NEWS DIGEST, EVENING
11 July 2019: 07 Dhul Qadah 1440:Vol: 11, No:243
INDIA
Babri case: SC to begin day-to-day hearing from July 25 if panel says talks are not working
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ayodhya-dispute-sc-to-begin-hearing-from-july-25-if-panel-says-talks-are-not-working/article28370627.ece?homepage=true
New Delhi:A Constitution Bench led by CJI Ranjan Gogoi today decided to commence hearing Ayodhya title dispute appeals from July 25 if the mediation committee gives the word that talks with Hindu and Muslim parties to heal minds and hearts are not working.The Bench asked Justice (retired) FMI Kalifulla, who heads the SC-appointed mediation committee, to submit a report on the progress made in the Ayodhya dispute mediation by July 18.The court added that if Justice Kalifulla, on behalf of the committee, concluded there was no reason to continue with the mediation, the Constitution Bench would commence hearing the cross-appeals from July 25.The court’s order to seek a progress report from the committee in a way jump-starts the case as the panel was earlier given time till August 15 to engage in talks with the parties for an amicable settlement to heals hearts and minds.The immediate trigger for today's hearing is an urgent plea made by a claimant to the disputed Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land that the mediation proceedings were making no headway whatsoever.The committee is in the thick of its second round of talks. It finished the initial round and filed a interim status report dated May 7 in the Supreme Court, successfully seeking more time from it.On July 9, however, Rajendra Singh, survivor of Gopal Singh Visharad, an original claimant to the dispute who filed a title suit way back in 1950, said the mediation was making no headway. He asked CJI to stop mediation and start adjudication on the appeals pending since the past eight years in the SC.Countering this, senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, for Muslim appellants, questioned the purpose of the application filed by Singh. “This is just to intimidate us. Very serious mediation is going on. This application ( Singh’s) should have ideally asked the court to direct the mediation committee for a status report, instead it wants the court to entirely scrap the mediation process. Unhappy parties like them want to scrap the mediation efforts,” Dhavan submitted.To this, CJI said since the court had constituted the mediation panel, the court itself would ask the committee for a report.“We are entitled to know what is happening,” Justice Gogoi addressed Dhavan.the hindu
CBI raids lawyers Indira Jaising, Anand Grover’s residence, offices in Delhi, Mumbai
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/indira-jaising-anand-grover-cbi-raids-delhi-mumbai-lawyers-collective-5824707/
New Delhi: CBI is conducting raids at the residence and office of Supreme Court lawyers Indira Jaising and Anand Grover in New Delhi and Mumbai in connection with a foreign funding case. Jaising and Grover run Lawyers Collective, an NGO that focuses on human rights cases among other issues.“CBI is currently in our offices and residences in Mumbai and New Delhi,” Jaising said. Providing further details, officials said the searches are taking place at Nizamuddin residence and office of Jaising, office of NGO in Jangpura and an office in Mumbai from 5 in the morning.Grover was booked by the agency for alleged violations of FCRA rules.Lawyers Collective has denied all charges levelled by the CBI.FIR against Grover and the NGO was filed last month following a complaint from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which has alleged several discrepancies in the utilisation of foreign aid received by the group. Jaising has not been named as an accused in FIR but her alleged role figures in the complaint of ministry. Grover is the trustee and director of the organisation. Unknown officer-bearers and functionaries of NGO and unknown private persons and public servants were also made accused in the FIR filed under IPC sections that deal with forgery, cheating and criminal conspiracy. Arvind Kejriwal condemned the raids, saying it was clear vendetta.Senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan said the raids were a means to harass and intimidate.indian express
Karnataka: Not my job to save anyone, says Speaker after meeting rebel MLAs following SC order
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/karnataka-crisis-live-updates-hd-kumaraswamy-jds-cabinet-meeting-sc-congress-bjp-resignations-speaker-5824720/
Karnataka Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar today said he was “hurt” over reports that he is delaying the resignation process of rebel MLAs in the ruling Congress JD(S) coalition government. Briefing the media after his almost one-hour meeting with MLAs, the Speaker said “it is not (his) job to save anyone.”11 rebel MLAs submitted afresh their resignation to the Speaker following a Supreme Court order that directed Kumar to decide on the resignation during the course of the day. Earlier today, the SC allowed 10 MLAs, who had approached the SC, to meet the Speaker at 6 PM and convey again their decision to resign. The top court also asked the speaker to decide on MLAs’ resignation during the course of the day.With political crisis in the state causing more trouble for beleaguered Congress-JD(S) alliance in the state, CM HD Kumaraswamy chaired a crucial cabinet meeting to discuss the situation. The state Cabinet meeting resolved to face the situation “bravely” and said it was ready to face a no-confidence motion, if moved by the opposition BJP. Indianexpress
As Speaker Pleads Inability to Decide on Rebel MLAs' Resignation, Uncertainty Greets SC Order
https://thewire.in/government/karnataka-speaker-rebel-mla-resignation
Goa: 10 ex-Congress MLAs join BJP in presence of Nadda
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/goa-congress-mla-bjp-pramod-sawant-5825014/
