
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/02/1000-palestinians-gaza-died-israeli-blockade-180225175751636.html
The Gaza Strip's collective of charitable organisations said more than 1,000 Palestinians have died as a result of the ongoing Israeli blockade on the coastal enclave. The coordinator of the organisations, Ahmad al-Kurd, also said on Sunday that five premature babies born in the past few days died because of a lack of available medical treatment."Out of the 1,000 or so victims of the blockade, 450 died as a result of the collapse of the health situation in Gaza, such as the lack of medical supplies and the crisis of medical referrals for outside treatment."aljazeera
Jordan and Palestine support Israeli Christians’ Church closure
http://www.apnlive.com/world-news/jordan-palestine-support-israeli-christians-church-closure-38827
Israeli Christian leaders have received expression of support from Jordanian and Palestinian governments for shutting the doors of a historical Holy Sepulchre church in East Jerusalem in protest of “discriminatory” Israeli policies.Roman Catholic, Armenian and Greek Orthodox leaders in Jerusalem had suddenly closed the Church of the Holy Sepulchre indefinitely on Sunday. The Christians claim that there is a “systematic campaign of abuse” directed at the community.The Church leaders said in a statement that “These actions breach existing agreements and international obligations, which guarantee the rights and privileges of the Churches, in what seems as an attempt to weaken the Christian presence in Jerusalem.”Holy Sepulchre Church, one of Christianity’s holiest sites, is believed to be the site of Jesus’ crucifixion and burial attracts millions of pilgrims every year.Jordan and Palestine support Israeli Christians’ Church closureJordanian government spokesman Mohammad al-Momani expressed his country’s “full solidarity” with the churches in Jerusalem. Under a 2013 agreement signed between Jordan and the Palestinian Authority, King Abdullah II is the custodian of the Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.apnlive
'Wake up' and stop Rohingya abuses: Nobel laureates to Suu Kyi
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/wake-up-and-stop-rohingya-abuses-nobel-laureates-to-suu-kyi/articleshow/63081269.cms
Cox's Bazar: 3 Nobel Peace Prize winners on Monday urged fellow laureate Aung San Suu Kyi to speak out about violence against the Rohingya minority, warning she otherwise risks prosecution for "genocide". The trio - Tawakkol Karman, Shirin Ebadi and Mairead Maguire - implored the embattled Myanmar leader to "wake up" to the atrocities after visiting squalid camps in Bangladesh home to nearly one million Rohingya refugees."This is clearly, clearly, clearly genocide that is going on by the Burmese government and military against the Rohingya people," Maguire said Monday, using another name for Myanmar. "We refuse this genocide policy of the Burmese government. They will be taken to ICC (International Criminal Court) and those who are committing genocide will be held responsible." The UN has described the systematic violence by Myanmar against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state as possible genocide and ethnic cleansing, but has stopped short of outright accusing the army of war crimes.AFP
Bangladesh court extends bail for Khaleda Zia until March 13 in corruption case
http://indianexpress.com/article/world/bangladesh-court-extends-bail-for-khaleda-zia-until-march-13-in-corruption-case-5078956/
Dhaka: A court in Bangladesh on Monday extended the bail of imprisoned ex-prime minister and main opposition BNP chief Khaleda Zia until March 13 in a graft case, a day after the High Court deferred the judgement on a separate bail plea in a corruption case, media reports said.The 72-year-old three-time former prime minister was jailed for five years on February 8 in connection with the embezzlement of 21 million taka (about USD 250,000) in foreign donations meant for the Zia Orphanage Trust, named after her late husband Ziaur Rahman, a military ruler-turned-politician.PTI
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
Banking mess just got worse under NDA:SUBIR ROY
https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/banking-mess-just-got-worse-under-nda/article22852247.ece
How an Indian bank’s $1.8 billion fraud went unnoticed:Reuters
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/02/23/business/indian-banks-1-8-billion-fraud-went-unnoticed/#.WpPT2mpua1s
Year One of Adityanath Rule: Joblessness, Communal Violence and Dying Children:RAJAN PANDEY
https://thewire.in/227096/adityanath-government-uttar-pradesh-communalism-joblessness/?utm_source=twpage
Shocking: RSS book claims that Christianity is a sect of Hinduism and Christ was a Vishwakarma Brahmin by birth
https://www.siasat.com/news/shocking-rss-book-claims-christianity-sect-hinduism-christ-vishwakarma-brahmin-birth-1322979/
Who is Tariq Ramadan and why is he denied basic human rights by the most enlightened European nation?Tazeen Hasan, Freelance Journalist, human rights Activist
https://medium.com/@TazeenHasan/who-is-tariq-ramadan-and-why-it-is-suspected-he-would-not-get-fair-trial-5da6a2c1f724
What Explains Mob Lynchings Becoming the New Normal in India:ABDUL KALAM AZAD
https://thewire.in/227663/what-explains-mob-lynchings-becoming-the-new-normal-in-india/
Market Cap of India’s Public Banks Have Plunged Since 2014, Raising Questions About Reform Measures:Noor Mohammad
https://thewire.in/227784/market-cap-public-banks-plunged-reform-measures/
Farmers Protest in Gujarat as Govt Starts Taking Possession of Land Acquired in 1997:Damayantee Dhar
https://thewire.in/227222/gujarat-bhavnagar-farmers-protest-land-acquisition/
To Malign Missing JNU Student Najeeb, BJP and Fellow Travellers Try, Try Again:ARJUN SIDHARTH
https://thewire.in/227793/bjp-leader-journalist-share-fake-news-about-missing-jnu-student-najeeb-ahmed/
Lawmakers with perks: The long list of exemptions has made the office of profit a farce:S Y Quraishi
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/lawmakers-with-perks-office-of-profit-delhi-aap-arvind-kejriwal-government-election-commission-5078093/
Ghar Wapsi for Prashant Kishor?SEEMA MUSTAFA and VENKATESH KESARI
http://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/en/NewsDetail/index/2/13143/Ghar-Wapsi-for-Prashant-Kishor
Gauri Lankesh, Najeeb Ahmed, Kalburgi, Pansare…….THE CITIZEN EDITORIAL
http://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/en/NewsDetail/index/2/13137/Gauri-Lankesh-Najeeb-Ahmed-Kalburgi-Pansare
Amnesty attacks Modi govt for doing ‘little’ to stem rising Islamophobia in India Amnesty attacks Modi govt for doing ‘little’ to stem rising Islamophobia in India:Ashutosh Sharma
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/national/amnesty-attacks-modi-govt-for-doing-little-to-stem-rising-islamophobia-in-india
BJP a square peg of sectarianism in the round hole of India’s pluralism: IANS/AMULYA GANGULI
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/opinion/bjp-a-square-peg-of-sectarianism-in-round-hole-of-indias-pluralism-jan-sangh-was-not-at-forefront-of-all-leading-mass-movements-in-india
Assam influx: General Bipin Rawat's 'ill-timed' remarks inappropriate, could compound NRC process further:India Ranjit Borthakur
http://www.firstpost.com/india/assam-influx-general-bipin-rawats-ill-timed-remarks-inappropriate-could-compound-nrc-process-further-4367279.html
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:56 PM)
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