NEWS DIGEST, EVENING
27 Feb. 2020: 02 Rajjab 1441: Vol: 12, No: 143
*DELHI VIOLENCE*
Death toll at 38, SITs formed to probe delhi clashes, 130 arrested
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/special-investigation-team-to-probe-delhi-violence-in-which-38-have-died-2186779
New Delhi: Two SIT have been formed to investigate the rampant violence in parts of Delhi over the contentious citizenship law since Sunday that has left over 38 dead and over 200 injured.SIT's will be lead by two Deputy Commissioners who, with their teams, will investigate the relentless violence that has consumed northeast Delhi since Sunday. Unruly mobs armed with sticks, stones and guns have been roaming the streets defying police orders vandalising property and attacking residents of the area.Over 130 people have been arrested so far and 48 FIRs filed in connection with the violence, which Delhi police say, is now under control. Delhi police, which reports to the Home Ministry, has come under severe criticism for delay in action in filing FIRs was also hauled up by the High Court.Alleging a large-scale conspiracy behind the violence, police sources said over 50 mobile phones seized from the accused indicated both groups of rioters may have used WhatsApp to incite violence and organise themselves. The violence, which has left several neighbourhoods looking like war zones, also led to the postponement of CBSE board exams for four days in the northeast and other affected areas.ndtv
Delhi Violence: Death Toll at 38, Two SITs Formed to Probe Cases
https://www.thequint.com/news/india/violence-in-northeast-delhi-police-caa-nrc-npr-live-updates
SIT to probe violence, death toll now at 38
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhi-violence-live-updates-death-toll-maujpur-babarpur-kabirnagar-6287058/?#liveblogstart
4 burnt mosques in 48 hours show Delhi riots are about religion, not CAA: HuffPost India
https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/delhi-riots-burnt-mosques-religion-caa_in_5e576054c5b66622ed76b1f4
New Delhi;As graphic images of crowds of men rioting in the national capital lit up social media platforms this week, one particular clip stood out: A shaky cellphone video of a man planting a saffron flag atop the minaret of a mosque in Ashok Nagar, a neighbourhood in northeast Delhi.For generations of Indians, both Hindu and Muslim, the image immediately evoked the iconic 1992 image of RSS karsevaks atop the dome of Ayodhya’s Babri masjid, shortly before moque was destroyed.This week’s attack on the Masjid Maula Baksh mosque in Ashok Nagar, barely weeks after the BJP suffered a landslide defeat in Delhi state elections, has crystallised what is seen as a now well-trodden path for Modi and his home minister Amit Shah.On Wednesday, as the city continued to burn albeit on a lower flame, HuffPost India visited riot-hit neighbourhoods to find rioters had burnt and vandalised at least 3 mosques and one shrine, or mazaar, in Ashok Nagar, Gokalpuri and Chand Bagh. Maulana Baksh mosque and Chand mosque in Ashok Nagar, the Jamia Arabia Madinatul Uloom mosque in Golakpuri, and the mazaar in Chand Bagh. This is not an exhaustive list; a report in The Wire noted that a fourth mosque had been burnt in Mustafabad. The Wire was the first publication to confirm the attack in Ashok Nagar. The attacks on the mosques make clear that, irrespective of impression that the clashes in the national capital were between those in support of or opposition to the controversial new CAA, violence still simmering in New Delhi has assumed shape of an outright communal riot. These attacks on religious sites concretely establish how repeated speeches and incitement by ruling BJP has turned CAA and rumours of a proposed NRC as a means to whip up Hindu sentiment against spectre of foreign Muslim infiltrators, at a time when economic growth has ground to a standstill and Modi government looks increasingly short of answers.“We feel like there is a death in the family,” said Naseeruddin whose father built Maulana Baksh mosque in Ashok Nagar in memory of Naseeruddin’s grandfather.7 shops around Maulana Baksh mosque were also looted and set on fire. On the evening of Monday, a rioting crowd attacked Jamia Arabia Madinatul Uloom mosque in Gokalpuri —a km from Gokalpuri metro station.Kareem Khan, a businessman who fled Gokalpuri next morning, said rioters attacked the mosque once on Monday evening and then returned in the night to wreak more destruction. Till it was torched, Jamia Arabia Madinatul Uloom mosque built in 1978 was a touchstone for the local Muslim population who called it the Jannati masjid. When HuffPost India visited Gokalpuri on Wednesday morning, the mosque’s delicate marble inlay work is still visible on the scorched facades, while a saffron flag of conquest planted by the rioters still fluttered near its dome. Chand mosque built in 1986 is one of two mosques near Qureshi’s home in Ashok Nagar. The other is Masjid Maula Baksh built in 1974 — the vandalism of which was caught in the now viral video. Both mosques, Ashok Nagar residents say, were attacked around same time. All that is left on the inside are blackened walls and hundreds of charred pages from burnt copies of the Koran.M. Kamrauddin, who lives behind Masjid Maula Baksh in Ashok Nagar, said that he lost track of how many times he called Jyoti Nagar Police Station and begged for help. The mob, he said, attacked Masjid Maula Baksh, then shops around the mosque, including a saloon, a shoe shop and a mobile phone shop, and then the Muslim homes in the locality.
‘Targeted for being Muslim’: Inside mosque burnt by rioters in worst Delhi violence for decades:The Independent UK
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/muslim-hindu-clashes-latest-mosque-burnt-delhi-a9361601.html?fbclid=IwAR2Qgg4HSk196A6wCe7s5q4XZlLKie2CaY5u0PhP9ea65GKzQjjiYvts1CU
3 mosques targeted, school burnt, shops & homes looted: indianexpress
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhi-violence-ashok-nagar-school-mosque-6288437/
US commission on religious freedom says Delhi violence targeting against Muslims
https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/us-commission-on-religious-freedom-says-delhi-violence-targeting-against-muslims/1745607
Washington:US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has said that Delhi violence in which over 30 people were killed, was specifically targeted against the Muslims.Expressing "grave concern over the ongoing violence taking place in Delhi", USCIRF in a statement said that as President Donald Trump''s inaugural visit to India winds down, North-East Delhi has been rocked by deadly rioting, with reports of violence and mobs specifically targeting Muslims."These incidents are even more concerning in the context of efforts within India to target and potentially disenfranchise Muslims across the country, in clear violation of international human rights standards," USCIRF Commissioner Anurima Bhargava said. "According to reports, several mosques have also been set alight or vandalized. Many Muslim residents have been forced to flee the area. This unrest comes in the wake of widespread protests against CAA."The brutal and unchecked violence growing across Delhi cannot continue," Bhargava said adding that the Indian government must take swift action to ensure the safety of all of its citizens."Instead, reports are mounting that the Delhi police have not intervened in violent attacks against Muslims, and the government is failing in its duty to protect its citizens."USCIRF Chair Tony Perkins said the ongoing violence in Delhi and the reported "attacks against Muslims, their homes and shops, and their houses of worship are greatly disturbing".One of the essential duties of any responsible government, he said, is to provide protection and physical security for its citizens, regardless of faith."We urge the Indian government to take serious efforts to protect Muslims and others targeted by mob violence."In its annual report last year, USCIRF classified India as a "Tier 2" country for engaging in or tolerating religious freedom violations that meet at least one of the elements of the "systematic, ongoing, egregious standard for designations as a "country of particular concern (CPC)", under the International Religious Freedom Act.IANS
Delhi violence: India rejects criticism by US religious freedom panel, calls it misleading
https://scroll.in/latest/954491/delhi-violence-india-rejects-criticism-by-us-religious-freedom-panel-calls-it-misleading
India has rejected the comments made by United States Commission on International Religious Freedom about the violent clashes in Delhi, calling them factually inaccurate and misleading. Ministry of External Affairs, said the comments made by the commission, as well as by sections of the media and “a few individuals” appeared to be “aimed at politicising the issue”. Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that law enforcement agencies and senior govt representatives were trying to normalise the situation. “We would urge that irresponsible comments are not made at this time,” he said.scroll
BJP organising secretary threatens to interfere in US election, then deletes tweet
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/bjp-organising-secretary-threatens-to-interfere-in-us-election-then-deletes-tweet
While US citizens and institutions are worried over Russian interference in US Presidential election, a senior RSS leader and BJP’s General Secretary ( Organisation) B.L. Santhosh has held out a threat to influence the election in favour of Donald Trump.The threat was tweeted by Santhosh following the acerbic tweet by one of Democratic Party aspirants for the US Presidency, Bernie Sanders, who is indeed the front runner in the Democratic Primaries. Sanders, an avowed socialist, had criticised Trump for negotiation defence contracts for US firms while in India, pointing out that the two countries could have far more profitably found areas of agreement to fight climate change.Sanders followed it up with another sharp tweet criticising Indian Prime Minister Modi and the US President for ignoring the Delhi riots.nationalheraldindia
UN rights chief expresses 'great concern' over CAA, reports of police inaction, urges leaders to prevent violence
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/un-rights-chief-expresses-great-concern-over-caa-urges-leaders-to-prevent-violence-48040
