NEWS DIGEST, Afternoon
20 Nov. 2018:11 Rabiul-I 1440: Vol: 11, No:59
INDIA
CBI director Verma hearing in SC: CJI Gogoi furious over 'leaked' reports in The Wire; Fali Nariman clarifies that published stories weren't classified
https://www.firstpost.com/india/alok-verma-hearing-in-sc-cji-ranjan-gogoi-furious-over-leaked-reports-in-the-wire-fali-nariman-explains-published-stories-werent-classified-5582571.html
The Supreme Court adjourned the hearing in CBI director Alok Verma's case to 29 Nov.citing leakage of CVC (Central Vigilance Committee) report which was submitted to the SC last week. Verma submitted his response to CVC report, which is probing corruption charges against him, after the top court granted him additional time to make the submission.On Tuesday, however, adjourning the hearing to 29 November, Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi handed over a report published in The Wire to Fali Nariman, one of Verma's lawyers, which had contents of Verma's response which was supposed to be in sealed cover, reports said. Bar and Bench reported that Gogoi was "deeply upset" about the leak.The Wire issued a clarification, claiming that the reports were on Verma's responses to questions CVC put to him."We expressed that highest degree of confidentiality should be maintained and this litigant takes the papers and shares it with everyone. Our respect for this institution is not shared by anyone for some strange reason," said CJI Gogoi.Nariman also clarified reiterating that the reports published by The Wire about response to CVC and it was published before the Supreme Court order. "We did not give the article to you as a counsel for Alok Verma", Gogoi was quoted as saying by Bar and Bench.After the Supreme Court deferred the matter to 29 Nov, Nariman asked the apex court again to give some time before the bench rises to make some clarifications. A fresh hearing began soon after where Nariman told Gogoi that the articles by The Wire were about responses to CVC and it "was published before the SC order".As Gogoi lost his temper over secretive contents of Alok Verma's response to the apex court were leaked, Nariman has responded saying, "What do we do with everyone snooping around and trying to get some information?" The SC, which was to give its ruling on Centre's order divesting Verma of his power, expressed strong displeasure over the leak of the sidelined CBI director's confidential reply in the media and adjourned the hearing. Gogoi was agitated with Nariman over the mentioning on Monday seeking additional time to file reply. Nariman said that mentioning by Gopal Sankaranarayanan on Monday was "unauthorised" and he was not even informed. He got to know from media.firstpost
Bribery case: SC annoyed over leak of exiled CBI Director Verma’s confidential reply
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/cbi-bribery-case-sc-adjourns-hearing-to-november-29/article25545280.ece?homepage=true
Disclosure of List of wilful defaulters: Information officer to CIC: Can unwritten protocols override written law?
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/disclosure-of-list-of-wilful-defaulters-information-officer-to-cic-can-unwritten-protocols-override-written-law-5454644/
New Delhi :After issuing a 67-page order virtually lambasting RBI and PMO for not making public the list of wilful defaulters, outgoing Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu has written to Chief Information Commissioner RK Mathur.Acharyulu’s missive comes as response to several points raised by him “on Nov.8” regarding Acharyulu’s tough stance on non-disclosure of names of wilful bank defaulters.Making it clear he held CIC’s charge against him for “speaking to the media” as violative of the spirit of the right to know and in general public interest, Acharyulu has written, “Can unwritten protocols override written text of law and Supreme Court’s judgment? CIC should have taken all steps to enforce its orders, including filing of a complaint for contempt of court in such cases…For the record, defaulters include those who did not pay back Rs 9.5 lakh crore of public money to Indian banks as on June 2017, those 9000 account holders who wilfully did not pay back Rs 1.1 lakh crore of public money to Indian banks by 30th Sept., 2017.”Acharyulu wrote he took the spirit of the apex court’s questions to imply that there must be transparency, and names of high-net worth individuals not returning large sums of public money should be made public. Acharyulu writes that Mathur told him, “When substantial part of RTI appeal deals with subject/s allotted to other Information Commissioner/s, it should be sent to the other IC/s. Not sending is violation of unwritten protocol.”indianexpress
RBI board meeting ends in tentative truce with central bank agreeing to ease liquidity
https://thewire.in/economy/rbi-board-meeting-ends-in-tentative-truce-with-central-bank-agreeing-to-ease-liquidity
New Delhi: The board of RBI has agreed to ease liquidity for the financial sector and increase credit to small businesses, 2 sources present at the meeting said. The move comes in response to pressure from Modi’s Govt which faces a general election by next May and is concerned that low farm prices and difficulties small businesses face in borrowing, may hurt its prospects with voters.Some more contentious issues were kicked down the road to be discussed by newly formed committees, the sources said. The Govt has been pressuring the RBI to reduce capital ratios for banks to speed up loans to small businesses, a key vote bank for Modi. There are five key state elections in the next few weeks and a general election due by May.“The meeting happened in a very cordial environment. Most of the issues were resolved in an amicable manner,” a board member, who attended the meeting, told Reuters.“A panel will be formed to work out a framework to determine the reserves requirements of the RBI and transfer surplus funds to the government,” the board member said. A litany of demands from top finance ministry officials prompted warnings from RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya last month that undermining central bank independence could be “catastrophic,” triggering a public feud between the bank and the government.Reuters
Govt and RBI break the ice as central bank agrees to help ease lending to small business
https://indianexpress.com/article/business/banking-and-finance/rbi-board-meeting-central-government-urjit-patel-5454597/
6 killed, 18 injured in explosion at Pulgaon Army depot in Maharashtra’s Wardha
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/2-killed-several-injured-in-explosion-in-pulgaon-army-depot-in-maharashtra-s-wardha/story-xYiliCVrwFcSTcNZj82CQM.html
