25 NOV. 2019: 27 Rabiul Awwal 1441: Vol: 12, No: 66
INDIA: MAHARASHTRA POLITICS
SC reserves order on floor test for tomorrow at 10.30 am; giving BJP another 2 days
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/maharashtra-coup-ajit-pawars-letter-pledging-support-to-bjp-has-signatures-of-54-ncp-mlas-centre-tel-2138068?pfrom=home-topstories
New Delhi:Devendra Fadnavis took charge in Maharashtra today and won more time to rally numbers as the Supreme Court, after an 80-minute hearing, said it would declare its decision tomorrow at 10:30 am on a petition challenging the surprise government formation by BJP on Saturday morning. The centre argued that Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari invited Devendra Fadnavis to form government based on a letter showing the support of 170 MLAs, including all 54 of NCP of Ajit Pawar, who was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister. Ajit Pawar did not take charge today. The rival group of Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress has submitted court documents with 154 MLA signatures and has called for an "immediate" test of strength in Maharashtra assembly. "We have 170 MLAs. Governor saw the support of 170 MLAs. It is not a forged letter. The (BJP) was called and it took oath," said ex Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, representing Fadnavis and BJP.Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing Governor's office, said Ajit Pawar had submitted signatures of all 54 NCP MLAs on Friday, and it was after this letter that Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari had invited Fadnavis to form government. The governor, he said, couldn't go for any roving inquiry and he had no reason to doubt the letter.Kapil Sibal, representing rival alliance, called BJP government formation "fraud of democracy" and called for an immediate floor test. "What's the national emergency to revoke President rule? Why did these things happen between 7 PM and 5.47 am? Can't Governor wait for 24 hours," he questioned. He remarked, on Ajit Pawar, that "the jockey has run away but horse are here together". Rohatgi argued that the government must be given time to take a floor test and a speaker has to be elected after an interim speaker administers oath to new MLAs. But NCP's lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued against it, saying Ajit Pawar would try to issue a whip for the election of a Speaker and that would be illegal since he is no longer the chief of the legislature party.NDTV/net
162 MLAs take pledge to be honest to NCP-Sena-Congress alliance
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/maharashtra-live-updates-supreme-court-floor-test-devendra-fadnavis-ajit-pawar-ncp-congress-bjp-shiv-sena-6135350/?#liveblogstart
New Delhi : In a show of strength, 162 MLAs assembled under one roof at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Mumbai and took a pledge to commit to the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance. “I will be honest to the NCP-Sena-Congress alliance. I will not do any anti-party activity. I will never work against my constituency and my party,” all 162 MLAs took an oath before their party leaders including Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and NCP chief Sharad Pawar.Thackeray said the alliance wanted to show its strength not only to Maharashtra but to the country. “Despite seeing this picture, if it does not light into the minds of people, then we have the strength to show that light. We are not saying I will come back but I’m saying we are back,” he said.Assuring its party members’ fears of disqualification, party chief Sharad Pawar said his nephew Ajit neither has the right to issue party whip nor can he suspend any members of the NCP. “Maharashtra is no Goa and Manipur. We will teach them a lesson,” he said.indianexpress
Shiv Sena, Congress, NCP send letter to Guv; stake claim in Maharashtra
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/shiv-sena-congress-ncp-send-letter-to-guv-stake-claim-in-maharashtra-6135607/
2 days after swearing-in, Dy CM Ajit Pawar gets clean chit in Rs 70,000cr irrigation scam
https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/india/maharashtra-govt-formation-2-days-after-swearing-in-dy-cm-ajit-pawar-gets-clean-chit-in-rs-72000cr-irrigation-scam-4670961.html?fbclid=IwAR23856mMbGzTC8uBZEqdV3xJsQgjs_dWaIpQJVxPG_5cG5R45x7-VEjf5E
NCP leader Ajit Pawar, who recently pulled a midnight stunner with BJP and was appointed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, has been given a clean chit in Rs 70,000 crore irrigation scam.Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) file of inquiry against Deputy CM Ajit Pawar in Vidarbha irrigation scam closed, CNN News18 has reported. The move comes amid an intense political storm brewing in Maharashtra. However, ACB DG Paramvir Singh told CNN News18, "We had recommended this almost 3 months ago that there was no role of Ajit Pawar in these nine cases. Probe is still going on in other cases.""We are investigating around 3000 tenders in irrigation related complaints. These are routine inquiries which are closed and all ongoing investigations are continuing as they were earlier." Singh added. Singh also told ANI, "None of the cases that were closed today are related to Ajit Pawar."Sources in Maharashtra ACB have told ANI that the cases that were closed on Nov.25 were conditional and that they could be reopened if more information comes to light or the courts order further inquiry.Ajit Pawar was among NCP ministers who were in-charge of irrigation department at different times between 1999 and 2014 when Congress and NCP were part of the coalition government in Maharashtra. The scam, pegged at Rs.70,000 crore, relates to alleged corruption and irregularities in approval and execution of various irrigation projects in state during Congress-NCP rule.Moneycontrol News
48 hours after Ajit Pawar ties up with BJP, all 9 cases in irrigation scam closed
https://www.firstpost.com/india/48-hours-after-ajit-pawar-ties-up-with-bjp-all-nine-cases-in-irrigation-scam-closed-by-anti-corruption-bureau-7697761.html?fbclid=IwAR0v9KY6-urV0Jd7Ftf14DeCRXVRRqtof9EZSHwEXPJghBqeP566e-kBPZg
NCP MLAs locked up in Gurgaon Hotel, we rescued them: Sanjay Raut
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/missing-ncp-mlas-gurgaon-hotel-ajit-pawar-sanjay-raut-6135594/
Pune :Stating that Ajit Pawar was promised rotational Chief Minister’s post by BJP, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Monday said that some NCP MLAs who were allegedly locked up in a Gurgaon Hotel have been rescued by Shiv Sainiks.“Ajit Pawar now has only 2 MLAs with him. We have rescued some MLAs from a Gurgaon Hotel. They were gaurded by Haryana police and goons. MLAs like Daulat Daroda and Anil Patil have told us how terror tactis were used against them…This shows the level to which they are stooping for Maharashtra chief minister’s post, this is not a good sign for our democracy,” Raut said. Without mentioning BJP, Raut said if they had the majority, they should have proved it.“Why behave like Chambal dacoits…They have cheated the President, the Governor and the people of Maharashtra,” he said.indianexpress