Geneva:UN human rights chief on Thursday voiced “great concern” over India’s amended citizenship law and reports of “police inaction” in the face of communal attacks in Delhi, urging political leaders to prevent violence. Updating the ongoing 43rd Session of Human Rights Council in Geneva on human rights developments around the world, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet also spoke about the situation in J&K. She said CAA adopted last year by India’s Parliament was of “great concern”. “Indians in huge numbers, and from all communities, have expressed - in a mostly peaceful manner - their opposition to the Act, and support for the country’s long tradition of secularism,” she said. “I am concerned by reports of police inaction in the face of attacks against Muslims by other groups, as well as previous reports of excessive use of force by police against peaceful protesters.“This has now widened into broader inter-communal attacks, with 34 people killed since Sunday. I appeal to all political leaders to prevent violence,” said the former Chilean president. In her statement on Jammu and Kashmir, Bachelet said some political leaders had been released and ordinary life may be returning to normal in some respects in the region.She, however, said as many as 800 people were reportedly in detention, including political leaders and activists. “Schools, businesses and livelihoods have been disrupted by the continued heavy military presence, and no steps have been taken to address allegations of excessive use of force and other serious human rights violations by security forces,” she said. “Indian government has partially restored mobile and internet services, after an important decision by the Indian Supreme Court, but authorities continue to impose excessive restrictions on the use of social media,” she said in her statement. PTI
UN chief 'very saddened' by casualties in Delhi violence
https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/un-secretary-general-antonio-guterres-very-saddened-by-casualties-in-delhi-violence-1650581-2020-02-27
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is "very saddened" by the casualties in the communal clashes in northeast Delhi and calls for maximum restraint for violence to be avoided, his spokesperson said.Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric during a daily briefing in UN said, "He's very saddened by the reports of casualties following the protests in Delhi, and as he has done in similar circumstances, he calls for maximum restraint and for violence to be avoided."Dujarric was responding to a question on whether the Secretary General has any comment on the riots in parts of New Delhi and if he has communicated with the Indian Government.Earlier, Dujarric had said that Guterres is closely following the situation in New Delhi and stressed that demonstrators should be allowed to demonstrate peacefully and security forces should show restraint.PTI
Turkey President Erdogan Denounces "Massacres" Committed Against Muslims In India
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/turkey-president-denounces-massacres-committed-against-muslims-in-india-2186792
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan hit out Thursday against "massacres" of Muslims in India after communal violence in New Delhi."India right now has become a country where massacres are widespread. What massacres? Massacres of Muslims. By who? Hindus," President Erdogan said during a speech in Ankara.He accused the mobs attacking Muslims of hurting children studying in private tuition centres with "metal sticks as if to kill" them."How will these people make global peace possible? It is impossible. When making speeches -- since they have a large population -- they say 'we are strong' but that is not strength," Erdogan added.AFP
OIC asks Modi govt to book perpetrators of anti-Muslim violence in Delhi
https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/oic-asks-modi-govt-to-book-perpetrators-of-delhi-violence/1745915
New Delhi: Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) today condemned the violence in New Delhi in the last few days.In a statement, OIC said it "condemns the recent and alarming violence against Muslims in India, resulting in the death and injury of innocent people and the arson and vandalism of mosques and Muslim-owned properties".Calling the violence "heinous", the organization extended its condolences to the families of the victims. OIC asked Modi government to bring the "instigators and perpetrators of anti-Muslim violence to justice and to ensure the safety and security of all its Muslim citizens and the protection of Islamic holy places across the country".IANS
Delhi violence: India asks OIC not to ‘make irresponsible statements’
https://scroll.in/latest/954531/delhi-violence-india-asks-oic-not-to-make-irresponsible-statements-after-body-expresses-concern
India has condemned the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation for its criticism of the Delhi violence and its allegation of discrimination against Muslims. “The statements which have come out of OIC are factually inaccurate, they are selective, they are misleading,” Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. “There is an effort on the ground, to restore normalcy, to create confidence. We urge these bodies not to indulge in irresponsible statements at this sensitive time.”scroll
'Failure Of Leadership': Bernie Sanders On Trump's Delhi Riots Response
https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/india-news-failure-of-leadership-bernie-sanders-on-donald-trumps-delhi-riots-response/347914?fbclid=IwAR2oZJ5XaMf-4mf8z4VPR3rikR8PyiSdHkruMno_kfg3iRX9icRWvbpAH_Y
A day after US lawmakers reacted sharply to violence in the Indian capital, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders accused US President Donald Trump of failing on the issue of human rights.Slamming US president, Sanders said Trump's statement regarding the violence in New Delhi during his India visit was a "failure of leadership". Asked about incidents of violence during his India visit, US president had said, "As far as the individual attacks, I heard about it, but I didn't discuss that with him (Modi). That's up to India."Reacting to the issue, Sanders on Wednesday tweeted, "Over 200 million Muslims call India home. Widespread anti-Muslim mob violence has killed at least 27 and injured many more. Trump responds by saying 'That's up to India'. This is a failure of leadership on human rights."Sanders is second Democratic presidential nominee after Senator Elizabeth Warren to speak against violence over CAA in New Delhi. Apart from the Democratic presidential candidate, other influential senators too expressed concern over the developments on Wednesday."We are alarmed by the recent violence in New Delhi. We continue to support an open dialogue on issues of significant concern in order to advance our vital long-term relationship," Senator Mark Warner from Democratic Party and John Cornyn from GOP said.PTI
Protests in US cities against Delhi violence
https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/protests-in-4-us-cities-against-delhi-violence/1745697
Washington:Protests have been planned in the 4 US cities of Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco and New York on Friday against the violence in New Delhi.The protests have been organised by a group named South Asian Students Against Fascism under the banner of "Emergency! Stop State Sanctioned Violence in India", American Bazaar said in the report.Participants will gather in front of Indian Consulates in the four cities.The organising group calls itself a movement of South Asian students who are together in the fight against fascism, religious intolerance and polarization.-IANS
Hollywood Actor John Cusack Condemns Delhi Violence, says “This is fascism'
https://www.thequint.com/entertainment/celebrities/john-cusack-reacts-to-northeast-delhi-violence?fbclid=IwAR3sBLfXGxPB4C8zJCde2-R_RZigWxzOGbt2iRYgJ7BDZKIaOljZTi5mgig
Apart from Bollywood celebrities commenting on violence in Northeast Delhi, Hollywood actor John Cusack has also tweeted reacting to the same. He shared a video an injured man, and wrote, “This is fascism - while trump modi declare they themselves the state - Delhi burns. Savage crackdown widens - no achievable goal except humiliation and terror -@IndiaAboriginal: @LastWeekTonight See what happened in India.”In another tweet, he shared a picture of a news article and wrote, “I know- @fjriwlpq: Hey @johncusack this is what's happening in India right now #DelhiRiots.”Apart from the two tweets, 2012 actor shared multiple tweets by journalists and news organisations, about the violence erupted in the capital.
US, France, Russia issue alert for their citizens in Delhi
https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/us-france-russia-issue-alert-for-their-citizens-in-delhi/1745306
US, France and Russia have issued a security alert for their citizens in the national capital after violent clashes in North-East Delhi in the last couple of days.US Embassy in New Delhi in its security advisory asked the US citizens in India to "exercise caution in light of violent demonstrations" in North-East Delhi and "avoid all areas where protests are being held".After the US, France and Russia also issued similar security advisories to their citizens who are presently in India.IANS
Hindu American Foundation seeks arrest of those behind Delhi violence
https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay.aspx?newsID=678641
New Yor:Hindu American Foundation (HAF) has condemned the violence in Delhi that resulted in deaths and the destruction of places of worship and called for the arrest and prosecution of those responsible regardless of their religious affiliation."We urge all those making inflammatory statements to take stock of the destructive impact of their words and cease," HAF Executive Director Suhag Shukla said."We strongly condemn the violence, loss of life, and destruction of places of worship in India this week. There is no religious, historical, or political justification possible for what is happening in New Delhi," she said.IANS
'They brought batons inside the mosque': Victims recount Delhi's worst sectarian violence in decades:CNN
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/26/india/india-delhi-violence-ashok-nagar-intl/index.html
New Delhi:Abdul Samar was praying at a mosque in the northeast of India's capital on Tuesday evening when protesters stormed in brandishing weapons, attacking worshipers and setting the building ablaze.The mob descended on the mosque in Ashok Nagar neighborhood of New Delhi chanting praises to a Hindu deity, Jai Shri Ram, before beating up the imam and killing the muezzin, who was leading the call to prayer, Samar told CNN."They brought batons and stones inside the mosque and the people outside had guns as well. We had to stop praying and run away," Samar, whose eye was severely injured in the attack, said.Protesters hoisted a saffron flag, associated with Hindu far-right groups, from the mosque's blackened minaret. The flag was only removed Wednesday morning after a CNN team asked police why it was still hanging there.Eyewitnesses told CNN that angry mobs targeted Muslim areas overnight on Tuesday, burning and looting homes and shops. Authorities deployed tear gas to disperse crowds, as protesters hurled stones and set surrounding property on fire, according to police. Lawyer Suroor Mander said that pellet bullets were also used by police.Khurseed Alam, a rickshaw driver who lived next to the mosque in Ashok Nagar, said that Modi's campaign promises of a prosperous future have proven empty. His family home, where he lived with 10 of his relatives, was burned by the mob, along with 3 other Muslim homes and neighboring shops.Asana Begum was hiding with several other families in a nearby house as the mob tore through the area. She said that policemen eventually took them to safety, but when they returned home, nothing was left.
