NEWS DIGEST, MIDDAY
19 Feb. 2020: 24 Jamadi-2, 1441: Vol: 12, No: 136
*anti-CAA,NRC-NPR stir*
UIDAI says notices to 127 people in Hyderabad has nothing to do with citizenship
https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/uidai-says-notices-127-people-hyderabad-has-nothing-do-citizenship-118472
After media reports and social media outburst over UIDAI’s letter to 127 persons in Hyderabad, asking them to provide documents to prove their Indian citizenship, the central agency has now passed the buck to Telangana police. UIDAI said that letters were issued after the police approached UIDAI’s Regional Office in Hyderabad, reportedly stating that 127 persons have obtained Aadhaar on false pretences and that a preliminary investigation found that they were “illegal immigrants who were not qualified to obtain an Aadhaar number”.In a clarification statement, the agency, which manages the data procurement for Aadhaar in the country, said that the notices have nothing to do with the Indian citizenship of the 127 persons and that the cancellation of Aadhaar number is in no way related to their nationality. UIDAI, in their press statement, claimed that media reports “were not presented in correct perspective and Aadhaar has got nothing to do with the citizenship issue as such”. “Aadhaar is not a document of citizenship and UIDAI has been mandated under the Aadhaar Act to ascertain residency of a person in India for 182 days prior to applying for Aadhaar. Also, the Supreme Court of India, in its landmark decision, has directed UIDAI not to issue Aadhaar to illegal immigrants,” the statement read. TNM on Monday had reported that the lawyer representing one of the persons who received the letter from UIDAI, 40-year-old Sattar Khan, was planning to approach Telangana High Court to challenge UIDAI’s authority to summon citizens and question their citizenship. The lawyer had said that the agency could only deactivate Aadhaar and did not have the legal right to ask the person to prove their citizenship. The notice had asked Sattar to provide original documents to prove his Indian citizenship and if not an Indian national, to prove that he entered the country legally.Sattar Khan is an auto driver by profession and has been a resident of Hyderabad since his childhood, Muzaferullah Khan, his lawyer said. His family and siblings are all residents of Hyderabad and have their ration cards and voter ID cards. “This person is 100% Indian, his father worked with a state-owned PSU and his mother is a pensioner,” Muzaferullah had earlier told TNM. The letters sent out to 127 persons in Hyderabad on February 3 alleged that these persons had obtained the Aadhaar card through false pretences and they were asked to report at a hall on Feb.20. However, UIDAI has now shifted this hearing date to May this year.UIDAI reasoned that it may take these persons “some more time to collect the original documents that they had submitted for obtaining Aadhaar, as informed by the state police.”thenewsminute
Notice To 127 People Nothing To Do With Citizenship: Aadhaar Authority
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/aadhaar-authority-notice-to-127-people-in-hyderabad-says-nothing-to-do-with-citizenship-2182246
127 'Illegal Immigrants' in Hyd Served Notices, Aadhaar Authority Clarifies it's Got Nothing to Do with Citizenship
https://www.news18.com/news/india/127-illegal-immigrants-in-hyd-served-notices-aadhaar-authority-clarifies-its-got-nothing-to-do-with-citizenship-2506437.html
In bad faith and biased exercise of powers: Owaisi hits out on Aadhaar body’s notice to 127 in Hyderabad
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/asaduddin-owaisi-aadhaar-body-notice-hyderabad-citizenship-twitter-1647890-2020-02-19
Hyderabad:AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has hit out at the central government after a row erupted over the Aadhaar authorities summoning a man in Hyderabad and asking him to prove his 'citizenship'.Reacting to Aadhaar nodal agency clarification that notices to 127 people have nothing to do with citizenship, Owaisi accused UIDAI of bias and asked how many of the 127 listed are Muslim and Dalit."First, @UIDAI has no power to verify citizenship. It has few powers to look into some cases of Aadhaar being granted incorrectly (rules 27 & 28)," Asaduddin Owaisi wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. Owaisi alleged that the UIDAI did not follow due procedure and abused its powers, which he said resulted in panic among people.India Today
UN Chief Guterres expresses concern over CAA, says risk of statelessness for two million Muslims
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/un-chief-antonio-guterres-expresses-concern-over-caa-says-risk-of-statelessness-for-two-million-muslims
Just a week ahead of US President Donald Trump's visit to New Delhi, United Nation's Secretary General Antonio Guterres has expressed concern for the Muslims in India.Before concluding his Pakistan visit on Wednesday, the UN chief in an interview to Pakistani newspaper Dawn commented on India's Citizenship (Amendment) Act, which fast-tracks citizenship of persecuted religious minorities of its three neighbouring Islamic theocracies.The Dawn quoted Guterres as saying that there was a "risk of statelessness for two million Muslims excluded by the divisive CAA passed by the Indian Parliament."Guterres also told Dawn that he was personally concerned about the rising discrimination against the minorities in India. The newspaper claimed that UN chief said: "All the reports, including two by the UN High Commissioner, in the international media, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and recent fact-finding reports on Kashmir released in New Delhi, regarding torture, sexual abuse and incarceration of children as young as seven by the Indian military", played an important role in "clarifying exactly what is happening" in Kashmir and "it is essential that these reports are taken seriously".nationalheraldindia
