31 July 2018

31 July ND: Law Commission agrees uniform civil code not practical in India says AIMPLB; Maulana Jalaluddin Umri led-delegation meets law panel chief/ Govt cannot take any 'action' against those left out of Assam draft NRC, says SC; directs Govt to frame fair procedure to deal with their claims


NEWS DIGEST, MID-DAY  
31 July 2018:16 Ziqada 1439: Vol:10, No:77
INDIA
Law Commission agrees uniform civil code not practical in India says AIMPLB; Maulana Jalaluddin Umri led-delegation meets law panel chief
https://www.indiatvnews.com/politics/national-law-commission-agrees-uniform-civil-code-not-practical-in-india-aimplb-455652
New Delhi: All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Tuesday said that the Law Commission in principle agrees that a uniform civil code (UCC) is not practicable in India given the country's vast diversity and complexities.Law Commission has been examining the issue of implementing a common civil law for all communities in India and had invited the AIMPLB on Tuesday to discuss the Muslim personal law and the desired changes in it."First and foremost we made it clear that Muslim personal law is as per the divine decree and nobody is authorised to change it. The Commission was very receptive of our views and the meeting happened in a very cordial atmosphere," said Board’s Vice President Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari, who led the AIMPLB delegation."The Law Commission Chairman admitted that a uniform civil code is not a practical idea for India and that the government should not even think of implementing it for at least 10 years. We told him that not just 10 years, the idea should be dropped for good," Umari said. Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, a member of the delegation, said the Commission discussed as to what good things from the Muslim personal law can be made part of the Hindu civil code and vice versa."We are clear that we cannot tweak our personal law at will. It is based on Quranic injunctions and the Hadith," he said.  Advocate Niaz Farooqi said that when the delegation requested the Commission that before making any law about Muslims, it should at least consult the community, they were shocked to hear the reply."The Chairman said that the government was not even consulting the Law Commission on such matters, let alone others. This clearly shows that the Modi govt is more interested in doing politics on Muslim issues than actual reform,"Farooqi said. Another member Kamal Farooqui said: "Today we have submitted a detailed note on the questions raised by the Law Commission. The issues pertained to inheritance, adoption, custody of children, making a will, difference in interpretation of Islamic laws among various sects and model nikahnama."In response to a question, Farooqi said that nikah halala had no backing in the Shariah."I can tell you with full authority that there is no concept of nikah halala in the Shariah. The debate around it is more a media creation," Farooqui said.Maulana Wali Rahmani, general secretary of the personal law board, also gave a letter to the Justice Chauhan stating that any intervention in “divine law will not be tolerated”.IANS/ News18
Law Commission Chief told us uniform civil code not possible for 10 yrs: AIMPLB
https://www.news18.com/news/india/law-panel-chief-told-us-uniform-civil-code-not-possible-for-10-years-says-aimplb-1829647.html
Don’t codify Muslim personal laws: AIMPLB
http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2018/jul/31/dont-codify-muslim-personal-laws-aimplb-1851000.html
Law panel chief said UCC not possible for next 10 yrs: AIMPLB
https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/law-panel-chief-said-ucc-not-possible-for-next-10-years-aimplb-118073101274_1.html
Muslim personal law flows from Quran, cannot be changed: AIMPLBB
https://www.theweek.in/news/india/2018/07/31/muslim-personal-law-flows-from-quran-cannot-be-changed-aimplb.html
ASSAM: NRC
Govt cannot take any 'action' against those left out of Assam draft NRC, says SC; directs Govt to frame fair procedure to deal with their claims
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/govt-cannot-take-action-against-those-left-out-of-draft-nrc-in-assam-says-sc/article24563497.ece?homepage=true
New Delhi:The Supreme Court today held that the Union Govt  cannot initiate any "action" against over 40 lakh persons left out of the draft Assam National Register of Citizens (NRC). Bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Rohinton Nariman directed Centre, in consultation with State NRC Coordinator Prateek Hajela, to ensure that those left out of the draft NRC receive a "fair" opportunity to be heard.The court directed the Union Govt to frame a "fair" standard operating procedure to deal with the claims and objections of those who did not find their names in the list. Attorney General K.K. Venugopal informed the court that the Ministry concerned was working out the modalities of the standard operating procedure that would "deal with the different dimensions of the exercise of hearing the claims and objections to ensure that the process is fair". Venugopal submitted that once the modalities were worked out, the standard operating procedure would be placed before the court by mid-August."Everybody should get a fair opportunity considering the complexities and numbers, etc, involved. You [Gov ] place it before us. If it is fair, we will approve. If not, we will disapprove. If there is anything missing, we will fill it," Justice Gogoi addressed Venugopal.At one point, Justice Gogoi asked Hajela about "reading somewhere that the date for publishing the final NRC is Dec. 31" this year. But Mr. Hajela denied, submitting that no such date has been fixed and it was left to the Supreme Court."We have no fixed any date. It is for the court to fix a date. It [Dec 31] was only for the purpose of budgeting," Hajela responded.When asked "what ahead", Hajela said time had been given till August 7 for people to go through the draft NRC and ascertain whether their names were there or not. From August 8, those excluded would get time to file their claims and objections, which would be heard from August 30 to Sept. 28.Venugopal submitted that Govt was "extremely concerned" about the next few days following the publication of draft NRC on July 30.Govt  attempted to seek some assurance from the court in the matter. "Well, we do not give assurances to anyone, we only pass orders. But we want fair opportunity for all," Justice Gogoi observed. The Bench said at the moment it would prefer to refrain from commenting on the draft NRC and would wait for Govt  to submit its standard operating procedure for vetting. "Our silence now is neither consent or objection or assurance," Justice Gogoi observed.The court posted the case for Aug. 16 for further orders on timelines leading to the publication of the final NRC.The Hindu
Assam NRC final draft: Those missing from list must get fair chance to prove claims, says Supreme Court
https://www.firstpost.com/india/assam-nrc-final-draft-those-missing-from-list-must-get-fair-chance-to-prove-claims-says-supreme-court-4858801.html
People Left Out of Assam NRC Are Intruders: Amit Shah
https://www.thequint.com/news/politics/names-excluded-from-assam-nrc-intruders-says-amit-shah
BJP president Amit Shah, today,  launched a scathing attack on Congress and TMC for disrupting Rajya Sabha over Assam NRC issue."Congress, TMC and other parties who are speaking against Assam NRC should clear their stand on Bangladeshi infiltrators,"said Shah. Alleging that the Congress and TMC were playing vote-bank politics over the issue, he said NRC was in accordance with the Assam Accord and that the Congress never had the guts to implement it.thequint
No More An Indian? Ex President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed's Family Excluded From NRC Final Draft
https://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/no-more-an-indian-ex-president-fakhruddin-ali-ahmed-s-family-excluded-from-nrc-final-draft-350376.html
