NEWS DIGEST, EVENING
22 OCT. 2019: 22 Safar 1441: Vol: 12, No: 43
INDIA:
Uphold right to religious freedom, protect vulnerable individuals including 1.9 million in Assam at risk for statelessness;US tells India
https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/us-on-violence-against-minorities-in-india_in_5dae656fe4b0422422ca5ddd?utm_hp_ref=in-homepage
Washington: Incidents of violence and discrimination against minorities, including attacks on Dalits and Muslims by cow vigilantes, are not in keeping with India’s legal protections for minorities, a top US diplomat told a Congressional subcommittee today. “Incidents of violence and discrimination against minorities in India, including cow vigilante attacks against members of the Dalit and Muslim communities, and the existence of anti-conversion laws in 9 states are not in keeping with India’s legal protections for minorities,” Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Alice G Wells told ubcommittee on Asia, Pacific, and Nonproliferation of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. She said US calls upon the Indian govt to “fully” uphold the universal right to religious freedom and protect vulnerable individuals, “including the 1.9 million people in Assam at risk for statelessness because of questions about their citizenship; condemn all incidents of violence; and hold perpetrators accountable”.Noting that US is proud to partner with India, Wells said its Constitution mandates a secular state that upholds the rights of all citizens to practice religion freely, freedom of expression and speech, and equal treatment before the law. PTI
Incidents of violence, discrimination not conforming to india's legal protections for minorities:US
https://www.news18.com/news/india/incidents-of-violence-discrimination-not-conforming-to-indias-legal-protections-for-minorities-says-us-2355723.html
US expresses concern over human rights situation in Kashmir and NRC
https://www.news18.com/news/india/kashmir-picture-mixed-us-urges-india-to-balance-security-priorities-with-respect-for-human-rights-2357071.html
US has urged India to balance its security priorities with respect for human rights in J&K, a top Trump administration official said on Tuesday as he expressed concern over the detention of political leaders in the state after the abrogation of Article 370."Since the August 5 revocation of Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution,we have urged Indian govt to balance its security priorities with respect for human rights," Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labour Robert Destro told a Congressional Sub-Committee here. "In August, Prime Minister Modi announced a plan to return the region to normal order, which is something we would welcome. Thus far, however, the picture remains mixed," he said in a prepared statement submitted to the Congressional subcommittee ahead of the hearing on 'Human Rights in South Asia:Views from State Department and Region', before the Subcommittee on Asia, Pacific, and Nonproliferation of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.In his maiden Congressional appearance after he was confirmed as the assistant secretary of state, Destro said that curfews have been lifted in most areas, landlines restored, and a majority of detainees released.Still, internet and mobile phone services remain blocked in some districts, he said. Reports indicate this has led to a shortage of medicines, delays in receiving healthcare, and stalled businesses. With communications blocked, local activists and journalists are not able to provide updates on the current environment in the Valley.At least 300 people remain jailed under the Public Safety Act, which allows for detention without charge for up to two years in matters of affecting national security, including politicians, lawyers, and activists, Destro said."We are concerned by the detention of local political leaders and activists, as well as the internet blackout in Jammu and Kashmir," he said. According to several reports, government has detained up to thousands of individuals since August, including over 100 mainstream politicians, although many have since been released."The government did not officially confirm these large scale detentions except those of prominent politicians, including former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, and Mehbooba Mufti, he told the lawmakers.In his remarks, Destro also expressed concern about the final draft of the updated NRC, which puts 1.9 million people at risk of statelessness in Assam."The appeals process may disadvantage poor and illiterate populations who lack documentation. It is also unclear how the appeals process will be able to proceed in the allotted time-frame. We are closely following this situation and urge the Government of India to take these issues into consideration," he added. news18/PTI
US Lawmakers express concern over human rights situation in Kashmir
https://www.news18.com/news/world/us-lawmakers-express-concern-over-human-rights-situation-in-kashmir-2357075.html
India needs to address US Congress, govt with some “depth, clarity” on J&K issue: ex-envoy Roemer
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/us-congress-needs-to-know-whats-going-on-in-kashmir-ex-envoy-roemer/article29769881.ece?homepage=true
India needs to address US Congress and the government with some “depth and clarity” on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir, a ex US envoy said. According to Timothy Roemer, who served in US Congress from 1991 to 2003 and was Ambassador to India from 2009 to 2011, American Congressmen who are expressing concern about human rights issues are addressing “shared values” between the two countries. thehindu
Malaysian PM stands by his remark on Kashmir, says ‘we speak our minds’
https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/malaysian-pm-stands-by-his-remark-on-kashmir-says-we-speak-our-minds/article29769922.ece?homepage=true
