NEWS DIGEST, Afternoon
12 Nov. 2018: 3 Rabiul-I 1440: Vol: 11, No:52
INDIA
Delay by CVC to submit inquiry report in Alok Verma case compels SC to adjourn crucial hearing
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/cvc-files-preliminary-probe-report-in-alok-verma-case-in-supreme-court/article25473636.ece?homepage=true
New Delhi:A 24-hour delay by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) to file its report on the inquiry against ex CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma forced the Supreme Court to adjourn the crucial hearing on Monday to Nov. 16.The report was submitted before a Bench of Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul in the courtroom in a sealed cover. Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta, for the CVC, submitted that the inquiry into allegations against Verma was over on Nov.10.That was when CJI ogoi made the court’s displeasure evident about the delay in filing the report.“You did not file the report... the SC registry for specifically opened till 11.30 am on Sunday,” CJI said. Mehta said there was delay in reaching the Supreme Court, and by the time the registry was closed.“There was no information from you... You could have filed the report even at 1 pm provided had you informed the registry,” CJI retorted.“They (CVC) could open their offices at 2 am on Oct.23 to pass orders against Alok Verma, but they could not file their inquiry report in the SC on time,”senior advocate Dushyant Dave, for petitioner NGO Common Cause, remarked. Mehta apologised, following which the court allowed CVC report to be placed on its record.The Bench was supposed to peruse the CVC report on Monday and may have even passed orders on the legality of the “overnight” removal of Verma from the top post of the country’s premier investigating agency on Oct.23.The removal came in the background of a bitter feud between Verma and CBI Special Director R.K. Asthana. Verma had okayed a corruption FIR against Asthana. The court also took on record a separate report filed by acting CBI Director M. Nageshwar Rao detailing the decisions he took after assuming office on Verma’s removal. The court also agreed to hear A.K. Bassi, the former probe officer in FIR against Asthana.thehindu
CVC files probe report in sealed cover in SC
https://thewire.in/law/cbi-vs-cbi-cvc-files-preliminary-probe-report-in-sealed-cover-in-sc
Asthana met middleman days after alleged bribe:CBI
https://thewire.in/government/rakesh-asthana-cbi
New Delhi: Rakesh Asthana, the CBI special director accused of receiving a bribe to dilute a case, told the CVC that he was in London on Dec.13, 2017 –date the bribe was allegedly paid – and that he never met Somesh Prasad, the middleman alleged to have paid his representative.But call records, phone tower locations and video recordings indicate that Asthana was back in Delhi from Dec. 15 and did meet the accused and now fugitive Somesh Prasad there. Also, the complaint against Asthana doesn’t allege that he physically received the bribe on Dec.13, but that it was given to his representative. The video recordings also show Asthana with the CBI team that was probing him, before it was unceremoniously dispersed this year.Asthana’s phone tower location on December 15 is that of New Delhi’s international airport, which indicates that he returned from London on that day. His tower location on December 16 places him at Pandara Road, in central New Delhi, where Asthana lives in a Govt colony. The tower location of Somesh Prasad on December 16, at the same time, is also Pandara Road.Somesh Prasad is also believed to have met with Samant Goel – a top RA&W officer and 1984 Punjab cadre IPS officer – who has also been accused by the CBI, along with Asthana, of trying to dilute Moin Qureshi case.CBI investigations have revealed that during the same period – Dec.15 and 16 – Somesh Prasad was present at the CGO complex, the location of Goel’s office.thewire
Rafale deal: Centre complies with SC order; hands over document on decision process to petitioners
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/rafale-deal-centre-complies-with-sc-order-hands-over-document-on-decision-process-to-petitioners
Centre on Monday complied with a Supreme Court order and handed over to petitioners, who sought a court-monitored CBI probe into the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France, the document detailing the decisions taken to procure the aircraft.The document titled "Details of the steps in the decision making process leading to the award of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft order" stated that the process as laid down in the Defence Procurement Procedure-2013 has been followed in procurement of the Rafale aircraft.It said procurement process laid down in Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) has been completely followed for the procurement of aircraft and Approval of Defence Acquisition Council for aircraft taken for the same.The documents said Indian Negotiating Team was constituted which conducted negotiations with the French side for about an year and approval of the Cabinet Committee on Security, being Competent Financial Authority, was taken before signing the Inter Gov.Agreement.The document was handed over to the petitioners as per the SC's Oct.31 order.The top court had said details, including the steps in the decision making process for the procurement of jets, which could "legitimately" be brought into public domain, be made available to the parties who have filed petitions before it in the matter.It had also asked the Centre to place before it in a sealed cover within 10 days the pricing details of 36 Rafale fighter jets India is buying from France.The SC, which had posted the matter for hearing on Nov. 14, had categorically told Centre that if the pricing detail was "exclusive" and could not be shared with the court then Centre should file an affidavit in this regard and say so.The petitions seeking the probe in Rafale deal were first filed by advocates Manohar Lal Sharma and Vineet Dhanda. Later, AAP MP Sanjay Singh had also filed the petition.Then ex Union Ministers Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and activist lawyer Prashant Bhushan also filed a joint petition.nationalherald
Rafale: Govt submits document on decision process to petitioners, claims deal was negotiated for a year