Defying Madras HC orders, thousands march to Secretariat in demand for resolution against CAA
https://scroll.in/latest/953630/citizenship-act-protestors-defy-madras-hc-orders-march-to-secretariat-in-chennai
Members of Federation of Tamil Nadu Islamic and Political Organisations gathered in front of Kalaivanar Arangam in Chennai on Wednesday to protest against the CAA, The Hindu reported. The protestors gathered at the site despite the Madras High Court order prohibiting them from carrying out a demonstration.There was heavy police deployment in the area on Wednesday morning. The protestors sought to march to Tamil Nadu Secretariat to press for their demand that the Assembly pass a resolution against CAA, NRC and NPR.The road to the secretariat and the War Memorial was blocked. Traffic restrictions were enforced on Wallajah Road. The police deployed five drones to monitor the situation on the road.The anti-CAA protesters at Old Washermenpet in Chennai, who have organised a sit-in over the last five days, said they will defy the court’s order to march to Fort St George, which houses the Assembly. “Though support is understandably thin in the morning, it begins to swell as the day progresses, peaking in the evening and at night,” an organiser said.The police had baton charged the protestors on February 14, alleging that they pelted stones. This led to protests across Tamil Nadu the next day.Over 3,000 people took part in a march in Tiruchirappalli on Wednesday, shouting slogans against the Citizenship Amendment Act and asserting that they would not show their documents to government officials. Protestors also gathered near the Thoothukudi district collector’s office. A march to the collectorate was organised in Coimbatore.A bench of Justices M Sathyanaraya and R Hemalatha of the Madras High Court had on Tuesday issued an injunction till March 11, restraining the Federation of Tamil Nadu Islamic and Political Organisations and its allied associations from organising the agitation on Wednesday, News18 reported. scroll
Chennai anti-CAA march live : Thousands march to Secretariat in demand for resolution against CAA
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chennai/chennai-tamil-nadu-news-today-live-updates-caa-chennai-washermenpet-anti-caa-live-6275303/?#liveblogstart
Anti-CAA Chennai protest live | Long march to Secretariat curtailed at Chepauk stadium
https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/anti-caa-protesters-in-chennai-begin-long-march-to-secretariat/article30857850.ece?homepage=true
Fear of 'chaos' among minority groups over Clause 6 cut-off
https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/north-east/fear-of-chaos-among-minority-groups-over-clause-6-cut-off/cid/1746402
Guwahati:Several minority groups of Assam, including AIUDF, have expressed concern over reports that the high-power committee on implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord has recommended 1951 as the base year for defining the indigenous people of the state.The minority groups believe that if the cut-off date of March 24, 1971, set by the Assam Accord, is violated while defining the indigenous people of Assam, a massive “chaos” would ensue in the state.AIUDF general secretary and spokesperson Aminul Islam, reacting to reports swirling since committee chairman Justice (retd) Biplab Kumar Sharma reached Delhi last week, said such a recommendation might create more problems for the state.All Assam Minority Students’ Union leader Azizur Rahman said many would suffer if 1951 was made the base year. “Around 35 per cent of the population will be deprived as neither these people nor the government has sufficient records to prove that they came or have been living in Assam prior to 1951. There will be a huge chaos. The base year should be fixed as 1971 as those living in the state prior to 1971 have already assimilated with the indigenous people of the state and its language and culture,” he added.telegraphindia
Declared Foreigner, Assam Woman's Story Predicts Citizenship List Effect
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/declared-foreigner-assam-womans-story-predicts-citizenship-list-effect-2182212
Guwahati: A 50-year-old woman living in a remote corner of Assam, who has trouble feeding her family, has been fighting a lone battle- to prove that she is a citizen of India. Declared a foreigner by Assam's Foreigners' Tribunal, Jabeda Begum lost the battle in Gauhati High Court and now, the Supreme Court looks too far away.Jabeda Begum lives the remotest corner of Assam - in Baksa district, around 100 km from Guwahati. She is the only earning member of her family - her husband Rejak Ali has been ailing for long. The couple had three daughters, one of whom died in an accident and another one went missing. The youngest, Asmina, is a student of Class 5.It is Asmina's future that worries Jabeda Begum the most. With most of her meagre earning being drained by the legal battle, the little girl sometimes goes to bed hungry. "I am worried what will happen to them after me... I have lost hope for myself," Jabeda Begum confided.The woman who is from Goyabari village was declared a foreigner by the Tribunal in 2018. Her regular trips for a year were in vain. The High Court, citing one of its previous orders, declared the papers she submitted -- land revenue receipt, bank documents and PAN card -- were not conclusive proof of citizenship.ndtv
