05 March 2020: 09 Rajjab 1441: Vol: 12, No: 149
*DELHI VIOLENCE*
Khamenei threatens India of 'isolation' from Islamic world, calls on India to stop 'massacre of Muslims'
https://www.timesnownews.com/india/article/irans-supreme-leader-ayatollah-khamenei-threatens-india-of-isolation-from-islamic-world-over-delhi-riots/561502
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/confront-extremist-hindus-and-their-parties-says-irans-supreme-leader-to-india/article30991975.ece?homepage=true
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Thursday, threatened India of isolation from the Islamic world over the recent violence in Delhi. In a tweet, Khomeini asked New Delhi to 'confront extremist Hindus' and 'stop the massacre of Muslims'. "The hearts of Muslims all over the world are grieving over the massacre of Muslims in India. The govt of India should confront extremist Hindus & their parties & stop the massacre of Muslims in order to prevent India’s isolation from the world of Islam," Khamenei said in a tweet. Khamenei's remarks come just two days after India expressed strong displeasure over the comments by Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif over the violence in Delhi. In a tweet on Monday, Zarif had condemned the "wave of organised violence against Indian Muslims". Critical comments from the Supreme Leader coincided with Tuesday's large protest held outside Embassy of India in Tehran that was organised by several student groups. India summoned Ambassador of Iran Ali Chegeni on Tuesday and described Zarif's comments as "selective and tendentious".Apart from Zarif and Khamenei, Mohammed Baghair Qalibaf, leader of the hardline block that swept the recent parliamentary election in Iran, also condemned the violence in Delhi. Qalibaf described the killings that took place in Indian capital between Feb.24-26 as "heinous and brutal" and called upon the "revolutionary youth" of Iran and other countries to "reach out to the Indian Muslims and break the silence over it".Iran's latest reaction to the violence in Delhi comes as a surprise given that Tehran and New Delhi have been sharing 'friendly' ties over the past few years. In fact, notwithstanding US sanctions on Iranian oil imports, India continued to export oil from Iran. The two countries are also working on the development of Chabahar port, a strategically located port in Gulf nation.Ministry of External Affairs is yet to comment on Khamenei's remarks.TimesNow/the hindu
'Confront extremist Hindus': Khamenei slams Modi govt as Delhi riots strain India-Iran ties
https://www.firstpost.com/india/sayyid-ali-khamenei-criticises-india-over-delhi-riots-says-govt-should-confront-extremist-hindus-relations-likely-to-be-strained-over-tehrans-continued-criticism-8122311.html
More 'apartheid cities' seen in India after deadly Delhi riots: Experts warn
https://in.reuters.com/article/india-landrights-cities/more-apartheid-cities-seen-in-india-after-deadly-delhi-riots-idINL8N2AX6X0
India risks greater segregation in its cities after deadly riots in Delhi last week, with minority and poor people likely to be blocked from accessing housing in desirable neighbourhoods, human rights experts said on Thursday.The capital city of more than 20 million people is likely to now see greater segmentation along religious lines as has happened in other Indian cities, such as Mumbai and Ahmedabad, said Miloon Kothari, a housing and human rights expert.“We generally see greater ghettoisation in a city after a riot because of fear and insecurity, with city authorities themselves sometimes reorganising neighbourhoods that entrench that segregation,” he said.“Apartheid cities are being created due to political, planning and gentrification processes that divide communities further, impoverish the poor, and makes it easier to target vulnerable communities again.”“Muslim poor especially ... choose to live in all-Muslim neighbourhoods because they feel insecure,” Darshani Mahadevia, a professor at Ahmedabad University said on the sidelines of a land conference in Delhi."Segregation keeps the communal pot boiling for political reasons also," she said, citing a law in the western state of Gujarat that restricts here Muslims and Hindus from selling property to each other in areas deemed as sensitive.The choice between living in a "ghetto or mixed neighbourhood" was a difficult one for many Muslims, writer and journalist Ghazala Wahab said on Twitter here this week.Families often had to weigh the risk of their home being torched against a better life, said Wahab, whose own family moved to a more modern “Hindu” area from a ghetto - where conditions had since worsened.Thomson Reuters Foundation
Systemic Hindutva violence waged on Muslims sanctioned by BJP govt: Indian-Origin British MP
https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/delhi-riots-uk-parliament-nadia-whittome_in_5e60715fc5b69d641c0a836d?utm_hp_ref=in-news
Britain’s youngest sitting MP Nadia Whittome, a person of Indian origin, questioned her government on the language used to describe the violence in Delhi as UK Parliament discussed the issue on Wednesday. Whittome, a Labour Party MP, brought this up as several members of UK Parliament criticised the Indian government for the violence and asked the British government to take action.Whittome asked,“Will the government join me in rejecting the language of riots, clashes, protest and communal violence, when this is in fact a continuation of sustained and systemic Hindutva violence on Muslims and many ethnic minorities in India that is sanctioned by Modi’s BJP government?”Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Nigel Adams, responded saying, “UK gov had long regarded protest as a legitimate means of raising issues and part of democratic society, but any allegations of human rights abuses are very concerning. We Believe they should be investigated thoroughly, promptly and transparently.”Adams told the House of Commons that the events in Delhi were “very concerning” and that UK was monitoring the violence and developments around CAA “closely”, TOI reported.Labour MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi said that the mob violence in Delhi brought back memories of 1984 anti-Sikh riots and that the persecution of Indian Muslims was “utterly intolerable”. Tory MP Nusrat Ghani asked the minister to make sure the concerns of MPs were relayed to Indian authorities, “including the brutality that seems to have been meted out by those who should be enforcing the law, which was covered by BBC Monday,”report said.huffingtonpost
‘Events in Delhi last week very concerning’: UK on north-east Delhi violence