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/rafale-deal-supreme-court-documents-submitted-to-petitioners-5442356/
Former civil servants urge CAG to submit audit reports on Rafale deal, demonetisation to President
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/rafale-deal-demonetisation-audit-reports-former-civil-servants-cag-president-5442474/
A group of former civil servants Monday wrote a letter to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India demanding the submission of audit reports on the Rafale fighter aircraft deal signed between India and France in 2015 and the note ban implemented by the central Govt in Nov.2016. They have urged the CAG to submit the reports to the President of India. A statement was released to the media by a former civil servant, Ramani Venkatesan, on behalf of the group stating the same. He further said a letter of the copy has been sent to President Ram Nath Kovind.indianexpress
Former Civil Servants Urge CAG to Submit Audit Reports on Rafale Deal and Demonetisation
https://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/en/NewsDetail/index/2/15510/Civil-Servants-Urge-CAG-to-Submit-Audit-Reports-on-Rafale-Deal-and-Demonetisation
SC refuses urgent hearing of Babri Masjid title case
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/sc-ayodhya-hearing-ram-janmabhoomi-babri-masjid-5442035/
New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a plea for an urgent hearing in Ram Janmbhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute case. The plea was filed after the apex court last month deferred the hearing on the matter till Jan.A 3-judge bench, headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi, had on Oct.29 said the appropriate bench will decide the future course of hearing in Jan.next year on the appeals filed against the Allahabad High Court verdict in the Ayodhya land dispute case.The SC, while observing “we have our own priorities”, ordered listing of appeals before an “appropriate bench” in first week of Jan.2019 to fix a date for the hearing.“We will fix the date of hearing of Ayodhya dispute case before the appropriate bench in Jan,” the bench, which also comprised Justices SK Kaul and KM Joseph, had said.indianexpress
SC pulls up Bihar govt for not arresting Manju Verma, summons DGP to personally appear before it
http://www.jantakareporter.com/india/supreme-court-pulls-up-bihar-govt-for-not-arresting-manju-verma-summons-dgp-to-personally-appear-before-it/218179/
The Supreme Court on Monday lashed out at the Bihar Govt for not arresting former minister Manju Verma in Muzaffarpur shelter home rape case. The top court summoned the state’s Director General of Police to personally before it on 27 Nov.if Verma wasn’t arrested immediately under the Arms Act. The court also asked the Bihar Chief Secretary to appear in the next hearing to personally explain the mismanagement in the case.Angry Supreme Court observed, “Fantastic..an ex-cabinet minister goes in hiding and the police can’t trace her.” justice Madan B Lokur was reacting to a case related to the discovery of ammunition from her house during a CBI raid.He said, “How could it happen that cabinet minister is absconding and nobody knows where she is? You realise the seriousness of the issue that cabinet minister is not traceable. It’s too much.” While hearing the matter last month, the apex court had said that just because Verma happened to be a cabinet minister ‘doesn’t make her above the law.’ “The whole thing is highly suspicious. Why has she not been arrested? It’s too much. Nobody is bothered about the law,” a bench of Justice MB Lokur, SA Nazeer and Deepak Gupta was quoted by ANI.jantakareporter
SC refuses to hear plea seeking gender neutrality in rape laws
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/supreme-court-refuses-to-hear-plea-seeking-gender-neutrality-in-rape-laws-5442059/
The Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear a petition which sought to strike down Section 375 of the IPC on the ground that it is not gender neutrality. Stating that it is not the appropriate forum to deal with the case, the top court suggested that the Parliament can amend the law if required.“We are not inclined to interfere at this stage. The Parliament has to take a call in the issue,” CJI Ranjan Gogoi said while hearing the petition filed by the Criminal Justice Society of India.indianexpress
Manipur fake encounter case: SC rejects Army officers’ plea to recuse bench from hearing
https://indianexpress.com/article/north-east-india/manipur/manipur-extra-judicial-killings-sc-rejects-army-officers-plea-to-recuse-bench-from-hearing-5442014/
New Delhi :The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea by 300 serving Army officers, seeking recusal of judges of bench hearing the case on the alleged extra-judicial killings in Manipur. A SIT of the CBI is conducting the probe into the case.“There is no reason for Manipur cops to doubt SIT conducting the probe in fake encounter cases,” the bench said, adding, “Institutional integrity of judiciary and CBI must be maintained.”The plea by the officers was supported by the Centre.The apex court, in July last year, had directed a thorough probe into the alleged fake encounter killings in Manipur saying the use of “excessive or retaliatory force” by the armed forces or police was not permissible in ‘disturbed areas’ under the controversial AFSPA.indianexpress
Build Ram Temple In Ayodhya, Let Muslims Live In Peace: Minorities Panel Chief
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/build-ram-temple-in-ayodhya-let-muslims-live-in-peace-minorities-panel-chief-1945735
New Delhi: National Commission for Minorities chief Ghayorul Hasan Rizvi Sunday said Ram temple must be built in Ayodhya so that Muslims can live peacefully and respectfully. Rizvi also stressed that the dispute should be resolved soon to help strengthen ties between communities.Some Muslim organisations had sought the panel's intervention in the Ayodhya title suit case, Rizvi said.The commission in its November 14 meeting will decide whether to approach the Supreme Court for an early hearing on the matter or not, he added."National Minority Welfare Organisation and some other outfits have sent us reports that the Muslim community in the country is living in fear," Rizvi told PTI."They have urged the commission to take an initiative to improve the current atmosphere," he added."During the November 14 meeting, we will hold discussions on the matter. But, as it is sub-judice, we can only urge the apex court for an early hearing," he said.PTI