A defiant Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Tuesday said he stands by his remarks on Kashmir, asserting that he speaks his mind and does not retract and change, days after India expressed regret over his statement.Raising the Kashmir issue at the UN General Assembly last month, Mahathir alleged that India has invaded and occupied Jammu and Kashmir and asked New Delhi to work with Pakistan to resolve the issue. He said the people of Kashmir had benefited from the resolution of UN, and that we should all abide, not just India and Pakistan, but even US and other countries. Earlier this month, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said India and Malaysia have traditionally enjoyed good and friendly ties. “We deeply regret these comments since they are not based on facts,” he said. Acknowledging the strained diplomatic relations between Malaysia and India over his remarks, Mahathir said that it is necessary to speak out on the issues, even though such remarks could be disliked by some.PTI
‘English-speaking liberal media’ didn’t present ‘fair picture’ on Art 370: Jaishankar
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/article-370-jammu-kashmir-s-jaishankar-6080866/
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that by the time he visited the United States following the abrogation of Article 370 provisions that granted a special status to J&K, “English-speaking liberal media” posed a much more difficult challenge than others. He alleged that they had “preset views” and did not present a “fair picture”. Jaishankar, who made the comments while speaking at US-India strategic partnership forum in New Delhi, asserted that the change in Article 370 of the Constitution was India’s “internal business”.indianexpress
7th pay commission: J&K, Ladakh govt employees to get salaries as per 7th CPC
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/7th-pay-commission-govt-employees-of-j-k-ladakh-uts-to-get-salaries-as-per-7th-cpc-6082008/
New Delhi:In a move that will benefit 4.5 lakh government staffers, the Home Ministry on Tuesday announced that employees of the proposed Union territories— J&K and Ladakh — would get salaries as per 7th Pay Commission recommendations from Oct 31.“Union Home Minister Amit Shah has approved the proposal of payment of all 7th CPC allowances to the government employees of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh, which shall come into existence from October 31,” an official statement said.The move is estimated to cost the government around Rs 4,800 crore annually and will include all other allowances, including children education allowance, hostel allowance, transport allowance, LTC, fixed medical allowance to the employees.indianexpress
At hamlet near LoC,16-yr calm shattered in one night
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/at-hamlet-near-loc-16-year-calm-shattered-in-one-night-6081091/
Gundshaat: Saika Sidiq watched helplessly as the house of Parvez Ahmed went up in flames on Saturday night. Her marriage was scheduled later this month and items for the wedding had been kept in Ahmed’s house. Saika’s father Mohammad Sidiq stepped out to douse the flames, but before he could reach Ahmed’s house, a mortar shell landed near him and killed him. Gundshaat, a hamlet less than 2 km from LoC, had been calm since India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire in 2003, but Saturday night changed that — a villager was killed, three injured and more than a dozen houses damaged by mortar shells fired from across LoC.One of the houses belonged to Ahmad, a cousin of Sidiq. Sidiq’s daughter Saika was to get married on Oct.29 and he had stocked wedding gifts and other items in his cousin’s house.“There is a tradition in our village that we buy things like, refrigerator, washing machine etc, for the bride,” said Saika’s mother Nasreena Bano. “When the house caught fire, he (Sidiq) rushed out to extinguish it but a shell landed right then and he was killed.”“My husband became a victim of conflict between the two countries. Everything is finished now. I don’t know how I will be able to marry off my four daughters now. He (Sidiq) was the only earning member.” indian express
Pakistan invites Indian envoy to visit LoC over attack on terror launchpads in PoK
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/pakistan-invites-indian-envoy-to-visit-loc-over-attack-on-terror-launchpads-in-pok-1611632-2019-10-21
In a bid to refute India's claim of targeting terror launch pads along LoC, Pakistan has invited all foreign missions in Islamabad to visit the areas and observe the ground situation.Interestingly, Pakistan has also sent out an invitation to Indian Deputy High Commissioner Gaurav Ahluwalia, inviting him to join other foreign missions during the visit to the areas India claims were terror launch pads."Gaurav Ahluwalia, acting Indian High Commissioner in Pakistan, along with other heads of the diplomatic mission in Islamabad have been invited to give them a first-hand account of the ground situation at LoC," said a diplomatic source.Pakistan has also held a session with the permanent members of the United Nations (P5), urging them to pressure India for concrete evidence of terror presence.indiatoday
Kartarpur corridor pact to be signed at 'zero point', India and Pakistan officials won't cross border
https://www.news18.com/news/india/kartarpur-corridor-pact-to-be-signed-on-zero-point-india-and-pakistan-officials-wont-cross-border-2357067.html
Clearing the decks for the opening of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor, India and Pakistan will sign the final agreement on October 24 at the 'zero point' on the border near the Dera Baba Nanak. The choice of the spot to finally sign the agreement means that officials won’t have to cross over and also hints that both sides aren’t keen on holding a proper ceremony for it.The signing of the pact, after protracted negotiations during which Pakistan refused to drop a $20 fee, will allow Indian pilgrims to take the cross-border corridor to Darbar Sahib gurdwara in Kartarpur, where Guru Nanak spent the final years of his life. Both countries are expected to hold events on November 9 to mark the opening of their sections of the corridor, but there would not be any joint event, sources have said.news18