New Delhi :A day after resigning from Goa Congress Legislative Party (CLP), 10 MLAs officially joined BJP in the presence of working president JP Nadda in New Delhi today. MLAs joined the ranks of the saffron party amid protests from Congress leaders outside Parliament over the political crisis unfolding in the state along with Karnataka.Top leaders including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Anand Sharma, staged a protest carrying ‘Save Democracy’ placards near the Gandhi statue in the complex.With this, the ruling BJP‘s strength in the Assembly swells to 27, and the strength of the Congress which won 17 seats in 2017, stands reduced to 5. 2 Congress MLAs had joined BJP earlier.Anti-defection law makes it mandatory that 2/3rd of strength of a party should agree for a ‘merger’. Amendment, which came into force in Jan.2004,does not recognise a ‘split’ in a legislature party and instead recognises a ‘merger’.IE
Why is BJP in a hurry to capture all states? Mamata
https://scroll.in/latest/930134/karnataka-crisis-why-is-bjp-in-a-hurry-to-capture-all-states-asks-mamata-banerjee
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has accused BJP of indulging in horse-trading in Karnataka, and claimed that the ruling alliance’s rebel legislators were locked up in Mumbai.Banerjee said BJP should focus on working for the country instead of “trying to topple” state Govts controlled by Opposition parties. “I do not understand why they are so greedy,” she said in the Assembly. “Why are they in such a hurry to capture all states. This is dirty politics. After Karnataka, they [BJP] will turn to MP, Rajasthan. Is it their job to break govts?”PTI/scroll.in
Karnataka, Goa crisis will hurt economy: PC
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/chidambaram-says-karnataka-goa-crisis-will-hurt-economy-5825150/
Congress leader P Chidambaram has attacked the BJP-ruled Govt over the situation in Karnataka and Goa, saying they have “gravely damaged” democracy and that developments will hurt the economy.The developments in Karnataka and Goa may help BJP in”advancing their political goals”, but at the “same time they are doing a great disservice to the economic goals of this country”, Chidambaram said in Rajya Sabha. “I think it has a very damaging effect on the economy, foreign investors, rating agencies,” he said.indianexpress
BJP trying to dislodge Govts in opposition-ruled states: Mayawati
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/bjp-trying-to-dislodge-Govts-in-opposition-ruled-states-mayawati-5825132/
Lucknow :BSP chief Mayawati has charged BJP with attempting to dislodge Govts in states ruled by opposition parties and called for strict laws to end the membership of those indulging in defection.“BJP returned to power at Centre by misusing money power and through EVM tampering but it has now started a campaign to dislodge the non-BJP state govts in order to overcome its exasperation over the defeats it faced in the assembly polls in 2018 and 2019.BSP condemns this,” shesaid.“The way BJP is once again trying to break MLAs in Karnataka and Goa using money and power is a blot on the country’s democracy. PTI
Govt trying to sell railway assets through PPPs, privatisation: Congress
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/Govt-trying-to-sell-railway-assets-through-ppps-privatisation-congress-5825106/
New Delhi:Slamming Modi Govt over its handling of the Railways Ministry, the Congress accused it of trying to sell out railway assets and said BJP-led NDA is “selling dreams” to people without doing much on the ground. Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that the aviation minister wants to sell Air India, the railways minister wants to “sell” its assets and PM Narendra Modi, he alleged, will one-day “sell” country.Initiating a debate on demands for grants under the Ministry of Railways, Chowdhury said BJP-led NDA Govt has consistently failed to meet its targets since it came to power in 2014.PTI
CPM asks Centre to scrap changes to Indian Forest Act, says they criminalise tribal life
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/cpm-asks-centre-to-scrap-changes-to-indian-forest-act-says-they-criminalise-tribal-life-5824378/
New Delhi:Arguing that amendments proposed by BJP govt to Indian Forest Act,1927 are a “blueprint for centralization, commercialisation and criminalisation,” CPI(M) asked the Centre on Wednesday to withdraw the changes.The party also insisted on bringing Indian Forest Act in conformity with Forest Rights Act and other related laws which they said “seek to redress the historical injustices faced by tribal communities.”In a letter to Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar, CPI(M) politburo member Brinda Karat accused him of defending the amendments and playing down the “extremely repressive measures” proposed in the Act. Karat stated that British colonialists established Govt ownership over forests and declared tribal communities to be encroachers through Forest Act, 1927. She added, “91 clauses in the amendments now proposed, including entirely new sections,go even beyond what British dared to do, by militarising forest conservation.”indianexpress
Village commons: Landless Dalits of Punjab seek unfettered rights of cultivation
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/village-commons-landless-dalits-of-punjab-seek-unfettered-rights-of-cultivation-5824533/
Sangrur (punjab):On 8 June, 225 members of the gram sabha of Tolewal in Sangrur district’s Malerkotla tehsil passed a resolution to lease out 25 bigha (about 5.25 acres) of the village’s panchayat land reserved for cultivation by Dalits at a nominal annual rate of Rs 500/acre for 33 years. 225 members were more than the minimum 20 % — working out to 180 out of Tolewal’s 870 gram sabha votes — required for passing a resolution. The resolution was, however, not accepted by the panchayat department, which is the custodian of shamlat or village common lands in Punjab. The block development and panchayat officer(BDPO) of Malerkotla-1 has since then sought to organise auction of the 25 bigha (out of Tolewal’s total 165 bigha of shamlat land) 6 times.Each of these has had to be postponed, due to protests from the village’s Dalits, who also account for 250 or so of its voters.A similar resolution was passed by the gram sabha of Thandiwal on June 19 and of Mulowal on July 1. 2 villages, also in Sangrur, have 19 bigha and 8 bigha of shamlat land, respectively, reserved for allotment to Dalit community through annual auctions.In their case, too, the authorities have not been able to carry out auctions, even though the sowing/transplanting time for most kharif crops is almost over. In Thandiwal, 5 Dalits were even booked on charges of attempting forcible farming on land not formally auctioned by the panchayat dept.indian express