Inside Ayodhya workshop: 50% carving work for Ram temple ‘completed’ amid dwindling funds
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/ayodhya-ram-temple-karsevakpuram-5442511/
Ayodhya:The pace of work at a Ram Janmabhomi Nyas-run workshop in Ayodhya’s Karsevakpuram has turned sluggish due to lack of funds and dwindling number of artisans and craftsmen, according to the in-charge of the workshop that has been running since 1990 to build a ‘temple’.At the Karsevakpuram’s sprawling Karyashala, which also houses a wooden model of a ‘proposed Ram Temple’ in a glass encasement, many devotees stream in from various parts of India, some out of curiosity, other led by local tour guides.Annu Bhai Sompura, in-charge of the workshop, points out to rows and rows of huge, ornately carved stones stacked up on the ground in the open in its premises, which he said are “ready-to-move blocks that can be easily assembled”.“50 per cent of carving work of stones has been completed, which means the first floor is ready. We are hopeful of getting a favourable judgement from the Supreme Court in the Ayodhya title suit, and once we get the green signal, the work on laying foundation would begin,” he told PTI.PTI
Yogi Govt likely to ban meat, liquor in Ayodhya district, other holy places
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/meat-liquor-likely-to-be-banned-in-ayodhya-district-other-holy-places/story-xc90KSfsUWopmn1oZKSJXM.html
Lucknow:Yogi Adityanath Govt is most likely to prohibit the sale of meat and liquor within the geographical boundaries of the new district of Ayodhya that was known as Faizabad till recently. Similar bans may be imposed in the area around Lord Krishna’s birthplace in Mathura and other holy places in the state.State Govt spokesman and energy minister Shrikant Sharma gave ample indications about this here on Sunday.“The Govt is seriously considering putting a total ban on the sale of meat and liquor in the entire Ayodhya district within a legal framework,” he told HT over phone.At present, a ban on the meat and liquor is confined to just Ayodhya town in the new district.He said saints from various parts of the state had been demanding a total ban on meat and liquor near various holy places in the state. “For example, the sadhus and sants of Mathura have also demanded prohibiting the sale of meat and liquor in the Sri Krishna Janmasthali area,” he said.The ban in Mathura districts is in force at pilgrimage spots like Vrindavan, Govardhan, Barsana falling on the Saptkosi Parikrima route.He also indicated the Govt might declare certain sacred places as ‘pilgrimages to pave the way for the ban on meat and liquor around the intended places. However, the ban on liquor, many people believe, may render hundreds of people jobless. According sources many people engaged in the liquor and meat business in Ayodhya district have already started opposing, tacitly or otherwise, the seers’ demand for the ban.HT
Change BJP chief name first since Shah is persina word and not Sanskrit: Historian Irfan Habib
http://www.jantakareporter.com/india/change-bjp-presidents-name-first-since-shah-is-farsi-word-and-not-sanskrit-historian-irfan-habib/218064/
In an unprecedented dig at the BJP’s obsession to change names of places because they sounded Muslim, historian Irfan Habib on Sunday advised the saffron party to first consider changing the name of its president, Amit Shah. Habib told ANI that Shah was a ‘Farsi’ word and the change must begin from changing his name first.“Shah is a Farsi word, not Sanskrit. If they have to change names, they should change their own names first, and then change the names of cities,” Irfan Habib was quoted as saying. Historian also added that names like Munsi and Majumdar also had Islamic origins. BJP has faced widespread condemnation for its craze to change Muslim sounding names of places. The Uttar Pradesh Govt led by BJP has already renamed Mughal Sarai railway station to Pandit Deen Dyal Upaddhyay, Allahabad to Prayagraj, Faizabad to Ayodhya. One of the BJP’s MLAs has now suggested renaming of Muzaffarnagar to Laxminagar. This suggestion came from riot-accused BJP MLA Sangeet Som.Incidentally, it was Amit Shah, who had proposed changing the name of Mughalsarai railway station.jantakareporter
Play more active role in next Taliban meet: Russia to India
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/play-more-active-role-in-next-taliban-meet-russia-to-india/articleshow/66582875.cms
New Delhi: Russia and the Taliban seemed to have scored some PR 'victories' with Friday's meeting in Moscow on the future of Afghanistan, which brought the Taliban to another international negotiating table. For India, the event served to bring out from the closet a significant shift in its policy vis-a-vis the Taliban as it for the first time agreed to share a room with them, something that was anathema until recently.New Delhi though made it clear its participation was 'non-official' + as it sent former diplomats to the meeting. After the meeting, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said, "Afghanistan's problems can only be settled politically, through the attainment of national accord and with the involvement of all parties to the conflict. We hope that responsible politicians will not be guided by personal or group considerations but by the interests of the people of Afghanistan."The last remark is being seen by Indian observers as indicating that Russia would try to resist Pakistan's machinations.TOI
US sanction cloud hangs over India, Russia arms deal
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/us-sanction-cloud-hangs-over-india-russia-arms-deal/story-jXuQckhMSq0ROb9ftuP9NO.html