BABRI MASJID CASE
RSS chief should head Ram Temple trust: Ayodhya mahant
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/rss-chief-should-head-ram-temple-trust-ayodhya-mahant/articleshow/72222402.cms
Bhadohi: Mahant of Tapaswiji ki Chhawani in Ayodhya Paramhansji Maharaj on Monday said RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat should head trust to be set up for the construction of Ram temple."RSS chief should be made ex-offico head of the trust so that he automatically takes that post. Sangh Parivar should be given the responsibility of Ram temple's construction," mahant said at Sita Samahit sthal here."Be it the issue of "rashtra nirman" (nation building) or temple construction, what RSS has done from village level to the cities, no one else can do," he said, adding that the prime minister, the home minister and the defence minister, all have their origins in the Sangh. Mahant, who has been a critic of Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas chief Nritya Gopal Das and its member Ram Vilas Vedanti, alleged that both have a very narrow mindset."When the Supreme Court asked for setting up a trust for temple construction, mahant of Ram Mandir Nyas, Nritya Gopal Das said that his Nyas would construct it and this showed his lure for the post."Similarly, Ram Vilas Vedanti opposed CM Yogi Adityanath saying that 'Nath Sampraday' cannot construct the temple," he said.PTI
Anti-national forces raising head post-Art.370 abrogation, Ayodhya tangle resolution: UP CM
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/anti-national-forces-raising-head-post-article-370-abrogation-ayodhya-tangle-resolution-up-cm-to-youths-6136437/
Agra : Following Centre’s resolute steps of abrogating Article 370 and resolving Ayodhya tangle, forces inimical to the country have begun raising their ugly heads, said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday and exhorted youths to fight them out.The chief minister made the remark while addressing a gathering of youths and students on the last day of 65th national convention of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthy Parishad, held here in Agra College premises.Adityanath said the present generation of youths should consider itself lucky that long-pending issues like decades-old Article 370 and centuries-old Ayodhya tangle have been resolved in their lifetime.PTI
Ayodhya Review plea will harm, not help Muslims: Secular Muslim group
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/ayodhya-supreme-court-verdict-review-petition-6135989/
Around 100 Muslims, including scholars, social activists, lawyers, and intellectuals, have signed a statement opposing decision by AIMPLB working committee to file a review plea against the Supreme Court ruling in Babri Masjid case, saying it “will harm, not help, Muslims”.In a statement by Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy, 91 signatories have urged “fellow Muslims to ponder over what has been gained and what has been lost in the course of the over 3-decades-old Babri Masjid dispute.” Appealing the community to not revive the struggle even though the court order is “judicially flawed”, they said it will be the “poor Muslim who will pay the price.”“Many have been advising Muslims to ‘move on’. Our appeal to fellow Muslims is to ‘move away’ from the mandir-masjid dispute since it only helps to mask the real agenda of the Sangh Parivar: replacement of our secular-democratic republic with a Hindu Rashtra,” the statement reads. Among the eminent signatories are actors Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, journalist and activist Javed Anand, film writer Javed Siddiqi, film-maker Shama Zaidi, and Zeenat Shaukat Ali.indianexpress
Wasim Rizvi offeres to build hospital in Ram’s name on 5-acre Ayodhya plot if Sunnis don’t want it
https://theprint.in/india/shias-offer-to-build-hospital-in-rams-name-on-5-acre-ayodhya-plot-if-sunnis-dont-want-it/326088/
Lucknow: Shia Waqf Board Chairman Wasim Rizvi on Monday said that if Sunni Waqf Board and All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) do not want to take the 5-acre land being provided by the government, they should let Shia Waqf Board get the same where it will build a hospital in the name of Lord Ram.“If Sunni Waqf Board and the AIMPLB don’t want to take the 5 acres land, then it should give it to Shia Waqf Board. We will build a hospital in the name of Lord Ram. We will also build a mosque, temple, Gurudwara and a Church at the same place,” Rizvi told ANI.PTI PTI
J&K & SOUTH ASIA
Kashmir situation is ‘not at all normal’, says Yashwant Sinha after visit to Valley
https://scroll.in/latest/944861/kashmir-situation-is-not-at-all-normal-says-yashwant-sinha-after-visit-to-valley
Former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha on Monday said that the situation in the Kashmir Valley is “not at all normal”, PTI reported. The former finance minister made the remark after wrapping up the visit of his delegation to Kashmir.The delegation, called the Concerned Citizens’ Group, also alleged that the curbs imposed on their movement in the Valley were a ploy by the Centre to hide the ground reality. It warned that the situation in the Valley will deteriorate further if Centre does not change its behaviour towards Kashmir.“After talking to various groups of people and individuals, I have come to the conclusion at the end of our visit that the situation is not at all normal,” Sinha told PTI. Sinha claimed that the Centre’s decision to strip Jammu and Kashmir of its special status had created a “huge psychological problem” there. Sinha said an atmosphere of fear prevails in the Valley.“There is a prevailing atmosphere of fear here,” Sinha told PTI. “Even those who came to see us in the hotel were harassed by security forces and they told us very clearly that they will not like their names to be revealed because they were not sure what kind of future they will face.”scroll
Rajasthan: J&K students say hurt when called terrorists
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/rajasthan-jk-students-say-hurt-when-called-terrorists-6135206/