Tell your goons to back off: BJP MLA's daughter fears for life after marrying Dalit, releases video
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/bjp-mla-rajesh-misra-daughter-sakshi-video-honour-killing-dalit-marriage-1566358-2019-07-10?fbclid=IwAR3lO2oFh-rx6u6cVujuOMkFX4J1xK8eEu_feCi7UDCeFdJBf8nfczWGG3I
Bareilly:The daughter of an UP BJP MLA has alleged that her life is in danger from her father after she married a Dalit man and asked the police for security. Sakshi Misra (23), who is the daughter of Rajesh Misra, MLA from Bithari Chainpur in Bareilly district, uploaded a video on social media and informed about her wedding to Ajitesh Kumar(29)last Thursday, police said.In another video,she has apprehended threat to her life from her father, brother and an associate, and urged Bareilly SSP to extend security to them.Sakshi Misra has also appealed to MPs and MLAs of Bareilly to not help Rajesh Misra as she alleged that her father and others were out to eliminate her. BJP MLA could not be reached for comments.DIG RK Pandey said he had come to know of the video messages and had asked the SSP to extend security to the couple. DIG said the police do not know where to give her security as she had not disclosed her location.In video, Sakshi Misra has also told her father to let her live her life. The woman warned that if anything happens to her or her husband, she would do something that would put him behind bars.PTI
‘We were constantly threatened’, says father of slain Gujarat Dalit man
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/in-laws-threatening-family-since-wedding-says-father-of-slain-gujarat-dalit-man-5824370/
Ahmedabad: Family of slain dalit youth Haresh Solanki has said that they were constantly threatened by his wife Urmila’s family, ever since the couple married about 6 months ago. On Wednesday, police arrested one of the 8 accused named in FIR, even as activists blamed the authorities for allegedly having given them the leeway to escape.The 8 accused belong to 7 Zala families who are related to each other and live in the same locality in Varmor village.Haresh Solanki,who lived in Gandhidham in Kutch was married to Urmila Zala, a native of Varmor under Mandal taluka of Ahmedabad rural. On Monday evening, Haresh was hacked to death by Urmila’s father Dashrathsinh Zala and 7 other relatives in front of the staff of the 181 Abhayam Women helpline, outside her house.“Mandal police station is barely 6 kms away from Varmor village,” Kirit Rathod, a Dalit activist said. "The police provided enough leeway to the accused to avoid arrest,” Rathod alleged. indian express
Ex-BJP MP Dinu Solanki gets life term for murder of RTI activist Amit Jethwa
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/dinu-solanki-former-bjp-mp-rti-activist-amit-jethwa-murder-case-life-imprisonment-5824909/
Ahmedabad:Ex-BJP MP Dinu Solanki and 6 others were today sentenced to life imprisonment in connection with the murder of RTI activist Amit Jethwa in July 2010. The special CBI judge found 7 guilty on Saturday and had reserved pronouncement of quantum of punishment. A special CBI court had found all the accused — Solanki, his nephew Shiva Solanki, Sanjay Chauhan, Shailesh Pandya, Pachan Desai, Udaji Thakore and police constable Bahadursinh Vader — guilty.The court in its verdict also ordered proceedings to be initiated against all the 105 witnesses who turned hostile.The special CBI judge KM Dave imposed a total penalty sum of Rs 59,25,000 on all convicts.indian express
Union minister Giriraj wants couples with over 2 kids stripped of right to vote
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/giriraj-wants-couples-with-more-than-two-children-stripped-of-right-to-vote-5825181/
Patna :Union minister Giriraj Singh today expressed alarm over the “population explosion” in the country since Independence and favoured disenfranchisement of those who sired more than two children.BJP leader from Bihar, known for making controversial remarks, shared a graphic on his official Twitter handle on World Population Day which showed that India’s population grew by a staggering 366 % between 1947 and 2019 as against only 113 % rise in sparsely populated US.Singh wrote in Hindi–“In India, population explosion is disturbing the balance of economy, social harmony and resources. One of the reasons (for failure to check it) is religious obstacles,” apparently hinting at Muslims. Bihar RJD head Ram Chandra Purbe termed Singh’s comments an example of petty politics since it appeared to blame the minorities for the ballooning population. “From where does the minister get such fanciful ideas?Can he point out any provision in the Constitution under which a person can be disenfranchised for having more than a specified number of children?”asked Congress MLC Prem Chandra Mishra.PTI
Shut down cow shelters, allow unemployed people of all faiths to rear cows: Farmers
http://www.indiatomorrow.net/eng/shut-down-cow-shelters-allow-unemployed-people-of-all-faiths-to-rear-cows-farmers?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=emailemail&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Indiatomorrownet+%28IndiaTomorrow.net%29
New Delhi:Farmers aligned with Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) gathered at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday to raise several demands including pension for farmers and formation of Kisan Commission having farmers only as members and office bearers.Presiding over the protest gathering, Thakur Bhanu Pratap Singh, President of BKU, raised the issue of ‘Gaushalas’ or cow shelters in his speech, among others, and demanded that rearing of cows should be allowed instead of opening cow shelters.“No cow will be slaughtered and no cow should be allowed to cause damage to the crops. Make farmers ‘Gau Mitr’ to rear cows and purchase cow dung at the rate Rs. 25 per kg. Allow unemployed people of all faiths to have cows. If you want the blessings of cows then purchase their waste and do not open ‘Gaushala’, because the owner of a Gaushala would do nothing except buying a luxury car for himself. He will never feed or take care of cows,” said Singh.India Tomorrow
‘Muslim can’t drive auto in Gujarat's Ghatlodia’