Nagpur:At least 6 people were killed and 18 injured in a massive explosion at Pulgaon-based Central Ammunition Depot (CAD) in Wardha district, around 120 kms from Nagpur on Tuesday morning.This is the 2nd major blast in the depot in the last 2 years. In May 2016, 13 persons were killed in a major fire in the depot while disposing explosives.Defence PRO Nagpur confirmed that the blast occurred when the employees of the depot were disposing unused explosives in a military firing range area of Pulgaon. “Today morning at 7.10 am while carrying out the demolition of old explosives by the staff of ordnance factory Khamaria, Jabalpur there was an accident. The demolition was being carried out in the demolition land under the jurisdiction of central arms depot, Pulgaon. While carrying out the demolition there was an accident (sic) ,” said junior captain BB Pande, Defence PRO Nagpur.“Officials of ordnance factory Khamaria, Jabalpur and of ordnance factory Chandrapur are rushing to the spot,” he added.The deceased are yet to be identified.HT
Amritsar blast: Police detain Sikh ‘activists’, radical bodies call it ‘witch hunt’
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/amritsar-blast-police-detain-sikh-activists-radical-bodies-call-it-witch-hunt-5454862/
Members of radical Sikh groups have alleged that the Punjab Police have detained youths of the community in connection with the grenade blast in Amritsar that left three dead on Sunday.“Police raids on. Witch hunting started. Police have raided houses of Sikh Youth Punjab president Paramjit Singh Mand and Dal Khalsa member from Amritsar Gurjant Singh. Mand was not present in the house whereas police have taken Gurjant into custody,”reads a Facebook post by Dal Khalsa spokesman Kanwarpal Singh.Kanwarpal claimed 2 Sikh activists were detained by the police.In response to the post, two more Sikh activists said the police have raided their house as well. “Police had came to pick me. I was not in good health. So I am called at the police station at 11 am,” said Paramjit Singh Akali, a Sikh activist. Ranjit Singh Damdami Taksal, associated with a faction of Sikh Student Federation, said, “3 police vehicles came to my house this morning. I am called at the police station at around 11 am.”IGP, Border Range, SPS Parmar said, “Yes, certain people have been summoned for interrogation related to the blast. He, however, dod not reveal the number of such people.Police had detained three members of Satikar Committee, active in Amritsar, on Sunday and Monday.indianexpress
Satisfied with probe, 1978 conflict an old issue says Nirankari Mission regional head: indianexpress
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/satisfied-with-probe-1978-conflict-an-old-issue-nirankari-mission-regional-head-5454943/
Nirankari Mission Monday said that they were satisfied with the ongoing police investigation into the Amritsar attack. While avoiding any reference to the past trouble between the sect and the Sikhs, the regional in-charge of the Mission, Joginder Kaur, also refused to comment on the state government’s claim about separatist terror forces being involved.Responding to a question, she said, “1978 conflict is an old thing now. We have no enmity with anyone.”Joginder Kaur met the injured at Guru Nank Dev Hospital along with CM Amarinder Singh. She was accompanied by zonal in-charge of the Mission, Sukhdev Singh.However, Kaur said, “We are not able to understand the reason behind the attack because we don’t have bad relations with any individual or group. We do not comment against followers of any religion. We have no enmity with anyone. If anybody has problem with us or our style of preaching, we don’t know why would that be. We are satisfied with ongoing probe.”
Amit Shah benefited from Sohrabuddin case: ex CBI officer deposes
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/amit-shah-benefited-from-sohrabuddin-case-former-cbi-officer-deposes/article25541662.ece?homepage=true
Mumbai:Amitabh Thakur, ex SP in CBI, Gandhinagar, and chief investigating officer in the alleged fake encounter of Sohrabuddin Sheikh in November 2005, said then Gujarat Home Minister Amit Shah had benefited politically and monetarily from the case. Thakur was deposing before a CBI court here on Monday.Apart from Shah, former DIG of ATS D.G. Vanzara, former SP (Udaipur) Dinesh M.N., former SP (Ahmedabad) Rajkumar Pandiyan, and former DCP(Ahmedabad) Abhay Chudasama had benefited politically, Thakur said.He said hah benefited financially as he was paid ₹70 lakh by the Patel brothers, owners of Popular Builders in Ahmedabad.They were warned that if they did not pay the money, there would be dire consequences. He said Vanzara benefited monetarily as well, as he was paid ₹60 lakhs by the Patel brothers.He also said that none of the police officers facing trial in the case had any “political or monetary benefit from the encounter.” He also agreed that there were no political motives for the current accused to kill Sohrabuddin. He also mentioned that all the 20 accused were acting under the directions of their superiors Vanzara, Pandiyan, Dinesh and Chudasma, and all of these had been discharged in the case.Thakur denied that he was asked by Director of CBI Ashwani Kumar to implicate all 22 accused in case. Thakur also denied that he and his superior DIG P Khantaswamy, was asked by Kumar, to implicate all 20 accused in the case for political mileage. He said that no material existed about 92 currency notes allegedly found on Sohrabuddin’s body and no investigation was conducted regarding it.thehindu
Sohrabuddin case: 22 accused didn’t have a motive to kill him, says chief investigating officer
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/sohrabuddin-shaikh-case-22-accused-didnt-have-a-motive-to-kill-him-says-chief-investigating-officer-5454573/
In Court, UP Govt. has recognized Babri Masjid as a mosque, not temple: Advocate Zafaryab Jilani
https://www.siasat.com/news/court-govt-has-recognized-babri-masjid-mosque-not-temple-advocate-zafaryab-jilani-1435041/