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/events-in-delhi-last-week-very-concerning-uk-on-north-east-delhi-violence/story-GGjwn0OQOL5bFaUCem2E0N.html
India rejects global criticism of CAA, Delhi violence; calls comments ‘irresponsible’
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-rejects-global-criticism-of-caa-delhi-violence-calls-comments-irresponsible/story-jGUiwrmwUKpNew3O6n89SL.html
India today once again rejected criticism of CAA and the communal violence in New Delhi, saying international bodies and foreign leaders should not make “irresponsible comments” on these matters.Over the past few weeks, Indian government has faced sharp criticism from bodies such as USCIRF and UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet on the citizenship law and the violence in New Delhi.Leaders of countries such as Turkey, Iran and Malaysia too have reiterated their criticism of these issues even though India had described their past remarks on these matters as interference in the country’s internal matters.“We have seen certain comments made on the recent incidents of violence in Delhi. At this stage, we would like to highlight that the situation is fast returning to normal,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar told a news briefing.“At this sensitive time, we would urge people not to make any irresponsible comments and not to be influenced by selective and unsubstantiated narrative on the matter,” he added.HT
Delhi violence incite global criticism, India faces diplomatic heat
https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/delhi-violence-incite-global-criticism-india-faces-diplomatic-heat-120030501489_1.html
Erdogan's 'factually inaccurate' remarks on Delhi violence driven by his political agenda: MEA
https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2020/mar/05/erdogans-factually-inaccurate-remarks-on-delhi-violence-driven-by-his-political-agenda-mea-2112764.html
India today termed Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's remarks on Delhi violence as "factually inaccurate" and "driven by his own political agenda".New Delhi made a 'strong demarche" to Ankara's ambassador over remarks made by Erdogan on Tuesday. Erdogan last week criticised the Delhi violence. "They're factually inaccurate, they're driven by his own political agenda. We don't expect such statements from a Head of State. We made strong demarche with Turkish Ambassador in Delhi on 3rd March on this," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said during a briefing.ANI
CAA, NRC could render huge numbers of Indian Muslims stateless: USCIRF members
https://theprint.in/india/caa-nrc-could-render-huge-numbers-of-indian-muslims-stateless-says-ashutosh-varshney/376008/
https://www.theweek.in/wire-updates/international/2020/03/05/fgn17-uscirf-caa.html
Washington:Members of a Congress created federal body that monitors violation of religious freedom abroad expressed concern over India's amended citizenship laws, saying it could result in "wide-scale disenfranchisement" of Muslims in the country.Members of US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) along with an invited panel of experts convened a hearing mainly focused on India's CAA and Rohingya Muslims issue in Myanmar to help develop policy recommendations for US govt in response to the issues. Noting that the right to a nationality is a fundamental human right and serves as a bedrock for accompanying political and civil rights, USCIRF chair Tony Perkins said that denying individuals this fundamental recognition not only strips them of accompanying rights but also denies them the ability to participate in political process and use legal pathways to seek redress for discrimination and persecution. Referring to CAA and NRC, Anurima Bhargava, USCIRF Commissioner, said the recent actions by the Indian government were troubling."There are fears, however, that this law in conjunction with a planned NPR and a potential nation-wide NRC, could result in the wide-scale disenfranchisement of Indian Muslims," she said."This would leave them vulnerable to prolonged detention, deportation, and violence. We are already seeing this process being conducted in the northeastern state of Assam...NRC is a mechanism for identifying illegal migrants in the region,” she alleged. Bhargava said that many Indians of all faiths have been exercising their peaceful right of protest to express their opposition to this law."However, it is with great dismay that we have seen a deadly crackdown by government authorities against the protestors and recent violence in Delhi that have targeted Muslim communities,” she said.Gayle Manchin, USCIRF vice-chair, cited the examples of countries like Vietnam, Bahrain and Kenya to say that many governments are stripping people of their citizenship simply because of the faith they practice in clear violation of international human rights standards.Ashutosh Varshney, Sol Goldman Professor of International Studies and the Social Sciences at Brown University, told Commission that using CAA, NRC can render stateless a large number of Muslims, even if they were born in India and have lived in the country for decades, as have their ancestors.“That is an important reason the protests have not ceased. The protesters can clearly visualise extreme Muslim marginalisation and its attendant negative consequences, should NRC become the law of the land," he said. "The fear is that if the existing Muslim citizens of India are unable to produce documents of Indian ancestry, which simply can't be ruled out until we know what documents are required, NRC, using CAA, can easily call them infiltrators,” he said.That, in turn, will make them an object of internment or expulsion, and/or deprive them of the right to vote, he said.In contrast, if the Hindus have a similar documentary deficit, they would neither be interned, nor expelled, nor disenfranchised. They can simply claim they are welcome only in a Hindu homeland and persecuted elsewhere in South Asia, which will open the door for an Indian citizenship for them, Varshney said. Testifying before USCIRF, Azeem Ibrahim director, Displacement and Migration Program, Center for Global Policy, and a former Strategic Policy Advisor to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, reiterated talking point of the Pakistani leader on the CAA and NRC.PTI
Death Toll in Riots Rises to 53; 654 cases registered 1820 held so far
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/death-toll-in-delhi-violence/story-qOfC4dJBwD1CoeXigt2a2K.html
https://www.news18.com/news/india/death-toll-in-last-weeks-northeast-delhi-riots-rises-to-53-654-cases-registered-so-far-2527289.html