As shocking as it may sound, it has emerged that the family of India’s former President late Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed’s brother have been left out from the draft NRC which was published on Monday. According to News 18 report, Ziauddin, son of Fakhruddin’s brother Ekramuddin Ali Ahmed is among the nearly 40 lakhs whose names have not been featured in the final draft. The family has been living in Rangia, in Kamrup district of Assam. “I am the nephew of former President of India Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, and my name is missing in the NRC, since my father’s name is not in the legacy data, we are little worried about it,” Ziauddin Ali Ahmed said.indiatimes
Ex-President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed’s Nephew Among Those Missing from Assam NRC Final Draft
https://www.news18.com/news/india/late-president-fakhruddin-ali-ahmeds-nephews-family-missing-from-nrc-list-1828747.html
Draft NRC 'defective', most of excluded 40 lakh Indians: Former Assam CM
https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/draft-nrc-defective-most-of-excluded-40-lakh-indians-gogoi-118073101246_1.html
Former Assam CM  Tarun Gogoi termed the complete draft of NRC as "defective" and claimed that most of over 40 lakh people excluded in the list are Indian citizens.Congress in Assam has never won polls on votes of Bangladeshi people, Gogoi said, asserting both he and the present CM  have won elections held on the basis of the same voters' list."This is not a full proof NRC. It has leakages. It is defective. Most of these 40 lakh people are Indian citizens," he said a day after release of the document that excluded over 40 lakh applicants.PTI
NRC: Mamata says Bengal will shelter 40 lakh people
https://www.newsx.com/national/assam-nrc-final-draft-mamata-banerjee-says-bengal-will-shelter-40-lakh-people/amp
West Bengal CM  Mamata Banerjee who is upset after more than 40 lakh people were left from the final draft of Assam’s NRC called in a press conference and stated that all those people who had not been named in the final draft can come and live in her state. Criticising the Centre over the final draft of NRC, Mamata Banerjee said that they cannot push the people back into the dark hole.newsx
Muslim organizations deeply concerned about exclusion of 40 lakh people from ASSAM NRC
http://caravandaily.com/portal/muslim-organizations-deeply-concerned-about-exclusion-of-40-lakh-people-from-assam-nrc/
New Delhi: Top Muslim organizations have expressed deep concern over exclusion of more than 40 lakh people from the final draft of Assam’s NRC and urged the Central and state Govt s to take the humanitarian aspects of the issue very seriously. While expressing concern over non-inclusion of above 40 lakh residents in the final draft NRC, Maulana Mahmood Madani, General Secretary, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind termed it “a very serious issue that will have deep impact over socio-geographic situation of the country.” Therefore, the central and state Govt s should not overlook its humanitarian aspects before taking any steps in this matter, he urged. Madani further said that Jamiat is closely watching the development and it will extend every possible help and cooperation to the needy persons and will continue its legal efforts in the Apex Court as well.He has appealed to the Assamese people to hold their nerve.All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat,an umbrella body of all main Muslim organizations in the country, has strongly reacted over the exclusion of 40 lakh people from the NRC list.Mushawarat’s President Navaid Hamid expressed “his dismay and shock over the mischievous attempt to exclude around 40.07 lac Indian citizens from Assam’s National Register of Citizens.”Hamid has termed the whole exercise “full of faults and fictitious as genuine and valid documents such as Passport and Aadhar Cards are also ignored as proof of citizenship.”Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari said: “We are deeply concerned with the publication of the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam. Thus far NRC has held about 40 lakh people (more than 10% of the state population) of the 3.3 crore applications to be invalid and hence disqualified to be bonafide citizens of India. According to the Assam Accord signed in 1985, anyone who entered the state after 24 March 1971 is considered an illegal resident. For acceptance into the NRC the onus of proof (to prove citizenship) was the responsibility of the applicant. But genuine citizens, who are impoverished and could not maintain proper records because of their homes being exposed to the vagaries of nature, are impacted and now face the brunt of being branded as foreigners. Most of those who could not make it into the NRC were due to minor inaccuracies in their documents.”Jamaat chief urged the Govt  to “look into complaints regarding NRC officials who exhibited bias and discrimination against a particular linguistic community and did not accept their application despite possessing all legal papers’’.Rajya Sabha MP and Nationalist Congress Party leader Adv. Majeed Memon tweeted: “If 40 lakh people in one stroke are held as outsiders by Indian Authorities where are they expected to be sent? No country will accept them. Are they to be thrown in Bengal creek? Atrocious.”caravandaily
How genuine NRC list?Ask leaders of Mushawarat, Jamiat
http://twocircles.net/2018jul30/424995.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Twocirclesnet-IndianMuslim+%28TwoCircles.net+-+Indian+Muslim+News%29
NRC: We have papers, how did this happen?Indianexpress
https://indianexpress.com/article/north-east-india/assam/assam-nrc-draft-we-have-papers-how-did-this-happen-5283949/
Dholpur: When he checked NRC draft online around 11 am Monday, Saban Ali, a resident of Dholpur area in Darrang district of Assam, was taken aback. He, his wife and son did not figure in the “complete draft” list.In his 40s, Saban Ali is not quite sure what he is supposed to do next. This entire exercise has left him thoroughly confused. According to Ali, when the Family Tree Verification step in NRC process was taken up, he was told that his “legacy” — the name of his grandfather — was not correct since the person mentioned was the patriarch of another family from his area.“They pointed out the mistake, and I submitted the correct name of my grandfather. At that point, I submitted the correct legacy data and everything seemed fine. Thereafter, there was verification based on the new data. Yet today, my name is not there (in NRC draft),” Ali said.In Kirakara, a village near Dholpur, 5 of 8 brothers (in the age group 20 to 35) find mention in the draft while three have been excluded.“We submitted the same legacy document and the same supporting documents. And yet, we have this absurd decision. This means there are loopholes in the entire process,” Saddam Hussain, one of the brothers whose name figures in the NRC draft, said of the exercise. He hopes all in his family will be cleared in the claims round. “We have all documents, and we will get through in the subsequent stages,” he said.Several such cases were reported Monday after NRC draft publication. People claimed they had submitted all required documents, followed whatever the authorities said, went through the verification rounds successfully and yet did not make it to the final draft list.Like Hussain, Abdul Barik Ahmed of Baralakhaiti village says the legacy data of his grandfather worked for him and two of his brothers, but three other brothers did figure in the list. “Of course, we will go for the claims round. But as of today, I am very confused. How can this happen?” he asked.When Indian Express asked several Local Register of Citizens Registers (LRCRs) of NRC — ground-level officers who head NSKs, each of which cater to around 10 villages—why such discrepancies had crept in, they attributed it to the “complexity of the entire process”.Safer Ali, a daily wage labour hand from Dholpur, was worried. He and his two sons and daughters have found mention but his wife, who had submitted a gaon panchayat certificate, was excluded.  