Saharanpur: National Chairman Babri Masjid Action Committee, Secretary Personal Law Board, spokesman of Babri Masjid legal Committee and founder member & Board member of Milli council Zafaryab Jilani advocate claimed that UP Govt has accepted Babri Masjid as a mosque and not temple since the idols were kept in the masjid in 1949. He was answering a question posed by media persons following a board meeting of Milli Council.According to Roznama Rashtriya Sahara, the then DM of Faizabad also accepted the same and the same has been mentioned in the police FIR. It is present in the record of the Court. He said in 1950 when it was the Govt of Vallabh Bhai Patel in UP, the Govt in its reply in the court had accepted that the structure was never a temple, the puja was never done there. Not only this, Nirmohi Akhara, which is a party in the case, has claimed the chabotra near the Babri Masjid as Ram Mandir. It has not made any claim on the structure of Babri Masjid.Jilani said the same is mentioned in the High Court verdict of 2010.siasat
First asking Subramanian to ‘get out’ of Ayodhya dispute case, now Amit Shah ‘wants’ Sri Sri to stop his mediation efforts: Janta Kar Eporter
http://www.jantakareporter.com/india/exclusive-first-asking-subramanian-swamy-to-get-out-of-ayodhya-dispute-case-now-amit-shah-wants-sri-sri-ravi-shankar-to-stop-his-mediation-efforts/219603/
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the founder of Art of Living, has been actively trying to seek an out-of-court settlement for the Ayodhya dispute. The spiritual had said that this was needed to avoid possible violence as he feared that the Supreme Court’s judgement on the religiously sensitive issue may not be acceptable to the aggrieved party and this could result in violence.However, in a shocking revelation, it has emerged that BJP President Amit Shah has reportedly expressed his displeasure on Sri Sri’s attempts to found an amicable solution to the land dispute in Ayodhya. A senior official, close to BJP leadership, told Janta Ka Reporter on the condition of anonymity, “He (Amit Shah) is not happy that Sri Sri is trying to achieve a solution to Ayodhya dispute amicably. He is worried that if Sri Sri indeed succeeds in achieving a consensus on the matter, our party will miss out on a crucial election agenda for 2019.”The Ayodhya dispute is currently under the consideration of the Supreme Court, which recently announced that it will constitute a new bench in January to start hearing the matter. The bench headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi also made it clear that the matter did not need a priority hearing and the top court will only the new date for hearing in Jan.jantakareporter
Won’t allow RSS to turn Sabarimala into another Ayodhya:Kerala CM
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/won-t-allow-rss-to-turn-sabarimala-another-ayodhya-says-kerala-cm-pinarayi-vijayan/story-ZUo0FGqyd49fLzIGMnINdI.html
Sabarimala:Kerala’s CM Pinarayi Vijayan said today he will not allow RSS to turn the Sabarimala temple into another Ayodhya, referring to the disputed religious site in the UP town.“I will not allow the Sangh Parivar to make Sabarimala into another Ayodhya. There is a concerted bid to defame the state citing Sabarimala,” Vijayan said.“BJP leaders and ministers are queuing up before Sabarimala to exploit the issue. The Govt will not allow anyone to fan trouble in Sabarimala,” he said.The CM justified the action taken by the police on Sunday against protesting devotees, saying their intervention helped ease the situation at the shrine to Lord Ayyappa. The present security arrangements at the hilltop shrine will continue to check troublemakers, he added.Police arrested more than 70 devotees late on Sunday for flouting prohibitory orders outside the Sabarimala temple. The situation at the hilltop shrine was peaceful on Tuesday after Sunday night’s incident.HT
MP, Rajasthan record worst rates of crimes against SCs
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/madhya-pradesh-elections-rajasthan-record-worst-rates-of-crimes-against-dalit-scheduled-tribes-castes-scs-5454558/
New Delhi;With massive protests by Scheduled Castes/ Schedule Tribes (SC/ ST) groups and the counter-protests by dominant caste outfits this year set to play a decisive role in the upcoming MP and Rajasthan polls, data on caste atrocities shows that these two states fare worst when it comes to crime rates against Dalit and Adivasi populations.As per latest data (2016) by the National Crime Records Bureau, Madhya Pradesh ranked one and Rajasthan was at number two in terms of atrocities against Scheduled Castes, based on the crime rate. In terms of crimes against STs, these two states are in the top five with Rajasthan and MP at the fourth and fifth place, respectively.In April, the two states saw mass mobilisation by SC/ ST groups in the wake of changes to the Prevention of Atrocities (SC/ST) Act by the Supreme Court. Union govt was forced to step in and ensure passage of a Bill in Parliament that restored stringent provisions of the original legislation. This sparked off a show of might by General Category anti-reservation groups, especially in these two states, alleging “widespread misuse” of the SC/ST Act.However, data shows that a majority of the cases were registered for serious incidents of caste atrocities like crimes against women and murder.indianexpress
BJP got voters’ names deleted from electoral rolls as last resort to avoid defeat:Kejriwal
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/delhi-cm-arvind-kejriwal-bjp-voters-list-elections-5454398/
New Delhi :AAP convener and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal Monday accused the BJP of getting voters’ names deleted from electoral rolls in Delhi as a “last resort” to avoid defeat in the next Lok Sabha elections. Hitting back at AAP, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said it was expressing “hopelessness” by mounting an attack on Election Commission over alleged deletion of names of 15 lakh voters. Kejriwal’s attack on the BJP came a day after his party leader Raghav Chadha termed the EC’s inquiry into the alleged deletion of names from the voters’ list in Tughlaqabad as “farcical”. EC had conducted a door-to-door survey in Lal Kuan and Harikesh Nagar areas of the Tughlaqabad Assembly segment to verify AAP’s claims that “over one lakh votes were deleted in South Delhi since the last assembly elections in 2015”. “BJP is losing. This seems to be the last resort of BJP.They have got lakhs of names deleted from voter lists. Hope EC wud take immediate action (sic),” Kejriwal said in a tweet.In a letter to CEC OP Rawat, Chadha demanded a fresh inquiry into the alleged deletion of names.PTI
Sushma Swaraj says won’t contest next election, cites health reasons
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/foreign-affairs-minister-sushma-swaraj-says-will-not-contest-2019-lok-sabha-elections/story-uBHIQVrm5QQOTc8QudpnlK.html