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhi-violence-death-toll-6301079/
New Delhi: With the number of deaths touching 53, the communal violence in Northeast Delhi last week has now become the deadliest riot in the country since the ones in Muzaffarnagar in 2013 where at least 63 people died.According to latest information available, 44 people have been declared dead at GTB hospital, 5 at RML Hospital, 3 at Lok Nayak hospital, and one at Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital in the national capital, reported ANI.So far 654 cases have been registered, 1820 persons have been arrested/ detained. There are 4 cases of Arms Act.Over 300 people were injured in the violence during which houses, commercial establishments and vehicles were torched and incidents of stone-pelting were reported from localities like Chand Bagh, Shiv Vihar and Jafrabad.HT /news18
At least 102 hit by bullets in Delhi riots: Cops
https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/102-people-shot-at-over-13-000-distress-calls-received-in-two-days-of-rioting-police-report/story-gr15IfN9Sn4so5m7Po4lTM.html
At least 102 persons were hit by bullets, while 171 suffered injuries caused by sharp weapons or blunt objects, Delhi Police said in a report to the government, officials privy to the matter said. It is unclear how many of the injured died of bullet injuries.The report prepared by Delhi Police mentioned that at least 500 persons were injured in the riots, the officials cited above said. Apart from bullet injuries and those by sharp weapons or blunt objects, a majority of the other case were due to stone pelting or burns.The police control room received almost 21,000 distress calls between Feb22 and Feb.29, police mentioned in the report.HT
Delhi riot accused Tahir Hussain arrested, says IB staffer's killing sad
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/delhi-riot-tahir-hussain-surrender-ib-staffer-death-sad-1652702-2020-03-05
Suspended AAP councillor Tahir Hussain, who was absconding after he was linked to the death of an IB officer in the Delhi violence, has been arrested after a court dismissed his plea seeking that he be allowed to surrender. Hussain had earlier told India Today that he was going to surrender before a Delhi court on Thursday.Hussain surrendered in the court of judge Vishal Ahuja who dismissed the plea, following which he was taken into custody by the Delhi Police.Before surrendering in the court, Hussain claimed to be a victim of a witch hunt. Hussain told India Today that he was innocent and a riot victim himself. "My family and I ran away from rioters and the police were also informed about it. On February 24, I left with my family in the presence of police. The police took possession of the building," Tahir Hussain added.On the killing of IB staffer, Hussain said Ankit Sharma losing life in Delhi violence is sad. AAP councillor, however, hoped that an impartial probe into the case will bring forth the truth.India Today
Tahir Hussain's brother Shah Alam, named in Chand Bagh violence, absconding
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/delhi-riots-violence-aap-tahir-hussain-brother-shah-alam-accused-1652791-2020-03-05
One of the accused in Chand Bagh violence in Delhi last month and step brother of expelled AAP)Tahir Husaain -- Shah Alam -- has been missing.Shah Alam has been accused of involvement in the violence in Delhi's Chand Bagh last month.No FIR has been lodged against it so far. According to Crime Branch sources, Shah Alam was also present in the building in Chand Bagh when the violence took place there.Now, the Crime Branch wants to interrogate Shah Alam but he has been missing.indiatoday
CPIM Moves Delhi HC Asking Police to Reveal Names of Those Arrested in Delhi Violence
https://www.news18.com/news/india/brinda-karat-moves-delhi-hc-asking-police-to-reveal-names-of-those-arrested-in-delhi-violence-2527253.html
New Delhi: A PIL was moved in the Delhi High Court on Thursday by CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat seeking directions to the police to make public the list of persons arrested in connection with the violence in the northeast Delhi.The petition has sought that a list of the arrested persons be put up outside the police control room and police stations in the district and it is updated on a case-by-case basis.It also urged the court to call for a status report containing the names and numbers of the persons detained and arrested by Delhi Police in relation to the violence.news18
Delhi violence: SC refuses to hear victim’s intervention plea in case against Harsh Mander
https://scroll.in/latest/955226/delhi-violence-sc-refuses-to-hear-victims-intervention-plea-in-case-against-activist-harsh-mander
The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to hear an intervening plea in allegations against activist Harsh Mander that he instigated a crowd against the top court during an anti-CAA protest, PTI reported. The plea was filed by a victim of the communal violence in North East Delhi.On Wednesday, Delhi Police had filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court, seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against Mander for insulting the court. However, the counsel for Mander, Karuna Nundy, denied he had made any such comments.Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves on Thursday told a bench headed by CJI SA Bobde that the victim wished to intervene in Mander’s case, which is scheduled to be heard by the Delhi High Court on Friday. “We will not allow you to intervene,” Bobde told the advocate. Gonsalves said he had seen the video clip where Mander allegedly said that he has no faith in the Supreme Court and that “real justice will be done on the streets”, adding that he wanted to place it on record. However, Bobde rejected his request and said the court had already asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to put the video on record. “We don’t need you in that proceeding,” he added. The Supreme Court had also transferred all the petitions related to large-scale communal violence in North East Delhi to the Delhi High Court. The top court asked the Delhi High Court to take up the matters on March 6.scroll
'Long live Constitution, long live love': Full speech of Harsh Mander, which govt says 'incited' violence during anti-CAA protests
https://www.firstpost.com/india/long-live-constitution-long-live-love-full-speech-of-harsh-mander-which-according-to-sg-tushar-mehta-incited-violence-during-anti-caa-protests-8121401.html
At Grand Farewell, Justice S Muralidhar Reveals Sequence Of Transfer
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/grand-farewell-for-justice-s-muralidhar-of-delhi-high-court-whose-transfer-sparked-row-2190432