Assam: Voter list of 4 years, land records… 15 documents can’t prove citizenship
https://indianexpress.com/article/north-east-india/assam/assam-nrc-list-citizenship-documents-6274956/
Guwahati :As many as 15 documents which included voter lists of 4 years, a parent’s NRC clearance, land revenue payment receipts, certificates from the village headman attesting to permanent residency and marriage, ration card, PAN card and bank passbook have been rejected by the Gauhati High Court as proof of Indian citizenship.In an indication of the challenges that lie ahead in an NRC exercise, Jabeda Begum alias Jabeda Khatun, of Guwahari village in Tamulpur of Baksa district, submitted these documents to back her claim of citizenship after being declared “a foreigner of post-1971 stream” by a Foreigners Tribunal in May 2019. She lost the challenge with the High Court ruling that she “failed to prove her linkage with her projected parents and her projected brother”.indianexpress
Assam govt body for aid to Hindu Bengali-Assamese couples, head says nothing to do with CAA
https://indianexpress.com/article/north-east-india/assam/assam-govt-body-for-aid-to-hindu-bengali-assamese-couples-head-says-nothing-to-do-with-caa-6275540/
Guwahati :A new website aims to financially support marriages between the Hindu Bengali and Assamese communities in Assam. ‘Samanvay’(samanvayassam.com) — launched on Sunday by chairman of Assam Linguistic Minority Development Board (ALMDB) — is a result of the government body’s proposal to “strengthen ties” between the two communities.“It has come to our notice that several Assamese-Bengali (Hindu) marriages take place here. These couples often face a lot of trouble, opposition from family etc. Thus, we want to give them financial aid — be it Rs 40,000 or Rs 50,000,” said Alok Ghose, Chairman, ALMDB. “We have approached the Chief Minister, the Finance Minister and the Welfare of Minorities and Development Minister with our proposal and are hopeful that it will be included in the State Budget 2020-21.” Annual State Budget 2020-21 is slated to be tabled on March 4.However, Welfare of Minorities and Development Minister Ranjit Dutta said he had not received any such proposal yet, and could not comment further.BJP’s Ghose said he was determined to make this work, with or without the government’s help. “We will raise funds and collect donations if need be,” said Ghose, who has been Chairman of the ALMDB since 2018.Even as CAA is believed to have widened the rift between the state’s Assamese and Bengali communities, Ghose said his proposal had “nothing to with CAA or NRC or any politics.” “We thought of it a year back,” he said.More recently, the updation of NRC, too, has led to festering of the wound.indianexpress
25 broken CCTVs in Jamia’s Rs 2.66-crore damage bill to HRD
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/jamia-violence-police-cctv-hrd-6274992/?fbclid=IwAR0hjN4def6OpHxCAo_6O3EkhPN5qGXR0XKfY7CXf3DPtgHWCM1CVmbD8Ck
New Delhi : Jamia Millia Islamia suffered damage to property worth Rs 2.66 crore during police action inside its premises on December 15 last year, according to an estimate submitted by the university to Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD). This included damage to 25 CCTV cameras worth Rs 4.75 lakh.Over the last few days, several video clips from Jamia’s CCTV footage have been released, which show uniformed personnel raining lathis on students as well as damaging property, including hitting CCTV cameras with lathis, in the university library.Police have maintained that some of the videos appear edited and they are still ascertaining their authenticity.According to the estimate submitted by Jamia, public property worth Rs 2,66,16,390 was damaged in the violence. The university has specified that the damage “occurred due to Delhi Police action on Dec.15”. While the university has said security personnel entered without permission, police maintain they were in pursuit of “rioters” and entered the premises as a result.Just days after the violence, university authorities had said that property damage was around Rs 2.5 crore, and that more detailed calculations would be done. Librarian Tariq Ashraf had then said, “Most of the damage in the library is due to breaking of glass panes. Some of the other things damaged are CCTV cameras and tubelights, etc. But thankfully no books or manuscripts were touched.”A detailed break-up suggests that library equipment, doors, window panes, AC units, electrical system, chairs, tables, lights and mirrors were damaged. According to the university’s estimates, equipment worth Rs 55 lakh was also damaged.Similarly, 75 doors worth Rs 41.25 lakh; 220 window panes worth Rs 22.5 lakh; railings worth Rs 18 lakh; hardware worth Rs 15 lakh and 35 library tables worth Rs 14 lakh were damaged in the violence. The university also saw 175 chairs worth Rs 7 lakh, “toilet items” worth Rs 6 lakh, vegetation worth Rs 7.5 lakh, tiles worth Rs 8 lakh, and 15 aluminium doors worth Rs 4.5 lakh being damaged.indianexpress
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind demands Telangana govt to clear its stand on NPR, NRC