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/muslim-cant-drive-auto-in-ghatlodia/articleshow/70150090.cms
Ahmedabad:A 48-year-old Muslim man, an autorickshaw driver from the Karanj area of the city, was on Tuesday threatened by an unknown man who asked him “How can a Muslim drive and earn money in Ghatlodia (area of the city)”. Arif Qureshi, a resident of Biscuit Gali near Pankornaka in Karanj, said he got a passenger from Gheekanta who wanted to go to Chanakyapuri. “After I dropped passenger off near Chandlodia railway station,I was moving about in Ghatlodia to find a passenger. At around 2pm, a passenger waved at me to stop the rickshaw. I asked him where he wanted to go. The passenger said he wanted to go to Delhi Darwaja and I told him to get in,” said Qureshi in his FIR. “Suddenly, a man rushed there and asked me on how can I,being a Muslim, roam in Ghatlodia and take passengers from here. To this, I told him that I had stopped as the passenger had waved at me to stop. He then got angry at me and abused me. Before I could realise anything, he came up with an iron rod and tried to attack me. I evaded the attack and drove off but my meter was damaged in the attack,” he said. TOI
Gujarat Disturbed Areas Act: a law to create communal division in the state
https://caravandaily.com/gujarat-disturbed-areas-act-a-law-to-create-communal-division-in-the-state/
Ahmedabad:Gujarat’s BJP Govt has modified controversial law – Disturbed Areas Act – and made it stronger with rather stringent provisions. The act bans the sale of property by the member of one religious community to another without the approval of the district collector, and is seen as a tool to create communal divisions between the communities in the state.The new amendment has expanded the meaning of the word ‘transfer’, which includes sales, gifts, exchange, lease or taking possession of the property by way of power of attorney. The act is enforced in the big cities of Gujarat like Ahmedabad and Vadodara.Activists are of the opinion that this law is not only useless but also creating a negative impact and essentially being a hurdle in the way of communal harmony.“The act has not been strengthened but just given more tooth to bite the people. On one hand, BJP is saying that article 370 should be abrogated in Kashmir and people should have the right to buy property everywhere, but on the other hand they are strengthening the Disturbed Area Act in Gujarat. In this case, the right to choice has been neglected,” said advocate Shamshad Pathan, who used to practice at the High Court.He added that act creates a lot of issues for Muslims as well as non-Muslims. Rights activist Nirjhari Sinha, also feels that the act creates communal divisions in the society. She further added that such laws based on religion, caste and community is problematic for the society as it is essentially polarizing in nature.Huzaifa Ujjaini, another Ahmadabad based activist, augments to above fact.Caravan Daily
Prominent activists, leaders up in arms against UAPA amendment bill
https://caravandaily.com/prominent-activists-leaders-up-in-arms-against-uapa-amendment-bill/
New Delhi:Prominent political, social leaders and human rights defenders on Wednesday condemned UAPA Amendment Bill, 2019 that seeks to tag individuals as ‘terrorist’. The bill was introduced amid strong protest from the opposition benches in Lok Sabha on Monday as the Opposition MPs termed the bill as draconian as in the name of fighting terror fundamental rights of an individual cannot be ignored.Besides, UAPA Bill, the union Govt also tabled NIA(Amendment), Bill 2019 that gives more teeth to NIA in dealing with terror cases. Defending the bills, Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy, who introduced the bill on behalf of Home Minister Amit Shah, said when UN can name Hafiz Saeed as a terrorist, why can’t India do the same with such people.Opposing the bill,CPI(M) Polit Bureau member, Brinda Karat said CPI (M) did not support both the bills seeking to give more teeth to security agencies. As far as UAPA is concerned the declaration of an individual as terrorist requires stringent conditions otherwise it is liable to grave misuse in its present form, she said. On NIA amendment, she said giving NIA more powers for searches and seizures without informing state agencies is an encroachment on federal structure of the country. IUML member P.K. Kunhalikutty opposed NIA Bill that seeks to strengthen the agency by giving it powers to probe terror attacks targeting Indians and Indian interests abroad.While activists also demanded that UAPA should be repealed arguing that the erstwhile draconian laws like TADA and POTA, the present anti-terror law has been also widely misused against some particular religious groups.AC Michael, exmember of Delhi Minorities Commission, said the latest proposal to further enhance powers of police forces under UAPA is nothing but a tool to arm-twist political opponents of the present dispensation. Kamal Faruqi, member of AIMPLB said in the prevailing political atmosphere, these amendments are frightening. He feared the increase in rights violation cases in the coming days. CaravanDaily
ATS interrogates 6 accused of keeping illegal weapons in Bijnor madrasa
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/ats-interrogates-6-accused-of-keeping-illegal-weapons-in-bijnor-madrasa/articleshow/70171992.cms
Bijnor:6 accused, who were detained after illegal weapons were recovered from a madrasa in Sherkot, were interrogated by ATS. Yesterday, six people were arrested after illegal weapons were recovered from the madrasa in Sherkot in UP's Bijnor district, police had said. Following a tip-off, a raid was carried out at madrasa Darul Quran Hamidia on Kandhla road in Sherkot area yesterday afternoon. Three countrymade pistols, a 32 bore pistol and bullets in large numbers were recovered from the madrasa, police said. One of the accused belongs to Bihar and claimed that he was a teacher at the madrasa. "We received information that some anti-social elements visit this madrasa. We searched the premises and recovered 5 pistols and several cartridges," circle officer K Kanojia had said. ANI
Muzaffarnagar riots: Bail granted to 3 people accused of murder that triggered communal violence
https://scroll.in/latest/930136/muzaffarnagar-riots-bail-granted-to-three-people-accused-of-murder-that-triggered-communal-violence
