*03 DEC. 2019: 05 Rabius Sani 1441: Vol: 12, No: 73*
*INDIA: BABRI MASJID CASE*
Rajeev Dhavan will be lawyer for 4 petitioners in Ayodhya case: Muslim Personal Board
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/rajeev-dhavan-will-be-lawyer-for-four-other-petitioners-in-ayodhya-case-muslim-personal-board
All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has said senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan would continue to be the lawyer for 4 of the original petitioners in the Ayodhya case. Slamming Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind for filing its own review petition and removing Dhavan as their lawyer, AIMPLB member Kamal Farooqui said,“for us, Rajeev Dhavan will be the lawyer. We are indebted to him for even fighting the case. We will be filing the review petition for four of the petitioners either by Friday or Saturday. Initially, we had all decided we would file it together. But, now the advocate on record Ejaz Maqbool has done his own thing. Even when we had all met 2 days ago, there was no change in the decision,” underscored Farooqui.“Rajeev Dhavan is someone who has upheld Constitutional values and he fought the case well. I don’t know why they decided to file a petition separately and much earlier than decided. We will now have another advocate on record,” added Farooqui. The board's general secretary Maulana Wali Rahmani in a statement today said a team of senior advocates and advocates on record is busy in drafting the review petition which will then be settled by Dhawan. In the Babri Masjidtitle dispute, there were 8 parties, of which 3 parties — Sunni Waqf Board, oldest litigant Hashim Ansari’s son Iqbal Ansari and Shia Central Board of Waqf— are not filing a review. Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind filed its review petition on Monday.Now, AIMPLB will file on behalf of other 4 petitioners - Haji Misbahuddeen, Haji Phenku, Farooq Ahmad’s son Mohammad Umar and Maulana Mahfoozurahman.His comments come in the backdrop of the news that advocate on record Ejaz Maqbool had removed Dhavan as lawyer of Jamiat. Dhavan wrote on Facebook that he had accepted the “sacking without demur”.Dhavan said he was informed that Jamiat chief Maulana Arshad Madani has indicated that he was removed from the case because he was unwell. “This is total nonsense. He has a right to instruct his lawyer AOR Ejaz Maqbool to sack me which he did on instructions. But the reason being floated is malicious and untrue,” Dhavan asserted.Dhavan’s letter had also indicated that he was working on the review petition and the team had met on Dec1, to finalise the review and they were supposed to meet on Decr 2,, to finalise the details. Dhavan told PTI, "I have argued the case for all the Muslim parties in a united manner and would like the same way.Muslim parties should sort out their differences first." He said he expressed his opinion on Facebook only after Maqbool went public about him being sacked because he is unwell. "If I am unwell, then how come I am appearing in courts in other cases," Dhavan said."I am committed to the cause and to the Muslim parties but making such a statement is completely wrong," he added. Maqbool said Dhavan was not available when the organization filed its review petition yesterday. "I could not give his name in the petition because he was not available. It is not a big issue," Maqbool told ANI. Dhavan, in response, said: "I don't know what their compulsions were but they confirmed to me it was a sacking. Now they are saying that I was sick and unavailable, it is a lie." nationalheraldindia /PTI /NDTV
AIMPLB hopeful Dhavan will represent it when Ayodhya review petition is filed
https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/aimplb-hopeful-dhavan-will-represent-it-when-ayodhya-review-petition-is-filed/1676737
Jamaat Islami Hind backs AIMPLB''s move to file Ayodhya review petition
https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/jih-backs-aimplbs-move-to-file-ayodhya-review-petition/1676654
New Delhi:Jamaat Islami Hind (JIH) has backed the All India Muslim Personal Law Board''s (AIMPLB) decision to file review petition in the Ayodhya case in the apex court.In pursuit of justice, its necessary that all options be explored, the JHI added."Many legal experts have made adverse comments on the judgement and the Jamaat feels the demand for justice and fair play has not been met by awarding the land to those who demolished the Babri Masjid. The Jamaat supports the AIMPLB move," the JIH said in a statement.Backing the decision to reject the 5 acres land awarded by the Supreme Court for building a mosque, the Jamaat said, "Muslims didn''t litigate for the piece of land but justice". IANS
Jamaat Backs AIMPLB on review petition, says verdict in Babri Masjid case is "mockery of justice"
http://www.indiatomorrow.net/eng/jamaat-backs-aimplb-on-review-petition-says-supreme-courts-verdict-in-babri-masjid-case-is-mockery-of-justice
Babri demolition anniversary: Observing shaurya divas or black day to be treated as treason, warns Agra Police
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/babri-demolition-anniversary-observing-shaurya-divas-or-black-day-to-be-treated-as-treason-warns-agra-police-1624552-2019-12-02
Agra:Every year, Muslims in Braj region observe Dec.6 as a 'Black Day' to protest the demolition of the Babri mosque while the Hindus celebrate it as 'Shaurya Divas'. With the Supreme Court delivering judgment on the fate of the disputed land, these displays of pleasure and grief appear to have ended.However, some irresponsible elements in the society are still trying to observe these days and keeping that in mind, the administration and police have started holding meetings with the locals at the police station level.In the highly sensitive Mantola area, the Muslims had once held a namaz on the road at a very busy crossing on the anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition.The administration has sensed that a namaz will again be held at the same place by the Muslims. In view of it, the senior police and administrative officials issued a warning asking them to desist from any attempt to disrupt the peace.A senior police official told IndiaToday that, Ayodhya chapter has closed and if members of any community try to revive this dispute by holding 'Shaurya Divas or Kala Divas', they will be booked under treason. IG Agra Zone A Satish Ganesh said all senior police officials in the zone have been instructed to hold regular meetings with the locals in their area and inform them of the penal provisions for trying to revive the Ayodhya dispute when it has been permanently settled. The police officials warned the locals against doing anything that could disturb the peace. IndiaToday
Ayodhya conclusions not matched by reasons: Justice Ganguly
https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/ayodhya-conclusions-not-matched-by-reasons-justice-ganguly/cid/1723810?ref=more-from-india_india-page