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/muslim-body-demands-t-govt-to-clear-its-stand-on-npr-nrc/articleshow/74198914.cms
Hyderabad: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Telangana and Odisha, urged the Telangana government to clear its stand on NPR and NRC, on Tuesday.It also asked the state to move Supreme Court under the exercise of powers envisaged by the Constitution under Article 131, to go against the implementation of bills passed by Central Govt. Hamid Mohammed Khan, president Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Telangana and Odisha , appreciated the move taken by the state to vote against CAB in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. It welcomed the government decision to pass a resolution in the state assembly against CAA.“The moral values of the Constitution were protected by the state government. The govt’s decision to pass a resolution in the assembly is highly appreciated. Similarly, they take a stand on NPR as well,’’ said Khan. He also asked chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao to take serious note of the citizen’s doubt regarding NRC and NPR.TOI
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind appeals KCR to boycott NPR and NRC
https://www.siasat.com/jamaat-e-islami-hind-appeals-kcr-boycott-npr-and-nrc-1829729/?fbclid=IwAR0hrNwcjBCAWynquYmYsJJwIkuoB-qiWaV2FUPmZPDjbx2GdSHpzLZqeLY
Deliberate attempt to cover up Mangaluru police excesses, pics show cops throwing stones at crowd, HC gives bail to 21 people
https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/2020/feb/19/deliberate-attempt-to-cover-up-mangaluru-police-excesses-says-hc-2105345.html
BENGALURU: Noting that there was a deliberate attempt to cover up police excesses by implicating innocent persons at whim, Karnataka High Court on Tuesday granted conditional bail to 21 people who were allegedly involved in violence during the protests against CAA in Mangaluru.Allowing the bail petitions of Ashik and 20 others from Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts, Justice John Michael Cunha said the overzealousness of the police is also evident from the fact that FIRs were registered under Section 307 of IPC against the persons killed by the police themselves.“In an offence involving a large number of people, the identity and participation of each accused must be fixed with reasonable certainty. In the present cases, the identity appears to have been fixed on the basis of their affiliation to PFI and they being members of the Muslim community. Though it is stated that the involvement of the petitioners is captured in CCTV footage and photographs, no such material is produced before the court showing the presence of any of the petitioners at the spot, armed with deadly weapons,” the judge noted. In the statement of objections filed by the State Public Prosecutor-I, it was stated that there was a hint of Muslim youths holding protest on December 19, opposing the implementation of CAA. Prohibitory orders were clamped in that connection. This assertion indicated that the common object of the assembly was to oppose the implementation of CAA and NRC which, by itself, was not an “unlawful object”, the judge pointed out. Justice Cunha also said the material collected by the investigators did not contain any specific evidence regarding the presence of any of the petitioners at the spot. On the other hand, omnibus allegations were made against the Muslim crowd of 1,500-2,000, alleging that they were armed with weapons like stones, soda bottles and glass pieces. The photographs produced by SPP depicted that hardly any member of the crowd were armed with weapons, except one of them holding a bottle. In none of these photographs, police station or policemen were seen in the vicinity, the judge noted. “On the other hand, photographs produced by the petitioners show that the policemen themselves were pelting stones at the crowd,” the judge observed.newindianexpress
Karnataka: Poet, editor arrested in Koppal district over anti-CAA poem
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/karnataka-poet-journalist-arrested-in-koppal-caa-poem-6275793/
Karnataka Police Tuesday arrested a poet and a journalist in Koppal district in North Karnataka over a poem against the CAA and NRC. Siraj Bisaralli had recited a poem last month, which was posted on social media by Rajabaxi H V, editor of Kannadanet.com.According to the police, Bisaralli had recited his poem during the Anegundi Utsav organised by the Kannada and Culture Department in association with the district administration held at Gangavathi town of Koppal district. The same was posted on social media Rajabaxi on January 14.indianexpress
'Those Who Have to Go Need Excuses': Shahnawaz Hussain Says CAA Not Behind Muslim Leaders Leaving Party
https://www.news18.com/news/politics/those-who-have-to-go-need-excuses-shahnawaz-hussain-says-caa-not-behind-muslim-leaders-leaving-party-2506311.html
Indore: Against the backdrop of a string of Muslim leaders quitting the BJP in Madhya Pradesh in protest against the CAA, senior party leader Shahnawaz Hussain on Tuesday said those who wanted to leave need excuses.He also said that "99.99 per cent" of BJP workers who hail from the minority community support the CAA."CAA does not apply to 130 crore citizens of India. There is no threat to citizenship of any Indian by this law," he said.PTI
Shaheen Bagh protesters mull strategy to talk to SC-appointed mediation panel
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/shaheen-bagh-protesters-mull-strategy-to-talk-to-sc-appointed-mediation-panel/articleshow/74200592.cms