Jaipur :Rajasthan Police have provided protection to all students from Jammu and Kashmir at a private university in Chittorgarh after nearly four of them sustained injuries during a clash with a group of students from Bihar on Friday. The primary reason behind the violence was a dispute over passes to go out of the college. 4 students from Bihar have been booked under sections 323, 341 and 34 of IPC.Kashmiri students have alleged that they were taunted by the other side over Article 370, divided on state lines, and called “terrorists” during the clash.A 22-year-old Kashmiri student, who was injured in the attack, said, “A group of over 70 students from Bihar surrounded us as we were going for dinner on Friday night and started assaulting us. There was no religious angle and many of the students on the other side were also Muslims but suddenly they started taunting us by saying where will Kashmiris go now after abrogation of Article 370. Some of them also called us terrorists. They suddenly started dividing us on state lines and attacked our group from Jammu & Kashmir. Some Hindu students from Jammu were also attacked.” The university has nearly 25 students from Kashmir and they have been kept together at one place by the varsity authorities after the incident.indianexpress
Army, Navy, IAF special forces deployed in Kashmir to hunt terrorists
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/army-navy-iaf-special-forces-deployed-in-kashmir-to-hunt-terrorists-1622243-2019-11-24
New Delhi:In a major step towards enhancing jointness among 3 services, India on Sunday deployed the special forces of the Army, the Navy and IAF to carry out counter-terrorist operations in the Kashmir Valley. The troops include the Army's Para (Special Forces), Navy's Marine Commandos (MARCOS) and Indian Air Force's Garud have been deployed in the Kashmir Valley. The special forces have been deployed under the defence ministry's Armed Forces Special Operations Division (AFSOD) which is under a Maj Gen of Indian Army.The troops have been deployed in the area around the Srinagar city and rural areas near it. MARCOS commandos are deployed in and around the Wular lake area while the Garud teams have been operating in the Lolab area and Hajin.The induction of the joint special troops has already started as Army Para (SF) elements have already been inducted into an area considered to be a traditional terror hotbed. The troops will be carrying out anti-terrorist operations along with the existing Indian Army Rashtriya Rifles unit in the area.indiatoday
UP ATS arrest 2 persons accused of supplying arms to Kalistani terrorists in Punjab
https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/upats-arrets-two-persons-accused-of-supplying-arms-to-kalistani-terrorists-in-punjab20191123234529/
Uttar Pradesh ATS on Saturday arrested 2 persons involved in supplying arms and ammunitions to Khalistani terrorists in Punjab. The accused have been identified as Raj Singh and Asif and they were arrested from near Gurudwara in Shamli. Police said both are residents from Shamli. A press note from Uttar Pradesh police said, "Today ATS got information about the accused and they were nabbed near Shamli Gurudwara trifurcation. One pistol and 4 live cartridges were seized from Singh while a country-made pistol and 2 live cartridges were recovered from Asif." The note said, "2 accused were going to supply 10 hand grenade, one pistol and 20 cartridges to Khalistani terrorists in Punjab in the near future." A case has been registered in this connection in Shamli, it added. ANI
No Social media, full data access to cops: Kashmir internet to come with 6 conditions
https://thewire.in/government/kashmir-internet-bond
Srinagar: To restore their internet connections, which have been suspended for four months now, companies have to give the government a signed bond saying that internet usage will be for “business purposes” only. They must also promise to share all the “contents” and “infrastructure” of the internet as and when required by “security agencies”.The bond, a copy of which is with The Wire, consists of 6 points, including that no encrypted file containing any sort of videos or photos will be uploaded.Other points state that “for the allowed IP, there will be no Social Networking, Proxies, VPN’s and Wi-Fi” and “That all USB ports will be disabled on the network”. Authorities have also said that the companies will be held responsible “for any kind of breach and misuse of internet”.thewire
India, Afghan agree to extradite Pakistani terrorists
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/india-afghanistan-agree-to-extradite-pakistani-terrorists/articleshow/72213983.cms
New Delhi: In a move to counter terror in the region, India and Afghanistan on Sunday formalised operation of extradition treaty that will enable extradition of Pakistani terrorists operating out of Afghan territory. “Ambassador @vkumar1969 and Acting Foreign Minister @mfa_afghanistan HE Idrees Zaman @IdreesZaman took a step closer to cement bilateral relations by exchanging Instruments of Ratification of #India-#Afghanistan Extradition Treaty today,” the Indian Embassy in Kabul tweeted after development.The extradition treaty was first signed in 2016 when President Ashraf Ghani visited India. Operationalisation of will enable India to extradite Pakistan-origin terrorists from banned groups who operate from Afghan soil, sources told ET. Backed by Pakistan Army and ISI, LeT and Jaish terrorists take refuge in Afghanistan.ET
OTHERS
NSO report reveals rural India is not open defecation free yet
https://thewire.in/government/nso-india-odf-swacch-bharat
New Delhi: On Oct 2, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that rural India was open defecation free, implying that every household now had access to a toilet. The claim was based on the Swachh Bharat mission database which showed that rural India had achieved 100% toilet coverage.But, a government report has now called into question the authenticity of this database. According to National Statistical Office’s (NSO) ‘Drinking Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Housing Condition in India’ report, 29% of rural households and 4% of urban households do not have access to toilets. The survey’s reference point is Oct.2018. At that time, according to the Swachh Bharat Mission database, 95% of households in the country had access to toilets and 25 states and union territories had been declared open defecation free. But, the survey contradicts this data as it has found that only 71% of households had access to a toilet at around the same time.The survey has found households lacking toilets even in states which had been declared open defecation free prior to the survey.thewire
Gujarat: As Vadodara society residents protest, owner cancels plan to sell property to Muslim buyer
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/gujarat-as-vadodara-society-residents-protest-owner-cancels-plan-to-sell-property-to-muslim-buyer-6135324/?fbclid=IwAR2fzU5Wu27ssUIw8TDXivYGuFPrnNfxxmt_BbKcSOJ9LbjBQwq7cs563AA