Mass deportation fear grips Muslims in Assam after release of draft NCR list
http://www.freepressjournal.in/india/mass-deportation-fear-grips-muslims-in-assam-after-release-of-draft-ncr-list/1324874
Illegal Bangladeshi settlers should be shot if they don’t return: BJP MLA
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/illegal-bangladeshi-settlers-should-be-shot-if-they-dont-return-bjp-mla-5284754/
New Delhi:Illegal immigrants should be shot if they don’t return to their countries, BJP MLA from Telangana T Raja Singh Lodh said.“If these people, illegal Bangladeshis and Rohingya, don’t go back with ‘sharafat’ (like gentlemen) then there is a need to make them understand in their own language. They should be shot. Only then India will be safe,” MLA said in a video message on Twitter.In another message posted on the site, Lodh said all Muslims staying illegally in India should be sent back to their countries for India’s safety and, if they do not go away, they should be thrown out at gunpoint. It is the responsibility of the Govt  to send them back to Bangladesh, he said.Lodh, who is known for his incendiary statements, claimed a large number of Bangladeshis infiltrated Assam during the 1971 liberation war as part of a “conspiracy to destroy India”. He had earlier dubbed those hosting iftar parites as “vote ke bhikari”.In an apparent referrence to the Holy Quran, he had said “green book” was responsible for the spread of terrorism. He had once said it was because of the “secularist Hindus” that Mughals and British ruled India for centuries.indianexpress
AIUDF sees conspiracy in NRC draft to lessen Muslim population
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/all-india-united-democratic-front-sees-conspiracy-in-nrc-draft-to-lessen-muslim-population/articleshow/65202057.cms
While some elements are making attempts to incite communal tension following the publication of final draft of NRC, people across Assam on Monday seems to be busy finding their names in the draft. There were intelligence inputs suggesting Assam may witness communal flare up post NRC publication. AIUDF chief and Lok Sabha PM, Badruddin Ajmal said 40 lakh people not able make it to draft NRC is a big number. ” There is a conspiracy to lessen the number of minority voters, MLAs, MPs and panchayat members. In a day or so I can say on this with more certainty.”economictimes
In Mangaldoi, where Assam Movement began, some Bengali Muslims still wait to be counted as citizens
https://scroll.in/article/888610/in-mangaldoi-where-assam-movement-began-some-bengali-muslims-still-wait-to-be-counted-as-citizens
Other states should consider NRC: Rajasthan minister
https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/other-states-should-consider-nrc-rajasthan-minister/1360943
Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria today said other states should consider following Assam in compiling NRC to trace illegal migrants, whom he described as “traitors”."It is a policy decision,” he said when questioned on the controversy over the release of the draft NRC in Assam.“If the step taken by Assam yields results, other states should come forward and take steps so that the traitors living freely can be traced," Kataria said on the sidelines of a press conference on BJP's planned ‘Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra'.Kataria said Rajasthan faces problems from illegal Bangladeshi migrants and every year several of them are pushed back to their country.He said there was no strict law to deal with the problem.outlookindia
OTHERS
SC Dismisses Review Petition in Judge Loya Death Case
https://thewire.in/law/supreme-court-dismisses-review-petition-in-judge-loya-death-case
New Delhi: Supreme Court today dismissed a plea seeking review of its April 19 verdict that had held that Special CBI Judge B.H. Loya had died of “natural causes” on December 1, 2014 and had rejected PILs seeking an SIT probe into the death, questioning their motive. A bench comprising CJI Dipak Misra and Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud said it did not find any merit in the review petition filed by the Bombay Lawyers Association, one of the petitioners in the case. “We have carefully gone through the review petition and the connected papers, but we see no reason to interfere with the order impugned. The review petition is, accordingly, dismissed,” the bench said.The apex court had rejected the PILs seeking probe into the death of Loya, ruling that he had died of “natural causes”, and held that the petitions were moved by political rivals to settle scores which was a serious attempt to scandalise the judiciary and obstruct the course of justice through a “frontal attack” on its independence.PTI
'No links between Chhattisgarh Maoists, Islamist militants': Anti-Naxal ops chief on offensive against insurgents
https://www.firstpost.com/india/no-links-between-chhattisgarh-maoists-islamic-militants-anti-naxal-ops-chief-dm-awasthi-on-offensive-against-insurgents-4847331.html
"No links have been found yet by Chhattisgarh Police between the Maoists in Dandakaranya and militant groups like Al-Qaeda, LeT or Indian Mujahideen. However, there are possibilities of them having connections with insurgent groups operating in the North East," said DM Awasthi, special director general (anti-Naxal Ops), who also heads the Special Intelligence Branch (SIB) in an exclusive interview with Firstpost. Dealing with Left Wing Extremism (LWE), sharing details on the present scenario, plans and strategy, DM Awasthi said, "In 2016, we shifted our strategy, and adopted an offensive one. Now, central forces like CRPF, BSF, ITBP, along with STF and District Reserve Guards (DRG) of Chhattisgarh Police, are operating in the core areas of the Maoists. Instead of waiting for an ambush or attack to happen, we now aggressively push into Maoist-dominated areas where they conduct camps and training centres, on the basis of intelligence inputs. Earlier, Maoists chased our forces, whereas now it’s the opposite. Between 2016 and 2018, we’ve neutralised over 250 Maoists. On 25 May 2017, we launched ‘Operation Prahar’, in which security forces went into their dens and eliminated 30 Maoists after a 7-hour-long gun fight. We also lost three of our jawans in this operation. This incident changed the entire scenario on the strategy front. We’re also developing a specialised elite anti-Naxal force ‘Black Panther’, which will be more specific in its operations."firstpost
Jammu body seeks deportation of Rohingya and Bangladeshi Muslims from Jammu
https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/jwam-seeks-deportation-of-rohingya-and-bangladeshi-muslims-from-jammu-118073100024_1.html
Jammu West Assembly Movement (JWAM) has demanded deportation of Rohingya and Bangladeshi Muslims, fast-tracking development projects and dissolution of assembly. JWAM chief Sunil Dimple highlighted these demands in a memorandum handed over by a delegation of the party which met Khurshid Ahmad Ganai, advisor to the Governor NN Vohra, here.The memorandum, addressed to PM  Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and the state governor, opposed dialogue with Pakistan while seeking free hand to the security forces to crush terrorism and deal with separatists, JWAM said in a statement here.Dimple who led the delegation also demanded cancellation of the registration of PDP and arrest of its leaders including Mehbooba Mufti and MP Muzaffar Hussain Baig under sedition charges for their "anti-national" statements.PTI
'Marry Hindu Men to Get Rid of Triple Talaq, Nikah Halala': Sadhvi Prachi's Advice to Muslim Women
https://www.news18.com/news/india/marry-hindu-men-to-get-rid-of-triple-talaq-nikah-halala-sadhvi-prachis-suggestion-to-muslim-women-1829397.html