New Delhi: Justice S Muralidhar, whose transfer after his sharp criticism of the police at a hearing on the Delhi violence sparked a political controversy, was compared to the "Kohinoor" in a moving farewell at the High Court today."We are losing a most eminent judge who can discuss any topic of law and decide any type of matter", Delhi High Court Chief Justice DN Patel said at the ceremony.The government order for Justice Muralidhar's transfer to the Punjab and Haryana High Court came through on February 26, hours after he raised questions on the Delhi Police inaction on hate speeches by BJP leaders and in the violence.According to barandbench.com, the Secretary of the Delhi High Court Bar Association, Abhijat, said at the farewell: "The Kohinoor of the High Court will be going a few 100 km away."In images posted on social media, scores of lawyers in black and white lined a giant hall and stairways, with senior judges seated around tables at the centre."When justice has to triumph, it will triumph. Be with the truth - Justice will be done," Justice Muralidhar said, addressing the gathering.NDTV
Factory burnt, BJP man says ignored by party because ‘I have Muslim name’
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/factory-burnt-bjp-man-says-ignored-by-party-6299749/
New Delhi :“I haven’t left BJP yet but I will in a few days if the party does not reach out to me… Main sadak par aa gaya hoon, phir kaise apne pairon pe khada hoon?” said Mohammad Atiq, who heads BJP minority cell of Brahmpuri mandal. A resident of Usmanpur, Atiq’s undergarments factory in Karawal Nagar was set on fire on the night of February 25. “My neighbour called to tell me about the fire. I have not yet visited the factory out of fear. My younger brother’s factory nearby was also set on fire. I hoped the BJP leaders would at least call, extend help, console me,” said Atiq (45).A father of five, Atiq said he has been a BJP ground worker for 16-17 years. “I am from Bihar too, like our Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari. He knows me… But I have a Muslim name, humein toh paraya hi kar diya,” he said.indianexpress
‘I coloured my sword red’: Meet Delhi rioters who say they killed Muslims
https://scroll.in/article/955044/meet-the-rioters-who-say-they-killed-muslims-in-delhi-violence
Hindu rioters spoke openly about inflicting violence on Muslims.The smile never went off Nishant Kumar’s face. Only his voice quivered with excitement as he spoke, animatedly with hand gestures, about murdering three Muslim men on February 25.It was an act of “retaliation”, he insisted.The previous afternoon – Kumar is certain it was exactly 1 pm – he claimed to have witnessed a “Mohammadan” mob burn down vehicles in the Yamuna Vihar service lane that runs parallel to the Wazirabad-Loni road in North East Delhi. He was at Bhajanpura petrol pump, fuelling up one of his lorries. He owns two of them.“Main bhaaga us time jaan bachha ke,” said Kumar. “I fled then to save my life.”The petrol pump was burnt down soon after. Carcasses of vehicles still lie strewn in the area.Houses and shops were torched in the area. Kumar said he did not incur any personal loss – yet, he hit the streets. “Aap nahi karoge aapke area waalon ko koi chedega to?” he reasoned. “Will you not react if someone goes after your neighbours?” “The Mohammadan was running,” Kumar recalled. “The Hindu public was chasing him. I was leading the pack.”“I was the first to catch up with him, and hit him with my rod on his head,” he continued, his voice turning shriller and his hands mimicking the strike. “Then he fell down, and the public pounced on him after that…de dhana dhan dhan.”Kumar said he killed two more people in a similar fashion – striking Muslim men running away from Hindu mobs in the back with his improvised weapon. “I had to kill three. I did that.”scroll
Delhi Hero: Meet Hindu Man Who Removed The Saffron Flag From A Burnt Mosque
https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/delhi-riots-hero_in_5e60cf49c5b6bd126b7643e8
Ravi Parashar recalls the moment an elderly Muslim cleric with a flowing white beard turned to the group of Hindus who had gathered near a mosque and pleaded, “Bhai, could someone help, please?”Abdur Raziq, general secretary of an Islamic organisation called Jamia Ulama, was asking for help to remove the statue of Hindu god Hanuman and take down the saffron flag that rioters had hoisted above Allah Wali Masjidin Karawal Nagar on 25 February, as communal violence consumed the neighbourhoods of northeast Delhi last week. Parashar, whose family says he is “soft-hearted,” wanted to volunteer right away, but hesitated. huffingtonpost
Idea of Plural Neighbourhood Shattered: When Two Neighbours - Mosque and Naresh Chand's House - Were Torched by Rioters
http://www.indiatomorrow.net/eng/idea-of-plural-neighbourhood-shattered-when-two-neighbours---mosque-and-naresh-chands-house---were-torched-by-rioters
New Delhi:Walking through the narrow lanes of Shiv Vihar, reported to be the worst affected neighbourhood in the northeast Delhi violence last month, one finds clear signs of the idea of plural neighbourhood getting trampled by rioters. In several lanes, two-three houses, belonging to minority community, were targeted, looted and torched. But the rioters did not spare the two unique neighbours – Madina Masjid and Baghel House of Naresh Chand. There is nothing between the walls of the mosque and Naresh Chand’s house – they are so close and had been standing in harmony till the evening of February 25. Rioters torched both.Naresh Chand, in 70s, was sitting on the stairs of his burnt house adjacent to the burnt mosque when India Tomorrow team reached there on March 3. While speaking, he had tears in his eyes.Nasruddin Khan lives in Gali No. 18 of Shiv Vihar. He would run business of biscuits and other bakery items on the ground floor of the house and would live on the first floor. The rioters first torched a marriage hall in front of my house. We were in house. The rioters then broke open our gate, looted the valuables and then torched the house,” said Khan.indiatomorrow
Delhi riots: AMU medical college doctors to donate Rs 25 lakh to victims
https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/delhi/2020/mar/03/delhi-riots-aligarh-muslim-university-medical-college-doctors-to-donate-rs-25-lakh-to-victims-2111683.html
Resident Doctors Association (RDA) of the medical college in AMU has decided to donate Rs 25 lakh for victims of the communal violence in Delhi.Junior doctors and senior resident doctors of Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College have decided to contribute at least one day's salary for all riot victims irrespective of their community. RDA president Mohammad Hamza said money would be distributed through the finance officer of the university for relief and rehabilitation of the affected people.PTI