Vadodara ;An owner of a residential property in Vasna area of the city was forced to withdraw plan to sell his house to a Muslim after members of co-operative society objected to it, on the ground that it would lead to a drop in property prices in the area.The members of Samarpan Society raised objections on the basis that the provisions of the Disturbed Areas Act does not permit the sale of a property to a Muslim in a Hindu-dominated area and vice versa until each immediate neighbour of such property consents to the deal. Police were present in the area to ensure law and order. The society at present has 170 houses of which 2 were sold to Muslims in 2017 and another house was leased out for 99 years to another Muslim.Samarpan Society (City survey no. 522 to 527, 680 to 712) under the jurisdiction of the JP Road police station was declared as ‘Disturbed Area’ in 2014. According to it, all transfer of immovable properties in the society needs a No-Objection Certification from the society’s president and a sanction from Collector under Gujarat Prohibition of Transfer of Immovable Properties and provision for Protection of Tenants from Eviction from premises in Disturbed Areas Act, 1991.The protests began when Mahesh Palani, owner of the residential bungalow in the society, submitted an application for police verification for the sale of his property to a person from the minority community. The members of the society objected to even showing the properties to members of the minority community. On Sunday, Palani cancelled the proceedings from verification stage. Confirming development, SS Jasani, sub-inspector, JP Road police station, said, “We received the application two days ago and before we could proceed with verification, the application was withdrawn by the owner. We were present at the society in the morning also to look into any law and order situation.” Members have raised concerns that sale of properties to members of the minority community eventually leads to devaluation of the area in terms of real estate prices and members of Hindu community tend to migrate.indianexpress
Bangladesh arrests 32 more people claiming to be its citizens from India border
https://thewire.in/communalism/bangladesh-arrests-32-more-people-claiming-to-be-its-citizens-from-india-border
New Delhi: Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) has arrested 32 more people, including women and children, for entering the country from India, according to the Dhaka-based paper, Daily Star. All the arrested have identified themselves as Bangladesh citizens, even though officials claim to have no documents on them proving as much. On November 22, Daily Star had reported that BGB had rounded up 329 people in the last three weeks for trespassing into Bangladesh, claiming to be the country’s citizens. The report quoting BGB and police officials had said that those arrested “were mostly from Bengaluru, the capital city of Karnataka. Some of them had shifted to the city from Assam.”thewire
Northeast students rush to Delhi to block CAB
https://www.asianage.com/india/all-india/251119/northeast-students-rush-to-delhi-to-block-cab.html
With protests against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill escalating across the Northeast, a powerful North East Students Organisation delegation has rushed to New Delhi to drum up support in Parliament to block passage of the controversial bill. Saying the student leaders have reached New Delhi and were seeking appointments with all NDA and non-NDA political parties to lobby against CAB, NESO chairman Samuel Jyrwa said they had met senior JD(U) leader K.C. Tyagi who assured them JD(U) would continue to oppose the bill. AASU chief adviser Samujjal Bhattacharyya and its president Dipanka Kumar Nath are also part of the delegation. Both AASU and NESO are hopeful that JD(U) can play a key role in bringing together parties opposing the Citizenship Bill to build a united opposition in Parliament. The leaders of these 2 student groups are likely to reach out to other political parties soon to garner support. It is significant that the Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) had earlier claimed it was due to its opposition to Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 that the government was forced not to list the proposed law in Rajya Sabha earlier this year, even after the bill was passed in the Lok Sabha.Expressing deep anguish over the BJP’s plan to pass CAB, AASU head Dipankar Nath said: “Modi govt wants to pass the communal and unconstitutional citizenship bill to offer protection to illegal Bangladeshis. This attempt to pass the bill is not only against the interests of the indigenous people, but also a violation of the Assam Accord. Besides continuing with the movement against the bill across the Northeast, we are here in Delhi to take our protest to the national level.”Jamaat-e-Islami Hind has, meanwhile, opposed the plan to carry out NRC exercise all over the country and the proposed CAB.Asianage
Amid debate over pan-India NRC, Mamata govt decides to regularise 94 refugee colonies
https://www.news18.com/news/india/amid-debate-over-pan-india-nrc-mamata-govt-decides-to-regularise-refugee-colonies-2399977.html
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday announced that all refugee colonies on central government and private lands up to 3 acres will be regularised. The displaced people will also be given land rights by Trinamool Congress government, Banerjee said.Her statement came in the backdrop of Centre's announcement that NRC process would be carried out across the country.Alleging that TMC is protecting illegal immigrants from Bangladesh as they are the party's votebank, senior BJP leaders have asserted that NRC would be implemented in the state.News18
Scrap BHU prof Khan’s appointment: SVDV scholars write to President, PM
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/cancel-firoze-khans-appointment-svdv-scholars-to-president-pm-modi-6135202/
Lucknow :A group of former professors of BHU’s Sanskrit Vidya Dharma Vigyan (SVDV) and Sanskrit scholars have written to president and prime minister, demanding their intervention to cancel the appointment of Dr Firoze Khan. A section of BHU students at SVDV has been opposing the appointment of Muslim professor Khan to the faculty of SVDV. The president is also the Visitor of the central university.On Friday, the protesting students had called off their sit-in protest outside V-C office and residence. The students, however, had said that they would continue to boycott classes and may even resume their agitation if BHU administration fails to answer their questions in 10 days.Rewa Prasad Dwivedi, who had received Sahitya Akademi Award for Sanskrit in 1991 and is a former Head of Department at SVDV, said that the letter was drafted by him and a few other Sanskrit scholars. “Those who have appointed the non-Hindu professor do not know the subject matter very well. The appointment must be cancelled and that is our only demand. A non-Hindu can’t teach at SVDV,” said Dwivedi (88). There are 20 signatories to the letter. Speaking about the letter, one of the signatories Bal Shastri, who is a former professor and former Head of Department at SVDV and retired this year, said: “We have written everything we want to say in the letter. The letter has been sent to the president and prime minister. I would not like to comment further.”indianexpress