Lucknow: In yet another controversial statement, firebrand Hindutva leader Sadhvi Prachi has asked Muslim women to marry Hindu men and embrace their religion in order to get rid of practices like triple talaq and nikah halala. “Muslim girls should marry Hindu boys in order to get rid of nikah halala and triple talaq. Maulvis who are issuing fake fatwas should be punished as they are spoiling the society,” Sadhvi said while speaking to media in Mathura.VHP leader said that she would meet Muslim women, including Bareilly’s Nida Khan, and request them to accept Hinduism.News18
RSS Sent Ghar Wapsi Man on 'Indefinite Leave' as it Threatened Modi's Legislative Agenda:Book
https://www.news18.com/news/india/rss-sent-ghar-wapsi-man-on-indefinite-sick-leave-as-it-threatened-mobilisation-efforts-of-bjp-says-book-1829077.html
New Delhi: Acting as an arbitrator on conflicting positions of two of its major affiliates, the RSS sent the man leading the much controversial “Ghar Wapsi” campaign on an “indefinite sick leave”, the year BJP won first full majority Govt  at the centre. Rajeshwar Singh, an RSS pracharak heading the Dharam Jagaran Samiti and leading the highly controversial movement of re-converting Muslims and Christians back to the Hindu fold, was relieved of his responsibilities as Sangh felt the campaign in Agra had invited undue publicity “undermining the larger goal of Ghar Wapsi”. In their book, RSS: A View to the Inside by Walter K Anderson and Shridhar Damle also claim the issue had threatened to stall PM  Modi’s legislative agenda in the first year in office with opposition raking up the issue in parliament. In the chapter Ghar Wapsi (Homecoming) Politics vs Ideology, the authors explain how the “political fallout of Singh’s activities” was another example of actions from the far right that threaten “both the mobilization efforts of the BJP and its legislative agenda. It also reflects the internal divisions within Sangh Parivar as the RSS seeks to reconcile sometimes conflicting ideological and political objectives”.News18
147 TV channels cancelled in last 3 years, Centre tell Parliament
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/147-tv-channels-cancelled-in-last-3-years-centre-tell-parliament-1300857-2018-07-30
 New Delhi:Union Govt  has informed the parliament that 147 channels were cancelled during the last three calendar years.The data includes names of media companies till June this year, says the valid permission for Uplinking and Downlinking in India were given to 867 Private Satellite TV channels.Permissions to 236 private satellite TV channels were cancelled due to various reasons including denial of security clearance, cancellation requests by the channel owner and non-operation of the channel.The names include news channels like Al Jazeera English Aji International Private limited whose downlinking was denied till May 2018 and NDTV Metro-nation whose uplinking and downlinking were denied till August 2017.Others include names like ABC News, Voice of Nation, Focus News and Lemon News were denied permission because they were denied security by the MHA.Others were denied permission due to the violation of guidelines. These included Voice of India, TV News, KBC News Kohinoor and Shri News.News channels include Live India and Indiavision which were denied permission due to its non-operation and non-submission of permission fees. The Zee group aborted a dozen of its upcoming channels including Zee TV and Zee Entertainment Enterprises in UK, USA, South Africa.The three year list did not mention Zakir Naik's Peace TV which was banned in India in 2012, because the Govt  said it was broadcasting malicious content.indiatoday
J&K: 87 local youths joined militancy this year
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/jk-87-local-youths-joined-militancy-in-2018-5284901/
New Delhi:As many as 87 local youths have joined militancy in J&K  so far this year, Union Minister Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said today. He said after imposition of Governor’s rule in the state on June 20,12 youths were reported to have disappeared and later joined militancy. “Eighty-seven youths have joined militancy in 2018 (till July 20) in the four districts of South Kashmir – Anantnag (14),Pulwama (35), Shopian (23), Kulgam (15),” he said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.The union minister of state for home said the Govt  regularly reviews the security situation in J&K . In order to prevent activities of militants, numerous steps have been taken, including strengthening of the operational grid with enhanced human intelligence and use of technical intelligence grid, Ahir said.PTI
J&K: Those creating Hindu-Muslim divide not real Dogras, says Mehbooba Mufti
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/jk-those-creating-hindu-muslim-divide-not-real-dogras-says-mehbooba-mufti-kathua-rape-case-5283833/
Jammu : Just over a month after the BJP pulled out of the alliance with PDP, leading to the fall of her Govt  in J&K , Mehbooba Mufti on Monday took on her former ally on a range of issues the saffron party is taking up to critique her. Indicating support of some BJP leaders from Jammu to the demand to hand over the probe into the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua district of Jammu region, Mufti said that those who “carry the Tricolour and support people who have committed crime with a little girl” only to create a divide between Hindus and Muslims are “not real Dogras”.Mufti’s remarks come days after Choudhary Lal Singh, BJP MLA and a former minister in Mufti’s cabinet, floated a “non-political” organisation named Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan, which is seen as a front to press for his public support to the call for a CBI probe into Kathua gangrape and murder case.Addressing her first rally in Jammu, a stronghold of the BJP, since stepping down as CM , Mufti said, “What Dogras you are talking about? I want to remind those trying to make it (Kathua case) a Hindu-Muslim issue that a Dogra maharaja had banned the entry of a maharaja of some other state into J&K  since the latter had made certain remarks against a girl. They are the real Dogras, and not those who carry a Tricolour and support those who have committed a crime with a little girl…”“A rapist is a rapist. He has no religion,” Mufti said in her address to party workers on the occasion of PDP’s foundation day.indianexpress
UP temple purified with Gangajal after visit of Dalit woman BJP MLA
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-up-temple-purified-with-gangajal-after-visit-of-dalit-woman-bjp-mla-2643458
In a shocking incident, a temple in Hamirpur district of UP  was purified with ‘Gangajal’ and statues of deities were sent to Prayag for purification with Sangam holy water after a Dalit BJP woman MLA entered the temple.Dalit BJP woman MLA from Raath, Manisha Anuragi had visited Muskara Khurd village in her assembly constituency on July 12 to attend a function. On the insistence of party workers, she visited the famous Dhrum Rishi temple in the village to offer prayers, not knowing that woman entry into the temple is banned.The temple is believed to be of Mahabharat era and entry to women devotees is banned for centuries. People believe that even if a woman touches the boundary wall of the temple, the area faces natural calamities like famine etc.“Due to an old belief, entry of women is banned inside the temple. They are allowed to pay obeisance from outside only without touching even its boundary walls,” pointed a visibly upset villager.During her visit inside the temple, Dalit BJP woman MLA not only offered prayers but also climbed on a sacred platform where Rishi Dhrom is believed to have held his prayers. “No one has ever dared to climb on the platform. It is a sacred place and people offer prayers by bowing down at the platform,” fumed another villager.Under pressure of BJP workers, the priest of the temple Swami Dayanand Mahant did not say anything to MLA when she entered the temple and offered prayers but later on he closed the temple for purification. The priest was also annoyed that lady MLA who had entered the temple belonged to a low caste.Upset with her visit, agitated Priest Swami Dayanad Mahant and villagers called a panchayat. They alleged that they were facing wrath of the temple deities ever since she entered the temple. They claimed that not a drop of water rained after her visit. Panchayat then decided to purify the temple to save villagers from the wrath of deities.dnaindia