Muzaffarnagar :A court in UP’s Muzaffarnagar district has granted bail to 3 people accused of killing a youth, whose death triggered riots in 2013. District Sessions Judge Sanjay Kumar Pachori gave bail to Prahlad, Bishan Singh and Tendu. He said the accused would be released from jail after they furnish 2 sureties of Rs 1.5 lakh each.According to the prosecution, 3 are among 6 people who stabbed Shahnawaz to death at Kawal village in Jansath area on Aug.27, 2013. scroll.in
No New Tax, Cow Welfare Fund & Hike in Haj Panel Grant Among Major Announcements in MP Budget
https://www.news18.com/news/politics/cow-welfare-fund-hike-in-haj-committee-grant-among-major-announcements-in-mp-budget-2224943.html
Bhopal: As announced prior to state polls, Kamal Nath Govt refrained from imposing any fresh tax on the public as Finance Minister Tarun Bhanot presented a Budget of over Rs 2.33 lakh crore in MP Assembly on Wednesday. Aiming to please various sections of society, the Budget proposed to allocate Rs 132 crore for the welfare of bovines, while hiked grant to the state Waqf Board and Haj committee.It also made provisions for developing the Ram Van Gaman Path, tracing the mythological route undertaken by Ram during his years of exile in the forests of Madhya Pradesh, a prominent pre-poll promise of Nath.Presenting the first full-time budget of the Congress, back in power after a gap of 15 years, Bhanot did not announce any tax or cess, except on petrol and fuel. “We would raise revenue from revised tax structure in mining, excise and transport sector,” said the minister.Amid ruckus from the opposition, the minister announced that farm loans of 20 lakh farmers were waived off and in the second phase, Rs 8,000 crore has been provisioned for the same. The budget also raised the allocation for farmer welfare and agri-development sector by 6%. Various allocations were made for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and minorities. "Besides, the grants for the Madhya Pradesh Waqf Board and the Haj committee have been hiked. Over Rs 821 crore has been earmarked for the OBC and Minorities Department," Bhanot said.News18
Rajasthan Budget: Focus on farm sector, no new tax;Rs 10 crore for modernising madrasas
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/rajasthan-budget-focus-on-farm-sector-no-new-tax-ashok-gehlot-5824385/
Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday announced several new policies and initiatives, laying the ground for the remainder of his tenure. He tabled a populist Budget covering most sectors and demography of the state with a fiscal deficit estimated at Rs 32,678.34 crore, which is 3.19%of GSDP. Presenting his govt’s maiden Budget – following Feb’s Vote on Account/interim budget on account of impending Lok Sabha polls – Gehlot said no new tax has been imposed and instead, a relief of about Rs 301 crore in taxes has been provided. Among the sectors, Gehlot spoke on agriculture first, implying his govt’s priorities, announcing Rs 1,000 crore Farmer Welfare Fund which will aim at ‘Ease of Doing Farming’. This fund will be employed towards ensuring “reasonable” prices to farmers for their produce. He also announced ‘Zero Budget Natural Farming’ with Rs 10 crore, where initially, 20,000 farmers across 36 Gram Panchayats will be trained in traditional means of irrigation and growing natural manure. An expenditure of Rs 10 crore is also proposed for modernising madrasas in the state.indian express
Withdraw gag: Editors Guild to Finance Ministry on press entry restrictions
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/withdraw-gag-editors-guild-finance-ministry-press-entry-restrictions-journalists-banned-5824439/
New Delhi :Condemning the decision of Ministry of Finance to restrict access of govt-accredited journalists to its North Block offices to only those who have prior appointments,Editors Guild of India called it “arbitrary… a gag on media freedoms” and sought its withdrawal. Guild said it “has no dispute with the ministry that journalists should behave with restraint and responsibility while enjoying their access to the finance ministry” but “a blanket order is not the answer”.Indian Women Press Corps, Press Association and Press Club of India also issued a joint statement saying the Ministry decision is “not only arbitrary but also hampers the freedom of press”. Ministry has restricted the entry of even govt-accredited journalists unless they have prior appointments.indian express
Delhi HC asks BJP MP Harsh Vardhan to respond to plea challenging his election to Lok Sabha
https://scroll.in/latest/930179/delhi-hc-asks-bjp-mp-harsh-vardhan-to-respond-to-plea-challenging-his-election-to-lok-sabha
Delhi High Court today asked Union minister Harsh Vardhan to respond to a petition challenging his election to Lok Sabha. The plea sought that his election from the Chandni Chowk seat of Delhi be declared void. Justice Navin Chawla sent a notice to Vardhan asking for his reply to the petition, which was filed by a man claiming to be a voter from the constituency. The court listed the matter for further hearing on Sept.24.scroll.in/PTI
Kashmir a dispute between India, Pakistan; should be resolved through dialogue: Farooq Abdullah
https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/kashmir-a-dispute-between-india-pakistan-should-be-resolved-through-dialogue-farooq-abdullah/article28372487.ece?homepage=true
Srinagar:NC chief Farooq Abdullah today said Kashmir is a “dispute” between India and Pakistan which needs to be resolved through dialogue. Abdullah, MP from Srinagar said nothing would be achieved through military might.“Kashmir is a dispute between 2 countries [India and Pakistan]. The issue is still in UN. UN observers are still here and in Pakistan held Kashmir. The issue should be resolved and it will be resolved only when they talk to each other and when India will talk to people here in Kashmir and Pakistan with the people in Azad Kashmir,” he said. “Nothing will be achieved by military might or force or coercion including by NIA,” he said.PTI
Nagpur:Significance of Haj explained to women
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/significance-of-haj-explained-to-women/articleshow/70164608.cms