D Litt to ex-Ajmer dargah terror blast accused at Moinuddin Chisti varsity, opposed
https://www.counterview.net/2019/11/d-litt-to-ajmer-dargah-terror-bast.html?spref=fb&fbclid=IwAR392qkEKAFcZPUOOH4uRNoa-aig4FYkMhyeDoR8cHdvfgtEHvwFBjXr3PM
In a surprise move, Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti Urdu Arabi Farsi University at Lucknow has conferred honorary D Litt on RSS leader Indresh Kumar, who was an accused in a 2007 bomb blast incident at the Khawaja Moinuddin Chisti Dargah in Ajmer, and an accused in the murder of another Hindutva worker Sunil Joshi.Protesting against the move, top social and political activist Sandeep Pandey, who is vice president of Social Party (India), and Mohammad Shoaib, advocate, who is party’s president, said, “V-C of this university, Mahrukh Mirza, whose own educational qualifications are alleged to be suspect, should be asked what contribution Indresh Kumar has made to the society to deserve a D Litt?”Pointing out that Kumar was served the honorary degree on at the university convocation held today (Nov 21), Pandey and Shoaib said in a statement, “Ironically Indresh Kumar serves as margdarshak of Muslim Rashtriya Manch associated with RSS, and Mahrukh Mirza is associated with MRM”. NIA in 2017 filed a closure report in 2007 Ajmer Dargah blast case, declaring that it did not have "enough evidence" of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Indresh’s involvement in the terrorist bombing of the Ajmer shrine that killed three persons and injured over a dozen.counterview.net
3 men, inspired by ISIS, held in Delhi: Police
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/3-isis-inspired-men-from-assam-arrested-for-planning-terror-strike-in-delhi-police/story-qocNsM5g8UGEBhGygLIA5M.html
New Delhi: 3 men, believed to be inspired by the Islamic State, have been arrested by Delhi Police from Assam’s Goalpara for planning terror attacks in the national capital.Pramod Singh Kushwah, DCP (Special Cell), said the arrested have been identified as Ranjeet Ali, Muquadir and Zameel. They were taken into custody on Sunday.3 men were arrested after a joint operation by the Delhi Police with Assam Police. Police said they were planning to carry out blasts at the ongoing Ras mela in Goalpara, Assam. Goalpara is situated around 150 km to the west of state capital Guwahati.According to DCP Kushwah, Delhi was next on their target after the blasts in Assam. They planned to carry out the explosions at crowded areas in the capital.Zameel worked as supervisor at an Aadhar enrollment centre in Assam, Muqaddar is a driver while Ranjeet was a manager in a fish trading company.HT
NIA court convicts 6 in 2016 ISIS terror plot case
https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/nia-court-convicts-six-in-2016-isis-terror-plot-case/cid/1721975?ref=more-from-india_india-page
Kochi:NIA court in Kochi on Monday found 6 people, arrested in connection with a 2016 ISIS plot case, guilty of conspiring to carry out strikes across Kerala and neighbouring states.Those convicted are Manseed Mehmood, Swalih Mohammed, Rashid Ali, Ramshad N. K., Safvan and Moinuddin.Special judge P. Krishnakumar, however, acquitted Jasim N. K.The court said they had not joined ISIS but made it clear that they were qualified to be called as members of a terror gang. The quantum of punishment will be pronounced on Wednesday, it said.PTI
Sikh man donates piece of land for mosque in Muzaffarnagar
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/meerut/sikh-man-donates-piece-of-land-for-mosque-in-ups-muzaffarnagar/articleshow/72212923.cms
Muzaffarnagar: A 70-year-old Sikh man, who runs a shop selling clothes in Muzaffarnagar’s Purkazi town, donated a piece of land for a mosque during the auspicious month of 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, founder of Sikhism. Sukhbir Singh Bedi made the announcement at an event in Purkazi tehsil on Sunday in the presence of Purkazi chairman Zaheer Farooqui. A written agreement for handing over of 1,000 square feet plot of land to the chairman of Nagar-Panchayat Purkazi also took place on the occasion. Spreading the message of peace and communal harmony, Bedi said, “I want to spread the message that we can all live together and respect each other’s religions. So, I decided to donate a 1,000 sq ft plot of land to my Muslim brothers in the name of God, love and humanity.” With a population of around 28,000, Purkazi town has people of all faiths and has never witnessed any communal riots in the sensitive Muzaffarnagar district. The town remained peaceful even during 2013 communal riots which occurred in different parts of Muzaffarnagar. In an act of communal bonhomie, a large number of Muslims of Purkazi joined hands with people of the Sikh community and conducted events during the auspicious month. Notably, Ramlila festivities are also held with a large participation of people from minority communities.TOI
Violence against Christians on rise as 275 incidents recorded this year
https://caravandaily.com/violence-against-christians-on-the-rise-as-275-incidents-recorded-this-year/
New Delhi:Violence against Christians continued to rise in India as 145 women and 106 children were injured in 275 anti-christian violence incidents this year. United Christian Forum (UCF) hate-tracker recorded 275 violent incidents against them since the beginning of this year till the end of October. It’s an increase from the last year when 218 incidents were reported.192 out of 275 incidents were in the form of intimidation and threats by a vigilante mob led by Hindutva groups which are allegedly having tacit support from the ruling party BJP. According to UCF hate-tracker, on an average it counts for 27.5 incidents in a month in the last 10 months. There were 145 women and 106 children who were injured in these mob violence.It should be a matter of grave concern for every-right thinking person who believe in the rule of the law, A C Michael, National Coordinator of UCF, said.Caravan Daily
Dadr lynching victim Akhlaq’s 24-yr-old daughter marries Delhi engineer
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/noida/4-years-on-a-wedding-gives-akhlaq-kin-reason-to-rejoice/articleshow/72214900.cms