J&K: More than 260 public figures urge President Kovind to get local council polls postponed
https://scroll.in/latest/941384/j-k-more-than-260-public-figures-urge-president-kovind-to-get-local-council-polls-postponed
More than 260 public figures on Tuesday appealed to President Ram Nath Kovind to urge authorities in Jammu and Kashmir to postpone the Block Development Council elections till the situation in the state normalises.The local council elections are scheduled to be held October 24. Votes will be counted the same day.Some of the prominent people who signed a letter are professors Ayesha Kidwai, Jayati Ghosh, Jean Dreze and Nandini Sundar, human rights activists Bezwada Wilson and Harsh Mander, and journalists P Sainath and Paranjoy Guha Thakurta.scroll
ASSEMBLY POLLS
Axis India Today exit poll predicts hung House in Haryana, strong showing by Congress
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/axis-india-today-exit-poll-predicts-hung-house-in-haryana-strong-showing-by-congress
Axis My India —India Today exit poll on Tuesday predicted a hung Assembly in Haryana, with BJP and the Congress projected to get 33 and 32 per cent vote share respectively.This would see BJP winning 32-44 seats in the 90 seat Assembly( in 2014 Assembly election it had bagged 47 seats) while the Congress is projected to win 30-42 seats opposed to the 15 seats it had won in 2014.BJP’s vote share in 2014 was 33% while Congress had secured 21% of the votes then. ‘Others’ had won 28 seats with a vote share of 46 per cent then.Tweeted Rajdeeep Sardesai, Consulting Editor at the India Today group: ‘The Axis My India @IndiaToday exit poll shows that Jats have consolidated behind Cong and JJP. If Jat vote splits, BJP will be ahead even now…if it doesn’t, BJP will be in trouble….’Journalist Prashant Kumar tweeted: ‘So, India Today predicts a hung assembly in Haryana! BJP: 32-44 Cong: 30-42 JJP: 6-10 Others: 6-10 All other exit polls have predicted a landslide victory for BJP in Haryana!’nationalheraldindia
Maharashtra villagers claim any vote cast went in BJP's favour
https://www.news18.com/news/politics/maharashtra-villagers-claim-any-vote-cast-went-in-bjps-favour-poll-officer-denies-2356721.html
Pune: Voters in a Maharashtra village have alleged EVM malfunction during Lok Sabha bypoll on Monday, saying it resulted in votes cast for any candidate going to BJP's account, a claim denied by election officials.NCP legislator Shahshikant Shinde said he was witness to such a thing happening when he visited the polling booth in Navlewadi village of Koregaon tehsil in Satara district.Kirti Nalawade, the returning officer for the Koregaon Assembly segment in Western Maharashtra, where this village is located, refuted the claim.Shinde said the Election Commission should take a serious note of this incident and initiate steps to check its recurrence. Villagers said votes cast in favour of NCP nominee Srinivas Patil were going into "account" of BJP candidate Udayanraje Bhosale, a claim the district election officials rejected.Shinde said when he reached the polling station and raised the issue with the election officials from the booth, they hurriedly changed the EVM machine.PTI
Barring 3 seats, poll turnout dips in Mumbai's minority pockets
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/barring-3-seats-poll-turnout-dips-in-mumbais-minority-pockets/articleshow/71698247.cms
Mumbai: Voting percentages in several of Mumbai's 10-odd constituencies with Muslim concentrations were lower than the city's average turnout of 50.5%. Overall, 14 of the city's 36 assembly constituencies had lower-than-average turnouts, the bulk of which have large Muslim pockets. Nevertheless, two seats with Muslim-majority populations, Chandivli and Anushakti Nagar, registered not only above-average turnouts, but also vastly improved their voting percentages over the 2014 state assembly elections.In Chandivli, where Congress's four-time MLA and former cabinet minister Naseem Khan contested against Shiv Sena's Dilip Lande, a huge turnout jump was registered, with 52.3% of electorate exercising their franchise this time as compared to 44.3% in 2014 assembly polls. In Anushakti Nagar, the corresponding figures were 55.3% and 46.7%.The other constituencies with Muslim dominance or concentration are Mankhurd, Mumbadevi, Byculla, Dharavi, Goregaon, Versova, Bandra West, Andheri West and Colaba. In Mankhurd, too, turnout rose substantially, from 41.3% in 2014 to 44.8% this time, though it remained lower than the city average. The seat has been bagged twice by Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi, who contested from the constituency a third time. In most of the other seats with Muslim concentrations, turnouts were much lower than in 2014 and also the 2019 city average.On Chandivli, sitting MLA Naseem Khan, a prominent face in state politics, told TOI, "People have supported and voted for me since they know my work. We have 365 days of connectivity with our voters. In our constituency, we work for everyone, for all communities. Our constituency also maintains communal harmony, as we work for the redevelopment of places of worship belonging to all religions."TOI
Maharashtra elections: FIR against encounter cop for rioting, violating rules
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/maharashtra-elections-fir-against-encounter-cop-for-rioting-violating-rules/articleshow/71681307.cms