Although New Delhi has been granted exemption from US sanctions for purchase of Iranian crude, there is no word from the Trump administration for a similar waiver of Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanction Act (CAATSA) for purchase of 5 units of Russian S-400 missile system worth $5.4 billion by India. Both India and Russia concluded the contract for supply of long- range surface to air missile system during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India last month.According to South Block officials who spoke on condition of anonymity, while India has made out a case for a waiver on grounds that the negotiations of the deal pre-dates CAATSA, fact is, any exemption granted by US will only be known when the Defence ministry makes the initial payment for the missile system.“With Russia already under US sanctions, it is for both Moscow and New Delhi to decided one mode of payment. Whether CAATSA has been waived or not will only be known once the Defence Ministry negotiates the mode of payment with its Russian counterpart,” said a senior Govt official. However,Indian officials are positive that the Presidential waiver under CAATSA will be granted for not only the S-400 missile system but also the manufacturing of AK-47 rifles by a joint venture of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) of India and Kalashnikov Concern of Russia under the “Make in India’ rubric.HT
Impossible for any minority institution to admit 50% of students belonging to minority community:HC
https://barandbench.com/madras-hc-interim-relief-quota-minority-institutions/
Following challenges made by several prominent colleges, Madras High Court has stalled proceedings initiated by Tamil Nadu’s State Minorities Commission to verify whether students’ admissions to these institutions satisfy a 50% minority community quota.Justice SS Sundar granted the interim stay last week for a period of three weeks in favour of Loyola College, Women’s Christian College,New Law College, St Christopher’s College, and Nirmala College, following initial submissions by senior advocate Isaac Mohanlal on behalf of colleges.Last Sept.the judge had issued an interim stay on the Govt Order mandating the 50% minority quota, after a Christian society, the Institute of Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, challenged the same. Govt Order in question makes it mandatory for minority institutions to take in a minimum of 50%students every year from the minority community they claim to represent, in order to retain their minority status. Same has been challenged by the society as unreasonable and impossible to implement, given the low population of students from minority communities in the country.As such, it has been contended that GO would effectively clamp down on the Constitutional protection given to minority institutions. Colleges were prompted to approach the Court for relief after Minorities Commission commenced proceedings against them, directing that they furnish details regarding the students admitted to the college,These proceedings were challenged contending, inter alia, that State Minorities Commission does not have the jurisdiction to proceed against minority institutions in this manner. It has been argued that the challenged proceedings amount to trespassing upon the fundamental right of minority institutions to decide upon matters of student admission. barandbench
47% turnout till 3 pm in Chhattisgarh, 5 jawans injured in encounter with Maoists at Bijapur
https://www.hindustantimes.com/chattisgarh-elections/chhattisgarh-elections-2018-18-seats-go-to-polls-today-in-the-shadow-of-violence/story-y36Xba11DJpk38LFJytI2L.html
Raipur:Chhattisgarh recorded 47.18% turnout till 3 pm for 18 seats spread over eight districts on Monday, in the first phase of the assembly election, as five jawans were injured in an encounter with suspected Maoists in Bijapur’s Pamed area.The jawans belonged to the CoBRA. Special Director General of Police DM awasthi said Maoist casualties were likely but details are awaited.For 18 constituencies going polls today, voting began for 10 at 7am across seven districts in Maoist-affected Bastar region and Rajnandgaon district. HT
Ananth Kumar, Union minister, BJP leader, dies
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/union-minister-bjp-ananth-kumar-dies-5441738/
New Delhi :Ananth Kumar, Union minister in the Modi cabinet and BJP’s leader in Karnataka, passed away in Bengaluru in the early hours of Monday. He was 59. Kumar had been battling lung cancer for several months. The senior BJP leader had been on a ventilator in the Intensive Care Unit for the last few days. National Flag will fly at half mast throughout the country today and Kumar will be accorded a state funeral. A three-day state mourning has been declared in Karnataka.Kumar breathed his last at around 2 am with his wife Tejaswini and two daughters by his bedside, Sankara Hospital Director Nagaraj told PTI. He returned to Bengaluru only recently after undergoing treatment in the US and Britain. Kumar served as Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers since May 2014 and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs since July 2016. He represented Bengaluru South seat in Lok Sabha.indianexpress
NDA crisis in Bihar: RLSP chief Kushwaha meets Sharad Yadav
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/nda-bihar-rslp-chief-upendra-kushwaha-meets-sharad-yadav-5441860/
New Delhi:In a clear indication of his party severing all ties with NDA, RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha Monday met LJD party founder Sharad Yadav in the national capital. Yadav had formed LJD after quitting JDU following Nitish Kumar’s return to NDA in 2016.Kushwaha alleged Chief minister Nitish Kumar has been trying to poach MLAs. “He has come down to destroying Upendra Kushwaha and his Party but he cannot cause any damage to me. He is a part of the NDA and so are we, he should not do such things,” ANI quoted him as saying after the meeting.The fight between JD(U) and RLSP took a turn for the worse on Sunday, with both RLSP MLAs reportedly offering to join JD(U). RLSP MLAs Sudhanshu Shekhar and Lalan Paswan met top JD(U) leaders, including its national vice-president Prashant Kishor, and were reportedly offered a ministerial berth and the Sasaram parliamentary seat, respectively.This made Kushwaha upset who accused JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar of poaching his MLAs. Kushwaha said Nitish Kumar had “an expertise in breaking away MLAs” and had come after his party after having earlier split the BSP, RJD and LJP. “Nitish Kumar should know that just as taking and demanding dowry is a crime, poaching MLAs is as much a crime… I am seeking time to meet Amit Shah and will also speak to LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan.”Since JD(U) and RLSP share a similar social base, Kushwaha has been under pressure in NDA since Nitish Kumar’s return to the alliance. BJP reportedly offered RLSP two Lok Sabha seats for the 2019 election, but Kushwaha is not ready to settle for anything less than four seats.With the BJP showing little sign of intervening in the RLSP-JD(U) divide, the RLSP is expected to walk out of the NDA in December first week.indianexpress