*anti-CAA,NRC-NPR stir*
Pleas challenging CAA to be heard after Sabarimala reference case:SC
https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/pleas-challenging-caa-to-be-heard-after-sabarimala-reference-case-says-sc/1752860
New Delhi: The Supreme Court Thursday said it will hear pleas challenging the constitutional validity of the CAA after arguments in the Sabarimala reference matter are over.A bench headed by CJI S A Bobde said this after senior advocate Kapil Sibal sought urgent hearing of CAA matters while stating that the Centre has not filed a reply in the matter so far.He said the case needs to be listed for hearing at an early date so that it is does not become infructuous.Attorney General K K Venugopal told the bench, also comprising justices B R Gavai and Surya Kant, that the Centre would be filing a reply in a few days.Sibal said some interim orders are required to be passed in the case.The apex court said it would consider this and granted liberty to Sibal to mention the matter again after the Holi break.A nine-judge bench is re-examining various religious issues, including the entry of women into Sabarimala temple and mosques.While hearing a batch of petitions, the top court had on January 22 made it clear that the operation of CAA will not be stayed and gave the government four weeks to respond to the pleas challenging the CAA.PTI
Supreme Court asks for pleas challenging CAA to be mentioned after Holi break
https://scroll.in/latest/955217/caa-supreme-court-asks-for-pleas-challenging-law-to-be-mentioned-after-holi-break
Parents’ place of birth query in NPR aimed at completing data for households: Home Ministry
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/national-population-register-parents-place-of-birth-query-aimed-at-completing-data-for-households-mha/article30991207.ece?homepage=true
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has informed a Parliamentary panel that it proposes to collect details on additional questions such as “date and place of birth of parents” in NPR to “facilitate back end data processing and making the data items of date and place of birth complete for all household[s]”.Responding to a question by parliamentary committee members on new questions in NPR form, MHA officials submitted that “during the updation of NPR 2020, it is proposed to collect data on some additional items like place of last residence, mother tongue, Aadhaar number (voluntary), mobile number, passport (Indian passport holder), voter ID card, driving license number, date and place of birth of father and mother”, according to the panel’s report placed in Parliament on Thursday. NPR questionnaire used in 2010 and 2015 had 14 columns. final NPR form for the year 2020 has not been made public yet.On the rationale behind collecting details on date and place of birth of parents, Ministry officials observed, “the date and place of birth of parents were collected in NPR 2010 as well for all parents who were enumerated within the household. For parents living elsewhere or expired at the time of enumeration, only the names of parents were collected. To facilitate back end data processing and making the data items of date and place of birth complete for all household[s], the details of parents are being collected in a more comprehensive manner in NPR 2020.” Parliamentary Committee on Home Affairs headed by senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said there is a lot of dissatisfaction and fear among the people regarding upcoming NPR and Census.Ministry also said there was a need to update NPR to “incorporate the changes due to birth, death and migration.” It said “Aadhar is individual data whereas NPR contains family wise data.”
Modi govt to go ahead with NPR using new questions, says they were present in 2010 too
https://theprint.in/india/governance/modi-govt-to-go-ahead-with-npr-using-new-questions-says-they-were-present-in-2010-too/376298/
Modi govt caught contradicting itself on CAA in RTI response
https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/modi-govt-caught-contradicting-itself-on-caa-in-rti-response_in_5e5fb15fc5b6732f50eb8227?ncid=other_trending_qeesnbnu0l8&utm_campaign=trending
An “internal matter of India” in which “no foreign party has any locus standi”—this is how Modi govt’s external affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar framed India’s public response to an intervention application filed in the Supreme Court by Michelle Bachelet, UNHCHR, in connection with the controversial CAA on Tuesday. This response was in keeping with Modi government’s officially stated position that CAA is purely an “internal matter” of India. However, barely a day before this strongly-worded public statement was issued, an official in another ministry of Modi govt denied an application filed by this reporter under RTI act to peruse files relating to the drafting of CAA law by claiming that the files are related to “policy on grant of citizenship to foreigner nationals” and “disclosure of such information may prejudicially affect relation with foreign states”. B C Joshi, the Director rank official in Amit Shah-led MHA and the designated central public information officer who responded to this application, did not give any explanation about how disclosing information relating to an “internal matter of India” will “prejudicially affect” its relations with foreign countries. HuffPost India has emailed him seeking clarification and this report will be updated if he responds. Ex-CIC Yashovardhan Azad, retired last year after adjudicating 2nd appeals relating to tens of thousands of RTI applications which sought information about issues linked with internal security and other areas of administration. Azad said the information should have been disclosed and that a wrong reason was given to prohibit disclosure of information under RTI act. “I am surprised that such a responsible ministry like MHA has CPIOs who don’t even know the basics of the act...8(1)(a) is wrongly used. That has no relevance here. Because this law is about foreign citizens, basically about the Hindus staying in these three countries, it is not about foreign governments at all. No question of showing any kind of an adverse relation with a foreign state,” he said. huffingtonpost
Maharashtra detention centre is for foreigners awaiting deportation, no connection with CAA, NRC: state home ministry