Amid Delhi violence, a Hindu bride weds in a Muslim neighbourhood
https://english.manoramaonline.com/news/nation/2020/02/27/delhi-violence-hindu-bride-weds-muslim-neighbourhood.html
New Delhi: As deadly clashes between Hindu and Muslim groups rocked parts of Delhi this week, the family of a young Hindu woman living in a Muslim-majority area was forced to cancel her wedding.Dressed in her wedding finery, her hands laced maroon with henna and her skin cleansed with turmeric, 23-year-old Savitri Prasad said she was weeping in her home as violent mobs battled outside on Tuesday, which was to have been her wedding day.But Savitri's father then organised the wedding for the following day, saying his Muslim neighbours were family and he was comforted by their presence."My Muslim brothers are protecting me today," Savitri told a Reuters team that visited the house on the day of the ceremony, breaking down again as her family and neighbours comforted her.The rituals took place at Savitri's home, a small brick building in a narrow alley in the Chand Bagh district. Steps away, the main street looked like a war zone, with cars and shops vandalised, a Muslim shrine torched and the area littered with rocks used in pitched battles between mobs on both sides.Her father Bhoday Prasad said he has lived in the area for years alongside Muslims without any trouble.Muslim neighbours gathered to offer blessings as the groom arrived and the wedding rituals took place, with a Hindu priest reciting holy verses and the groom and bride taking the rounds of a small pyre set up inside the house."We live peacefully with our Hindu brothers," said Aamir Malik, who was standing guard with several other men outside the home. "We are everything for them. It's been like that. We are here for them.""Today, none of our relatives could attend my daughter's wedding," said Bhoday Prasad. "But our Muslim neighbours are here. They are our family."manoramaonline
Akali Dal MP Gujral Writes To Delhi Police Commissioner, Says Police Didn’t Act On His Complaint
https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/delhi-riots-akali-dal-mp-naresh-gujral-writes-to-delhi-police-commissioner-says-police-didnt-act-on-his-complaint/347944
Shiromani Akali Dal MP Naresh Gujral wrote to Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik and Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, accusing the Delhi Police of inaction while dealing with complaints during the violent clashes in northeast Delhi.Gujral said police took no action on his request for assistance to 16 Muslims who were trapped inside a house near Gonda Chowk in Delhi’s Maujpur on Wednesday night, while a mob was trying to break in.“I immediately called 100 to lodge a complaint, and gave the police officer the phone number of the gentleman who called me. I explained the urgency of the situation and told the operator that I am a Member of Parliament. At 11:43 pm, I received a confirmation from Delhi Police that my complaint had been received along with reference number 946603. However, much to my disappointment, no action was taken on my complaint and those 16 individuals received no assistance whatsoever from the Delhi Police,” Gujral wrote.Gujral, whose party is a BJP ally, said the 16 Muslims managed to escape only because some Hindus came to their rescue."If this is the situation when a MP makes a complaint personally, it is not surprising that certain parts of Delhi continue to burn while police stands by apathetically," he wrote.outlookindia
The map shows riots broke out in areas where BJP won in Delhi Assembly elections
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/the-map-shows-riots-broke-out-in-areas-where-bjp-won-in-delhi-assembly-elections
The deadly Delhi riots that have claimed so far 30 lives and witnessed the loss of property, looting, arson and unprecedented religious violence in the capital city in the last many decades, has a direct correlation with the political ambitions of the saffron party, feel observers.After four days of mayhem, while normalcy seems to be returning to the ground, it has come to the fore that North-East Delhi which has a mixed population of Hindus and Muslims, and where people have lived in harmony for decades, the BJP won maximum seats in the recently concluded Delhi Assembly election.Out of the 7 seats that BJP won in the election, five seats fall in the northeast region of the city – the epicentre of communal riots, across the Yamuna river. No wonder, observers feel that there is a direct correlation between the BJP’s victory and the communal riots in the area.The map given below is enough to establish a relation between the two. The saffron points in the map of Delhi depict the seats BJP won the election from and the black dots in the adjacent map show areas worst hit by the communal violence.nationalheraldindia
'The Biases Are Clear, I Am Afraid For My India': Student Who Covered Delhi Riots
https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/india-news-the-biases-are-clear-i-am-afraid-for-my-india-student-who-covered-delhi-riots/347895?fbclid=IwAR10LoAdlvEq2nMUYygOq-Ha3QgOAtzY54idiqUX2Vuwk_5tDzRcaghjvsw
Day after Justice S Muralidhar transferred, Delhi High Court adjourns Delhi Riots case till 13 April
http://www.jantakareporter.com/india/day-after-justice-s-muralidhar-transferred-delhi-high-court-adjourns-delhi-riots-case-till-13-april/283262/
Just hours after the central government summarily transferred Justice S Muralidhar to the Punjab High Court, A Delhi High Court Bench comprising Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Hari Shankar adjourned the matter till 13 April. This despite lawyer Colin Gonsalves pleading for an order directing police to register FIRs against politicians who made hate speeches.On Wednesday, on his last day in the Delhi High Court, Justice Muralidhar had directed the Delhi Police to inform the court within a day on the filing of FIRs of politicians guilty of making hate speeches. They included BJP leader Anurag Thakur, Parvesh Verma, Abhay Verma and Kapil Mishra.On Thursday, setting all arguments made by Gonsalves aside, the Delhi High Court gave four weeks of time to the Centre to file a counter affidavit in the present matter. Gonsalves, according to Livelaw website, said that 10-12 people were dying every day adding that a closer date would be appreciated.Making a desperate plea, Gonsalves had said, “Please don’t wait even for a day. Kindly order for registration of FIR. The question of arrest can be decided tomorrow.”Justice Muralidhar on Wednesday had made scathing observations against the Delhi Police and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, for the deteriorating law and order in Delhi where 25 people have been killed in the ongoing riots. jantakareporter
HC Judge Who Pulled Up Delhi Police Over Riots Shunted Out by Modi Govt
https://thewire.in/law/modi-government-wastes-no-time-moving-justice-muralidhar-out-of-delhi-high-court
Justice Muralidhar transfer: Rahul Gandhi remembers Judge Loya, Priyanka calls it shameful
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/justice-muralidhar-transfer-rahul-gandhi-remembers-judge-loya-priyanka-calls-its-shameful
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Thursday said it was “sad and shameful” that Justice S Muralidhar of the Delhi High Court was transferred to the Punjab and Haryana High Court.“The midnight transfer of Justice Muralidhar isn’t shocking given the current dispensation, but it is certainly sad & shameful. Millions of Indians have faith in a resilient & upright judiciary, the government’s attempts to muzzle justice & break their faith are deplorable,” tweeted Priyanka Gandhi.Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, meanwhile, tweeted: “Remembering the brave Judge Loya, who wasn’t transferred.”nationalheraldindia
Rs 10 lakh for kin of deceased, Rs 5 lakh for those who lost homes: Kejriwal announces relief package
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/delhi-violence-arvind-kejriwal-compensation-death-damage-loss-1650577-2020-02-27
Delhi Chief Minister today announced that Rs 10 lakh each will be provided to the kin of the deceased and Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the minors who died in the Delhi violence.Rs 5 lakh each will be given to those who have been permanently disabled and Rs 2 lakh each will be given to those who were severely injured. People who sustained minor injuries will be given Rs 20,000 each.Delhi government said that Rs 3 lakh each will be given to those who have been orphaned in the Delhi riots.Arvind Kejriwal said that a sum of Rs 5 lakh each will be provided to those whose houses were completely burnt. Rs 1 lakh each will be given to tenants for their lost belongings and Rs 4 lakh each to the house owners. Rs 2.5 lakh each will be given to those whose houses have sustained substantial damages but not burnt down completely.Kejriwal said that Rs 5 lakh each will be given to those whose shop have been gutted and Rs 25,000 each as immediate relief to those whose homes have been totally destroyed.If a person has lost an animal in the Delhi riots, they will be given Rs 5,000 for every animal they have lost.Rs 25,000 each for damages to rickshaw has been promised by the Delhi government along with Rs 50,000 each for damages to e-rickshaws."Delhi government to bear expenses of treatment of those injured in riots and admitted to private hospitals," Kejriwal said.indiatoday
At Delhi’s Shiv Vihar, Hindu family protect Muslims from Hindutva mob violence
https://en.maktoobmedia.com/2020/02/27/at-delhis-shiv-vihar-hindu-family-protect-muslims-from-hindutva-mob-violence/
Muslim families who were hiding in houses of Hindu families at Delhi’s Shiv Vihar to save themselves from anti-Muslim violence of the Hindutva mob since Tuesday were rescued and admitted to Hospitals in the northeast Delhi.Maktoob met a family who was protected by their Hindu neighbor from Hindutva mob violence. Asif’s family was rescued from Shiv Vihar on Wednesday night by a group of students. Their house was torched. They were hiding in a Hindu family’s house for the past two days. Hindutva mobs have attacked the house once they came to know Muslims were hidden in the house. They had a narrow escape.Rescuers say the insufficiency of forces delays help for affected families.maktoobmedia
The wire Ground Report: In Mustafabad, Delhi Riots Sow Seeds of Distrust Between Hindus and Muslims
https://thewire.in/communalism/mustafabad-delhi-riots-ground-report
New Delhi: The streets of Mustafabad bore a deserted look on Wednesday. Paramilitary troops and Delhi police personnel aggressively pushed onlookers back to their homes, even as a cloud of gloom pervaded the locality. It was clearly a curfew-like situation; shops were shut, most of them had anyway been burnt, people were worried about their food stock getting over. That tension was palpable would only be an understatement. Hindus and Muslims, who have stayed together in harmony for years, have suddenly become extremely fearful of each other.Mustafabad, adjoining Brijpuri, Shiv Vihar and Bhagirathi Vihar, on the Loni border in northeast Delhi were few of the worst riot-affected areas. The scale of damage to property and lives has been much more than some of the other localities that witnessed mob violence. At the Mustafabad-Brijpuri crossing, a mosque, named locally as Farooquiya masjid, which also functioned as a madrasa for orphans, had been set ablaze by a mob that rampaged through the colony on Tuesday evening. The acrid air was of the least concern for most residents who stood outside the mosque’s premises in shock and grief.thewire