Chandrababu Naidu inducts 2 new faces including one Muslim into his cabinet
https://www.indiatoday.in/politics/story/chandrababu-naidu-inducts-two-new-faces-including-one-muslim-into-his-cabinet-1386415-2018-11-11
Andhra Pradesh state cabinet was on Sunday expanded with the addition of 2 new members.The new members filled vacancies after two BJP members resigned in March following TDP's fall out with the NDA and the party quitting PM Modi's cabinet in Delhi. Later the BJP too quit the Chandrababu Naidu government.Kidari Sravan Kumar, son of slain MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao and senior legislator N Mohammed Farooq, chairman of the state legislative council, were inducted into the Chandrababu Naidu cabinet at the Grievance Hall in Undavalli.Governor ESL Narasimhan administered the oath of office to the two new ministers.NM Farooq served as minister twice during NT Rama Rao and Chandrababu's regimes in the past. indiatoday
Assam: Citizenship Bill has given ‘fresh lease of life’ to ULFA(I):senior police officer
https://scroll.in/latest/901793/assam-citizenship-bill-has-given-fresh-lease-of-life-to-ulfa-i-says-senior-police-officer
A senior Assam Police official on Sunday said that the banned ULFA(I), has received a shot in the arm due to the growing public sentiment against the Centre’s move to amend the Citizenship Act, PTI reported.Eight youths have joined the group since Sept.1, and as many were apprehended in the process of joining it, Director General (Special Branch) Pallav Bhattacharjee said.The militant group is suspected to be responsible for the November 1 killings of five Bengali-speaking Hindus in the state’s Tinsukia district, although it has denied any involvement. One person was injured in the attack.The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, was introduced in the Lok Sabha in July 2016 and aims to make crucial changes to the Citizenship Act of 1955. If passed, it would make undocumented immigrants – Hindus, Christians, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains and Parsis – from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh eligible for citizenship. It would also ease the terms for naturalisation of individuals from these groups.The state has witnessed violent shutdowns as protest against the bill. According to the United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent), the legislation “threatens the existence of indigenous people” of the state.scroll.in
Sitamarhi murder: Victim identified, now name him in FIR, demands RJD
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/sitamarhi-murder-victim-identified-now-name-him-in-fir-demands-rjd-5440856/
With Sitamarhi police in Bihar failing to register a separate FIR even three weeks after the murder of an 82-year-old man in what is seen as a communal killing, RJD, the state’s principal opposition party, on Saturday demanded a separate FIR to be filed after identifying the victim.RJD national vice-president Shivanand Tewary said, “Things were hushed up after Internet was suspended for four days (in the district), and Sitamarhi police kept denying whatever visual images came out subsequently. But now that the Govt has paid Rs 5 lakh compensation to the victim’s family, it means they have officially identified the victim.” The police, he said, should “immediately lodge a separate FIR, clearly naming Zainul Ansari”, victim.Ex-MP Ali Anwar of Loktantrik Janata Dal, the new party he founded along with Sharad Yadav and other ex JD(U) leaders questioned “secular credentials” of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and said the case serves a “chilling warning of simmering communal troubles” in Bihar in the run-up to General Election next year.Anwar, who also leads the All-India Pasmanda Muslim Mehaz, said they will meet victim Ansari’s family.Ansari, who lived in Bhodaha, under Riga police station of Sitamarhi, was found murdered in Sitamarhi town on October 20, a day after Dussehra. Most parts charred, the body was found about an hour after a communal mob crossed the route.indianexpress
Arun Shourie: Modi, Shah responsible for atmosphere of intolerance
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/national/arun-shourie-modi-shah-responsible-for-atmosphere-of-intolerance
Former Union minister Arun Shourie has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah of creating an atmosphere of "intolerance" in the country."Modi and Shah have created an atmosphere of intolerance in the country. Media should think about its implications and should openly speak about this," said Shourie at a programme in Jaipur.He said when leaders create such an atmosphere, local goons too follow them in acts like gagging media but the media should throw light on them.PTI
Karnataka temple holds puja for Tipu every day
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/This-Karnataka-temple-holds-puja-for-Tipu-every-day/articleshow/49731236.cms