Sedated, raped: 16-year-old’s 4-day ordeal at Delhi’s spa
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/sedated-raped-16-year-olds-four-day-ordeal-at-delhis-spa-5283844/
New Delhi:First she was allegedly raped by a member of a human trafficking gang, then by the owner of a spa who “bought” her for Rs 18,000. And over the next four days, the 16-year-old girl, whose plans to elope with a friend took a horribly unexpected turn, was raped by multiple men at the spa. According to police, the girl’s ordeal began after she eloped with a friend. The 2 visited Haridwar and then returned to Delhi, where they slept at Old Delhi railway station for 4 days. That’s when a member of a human trafficking gang saw them and offered them jobs. The girl was separated from her friend, taken to the gang member’s house and allegedly raped, before being fed food laced with sedatives and sold to a spa in Rohini, police said. According to police, at one point, the girl jumped off the terrace to escape, but was caught by employees and taken back. For the next four days, she was allegedly raped by several men, administered sedatives and fed only lemons and curd.Police also found “contracts” between the spa owner and the trafficker, Vicky, who is yet to be arrested. Police said the 16-year-old was watched over by two bodyguards and was paid an undisclosed amount after two days of sex work.indianexpress
Rajasthan: Cow slaughter is a bigger crime than terrorism, says BJP MLA Gyan Dev Ahuja
https://scroll.in/latest/888631/rajasthan-cow-slaughter-is-a-bigger-crime-than-terrorism-says-bjp-mla-gyan-dev-ahuja
A BJP MLA in Rajasthan has said that slaughtering cows is a bigger crime than terrorism as cows are treated as mothers in India, PTI reported. Gyan Dev Ahuja, who represents Ramgarh in Alwar district, claimed terrorists kill “2 to 5 people”, but slaughtering cows hurts sentiments of thousands of people.Ahuja said “misbehaviour with the mother” will not be tolerated in India and therefore it is a bigger crime than terrorism. “We treat cows like our mother,” he said, according to the Hindustan Times. “Cow slaughter should be kept in the category of terrorism and special task force should be made to deal with this issue.”On Sunday, Ahuja, a three-time MLA, said that if cow smugglers are caught, they should be “slapped a few times and tied to a tree”, and then the police should be informed. However, clarifying his comments to Indian Express on Monday, Ahuja said he appealed to the people not to take law into their hands.scroll.in
Centre will introduce bill proposing death penalty for lynching: Union minister Hansraj Ahir
https://scroll.in/latest/888636/centre-will-introduce-bill-proposing-death-penalty-for-lynching-says-union-minister-hansraj-ahir
Union Minister of State for Home Hansraj Ahir has said the central Govt will soon bring a bill proposing the death penalty for those accused in incidents of lynching. The proposed bill will be on the lines of a legislation seeking capital punishment for those convicted of raping girls below the age of 12 years, Ahir said.“Lynching is a barbaric crime and no civilised society can accept it,” the minister told a delegation of the Nathjogi community in Maharashtra’s Yavatmal city.“Union Govt will soon bring a bill proposing death penalty for lynching.”The delegation informed the minister about a lynching incident where a mob killed 5 members of the Nathjogi community, a nomadic tribe, on July 1 in Dhule district in north Maharashtra on suspicion that they were child kidnappers. Maharashtra Police detained 24 people in connection with the case.Ahir said the Centre and the Maharashtra Govt have taken note of the incident. scroll.in
Morcha formed to put pressure on Centre to curb lynching incidents
https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/morcha-formed-to-put-pressure-on-centre-to-curb-lynching-incidents-118073001127_1.html
New Delhi:A group of regional parties and NDA allies from Bihar today formed the Rashtriya Samajwadi Morcha to put pressure on the Centre to take action against those behind recent incidents of lynching and violence against Dalits and minorities in the country.Criticising the Centre for its "failure" to stop the incidents of lynching and violence against minorities, the parties warned that they would even think of coming out of the alliance if action was not taken against accused. Parties includeJD(Nationalist),RSP(Secular), Rashtrita Janwadi Party (Socialist), Aam Janat Party, Sarvajan Kalyan Party, Rashtriya Janata Party and RLSP. The morcha was formed under the leadership of Arun Kumar, RLSP Lok Sabha member."This Govt  was supposed to go by the Constitution, but now they are violating it. There are incidents of Dalit killings, and the Govt  is doing nothing."We would force the Govt  to take action against those responsible for the crime. If NDA does not take any action, then we would even consider coming out of the alliance," Kumar said. business standard
Congress, Samajwadi, Mayawati, Ajit Singh Reach Mega UP Deal: Sources
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/congress-gets-past-up-hurdle-in-with-akhilesh-yadav-mayawati-1892290
New Delhi: A broad agreement has been worked out between Congress, Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party, Dalit powerhouse Mayawati and RLD leader Ajit Singh to take on the BJP in UP , the state that sends the maximum number of parliamentarians to the Lok Sabha. Sources said the parties have decided to work out the details of sharing the state's 80 seats later.The understanding between the parties in the nation's largest state is crucial to the building of an opposition front to take on the BJP in next year's general elections. The idea of a common front in UP  paid dividends in by-elections held in the state earlier this year - delivering to the opposition the high-profile seats of Gorakhpur and Phulpur, and later Kairana and Noorpur.Last week, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar - one of the key interlocutors for an opposition front - met Ms Mayawati. The meeting, sources said, explored seat adjustment, especially for the three key states going to polls at the end of the year - Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Seat-sharing between Mayawati and the Congress has hit a roadblock in Madhya Pradesh over BSP chief's demand for 50 of the state's 230 seats. Sources in the Congress say the party has offered her 22 and has refused to go beyond 30."It has to be a formidable alliance to take on the BJP and not one that would ensure a revolt in both parties and help BJP," a leader said.In UP , Congress sources say the alliance is work in progress.BSP and the Samajwadi Party have a broad understanding, under which Ajit Singh's party will be given seats from SP quota.ndtv
UP : Hindu Jagran Manch expels worker who ‘protested in AMU over Jinnah portrait’
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/uttar-pradesh-hindu-jagran-manch-expels-worker-who-protested-in-amu-over-jinnah-portrait-5284023/