NEW DELHI: Shaheen Bagh agitators went into a huddle on Tuesday to discuss possible changes to the protest to abide by the Supreme Court advice ahead of their meeting with the court’s interlocutors. Protest organisers held multiple meetings to decide who should represent them at talks and whether a section of the road should be cleared to prevent traffic jams.A day after the SC appointed Sanjay Hegde, Sadhana Ramachandran and former chief information commissioner Wajahat Habibullah as interlocutors, the protesters primarily agreed that a woman lawyer would best represent them. They considered the inadvisability of continuing with the protest with the weather turning warmer. “Two women fainted a few days ago. We wanted to send a team to AIIMS asking for a team of doctors. Some of them agreed to help us out after official hours,” said an organiser.There is a legal team at the protest venue and lawyers take turns to be there. “The responsibility, however, has been on mostly senior women, seven of who have been regular here since December 15. Many of us are of the view that the movement cannot be hijacked by a few who want to claim to be our representatives,” said Asif Ahmed, one of the organisers. On Tuesday evening, a few women asked SC advocate Mehmood Pracha to leave the venue, even as some of them favoured his continued presence.A senior protester, Salma, said it would be better if the delegation met with the protesters than asking for a meeting only with a section of them. “Most of us are not in favour of shifting the venue. The government has not paid attention to our protest for 66 days. Do you think they will listen to us if we are protesting in some corner?”economictimes
Sit-in not causing inconvenience to commuters, claim Shaheen Bagh protesters
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/sit-in-causing-inconvenience-commuters-claim-shaheen-bagh-protesters-1647760-2020-02-19
*J&K AND S. ASIA*
J&K panchayat polls deferred over security issues
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/jk-panchayat-polls-deferred-over-security-issues-6274717/
Jammu :Barely 5 days after announcing by-elections to over 12,000 vacant seats in village panchayats across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, CEO on Tuesday evening deferred the poll process. Sources cited“security reasons” for the move. CEO Shailendra Kumar said that by-elections have been deferred for 2-3 weeks, but he did not cite any reasons.However, sources said the decision came after inputs from Home Department regarding security issues over the next three to four weeks.Earlier in the day, leaders of major mainstream political parties, aside from those from the BJP, had asked the election authority to defer the bypolls in view of the continued restrictions in place in the region and the detention of senior leaders.Those attending the meeting included leaders of BJP, National Conference, Congress, PDP and Panthers Party.PDP general secretary Surinder Chowdhary staged a walkout from the meeting saying, “we cannot participate as all our senior leaders are under detention.’’indianexpress
Made Kasab say ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ at Metro Junction: former Mumbai Police chief Rakesh Maria in his book
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/26-11-attacks-made-kasab-say-bharat-mata-ki-jai-at-metro-junction-writes-rakesh-maria-in-his-book-6274817/
Former Mumbai Police commissioner Rakesh Maria has claimed that he took Mohammed Ajmal Kasab to the Metro Junction in Mumbai where the latter had killed police personnel during the 26/11 attacks and made him say ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’. He also said that Kasab was taken to a mosque in the city to show that Muslims could freely practice their faith in India.In his autobiography Let Me Say It Now released on Monday, Maria wrote: “The convoy came to the Metro Junction, the stretch around which the monster had unleashed death just a few days ago, killing my dear colleagues and innocent fellow citizens… ‘Bend down and touch the ground with your forehead’, I ordered Kasab. Spooked, he meekly followed my instructions. Now, say ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’, I commanded. ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’, said Kasab. Not satisfied with just once, I made him repeat it twice.”indianexpress
Was saffron terror plot combined project of Congress and ISI, asks BJP on Rakesh Maria's revelations
https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2020/feb/18/was-saffron-terror-plot-combined-project-of-congress-and-isi-asks-bjp-on-rakesh-marias-revelations-2105252.html
NEW DELHI: BJP has slammed the Congress over ex-Mumbai police commissioner Rakesh Maria's claim that Lashkar-e-Taiba planned to project 26/11 attack as a case of Hindu terror, saying it raised questions whether the "saffron terror plot was the combined project of the Congress and Pakistan's ISI".Taking on the Congress over the claim, BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said that for the first time in the history of Islamic terrorism the perpetrators have attempted to mislead people about their identity."This raises serious questions if the saffron terror plot was the combined project of the Congress and Pakistan's spy agency ISI. Around the same time, the UPA coined the saffron terror tag and Rahul Gandhi told US diplomats that India's homegrown groups are a greater threat to the country then Islamic terror groups," he said.PTI