Calculated Chaos: The Delhi Riots Are Exactly What CAA Is About:Ajay Gudavarthy
https://thewire.in/communalism/delhi-riots-caa-pogrom-calculated-violence
A mob out for blood: India's CAA protests pit Hindus against Muslims:Reuters
https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/india/a-mob-out-for-blood-indias-caa-protests-pit-hindus-against-muslims-1.1582781827755
New Delhi: Mohammad Zubair was on his way home from a local mosque in northeast New Delhi when he came across a large crowd. He turned towards an underpass to avoid the commotion; it proved to be a mistake.Within seconds, he was cowering on the ground surrounded by more than a dozen young men, who began beating him with wooden sticks and metal rods. Blood flowed from his head, spattering his clothes. The blows intensified. He thought he would die.Zubair provided his version of events at a relative's home in another part of the capital, his head wrapped in bandages."They saw I was alone, they saw my cap, beard, shalwar kameez (clothes) and saw me as a Muslim," Zubair told Reuters.Reuters witnesses at a local hospital spoke to both Hindu and Muslim victims who were injured in the violence.An unconscious Zubair was eventually dragged to safety by fellow Muslims who came to his aid after throwing stones to disperse his attackers."I was thinking 'I'm not going to survive this'," he recalled. "I was remembering my Allah."Reuters
Delhi Violence: Hindu man battles for life after saving 6 Muslim neighbours from mob
https://newsd.in/delhi-violence-hindu-man-battles-for-life-after-saving-6-muslim-neighbours-from-mob/
New Delhi: Since 3 days Delhi is under the scanner of communal riots over the past few days, which initially started as a clash between pro and anti CAA groups. Amid all the mayhem, there were some who came in support of each other despite the caste, religion.A Hindu man saved the lives of his six Muslim neighbours when an unruly mob set their house on fire. When Premkant Baghel saw his Muslim neighbour’s house being set ablaze he stepped out to help them. He said the Hindu-Muslim communities live in harmony in Shiv Vihar but the riots brought out a different side.Miscreants threw petrol bombs and set Muslim homes on fire. As soon as Baghel got to know about the incident, he went out to save the lives of people trapped inside the burning house.Baghel put his own life in danger and saved the lives of six of his neighbours. He suffered injuries saving his friend’s aged mother who was trapped inside in fire.As per reports, even as Baghel saved several lives, no one offered a vehicle to take him to a hospital. The neighbours called an ambulance but the medical vehicle never reached them. Baghel spent the entire night at his house with 70 per cent burns.In the morning, he was taken to GTB Hospital, where he was given immediate medical attention.newsd.in
Delhi violence: AAP leader Tahir Hussain releases video, denies role in IB officer’s death
https://scroll.in/latest/954492/delhi-violence-aap-leader-tahir-hussain-accused-of-attacking-ib-officer-defends-himself-in-video
AAP leader Tahir Hussain has claimed innocence in a statement of clarification after allegations were levelled against him for perpetrating violence in a locality in North East Delhi.Allegations against Hussain emerged after the body of IB officer Ankit Sharma was found from a drain in North East Delhi’s Chand Bagh locality.In a video posted on Twitter, Hussain claimed that news about his involvement was “false and politically motivated”. “Since Kapil Mishra’s hate speech, the situation in Delhi has deteriorated, with stone pelting and violence taking place,” he said. “The same happened here [at his residence] the day before yesterday.” He claimed that a mob had broken the gate of his office, and climbed onto the building’s roof to carry out the attacks.Hussain said that he made repeated calls to the police who arrived after a few hours, and conducted a thorough search of the building. AAP leader said that police officials asked him and his family to take shelter somewhere as the building was prone to further attacks. “I don’t know why the police later moved its force away and then once again the mob returned to launch attacks from there,” he said. “I am very distressed by what has happened and want you to know that I am a peaceful Indian Muslim and will always work for the country and to further Hindu-Muslim relations. Please believe me.”AAP leader Sanjay Singh defended Hussain on Thursday. “Tahir Hussain has already given his statement in which he said that he gave all details to police and media about mob entering his house during the violence,” Singh told ANI.
Police conduct raids to nab Tahir Hussain, book FIR
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/delhi-violence-live-updates-february-27-1650380-2020-02-27
After conducting multiple raids at AAP leader Tahir Hussain's house, Delhi Police has booked an FIR against him under Section 302 (murder), arson and violence. The case registered in Dayalpur police station and Delhi Police's Crime Branch will investigate the matter further. The leader, however, said he has no role in the violence and is innocent.indiatoday
AAP's Tahir Hussain Denies Involvement In Killing Of IB Staffer, Demands Impartial Probe
https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/india-news-aaps-tahir-hussain-denies-involvement-in-killing-of-ib-staffer-demands-impartial-probe/347937
Defiant Kapil Mishra Puts Blame On AAP's Tahir Hussain For Delhi Riots
https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/india-news-defiant-kapil-mishra-puts-blame-on-aaps-tahir-hussain-for-delhi-riots/347927
Delhi violence: Mob beats up Muslim rickshaw driver in Ashok Vihar after asking him his name today
https://scroll.in/latest/954539/delhi-violence-mob-beats-up-muslim-rickshaw-driver-in-ashok-vihar-after-asking-him-his-name
A Muslim e-rickshaw driver, identified as Salman, was accosted and beaten up by around 50 men on Thursday morning in Lal Bagh in Ashok Vihar area of Delhi. The accused beat up the victim after asking him his name.“I was standing in Lal Bagh market,” Salman said. “A boy came up and asked me my name. I said my name is Salman. The men began to beat me with sticks. I pleaded with them to let them go, but they locked me up in a room.”Salman said that he managed to escape from the room by breaking open the door. He said the men then asked him to bring a knife. He brought the knife and the men made him hold it in his hand, making him bleed.Salman, who spoke to Scroll.in at a hospital, received 52 stitches on his head and six in his leg. The e-rickshaw driver said he was going to get married on March 21.Scroll.in
Broken desks, burnt books, half-charred boards tell sordid tales of vandalised schools in Delhi:PTI
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/broken-desks-burnt-books-half-charred-boards-tell-sordid-tales-of-vandalised-schools-in-delhi-1650603-2020-02-27
New Delhi:"Welcome to a very happy school" reads a half-charred board at a private school in Brijpuri area of North East Delhi which is now home to broken desks and burnt books after it was vandalised during the violence. Arun Modern Senior Secondary School, which is over 32 years old, looks no less than a cemetery, say officials, who claim the damage is estimated to be over Rs 70 lakh."While I am yet to recover from what has happened at the school, my biggest relief is that children were not in the premises when this happened. I do not even want to imagine what would have happened if that was the case," school principal Jyoti Rani told PTI.Bhisham Sharma, the owner of the school, said the rioters burnt books worth Rs 70 lakh.Shaheen, parent of a class 7 student of the school said, "Why did the rioters have to burn down a school which educates students? They are burning everything else and could have spared schools. What about the children who are awaiting their final exams? Their year-long effort will go waste."At Rajdhani Public School in Shiv Vihar, few student bags, crayons strewn over, half-burnt models that were part of a recently held exhibition and cut-outs from Republic Day celebrations last month, are among the remains while the entire library has been burnt.Similar heart-wrenching scenes can be witnessed in DPR School in the same area.
Testimonies Of Brotherhood From Delhi Neighbourhoods Marred By Clashes:NDTV
https://www.ndtv.com/delhi-news/delhi-violence-testimonies-of-brotherhood-from-delhi-neighbourhoods-marred-by-clashes-2186794
Criticism of police grows after mob violence kills over 30 in Delhi: washingtonpost
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/criticism-of-police-grows-after-mob-violence-kills-more-than-30-in-indias-capital/2020/02/27/6a4ee8bc-595c-11ea-8753-73d96000faae_story.html
Delhi violence: Countrymade guns from West UP, weapons of all shapes used in riots
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/delhi-violence-countrymade-guns-from-west-up-weapons-of-all-shapes-used-in-riots/story-uVOk0GaAkHZCj7UHox8C3M.html
New Delhi:The people killed in the Delhi riots over Feb 24 and 25, and the injured being wheeled in to hospitals in the city, have wounds caused by bullets, sharp blades, stones, drill bit, blunt objects and burns, doctors at GTB hospital and Jag Parvesh Chandra hospital said.At least 14 died of gunshot wounds.The kinds of wounds people have, and eye-witnesses accounts from various riot-hit spots in north-east Delhi, point to how the mobs that led the communal riot were heavily armed-- with countrymade pistols, swords, hammers, sickles, baseball bats, sticks and large stones.Police suspect that the countrymade pistols used in the clashes may have been brought to Delhi from parts of western Uttar Pradesh. HT interviewed several masked rioters Monday and Tuesday who claimed to have come from Uttar Pradesh -- largely areas such as Shamli and Muzaffarnagar. "Every illegal pistol used in Delhi is smuggled in from outside,” said a mid-level police officer stationed in Jafrabad who asked not to be named.Police records also show that criminal gangs in north-east Delhi have easy access to weapons. According to cases busted by the police as recently as December, a countrymade pistol is available for ₹3,000-5,000 in parts of western Uttar Pradesh, such as Meerut, Shamli, and Muzaffarnagar. Automatic pistols in these same areas are available for ₹15,000-20,000 per piece.HT
Delhi violence: Akal Takht chief asks gurdwaras to offer all possible help to victims
https://scroll.in/latest/954445/delhi-violence-akal-takht-chief-asks-gurdwaras-to-offer-all-possible-help-to-victimsCondemning?fbclid=IwAR3RTIuo5haNbpOsHI9S-VP_nubgBPLw5ftsJF9P7FvQirvye52V75lI8ZM
Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh on Wednesday asked gurdwaras in Delhi to offer all possible help to victims of the violence that has engulfed parts of the city since Sunday.Condemning the violence, Singh said “the principle of Sikhism is to take care of any victim who comes for help”. “The situation in Delhi is serious and so the managements of all Sikh gurdwaras in Delhi should help the victims of violence in this time of grief, irrespective of their religion...” he added.scroll
Delhi Riots: Advocates, Scholars, Priests at Mumbai Meet Blame BJP Leaders for Violence