Mangaluru: While the govt's plan to celebrate Tipu Sultan's birth anniversary has created a controversy in several parts of Karnataka, the Kollur Sri Mookambika Temple on the foothills of Western Ghats continues to perform a special puja in the name of the 'Tiger of Mysuru' every day. It's believed that the temple has salam mangalarathi , also known as pradosha pooje as it is performed at 7.30pm, to commemorate Tipu Sultan's visit to the temple. However, temple authorities say there is no documentary evidence for it. Salam mangalarathi is nothing but a mangalarathi offered to the deity in the evenings, said TR Uma, executive officer of Kollur Sri Mookambika Temple. She that salam mangalarathi is an oral undocumented tradition followed at the temple. "The tradition is being followed for several years. It is believed that the puja is performed to commemorate Tipu Sultan's visit to the temple. It is a tradition of offering respect to chief ministers, ministers or officials. When VIPs arrive, temple staff accord a welcome and lead them to the shrine holding a torch. A mangalarathi is offered to the deity in the presence of VIPs. At present, the tradition is followed when the executive officer visits the temple in the evenings," Uma said. Historian Uday Barkur said the tradition of honouring kings or Govt representatives in temples is common."Tipu Sultan had visited Shankaranarayana Temple, just 10 km from Kollur temple. Ruler, who offered a bell to Shankaranarayana temple, might have visited this temple too. The ritual might have been followed to commemorate his visit to the temple. I plan to study how the tradition started," Barkur said.Tipu was not anti-Hindu: Poojary Former Union minister B Janardhan Poojary said Tipu Sultan was not an anti-Hindu ruler.TOI
Father-son had promised halal investments to attract Muslims
https://deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/121118/father-son-had-promised-halal-investments-to-attract-muslims.html
Bengaluru: The fraudulent Ambidant Marketing and investment company run by father-son Syed Fareed and Syed Afaq Ahmed had allegedly faked halal investment and misused ulemas to attract Muslim investors.The company, which assured investors that it was dealing with halal business (businesses in accordance with Sharia) allegedly invested in cryptocurrencies and made a fortune, until it came under Enforcement Directorate scanner, after Reserve Bank of India declared cryptocurrency (Bitcoin) illegal tender.In the beginning the company used to pay huge returns (up to 50 percent) per lakh every month to the investors. Later as more investors joined, it paid 25 per cent, then 11 percent and the last payout was in January, which was 9 percent.The company since then has not paid to any investor but has provided flats to those who had made heavy investment.According to a source, the father-son systematically used ulemas (Muslim clerics) to attract Muslims to invest in 'Halal business".When the Bitcoin business was booming, the company allegedly invested huge sums in it. The going was good until the RBI declared the crypto-currencies illegal and IT Department issued notices to those involved in this currency exchange.It is learnt that Ambidant was one among over 4,000 companies and individuals who had been served with a notice.DECCAN CHRONICLE
Imam Barkati conducting illegal marriages: Wakf
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/kolkata/former-imam-nurur-rahman-barkati-conducting-illegal-marriages-wakf-5440917/
Kolkata :Wakf Estate of Prince Golam Mohammed that takes care of the Tipu Sultan mosque in Kolkata has decided to take legal action against the former Imam of Tipu Sultan mosque at Esplanade, Syed Mohammad Nurur Rahman Barkati, for allegedly registering marriages of couples in an illegally way.“The marriage register which he maintained at his office is not legal because under normal circumstances, after the nuptials, that paper is supposed to be taken to the court for registration. Following this, a separate marriage certificate is issued. Barkati never followed this rule and even now, after he has been expelled, he has opened an office in the Chandni Chowk area and is engaging in same activities.Marriages conducted therefore are illegal,” alleged Shahzada Anwar Ali, patron manager of the trustee board adding that the board will take action after recommendations made by their legal team.“Not just that, an Imam of a mosque is supposed to lead the namaaz. He is not entitled to hold any other power and certainly can’t conduct marriages which is done by a Kazi. This Imam was just trying to make as much money as he could,” Anwar Ali added.When contacted, Imam Barkati said, “I have not been told about this issue at all. Nobody has informed me.”indianexpress
Deoband’s nail-polish fatwa shows how fake news is manufactured
https://scroll.in/article/901785/deobands-nail-polish-fatwa-shows-how-fake-news-is-manufactured
“Darul-Uloom Deoband has issued a fatwa against Muslim women using nail polish as it is un-Islamic and illegal.”This tweet by ANI on morning of November 5 kept newsrooms and social media busy throughout the day ridiculing this latest fatwa. What are these fatwas all about? How do they come up every now and then providing a sensational story to the media? Alt News decided to dig deeper and uncovered a shocking tale of how news is manufactured. Let’s take you with us on a fatwa trail.Soon after the tweet by ANI, social media users called out the bluff saying that the man in the picture is neither a mufti (a religious scholar authorised to issue a fatwa or opinion on topics related to Islam) nor connected in any way to Darul-Uloom Deoband, the Islamic school in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharnpur district.Alt News decided to investigate this and called Darul-Uloom Deoband. They refused to comment on the news about the fatwa but confirmed to us that the person in ANI’s tweet was not associated with them.Alt News then contacted Ishrar Gaura, the person ANI had quoted as a mufti. It turned out that his name was Ishaq Gaura and he was neither a mufti nor linked to Darul-Uloom. He told us that ANI had contacted him to get his comments on a story by Eenadu/ETV Urdu on this fatwa. He also claimed that he had been misquoted by ANI. Alt News then contacted an ANI editor with this additional information and ANI quickly issued an update stating that Qari Syed Ishaq Gaura who was speaking on the fatwa issued by Darul-Uloom Deoband did not represent Darul-Uloom Deoband.Darul-Uloom has an online service where anyone can ask a question and get fatwa or opinion from the mufti about it. This particular fatwa could not be found online.Alt News contacted ANI again, this time to ask for a copy of the fatwa after which ANI uploaded it online to their website. The new tweet was worded differently from the original one. The fatwa against “Muslim women wearing nail polish” had now become a fatwa against “women and men of the community proffering namaz or prayer, wearing nail polish”. In this specific case, the question posed was, “Is it permissible to apply nail polish? Many women apply nail polish when they go to parties and weddings. A lot of women apply nail polish and grow their nails. Is it permissible for men and women to grow nails and apply nail polish?” The name of the person requesting this opinion was Mohammed Tufail from Muzaffarnagar.The response was: “Yes, they can apply nail polish provided it doesn’t contain any impure material. Moreover, since the act of applying nail polish creates a layer, till the time it is not cleaned, water doesn’t reach the nail. Unless it is removed, neither wuzu (the ablution before namaz) nor ghusl (the ritual washing of the body) can be completed. That is why it is necessary to remove this layer prior to Wuzu or Ghusl. Men and women can grow nails up to 40 days and after that you have to cut the nails..”The fatwa does not describe nail polish as un-Islamic or illegal, as claimed in ANI’s tweet.scroll.in