https://www.firstpost.com/politics/maharashtra-detention-centre-is-for-foreigners-awaiting-deportation-no-connection-with-caa-nrc-says-state-home-ministry-8122581.html
Mumbai:No detention centre is coming up in Maharashtra in connection with implementation of CAA and NRC, Home Minister Anil Deshmukh told Legislative Council on Thursday.Deshmukh gave this information in a written reply in response to a question by Sharad Ranpise (Congress).“No detention centre is coming up anywhere in the State in connection with rolling out of CAA and NRC,” he told Upper House.However, Union Home Ministry in the past asked the State government to set-up a temporary facility to house foreign nationals awaiting deportation, he said.“Those foreign nationals who have served their jail sentences after conviction would be kept in such a detention centre until their nationality is proved and they are deported,” NCP Minister said.There are directives for constructing a temporary detention centre at Nerul in Navi Mumbai. The govt has also requested CIDCO (a State-run city planning agency) to allot 3 acres of land for setting up a permanent infrastructure for same,Deshmukh said.PTI
Maharashtra panel to study CAA, NPR headed by Sena minister
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/maharashtra-panel-to-study-caa-npr-headed-by-sena-minister/story-Q1oGKgwuSRgbJiknxprygI.html
Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has appointed a cabinet sub-committee to study the controversial citizenship law, CAA and NPR on Thursday, said ANI.The committee comprising of six members will be headed by state minister and Shiv Sena leader Anil Parab and will have two representative ministers from each of the three coalition partners in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in the state.HT
Maharashtra: BJP suspends 2 leaders for anti-CAA/NRC activity, sends out a message
https://www.thehindu.com/news/states/bjp-suspends-two-leaders-for-anti-caanrc-activity-sends-out-a-message/article30985680.ece
Mumabi: The State unit of BJP said it would take disciplinary action against party workers found participating in activities against the CAA and NRC. The move followed the suspension of two functionaries from drought-hit Marathwada on Wednesday. BJP suspended Balasaheb Ganesh Rokde, city president of Palam municipal council, and Vinod Haribhau Borade, city president of Selu city council, both in Parbhani district, for moving an anti-CAA/NRC resolution in their respective local bodies.thehindu
Calcutta HC Stays Centre's 'Leave India Notice' to Polish Student over Participation in Anti-CAA Rally
https://www.news18.com/news/india/calcutta-high-court-stays-centres-leave-india-notice-to-polish-student-of-jadavpur-university-2527179.html
Calcutta High Court on Thursday stayed Centre’s notice asking a Polish student at Jadavpur University to leave India for allegedly participating in a protest rally against the CAA in city.The order, passed by Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharya, stayed Kamil Siedcynski’s deportation till March 18 when the court will pass an order on the student’s petition.Siedczynski, a final-year Masters’ student in Department of Comparative Literature at Jadavpur University, was served a ‘Leave India Notice’ dated Feb.14 from Foreigners’ Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Kolkata. FRRO falls under ambit of MHA.In her February 27 response to FRRO, Siedczynski dismissed the allegations, saying she had no intention to actively participate in the rally organised at the Ram Lila Maidan on December 19 last year.“I came there driven by sheer curiosity, as everyone in my department (both students and teachers) are actively engaged in different kinds of cultural, artistic, social and political activities. Only in the beginning when a group of students from Jadavpur University started singing, I walked close by them for a few minutes,” she wrote. “Then when they told me to raise slogans and hold posters, I refused and remained detached. Instead I was roaming around on my own, being busy taking pictures, exactly like a few more foreigners whom I met that day.”news18
Body asks Urs devotees to support anti-CAA stir in Ajmer Dargah
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ajmer/body-asks-urs-devotees-to-support-anti-caa-stir-in-ajmer-dargah/articleshow/74486428.cms
Jaipur: The ongoing annual 808 Urs in Ajmer dargah has a message for its lakhs of devotees. Local Samvidhan Bachao Samiti (SBS), including khadim (priest) community, is appealing devotees through banners and posters to support anti-CAA, NPR and NRC peaceful protest in their respective cities.9-day Urs attended by lakhs of devotees from across the country is one of the biggest Muslim annual congregation is concluding on Thursday. The poster reads, "It is an appeal to the devotees coming to Ajmer Sharif that they should hold anti-CAA, NPR and NRC protest in huge numbers and continue till the Central government rolls back the black law."While distributing posters to devotees, Arif Hussein, member of SBS Ajmer says that devotees should take a clear message from Ajmer that they should continue to raise their voice against the oppressors.SBS is joined by the Anjuman Moinia Fakhria Zadgan (an apex body of khadims or priests).Interestingly, dargah committee, a body under the Central government's chairman Amin Pathan has extended its support to CAA inviting the ire of the devotees.TOI
Madras High Court directs DGP to act against both pro & anti-CAA protesters in TN
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/court-directs-director-general-of-police-to-act-against-both-pro-anti-caa-protesters-in-tn/article30988546.ece
Madras High Court on Thursday, directed the Director General of Police to see to it that no more agitations, either for or against the CAA, take place in the State in public places without valid permission.Justices M.M. Sundresh and Krishnan Ramasamy said there was no point in the police merely registering FIRs against the protesters without taking further steps to alleviate the inconvenience faced by schoolchildren and others.The orders were passed on a public interest litigation petition filed by Hindu Munnetra Kazhagam head K. Gopinath, also an advocate from Tiruppur, complaining about anti CAA protesters squatting on public roads and not allowing free movement of traffic.thehindu
Rajinikanth interacts with his outfit, says will help ‘Muslims meet Modi, Shah over CAA’
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/rajinikanth-meets-his-followers-says-will-help-muslim-outfits-meet-with-modi-and-shah-6301013/