New Delhi:Justice A.K. Ganguly, a former Supreme Court judge, on Monday said he was shocked “beyond measure” by the Ayodhya verdict as “the conclusions of the judgment are not matched by its reasons”.Speaking at a discussion on the Ayodhya Judgment here, Justice Ganguly said: “I’ve never heard in my humble career as a judge for 18 years that there can be addendum to a judgment…After reading the judgment, my first reaction in one sentence is ‘the conclusions of the judgment are not matched by its reasons, rather they are mutually destructive’.”The former judge said he was not criticising the judges but he cannot reconcile.Justice Ganguly said: “In 1934, there were communal disturbances. Damage was made to the mosque….it was restored by the British government, and Hindus were fined. I find that our colonial masters, they protected the rights of minorities better than this constitutionally formed government under the Constitution where secularism is a basic feature.”He pointed out that “Hindu idols were surreptitiously placed in the mosque”, just a month after the Constitution was adopted.Justice Ganguly quoted the judgment which says: “The allotment of land to the Muslims is necessary because though on a balance of probabilities, the evidence in respect of the possessory claim of the Hindus to the composite whole of the disputed property stands on a better footing than the evidence adduced by the Muslims, the Muslims were dispossessed upon the desecration of the mosque on 22/23 Dec.1949, which was ultimately destroyed on 6 Dec.1992. There was no abandonment of the mosque by the Muslims.”Justice Ganguly then asked, “How does it become a better footing, on what better footing? Hindus have always encroached upon it illegally…Does demolition of the mosque constitute a better possessory title of the Hindus?”Pointing out that in 2017, the SC had ordered a fast-track trial against ex UP CM Kalyan Singh and other BJP leaders for criminal conspiracy to demolish the mosque, Ganguly said:“The court was so shocked by the enormity of the crime that it gives an extraordinary direction. And that is considered act of possession?…And now the central govt is directed to frame a scheme on the same plot of land where stood a mosque, on the demolition of which the SC directed a trial with such seriousness.” The third panellist, senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, quoted CJI Arvind Bobde from a recent interview in which he said that the bench had decided to be unanimous on the Ayodhya verdict.Hegde said: “It achieved unanimity by first agreeing that ‘look we have to get this out of the way,we have to give a judgment which is implementable…Jugaad jurisprudence is sometimes used when arguments are made which are not necessarily focused in law or flowing out of it.”telegraphindia
Modi attacks Cong over Art 370 and Ayodhya, says it presided
https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/politics/768263-modi-attacks-cong-over-art-370-and-ayodhya-says-it-presided
Ranchi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday launched a two-pronged attack on the Congress, accusing it of procrastinating resolution of national issues like Article 370 and the Ayodhya dispute, and presiding over "corrupt and unstable" governments in Jharkhand. Stumping for BJP nominees for the Jharkhand assembly polls, Modi harped on the repeal of provisions of Article 370 that gave the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir its special status, and the Ayodhya tangle--themes that have underpinned both his and party chief Amit Shah's campaign rallies in the state."The talk of Article 370 was on since Independence. The Constitution said the article was a temporary provision. Article 370 is now gone from Jammu and Kashmir. "Tell me whether the entire country has stood behind us on the issue or not. Tell me the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh have stood behind us on this or not. When things are done with good intentions, you have the blessings of the whole country," Modi told an election rally in Jamshedpur.Amid a roaring applause by the crowd, the prime minister spoke about the Ayodhya tangle. "Did Ram Janmabhoomi (dispute) happen after we came to power? Was it not the Congress party that obstructed a resolution? Was it not done for vote bank politics?" he asked an indulgent audience that shouted "yes" in emphatic endorsement.PTI
Jail those behind Babri demolition: Akbaruddin Owaisi
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/jail-those-behind-babri-demolition-akbaruddin-owaisi/articleshow/72341387.cms
Hyderabad: All those responsible for demolition of Babri Masjid should be put behind bars, said AIMIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi. He was addressing a public meeting in Mehdipatnam, ahead of the Babri Masjid demolition anniversary observed on Dec.6.He also appealed that the case “against perpetrators of the crime” be fast-tracked While calling on people to keep their shops open on Dec.6, AIMIM floor leader in Assembly said, “This meeting supports All India Muslim Personal Law Board’s decision for revision petition against the SC judgment on the title suit…we decided not to accept the SC’s allotment of 5 acres of alternate land elsewhere in Ayodhya in lieu of the original site of the mosque.”On Dec.6, he said, protests will be observed in a democratic and peaceful manner and prayers will be offered for the rebuilding of the mosque.TOI
*J&K ISSUE *
Govt elusive on cost of forces’ deployment in J&K post Article 370
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/national/govt-elusive-on-cost-of-forces-deployment-in-jandk-post-article-370
The government has not conducted a separate survey on the cost incurred for deployment of security forces, their travel and supplies following the abrogation of special status given to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370, Union minister G Kishan Reddy said in Lok Sabha on Tuesday.He also said a total of 5,161 people including stone pelters, overground workers, separatists etc. were taken into preventive custody in Kashmir Valley since August 4 and of them, 609 people are currently under detention."No separate assessment has been made of cost incurred towards personnel deployed, cost of supplies, travel expenditure, detention of persons, communication and medical facilities, etc," he said in a written reply. The minister said the full potential and economy in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions could not be realised for the last 70 years as the people of Jammu and Kashmir have suffered from terrorist violence and separatism supported from across the border.PTI
No funds, Modi govt puts on hold its Rs 2,600-crore education plan for J&K and Ladakh
https://theprint.in/india/no-funds-modi-govt-puts-on-hold-its-rs-2600-crore-education-plan-for-jk-and-ladakh/329681/