4 years after Akhlaq was murdered by a mob in front of their eyes, in their house in Dadri’s Bisada village, his family came together on Sunday not to grieve or discuss court proceedings but for a “mubarak mauka” (an occasion of joy). It was the wedding of Shaista (24). Akhlaq’s youngest daughter, who was displaced with the rest of her family from the house that had forever been home after his lynching and subsequent communal tension, married a Delhi-based civil engineer in a ceremony that was hosted at a banquet hall in Ghaziabad’s Muradnagar.Akhlaq’s younger brother, Jaan Mohammad, told TOI that family of the groom, Mehboob Alam Saifi, is from Pilkhuwa in Hapur district. The match was proposed four months ago by a relative of Akhlaq’s elder brother Afzal Ahmed. The marriage was finalised last month in a traditional “laal pattar” ceremony. Shaista, who is an intermediate pass, was a key eyewitness in her father’s murder case. In 2016, she, along with several other family members, including Akhlaq, was booked for alleged cow slaughter.Jaan Mohammad told TOI that Mehboob was fully aware of the case and had entered the alliance with a promise of support and faithfulness. Meanwhile, the family is still waiting to know the fate of cow slaughter case against them, and whether police would file a chargesheet. Apart from Shaista and Akhlaq, others named are Danish, Jaan Mohammad, Ikraman, Akhlaq’s octogenarian mother Asgari Begum and Afzal’s daughter-in-law Sona. The trial in the lynching case, meanwhile, is yet to begin, said Yusuf Saifi, the Akhlaq family’s lawyer.TOI
JNUSU ex-presidents demand inquiry into lathi charge by HC judge; all India protest on Nov 27
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/jnusu-ex-presidents-demand-inquiry-into-lathi-charge-by-hc-judge-all-india-protest-on-nov-27
About half a dozen former presidents of JNUSU from diverse political background came together on Monday to condemn police action against JNU students and demanded a time bound injury by a High Court judge into the lathi charge on protesting students.Addressing a press conference in Delhi, all former presidents criticised govt for police action on JNU students and emphasised that their support to JNU students is to defend public education in the country.“We need to demand that our money should be spent on us, and on the education and health care which will build up our society and meet the needs of the people, particularly the younger generation who is our future. Our education and health system should not be treated like cash cows for profiteers,” reads a joint statement issued by ex-JNUSU heads which include NCP leader DP Tripathi.nationalheraldindia
Delhi-NCR pollution: SC issues notice to states, asks report on air, water quality
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/national/delhi-ncr-pollution-sc-issues-notice-to-states-asks-report-on-air-water-quality
The Supreme Court issued notice to all states seeking report on air quality, drinking water and garbage disposal, and asked the Centre to take concrete decision within 10 days on having smog towers in Delhi-NCR to combat pollution which has shortened the life span of millions of citizens.The SC expressed displeasure over the performance of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi to combat pollution and sought to know as to why they should not be asked to compensate people affected by bad air quality.A bench of justices Arun Mishra and Deepak Gupta termed as alarming the stubble burning situation and said not only the state machinery but farmers were also responsible for it.PTI
Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia dismisses rumours that he quit party
https://scroll.in/latest/944829/congress-leader-jyotiraditya-scindia-dismisses-rumours-that-he-quit-party
Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia on Monday dismissed rumours that he had resigned from the party. The rumours began after he removed his affiliation to the party from his Twitter biography and changed it to “public servant, cricket enthusiast”.Earlier,Congress MP’s profile said that he was a “former member of Parliament, former minister for power, MoS commerce and industry; MoS communications, IT and post”.scroll
MP CM attends Bhopal Ijtema
http://www.uniindia.com/mp-cm-attends-ijtema/north/news/1800147.html
Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath attended the Ijtema at Itkhedi on Sunday and greeted participants, it was officially learnt.Tablighi Ijtema or Aalmi Ijtema is an annual Islamic congregation stretching over some days in winter. The event includes a series of lectures by scholars and clerics. The state dispensation provides electricity, water and security along with parking space.UNI
WORLD
HRW official Shakir pledges to continue work after Israel expulsion
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/11/hrw-omar-shakir-pledges-continue-work-israel-expulsion-191125093439511.html
A senior Human Rights Watch (HRW) official who is set to be expelled from Israel over his alleged support for promoting boycotts of the country will continue carrying out his work from a neighbouring country, according to the rights group.The Israeli government's decision to expel Omar Shakir, a US citizen who represents HRW in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories , was upheld by Israel's top court on Nov.5, after months of deliberations."Despite my deportation today, Israeli govt has failed to muzzle HRW or human rights movement," Shakir said at a press conference in Jerusalem, alongside Kenneth Roth, HRW's executive director. "It’s [case] about an escalation of assaults on the human rights movement," Shakir said on Monday, shortly before he is expected to leave Israel. According to Roth, Shakir will continue to "direct the work", and would likely resume working from Amman, capital of neighbouring Jordan.Shakir's departure on Monday afternoon will mark the first expulsion of its kind under a 2017 law allowing the deportation of foreigners who support boycotting Israel, though there have been cases of people being denied entry under the measure.aljazeera
US: Over 100 House Democrats condemn policy shift on Israel settlements
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20191125-over-100-house-democrats-condemn-policy-shift-on-israel-settlements/
More than 100 House Democrats have condemned the Trump administration’s policy shift on Israeli settlements, writing in a letter to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, reported Hill.In the letter, the Democratic representatives wrote to express “strong disagreement” with the decision to abandon a long-held position on the illegality of the settlements.“The State Department’s unilateral reversal on the status of settlements, without any clear legal justification, therefore has offered a tacit endorsement of settlements, their expansion, and associated demolitions of Palestinian homes,” the lawmakers wrote.According to the lawmakers, the policy shift follows other decisions taken by Trump administration that have “severely damaged prospects for peace”, including the relocation of the US embassy to Jerusalem, and halting aid to programmes in occupied Palestinian territory.The letter was led by Representative Andy Levin (D-Mich.) and joined by 106 Democrats, including Representative Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), who told the Hill that the announcement marked “an abrupt departure from longstanding U.S policy, Republican and Democrat”.middleeastmonitor