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has announced that she will not be contesting the upcoming elections in 2019.A Member of Parliament from Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh, Swaraj made this announcement at a press meet in Indore on Tuesday morning. Talking about it, Swaraj said that though it is the party (BJP) that will decide, she has made up her mind to “not contest the next elections”. The senior BJP leader said that she had informed the party about her decision.Swaraj cited health reasons for not contesting the next elections.HT
Triple talaq non-issue, empower us through education: Muslim women in Rajasthan
https://theprint.in/politics/triple-talaq-non-issue-empower-us-through-education-muslim-women-in-rajasthan/151425/
Jaipur: After the landslide victory in UP elections last year, BJP had claimed that many Muslim women had supported the party after it brought a bill in Parliament criminalising the practice of instant triple talaq.But Muslim women in Rajasthan say it won’t get the party any electoral dividend in the state which votes on 7 Dec. Across the Jaipur, Sikar and Jhunjhunu region, women from the minority community call triple talaq a non-issue even as they demand better education and implementation of various Govt schemes.“In the name of triple talaq, the Govt is targeting Muslim women. If the Govt instead makes education till Class 12 mandatory for girls, triple talaq will automatically become a non-issue.Because an educated girl will decide her own future,” said Sabera Mirza, a resident of Katrathal village, Sikar. According to Census 2011, Muslims in Rajasthan constitute 9 % of the state’s total population of 6.86 crore. The general refrain among Muslim women in the region is that the Govt should not tinker with Sharia laws.Shabana Parvez, a resident of Jaipur’s Ramganj Bazaar, a Muslim dominated locality, said triple talaq is “a personal matter and should be kept within the family. And families should discuss and sort issues.”“At least Congress never attempted to interfere with Sharia,” said Parvez.Jaipur-based Yasmeen Farooqui, member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, said govt is trying to cover up other issues, like farmers’ distress and poor law and order, by raking up the concern of triple talaq.“If you really want to help Muslim women, then raise issues related to their health, education, safety and equal pay at work. Bringing ordinance to criminalise instant triple talaq is not going to help Muslim woman,”said Farooqui.theprint
'All Pleas Fell on Deaf Ears': After Resigning, BJP MP from Ladakh Writes to Modi
https://thewire.in/politics/bjp-ladakh-narendra-modi-thuostan-chhewang-resignation
Srinagar: After resigning from BJP’s basic membership and renouncing his seat from Ladakh, former BJP leader Thupstan Chhewang has written to PM s Narendra Modi. The letter serves to remind him that the ‘unfulfilled’ promises of development – key to winning them the Ladakh seat for the first time in 2014 – today sound like “empty rhetoric” to the region’s electorate. In a strongly-worded letter, Chhewang charges Modi-led Govt with doing nothing for Ladakh during its four years of rule at the Centre. Despite repeated pleas to the central leadership, national executive council and even to Modi himself, 2014 election promises remained unfulfilled. “…what could you [PM] tell the people now? What was achieved five years ago was on the strength of slogans, which to the electorate at large would sound like empty rhetoric at this juncture,” reads the two-page letter addressed to the PM , which also brings to the fore the rampant lobbyism and bickering within the party’s state unit. A copy of the letter has also been sent to BJP president Amit Shah.72 year old Chhewang announced his resignation from the party and parliament on November 14. Though at the time citing “health grounds” as the reason, in his letter to Modi, he clarifies his position as a representative had increasingly became “morally and political untenable” after the party exhibited little concern for fulfilling its electoral assurances.thewire
Angry, betrayed Ladakh seeks apology from BJP chief Amit Shah, PM Modi
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/politics/angry-betrayed-ladakh-seeks-apology-from-bjp-chief-amit-shah-pm-modi
J&K Police collect data on Rohingya Muslims
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/jk-police-collect-data-on-rohingya-muslims-5454668/
Jammu:J&K Police has started collecting personal details of all Rohingya Muslims living in the state to identify how, from where and when they came to India, and travelled further on to J&K.IGP, Jammu zone, S D Singh Jamwal, said this is being done on instructions from the Central govt to identify these people and maintain records. Asked whether it has to do something with their deportation, Jamwal said, “It may be a process for that.” Written in Burmese language, with English translations, these “personal date forms’’ were circulated by the police in some Rohingya settlements in Jammu city on Sunday as well.Each settler from Myanmar has been asked to fill up these forms, furnishing personal details of not only self but of parents, spouse and siblings, too.7-page form seeks details such as the applicant’s name, parentage, occupation or present address, colour of his/her eyes and hair, other name, and special particulars. Applicants are asked to furnish passport-sized photograph, besides details about place of birth, height, national identity card, address in Myanmar, education, spouse’s current occupation, address and even of school and university where he or she studied, among several others.indianexpress
J&K: On day of ninth abduction, slain Shopian teen’s video emerges; ‘Admits’ being informer
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/jk-on-day-of-ninth-abduction-slain-shopian-teens-video-emerges-admits-being-informer-5454669/
Srinagar:Suspected militants abducted another civilian in Shopian district of south Kashmir on Monday evening, making the youth the ninth person to be abducted from the district since Thursday evening.The man, said to be in his early twenties, was identified as Parvaiz Ahmad Wani, a resident of Batamuran village. The police had no information about his whereabouts and were still collating information when this report was filed late evening. 2 of the 8 people abducted earlier were killed. Parvaiz’s abduction comes on a day a video was released online, reportedly by militants, that shows a teen who was abducted and killed on Saturday, purportedly “admitting” that he was an “informer” for security forces in the Valley.The body of Huzaif Ashraf, with his throat slit, was found in Hermain village of Shopian on Saturday. A resident of Manzgam in Kulgam district, Huzaif was a baker and ran a shop in Saidpora Payeen of Shopian. He was abducted along with two others from Saidpora Payeen. 2 others were released. “They (security forces) came to my shop and I was asked to become an informer and (was told) I will be paid for that. But I said that I don’t want to be an informer,” he purportedly said in the video, which was circulated on social media on Monday.indianexpress