New Delhi: Ministry of HRD has had to put on hold an ambitious plan it had drafted to improve the quality of education in Jammu and Kashmir, after realising it doesn’t have the required funds.After Article 370 was scrapped in Jammu and Kashmir, HRD ministry had drawn up a major plan for J&K and Ladakh as Modi govt looked at improving education infrastructure in the region and augment the facilities currently available to students. The plan required an estimated Rs 2,600-crore fund. However, according to a senior government official, the ministry doesn’t have adequate funds with it to take up such a project at this point. “We had drawn up the plan and were estimating the available resource envelope for this project. However, we don’t have such funds available currently for such a major initiative,” said a senior HRD official.theprint
Ghost of Israel-type settlements return to haunt Kashmir: Kashmiri Pandits slam Indian diplomat’s remarks
http://www.indiatomorrow.net/eng/ghost-of-israel-type-settlements-return-to-haunt-kashmir-kashmiri-pandits-slam-indian-diplomats-remarks-
Srinagar:Days after India’s Consul General in New York Sandeep Chakravorty called for adopting Israeli model of building settlements in the Kashmir valley, a group of influential Kashmiri Pandits has taken him head-on terming his remarks “fissiparous” and “narrow-minded thought process”.At a private event in New York last month, Chakravorty had said India should follow Israeli model of building settlements to facilitate the return of Kashmiri Pandits who left the Valley due to violence in 1990s.“This is totally unacceptable to Kashmiri Pandits, who have always believed in homogeneous and secular society. Before the violence raised its head in 1990, Kashmiris, irrespective of their religion, used to live together as one society. Our language, culture and way of living are similar. We cannot be separated”, said Satish Mahaldar, Chairman, Reconciliation, Return and Rehabilitation of Jammu and Kashmir Migrants.Mahaldar, who had met detained Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq before the abrogation of Article 370 and worked hard for honourable return of Kashmiri Pandits, said “if the ruling BJP-led NDA government at the Centre is thinking in these terms, then it is highly unfortunate”. “Kashmir has suffered a lot at the hands of sponsored violence, thousands have died and a large number of Kashmiris have been displaced and making such statements can further aggravate the situation. It seems that the ruling party is using the beleaguered Kashmiri Pandit community’s plight to its advantage. When it comes to fighting Pakistani propaganda at the international level, the plight of Kashmiri Pandits is used as a weapon”, he said. Mahaldar noted that the government is not doing anything to encourage inter-community dialogue and interaction. Instead, he said, such statements are bound to deepen differences and ill-will. “Our appeal to all is not to make such kind of statements that can vitiate the atmosphere. We appeal to the government to formulate a concrete plan for our return and rehabilitation in Kashmir. We urge Centre to punish such individuals, organizations who time and again give such statements and try to instigate violence and disrupt communal harmony“,he said.Congress, too, has joined chorus against BJP-led government at Centre for what it said encouraging people like Chakravorty to make inflammatory statements.India Tomorrow
Navy drives away suspicious Chinese vessel from Indian waters, warns against entering sans permit
https://www.news18.com/news/india/navy-drives-away-suspicious-chinese-vessel-operating-illegally-in-indian-waters-2409853.html
New Delhi: India is keenly watching China's increasing presence in the Indian Ocean region, Navy chief Admiral Karambir Singh said today, assuring that India is capable of thwarting any threat.Addressing a press conference ahead of the Navy Day celebrations on Dec 4, Singh said: "China has increased presence in Indian Ocean since 2008. We are keenly watching them." "There are Chinese oceanographic research vessels in the exclusive economic zone. On an average, 7 to eight vessels are present near this zone.They are here sometimes to carry out mining, sometimes as an anti-piracy squad," said Singh, adding that the Indian Navy carries out whatever prompt action is needed.He said one of the vessels, named Shi Yan 1, was driven away by Navy since it was in Indian water without permission. Admiral Karambir Singh also stressed that the India Navy is fully aware about Pakistan's intention in Indian Ocean region."We also know about the intelligence input that terror groups are planning to enter India through sea routes. We have put an adequate defence mechanism to thwart any threats," Singh said.news18
*OTHERS*
SPG Act: Parliament clears amendments, Amit Shah refutes Opposition’s ‘political vendetta’ charge
https://scroll.in/latest/945697/spg-act-parliament-clears-amendments-amit-shah-refutes-oppositions-political-vendetta-charge
Rajya Sabha on Tuesday passed the Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill, 2019, amid a walkout by the Congress MPs. The Lok Sabha had already passed the bill on Nov.27.The amendments will provide security to the prime minister and members of his immediate family who stay with him at the official residence. This security cover will also be provided to former prime ministers and their immediate families, residing at official residence, for a period of five years from the date on which the prime minister ceases to hold the office. Congress, which has been protesting against the removal of SPG security cover to the Gandhi family, on Tuesday continued to oppose the amendments in the Rajya Sabha. But Home Minister Amit Shah said the amendments were not introduced with the Gandhi family in mind, and that even the security cover of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be downgraded five years after he leaves office.During the discussions in Upper House, leaders of the Congress as well as other parties accused the BJP of playing vendetta politics. Congress leader Vivek Tankha said that politics had come to such a point that the safety of political leaders was no longer taken seriously. “What kind of democracy it is? You are putting the Opposition to threat,” Tankha said, according to PTI. “Please protect this family. God forbid, if one more fatal incident happens then who would take blame of it?”scroll
MPs oppose amendment that limits gun licences to just one, cite security & royal past
https://theprint.in/india/mps-oppose-amendment-that-limits-gun-licences-to-just-one-cite-security-royal-past/329682/