Lucknow;RSS offshoot Hindu Jagran Manch (HJM) expelled its youth wing state secretary Sanju Bajaj last week for executing activities without its consent. Bajaj had been booked for protesting outside the Aligarh SSP office in June. In May, he had allegedly led a group of activists to AMU campus over the portrait of Pakistan founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah.“The decision to expel Bajaj was taken by the organisation’s five-member core committee on charges of indiscipline,” said HJM state general secretary Avinash Rana. “The committee found Bajaj has recently been involved in incidents which were not approved by the organisation. Among those incidents include protest outside SSP Aligarh residence last month.”Sanju had earlier been expelled from the organisation in 2016 as well for indiscipline, but he was re-instated after six months, added Rana.“4 cases had recently been registered against Sanju Bajaj while working for the organisation. The cases included protest at AMU over Jinnah’s portrait. Other cases against him were related to his personal issues,” he added. 24-year-old Bajaj, however, told The Indian Express that he suspected the hand of certain conspirators behind his expulsion the “false” complaint behind it.indianexpress
Admission Row: Schools without minority status certificate not exempted from RTE, says Gujarat HC
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/admission-row-schools-without-minority-status-certificate-not-exempted-from-rte-says-hc-5283872/
Ahmedabad: Gujarat High Court on Monday held that primary schools that run by minority trusts but don’t have certificate for being minority schools will have to admit students under the Right To Education Act (RTE). The court while disposing off a public interest litigation (PIL) and a set of special civil applications held that minority schools are however exempted from the 2009 Act, under which private schools have to keep 25 %  of seats for children from “disadvantaged and weaker sections”.Division Bench of Justice MR Shah and Justice AY Kogje pronounced the judgment on a set of petitions moved by over 170 schools, run by minority trusts, including Mar Gregorious Othodox Syrian Church, Vadodara; Ayyappa Education Centre, Vadodara; Rajkot Kelavani Samaj, among others.During the hearing, the state Govt  had submitted that petitioner schools don’t have certificates of minority primary schools. The state’s contention was that trusts of these schools have acquired minority status for secondary and higher secondary schools, but not for primary schools. It said that the competent authority never granted minority status to the primary schools.The state submitted that only those schools are exempted from the RTE Act that have minority school certificates. In its affidavits, the state said that communication issued from the Director of Primary Education specifically stated that “any school which is claiming to have status of minority is required to produce a valid certificate of status of minority qua primary section issued by office of Director of Primary Education…under the provisions of National Commission for Minority Educational Institution”.The schools have decided to challenge the High Court order in Supreme Court.The HC, meanwhile, extended the interim relief granted to these schools in the form not taking any coercive action against them till Aug13. indianexpress
Jharkhand: Police file sedition cases against 20 people for their role in Pathalgadi protests
https://scroll.in/latest/888494/jharkhand-police-file-sedition-cases-against-20-people-for-their-role-in-pathalgadi-protests
Jharkhand Police filed sedition cases against 20 people, including Jesuit priest Stan Swami and former Congress MLA Theodore Kiro on Sunday for their role in the Pathalgadi protests. Pathalgadi is a practice adopted by some villages in Jharkhand to declare their gram sabha as the only sovereign authority, not the state or central Govt . Khunti Police said in the FIR that the accused attempted to mislead Adivasis on social media by providing false information about the Indian Constitution, Hindustan reported. They have been charged with trying to create communal tension, and cause law and order problems. Some workers of NGOs are also among the people charged with sedition.Congress leader Theodore Kiro, one of the accused, told Scroll.in that the sedition charges were an effort to divide the society by labelling missionaries as Naxalites.“Our efforts are directed towards making the Adivasis aware of their rights,” Kiro added.scroll
Centre is withdrawing controversial FRDI Bill, confirms select parliamentary panel member: Report
https://scroll.in/latest/888660/centre-is-withdrawing-controversial-frdi-bill-confirms-select-parliamentary-panel-member-report
Union Minister of Finance Piyush Goyal has told a Joint Committee of Parliament that the Govt  intends to withdraw Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance Bill, following severe opposition to several provisions in it, Indian Express reported on Tuesday. Goyal is handling the ministry while Arun Jaitley recovers from a kidney transplant. “Stakeholders, including public, have raised apprehensions relating to provisions of FRDI Bill like the use of bail-in instrument to resolve failing banks, the adequacy of deposit insurance cover and the felt need to revise insurance limit substantially and application of resolution framework for public sector banks,” Goyal told the Parliament committee’s chairman, Rajya Sabha MP Bhupendra Yadav, in the motion dated July 20.Resolving these concerns would take a lot of time, Goyal said, adding that the bill will have to be re-examined.scroll
Reacting to concern among public, govt withdraws FRDI Bill
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/reacting-to-concern-among-public-govt-withdraws-frdi-bill-5283939/
No full time CEO of Waqf Board in 18 states and UTs
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/no-full-time-ceo-of-waqf-board-in-18-states-and-uts/articleshow/65202614.cms
NEW DELHI: In nearly 18 states and Union Territories in the country, the post of chief executive officer of the Waqf Board has no full time occupant. The post is held by officers as “additional charge” in these states. Of the 18 states and UTs, AP, Manipur and Delhi have officers holding additional charge of CEO’s post to execute the work even as the Waqf Board is yet to be constituted in these states. In Chandhigarh and Puducherry, neither has the board been constituted nor a CEO appointed. In Karnataka, though the board is not constituted, they have a full time CEO. The information, part of a presentation on the compliance of states with the Waqf Act, was shared by the ministry of minority affairs at a review meeting last week. The review on implementation of central schemes was attended by principal secretaries leading the minorities department in their states.Waqf Board has an important role given the fact that it is supposed to maintain records and monitor Waqf properties. The latest numbers on the Waqf management system of India portal show that over 5.72 lakh waqf properties are registered on the centralised platform. The Govt  has been urging all Waqf Boards to update their records taking into account each and every property which will have to be registered under the centralised system. When asked why there were so many states without a full time CEO, minister for minority affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told TOI that, “Work was on to streamline the Waqf management system and among various other issues even the matter about CEOs is being pursued with the states.” According to sources, it is usually seen that in most cases the appointment of CEO gets delayed as the process requires the board to send two suggestions for CEO which then requires the approval of the state Govt. In case of a disagreement, the process of appointment gets delayed. TOI
Maratha quota stir: Muslim leaders ramp up efforts to seek reservation
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/muslim-leaders-ramp-up-efforts-to-seek-reservation/articleshow/65206260.cms