J&K:1 soldier, 4 militants killed in encounter
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/encounter-breaks-out-between-security-forces-and-militants-in-jks-shopian/article25544919.ece?homepage=true
Srinagar:4 militants and one soldier were killed in an ongoing encounter in J&K 's Shopian on Tuesday."4 militants have been killed so far. One soldier also died. The operation is on in Nadigam in Shopian," said an Army spokesman.A joint team of the army’s 34 RR, 23 PARA and the police's special operation group cordoned off Nadigam around 2am. "There were specific inputs about the presence of militants," said a police official.The hiding militants opened fire at the approaching search party of the security forces, triggering an encounter.Slain militants and their affiliation could not be established immediately. Internet service was suspended in the district soon after the gunfight broke.Meanwhile, a youth abducted by militants on Monday evening in Shopian has been released.thehindu
AMU issues notices to drama club members, cancels play over ‘erroneous poster’
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/lucknow/aligarh-muslim-university-issues-notices-to-drama-club-members-cancels-play-over-erroneous-poster-5454520/
Lucknow: AMU on Monday issued showcause notices to the president and secretary of its drama club for putting up posters allegedly carrying a map of India without Kashmir and the North East. A notice has also been issued to an employee of the university, who allegedly prepared the controversial poster.‘Jis Lahore Na Vekhiya’, the play for which the posters had been put up, was cancelled hours before it was was to be staged at the university’s Kennedy auditorium Sunday after an uproar over the issue.BJP’s Brij Chhetra vice-president Manvendra Pratap Singh claimed to have intimated AMU proctor Mohsin Khan and the additional district magistrate about the posters. Written by noted Hindi writer Asghar Wajahat in the 1980s, the play, ‘Jis Lahore Na Vekhiya’, is set in 1947. AMU’s public relations in-charge M Shafey Kidwai said the plot revolves around the Mirzas, a Muslim family which migrated from Lucknow to Lahore and are allotted a haveli which was evacuated by a Hindu family. When they arrive in Lahore, they find an elderly Hindu woman living in the haveli, claiming its ownership and refusing to leave. Muslim family gradually settles in the haveli along with the Hindu woman and drops the idea of evicting her.“After coming to know about the poster, AMU cancelled the play and also removed the posters and hoardings from campus. Action will be taken after receiving replies to the notices issued to the drama club president, secretary and the employee,” said Kidwai, adding that the play was “anti-partition” and “anti-communal”.President of the drama club is an assistant professor of the university, said Kidwai.indianexpress
HC grants time to UIDAI to file response on plea raising concern over Aadhaar data security
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/hc-grants-time-to-uidai-to-file-response-on-plea-raising-concern-over-aadhaar-data-security/story-huZH9y8Cjoja2FR9D8oG1J.html
New Delhi:The Delhi High Court on Monday granted four more weeks to UIDAI to file its response on a plea raising concerns about Aadhaar data security and privacy of individuals, in the wake of reported leak of personal information of people from UIDAI database.A bench of justices S Ravindra Bhat and Prateek Jalan listed the matter for further hearing on February 14 next year after giving more time to UIDAI to respond to the petition.The court had earlier issued notice and sought reply of the authorities on the plea which also urged the court to direct the Centre to either allow people to opt out of the system or delete the entire existing UIDAI data in view of alleged security breaches. During the day’s hearing, UIDAI’s counsel sought some time to place its reply which was allowed by the court.HT
Muzaffarpur sexual abuse case: Ex-Bihar minister Manju Verma, missing for weeks, surrenders
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/muzaffarpur-sexual-abuse-ex-bihar-minister-manju-verma-surrenders-before-court/story-AyVlYpDKlTdeRlgMMpyF3N.html
Patna;Former Bihar minister Manju Verma, wanted in connection with the Muzaffarpur shelter home sexual abuse scandal, has surrendered before a court in Begusarai.Verma had been evading arrest since she was charged with an Arms Act case after illegal arms were found in her house during a CBI raid in connection with the sex scandal. Bihar Govt had earlier told the Supreme Court that Verma, who resigned in the wake of the shelter home sexual abuse scandal, could not be traced by police, enraging the judges, who then summoned the state DGP.An FIR was registered against Verma and her husband under the arms act in August following the recovery of 50 cartridges from their Begusarai residence, owned by the former minister’s in-laws, during a raid by the CBI in the case.HT
Muzaffarnagar riot's rape survivor ‘threatened’ to settle case
https://www.thequint.com/videos/news-videos/2013-muzaffarnagar-riots-rape-survivor-threatened
7 Muslim women had filed rape cases after the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots. 5 years later, only Aafreen’s* case remains in the court, and she says the cost of her fight for justice is wearing her down.The Quint, in the following two articles, Muzaffarnagar Riots:‘Deal’ That Saved 32 Alleged Rapists and How Courts and Kin Failed 5 Muslim Rape Survivors in Muzaffarnagar, had exposed how 5 other rape survivors from the Muzaffarnagar riots had agreed to a compromise. The deals were struck with payments to the survivors, and the women had kept silent in the name of societal harmony, letting 22 men off the hook for alleged rape.Aafreen has held on to her fight even though the other women gave up. But the recent visit of the relatives of the rape accused has scared the family although they were not at their Kandhla home when the visitors arrived.The Quint spoke to Nizami*, Aafreen’s neighbour in Kandhla who had spoken to the rape accused’s relatives when they had come asking for information. He said the Jats (the rape accused) had come to strike a compromise in the rape case and told him: “'They are your neighbours, your relatives (implying closeness). If possible, orchestrate a compromise somehow. If there are payments that need to be made, then we will do that as well’.”Aafreen and her husband were among the 60,000 people who were displaced after the communal Muzaffarnagar riots. After losing their home, the family moved to Kandhla in UP the same year. They had hoped to start afresh, but the family has struggled since. Aafreen’s husband said that returning to Lakh village in Muzaffarnagar was not a choice. He had left everything behind to “never look back again.”“Since the riots in Lakh village, I never looked back again as the situation was tense. Going back was a long shot, we didn't even think about it. Now Kandhla is our home and this is where we will stay. But even after coming here, they (rape accused) are putting pressure on us. Where do we go from here?,” he told The Quint.thequint