Chennai :Amid speculations that he would indicate a timeline to float his political party, actor Rajinikanth met the district secretaries of Rajini Makkal Mandram (Rajini People’s Form), the launchpad to his proposed outfit, at the Raghavendra Mandapam in Chennai on Thursday.The meeting began around 10:30 am. Though only the district secretaries had been invited for the meeting, RMM functionaries and the superstar’s fans gathered in huge numbers outside the venue.Afterwards, Rajinikanth addressed reporters at his residence in Poes Garden. The actor said while the meeting went smoothly, he was disappointed with one thing, which he would reveal later. “I met the district secretaries after a year. They had a lot of questions and I answered them all. We shared a lot of things, they are satisfied with the discussions. I, however, am not satisfied with one thing. I was disappointed, but I won’t be able to share what it is now. I will explain that later,” Rajinikanth said.indianexpress
Telangana to pass anti-CAA resolution in Budget session
https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/telangana-to-pass-anti-caa-resolution-in-budget-session-810821.html
Telangana Legislative Assembly is expected to pass a resolution against CAA during the Budget session beginning on Friday.Voicing opposition to the amended citizenship law, the state cabinet had on February 16 urged the Union government to abrogate the CAA.February 16 Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, had said it felt the CAA would lead to discrimination on the basis of religion while granting citizenship, thus jeopardising secularism as envisaged in the Constitution.PTI
Nitish’s stand on NPR, NRC dents anti-CAA protest in Gaya
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gaya/nitishs-stand-on-npr-nrc-dents-anti-caa-protest-in-gaya/articleshow/74498470.cms
GAYA: The crowd at the ongoing anti-CAA protest at the Shantibagh has significantly thinned following CM Nitish Kumar’s stand on NPR-NRC and the subsequent resolution passed by the Bihar assembly. On their part, the protest organisers continue to hold ground. The opinion makers stand divided on the future strategy and the need to revisit the agitational course. Shantibagh 24x7 dharna began on 29 December’2019.Conceding that the foot fall at the dharna venue has registered a decline, Satish Kumar, joint convener of the Samvidhan Bachao Morcha, the forum established in the wake of the CAA, attributed it to some ‘confusion’ caused by the CM’s announcement. According to Kumar, a section of the people aggrieved by the CAA-NPR-CAA fall out was ‘temporarily’ taken for a ride by the CM.TOI
Former Solicitor General Harish Salve: CAA is necessary, not meant to send Muslims out of India
https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/harish-salve-caa-is-necessary-not-meant-to-send-muslims-out-of-india/1752884
Former Solicitor General Harish Salve expressing his opinion in favour of CAA said the principle of equality does not mean that every law must have universal application.Salve in an article in a leading national daily said the principle of equality would not result in taking away the power of making classification from the state."If a law deals equally with members of a defined class, it is not open to the charge of denial of equal protection on the ground that it has no application to other persons," said Salve citing that CAA''s avowed objective is to enable conferment of Indian citizenship upon members of minority communities who hail from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.IANS
*Coronavirus*
Coronavirus cases in India rise to 30 as Ghaziabad man tests positive for Covid-19
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/coronavirus-cases-in-india-rise-to-30-as-ghaziabad-man-tests-positive-for-covid-19-1652836-2020-03-05
New Delhi:The total number of people tested positive for coronavirus (Covid-19) in India is now at 30. This number includes the first three cases reported from Kerala where students were diagnosed with the infection, treated and discharged. This means that there are only 27 active cases of the virus in India at the moment.3 cases reported from Delhi-NCR, two being that of males who recently travelled to Italy and another who returned from Iran, have also been included in this list of 30 patients. In addition, six acquaintances of the Delhi-based man with a travel history of Italy have tested positive for Covid-19. One positive case has also been reported from Telangana of an individual who recently travelled to Dubai. The single largest report of individuals being infected with the virus has come to light from Rajasthan where 16 Italian tourists and their Indian driver tested positive for the coronavirus.On Thursday, a man from Ghaziabad who recently visited Iran was diagnosed with a confirmed case of Covid-19 taking total number of individuals tested positive for the virus to 30. A total of 6,49,452 passengers have been screened at airports across the country from 6,550 flights as of March 5. In addition to this, 29,607 people have been kept under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP) to prevent the curb of the coronavirus.indiatoday
Coronavirus threat reschedules India-EU Summit, PM Modi cancels visit: MEA
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/pm-modi-not-to-visit-brussels-after-india-eu-summit-is-rescheduled-due-to-coronavirus-outbreak-mea/story-hVQUialuoEMAoKuAFoNBMI.html
New Delhi:Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not got to Belgium’s capital Brussels for the India-EU Summit which has been deferred due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday.“As far as India-EU Summit is concerned which PM Modi had to attend, the health authorities of both the countries suggested that travelling must not take place at present. So, it has been decided that Summit will be rescheduled on a mutually convenient date,” MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said at a press briefing.HT
Coronavirus Threat: Delhi govt orders closure of all primary schools till March 31
https://www.hindustantimes.com/education/coronavirus-threat-delhi-govt-orders-closure-of-all-primary-schools-till-march-31/story-ExewEmJeLCZ6egWDW6Ss2N.html
New Delhi:In the wake of coronavirus threat, Delhi government ordered the closure of all primary schools in the state till March 31.All government, aided, private, MCD and NDMC schools will remain closed till March 31 to prevent the possibility of spread of COVID- 19 among children.Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia tweeted,” As a precautionary measure to prevent the possibility of spread of COVID-19 amongst our children, Delhi Govt has directed immediate closure of all primary schools (Govt/ aided/ private/MCD/NDMC) till 31/3/20.”