Retired encounter specialist and Sena candidate from Nalasopara, Pradeep Sharma was booked on Saturday for rioting, disobedience, and violating the unlawful assembly order of the collector. Nearly 70 others were booked with him.Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) workers blocked Sharma's six-car cavalcade in Nilemore village on Saturday night. They alleged that Sharma brought in Rs 25 crore to distribute to voters. The workers said police allowed the money to enter the area in vegetable trucks and milk vans from Mumbai. They said a complaint was filed with the EC. Sharma denied the charges, and said that BVA was spreading rumours as they were afraid of losing.TOI
OTHERS
Facebook, WhatsApp access to govt to be studied by Supreme Court
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/supreme-court-to-examine-whether-facebook-whatsapp-should-give-govt-access-to-private-chats/article29766900.ece?homepage=true
The Supreme Court has decided to examine whether social media intermediaries such as Facebook and WhatsApp should facilitate the State to access encrypted and private conversations of citizens, purportedly to fight crime and terror.A Bench of Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose on Tuesday transferred to itself several pending cases in various High Courts on the issue and scheduled the hearing for January 2020 last week before an appropriate Bench.The court is waiting for the Centre to notify the revised Information Technology Intermediaries Guidelines (Amendment) Rules by January 15. These Rules, said the government, were borne out of the present day neeed to usher in a stricter regime and more cooperation to combat the spread of pornography, sedition, hate, fake news, “anti-national activities and terror” online.Justice Bose said the issue concerned individual privacy versus national interest.“A terrorist cannot claim privacy,” submitted Attorney General of India K.K. Venugopal, along with Tamil Nadu Advocate General Vijay Narayan and Additional Advocate General Balaji Srinivasan. Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta said the government’s move to gain more access into social media was not a “ploy” and was triggered by a deep concern for the sovereignty of the nation. It was stemmed out of national interest.The court hearing was based on a petition filed by Facebook for transfer of pleas concerning the linking of social media accounts to Aadhaar. thehindu
Linking social media profiles with Aadhaar: SC transfers to itself all cases pending before HCs
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/71702818.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
2 weeks after promising Karnataka NRC 'soon', Yediyurappa govt rolls back decision
https://thewire.in/government/yediyurappa-karnataka-nrc
New Delhi: The Karnataka government has decided to put its earlier plan of implementing an exercise similar to NRC in Assam on hold and instead focus only on creating a database of immigrants who have entered the state without necessary documents.The decision, according to media reports, was taken partly because of the practical difficulties in preparing and maintaining an exhaustive registry. Times of India has quoted the state home minister Basavaraj Bommai as having said, “We are considering compiling details of citizens [which will] help the government in tracking down illegal and overstaying foreign nationals.”Only a fortnight ago, Bommai had claimed that an exercise to compile the NRC would soon be taken up in the state. In his announcement Bommai had also claimed that similar plans are underway in other states too and that the NRC is a pan-India plan. The B.S. Yediyurappa government in Karnataka was one of the first states to have taken a cue from Assam’s NRC drive and announce a similar one. It has also set up a detention centre in Nelamagala in rural Bengaluru.The Bengaluru detention centre, according to a report in The Federal, is apparently considered to be the first step towards the larger vision of the BJP, which said in its 2019 election manifesto that it would compile NRCs across the country and deport undocumented immigrants, particularly those from Bangladesh. Thewire
Mamata: No question of constructing any detention camp in Bengal
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/kolkata/mamata-banerjee-west-bengal-nrc-detention-camp-6082652/
Kolkata :West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday clarified that the government would not allow setting up of detention centres in the state while once again asserting that NRC would not be carried out in Bengal.Speaking at an administrative review meeting in Siliguri, Banerjee said, “I say this with all responsibility and in the presence of all government officers that we have no plans to carry out NRC in our state. A state government looks after policy implementation. NRC was held in Assam as it was a part of Assam Accord and there is a BJP government there. But here, we run the government. So the question of constructing any detention camp does not arise.”Mamata further said the Trinamool Congress had opposed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in Parliament as it should not be implemented on the basis of religion.indianexpress
No govt jobs for those with over 2 kids in Assam
https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/no-government-jobs-for-those-with-more-than-two-kids-in-assam/1742549/
Assam Cabinet has decided that no government jobs will be given to persons having more than two children after January 1, 2021. The important decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting held late Monday evening that also adopted a New Land Policy, which will give three bighas of agricultural land to landless indigenous people and half a bigha for constructing a house.A communique from the Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal’s public relations cell stated that those having more than two children will not be considered for government jobs with effect from January 1, 2021 as per the small family norm.In September 2017, the Assam Assembly had passed the ‘Population and Women Empowerment Policy of Assam’ that specified that job candidates with two children only would be eligible for government employment and the existing government staff were to strictly follow the two children family norm.“New Land Policy was adopted. Three bighas of land will be given to landless indigenous people. Landless people will be offered half a bigha to construct their houses. These cannot be sold for 15 years,”CMO statement said. Cabinet meeting also decided to increase the bus fares in the state by 25 per cent, it added.PTI