US students set up memorial for Palestinians killed by Israel
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20191125-us-students-set-up-memorial-for-palestinians-killed-by-israel/
Students at Oberlin College in US set up a memorial last week for 34 Palestinians who were killed in the Israeli bombardment of Gaza earlier this month.The student group Oberlin Students for a Free Palestine, in cooperation with Oberlin Jewish Voice for Peace, established the memorial in order to commemorate those killed in the attacks, which were launched by Israel to assassinate the group’s leaders.The memorial calls out Israel for “killing 34 unarmed Palestinian civilians, including 8 children. Oberlin Students for a Free Palestine and Oberlin Jewish Voice for Peace has created this installation to commemorate the lives of these 34 Palestinians who died at the hands of Zionist Settler Colonialism.”middleeastmonitor
Israel tightens restrictions for Palestinians accessing land across the Wall
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20191125-israel-tightens-restrictions-for-palestinians-accessing-land-across-the-wall/
Israel has “tightened its restrictions” for Palestinian farmers trying to access their land located between the illegal Separation Wall and the Green Line, reported Haaretz. Most of the Wall’s route lies inside the occupied Palestinian territory – the basis for the International Court of Justice’s 2004 advisory opinion on its illegality – and a large amount of Palestinian agricultural land is now located on the “wrong” side of the Wall.Until now, Palestinian land owners have been able to apply to Israeli occupation authorities for agricultural entry permits for the general purpose of “maintaining their connection to the land”.Now, however, Haaretz reported, newly-issued Israeli regulations have narrowed the purpose of these permits, “and they will also only be good for a certain number of entries”.middleeastmonitor
Netanyahu’s Likud to hold party leadership vote
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20191125-netanyahus-likud-to-hold-party-leadership-vote/
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party will hold a leadership vote, a Likud challenger said on Sunday, as pressure mounted on the veteran leader to step aside after his indictment on corruption charges, Reuters reports.Israeli media reported the Likud primary would be held in six weeks. A party spokesman was not reachable to confirm the timeline.Gideon Saar, a Likud lawmaker who has challenged Netanyahu, wrote on Twitter that he “welcomes the prime minister’s agreement to hold primaries for party leadership.”
Israel: Netanyahu to quit 4 ministerial portfolios
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20191125-israel-netanyahu-to-quit-4-ministerial-portfolios/
Lebanese protesters clash with supporters of Hezbollah, Amal in Beirut
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20191125-lebanese-protesters-clash-with-supporters-of-hezbollah-amal-in-beirut/
Clashes broke out between anti-government demonstrators and supporters of the Shi’ite groups Hezbollah and Amal in Lebanese capital, Beirut, early on Monday, as tensions escalated when demonstrators blocked a main bridge, Reuters reports.Lebanon has faced 5 weeks of anti-government protests, fuelled by anger at corruption among the sectarian politicians who have governed Lebanon for decades. Demonstrators want to see the entire ruling class gone from power. Hezbollah and Amal were both represented in the coalition government led by Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, who quit on Oct. 29 after protests began. Hheavily armed Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, had opposed Hariri’s resignation.Army soldiers and riot police formed a barrier separating the protesters from the supporters of Shi’ite groups on a main road known as Ring Bridge as rocks were thrown by both sides, television footage broadcast by Lebanese media showed.MEMO
Rights group: Saudi detains writers, intellectuals
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/11/rights-group-saudi-arabia-detains-writers-intellectuals-191125112904242.html
Saudi Arabia has detained at least eight people, mostly intellectuals and writers, London-based Saudi rights group ALQST has said, amid a two-year crackdown on free expression in the kingdom.They were taken from their homes in the capital Riyadh and the Red Sea port city of Jeddah last week by plain-clothes police but the reason was unclear, the group said.The group said the following activists, including journalists, writers and entrepreneurs, were arrested: Bader Al-Rashed, Sulaiman Al-Saikhan Al-Nasser, Waad Al-Mohaya, Musab Fouad Al-Abdulkarim, Abdul Majid al-Balawi, Abdulaziz Alehis, Abdulrahman Monthly and Fouad Al- Farhan. Saudi government offered no immediate comment. Riyadh denies having political prisoners, but senior officials have said monitoring activists, and potentially detaining them, is needed to maintain social stability. Those detained are not frontline activists, sources told the Reuters news agency. Some are intellectuals who have published articles or appeared on television while others are entrepreneurs. As Riyadh takes over the presidency of the Group of 20 countries, it is struggling to overcome intense international criticism over its human rights record, including last year's killing of Jamal Khashoggi by a team of Saudi agents, arrest of women's rights activists and devastating Yemen war. Even as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman touted economic and social openness in the traditionally closed-off country, the authorities rounded up critics, an effort that gathered pace in Sept. 2017 with arrests of prominent religious leaders, some of whom could now face the death penalty.An anti-corruption campaign two months later netted top businessmen and senior officials.It was criticised as a power play and shakedown of the crown prince's potential political rivals.aljazeera
Egypt paper raided after revelations about Sisi’s son
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20191125-independent-egyptian-news-website-says-its-offices-were-raided/