Nagpur: The spiritual and serene journey to Haj, an annual pilgrimage to Mecca, will commence on August 9 and culminate on August 14 this year. Wrapped in white cloth, worshippers will embark on 5-day pilgrimage, considered one of the five pillars of Islam, to the holiest city for Muslims. As per Islam, this pilgrimage is a mandatory religious duty that must be carried out once in a lifetime by every Muslim. Over 3 million Muslims from across the world will undertake this journey to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Considering a large number of women would also embark on this pilgrimage, the women’s wing of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Nagpur West organized Haj guidance camp at Markaz-e-Islami hall on Wednesday. The programme threw light on the significance and necessity of this spiritual pilgrimage and how a Muslim must visit Haj to praise the Almighty and stand true to Islamic ethics. Zeba Khan, Sajeda Parveen, Fauzia Tarannum and Azra Parveen spoke about the importance of Quran and offering Namaz during Haj. TOI
BJP sets target of winning over 1 lakh Muslims ahead of GHMC elections
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/bjp-sets-target-of-winning-over-1l-muslims-ahead-of-ghmc-elections/articleshow/70164971.cms
Hyderabad:BJP has set a target of 1 lakh membership in old city of Hyderabad in a bid to strengthen its base in Muslim-dominated areas ahead of elections to Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). Though BJP, which launched its membership drive in Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat on Wednesday, has set its eyes on the next general elections scheduled for 2024, its immediate focus is on winning over the principal minority community before the municipal polls. Hordes of BJP leaders descended on vantage points across the seven assembly segments that make up Hyderabad parliamentary constituency on Tuesday and explained to the locals about the welfare programmes launched by BJP-led Govt at Centre for the uplift of Muslims.TOI
An imam in Bengal cremates his Hindu friend
https://www.news18.com/news/india/amid-concerns-over-polarisation-in-bengal-an-imam-cremates-his-friend-chants-hari-bol-2223871.html
Kolkata: At a time when many Bengalis have expressed concerns over polarisatio, an imam in Murshidabad district performed the last rites of his Hindu friend that involved chanting of mantras. An imam at Aurangabad Jumma Masjid in north Murshidabad, busy with his morning ‘azaan’, heard that his friend Ganesh Rabi Das at Mominpara had passed away after illness.News18
WORLD
World should consider cutting ties with Israel for Palestinians: UN official
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/07/official-devises-blueprint-israeli-accountability-190711001723569.html
A UN investigator is drafting a series of steps the international community can take to deter Israel from building more settlements in the occupied West Bank and any efforts to formally annex Palestinian territory. Michael Lynk, an independent UN researcher, said the EU and some world powers should consider cutting economic, political and cultural ties with Israel in support of the Palestinian quest for statehood."International community has to look at the available menu of countermeasures that is commonly used to a wide range of countries involving gross human rights violations and has to decide what are the appropriate ones to consider to use with respect to Israel," Lynk said.The continued expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied territories is a hurdle to a future Palestinian state. Palestinians say peace with Israel can be achieved if they are given control of the occupied West Bank, Gaza Strip as well as occupied East Jerusalem.Lynk is on a week-long trip to meet Israeli and Palestinian officials and activists in Jordanian capital Amman to carry out research for a report he will submit to the UN's Human Rights Council in Oct.Lynk was holding meetings in Jordan because, as on previous visits, he was not granted access by Israeli officials.Lynk's recommendations are not legally-binding. While his requests may seem overly ambitious, Palestinian activists could well see them as a useful alternative to a formal peace process that has largely ground to a halt. Lynk said that UN members should consider everything from cutting cultural ties with Israel to suspending its membership of the world body.He emphasised the role of EU, which accounts for some 40 % of Israel's external trade and could make the flow of Israeli goods and services to the 28-nation bloc contingent on policy shifts that help Palestinians.Al Jazeera
Senior White House official declines to endorse Palestinian independence
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190711-senior-white-house-official-declines-to-endorse-palestinian-independence/
Top White House official Jason Greenblatt has once again declined to endorse Palestinian statehood in an interview with NPR.A frequent, public critic of the Palestinian Authority, Greenblatt renewed his attacks on the Palestinian leadership – “if they choose to cut us off to the detriment of their people and to the detriment of the possibility of peace, that’s their choice”, he said.“We aren’t going to give them the so-called carrots or, you know, goodies in order to buy them to come to the table, because it’s never worked before,” Greenblatt added. Pressed by NPR as to “whether the Palestinians deserve to have independence the way Israelis have independence,” White House official declined to answer in the affirmative.middleeastmonitor
Netanyahu vows never to dismantle illegal Israel settlements
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190711-netanyahu-vows-never-to-dismantle-illegal-israel-settlements/
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed never to dismantle Israel’s illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.Speaking at an event in the settlement of Revava – which forms part of the Ariel settlement bloc located off Route 60, south of Nablus– Netanyahu vowed that there would be no uprooting of Israel’s West Bank settlements as long as he remains PM. “No communities will be uprooted,” Netanyahu stressed, “not those of Jews, and by the way, not those of Arabs either. We don’t uproot people. We’re through with that nonsense. Israel under my leadership hasn’t returned and won’t return to the mistakes of the past.”MEMO
Amnesty urges TripAdvisor staff to act against Israeli settlement complicity