Concealing earlier marriage while entering into contract of marriage amounts to fraud: Kerala HC
https://www.livelaw.in/concealing-earlier-marriage-while-entering-into-contract-of-marriage-amounts-to-fraud-by-itself-kerala-hc-read-judgment/
The Kerala High Court has observed that concealment of a vital fact about earlier marriage while entering into a contract of marriage by itself amounts to fraud and the marriage can be declared as null and void.The bench of Justice AM Shaffique and Justice AM Babu was considering a man’s appeal against family court order dismissing his suit seeking a declaration that his marriage solemnized as per Muslim religious law is null and void. His case was that his wife was married to another person in the year 1989 as per Muslim law and they lived together as husband and wife. He also submitted that there was no divorce in accordance with Muslim law and without informing him about the earlier marriage and concealing the same her father and brothers had proposed their marriage and the nikah was conducted.The family court had dismissed the suit on the ground that there was a divorce between the earlier couple and thus the present marriage is valid.The bench quoting some precedents in this regard, said when a Muslim marriage is treated as a contract, if there is non-disclosure of vital fact or information or if there is deceit or misrepresentation or fraud in the matter relating to the essentials of a marriage, the said marriage will become voidable at the option of the person who suffers the deceit, fraud misrepresentation or non-disclosure as the case may be.Referring to the evidence on record, the bench observed that the contention that earlier marriage was not informed to the plaintiff stands proved.livelaw.in
Home Ministry notice to 1,775 NGOs for not filing foreign funding statements
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/home-ministry-notice-to-1775-ngos-for-not-filing-foreign-funding-statements-5454655/
New Delhi : Union Home Ministry has issued showcause notices to 1,775 NGOs, including Infosys Foundation, Skoda Auto India, University of Rajasthan and Madras Christian College, for not filing annual income and expenditure statement on foreign funding for up to 6 years.In its notice, the ministry said the entities or associations have not submitted online their income and expenditure statement, receipts and payment account, balance sheet for up to 6 consecutive financial years 2011-12 to 2016-17 despite repeated notices served on them.The ministry warned that if the entities and organisations fail to submit the returns for the said period by Dec. 1, 2018, “appropriate action” will be taken under FCRA.Showcause notice was also served to Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple Trust, Mumbai, Loyola College Society,Vijayawada, Guru Harkrishan Education Society, Chandigarh and Allahabad Agricultural Institute. Young Men’s Christian Association, Kutch, Midas Trust, Mumbai, Mewat Educational and Development Society, Haryana, North East Institute of Fashion Technology, Guwahati, and Jamia Islamia Ashraf Ul Ullom Arabic Education Public Charitable Trust, Visakhapatnam, were also among those served the notice.indianexpress
With sticks in their hands, woman Jain monks in Surat train thrice a week for self defence
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/with-sticks-in-their-hands-woman-jain-monks-in-surat-train-thrice-a-week-for-self-defence-5454766/
Surat:“Hold the stick tightly, your hands a feet apart from each other. Your right foot should be in front, the left behind. Now, wave the stick in the air in a circle and try to hit in the front. Repeat this ten times.”Chanchala Tokravat, president of Rashtriya Sevika Samiti’s physical training, instructs a group of 40 Jain Sadhvis at the Kailashnagar Jain Upashray (monk’s residences) in Surat. Samiti is RSS’s women wing, and Tokravat has been teaching self defence to Jain Sadhvis.The training sessions that began Monday have been initiated after increasing incidents of sexual harassment against the female monks. The last reported case was from Gopipura area in Surat where a sadhvi was allegedly “touched” by a 22-year old son of priest of a Jain temple while she was sleeping with fellow monks at a Jain Upashray.“Through this (training) female monks will be well trained in self defence so that they could protect themselves in any uncertain situation,” a Jain sadhvi who has been a monk for 50 years said.indianexpress
WORLD
Report: Saudi royals turn on king's favourite son after Khashoggi’s killing
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/11/report-saudi-royals-turn-king-favourite-son-killing-181120035219219.html
Members of Saudi Arabia's ruling family are agitating to prevent Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) from becoming king after the international uproar over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, sources close to the royal court told Reuters.Senior US officials, meanwhile, have indicated to Saudi advisers in recent weeks they would support Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz - who was deputy interior minister for nearly 40 years - as a potential successor to King Salman, according to Saudi sources with direct knowledge of consultations. Amid international outrage over Khashoggi's murder, dozens of princes and cousins from powerful branches of the Al Saud family want to see a change in the line of succession, but will not act while King Salman -crown prince's father - is still alive, sources said.They recognise the king is unlikely to turn against his favourite son, the report added.Rather, they are discussing the possibility with other family members that after the king's death, Prince Ahmed, 76, uncle of