*OTHERS*
‘We’re not treated very well by India’: Donald Trump indicates no major trade deal on card during Delhi visit
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/were-not-treated-very-well-by-india-saving-big-trade-deal-with-them-for-later-donald-trump-6275249/
Almost a week ahead of his India visit on Feb.24-25, US President Donald Trump Tuesday said he is “saving the big deal” with India for later and he “does not know” if it will be done before the presidential election in November.“We can have a trade deal with India. But I’m really saving the big deal for later. We’re doing a very big trade deal with India. We’ll have it. I don’t know if it’ll be done before the election, but we’ll have a very big deal with India,” he said. His statement clearly indicated that a major bilateral trade deal might not be on the cards this time.However, US and India could sign a “trade package” during the visit, according to PTI.In an apparent dissatisfaction over US-India trade ties, Trump praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi but said they were not treated well by India. “We’re not treated very well by India. I happen to like Prime Minister Modi a lot,” PTI quoted Trump as saying.“He told me we’ll have seven million people between the airport and the event. And the stadium, I understand, is sort of semi under construction, but it’s going to be the largest stadium in the world. So it’s going to be very exciting… I hope you all enjoy it,” US president added.US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, the point-person for trade negotiations with India, might not accompany Trump to India. However, officials have not ruled it out altogether.Meanwhile, the cumulative US-India trade in goods and services ($110.9 billion) for the first three quarters of 2019 increased 4.5 per cent with US exports and imports growing at four per cent and five per cent respectively.The US exported $45.3 billion worth of goods and services to India in the first three quarters 2019, up 4 per cent from the corresponding period in the previous year; and the US imported $65.6 billion worth of goods and services from India, up 5 per cent from the previous year’s $62.5 billion level for the same period, USISPF said.indianexpress
First Ram temple trust meeting today, date for start of construction to be finalised
https://www.indiatoday.in/top-stories/story/first-ram-temple-trust-meeting-today-date-start-construction-finalised-1647772-2020-02-19
New Delhi:The first meeting of the Ram temple trust will be held on Wednesday. The date for the beginning of the Ram temple's construction is expected to be finalised during the meeting and two prominent people, who shall be practising Hindus, are also likely to be nominated by the board of trustees with a majority resolution.A member of 'Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra' -- a trust formed by the Union government for building the temple in Ayodhya -- Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati last week said that they will also discuss the inclusion of Ram Mandir Nyas chief Mahant Nritya Gopal Das in the trust.Another trustee, Swami Govind Devgiri Maharaj, had earlier said that the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya will commence either on Ram Navmi or Akshaya Tritiya in April. However, official sources said that a decision will be taken after considering various aspects, including feasibility and opinions of other stakeholders.India Today
Activist seeks thorough probe in CBI judge Loya’s death
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/national/activist-seeks-thorough-probe-in-cbi-judge-loyas-death
A group of citizens on Tuesday demanded a thorough inquiry into the death of special CBI judge Brijgopal Harkishan Loya in 2014.The group has written a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, seeking a time-bound probe into the death of Loya.Loya, who was hearing the high-profile Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case of Gujarat, died of a cardiac arrest in Nagpur on December 1, 2014, when he had gone to attend the wedding of a colleague's daughter.Social activist Ashok Pai, addressing a press conference on behalf of the group, also demanded proper compensation for the judge's family, saying he was on an "official" tour.PTI
Court pulls up CBI for not conducting lie detector test on Asthana
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/court-pulls-up-cbi-for-not-conducting-lie-detector-test-on-asthana/article30858606.ece?homepage=true
A special court on February 19 pulled up CBI for not conducting a lie detector or psychological test on its former Special Director Rakesh Asthana in an alleged bribery case.The court, which had earlier in the day asked the agency to submit the case diary for examination, also enquired about the previous investigating officer, Ajay Kumar Bassi.The CBI submitted that Mr. Bassi had been transferred to Port Blair, but he was currently in Delhi. He was taken off the case after the then agency chief, Alok Kumar Verma, was shunted out.The next date of hearing has been fixed for February 28.thehindu
JNU sedition case: Court directs Delhi government to file status report
https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/delhi/2020/feb/19/jnu-sedition-case-court-directs-delhi-government-to-file-status-report-2105577.html