WORLD
Israel kills 7 Palestinians in covert Gaza raid
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/11/gaza-officials-palestinians-killed-israeli-raid-181111211332303.html
Israeli forces killed 7 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip in a clandestine raid targeting a Hamas commander and air attacks that provided cover for the commandos to escape back into Israel by car.Israeli incursion and air attacks drew rocket fire from the Hamas-controlled enclave late on Sunday. A senior Hamas official said the Israeli special forces team infiltrated an area near the southern city of Khan Younis in a civilian vehicle.Among those reported killed in the attack was Nour Baraka, a prominent commander of the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas. A ground operation inside the Gaza Strip is rare and it is likely to raise tensions significantly."We heard that a special Israeli unit went inside Khan Younis and assassinated Nour Baraka and another [commander]," Ghazi Hamad, senior Hamas official, told Al Jazeera.After [that], the car which carried this special unit or some collaborators, they tried to escape … but they were followed by Hamas and the al-Qassam Brigades and after that Israel tried to cover this car through striking here in Gaza," he added.Witnesses said that, during the chase, Israeli aircraft fired more than 40 missiles in the area where the incident took place, killing at least four other people.Fawzi Barhoum, a spokesperson for Hamas, denounced what he called a "cowardly Israeli attack". An Israeli soldier was killed in an exchange of fire during the operation, the army said, which comes as tensions rise with the Hamas-run Palestinian enclave.aljazeera
Palestinian resistance foils ‘important’ Israeli security operation in Gaza
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20181112-palestinian-resistance-foils-important-israeli-security-operation-in-gaza/
Egypt upholds death penalty for 7 charged with murder of police officer
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20181112-egypt-upholds-death-penalty-for-7-charged-with-murder-of-police-officer/
Egypt’s highest appeals court, the Court of Cassation, has upheld the death sentence of seven defendants who were found guilty of murdering a police officer.Egyptian Court of Cassation yesterday rejected the appeal filed by the defendants against the ruling issued by Al-Ismailia Criminal Court to execute the men. They had been charged and tried for killed Police Captain Ahmed Abu Douma in 2013.The court convicted the defendants of quarrelling and assaulting the officer by firing two bullets, one in his chest and the other on his right leg which led to his death.officer was murdered while he accompanied his force to investigate and arrest 2 persons who they believed were in possession of narcotics.MEMO
New Saudi opposition bloc calls for the accession of Prince Ahmed to throne
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20181112-new-saudi-opposition-bloc-calls-for-the-accession-of-prince-ahmed-to-throne/
A Saudi opposition group called “Allied for Good Governance” on Sunday called on Prince Ahmed bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud to take power in Saudi Arabia for a transitional period of one year, until the people of Saudi Arabia decide their fate” the bloc said in its first statement received exclusively by al- Khaleej Online news site.“The past 4 years have proven that King [Salman] and the Crown Prince [Mohammed] are not fit to rule and that their way of governance threatens the kingdom, its sanctities, its people and its resources,” the statement said.The bloc members stressed that their support for Prince Ahmed “is based on his keenness to save the state and his reluctance to rule, and that was not a party to the violations that occurred in previous eras”.The statement called for the release of all detainees in Saudi prisons, who have been detained since Mohammed bin Salman came into power and to compensate them.The signatories to the statement said it was issued after consultations and coordination with a wide range of Saudi people including the armed forces and security, adding that “the wrong and irresponsible policies adopted … since the arrival of Mohammed bin Salman have put the country in a historic impasse”.“The tragic assassination of martyrs: (journalist) Jamal Khashoggi, Turki al-Jasser and Suleiman al-Dweish and the expansion of the circle of violations have led Saudi Arabia to trouble” it added.middleeastmonitor
Saudis discussed killing enemies a year before Khashoggi: NYT
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/11/saudis-discussed-killing-enemies-year-khashoggi-nyt-181112064254311.html
Senior Saudi officials, including General Ahmed al-Assiri, who was fired last month for allegedly ordering the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, inquired about assassinating prominent Iranian officials and sabotaging Iran's economy, the New York Times has reported.The paper said on Sunday that during a meeting with private businessmen in 2017, senior aides close to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS, inquired about killing Qassim Suleimani, the leader of the Quds Force of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps.The paper said that al-Assiri attended a meeting in March 2017 in Riyadh where businessmen pitched a $2bn plan to use private intelligence operatives to try to sabotage the Iranian economy.George Nader, a convicted paedophile and former political adviser to the UAE's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, arranged the meeting, it said.Nader also met with MBS, and pitched the Iran plan to officials in White House.aljazeera