NCRB leaves out data on lynchings, khap and religious killings
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/ncrb-leaves-out-data-on-lynchings-khap-and-religious-killings-6081188/
New Delhi : NCRB released its latest data on crime incidents across the country on Monday, more than a year behind schedule. Officials said data collected under new sub-heads of death due to mob lynching, murder by influential people, killing ordered by khap panchayat and murder committed for religious reason have not been published, resulting in partial delay of the agency’s report for 2017.The new report has largely followed the pattern of the 2016 edition, barring additions in the category of cyber crimes and offences against the state. Sources said the agency had begun a massive data revamp exercise under ex NCRB Director Ish Kumar. It was under him that the bureau revised the proforma under the category of murder and added new sub-heads of mob lynching and murder for religious reasons among others. “It is surprising that this data has not been published. This data was ready and fully compiled and analysed. Only the top brass would know the reason why it has not been published,” an official privy to the data collection process said.The decision to collect data on lynchings had been taken in the wake of a spate of lynching incidents across the country through 2015-16. The idea, officials said, was that such data collection would help the government formulate its policies better in tackling these crimes. Lynchings happen for a variety of reasons which include suspicion of theft, child lifting, cattle smuggling or communal reasons, officials said. According to latest NCRB report, there has been a 30 per cent rise in incidents of offences against the state as compared to 2016. This category includes offences such as sedition, waging war against the country and damage to public property among others. The data shows that against 6,986 offences in 2016, there were 9,013 such offences in 2017.The maximum number of such offences were reported from Haryana (2,576) followed by UP (2,055). However, in both these states the high number of offences was largely due to acts of damage to public property.indianexpress
INX Media case: Chidambaram gets bail in CBI case, to remain in ED custody
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/supreme-court-grants-chidambaram-bail-in-inx-media-case-6081662/
The Supreme Court Tuesday granted bail to Congress leader and ex finance minister P Chidambaram in connection with INX Media case. The apex court said Chidambaram, 74, could be released from Tihar if he is not wanted in any other case. It added that its judgment would not have any bearing on any other proceedings. Chidambaram is currently in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate which arrested him last week. A bench headed by Justice R Banumathi and comprising Justices AS Bopanna and Hrishikesh Roy directed Chidambaram to deposit his passport and said he could not leave the country without obtaining permission from the Court. It also ordered him to furnish a bond of Rs one lakh and two sureties. indian express
Kamlesh Tiwari killing: ‘Suspect forged Aadhaar card to enter his party fold’
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/kamlesh-tiwari-killing-suspect-forged-aadhaar-card-to-enter-his-party-fold-6081166/
Surat: One of the main suspects in Kamlesh Tiwari murder case, Ashfaq Shaikh (33), had forged a colleague’s Aadhaar card to assume a new identity as Rohit Kumar Solanki for joining Tiwari’s Hindu Samaj Party (HSP). He joined the party on June 3 this year, and was appointed pracharak of its IT cell in Varachha ward of Surat. Shaikh and another suspect, Farid Pathan alias Moinudddin, are suspected to have carried out the killing in Lucknow on Oct.18. Both are on the run. Rohit Kumar Solanki works as a medical representative in the pharmaceutical company in which Shaikh was team leader-cum-manager. In the forged Aadhaar card, Solanki’s photograph was replaced with Shaikh’s photograph, while the rest of the details were left untouched. “I have been working with Shaikh for the last 2-and-a-half years…On Sunday, I came to know, through social media, that my Aadhaar card had been misused by him… He would keep all the medical representatives’ documents with him. I have submitted a complaint to Varachha police station,” Solanki said.While the pharma company is headquartered in Mumbai, Shaikh was in charge of its sales in Surat. Shaikh also opened a Facebook account as Solanki, with his own photograph as the profile picture. He then became friends with Jaimin Dave alias Bapu, Gujarat head of HSP, on Facebook. He later met Dave in Ahmedabad and expressed interest in joining party. On June 3, Dave inducted him into the party, and appointed him pracharak of IT cell in Varachha ward. According to sources in HSP, Shaikh, as Solanki, met Tiwari in the last week of June. Before leaving Surat last week, he reportedly called up Tiwari and told him that he would meet him in Lucknow to discuss plans to expand the party in Surat. After reaching Lucknow on Oct.17, he reportedly called up Tiwari again, and confirmed that he would meet him the next day.“We collect the Aadhaar card and photographs of those willing to join our party, for our records. On the basis of Aadhaar card, we took permission from our national president, Guruji (Tiwari), and later appointed Rohit Kumar Solanki (Ashfaq Shaikh), as our organisation member. When, he sent me a friend request on Facebook, many HSP workers were already on his friends’ list,” Dave posted on Facebook on Sunday.“Keeping all these things in mind, we appointed him as a member. We carried out all legal procedures. We have now come to know that he had submitted a forged Aadhaar card… On Saturday, we submitted all the documents, including a copy of this forged Aadhaar card, to Gujarat ATS,” he said.Dave said Shaikh, as Solanki, was in touch with the organisation’s office-bearers across the country. Dave was not available for comment on Monday.Shaikh’s wife, Mehjabin, said he told her that he was going to Chandigarh for a job interview. “On Wednesday, he told me he would be going with his friend, Farid. They left on Wednesday night. I tried to contact him on Thursday, but his cellphone was switched off. On Friday night, Farid’s brother came to my house and told me that Shaikh wanted to talk to me. I spoke to him briefly… I later tried to contact on the number from which he had called, but it was switched off,” she said.indianexpress