NEW DELHI: A court here on Wednesday directed the Delhi government to file a status report till April 3 on the issue of sanctions to prosecute former JNU Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and others in a sedition case.CMM Purushottam Pathak also directed the Delhi Police to send a reminder to the city government seeking requisite sanctions to prosecute Kumar. The court passed the directions after police submitted that permission to prosecute Kumar and others has not been granted yet and the letter requesting sanction is pending with GNCTD.PTI
Karnataka MLAs’ late-night meeting triggers speculation of rebellion in BJP
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/mlas-late-night-meeting-triggers-speculation-of-rebellion-in-bjp/article30854703.ece?homepage=true
Close on the heels of the Cabinet expansion, some senior disgruntled MLAs of the BJP appear to have raised the banner of revolt against Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa.Some of the party’s old-timers met at the residence of senior leader and Industries Minister Jagadish Shettar in Bengaluru on Monday night to express their displeasure with the “functioning style” of Mr. Yediyurappa.This comes days after an anonymous letter was released seeking replacement of Mr. Yediyurappa citing alleged age-related health issues. But the disgruntled leaders are learnt to have decided against precipitating the matter till March-end as they do not want the budget session to be affected.thehindu
Kerala: Protesting Congress workers serve beef curry outside Kozhikode police station
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/kerala/kerala-beef-congress-police-6275460/
Kochi :Workers from the Kerala unit of Congress Tuesday served beef curry and bread outside the Mukkam police station in Kozhikode district. This was in protest of Kerala Police Academy’s decision to drop beef dishes from its canteen menu.Academy Director B Sandhya, ADGP, however, said the decision was taken to provide healthy food to police trainees, and that there were no political or social connotations. She called the controversy a “media creation”. “Not only beef, but mutton is also not included in the new menu issued. The menu was prepared according to the directions of the dieticians,” she was quoted as saying by PTI.The row erupted weeks after the Kerala Tourism department tweeted a photograph of local delicacy ‘Beef Ularthiyathu (beef fry)’, with a link to the recipe on its website. indianexpress
Kerala: Muslim couple marries off their foster Hindu daughter in temple ceremony
https://www.hindustantimes.com/kerala/amity-in-troubled-times-muslim-couple-marries-off-hindu-daughter-in-temple-ceremony/story-i61uoCAT9OREF54ZB9AylK.html
A family in a village in Kerala held the wedding of their daughter with the usual pomp and traditional rituals.When 22-year-old Rajeswari’s wedding was fixed with Visnuprasad, her parents wished for a very simple thing. They wanted it to be held in a temple where they could enter and witness the wedding.Bhagwati Temple in Kanhangad in Kasaragod district opened the doors for the proud parents—P Abdullah and Khadeeja—on Sunday.Besides many Muslim and Hindu families, several leaders of Muslim League and BJP—including its Kasargod district unit secretary A Velaydhan—were also present during the ceremony.Abdullah and Khadeeja had brought Rajeswari into their homes when she was 10 years old.Her father Saravanan was a farm labourer from Tamil Nadu who had settled on the outskirts of Kasaragod. When nobody came to claim her, Abdullah and Khadeeja adopted her as their foster daughter. Though she practised some of the Muslim customs at home, her foster parents never wanted her to convert and insisted she should have a match from her own community.They found a groom for her in 28-year-old Vishnuprasad, a lab technician.HT
Matrimonial disputes: 2 masjid officials asked to appear in MP
https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/law-order/879741-matrimonial-disputes-2-masjid-officials-asked-to-appear-in-mp
Jabalpur :Madhya Pradesh High Court has directed two functionaries of the Darul Qaza Masajid Committee in Bhopal to appear before it on Wednesday to explain why they continue to hear matrimonial disputes despite the court's order against the practice. A division bench of Justices Sanjay Yadav and Atul Sreedharan was on Monday hearing a contempt petition filed by Bhopal-based social activist Mohammad Waseem Khan.The HC directives restricting the committee from hearing matrimonial disputes came on a PIL filed in 2009 by Mohammad Zahir Khan Koti, petitioner Mohammad Waseem Khan's counsel Mohammad Adil Usmani told PTI on Tuesday.The HC directed the committee's secretary SM Salman and Qazi Mushtaq Ali Nadvi to appear before it on Wednesday in the contempt case to explain why they continued to hear matrimonial disputes, including issues related to divorce and maintenance, Usmani said.PTI
'Burqa is an essential part in Islam', says AIMIM leader Waris Pathan
https://www.freepressjournal.in/viral/burqa-is-an-essential-part-in-islam-says-aimim-leader-waris-pathan-twitter-reacts
AIMIM leader Waris Pathan on Monday said that the burqa is an essential part of Islam and that no one forces Muslim women to wear it. However, Twitter trolled the former MLA for his comment.It started with a tweet from author Taslima Nasreen.Pathan slammed Nasreen for her statement. AIMIM leader said that she should change her name and let people know that she was no longer a Muslim by her religious practice. He tweeted, "Madam you first of all change your name and let people know you are no longer a Muslim by your religious practice.He added, "Burqa (HIJAB) is an essential part in Islam which our mothers & sisters wear it by their own concern no one force them. You are slave of those people who hate us."freepressjournal