New Delhi: A bill seeking to amend the six-decade-old Arms Act and limit arms licence holders to keeping just one weapon, among others, is facing opposition from MPs cutting across party lines. The Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2019, introduced in the Lok Sabha last Friday, also states that from now on a person can apply for just one arms licence. The bill was set to come up for discussion and passing in the lower house Tuesday but wasn’t taken up and is likely to be discussed Wednesday.One of the provisions of the bill states that those who own more than one firearm will have to deposit the rest with authorities within 90 days. The authorities, according to the bill, can either be the local police station or an authority mandated by law. The excess guns will be stored by the authorities and the licensees can access them but at any point, they can possess only one weapon.The Modi government has also proposed to enhance punishment from 14 years to life imprisonment for the manufacturing, selling, repairing and possessing ‘prohibited’ arms and has proposed a two-year term for those who indulge in celebratory firing at weddings and religious functions.The MPs are particularly against the government’s decision to limit licences and are citing security issues and the ‘sensitive locations’ of their regions.theprint
Students' group resumes dharna against Muslim professor's appointment at BHU's Sanskrit Dept
https://www.news18.com/news/india/students-group-resumes-dharna-against-muslim-professors-appointment-at-bhus-sanskrit-department-2409015.html
Varanasi: The group of students protesting against the recruitment of a Muslim professor at BHU's Sanskrit department on Monday resumed their sit-in, saying the university authorities had not set right the "irregularities" in the appointment.The classes at the department were disrupted during the day due to the dharna. The students claimed they had called off the dharna on the assurance from the head of the Sanskrit department that they would get a response within 10 days on their demand.The group had claimed that a Muslim cannot teach Sanskrit at BHU, a stand opposed by varsity officials and other students and RSS.The students had protested for about a month over the appointment of Muslim professor Feroze Khan at the faculty of Sanskrit Vidya Dharma Vigyan (SVDV) alleging irregularities in the process. ABVP leader Chakrapani Ojha claimed the protesting students did not get any response even after the completion of the 10 days' period.On Monday, students, mostly from ABVP, sat on a dharna in front of SVDV department to protest against the appointment of the Muslim professor. After the controversy, Professor Khan appeared for the interview at the Ayurveda department on Nov.29. He was ranked at the top of the merit list.PTI
JNU poised for exam boycott
https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/jnu-poised-for-exam-boycott/cid/1723889?ref=more-from-india_india-page
A delegation of JNU teachers’ association on Monday failed to find anyone in the human resource development ministry to receive its memorandum relating to the student strike against a hostel fee hike.With the ministry sitting on the report of a committee it had formed to resolve the crisis, the students are set to boycott exams for the first time in the university’s half-a-century-old history.A statement from the teachers’ association, after its protest outside the ministry on Monday, said: “Was the formation of the high-power committee only a diversionary tactic and not a genuine attempt at resolving the crisis?”It demanded an immediate withdrawal of the fee hike and expressed confidence that it would “receive wide support from the public as it continues its efforts to hold accountable all those whose acts of commission and omission have created a grave situation in JNU where the futures of so many students are at stake”.On a call from the students’ union for “no academic cooperation”, several students have withheld the submissions of their term papers ahead of Dec.12 semester exams. Academic centres have been holding general body meetings to decide on a call to boycott the exams.telegraphindia
INX Media case: SC verdict on Chidambaram's bail plea on Wednesday
https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/inx-media-case-sc-verdict-on-chidambaram-s-bail-plea-on-wednesday/cid/1724024?ref=more-from-india_india-page
The Supreme Court is scheduled to pronounce its verdict tomorrow on Congress leader P. Chidambaram's plea seeking bail in INX Media money-laundering case.A bench headed by Justice R. Banumathi had on Nov.28 reserved its judgment on the appeal filed by Chidambaram who has challenged the Nov.15 verdict of the Delhi High Court denying him bail in the case.PTI
Sanjiv Bhatt moves Gujarat High Court for discharge in drug planting case
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sanjiv-bhatt-moves-gujarat-high-court-for-discharge-in-drug-planting-case/article30150675.ece?homepage=true
Former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt has approached the Gujarat High Court with a plea seeking discharge in a 1996 case related to planting of drug to allegedly frame a lawyer from Rajasthan. Bhatt’s lawyer Saurin Shah said his client filed the revision plea in the High Court on Monday after a Palanpur court rejected his discharge application in 23-year-old case on August 23. The plea of Bhatt, serving a life sentence in a separate case, is likely to come up for hearing later this week, he said.PTI
New Yorker report indicts Modi and links his rise to riots
https://caravandaily.com/new-yorker-report-indicts-modi-and-links-his-rise-to-riots/
New Delhi: A prominent New York-based weekly, The New Yorker, known for its long-form and in-depth journalism, has published a scathing critique of the right wing nationalist BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It also has direct reporting of the scenario in Kashmir Valley, which is currently under a lockdown following the August 5 abolition of autonomous status for the region by the Modi government.The article “Blood and Soil in Narendra Modi’s India,” authored by well-known journalist Dexter Filkins traces the journey of India to this day, explaining why the country took a ‘right turn’. The report, in specific, tells the story of journalist and author Rana Ayyub known for her investigative reporting related to the 2002 Gujarat pogrom.The write-up has been widely shared on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp groups, and other social media platforms. Most of the readers who shared the piece noted that it brought into spotlight the issues currently affecting the country which are generally sidelined by sections of the mainstream media.caravandaily
Blood and Soil in Narendra Modi’s India:Newyorker
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/12/09/blood-and-soil-in-narendra-modis-india
Judge Loya’s death: Sharad Pawar says case should be reinvestigated if there is demand and need
https://scroll.in/latest/945636/judge-loyas-death-sharad-pawar-says-case-should-be-reinvestigated-if-there-is-demand-and-need
NCP chief Sharad Pawar has said CBI Judge Brijgopal Harkishan Loya’s death should be reinvestigated if there is a demand and need for it. “If there is something in it [demands], then maybe a re-investigation should be done,” Pawar, whose party recently formed the government in Maharashtra in alliance with Shiv Sena and Congress, said. At the time of his death on Dec.1, 2014, Judge Loya was handling the Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case, in which BJP chief Amit Shah was an accused.“I don’t know, I read in the paper in some articles, that there is a discussion among Maharashtra’s people to investigate in depth [the death of Justice Loya],” said Pawar, adding that he had no detailed information about it.scroll