Ayodhya verdict: Muslim parties, VHP cancel all programmes planned in anticipation of favourable judgment to maintain harmony
https://www.firstpost.com/india/ayodhya-verdict-muslim-parties-vhp-cancel-all-programmes-planned-in-anticipation-of-favourable-judgment-to-maintain-harmony-7533221.html
Ayodhya: Reciprocating Muslims' gestures to preserve peace and communal harmony in Ayodhya after the Supreme Court verdict on the title suit over the disputed Babri Masjid land is delivered, VHP on Monday announced the cancellation of all its programmes proposed after the ruling. For the maintenance of peace and communal harmony post-ruling, the Muslim parties to the title suit earlier had announced deferring the construction of Masjid at the disputed site in Ayodhya if the verdict goes in their favour. 2 communities have put their best foot forward even as the Ayodhya police is making its own concerted efforts to ensure that no communal trouble erupts after the apex court delivers its verdict on the vexed issue."All of our proposed programmes and different activities of our various outfits regarding the upcoming Ayodhya verdict next month have been cancelled," VHP's Uttar Pradesh spokesman Sharad Sharma told PTI. Reciprocating the Muslim parties gesture, Sharma added, "Whether the verdict be in favour of Hindus or Muslims, it is the high time that both communities must present greatest example of harmony and brotherhood.""We all must have to ensure that no such incident should occur that mix venom in the cordial relation between two communities," he added.2 days ago, Muslim parties to the suit announced deferring the construction of the mosque in Ayodhya even if they win the case.Amid the two communities taking up measures to preserve the communal harmony after the Ayodhya verdict, the police too are beefing up security in the town, besides taking up several inter-community coordination steps for the purpose. PTI
Muslims should hand over all disputed sites to Hindus: Waseem Rizvi
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/ayodhya-case-muslims-should-hand-over-all-disputed-sites-to-hindus-up-shia-waqf-board-chief-6081146/
Lucknow : Muslims should give up their claim on all disputed sites and also hand over the places to Hindus to “correct the mistakes of ancestors,” Uttar Pradesh Shia Waqf Board chairman Waseem Rizvi said Monday. Rizvi said the need for such an appeal arose after reports of Sunnis seeking permission to offer namaz on disputed structures. He added that if all such issues were not resolved, some other similar dispute may crop up even after the Ayodhya issue is resolved. He made the appeal in a video circulated on social media.In his appeal, Rizvi claimed that there were 11 such major disputed sites across the country, including those in Mathura, Varanasi and Jaunpur.Rizvi also claimed that while all the churches that were destroyed to build mosques had been reconstructed and restored, “now was the time to give back land of temples, which was taken by Mughals”.indian express
Gujarat has highest number of Pakistani undertrial prisoners in India: NCRB
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/state-has-highest-number-of-pakistani-undertrial-prisoners-in-india-ncrb-6080982/
Ahmedabad :Gujarat has the highest number of undertrial prisoners who are Pakistani nationals compared to other states, according to crime and prison statistics of 2017 made public by NCRB on Monday. The state has 59 Pakistani undertrial prisoners out of the total 101 overseas prisoners in the state, it said.While the state’s statistics show there were 80 undertrial prisoners under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the data shows zero convicts under this law in the period covered.The number of Pakistani undertrials account for nearly 74 per cent of the total 80 undertrials in the state who are foreign nationals. Jammu and Kashmir has the second-highest Pakistani national undertrials at 35, according to NCRB data.The foreign nationals in state prisons include 11 from Bangladesh, eight from Nigeria, one from Nepal and one undertrial recorded as “other foreign national”. Of the total 21 overseas convicts, seven were recorded to be from Pakistan, two from Africa, other than Nigeria, four from Bangladesh, two from the Middle-East, two from Nepal, one from Nigeria and three “other foreign nationals”.The data between January 1 and December 31, 2017 shows Gujarat ranking fourth among 29 states in Special and Local Laws (SLL) Crimes. In terms of absolute numbers, 2,06,024 SLL cases were reported in the period, which is a decrease from 3,07,108 cases in 2015. Gujarat’s local laws include the liquor prohibition law.indianexpress
ECONOMY
Bank strike: Services of state-run lenders disrupted in parts of India due to anti-merger protest
https://scroll.in/latest/941358/bank-strike-services-of-state-run-lenders-in-parts-of-india-disrupted-due-to-anti-merger-protest