*WORLD*
Coronavirus outbreak: Death toll in China reaches 2,000, number of cases fall for second day
https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/coronavirus-outbreak-death-toll-china-hubei-rises-fall-number-of-cases-1647771-2020-02-19
New coronavirus cases in the Chinese province at the epicenter of the outbreak fell for a second straight day, but deaths rose after WHO had cautioned there was not yet enough data to know if the epidemic had slowed.Hubei reported 1,693 new cases as of Tuesday, down from 1,807 the previous day and the lowest number in the province since February 11. But deaths rose by 132, up from 93 the previous day. The latest figures bring the total number of cases in China to over 74,000 with about 2,000 deaths.The head of a leading hospital in China's central city of Wuhan, where the virus is believed to have originated, died of the disease, becoming one of the most prominent victims since the novel virus first appeared at the end of last year.Reuters
Afghanistan's presidential election: Ashraf Ghani declared winner
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/afghanistan-presidential-election-ashraf-ghani-declared-winner-200218135530575.html
Incumbent President Ashraf Ghani has been declared the winner of Afghanistan's presidential election, almost 5 months after the voting took place amid a low turnout due to the threat of violence and concerns over electoral fraud. Independent Election Commission (IEC) announced on Tuesday that Ghani garnered 50.64 percent of the vote on Sept.28 of last year, beating Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, who secured 39.52 percent of votes.Later on Tuesday, Abdullah contested the final results and pledged to form his own parallel government.Originally scheduled to be announced on Oct.19, the results were repeatedly delayed, with IEC officials citing technical issues, allegations of fraud and protests from candidates. Following the announcement of the results, Ghani appeared among supporters in Kabul, where he emphasised the importance of peace talks with the Taliban, saying his winning team will bring peace to the country."It's time to make Afghanistan united," he said, urging the armed group to participate in the democratic process. Ghani also pointed to Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, an commander who ran in the election after signing a peace deal with the government. Hekmatyar received 3.5 percent of the vote, according to the final results.aljazeera
Saudi Govt Daily Claims MB Founder Hassan Al-Bana Worked For Nazis
https://www.memri.org/reports/saudi-arabia-escalates-conflict-muslim-brotherhood-mb-saudi-government-daily-claims-mb
The conflict between Saudi Arabia and Muslim Brotherhood (MB) escalates day by day. As part of this conflict, the Saudi media is waging a media campaign against the organization and the countries that support it, that is, Qatar and Turkey. Thus, on February 14, Saudi government daily 'Okaz published a lengthy feature article, headlined "The Nazi Brotherhood," about MB founder Hassan Al-Bana's and Jerusalem mufti Haj Amin Al-Husseini's connections with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi leadership during World War II.memri
Ivanka Trump Sparks Outrage on socail media For Wearing Hijab During Her Visit To Mosque In UAE
https://www.republicworld.com/world-news/us-news/ivanka-trump-sparks-outrage-for-wearing-hijab-during-her-visit-to-mosq.html
Mumbai :US President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka wore a hijab during her visit to UAE and many accused her of showing “fake support” to the Muslim community. Images of Ivanka, also a senior adviser to the President, wearing a hijab while visiting the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque sparked backlash online.Ivanka arrived in UAE to deliver a keynote address at the two-day Global Women’s Forum in Dubai. During the keynote address, she boasted about American women leading in every aspect of society but the images of her visit to the mosque created a stir online and she was slammed by critics as well as Trump’s supporters.Trump supporters said that Ivanka should have protested and taken a stand against hijab instead of trying to appease Muslim leaders. They opined that it was “major mistake” to wear the hijab even if she did it inside a mosque.republicworld
*views, Articles, FEATURES*
Even if we disagree with Sharjeel Imam’s statements, it is important to stand up for his right to speak:Apoorvanand
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/sharjee-imam-speech-sedition-caa-6274781/
Shocking ‘words of wisdom’ from Indian gurus and Hindutva brigade: Gulfnews
https://gulfnews.com/photos/news/shocking-words-of-wisdom-from-indian-gurus-and-hindutva-brigade-1.1582048210370?slide=2
Shaheen Bagh is a movement for democracy and peace, the protesters shun extremist ideology, writes AMU professor Syed Raza
https://www.firstpost.com/india/shaheen-bagh-is-a-movement-for-democracy-and-peace-the-protesters-shun-extremist-ideology-writes-amu-professor-syed-raza-8056041.html
Watch | A Makeshift School at Shaheen Bagh is Keeping Children Engaged:Haris Jeelani Toogo
https://thewire.in/video/watch-makeshift-school-shaheen-bagh
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 1:53 PM).
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