EU countries approve arms sales to Saudi, UAE worth 55 times aid to Yemen
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/perverse-cycle-european-arms-sales-saudi-and-uae-worth-sixty-times-aid-yemen-356882718
European governments and the European Union publicly wring their hands about the "human tragedy" and need for "life-saving assistance" in war-torn Yemen.Yet while the Saudi-led coalition has bombed the region’s poorest country over the past three years, the EU and European countries approved the sale of more than $86.7bn in arms to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, according to figures compiled by Middle East Eye.The value of the licences which the countries issued in 2015 and 2016 - the only years for which data is available - amount to more than 55 times what EU and European countries have donated to UN’s chronically underfunded Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan. Meanwhile, independent researchers estimate that more than 56,000 Yemenis have been killed with the UN warning “a clear and present danger” of an imminent famine engulfing 14 million Yemenis – or half of the population. Many govts have promised during the course of the war to stop or restrict sales of the weapons that are being used to maim Yemenis, and the killing of Jamal Khashoggi last month brought a new wave of public pressure to halt deals with Saudi kingdom.middleeasteye
Hodeidah: 110 Houthis, 7 civilians killed in 24 hours
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/11/battle-hodeidah-110-houthis-7-civilians-killed-24-hours-181112074852784.html
At least 149 Yemenis, including seven civilians, have been killed in the past 24 hours as forces loyal to exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi close in on areas held by Houthi rebels in the strategic port city of Hodeidah.Medics in hospitals across the city - which is the main gateway for imports and relief supplies into Yemen - said on Monday that 110 Houthi fighters and 32 pro-Govt soldiers had been killed in overnight fighting. Sources at Al-Alfi military hospital, seized by the Houthis during their 2014 takeover of the city, said charred body parts had been delivered there overnight.Meanwhile, a military official in Hodeidah told AFP that 7 civilians had died in clashes without giving further details.Al Jazeera's Mohammed Adow, reporting from neighbouring Djibouti, said fighting was raging in eastern and southern areas of Hodeidah city. "Some of the fighting is on the streets of residential areas, something that is causing concern about the safety and welfare of the people still holed up in the city," Adow said.aljazeera
Pak sends notices to 294 named in Panama case
https://www.indiatoday.in/world/pakistan/story/imran-khan-govt-sends-notices-to-294-pakistanis-named-in-panama-papers-1385766-2018-11-10?fbclid=IwAR1AKFjWw49MxBOM9eM7q53R95jVSPkEjDw3k9BG1SY3Y9NcxZvubxQl594
Pakistan Govt led by Prime Minister Imran Khan has served notices to at least 294 Pakistanis out the 444 who have been named in the Panama Papers leak, said Federal Minister for Finance Asad Umar.Asad Umar also said that action is being taken against all the Pakistani nationals that have been listed in the Panama papers.It was also revealed that at least 150 people were untraceable while at least four had already given up their Pakistani nationalities.The finance minister said that the investigation in at least 15 cases, worth about Rs 10.9 billion (Pakistani rupees), is in the final stages. So far, Rs 6.2 billion has already been recovered by the authorities. FBR has acquired financial records of at least 96,000 Pakistanis abroad, which includes those mentioned in the Panama leaks, Minister of State for Revenue Hammad Azhar said.Panama papers are leaked documents of about 1.15 crore files containing details of about 2.15 lakh bank accounts. Documents were leaked from Mossack Fonseca, which is headquartered at Panama.More than 100 media houses from across the globe sifted through the leaked data and dug out names of people who invested their money in tax havens.The list included 12 world leaders - serving and ex-head of states. Prominent names are Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, China's President Xi Jinping, and ex Pakistan PM Benazir Bhutto among others.indiatoday
Reports of Asiya Bibi leaving Pakistan 'false, baseless'
https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/reports-of-asiya-bibi-leaving-pakistan-false-baseless201811121422510001/
Islamabad:Pakistan's Foreign Office has refuted social media reports of Asiya Bibi, the Christian woman, who was acquitted by the Supreme Court for blasphemy charges last month, of leaving the country.Terming the reports as "false and baseless", a spokesperson for the Foreign Office said, "Asiya Bibi has not left Pakistan and she is in the country," Geo News reported.Last week, the Foreign Office had dismissed reports of Asiya and her family leaving Pakistan.ANI
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
For over 30 yrs, people of Hashimpura have been reliving the killings:Asad Rehman
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/a-single-tale-hashimpura-killings-pac-personnel-5441622/
Are Hindus really the victims in India? Of what, asks Barkha Dutt
https://theprint.in/opinion/are-hindus-really-the-victims-in-india-of-what-asks-barkha-dutt/147362/
A BJP Leader On What The Party Is Doing Wrong In West Bengal: Bengalis Don't Care About “Mandir-Masjid” Culture:Piyasree Dasgupta
https://www.huffingtonpost.in/2018/11/11/a-bjp-leader-explains-what-the-party-is-doing-wrong-in-west-bengal-bengalis-are-not-interested-in-mandir-masjid-culture_a_23585621/
Exclusive: Under Modi’s Crop Insurance Scheme, Premiums up 350% But Farmers' Coverage Stagnant:Kabir Agarwal and Dheeraj Mishra
https://thewire.in/agriculture/narendra-modi-farmers-crop-insurance-pmfby
Congress promises to ban RSS shakhas in Madhya Pradesh Govt premises, stirs row
http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2018/nov/11/congress-promises-to-ban-rss-shakhas-in-madhya-pradesh-government-premises-stirs-row-1896852.html
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 5:26 PM)
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