https://www.news18.com/news/india/delhi-riots-advocates-scholars-priests-at-mumbai-meet-blame-bjp-leaders-for-violence-2518221.html
Mumbai: Representatives of various communities on Thursday blamed a clutch of BJP leaders, including Union minister Anurag Thakur, for the communal riots in Delhi. They gathered here to condemn the communal violence in the national capital over CAA and seek action against the culprits.The representatives, who announced formation of an alliance against CAA-NRC-NPR, said besides Thakur, Delhi BJP leaders like Kapil Mishra and Parvesh Verma were responsible for the mayhem. All three BJP leaders have been accused of giving hate speeches.Advocate Rakesh Rathod, a representative of the Vanjara community, said, "The people of Delhi ignored hate and voted for the Aam Aadmi Party in the name of development (in just held polls). "The Sangh parivar could not accept this and as a result Delhi is burning in the fire of hate. We demand that top police officials be suspended and tried in court."Sachin Kamble of the Sambhaji Brigade, a Maratha organisation, demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the wake of the Delhi riots.Islamic scholar Maulana Ejaz Kashmiri said, "The Delhi riots are a form of terrorism and rioters are terrorists. If the country is to develop, riots need to end. Ravi Kumar Stephen, a Christian priest, expressed solidarity with the riot victims.PTI
National Council of Churches extends help to those in need in Delhi’s violence-affected area
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/national-council-of-churches-extends-help-to-those-in-need-in-delhis-violence-affected-area
National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) has condemned the dastardly attack on the vulnerable and the weak in different locations of northeast Delhi and appealed to the Churches and Christian Organisations in the vicinity of the affected areas to respond appropriately to those in need.NCCI released a statement while expressing the distress on the loss of lives saying “Humanity has been knocked down one more time. Our houses burnt. Our kindred killed. Our peace destroyed, and future betrayed. We have not learnt from our past. In what happened in parts of New Delhi, our national capital, we have been brought down to ashes once again.”nationalheraldindia
Govt should ensure peace is restored: RSS on Delhi violence
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/govt-should-ensure-peace-is-restored-rss-on-delhi-violence/
Nagpur :The government should ensure that peace is restored in Delhi, RSS general secretary Suresh ‘Bhaiyyaji’ Joshi said here on Thursday. Joshi also said nobody has the right to take the law into their hands. “The government should instill peace in areas where there is ‘ashanti’ (unrest),” RSS functionary said.PTI
In aftermath of Delhi riots, selfless doctors and good Samaritans at Al-Hind hospital in Old Mustafabad set example for authorities
https://www.firstpost.com/india/in-aftermath-of-delhi-riots-selfless-doctors-and-good-samaritans-at-al-hind-hospital-in-old-mustafabad-set-example-for-authorities-8094021.html
Al-Hind hospital, a small clinic with one ward and only fifteen beds, is open to the victims of riots in the Old Mustafabad region of northeast Delhi. Initially run as a small clinic, the hospital has now opened up another floor to accomodate victims. Run by MA Anwar, a local doctor from Mustafabad, the hospital has admitted over 500 patients within the first two days of riots breaking out in the northeastern districts of the National Capital. In the absence of beds, the hospital has arranged for carpets and plastic sheets for patients.Mustafabad is a Muslim dominated area surrounded by Hindu dominated areas on all sides such as Bhajanpura, Dayalpura and Gokulpuri. Since the riots broke out over three days ago, Anwar, who runs the hospital, says he has not slept. "I hadn't anticipated this kind of thing would happen here. I have been living here for the past ten years, and nothing communal has happened before. It's small hospital and we are ill-equipped to handle such a high casualty rate. I haven't slept in the past two days because I am constantly attending to patients," Anwar said.According to Anwar, 75 percent of the patients came with severe bullet and pellet injuries. The rest had suffered head injuries due to stone pelting in the area.firstpost
Hindu or Muslim?’ Kolkata youths escape mob through sheer luck
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/hindu-or-muslim-kol-youths-escape-mob-through-sheer-luck/articleshow/74326683.cms
“Hindu ya Mohamedan?” For 2 Kolkata youths driving back to Delhi, instant anger at this question, thrown at them from someone in an armed mob, quickly turned into fear... fear of getting lynched, trapped inside their car. Their interrogator had taken away the ignition key, and the mob was baying for their blood, hurling invectives and trying to get inside.It was sheer luck that another person gave them back the car key. “Bhago!” he told them. They did.The duo — businessmen who are childhood friends — was driving back to Delhi after a holiday in Uttarakhand, when they got caught in mob violence near the UP-Delhi border on Monday evening. For a few minutes, they stared death in the face. They managed to escape, but the memory of what happened — and what almost happened — is terrifying.‘It was like the WhatsApp forwards we get... but it was terrifyingly real’.My friend Kalim Ahmed from Darga Road and I had gone on a trek to Nag Tibba off Musoorie and were to return to Delhi on Tuesday,” recounts Yousuf Anis, 34, a resident of Topsia near Park Circus. “But Kalim felt unwell on Sunday and we decided to return the following day. There was poor cellular network in the hills, so we had no idea about the communal flare-up in Delhi,” he said.TOI
*anti-CAA,NRC-NPR stir*
Bihar assembly passes resolution for caste-based Census in 2021
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/bihar-assembly-passes-resolution-for-caste-based-census-in-2021
Bihar Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution for the second time in just over a year favouring a caste-based census in 2021.Speaker Vijay Kumar Choudhary made the announcement in the assembly during the pre-lunch session."... This is an appropriate time when the House should convey its sentiments to the authorities concerned for a caste-based census... The proposed census 2021 be conducted on caste basis," Choudhary said.He said Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had made a proposal for a similar resolution during the debate on adjournment motion on Tuesday on CAA, NRC and NPR in the assembly, which found support from all other political parties in the House.PTI
KCR decides to put NPR work on hold in Telangana
https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/telangana/2020/feb/27/kcr-decides-to-put-npr-work-on-hold-in-telangana-2109105.html?fbclid=IwAR04PCAlXw4arMvPmbW3NU2k5bhuW4GsRPu9iOTdIO7zTCdvsBBXOHxhgCM
Hyderabad: The State government would put on hold NPR work for the time being. It would move a resolution in the Legislative Assembly urging Centre to implement the old format of NPR, instead of the revised one proposed for 2020 Census. Sources close to Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said that TRS govt was against the new format of NPR. Along with a resolution against CAA in Assembly, another resolution suggesting the Centre to dispense with the new format of NPR too would be adopted in the forthcoming budget session of the Legislature, the sources said. The State can take up the census for 45 days between March 1 and Sept.30. Given this, the government, which has opposed CAA, also wants to buy some time to take up NPR work. It may be mentioned here that the States like West Bengal and Kerala have decided to put NPR work on hold.TS too would follow suit, the sources said. Though the States cannot stop the NPR work, the move to stop all the activities with regard to NPR would bring some pressure on the Centre to make some modifications in the new NPR format, the sources added.A senior IAS officer issuing orders to carry out NPR work when TS has decided to put it on hold has irked the govt. According to sources, the officer was shunted out of GAD some time ago. Newindianexpress
NSS survey mistaken for NPR in Hyderabad, surveyors recalled by officials
https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/hyderabad/2020/feb/27/nss-survey-mistaken-for-npr-in-hyderabad-surveyors-recalled-by-officials-2109108.html
Hyderabad: A segment of National Sample Survey’s (NSS) 78th round being conducted in the city on Wednesday was met with apprehension from residents who have been on their toes since the controversy regarding NPR came to the fore. When surveyors reached Old Malakpet area in the city, locals opposed them saying that there was already a “bad atmosphere in the country due to CAA-NRC-NPR”. “You very well know the current atmosphere prevailing in the country. Do you not see the news? Who will give you information at such a time?” a resident asked surveyors in a video being circulated on social media. While the surveyors explained that it was not related to NPR, the man was adamant in his denial to cooperate. “There are protests everywhere. It will take two to three months for things to become normal,” the resident is heard saying in the video. Newindianexpress
Two anti-CAA activists arrested by Delhi police were tortured in custody, allege family members
https://scroll.in/article/954538/two-anti-caa-activists-arrested-by-delhi-police-were-tortured-in-custody-allege-family-members
At least two activists from Delhi’s Khureji Khas area, who were arrested from an anti-CAA protest site on Wednesday afternoon, have been physically tortured in judicial custody, according to their family members. They have also been booked for rioting, attempting to murder a police official, and possessing and using firearms, which their families and other protesters claim are false and unsubstantiated charges.The activists, Ishrat Jahan and Khalid Saifi, had been at the forefront of the Khureji Khas sit-in protest against the Citizenship Act since it began on January 13. While Ishrat Jahan is a lawyer and former municipal councillor from the Congress party, Saifi is a businessman and a well-known local activist with a non-profit platform called United Against Hate.Both were produced before a magistrate at 10 pm on Wednesday, along with a third arrested activist, Sabu Ansari. They were then remanded to 14 days of judicial custody in Mandoli jail, where the alleged custodial torture took place.“When they were produced in court, Khalid was in a wheelchair with bandages on both his legs,” said Nargis Saifi, Khalid Saifi’s wife. Ishrat Jahan, meanwhile, had bandages on her hand. “They were both perfectly healthy when they were arrested, and my husband told me he was tortured a lot in jail.”According to Nargis and Ishrat Jahan’s sister, Sarwer Jahan, both activists were at their respective homes at around 1 pm on Wednesday when they received urgent calls from some protesters present at the site.scroll
Activist Khalid Saifi, Detained From Khureji Protest Site, Charged With 'Attempt to Murder'
https://thewire.in/rights/khalid-saifi-khureji-khas-caa-protest
Video Shows Police ‘Breaking CCTV’ Near Khureji Protest Site
https://www.thequint.com/news/india/video-shows-police-breaking-cctv-after-clearing-khureji-protest?fbclid=IwAR22bsYr4PgCkkGVdu9qvyl6geSLB1-UoSMHKeEy94tZ5q1jvZfDS7740ZA