Operations in state-run banks in some parts of India were disrupted on Tuesday after two bank unions called a one-day nationwide strike to protest against the Centre’s move to merge 10 public sector banks into four entities, PTI reported. The All India Bank Employees Association and the Bank Employees Federation of India organised the protest against bank mergers and falling deposit rates. Some of their demands are recovery of bad loans, stringent action against defaulters, and job security, ANI reported.Services such as cash deposit, withdrawal from counters, and cheque clearances were impeded. However, branches of public sectors banks in urban areas were operational.“Merger of banks is totally unwarranted in India as we need more banking services and opening of more branches to serve the people,” All India Bank Employees Association General Secretary CH Venkatachalam told PTI. He said the merger had resulted in closure of branches, and added that it was a wrong decision.scroll
PMC bank: 73-year-old talks to daughter hit by scam, dies of cardiac arrest
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/pmc-bank-73-year-old-talks-to-daughter-hit-by-scam-dies-of-cardiac-arrest-6081524/
Mumbai :In another death linked to the PMC Bank scam, a 73-year-old woman passed away due to cardiac arrest in Solapur after speaking to her Mumbaibased daughter, who has an account with bank.Bharati Sadarangani (73), who passed away on Sunday afternoon, was under a lot of stress over her daughter’s situation, as per her son-in-law Chandan Chotrani.“My wife and I had accounts at the PMC Bank. All of our life savings are in the bank,” he said. The Chotranis had around Rs 2.25 crore in the bank. “My wife Hema had been sharing her worries with her mother, who called to check on us daily,” he said. Chotrani, who lives in Mulund, had booked an international travel ticket two days before the RBI imposed restrictions on PMC Bank.indian express
Bengal BJP leaders told not to attack Abhijit Banerjee, may have negative impact in state polls
https://www.news18.com/news/politics/bengal-bjp-leaders-told-not-to-attack-abhijit-banerjee-may-have-negative-impact-in-state-polls-2355485.html
Kolkata: Notwithstanding the criticism of Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee by a section of its leaders, the BJP in West Bengal has asked its members to refrain from making any "unwarranted" remark against the economist, who has achieved a cult status in the state for his rare feat.A senior functionary of the Bengal BJP said on Monday that the derogatory statements made against the economist, who has his roots in Kolkata, would have a negative impact on the party in the state where it is making an all-out effort to unseat the TMC and seize power in the 2021 assembly polls.According to state BJP sources, the "unsavoury" comments by a section of state and central leaders against Banerjee have not gone down well with the people of Bengal. The criticism has been perceived as an attempt to fuel "anti-Bengali" sentiments, they maintained.
PM Meets Abhijit Banerjee, Cracks Joke on Media 'Trapping' Him Into Making Anti-Modi Remarks
https://thewire.in/government/narendra-modi-abhijit-banerjee-meet
Infosys shares take worst dive in 6 years after whistleblower complaint
https://thewire.in/business/infosys-shares-take-worst-dive-in-six-years-after-whistleblower-complaint
New Delhi: Shares of IT major Infosys nosedived by as much as 15% on Bombay Stock Exchange on Tuesday morning, after a whistleblower complaint regarding alleged lapses in corporate governance were made public on Monday.The stock recovered slightly after that and by 12:11 pm, it was trading at Rs 655.50, down 14% and over Rs 108 from its opening price.The company is facing a new round of whistleblower complaints that allege a lack of corporate governance and the possibility of its financial accounts having been dressed up by CEO Salil Parekh.In a statement issued on Monday, Infosys said that the complaints will be examined by the board’s audit committee as per established practice.thewire
WORLD
Erdogan,Putin hold talks as truce in Syria set to expire
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/10/erdogan-putin-meet-truce-northeast-syria-set-expire-191022065737650.html
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is holding talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, at the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Tuesday, hours before a ceasefire between Turkish and Kurdish forces in northern Syria is set to expire. Putin and Erdogan's talks will focus on "normalising the situation" in northeast Syria, according to the Kremlin.There has been relative calm in northeast Syria since Turkey agreed on Thursday to a 120-hour pause in hostilities to allow Kurdish-led fighters Ankara considers "terrorists" to withdraw from the border area. US-brokered truce is set to expire at 19:00 GMT on Tuesday."The situation in the region is very severe," Putin told Erdogan as talks began in Sochi. He added that the good rapport between Russia and Turkey, which back opposing sides in Syria's war, "will let us find an answer to even the most difficult questions".
A small group of US soldiers will remain in Syria, says Trump, defends decision to pull out troops
https://scroll.in/latest/941348/a-small-group-of-us-soldiers-will-remain-in-syria-says-trump-defends-decision-to-pull-out-troops
United States President Donald Trump has said some American soldiers will remain in Syria despite his administration’s decision to withdraw military forces from the Syria-Turkey border, BBC reported on Tuesday. Trump said a small group of soldiers would be stationed at oil fields while others would be deployed near Israel and Jordan.This came hours after United States Defence Secretary Mark Esper revealed that the Trump administration was contemplating about leaving some soldiers behind in North Syria, The Washington Post reported. “The troops in those towns are not in the present phase of withdrawal,” Esper said during a visit to Saudi Arabia, according to The Guardian. “A purpose of those forces, working with the SDF [Kurd-led Syrian Democratic Forces] is to deny access to those oilfields by Isis and others who may benefit.”