the crown prince, could take the throne, according to the sources.Prince Ahmed, King Salman's only surviving full brother, would have the support of family members, the security apparatus, and some Western powers, one of the Saudi sources said.Prince Ahmed returned to Riyadh in October after 2 months abroad.During the trip, he appeared to criticise Saudi leadership while responding to protesters outside a London residence chanting for the downfall of the Al Saud dynasty. He was one of only three people on the Allegiance Council, made up of the ruling family's senior members, who opposed MBS becoming crown prince in 2017, Saudi sources said at the time.Neither Prince Ahmed nor his representatives could be reached for comment. Officials in Riyadh did not immediately respond to requests from Reuters for comment on succession issues.House of Saud is made up of hundreds of princes.Unlike typical European monarchies,there is no automatic succession from father to eldest son. Instead, the kingdom's tribal traditions dictate the king and senior family members from each branch select the heir they consider fittest to lead. Saudi sources said they were confident Prince Ahmed would not change or reverse any of the social or economic reforms enacted by the crown prince, would honour existing military procurement contracts, and would restore the unity of the family.However, one senior US official said White House is in no hurry to distance itself from MBS despite pressure from legislators and CIA's assessment he ordered Khashoggi's murder, though that could change once Trump gets a definitive report on the killing from the intelligence community. aljazeera
Pompeo handed Riyadh a plan to shield MBS from Khashoggi fallout: Source
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/saudis-using-pompeos-plan-shield-leadership-khashoggi-fallout-says-source-1684431379
Saudi Arabia's king and crown prince are shielding themselves from the Jamal Khashoggi murder scandal by using a roadmap drawn up by US Secretary of State, a senior Saudi source has told Middle East Eye.Mike Pompeo delivered the plan in person during a meeting with Saudi King Salman and his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, last month in Riyadh, said the source, who is familiar with Pompeo's talks with the Saudi leaders.The plan includes an option to pin the Saudi journalist’s murder on an innocent member of the ruling al-Saud family in order to insulate those at the very top, the source told MEE.That person has not yet been chosen, the source said, and Saudi leaders are reserving the use of that plan in case the pressure on bin Salman, also known as MBS, becomes too much.“We would not be surprised if that happens,” the source told MEE. US State Dept.denied Saudi source's allegations, and called them "a complete misrepresentation of the secretary’s diplomatic mission to Saudi"."We’ve spoken publicly about our goals: to impress upon Saudi leadership the seriousness to which US Govt attaches to a prompt and complete accounting of the murder of Jamal Kashoggi,” State Dept spokesperson Heather Nauert said. According to the source, Pompeo outlined his plan on 16 October, when he jetted over to Riyadh to meet with King Salman and MBS as international scrutiny on the Khashoggi case intensified.At the time of Pompeo's trip to Riyadh, top US officials - including US President Donald Trump - had said very little about what happened to Khashoggi, who had been living in self-imposed exile in US at the time of his disappearance. Pompeo’s plan for the Saudi leadership included several steps, the Saudi source said.When Pompeo declared on 18 October that Saudi Arabia should be given “a few more days” to complete its investigation into the case, he was giving them time to begin implementing his plan, source said.middleeasteye
Saudi King Backs Crown Prince Son Amid Furore Over Khashoggi's Murder
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/jamal-khashoggi-case-saudi-arabia-saudi-king-salman-backs-crown-prince-mohammed-bin-salman-amid-furo-1950140
Saudi FM: Turkey not blaming MBS over Khashoggi's killing
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/11/saudi-fm-turkey-blaming-mbs-khashoggi-killing-181120062520915.html
Saudi Arabia's foreign minister rejected media reports that the CIA believes the country's crown prince ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and said Turkish statements on the matter is not targeting Mohammed bin Salman."We in the kingdom know that such allegations about the crown prince have no basis in truth and we categorically reject them, whether through leaks or not," Adel al-Jubeir said."They are leaks that have not been officially announced, and I have noticed that they are based on an assessment, not conclusive evidence," he added.aljazeera
Turkey did not bug Saudi consulate;Turkish defence minister
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/turkey-did-not-bug-saudi-consulate-claims-turkish-defence-minister-1388568367
Turkey's defence minister Hulusi Akar has repeated claims that Turkey did not obtain the recordings of Jamal Khashoggi's murder by bugging the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.In a wide-ranging interview at the Halifax Security forum in Canada, Turkey's former NATO commander told BBC that Turkey did no "surveillance" of the consulate. “There was no surveillance within the consulate [and] we will not reveal the source of the recordings,” Akar told the BBC. middleeasteye
Renewed fighting breaks out in Yemen's Hodeidah amid UN push for peace talks
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/renewed-fighting-yemen-hodeidah-peace-talks-932127903
Intense fighting has broken out in Yemen's port city of Hodeidah, shattering a lull in violence that had raised hopes for a ceasefire between a Saudi-led coalition and Houthi rebel fighters.Coalition warplanes conducted more than 10 air strikes on Houthi positions late on Monday, as battles could be heard in the city's "July 7" district, 4kms from the port, residents told Reuters .The renewed fighting was the worst since forces loyal to Yemen's Saudi-backed Govt halted an offensive on the Houthi-held port city last week amid pressure from the United Nations and Western countries to end the devastating conflict." Fighting is escalating and we can clearly hear machine guns and mortar fire. This is one of the worst nights we have experienced," Hodeidah resident Mustafa Abdo told Reuters. Clashes late on Monday were concentrated in the eastern part of Hodeidah, from which Houthi rebels fired artillery, sources loyal to Saudi-backed Govt said.middleeasteye