No going back on CAA: Union Law Minister Prasad
https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2020/feb/27/no-going-back-on-caa-union-law-minister-ravi-shankar-prasad-2109383.html
Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday said there is no question of going back on CAA, but the government will try to convince people opposing it."After all, why shouldn't the persecuted religious minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan be given citizenship in India?" Prasad asked."There is no question of our going back on the CAA," the minister asserted.PTI
Fight will continue till rollback of CAA, NRC,NPR: Kanhaiya
http://www.uniindia.com/~/fight-will-continue-till-rollback-of-caa-nrc-and-npr-kanhaiya/States/news/1901021.html
Patna:CPI leader and ex president of JNSU Kanhaiya Kumar today asserted that fight for saving constitution would continue till Narendra Modi withdraws CAA and makes an announcement for not taking any step in contravention of the spirit of the constitution.Mr Kumar, while addressing a rally at historic Gandhi Maidan here, after the culmination of "Jan Gan Man" started on Jan. 30 which covered several parts of the state, said that Modi government had demolished democratic setup of the country and rolled outlaws like CAA which was against the spirit of the constitution. It was really a matter of pride that people from all sections of the society participated in the fight against CAA, NRC and NPR and women remained at the forefront he added.UNI
CAA, NRC, NPR divisive but we shall show papers:Tripura Jamiat Ulema
https://indianexpress.com/article/north-east-india/tripura/caa-nrc-npr-divisive-but-we-shall-show-papers-says-tripura-jamiat-ulema-e-hind-6289612/
Agartala : CAA, NPR and NRC as ‘kala kanoon’ or black law, Tripura state Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind Thursday said these laws are tearing up the secular fabric of India. The organization’s leaders, however, said its members would show papers during the forthcoming NPR exercise.State Jamiat chief Mufti Tayebur Rahman said new queries added in the NPR schedule were incorporated due to devious designs.“Census operations have been going on since 1951. If questions like birth details of parents weren’t necessary till now, why are they included now? We believe this is don’t with ulterior motives and devious plans”, Tayebur Rahman said.However, the clergyman said he or his supporters will not deny producing documents when officials come to collect information for NPR exercise since the state government hasn’t boycotted it.indianexpress
‘Donated Land for Bihar Temple in 2017’: Sharjeel Imam’s Family
https://www.thequint.com/videos/news-videos/had-donated-land-for-bihar-temple-sharjeel-imams-family?fbclid=IwAR01SwwhN_OKNzEb3XJjw-y3RgoHfmHffChsROeIw55IjjKDS3Yq9dT7DpM
JNU student Sharjeel Imam may have been booked for sedition but his family has a very different image in their native village Kako in Bihar's Jehanabad.In 2017-18, Sharjeel Imam’s family donated 1,000 Sq Ft land near NH-110 for the construction of a temple in Kako. The value of the land today stands at around Rs 30-35 Lakh.One of the oldest members of the temple committee, Sujeet Kumar Gupta (42), who also ran a shop in Kako said, Sharjeel Imam’s grandfather was a landlord and people of every faith and caste worked on his farm.“Those who work for him had installed a small long idol in his land and started worshipping here with his permission. Since then, the people started worshipping there, installing pandals on festivals,” said Gupta.Lala Choudhary, another resident of Kako, who is closely associated with Sharjeel Imam’s family said they (family) have always helped people and command respect in the locality.“Years ago, when we were building a market on our land near the temple and we were wondering how to find a way so that both (the market and temple) stayed safe and intact. Everyone agreed that the piece of land had become a centre of faith and worship so we should donate the land to the temple committee. So, in August 2017, we legally donated the land to the temple committee. Later, a bigger temple was constructed on that land.”thequint
Musician, Pink Floyd’s founder Roger Waters recites Delhi student Aamir Aziz’s anti-CAA poem in London
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/pink-floyds-roger-waters-recites-delhi-student-aamir-azizs-anti-caa-poem-in-london-48015
London: “Everything will be remembered, Everything recorded”, Pink Floyd co-founder and legendary musician Roger Waters said recently as he read out Delhi student Aamir Aziz’s poem at a protest here and described CAA as “fascist” and “racist”. 76-year-old singer-lyricist was participating in a protest last week to demand the release of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who has been in jail in UK since April 2019. A video from the protest showing Waters reciting the English version of Aziz’s popular poem “Sab Yaad Rakha Jayega” has been circulating widely on Twitter and other social media platforms. “This is a young man none of us know, his name is Aamir Aziz. He is a young poet and activist in Delhi. He is involved in the fight against Modi and his fascist, racist citizenship law. I will read a little bit from one of his poems,” the musician said, endorsing the anti-CAA protests and criticising the Indian Prime Minister. “Roger Waters of #PinkFloyd reads a translation of Aamir Aziz’ poem “Sab Yaad Rakha Jaayega”, in solidarity with anti-CAA protestors. The world is watching Delhi, amitshahofficial and @narendramodi. world is...” wrote Dadlani.tribuneindia
Bengaluru: Anti-CAA violence in Mangaluru - High court grants conditional bail to 16 accused
http://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay.aspx?newsID=678886
Bengaluru:The state high court today granted conditional bail to 16 people who were arrested for alleged involvement in the violence and stone pelting that occurred during anti-CAA violence in Mangaluru on Dec.19. The accused, including Suhail and Thamzeel had applied for bail in High court. Their appeal was upheld by one-member bench of Justice John Michael D’Cunha. Mangaluru fourth additional district and sessions court had denied bail to the accused. The one-member bench of justice Cunha had earlier approved the appeal for bail of 21 people in the same case. The bench had also taken to task the police with regards to their approach towards the case.
After Delhi riots, uneasy calm prevails in Aligarh, internet suspended
https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2020/feb/27/after-delhi-riots-uneasy-calm-prevails-in-aligarh-internet-suspended-2109380.html
After a communal flare-up in Delhi, situation remained volatile in western UP district of Aligarh where district administration extended the curbs on internet services till Thursday midnight. However, the sources claimed that the curbs may continue in the wake of Friday prayers.Aligarh City Magistrate Court, meanwhile, issued an arrest warrant against 100 people in Sasnigate, Kotwali and Delhi gate areas for raising pro-Pakistan slogans at protests against Citizenship Amendment Act on Wednesday. Notably, the ongoing anti-CAA stir intensified in the city areas on Wednesday with woman protestors sitting on dharna and laying a blockade on the road at Quarsi bypass near Jeevangarh locality for the last 72 hours.An uneasy calm has been prevailing in the city since Sunday. A number of business establishments and shops remained closed in sensitive areas, including Upper Kot, Delhi gate, Turkmangate, Babri Mandi, Bhujpura, Gahs ki Mandi, Shah Jamal areas.newindianexpress
UP: Fear, anxiety among protesters after Delhi violence
https://www.newsclick.in/uttar-pradesh-fear-and-anxiety-among-protesters-after-delhi-violence
New Delhi: As several parts of North-East Delhi continue to suffer in the aftermath of communal clashes in the national capital which left 37 dead, faces of the women of Uttar Pradesh, sitting in protest for 50 days in Lucknow, Kanpur, Allahabad and Aligarh against CAA and NRC, reflect both sadness and fear. However, despite living in constant fear of violence and in the knowledge that they could be removed forcibly at any minute, they have resolved to not retreat. Sitting in solidarity with the families being killed and targeted, the protesters at Lucknow and Aligarh say that they have decided to intensify their agitation till CAA is taken back by BJP-led Central Govt.“They want to scare us, but they are highly mistaken. When women hit the roads then no government can scare them. We will not budge till our demands are met,” said Azra, who, along with few others, has been running a medical camp for the needy, at the protest site. “In coming days, you will see more protesters joining us,” she adds. Saher Fatima, a key organiser of the protest at Ujariyaon in the Gomti Nagar area of Lucknow, mumbles Rahat Indori's sher 'Lagegi aag, to aayenge Ghar kaii... Zadd mai'. “The impact of what happened in Delhi is clearly visible here in the protesters of Lucknow. There is no doubt that people here are living in fear as the riots from Delhi can flare up anywhere – be it Lucknow, Bihar or Bengal – but we will not move an inch until this government rolls back this draconian law (CAA)," she says. Meanwhile, a high alert has been sounded in many cities of Uttar Pradesh including Lucknow, Aligarh and in parts of Western UP following the violence in Delhi. newsclick
HC notices on injured Jamia student's compensation plea
https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay.aspx?newsID=678800
Delhi High Court today issued notices on a petition by a Jamia Millia Islamia student for compensation for injuries allegedly suffered during police action in the Jamia Nagar area here on December 15.The notices were issued to the central and Delhi governments, Jamia and the Delhi police after Mohammed Mustafa, through advocate Nabila Hassan, pleaded for directions to authorities concerned to pay at least Rs 1 crore for his physical and mental agony.The plea also sought court directions for the registration of an FIR against the Delhi Police over its alleged brutality on the campus.IANS
Kolkata: Bangladeshi student asked to leave India after she posted anti-CAA protest photos
https://scroll.in/latest/954502/kolkata-bangladeshi-student-asked-to-leave-india-after-she-posted-anti-caa-protest-photos
A Bangladeshi student at West Bengal’s Visva-Bharati University has been asked to leave India for taking part in “anti-government activities” after she posted pictures of anti-Citizenship Act protests on her campus, reported The Telegraph.The student, Afsara Anika Meem, a first-year student at the university, was trolled on social media after she posted the photos. One of her friends claimed that around 250 social media posts described her as an “anti-national” even though she did not participate in the demonstrations. Her posts attracted attention from pro-govt trolls who demanded that she be sent back. scroll
4 students booked under sedititon case in Karnataka, struggles to get lawyers
https://newsd.in/4-students-booked-under-sedititon-case-struggles-to-get-lawyers/