Thousands Protest Against Bangladesh Police After it Shot Dead 4 in Deadly Riots
https://www.news18.com/news/world/thousands-protest-against-bangladesh-police-after-it-shot-dead-4-in-deadly-riots-2355967.html
Thousands protested against police across Bangladesh on Monday, a day after at least 4 people died when officers fired on a crowd in one of the country's deadliest religious riots to date.Some 20,000 Muslims called for the execution of a young Hindu man on Bhola island Sunday for writing Facebook messages that allegedly defamed the Prophet, with police saying they opened fire after rocks were thrown at officers.Four people died and nearly 50 were injured, with at least seven in a critical condition in hospital.Mob attacks over online posts perceived to be blasphemous have emerged as a major headache for security forces in Bangladesh, where Muslims make up some 90 percent of the country's 168 million people.The deaths sparked a new round of protests late Sunday and on Monday as thousands of Muslims across several cities shouted slogans and called for the officers involved to be put on trial.AFP
Taliban attack kills 15 policemen in Afghanistan
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/10/taliban-attack-kills-15-policemen-north-afghanistan-191022075956988.html
Taliban stormed a checkpoint in northern Afghanistan killing at least 15 policemen in the latest attack by the armed group, an official said on Tuesday. The multi-pronged attack on the checkpoint in the Ali Abad district of northern Kunduz province began late on Monday and set off an hours-long shootout, according to Ghulam Rabani Rabani, a provincial council member.Along with the 15 policemen killed, two other officers were wounded in the assault, he said. The attack came as Afghan troops have been battling Taliban for the past few weeks in Kunduz's Dashti Archi and Imam Sahib districts, Rabani added.Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the checkpoint attack.aljazeera
US cutting troops but ‘still committed’ to Afghan solution: Esper
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/10/cutting-troops-still-committed-afghan-solution-esper-191022123916622.html
US is trying to reassure allies in Afghanistan that it is committed to finding a political solution to years of fighting, despite the fact it is reducing the number of troops in the country.Defence chief Mark Esper made the comments during an unannounced visit to Kabul.aljazeera
Israel's Benny Gantz: Political novice trying to oust Netanyahu
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/10/israel-benny-gantz-political-novice-oust-netanyahu-191022112028845.html
Former armed forces chief Benny Gantz has a shot at ending Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's record-breaking term in office but faces a tough battle ahead.Netanyahu suffered an important defeat in his bid to hang on as premier by failing to form a new government.Gantz is now expected to be given the chance to try and negotiate a coalition by President Reuven Rivlin, but a deadlock following September 17 polls remains and yet another election cannot be ruled out.It would be the third election within a year after Netanyahu also failed to form a coalition after April polls.Netanyahu's decision to inform Rivlin on Monday night that he was unable to form a government by no means signalled the end of his tenure as Israel's longest-serving prime minister.He remains prime minister as long as no new government is formed, and several scenarios exist that could see him retain his post even as he faces the possibility of corruption charges in the weeks ahead.One of the few things that are clear in Israel's post-electoral morass is that Netanyahu, who celebrated his 70th birthday on Monday, is not giving up.aljazeera
Canada Election Results: Justin Trudeau Wins Second Term As Prime Minister But Loses Majority
https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/canada-election-results-justin-trudeau-wins-second-term-as-prime-minister_in_5daed361e4b08cfcc321d09f?utm_hp_ref=in-homepage
Justin Trudeau has won a second term as Canada’s PM – but has lost his majority in parliament. With the results from the election still trickling in on Tuesday morning, Trudeau’s Liberal party had 157 seats – 13 short of the 170 needed for a majority. It means that the PM – who saw his popularity drop during the election campaign after photos of him in brownface and blackface emerged – will have to rely on an opposition party to pass legislation. Speaking on results,Trudeau said Canadians had “rejected division and negativity”.Huffingtonpost
Flash: NEWS, views, Articles
Invoking God in school and college songs, in any language, does not violate any law:Tahir Mahmood
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/dont-sing-in-pilibhit-6080917/
Umar Khalid: Why I, a Leftist, participated in a Twitter trend praising the Prophet:Umar Khalid
https://theprint.in/opinion/umar-khalid-leftist-participated-in-twitter-trend-praising-prophet/309339/
Climate change and nuclear conflict between India, Pakistan are real dangers:Karan Singh
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/climate-change-india-pakistan-nuclear-conflict-kashmir-special-status-article-370-paris-accord-6080912/
Twitter Sleeping Through Rabid Anti Muslim Hate Is Frankly Infuriating: Rachna Khaira
https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/twitter-sleeping-through-rabid-anti-muslim-hate-is-frankly-infuriating_in_5daf06b1e4b0422422cbf4e2
Watch | Harish Salve on Why the Supreme Court Is Unlikely to Void Article 370 Move:Karan Thapar
https://thewire.in/law/harish-salve-supreme-court-article-370-kashmir
Blacklist: Many Muslims listed by World-Check without evidence
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/10/blacklist-muslims-listed-world-check-evidence-191022115529354.html
‘My World Has Gone Dark’: Report Highlights Pellet Horror in Kashmir:Zafar Aafaq | Caravan Daily
https://caravandaily.com/my-world-has-gone-dark-report-highlights-pellet-horror-in-kashmir/
BJP-RSS Bharat Ratna Nominee, Savarkar, Ran Coalition Govts with Muslim League:Shamsul Islam | Caravan Daily
https://caravandaily.com/bjp-rss-bjp-rss-bharat-ratna-nominee-savarkar-ran-coalition-govts-with-muslim-league-ratna-nominee-savarkar-ran-coalition-govts-with-muslim-league/
Inscriptions say it's 'Babri masjid', ASI failed to prove temple destroyed to build it: Sunni Waqf Board
http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2019/oct/21/inscriptions-say-its-babri-masjid-asi-failed-to-prove-temple-destroyed-to-build-it--sunni-waqf-board-2050801.html
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 9:12 PM)
Posts
0 comments:
Post a comment