MUMBAI: Even as the state Govt  fumbles with the agitation for Maratha reservation, Muslim leaders have stepped up the demand for quota in jobs and education for their community.They said that the Govt  should give at least the 5% reservation in education which even the Bombay high court had allowed.“We are not against Maratha reservation but reiterate our demand that reservation to Muslims should also be given,” said former minister and Congress MLA Arif Naseem Khan. “I raised this issue in the last monsoon session of the assembly at Nagpur, where I said that the CM misled the masses when he said that our demand would not be met as no reservation would be given on the basis of religion. We never demanded reservation on the religious ground.” Khan said the previous Congress-NCP govt in the state had identified 50 economically backward classes among Muslims and in Oct.2014 announced 5% quota in jobs and education. When it was challenged in Bombay high court, the court scrapped the entire 16% Maratha reservation and 5% Muslim reservation in jobs but allowed the 5% Muslim quota in education. Then the govt changed. “BJP Govt  allowed the ordinance for Muslim reservation to lapse and never brought in a bill as it doesn’t want to give reservation to even the economically backward Muslims,” said Khan.He raised the issue again at the Congress legislators’ meet on Monday and later as part of a party delegation to the governor, handing over a memorandum for Maratha and Muslim reservation.MIM MLA Waris Pathan, who has been stridently demanding a Muslim quota, said several committees like those headed by Rajinder Sachar, Rangnath Mishra and Mahmoodur Rahman had recommended it after studying community’s economic and social backwardness.TOI
RS reply confirms Amit Shah bank received max deposits of banned notes among DCCBs, post-DeMo
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/national/Govt -finance-ministry-reply-to-rajya-sabha-question-confirms-amit-shah-bank-received-highest-share-of-banned-notes-among-dccbs-post-demonetisation
After National Herald reported on Monday that Samajwadi Party MP Neeraj Shekhar’s question related to amount of demonetisation had gone missing from the Rajya Sabha website, the same was uploaded again on the website on Monday evening, along with the reply.Shekhar had asked what amount of banned ₹500 and ₹1,000 currency notes had been deposited or exchanged at the Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank—which has BJP chief Amit Shah as its director—in the five days post demonetisation, and if the authorities had launched any probe into the alleged "huge deposits".The answer to the ‘unstarred question’ by the Finance Ministry confirms the information disclosed by Mumbai-based activist Manoranjan S Roy’s RTI application, stating that that ADCB had collected the highest number of demonetised notes among DCCBs in just five days after the note ban was announced by PM  Narendra Modi on November 8, 2016.“As per the information provided by NABARD, highest amount of demonetised notes was deposited in the Ahmedabad District Co-operative Bank Ltd to the tune of ₹745.5 crore,” Finance Ministry’s reply read.nationalheraldindia
Uttarakhand: Mob thrashes Muslim boy for being with Hindu girl
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/mob-beats-up-muslim-youth-found-in-hotel-with-hindu-girl-in-tehri-area-of-ukhand/articleshow/65204150.cms
Dehradun: An irate mob brutally beat up a Muslim boy, said to be around 18 years old, after he was found in a hotel room with a minor girl from the Hindu community in Ghansali area of Tehri district on Monday. Locals thrashed the youth who hails from Bijnore district in UP and worked as a barber in Ghansali. Not satisfied with beating the boy, the mob put a garland of shoes around his neck and paraded him in the area. They also ransacked the shop where the teenager worked and damaged other shops and kiosks belonging to members of the minority community. With tension flaring up, all the shops of the area were closed and police force deployed at the spot. They informed the police and when the cops arrived on the scene, the agitated locals dragged away the youth from the police team and started thrashing him and put a garland of slippers and shoes around his neck.TOI
Number of non-smokers with lung cancer in north India is now same as smokers: New study
https://theprint.in/governance/number-of-non-smokers-with-lung-cancer-in-north-india-is-now-same-as-smokers-new-study/91310/
New Delhi: The number of non-smokers with lung cancer in north India is now the same as that of smokers, showed a new study ahead of World Lung Cancer Day.The research by Delhi’s Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH), released Tuesday, showed an increasing number of cases in younger age groups with no smoking history. A total of 150 cases of lung cancer were studied between March 2012 and June 2018, and 50 %  patients were found to be non-smokers. Over 21 %  patients were below the age of 50.The alarming trend has once again highlighted the adverse effects of second-hand smoking, mainly due to air pollution, with doctors calling it an ‘impending epidemic’.The Print had earlier reported the growing trend of this deadly disease among non- smokers and women.theprint
WORLD
Trump says he is willing to meet Iran's Rouhani
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/07/180730185401964.html
President Donald Trump, who has pulled the United States out of a multinational nuclear deal with Iran and has repeatedly attacked the Govt  in Tehran, has said he is willing to meet the Iranian leadership with no preconditions.Trump made the comments on Monday during a joint White House news conference with Italian PM  Giuseppe Conte."I would certainly meet with Iran if they wanted to meet. I don't know that they're ready yet. I ended the Iran deal. It was a ridiculous deal. I do believe that they will probably end up wanting to meet and I'm ready to meet any time that they want to," he said in Washington, DC, after being asked whether he would be willing to meet his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani.aljazeera
Myanmar appoints panel to probe Rohingya abuses
https://in.reuters.com/article/myanmar-floods/myanmar-floods-force-more-than-100000-to-flee-homes-idINKBN1KK1HE
Myanmar has established a commission of inquiry to probe allegations of human rights abuses in conflict-torn Rakhine state, authorities said on Monday, as the country faces growing calls for accountability over accusations of ethnic cleansing against Rohingya Muslims. 4-person commission will be comprised of two local and two international members – Filipino diplomat Rosario Manalo and Kenzo Oshima, Japan’s former ambassador to UN – Myanmar President’s Office said. Manalo, 82, a former undersecretary of foreign affairs, will chair the commission.The 2 local members are lawyer Mya Thein and Aung Tun Thet, an economist and former UN official. Aung Tun Thet was last year appointed by de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi to a key role in Myanmar’s response to the Rakhine crisis, and in April told a Bangladesh paper that Myanmar had “no intention of ethnic cleansing”.Reuters
PM Modi Congratulates Pakistan's Imran Khan, Talks Of Peace And Development
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/pm-modi-speaks-to-pak-prime-minister-elect-imran-khan-talks-of-peace-and-development-in-the-region-1892324
New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi today spoke to Imran Khan, who is set to become Pakistan's next PM , and hoped that democracy will take deeper roots in the neighbouring country. He congratulated PTI leader for his party emerging as the largest political party in the National Assembly there in the recent elections. The PM  expressed hope that democracy will take deeper roots in Pakistan, a statement from his office said.He also reiterated his vision of peace and development in the entire neighbourhood, statement said.ndtv
Pakistan: PML-N, PPP, Muttahida Majlis Amal to form opposition alliance
https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/pmln-ppp-mma-to-form-opposition-alliance/1360421