Hubballi: A 19-year-old girl and three engineering students from Kashmir are booked under sedition cases and they are struggling for their legal representation, despite the Karnataka High Court observing last week that it is unethical and illegal for lawyers to pass resolutions against representing anyone in court.19-year-old girl, Amulya Leona Norhoa is a college student and she is booked under for sedition right after she started a speech with Pakistan Zindabad at an anti-CAA protest in Bengaluru. On Wednesday, the police took her at the home of a magistrate for a custody remand after local advocate groups ensured that she did not find representation in court.newsd.in
*J&K AND S. ASIA*
J&K: India raps Pakistan at UN, says it can’t lecture others on human rights violation
https://scroll.in/latest/954469/jammu-and-kashmir-india-raps-pakistan-at-un-says-it-cant-lecture-others-on-human-rights-violation
India has criticised Pakistan for raising J&K in UNHRC session, and reiterated that the region “was, is, and shall forever” remain its integral part. The remarks from Indian diplomat Vikas Swarup came a day after Pakistan urged the international council to intervene in the Indian administration’s decision to impose restrictions on communication in Jammu and Kashmir since the region’s special status was stripped in August.“It is more than a little ironical that a nation that has become the world’s leading exporter of terror and violence seeks to lecture others about human rights,” Swarup, the secretary (west) in MEA said, referring to Pakistan. “Despite Pakistan’s best efforts – over decades – to destabilise this state through externally instigated terror and a campaign of canards and untruth, the situation on the ground is quite normal.”India highlighted instances to prove that people’s rights in Jammu and Kashmir were being upheld, and that restrictions imposed “solely to ensure the safety of the people from Pakistani trained terrorist attacks” were removed.On Tuesday, Pakistan Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari had alleged that India continued to violate the human rights of the Kashmiri people. She alleged that “over six thousand Kashmiri people, activists... were arrested without due process of law” and demanded their immediate release. Pakistani minister had added that any “inaction” by the international community and the council will only “embolden” India to act with impunity.scroll
Pulwama attack: Court grants bail to one accused after NIA fails to file chargesheet in time
https://scroll.in/latest/954550/pulwama-attack-court-grants-bail-to-one-accused-after-nia-fails-to-file-chargesheet-in-time
A NIA court in Delhi has granted bail to an accused in 2019 Pulwama attack after the agency failed to file a chargesheet against him in the stipulated time period, Live Law reported on Thursday. The bail was granted on February 18. The court said that the accused, Yusuf Chopan, was entitled to statutory bail.The lawyer for the accused moved the bail application on the grounds that Chopan had been in custody for 180 days. The period for investigating Chopan’s alleged role in the attack ended on Feb.11. NIA conceded in court on February 18 that it had not been able to find sufficient evidence against Chopan to file a chargesheet. However, the agency added that it was still investigating him. Judge Praveen Singh accepted the accused’s argument and allowed the bail application, subject to a personal bond of Rs 50,000 and a surety of like amount. Singh also ordered Chopan to cooperate with the investigation and to present himself before the court whenever required to do so. The court said that Chopan must not induce or influence any person capable of providing information about the case, or tamper with the evidence.scroll
Government scraps J&K Bank recruitment process
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/jk-government-scraps-jammu-and-kashmir-bank-recruitment-process-6289963/
Acting tough against irregularities in the Jammu and Kashmir Bank recruitment process, UT Government on Thursday scrapped the process for the recruitment of 250 probationary officers and 1,200 banking associates. The recruitment process began in 2018.The bank will initiate and complete the recruitment against these vacancies afresh in a time-bound manner with 3 months, said Rohit Kansal, official spokesperson of J&K Govt.indianexpress
*OTHERS*
Malegaon blasts: BJP MP Pragya Thakur appears before Mumbai court
https://www.wefornews.com/2008-malegaon-blasts-case-pragya-appears-before-mumbai-court/
Mumbai: One of prime accused in 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case, BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur on Thursday appeared before a Special NIA Court.This was her first appearance before Special NIA Court in the past eight months, last being in June last year.Thakur’s appearance came a day after Special NIA Court Judge V.S. Padalkar asked all those accused in Malegaon 2008 blast case to remain present before his court at least once a week pursuant to his order of May 2019. Significantly, the development took place two days after the Bombay High Court had frowned over how there was no ‘effective progress’ in the case and sought an explanation from the National Investigation Agency on the delays in the lower court.The observations by Acting Chief Justice B.P. Dharmadhikari and Justice N.R. Borkar came during a hearing of a plea by Samir Kulkarni — one of the accused in the same case — seeking a speedy trial, and contending that NIA and other accused were deliberately delaying the court proceedings. Seeking an explanation on this from NIA, the high court has posted the matter for further hearing on March 16.IANS
Elgar Parishad: Accused shifted from Pune jail to Mumbai after transfer of case to NIA court
https://scroll.in/latest/954478/elgar-parishad-accused-shifted-from-pune-jail-to-mumbai-after-transfer-of-case-to-nia-court
The accused in the Elgar Parishad case were shifted from a prison in Pune to Mumbai on Wednesday, days after the National Investigation Agency took over the inquiry, PTI reported.The accused – Surendra Gadling, Mahesh Raut, Rona Wilson, Sudhir Dhawale, Varavara Rao, Arun Ferreira, Sudha Bharadwaj, Shoma Sen and Vernon Gonsalves – were arrested in 2018. The seven men were sent to Arthur Road jail and both women were sent to Byculla prison, an official said.scroll
Elgaar Parishad case accused doesn’t turn up, Koregaon Bhima inquiry panel drops her as witness
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/elgaar-parishad-case-accused-doesnt-turn-up-koregaon-bhima-inquiry-panel-drops-her-as-witness-6288731/
HC To Hear Case Related To Gyanvapi-masjid Dispute On March 17
https://www.republicworld.com/india-news/law-and-order/hc-to-hear-case-related-to-gyanvapi-masjid-dispute-on-march-17.html
Allahabad High Court on Wednesday stayed a lower court's order to proceed with the hearing of a case related to the Vishwanath mandir-Gyanvapi masjid dispute and fixed March 17 as the next date of hearing in the case.On Feb.4, the lower court held that since no interim order was extended in the last 6 months in writ petition related to the dispute, pending before the Allahabad High Court, stay is deemed to be vacated as per the decision of the Supreme Court in "Asian Resurfacing of Road Agencies case" and it can resume hearing of the case.Justice Ajay Bhanot passed the order in a petition filed by Anjuman Intazamia Masjid, Varanasi.The petitioner's contention was that it had earlier filed a plea related to the dispute and the court had granted a stay order in the case directing the lower court not to proceed in case pending before it.However, the lower court wrongly interpreted the order of the Supreme Court and held that since the said order was not extended by the high court in the last 6 months, therefore, the stay is deemed to be vacated, and now it can resume hearing of the case, it said.Anjuman Intazamia Masjid had moved the court challenging orders passed by Additional Districts Judge, Varanasi, in 1997 and 1998 whereby its application challenging a civil suit filed by Kashi Vishwanath Mandir Trust had been turned down.republicworld
SP MP Azam Khan, wife, son shifted to Sitapur jail, Akhilesh meets them
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/sp-mp-azam-khan-wife-son-shifted-to-sitapur-jail-akhilesh-meets-them/
Sitapur :A day after surrendering at a Rampur court and being remanded in judicial custody there, SP MP Azam Khan, his wife and son were on Thursday shifted to Sitapur jail, where party chief Akhilesh Yadav met them.After meeting Khan, Yadav said the Samajwadi party MP has been targeted by BJP under a “political conspiracy”.“I met Azam Sahab. His wife is not well and son also has an injury in his hand. I hope the jail administration will provide them due to facilities. After BJP came to power, Azam Khan was targeted. It was a political conspiracy due to which he was sent to jail. The court will help him,” he said.PTI
Global Scribes' Body Asks BJP Leaders to Stop Online Harassment of The Wire's Arfa Khanum
https://thewire.in/media/committee-to-protect-journalists-arfa-khanum-sherwani
Committee to Protect Journalists released a statement urging BJP leaders to stop encouraging online vitriol directed at The Wire’s senior editor Arfa Khanum Sherwani. The committee also asked authorities to ensure that threats against journalists like her are taken seriously.The Committee highlights the online behaviour targeting her displayed by the likes of BJP ‘IT Cell’ head Amit Malviya, party spokesperson Sambit Patra and BJP Mahila Morcha social media in-charge Priti Gandhi. Malviya was first to share a 42-second clip of Sherwani speaking, which he alleged showed her discussing the strategy to build a caliphate. Except that the video had been edited from a much longer speech which Sherwani had delivered at AMU.Alt News has reported with a fact check that within context, Sherwani was talking about the necessity to strategise secular protests, and not giving out a call to build a caliphate.thewire
Rana Ayyub wins McGill Medal for journalistic courage
https://amp.scroll.in/latest/954230/rana-ayyub-wins-mcgill-medal-for-journalistic-courage?__twitter_impression=true&fbclid=IwAR3TLd_y8DZBqKbL_PTrMKR-FaEibrz8qMEoIVyn1b5eXgaEpte9eqD5shA
Mumbai journalist Rana Ayyub has won 2020 McGill Medal for journalistic courage. Ayyub, who is a contributing writer in the Global Opinions section of The Washington Post, will receive the medal on April 22 at a ceremony in the Peyton Anderson Forum at Grady College.“Ayyub is committed to telling the stories of people who can’t do it on her own, making her an ideal McGill medal recipient,” Sofia Gratas, McGill Fellow responsible for researching the nomination said. Director of McGill program, Diane H Murray, said the purpose of the award was to advance journalistic courage.scroll
*WORLD*
Saudi halts travel to Mecca, Medina over coronavirus as as Middle East reports 220 cases
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/saudi-arabia-halts-travel-mecca-medina-coronavirus-200227054424029.html