Global online company Airbnb to remove listings from illegal Israeli settlements
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/11/airbnb-remove-listings-illegal-israeli-settlements-181119170452984.html
Global online rental marketplace Airbnb says it will remove its listings in the illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, in a move that comes after years of pressure from Palestinian and human rights groups.The decision on Monday will lead to about 200 listings being removed from the popular accommodations website, which allows home-owners to rent out rooms, apartments and houses to people."We concluded that we should remove listings in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank that are at the core of the dispute between Israelis and Palestinians," a statement on the Airbnb website said.The removal of the listings will take place in the coming days, a spokesperson for Airbnb told the Reuters. The company said it came to the conclusion based on an internal framework used to judge how it handles listings in occupied territories around the world.aljazeera
Defence for Children International Palestine: Israeli army killed 52 Palestinian children since beginning of 2018
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20181120-defence-for-children-international-palestine-israeli-army-killed-52-palestinian-children-since-beginning-of-2018/
According to Defence for Children International Palestine (DCIP), since the beginning of the year, the Israeli Occupation Forces have killed 52 children in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, 46 of whom in the Gaza Strip.The international movement said in a statement on Monday that among the children the occupation forces have killed, 18 were injured in the head, nine in the chest, seven in the abdomen, and five in the neck.The movement added that the rest of the injuries were in different areas of the body (because of shrapnel), “which indicates that the Israeli soldiers are intentionally shooting at the upper areas of the victims’ bodies in order to kill them.”It stressed that the Israeli Occupation Forces are still using excessive force and live bullets against Palestinian children by intentionally targeting them.middleeastmonitor
UNICEF: 80% of Iraq’s children face violence
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20181120-unicef-80-of-iraqs-children-face-violence/
80% of Iraq’s children experience violence at home or in school, UNICEF announced. “A majority of Iraq’s poor children don’t receive any form of Govt assistance, affecting their chances to complete their education,” UNICEF said in its first-ever comprehensive survey on children’s wellbeing in Iraq.“Conflict and inequality remain defining features of childhood in Iraq,” the organisation added.While almost 92% of Iraqi children are enrolled in primary school, UNICEF pointed out, over half of children from poorer backgrounds complete their primary education. “The gap widens in the upper secondary school, where less than a quarter of poor children graduate, compared to three-quarters of children from wealthier backgrounds.”middleeastmonitor
US Muslim Lawmaker-elect Seeks End to 18-year-old Ban on Hijab in Congress
https://www.news18.com/news/world/us-muslim-lawmaker-elect-seeks-end-to-18-year-old-ban-on-hijab-in-congress-1944163.html
Washington: A Muslim congresswoman-elect has co-authored changes to a longstanding rule banning the wearing of head coverings on the US House floor, an effort supported by the nation's largest Muslim rights group.Ilhan Omar, a Somali refugee who was one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress earlier this month, has joined Democratic leaders in drafting an update to a 181-year-old rule to allow for religious exemptions for headwear like the Muslim hijab, Jewish yarmulkes or Sikh turban. The change is part of a rules package introduced by top Democrats including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi that is expected to be approved in January, when Democrats take majority control of the chamber. "No one puts a scarf on my head but me. It's my choice -- one protected by the first amendment," Omar posted Saturday on Twitter. "And this is not the last ban I'm going to work to lift," added the Minnesota representative-to-be. The proposal earned the backing of the Council on American-Islamic Relations."We support the effort to update this anachronistic policy and to bring the House of Representatives into conformity with the Constitution and its existing protection of religious freedom," said CAIR national executive director Nihad Awad. AFP
Gunman kills 3 in Chicago hospital shooting
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/11/suspect-dead-multiple-injured-chicago-hospital-shooting-181119230706736.html
A gunman at a Chicago hospital killed a police officer and two others before dying in the shooting, while to the west of the country in Denver one person was shot and killed on a street corner and three others were wounded. Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said the four dead in the shooting at Mercy Hospital & Medical Center included two hospital employees, a Chicago police officer, and the suspected gunman.aljazeera
FLASH: VIEWS & NEWS
Why CBI Official's Petition is Bad News for Modi, Doval:The Wire
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RitltfOPZg
Friction is good, but RBI-Govt relationship needs to be managed:Haseeb A Drabu
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/reserve-bank-arun-jaitley-finance-ministry-reserves-central-government-friction-is-good-pm-modi-5452601/
Hindutva Cohort Be Warned, Muslim Votes can Impact 101 LS Seats:Mayank Mishra
https://www.thequint.com/news/politics/hindutva-cohort-be-warned-muslim-votes-can-impact-101-ls-seats
Kathua rape and murder case: Deepika Rajawat episode throws spotlight on ignored issue of victim's right to representation in trials: Neerad Pandharipande
https://www.firstpost.com/india/kathua-rape-and-murder-case-deepika-rajawat-episode-throws-spotlight-on-ignored-issue-of-victims-right-to-representation-in-trials-5581121.html
How the Arab thinker Al-Farabi drew on Plato to shape the Muslim world’s ideas about censorship:Rashmee Roshan Lall, Aeon
https://scroll.in/article/902092/how-the-arab-thinker-al-farabi-drew-on-plato-to-shape-the-muslim-worlds-ideas-about-censorship
RBI Stands Its Ground Against Centre, but the Big Business Elephant Still Hasn’t Left the Room: M.K. Venu
https://thewire.in/political-economy/rbi-narendra-modi-urjit-patel-big-business
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 3:53 PM)
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