Egyptian security forces raided the office of independent news website Mada Masr on Sunday and briefly detained three of its staff including its top editor, a day after another journalist was detained, the outlet said, Reuters reports.“Today at 1:30 pm nine plainclothes security forces entered Mada Masr office by force,” the outlet said on Twitter. “They immediately began confiscating everybody’s laptops and phones. When asked who they were, they aggressively refused to answer.”After three hours, three staff members including editor-in-chief Lina Attalah were taken away, Mada Masr said. The three were later released from a local police station, it said.The raid came after security officers had arrested another Mada Masr journalist, editor Shady Zalat, at his apartment in the early hours of Saturday in a separate incident, confiscating his and his wife’s laptops and some documents, as well as Zalat’s phone, the news website said. middleeastmonitor
Erdogan meets Qatar's emir to discuss regional issues
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/11/turkey-erdogan-meet-qatar-emir-discuss-regional-issues-191123084505198.html
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Qatar on Monday to meet Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on an official visit to discuss regional issues and bilateral relations.Ankara and Doha are close regional allies having developed solid ties during testing times, while countries' leaders enjoy a strong personal relationship. The two governments have seen eye-to-eye on a range of regional foreign policy issues in recent years, such as Syrian war, the plight of the Palestinian people, and Egypt's 2013 coup.aljazeera
Doctors tell UK authorities Julian Assange 'could die' in jail
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/11/doctors-uk-authorities-julian-assange-die-jail-191125060147656.html
More than 60 doctors have written an open letter saying they feared Julian Assange's health was so bad that the WikiLeaks founder could die inside a top-security British prison. 48-year-old, who spent seven years holed up in Ecuador's embassy in London before he was dragged out in April, is wanted in the United States to face 18 counts including conspiring to hack government computers and violating an espionage law. He could spend decades in prison if convicted.aljazeera
Biharis fight for recognition in Bangladesh's refugee camps: aljazeera
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/11/biharis-fight-recognition-bangladeshs-refugee-camps-191125121310293.html
The minority Bihari community in Bangladesh have been living in squalid camps in the country for generations, yet face widespread discrimination. They are Muslim refugees who left India after the partition of 1947, afraid they would be caught in ensuing riots. But authorities are now saying Bihari should be evicted from these camps.
Hong Kong democrats score historic victory amid ongoing protests
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/11/months-protests-hong-kong-heads-key-polls-191124051609941.html
Hong Kong, China - Hong Kong's pro-democratic parties swept the board in highly anticipated local elections seen as a barometer of public opinion after nearly 6 months of increasingly violent protests that have polarised the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.Total turnout exceeded 2.94 million voters, a rate of 71 percent, surpassing a record from the previous legislative council election in 2016 of about 1.47 million.As of 12pm , pro-democracy candidates had won a clear majority with 390 seats of 452 district council seats, according to local broadcaster RTHK. aljazeera
'Forced Ideological Re-education': Secret documents reveal how China's Uighur detention camps work
https://www.news18.com/news/world/forced-ideological-re-education-documents-reveal-how-chinas-uighur-detention-camps-work-2398849.html
Beijing: The watch towers, double-locked doors and video surveillance in the Chinese camps are there to prevent escapes.Uighurs and other minorities held inside are scored on how well they speak the dominant Mandarin language and follow strict rules on everything down to bathing and using the toilet, scores that determine if they can leave.Manner education is mandatory, but vocational skills improvement is offered only after a year in the camps. Voluntary job training is the reason Chinese government has given for detaining more than a million ethnic minorities, most of them Muslims.But a classified blueprint leaked to a consortium of news organisations shows the camps are instead precisely what former detainees have described: Forced ideological and behavioral re-education centers run in secret.AP
views, Articles, FEATURES
On NRC, Amit Shah and ex CJI Gogoi show a similar disregard:Harsh Mander
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/national-register-of-citizens-assam-supreme-court-amit-shah-nationwide-nrc-6135243/
Siege of Mecca’s Grand Mosque: What happened in Saudi 40 yrs ago, how it affects world today:Yashee
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/siege-of-meccas-grand-mosque-what-happened-in-saudi-arabia-40-years-ago-how-it-affects-world-today-6134879/
Reading Ayodhya verdict in its entirety shows SC was moved by desire for a pragmatic and equitable solution: Dr Ashwani Kumar, senior advocate
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/ayodhya-verdict-babri-masjid-demolition-supreme-court-ram-temple-6135272/
Modi Government cheats states of their due, engages in smash & grab: Exclusive, James Wilson
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/exclusive-modi-government-cheats-states-of-their-due-engages-in-smash-and-grab
Erdogan's recent activism on Kashmir is motivated by Turkey president's Caliphate dreams: Abhinav Pandya, counterterrorism expert
https://www.firstpost.com/world/recep-tayyip-erdogans-recent-activism-on-kashmir-is-motivated-by-turkey-presidents-caliphate-dreams-7695671.html
Tughlaqi Firman: Pan-India NRC could end up being a royal mess:Rudroneel Ghosh
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/talkingturkey/tughlaqi-firman-pan-india-nrc-could-end-up-being-a-royal-mess/
Citizenship and Assam: An Explainer on Legal Questions That Still Loom Large:Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty
https://thewire.in/rights/citizenship-and-assam-the-legal-questions-that-still-loom-large
Maharashtra: SC decision to delay floor test goes against its own precedent in Goa and Karnataka:Sruthisagar Yamunan
https://scroll.in/article/944824/maharashtra-sc-decision-to-delay-floor-test-goes-against-its-own-precedent-in-goa-and-karnataka
Electoral Bonds: The Safeguards Of Indian Democracy Are Crumbling: Milan Vaishnav
https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/electoral-bonds-indian-democracy-narendra-modi_in_5ddb5d1ee4b0913e6f6ea769?utm_hp_ref=in-homepage
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:15 PM).
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