Saudi Arabia today halted travel to the holiest sites in Islam over coronavirus fears just months ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, as Middle East recorded more than 220 confirmed cases.The extraordinary decision by Saudi Arabia prevents foreigners from reaching the holy city of Mecca and the Kaaba, the cube-shaped structure the world's 1.8 billion Muslims pray towards 5 times a day. It also said travel was suspended to Prophet Muhammad's mosque in Medina.The decision indicated the level of concern about the outbreak potentially spreading into Saudi Arabia, whose oil-rich monarchy stakes its legitimacy on protecting Islam's holy sites.The epicentre in the Middle East's most-affected country, Iran, appears to be in the holy Shia city of Qom, where a shrine there sees the faithful reach out to kiss and touch it in reverence."Saudi Arabia renews its support for all international measures to limit the spread of this virus and urges its citizens to exercise caution before travelling to countries experiencing coronavirus outbreaks," Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement announcing the decision.Indonesia's foreign minister on Thursday urged Saudi to allow its citizens to continue their Umrah pilgrimage. Indonesia is the world's biggest Muslim-majority country and it often sends about one million people on the pilgrimage every year to the kingdom. The virus that causes the illness named COVID-19 has infected more than 80,000 people globally, mainly in China.The hardest-hit nation in the Middle East is Iran, where health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said 19 people have died among 139 confirmed cases.aljazeera
Coronavirus: Iran Vice-president Diagnosed with Virus as Death Toll in Country Jumps to 26
https://www.news18.com/news/india/coronavirus-outbreak-live-updates-special-air-india-flight-with-119-indians-from-quarantined-japan-ship-reaches-delhi-2517087.html
Iran's Vice-president Masoumeh Ebtekar tests positive for coronavirus. Iran earlier reported that the death toll in coronavirus cases rose to 26.news18
119 Indians, 5 Foreigners Brought Back From Coronavirus-Hit Cruise Ship In Japan
https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/india-news-119-indians-5-foreigners-brought-back-from-coronavirus-hit-cruise-ship-in-japan/347916
An Air India flight on Thursday brought back to the national capital 119 Indians and 5 foreigners who were on board a coronavirus-hit cruise ship docked off Yokohama in Japan.The foreigners, who were brought back to India on board the special Air India flight, included two from Sri Lanka and one each from Nepal, South Africa and Peru.All the evacuees will undergo a 14-day quarantine at a medical facility set-up by the Indian Army in Manesar.Three Indian crew members did not board the special flight and conveyed their wish to continue their stay onboard the cruise ship to complete the period of extended quarantine put in place by the government of Japan, a government statement said.PTI
UN demands 'unfettered access' for China Uighur region visit
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/demands-unfettered-access-china-uighur-region-visit-200227111444719.html
A team preparing for UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet's possible visit to the tightly controlled Muslim-majority Chinese region of Xinjiang this year should be given "unfettered access", she said on Thursday."We will seek to analyse in-depth the human rights situation in China, including the situation of members of the Uighur minority," she said, addressing the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.Bachelet welcomed the invitation from China to tour the region but added: "We will continue to request unfettered access for an advance team in preparation for this proposed visit."aljazeera
Malaysia's Mahathir says parliament will pick new PM
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/malaysia-mahathir-parliament-pick-pm-200227111320427.html
Malaysia's interim leader Mahathir Mohamad has said parliament will pick a new prime minister next week following the collapse of the ruling alliance and snap elections will be called if the vote ends in an impasse.Mahathir, who met the king earlier on Thursday, said the monarch could not find a candidate with a clear majority to lead the nation after consulting all 222 legislators over the last two days.As such, he said, the king decided to have the lower house of parliament vote on a new leader on March 2."If the lower house fails to find a person with the majority, then we will have to go for a snap election," Mahathir told a news conference.A failed bid by Mahathir's supporters to form a new government without his designated successor, Anwar Ibrahim, and Mahathir's shock resignation on Monday broke apart the ruling alliance less than two years after it defeated a corruption-tainted coalition that had led the country for 61 years. Aljazeera
German court upholds headscarf ban for legal clerks
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/german-court-upholds-headscarf-ban-legal-clerks-200227100402475.html
Germany's highest court on Thursday upheld a ban on headscarves for Muslim trainee lawyers in courts, finding that the requirement of maintaining religious neutrality was justified.The Federal Constitutional Court's ruling came after a Frankfurt-born German-Moroccan legal trainee filed a challenge to Hesse state's rules. In the western state, trainees who keep their headscarves on are not allowed to take on tasks in which they may be seen to be acting as representatives of the judiciary or the state.This means for instance that headscarf-wearing trainees are not allowed to sit on the judges' bench as they observe proceedings like other trainees, and must instead sit among courtroom observers. Likewise, they are unable to lead any courtroom sessions, or take evidence from witnesses.aljazeera
2 Turkish soldiers killed as Syrian rebels regain key town
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/turkish-soldiers-killed-syrian-rebels-regain-key-town-200227071603602.html
Two Turkish soldiers have been killed and two others wounded in an air strike in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib as Turkey-backed Syrian rebels regained a key town during heavy fighting. Hours after the seizure of Saraqeb, Syrian government forces launched a major counterattack. The retaking of Saraqeb that sits on the highway is a setback for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces who have scored major gains in a weeks-long Russian-backed campaign in the last rebel stronghold in Idlib province.The latest casualties brought the number of Turkish security personnel killed during the Russian-backed Syrian government offensive in Idlib this month to 19. Over the past weeks, Turkey sent thousands of troops into the province. Turkey-backed Syrian rebels said on Thursday they recaptured the strategic town - the first significant reverse for Syrian army operation that has made swift gains.Three weeks ago, opposition fighters lost the key northwestern town at the junction of two main highways following rapid advances by Syrian forces in their bid to retake Idlib.aljazeera
Saudi King Salman hosts rabbi in official residence for first time:Jerusalem Post
https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Saudi-King-Salman-hosts-rabbi-in-official-residence-for-first-time-618626?utm_source=jpost&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=boost&utm_content=02-24-20&fbclid=IwAR21pA5Or5MPpUujl21wVDHA9hk5ss0W4B8YTn80WiBIfq_uLDMEq_AS3fA
For the first time ever, King of Saudi Arabia last week met with and hosted a rabbi in his formal residence during an annual meeting of the KAICIID inter-religious dialogue organization.Rabbi David Rosen of Jerusalem, a leading figure in interfaith cooperation, is one of the eight members of the KAICIID board of governors representing the Jewish faith, and was one of those hosted by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud at his royal palace in Riyadh last Thursday.Rosen is also an Israeli citizen, making his meeting with the king even more remarkable.He was one of seven of the board members who met with King Salman, including KAICIID’s representatives for Islam, Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism.According to Rosen, King Salman talked about the changes which Saudi Arabia is undergoing of late and asserted that the wahhabi kingdom was adopting a more open form of Islam than that which it has observed in recent decades.
Pak''s fresh bid to combat terrorism allows US to expand trade ties bilaterally and regionally: Commerce Secretary Ross
https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/india-slams-oic-statement-over-delhi-violence-says-its-inaccurate-misleading/1746021?scroll
Pakistan''s fresh efforts to fight terrorism and promote security is "affording" US to expand trade between two countries and in the region, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has said after meeting the country''s top leadership here. Ross was in Islamabad on Wednesday, a day after US President Donald Trump concluded his high-profile maiden visit to India, and called on Prime Minister Imran Khan, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Minister of Energy Omar Ayub Khan and others.Building on the productive discussions between President Donald Trump and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, "I met with Prime Minister Khan and his economic team today in Islamabad to explore ways to grow the US-Pakistan trade and investment relationship, including in the energy and digital sectors," Ross said in a statement."Deepening our economic ties will provide measurable benefits for our two nations," Ross said while thanking the Pakistani leaders'' willingness to engage in frank conversations.US Commerce Secretary recalled President Trump''s statement in New Delhi when he said, "Our relationship with Pakistan is a very good one."PTI
*views, Articles, FEATURES*
The Guardian view on Delhi’s violence: Modi stoked this fire
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/feb/26/the-guardian-view-on-delhis-violence-modi-stoked-this-fire?fbclid=IwAR2XvGH8fU-SpWGIpbMv3QUjrFaZ5TXpK_QQAu5FlJZUf4IDddkzbhlKTYo
Delhi riots neither designed by Modi govt, nor Islamic conspiracy. It’s far more dangerous:Yogendra Yadav , theprint
https://theprint.in/opinion/delhi-riots-neither-designed-by-modi-govt-nor-islamic-conspiracy-its-far-more-dangerous/371544/
A Walk Through Scarred Lanes Of Delhi In The Aftermath Of A Riot:Salik Ahmad, outlookindia
https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/delhi-riots-a-walk-through-scarred-aftermath-of-a-classical-riot/302871
Scars of violence haunt India’s capital after deadly riots
https://apnews.com/730225d9de15b84bd0ef71dd1d3bb32f
New Delhi riots leave 35 dead as India balks at US reaction to the religious violence
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-delhi-riots-leave-35-dead-as-india-balks-at-us-reaction-to-the-religious-violence/
Delhi violence: Shooter misidentified as part of mob supporting CAA:Jignesh Patel, AltNews.in & Pratik Sinha, AltNews.in
https://scroll.in/article/954232/delhi-violence-shooter-misidentified-as-part-of-mob-supporting-caa
Minorities in India are coming to believe that there is a campaign to make them second-class citizens:Najeeb Jung
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/delhi-violence-nrc-caa-bjp-shaheen-bagh-6288308/
India: Culture of impunity boosts rioters to attacks mosques:Shuriah Niazi
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/india-culture-of-impunity-boosts-rioters-to-attacks-mosques/1745984
You Have Only Yourself To Blame: Delhi Police Castigated By Its Former Chief
https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/opinion-for-their-rudderlessness-ineptitude-delhi-police-have-noone-but-themselves-to-blame/347917
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 6:20 PM).
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