Modi Wanted Us to Work Together, I Rejected his Offer: Pawar
https://thewire.in/politics/modi-wanted-us-to-work-together-i-rejected-his-offer-pawar
Mumbai: NCP chief Sharad Pawar has said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had proposed “working together” but he rejected the offer.Pawar said he made it clear to Modi that it won’t be possible for him to work together with the PM. “Modi had offered me to work together. I told him that our personal relations are very good and they will remain that way but it is not possible for me to work together,” Pawar said in an interview to a Marathi TV channel on Monday.Pawar dismissed reports that Modi government offered to make him India’s President. “But there was an offer to make Supriya (Sule) a minister in Modi-led cabinet,” he added.Sule is Pawar’s daughter and MP from Baramati in Pune district.PTI
Tamil Nadu: Wall under which 17 people got crushed was built to keep away Dalits, allege protestors
https://scroll.in/latest/945649/tamil-nadu-wall-under-which-17-people-got-crushed-was-built-to-keep-away-dalits-allege-protestors
A large group of protestors gathered outside a hospital in Coimbatore on Monday, claiming that a wall that had collapsed amid heavy rain earlier in the day had been built to keep away Dalits, The Hindu reported. The hospital was carrying out autopsies of 17 people who were killed when the 20-foot-high compound wall fell on three houses in Nadur village. The protest was carried out by families of those who died, led by organisations such as Tamil Tigers, Dravidar Tamilar Katchi and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, outside Mettupalayam Government Hospital.The house whose wall collapsed belongs to a textile trader identified as Sivasubramaniam. He was arrested on Tuesday over charges of causing death by negligence, according to the police. He had been on the run since the wall collapsed, PTI reported.During the protest on Monday, Tamil Puligal Katchi President Nagai Tiruvalluvan said the complaint was about the construction in itself being illegal, and not just the poor quality of construction. He led a protest to block the arterial Ooty Road.scroll.in
Days after vet's murder, 50-year-old gang-raped and killed in Godavari district of Andhra
https://www.news18.com/news/india/50-year-old-gang-raped-killed-in-andhras-godavari-district-days-after-vets-murder-in-hyderabad-2410361.html
Amaravati: Even before the nationwide public outrage over the gang-rape and murder of a woman veterinarian in Hyderabad could subside, a similar horrific crime has come to light from Andhra Pradesh's East Godavari district. According to police, a 50-year-old widow was allegedly gang raped and murdered in G Vemavaram village of East Godavari district. 3 men are alleged to have committed the crime when the victim was alone in her house, police said.news18
Girl raped, shot dead and burnt in Bihar's Buxar district days after Hyderabad VET'S MURDER
https://www.news18.com/news/india/girl-shot-dead-burnt-after-being-allegedly-raped-in-bihars-buxar-identity-yet-to-be-ascertained-2410539.html
Buxar: In a gruesome incident akin to the Hyderabad veterinary doctor killing, a girl was shot dead and burnt after being allegedly raped in Kukudha village of Bihar's Buxar district on Monday night, police said on Tuesday. Police recovered the charred body of the girl around 6 am on Tuesday from a deserted field under the jurisdiction of Itadhi police station, said Buxar DSP Satish Kumar.The victim was shot one bullet in her head, they said adding police have recovered an empty cartridge from the spot. Hundreds of villagers gathered at the spot in the morning but none of them could identify the girl as she was badly burnt above waist, police sources said.PTI
Sexual abuse takes place in convents and seminaries:Kerala nun
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/sexual-abuse-takes-place-in-convents-and-seminaries-says-sister-lucy/story-pZdDB4SOrFetaAytV0yqML.html
Lucy Kalapura, a 52-year-old nun expelled from Franciscan Clarist Congregation (FCC) about three months ago on grounds of indiscipline, has alleged in her autobiography that sexual abuse and assaults take place in convents and seminaries, and has called for institutional reforms.The book, Karthavinte Namathil (In the Name of Christ), was released on Saturday.“It is all about my life in the convent. It is a collection of my memoirs. It is not a fiction but hard truth. I wish church authorities accept some of these realities to stem the rot. Most of the time they are in denial mode and try to brush it aside,” she told HT over the phone.She added that she will remain a nun till her last breath and that she will be happy if her book helps bring reforms in the church.FCC of Catholic Church expelled Sister Lucy in August, citing “serious indiscipline”, but she said she was victimised for supporting an agitation to arrest the deposed bishop of Jalandhar, Franco Mullakkal, who is facing rape charges.HT
Dead rat in mid-day meal sends 9 students, teacher in UP school to hospital
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/dead-rat-in-mid-day-meal-sends-9-students-teacher-in-up-school-to-hospital/story-gCg2MYbLBPORj1ArGB8HLL.html
Lucknow: At least 9 students and a teacher of an inter college in Muzaffarnagar had to be briefly hospitalised on Tuesday after eating their mid-day meal (MDM) which had a dead rat in it, officials said.The inter-college has classes from first to 12th standard and mid-day mal is served to students till the 8th standard. 9 students and the teacher who were among the first to be served, complained of giddiness after seeing the rat in the food and were taken to the district hospital for medical examination. All of them were discharged afte treatment, district officials said.Dr Navneet Bansal, emergency medical officer (Muzzafarnagar) said, “9 students and a teacher were brought to the emergency. They were given treatment and no traces of any poison were found in them.” NGO Jan Kalyan Sanstha Committee was entrusted with the responsibility to serve mid-day meal in Janta Inter College. HT
NRC is anti-poor and dehumanises an out-group: former IAS officers
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/nrc-is-anti-poor-and-dehumanises-an-out-group-say-former-ias-officers/article30131566.ece