Islamabad: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Muttahida Majlis Amal (MMA) have agreed to form a 'solid' alliance in the Parliament and the Provincial Assemblies. According to the Express Tribune, MMA was on Monday swayed by PML-N and the PPP into an agreement to not boycott the assemblies and to protest against the alleged wrongdoings during the July 25 General Elections in a constitutional manner.A meeting between senior leaders of PML-N, PPP, MMA and ANP, chaired by PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif, discussed the political developments since the MMA decided to boycott parliament and provincial assemblies. According to sources, leaders of the PML-N, PPP and the ANP agreed to cooperate in the national and provincial assemblies to form a 'solid' opposition.3 former Pakistani PM s, Yousaf Raza Gillani, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, PML-N chairman Raja Zafarul Haq, Awami National Party's Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, MMA chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and other top leaders were part of the meet.ANI
Afghan forces end hostage siege in Jalalabad
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/07/blasts-gunshots-reported-eastern-afghan-city-jalalabad-180731073627647.html
A standoff between two gunmen who took dozens of people hostage at a Govt building in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad has ended, according to officials. The gun battle at the city's refugees and repatriations directorate compound lasted for about six hours on Tuesday before Afghan special forces were able to end the siege.At least two people were critically wounded and 10 others suffered lighter injuries. They were being treated in the hospital next-door to the targeted compound."There were multiple people inside the building during the attack," Al Jazeera's Charlotte Bellis, reporting from Afghanistan's capital, Kabul.Al Jazeera
Israel prevents toddler from visiting imprisoned mother
http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=780550
Hebron:Israeli authorities prevented a two-year-old Palestinian boy, Yahiya Khater, from seeing his imprisoned mother, Lama, 42, during her court session on Saturday.Yahiya was prevented from seeing his mother completely, not only from visiting her. Israeli court of Ofer rejected on Monday an appeal presented by Khater's lawyer from Palestinian Prisoner's Society (PPS), Firas al-Sabbah, against extending her detention deciding to continue holding her. Al-Sabbah said that,since her detention, Israeli authorities have been interrogating Khater about her writings and posts on social media.Khater, a Palestinian writer and a mother of five from the southern West Bank district of Hebron, was detained from her home during a predawn raid by Israeli forces on July 24th.Ma'an
Palestinian poet jailed over poem
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/07/dareen-tatour-sentenced-months-prison-poem-180731084215893.html
An Israeli court has sentenced Palestinian poet Dareen Tatour to five months in prison for "inciting terrorism" in a poem she posted on social media.On Tuesday, Tatour, 36, an Israeli citizen was sentenced by the Nazareth district court after having already served nearly three years under house arrest. Tatour was arrested during an Israeli police raid in October 2015, a few days after posting on Facebook and Youtube a video of herself reading a poem titled "Resist, my people resist them" as the soundtrack to images of Palestinians in violent confrontations with Israeli troops.Prosecutors said her post was a call for violence. She spent the following months under house arrest, during which time she was barred from publishing her work and accessing the internet.aljazeera
Catholic priest calls on Arab MKs to resign to protest ‘racist’ nation state law
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180731-catholic-priest-calls-on-arab-mks-to-resign-to-protest-racist-nation-state-law/
Greek Melkite Catholic priest of Kafr Kanna in the Galilee, Reverend Simon Khoury, called on all Arab members of the Israeli Knesset to resign in protest against the “racist” Jewish nation-state law which was passed this month.Khoury said Arabs have lived this “racist law” as a reality for 70 years and it is now obvious that there will be no possibility for improved relations between Arabs and Jews.“I call on Arabs to take a step to the back and submit an immediate resignation because their presence in the Knesset is a slap in the face for their constituency of our Arab-Israeli community, and their presence there will encourage the passing of more racist laws against us.”middleeastmonitor
Saudi cleric al-Fawzan held over 'war on religion' tweets
http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/saudi-cleric-abdelaziz-fawzan-arrested-over-war-religion-tweets-1915905016
Saudi Arabian authorities are reported to have arrested influential cleric Abdelaziz al-Fawzan after he spoke out against the arrests of other religious leaders in the country. Fawzan’s arrest was highlighted by Prisoners of Conscience, a Twitter account run b activists campaigning against the wave of arrests targeting opponents of the Saudi Govt .Prisoners of Conscience said it had received confirmation that Fawzan, a professor of comparative religious law at the Saudi Higher Institute of Justice, had been arrested over a tweet in which he had “expressed his opinion against the suppression of sheikhs and preachers”.Fawzan has been banned from leaving Saudi territory and barred from using social media networks, Al Jazeera Arabic reported.middleeasteye
FLASH VIEWS & NEWS
Past Continuous: Constituent Assembly Debate on Minority Safeguards:Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay
https://thewire.in/communalism/past-continuous-constituent-assembly-debate-on-minority-safeguards
TM Krishna column: Invoking ‘Hindu Pakistan’, Tharoor belittles Islamic Pakistan to make a point
https://scroll.in/article/887561/the-tm-krishna-column-with-hindu-pakistan-tharoor-belittles-an-islamic-pakistan-to-make-a-point
The spurt in enrollment of Muslims and women in higher education could help address their socio-economic vulnerability: financialexpress
https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/the-spurt-in-enrollment-of-muslims-and-women-in-higher-education-could-help-address-their-socio-economic-vulnerability/1264001/
How double amputee Roshanara Sk battled laws, prejudices and hardships to become a doctor
http://twocircles.net/2018jul30/424978.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Twocirclesnet-IndianMuslim+%28TwoCircles.net+-+Indian+Muslim+News%29
The National Register of Citizens And The Politics of Exclusion and Hate:MOHAN J.DUTTA
http://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/en/NewsDetail/index/4/14538/The-National-Register-of-Citizens-And-The-Politics-of-Exclusion-and--Hate
The Billionaire Yogi Behind Modi’s Rise:By Robert F. Worth, New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/26/magazine/the-billionaire-yogi-behind-modis-rise.html
Alwar lynching shows Govt  has put the burden of ending mob killings on victims themselves:Harsh Mander
https://scroll.in/article/888454/alwar-lynching-shows-the-Govt -has-put-the-burden-of-ending-mob-killings-on-victims-themselves
We need to acknowledge marginalisation and confront it head-on:Nazia Erum
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/why-talk-to-a-muslim-campaign-twitter-5283782/
NRC List - Ground reality shows most missing names are mainly of minorities:Manogya Loiwal
https://www.dailyo.in/politics/nrc-minorities-assam-muslim-hindu-bangladesh-illegal-immigrants/story/1/25792.html
Osho Rajneesh used sex and promiscuity to keep his cult loyal only to him:Theprint Team
https://theprint.in/pageturner/osho-rajneesh-used-sex-and-promiscuity-to-keep-his-cult-loyal-only-to-him/91165/
Can Modi and Imran Khan turn around India-Pakistan ties ahead of 2019 or is the army back in control?THEPRINT
https://theprint.in/talk-point/can-modi-and-imran-khan-turn-around-india-pakistan-ties-ahead-of-2019-or-is-the-army-back-in-control/91078/

Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 12:34 PM)

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