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190711-amnesty-urges-tripadvisor-staff-to-act-against-israeli-settlement-complicity/
Israel's right-wing nationalists target left-wing academics
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/07/israels-right-wing-nationalists-target-left-wing-academics-190711090545590.html
Israeli Govt has reportedly enlisted its intelligence agency to counteract Palestinian-led campaign against Israeli oppression.Now some academics who back the movement say they are being targeted in a so-called witch-hunt by right-wing nationalists.Im Tirtzu says it is engaged in a continual fight to preserve the Zionist state. But critics say naming and shaming individual professors is threatening the freedom of expression for Israeli academics.aljazeera
Islamist leader elected new speaker of Algeria parliament
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/07/islamist-leader-elected-speaker-algeria-parliament-190711062836518.html
Algerian legislators have elected an Islamist opposition figure as speaker of Algeria's parliament.Slimane Chenine, leader of a parliamentary alliance of 3 small Islamist parties, will replace Mouad Bouchareb of NLF, party that was led by ex president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, state TV reported.Bouchareb resigned on July 2 amid pressure from protesters and politicians, three months after Bouteflika stepped down following weeks of nationwide protests and pressure from the powerful military. Protesters have continued to take to the streets, demanding an overhaul of the political system and the removal of Bouteflika-era officials from office ahead of eventual elections.In an effort to appease demonstrators, Army Chief of Staff Ahmed Gaid Salah vowed to prosecute Govt officials and associates of the former president suspected of corruption. Movement of National Construction party is part of a parliamentary alliance of 3 small Islamist parties, which also includes Ennhada and Adala.It is the first time in the history of the Algerian parliament that a deputy of an opposition party has been elected as parliament speaker.According to his party, Chenine is a journalist and member of Association of Parliamentarians for al-Quds.aljazeera
Iranian boats attempted to impede British tanker in the Gulf: UK
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/07/iranian-boats-bid-seize-uk-tanker-gulf-officials-190711020919585.html
UK's Govt has said 3 Iranian vessels unsuccessfully tried to impede the passage of a British commercial vessel through Strait of Hormuz. UK Govt today said that Iranian ships on Wednesday only turned away after receiving "verbal warnings" from a UK navy vessel accompanying the commercial vessel British Heritage. "We are concerned by this action and continue to urge the Iranian authorities to deescalate the situation in the region," it said.Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif rejected the accusation. "Apparently British tanker has passed. What they have said themselves and the claims that have been made are for creating tension and these claims have no value," he said. IRGC also denied involvement in it.Earlier today, 2 US officials said that 5 boats believed to belong to Guards were involved in the incident. aljazeera
Yemen:Govt threatens to halt prisoner swap talks with Houthis over death sentences to 30 activists
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-07/11/c_138215942.htm
Aden:Yemen's internationally-backed Govt has threatened to suspend prisoner swap negotiations with Houthi rebels in protest against death sentences handed to 30 detainees in Sanaa."Seath sentences issued by the illegitimate Houthi court against 36 political activists in Sanaa are considered illegal," said Hadi Haig, head of the prisoner swap committee, on Twitter."Houthi actions may lead to suspending negotiations of implementing the prisoner swap deal or a complete collapse," he warned. Yemeni govt official also called on UN envoy to "stand against these illegal Houthi actions."On Tuesday, a court in Yemeni rebel-held capital Sanaa sentenced 30 people to death over charges of espionage for Saudi Arabia and its allies in the anti-Houthi military coalition fighting the Houthi rebels in Yemen. These people, mainly academics, professors and students who are members of the Al-Islah, a Yemeni political party linked to Muslim Brotherhood, were arrested during a Houthi security campaign in 2016. Amnesty condemned the trial as a "mockery of justice," urging Houthis to immediately release the 30 men.Xinhua
Amnesty accuses Egypt of ''indefinitely'' detaining dissidents
https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/amnesty-accuses-egypt-of-indefinitely-detaining-dissidents/1572564
London:Amnesty International has accused Egypt of "indefinitely" holding dissidents in prison, keeping them in detention despite court rulings ordering their release.The rights group said it documented five cases where the Supreme State Security Prosecution(SSSP) "bypassed court orders to release (dissidents) from arbitrary detention by imprisoning them in new cases based on fabricated charges".It said the "bid to keep them behind bars indefinitely" was an "alarming signal of how decayed country''s justice system has become".An Egyptian security source said fresh arrests were in line with judicial and court decisions, while provisional detention was ordered in cases of "judicial necessity".PTI
Bangladesh: SC verdict on Jamaat leader ATM Azharul’s plea against death penalty, any day
https://www.thedailystar.net/city/news/apex-court-verdict-atm-azharuls-appeal-any-day-1769635
The Supreme Court will deliver its verdict any day on the appeal filed by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam against the death penalty, handed to him by a war crimes tribunal.A 4-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice S. Mahmud Hossain, kept the appeal as CAV (Curia Advisari Vult -- meaning it will announce the verdict any day) after concluding hearing on it.The SC held hearing on the appeal for 6 days.During hearing, Azharul’s lawyer Khandaker Mahbub Hossain prayed to the SC to acquit his client of the charges, saying his client was innocent and was not involved in any crimes against humanity or war crimes.Mahbub Hossain said Govt has implicated his client after 43 years of the country’s independence out of political intention, which is unethical. Neither any case nor a general diary had been filed against ATM Azharul before 2008 on the charges brought in the case, Mahbub said, adding that Azhar was 18 years old during the 1971 War.Documents and evidence produced against Azharul in connection with the case are not believable,defence lawyer argued.the daily star