Bengaluru:NRC and Citizenship Amendment Bill not only pose a big challenge to democracy and the country’s social fabric, but are also anti-poor and a way of shirking responsibility by the government, according to Kannan Gopinathan and Sasikanth Senthil, former IAS officers who recently quit in protest against the actions of the Union government. They were speaking at a talk on NRC and CAB, organised by a coalition of progressive organisations in the city on Sunday. Gopinathan said that it was the govt’s responsibility to identify illegal immigrants. “But it has transferred this to the entire populace through NRC, just as it did with demonetisation to weed out black money,” he said.Recounting the Assam experience, he said it is the poor, landless labourers, homeless, migrants and predominantly women who have no documents and will be at the receiving end of NRC damage. “Citizens will become refugees for want of documents, and government will be charitable to only non-Muslims. Muslims will become infiltrators. This is a violation of our fundamental rights,” he said, adding that “what is essentially anti-poor is being marketed as anti-Muslim”. “None of us needs to prove that we are Indians to this government, our being should be enough proof,” he said. “We are being punished for their [govt’s] mistake.”thehindu
Revenue surplus over 5 yrs possible as Delhi has non-corrupt govt: Kejriwal
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/delhi-has-non-corrupt-govt-says-arvind-kejriwal-1624656-2019-12-03?fbclid=IwAR3I5NVNZGtU98sBcg0lGYbsFhKnDWBsLcXVR6146Oad6xqh-OiZweMjLfc
New Delhi:Aday after the CAG report said that the Delhi government has maintained a revenue surplus over the last five years, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday asserted it was possible as the national capital has a "non-corrupt government".Taking to Twitter, the chief minister said, "Five years of increased expenditure on schools, hospitals, water and power - all this while maintaining revenue surplus and improving Delhi's fiscal health...(sic)""This was possible because Delhi has a non-corrupt govt which uses every paisa of taxpayer money on public welfare," he said.indiatoday
Criticised over GDP remark, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey urges Parliament to ban social media
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/nishikant-dubey-gdp-remark-trolling-lok-sabha-6148559/
New Delhi :Facing criticism for his statement on the relevance of GDP, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey Tuesday urged the Parliament to frame a law for banning social media as his remarks were distorted to the extent that users abused his family members.Speaking during the question hour of Lok Sabha, Dubey said, “According to Article 105 and 105(2) of the Constitution, reporting of any discussion in the Parliament will be reported fairly and without any bias. When I was discussing over GDP yesterday, I quoted a report by Simon Kuznets, who coined GDP, where he had himself expressed his dissatisfaction with its concept.”indianexpress
Govt’s apathy towards Bhopal gas tragedy survivors condemned on 35th anniversary
https://caravandaily.com/govts-apathy-towards-bhopal-gas-tragedy-survivors-condemned-on-35th-anniversary/
Bhopal:On the eve of the 35th Anniversary of Union Carbide disaster in Bhopal, leaders of four survivors’ organizations have condemned the continued apathy of the governments at the Centre and Madhya Pradesh towards medical, economic and social rehabilitation of the survivors.Ms Rashida Bee, President of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh said: ”The long and painful sickness and recent death of Abdul Jabbar, leader of a survivors’ organization, exemplifies what almost every patient visiting the state and central run hospitals goes through. Till today there is no evidence that the governments at the state and the centre have learnt any lessons from Abdul Jabbar bhai’s suffering and death.”Caravan Daily
*WORLD*
Turkey threatens to block NATO's Baltic defence plan over YPG
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/12/turkey-threatens-block-nato-baltic-defence-plan-ypg-191203083651527.html
Turkey will block NATO's plan for the defence of Baltic countries unless alliance recognises a Kurdish group as "terrorists", Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned.A NATO meeting on Tuesday, marking the alliance's 70th anniversary, was set to be a tense affair with Turkey at odds with other members over its purchase of Russian missiles and recent offensive in northern Syria, among other issues.Speaking in Ankara, before his departure for the British capital, Erdogan urged unconditional support of the alliance in the fight against the Kurdish People's Protection Unit (YPG), which Turkey views as a terrorist organisation."NATO needs to act in a proactive manner against threats posed by the terrorist organisations,"Erdogan said. "It is inevitable that NATO is in need of readjusting itself against today's terrorist threats. We expect our allies to display strong cooperation with us against the threats we are facing."Relations between Turkey and its NATO allies have been strained over a host of issues, ranging from Ankara's decision to procure Russian air defence systems to its policy on Syria.aljazeera
Trump enters war of words between Macron, Erdogan
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/12/trump-weighs-war-words-macron-erdogan-191203094255313.html
US President Donald Trump has entered a war of words between his French and Turkish counterparts, saying Emmanuel Macron's remark that NATO was brain dead was "very, very nasty" and "disrespectful".Macron made the comment in a November 7 interview with The Economist, as he criticised a lack of coordination between NATO members over Turkey's recent operation in Syria. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan later responded, challenging Macron to check his own "brain death".Trump, speaking to reporters in London on Tuesday alongside NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, said Macron's assessment of the military alliance was "insulting to a lot of different forces".Trump also said he would not allow France to take advantage of American companies after a US government investigation found France's new digital services tax would harm US technology companies.aljazeera
'Rioters' shot and killed at protests, Iran admits for first time
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/12/shot-killed-protests-iran-admits-time-191203072043278.html
Iranian state TV has acknowledged security forces shot and killed what it described as "rioters" in multiple cities amid recent protests over the spike in government-set petrol prices.It was the first time authorities offered any sort of accounting for the violence used to put down the deadly demonstrations.The acknowledgement came in a television report on Tuesday that criticised international Persian-language channels for their reporting on the crisis, which began on Nov 15. The state TV report described the killings in four categories, alleging some of those killed were "rioters who have attacked sensitive or military centres with firearms or knives, or have taken hostages in some areas".The report described others killed as passers-by, security forces, and peaceful protesters without assigning blame for their deaths.US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Iran was "killing thousands of people" for protesting.aljazeera
Amnesty says at least 208 killed in Iran protests
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/11/amnesty-208-killed-iran-protests-191130151227593.html
At least 208 people are believed to have been killed in Iran during a security crackdown on protests that came after a surprise petrol price increase, Amnesty International has said. United Kingdom-based rights group said the "alarming" death toll was based "on credible reports" it had received, adding that the actual figure was likely to be higher.aljazeera
Egypt: Qatar supported Muslim Brotherhood
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20191203-egypt-says-qatar-supported-muslim-brotherhood/
Egypt has cut ties with Qatar as a result of the Gulf state’s “support to terror groups [Muslim Brotherhood],” Egyptian representative at the International Court of Justice said.“Qatar has been holding a hostile stance against Egypt by supporting terror operation in the Sinai Peninsula,” Amgad Abdel Ghaffar pointed out, adding that Doha was “promoting the doctrine of Al-Qaeda and Daesh.”Responding to what he described as “Doha’s interference in Egypt’s internal affairs,” Abdel Ghaffar stressed that his country had repeatedly rejected the Qatari move.Since 5 June 2017, Egypt, along with Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain,has been imposing a blockade on Qatar accusing it of supporting terrorism. Doha denies the allegations saying boycotting countries are actually working to force a change in govt in Qatar.MEMO
New details on covert Israeli operation in Gaza revealed
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/12/details-covert-israeli-operation-gaza-revealed-191203084825800.html
New details have emerged about a botched Israeli intelligence operation in the Gaza Strip in Nov.2018 that sparked deadly Israeli air strikes and Palestinian rocket fire.Eight undercover Israeli agents - who were disguised as Palestinians and had taken the aliases of a real family in Gaza - entered the coastal enclave on November 11 last year with the objective of planting listening devices on Hamas's private communications system, an investigation by Al Jazeera Arabic's Ma Khafia Aazam (Tip of the Iceberg) programme revealed. However, the Israelis were stopped and questioned by a Hamas patrol unit in Khan Younis for 40 minutes and became suspicious of their answers. A firefight broke out and the Israeli operatives used guns with silencers, immediately killing Hamas commander Nour Baraka and one of his aides, Mohammed al-Qarra.The head of the Israeli undercover unit, named for the first time as "Meni", was also killed.Aired on Sunday, the programme revealed the undercover Israeli operatives to be part of the Sayeret Matkal unit, which was established in 1957 to amass intelligence behind enemy lines.aljazeera
Top Hamas delegation arrives in Cairo for talks
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20191203-top-hamas-delegation-arrives-in-cairo-for-talks/
A senior Hamas delegation headed by Chief of the movement’s Political Bureau Ismail Haniyeh arrived in Cairo to meet Egyptian intelligence officials.Hamas said that its delegation is to discuss the Palestinian elections, internal reconciliation, truce with the Israeli occupation and relations with Islamic Jihad.Haniyeh is planning to leave Cairo after the meetings with the Egyptian officials to visit some other countries.Meanwhile, an Islamic Jihad delegation headed by its top leader Ziyad Al-Nakhalah also arrived in Cairo. It will be meeting Hamas officials and members of Egyptian intelligence.MEMO
Israel’s Netanyahu cancels visit to London due to lack of security
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20191203-israels-netanyahu-cancels-visit-to-london-due-to-lack-of-security/
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has cancelled a visit to London during the two-day NATO summit which starts today, Israeli media reported.Quds Press reported Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth saying that the trip was cancelled after Netanyahu was informed that London would have not be able to afford private security for him.Times of Israel reported Israeli TV Channel 13 reporting UK govt saying it could not accommodate Netanyahu, who was not invited to NATO summit.Israeli newspaper Haaretz said British officials were unhappy that Netanyahu was to visit London for the second time in a very short period to meet foreign officials.MEMO
US Brown University votes to divest from businesses violating Palestinian rights
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20191203-us-brown-university-votes-to-divest-from-businesses-violating-palestinian-rights/
Brown University voted in favour of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement yesterday, which seeks to financially pressure Israel into ending the occupation of the Palestinian territories and allow full equality for its Arab-Palestinian citizens.Advisory Committee on Corporate Responsibility in Investment Policies (ACCRIP), which consists of university students, faculty, staff and alumni, vote on resolutions surrounding “ethical and moral issues or issues of alleged social harm with respect to the activities of corporations in which the University is an investor,” according to its website.The vote followed the non-binding referendum in March, when 69 per cent of Brown undergraduate voters supported the same motion.middleeastmonitor
Oman: ‘We are ready to launch dialogue between Gulf States and Iran’
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20191203-omans-we-are-ready-to-launch-dialogue-between-gulf-states-and-iran/
Oman’s Foreign Minister Yousuf bin Alawi met in Tehran on Monday evening with Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani after holding talks with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif. According to a statement issued by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Shamkhani said that Washington’s efforts to build a naval alliance in the Gulf States were failing. He added: “the only alliances, which can be permanent, i.e. provide security and solve problems, are those maintained apart from the interference and influence of external powers.” Shamkhani went on, “it is not possible to trust a country which does not abide by its commitments with Iran and other countries,” in reference to the United States. He also accused Trump’s administration and other countries, which he did not name, of “seeking to plunder the region”. He also conveyed that those forces “are the ones who damaged the region’s security and stability the most, in addition to creating chaos and destruction in the region by igniting wars and endorsing terrorism. Therefore, these countries will not support any security or stability initiatives in the Gulf.middleeastmonitor
UAE hails ‘wise leadership’ of Syria’s Assad
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20191203-uae-hails-wise-leadership-of-syrias-bashar-al-assad/