22 countries rebuke China at UN over detention of Uighurs in Xinjiang
https://www.news18.com/news/world/22-nations-rebuke-china-at-un-over-detention-of-uighurs-in-xinjiang-call-for-mass-detentions-to-be-halted-2225319.html
Geneva: Nearly 2 dozen countries have called on China to halt its mass detention of ethnic Uighurs in the Xinjiang region, the first such joint move on the issue at UNHRC, according to diplomats and a letter seen by Reuters.UN experts and activists say at least one million Uighurs and other Muslims are held in detention centres in the remote western region. China describes them as training centres helping to stamp out extremism and give people new skills.The unprecedented letter to the president of the forum, dated July 8, was signed by the ambassadors of 22 countries. Australia, Canada and Japan were among them, along with European countries including Britain, France, Germany and Switzerland, but not the US which quit the forum a year ago.Reuters
Pakistan: 14 killed and 79 injured after passenger train collides with freight train in Sadiqabad
https://scroll.in/latest/930174/pakistan-14-killed-and-79-injured-after-passenger-train-collides-with-freight-train-in-sadiqabad
At least 14 people were killed and 79 were injured after an express train collided with a freight train at the Walhar Railway Station in Pakistan’s Sadiqabad tehsil today. Rahim Yar Khan district’s DCP said all the passengers aboard Akbar Express were evacuated and track clearance operations were under way.scroll.in
Bosnia marks 24th anniversary of genocide
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/bosnia-marks-24th-anniversary-of-srebrenica-genocide/1528992
Bosnia Herzegovina today marked 24th anniversary of 1995 Srebrenica genocide by laying to rest 33 newly identified victims of the massacre in a memorial service. Every year on July 11, newly identified victims of the genocide -- which claimed the lives of over 8,300 people -- are laid to rest in a memorial cemetery in Potocari, eastern Bosnia. Thousands of visitors from various countries attend the service.The memorial center is the focal point of remembrance for friends and relatives of the victims, mostly men and boys, murdered by Bosnian Serb militias.Among guests at this year's commemoration are a Turkish delegation led by Minister Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoglu as well as onetime Serbian presidential candidate Cedomir Jovanovic. On social media, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan wrote that history will never forget the Srebrenica genocide, which claimed the lives of more than 8,300 innocent people. Anadolu
Beer got nearly one-third cheaper in Qatar, host of 2022 World Cup
https://www.livemint.com/news/india/beer-just-got-nearly-one-third-cheaper-in-qatar-host-of-the-2022-world-cup-1562728769066.html
Dubai: Qatar slashed alcohol prices after slapping on a “sin tax" over the New Year that initially almost doubled the price of a 24-pack of Heineken.The country’s sole liquor store is now offering brews for about $64 a case, a drop of some 30% that’s sure to placate fleeced locals and soccer fans already fretting about alcohol costs when attending the 2022 World Cup.Like most other countries in the oil-rich Persian Gulf, Qatar restricts alcohol sales to non-Muslim foreigners. Expats need permission from their employers to get a license that allows them access to the store that sells liquor and pork, located on the outskirts of Doha near the country’s main graveyard and church complex.Bloomberg
Flash: views & NEWS
Why CBI raid at Lawyers Collective is a witch hunt:Uttam Sengupta
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/opinion/anand-grover-and-indira-jaising-violated-the-thrust-of-fcrareads-complaint-to-cbi
Behind Mounting Muslim Protests, a Yearning to be Heard by the State Gone Deaf:Ajaz Ashraf
https://thewire.in/rights/muslim-protests-tabrez-ansari-lynching
Limited Vocabulary, Unlimited Jingoism: India's Response to UN Report on Kashmir:Aman
https://thewire.in/rights/limited-vocabulary-unlimited-jingoism-indias-response-to-un-report-on-kashmir
Mohammad Akhlaq killing, Rohith Vemula suicide were used as pretexts to 'fix' Hindu right-wing ideology:Balbir Punj
https://www.firstpost.com/india/mohammad-akhlaq-killing-rohith-vemula-suicide-were-used-as-pretexts-to-fix-hindu-right-wing-ideology-6970651.html
In Honouring Ranjit Singh, Pakistan Is Moving Beyond Conceptions of Muslim vs Sikh History:Haroon Khalid
https://thewire.in/history/pakistan-lahore-mughal-ranjit-singh-statue-sikh
Chawri Bazar: Attempt to Fuel Communal Tension Fails, Smoulder Lingers:Newsclick
https://www.newsclick.in/chawri-bazar-attempt-fuel-communal-tension-fails-smoulder-lingers
What are 10 stages of genocide? 24th anniversary of Srebrenica genocide of Bosnian Muslims
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2019/07/10-stages-genocide-190710112516344.html
World Cup Semifinal:Shami’s exclusion from playing xi irks his coach; ‘How can you drop someone who picked up 14 wickets in 4 games?'
https://www.republicworld.com/sports-news/cricket-news/world-cup-semifinal-mohammed-shamis-exclusion-from-the-playing-xi-irks-his-coach-how-can-you-drop-someone-who-picked-up-14-wickets-in-4-games-he-asks
“Budget a big joke on a huge chunk of population”, says Dalit rights activist Ashok Bharti
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/economy/budget-a-big-joke-on-a-huge-chunk-of-population-says-dalit-rights-activist-ashok-bharti
Bangladesh cannot continue hosting Rohingya:Former UN chief Ban Ki-moon
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/07/chief-bangladesh-continue-hosting-rohingya-190710191318011.html
Singapore to deport Myanmar citizens for 'funding' Rakhine rebels
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/07/singapore-deport-myanmar-citizens-funding-rakhine-rebels-190711015417302.html
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq
(Released at: 7:28 PM)
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