UAE representative in Damascus, Abdul-Hakim Al-Naimi, hailed the “wise leadership” of Syrian regime leader Bashar Al-Assad and stressed that his country maintains “strong” relations with Syria.He hoped that “safety and security prevails across Syria” under the “wise leadership” of Al-Assad.Al-Naimi delivered his remarks during a celebration organised in Damascus to mark 48th National Day of UAE, Syrian news agency Sana reported.UAE has been working to regain ties with Al-Assad despite the numerous accusations of atrocities and abuses levelled at his regime by human rights groups. According to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, UAE has funded mercenaries from Caucasus and other countries in order to fight alongside the Syrian regime forces during the eight-year civil war. UAE also hosts many Syrian regime officials and pro-Assad businessmen, as well as Al-Assad’s mother Anisa Makhlouf.MEMO
China suspends US warship visit to Hong Kong, sanctions American NGOs
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/china-suspends-us-warship-visit-to-hong-kong-sanctions-american-ngos/story-ACOPI75mgQ0Vv4LpeYv99O.html
China has suspended US warships and military aircraft visits to Hong Kong and sanctioned American NGOs including Human Rights Watch in retaliation against Washington passing two bills supporting pro-democracy protests in the city last week.The escalation of the China-US diplomatic tussle comes in the backdrop of the two largest economies in the world trying to reach a “phase 1” deal to resolve the ongoing trade war.China did not hit back with new tariffs on US goods as part of its retaliatory measures against the two bills.Beijing has repeatedly blamed Washington and other western countries for fueling the protests have rocked the financial hub of Hong Kong since June.HT
US troop decrease in Afghan 'not' tied to Taliban deal
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/12/troop-decrease-afghanistan-tied-taliban-deal-191203073151910.html
US Defense Secretary Mark Esper has said that any future troop drawdowns in Afghanistan were "not necessarily" linked to a deal with Taliban, suggesting some lowering of force levels may happen irrespective of the continuing peace push. The remarks by Esper in an interview with Reuters on Monday came on the heels of a Thanksgiving trip last week to Afghanistan by President Donald Trump, who spoke of potential troop reductions and said he believed the Taliban would agree to a ceasefire in 18-year-old war.If honoured by all sides, a truce could lead to a significant reduction in violence. But US military commanders would still focus on the threats associated with two other armed groups in Afghanistan: ISIL and al-Qaeda.Esper said the Trump administration had been discussing potential reductions in troop levels for some time, both internally and with US allies.Asked whether such reductions would necessarily be contingent on some sort of agreement with the Taliban, Esper said:"Not necessarily." He did not elaborate.aljazeera
Rohingya child refugees being denied education: HRW report
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/12/rohingya-child-refugees-denied-education-hrw-report-191202114135562.html
Bangladesh is blocking aid groups from providing education to hundreds of thousands of Rohingya children in refugee camps, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said today.In a report titled, Are we not human?: Denial of Education for Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh, the New York-based rights body urged authorities to urgently lift restrictions that deprive Rohingya refugee children of their right to education under UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.aljazeera
Gadhimai: Nepal's mass animal slaughter begins despite outcry
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/12/gadhimai-nepal-prepares-mass-animal-sacrifice-outcry-191203031021298.html
Hindu worshippers have begun slaughtering thousands of buffalo as part of a religious ritual held every 5 years in southern Nepal, despite efforts to end the practice considered the world's biggest sacrifice of animals at any one site.The Gadhimai Festival - a two-day festival in honour of the Hindu goddess of power - kicked off in the early hours of Tuesday amid tight security, with the ceremonial slaughter of a goat, rat, chicken, pig and pigeon. A local shaman then offered blood from five points of his body.Following that, some 200 butchers with sharpened swords and knives walked into a walled arena bigger than a football field that held several thousand animals as excited pilgrims climbed trees to catch a glimpse."The sacrifices have begun today... We had tried not to support it but people have faith in the tradition and have come here with their offerings," Birendra Prasad Yadav from the festival organising committee told AFP.AFP
Mob attacks Dawn office for saying London Bridge attacker was of ‘Pakistani’ origin
https://theprint.in/world/mob-attacks-dawn-office-for-saying-london-bridge-attacker-was-of-pakistani-origin/329600/
Dozens of protesters carrying banners and chanting slogans against a Pakistani newspaper tried to storm its offices in Islamabad, enraged over the leading daily’s news report in which the London Bridge attacker was identified as a “man of Pakistani origin”.The Dawn paper in its headline had identified Usman Khan, a convicted Islamist terrorist from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir who stabbed 2 people to death in a terror attack on London Bridge last week, as “UK national of Pakistani origin”, unlike many other local dailies which said he was born and brought up in Britain and had no link with Pakistan.PTI
*views, Articles, FEATURES*
Amit Shah’s nationwide NRC will be the same as Modi’s demonetisation:Dhruv Rathee
https://theprint.in/opinion/amit-shahs-nationwide-nrc-will-be-the-same-as-modis-demonetisation/329372/
There was a time when Muslim women in India not only prayed in mosques, they even built them:Ziya Us Salam
https://scroll.in/article/945479/there-was-a-time-when-muslim-women-in-india-not-only-prayed-in-mosques-they-even-built-them
Secularism is caught in a crisis:Neera Chandhoke
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/discrimination-hindutva-muslims-rss-alls-not-well-with-secularism-6147422/
Explained: How Vikram lander was found by an amateur enthusiast, and confirmed by NASA
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/chandrayaan-2-how-vikram-lander-was-found-nasa-shanmuga-subramanian-6148718/
Indian Railways' Finances Would be Much Worse Without PSUs' Help: CAG
https://thewire.in/government/indian-railways-finances-would-be-much-worse-without-psus-help-says-cag
Why the Attack on Rajeev Dhavan Did Not Surprise Me:Mahtab Alam
https://thewire.in/law/why-the-attack-on-rajeev-dhavan-did-not-surprise-me
Who Is Saving Whom? MPs Talk Big On Reforming Rape Laws, But Nearly 50% Have Criminal Records: Saket Suman
https://www.indiatimes.com/news/indian-mps-talk-big-on-reforming-rape-laws-but-nearly-50-have-criminal-records-who-is-saving-whom-501537.html?fbclid=IwAR0qCPW4q0zi6T7ahwRaOoi1_eWxv-X7lg9BfNxAm5wbXnK3NHcHC8hgc1w
*Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:47 PM).*
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