Coronavirus: Delhi Govt Advises HoDs, Autonomous Bodies, Municipal Corporations to Suspend Biometric Attendance
https://www.news18.com/news/india/coronavirus-delhi-govt-advises-hods-autonomous-bodies-municipal-corporations-to-suspend-biometric-attendance-2526823.html
Delhi government today advised head of departments (HoDs), autonomous bodies and municipal corporations to suspend the biometric attendance system in the wake of coronavirus outbreak, an official said."A letter has been written to principal secretaries, secretaries, autonomous bodies and municipal corporations for the suspension of biometric attendance in view of coronavirus threat," the official told PTI.One more case of novel coronavirus was reported in Ghaziabad in the national capital region, taking the total number in the country to 30 so far, official sources said .PTI
Coronavirus global toll rises to 3,280 across 80 countries; France death toll rises to 6
https://indianexpress.com/article/world/coronavirus-global-death-toll-updates-6300324/
The coronavirus outbreak has been reported in over 80 countries, with the death toll pegged at 3,280 and 95,400 people infected. Of these, China has reported 3,012 deaths and 80,409 positive cases.WHO Wednesday said the mortality rate of the virus was 3.4 per cent. In comparison, the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) killed about 10 per cent of patients infected, while the seasonal flu’s death rate is 0.1 per cent.After China, South Korea accounts for the most number of cases at 5,766, with 35 deaths. In Italy, meanwhile, over 100 deaths have been reported and more than 3,000 people infected by the virus. Iran has also announced that the death toll as on Thursday is 107. Iran and Italy have the world’s highest death tolls outside of China.Besides, almost 300 million students worldwide faced weeks at home with Italy and India the latest to shut schools over the deadly new coronavirus, as the IMF urged an all-out global offensive against the epidemic.indianexpress
Coronavirus: Iran reports 15 more deaths, toll goes up to 107
https://liveupdates.hindustantimes.com/india/coronavirus-updates-21583366110394.html
Iran on Thursday reported 15 new deaths from the novel coronavirus, raising the national toll to 107, and said it would keep schools and universities closed until early April, reports AFP.
*J&K AND SOUTH ASIA*
Journalists Continue To Be Harassed, Scribe Used As 'Human Shield':Kashmir Press Body
https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/india-news-kashmir-press-body-says-journalists-continues-to-be-harassed-scribe-used-as-human-shield/348313
Journalist bodies in Kashmir have strongly condemned the harassment of scribes by the army and police in south Kashmir after a video journalist was allegedly used as a "human shield" by the army during a raid.The police and security agencies were previously accused of taking away phones and cameras of journalists.According to Kashmir Press Club, two cameramen Qayoom Khan and Qisar Mir, working for CNN-News 18 and TV9 Bharatvarsh, were stopped by the police from conducting their professional work on March 4 in Pulwama. Not only this, their camera and two mobile phones were snatched away and returned after almost 5 hours, Kashmir Press Club (KPC) said.As per the written testimony submitted by Mir to the KPC, the duo was stopped at 15:30 hours on Wednesday by a police officer in front of SSP Pulwama when they were on their professional duties. Mir said that their cameras and phones were snatched by a police officer when they were covering a raid by a probe agency at Hakripora Pulwama.outlookindia
THERS
*ECONOMY*
RBI puts Yes Bank under moratorium, withdrawal limit capped at Rs 50,000
https://indianexpress.com/article/business/banking-and-finance/yes-bank-put-under-moratorium-withdrawal-limit-capped-at-50000-6301348/
RBI Thursday imposed a moratorium on private sector lender Yes Bank and capped withdrawals at Rs 50,000 until further orders. In a notification, the central bank cited the “financial position” of the bank “which has undergone a steady decline” to justify its decision.The board of Yes Bank has also been superseded with immediate effect, it said in a statement. Former SBI CFO Prashant Kumar has been appointed as the bank’s administrator.“The bank has also experienced serious governance issues and practices in the recent years which have led to steady decline of the bank,” the notification said.RBI assured the depositors of the bank that their “interest will be fully protected and there is no need to panic.” The central government is learnt to have approved a rescue plan for Yes Bank involving a capital injection by a consortium led by State Bank of India, Bloomberg reported earlier today.indianexpress
Employees’ Provident Fund interest rate cut to 8.5% for 2019-20, lowest in 7 years
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/national/employees-provident-fund-interest-rate-cut-to-85-for-2019-20-lowest-in-7-years
Retirement fund body EPFO on Thursday lowered interest rate on provident fund deposits to a seven-year low of 8.5 per cent for the current financial year.The the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) had provided 8.65 per cent rate of interest on EPF for 2018-19 to its around six crore subscribers. The decision was taken at a meeting of the the EPFO's apex decision making body -- the Central Board of Trustee (CBT)."The EPFO has decided to provide 8.5 per cent interest rate on EPF deposits for 2019-20 in the CBT meeting today," Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar said here after the meeting.PTI
Economic Survey: Massive dip in Maharashtra’s industrial growth, lowest since 2013-14
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/economic-survey-massive-dip-in-maharashtras-industrial-growth-lowest-since-2013-14-6301336/
Mumbai :Long-term decline in consumer spending and industrial investment coupled with the contraction in the country’s manufacturing, capital goods and consumer durables sector seem to have had an impact on Maharashtra’s industrial sector, which has grown at the rate of 3.3 per cent in 2019-2020.According to the Economic Survey, submitted in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday, the industrial sector’s growth rate is substantially lower than both 2018-19 and 2017-18, when it had grown at the rate of 6.9 and 7.6 per cent, respectively. This is also the lowest growth rate for the industrial sector since 2013-14, when it had notched a 3.1 per cent growth.indianexpress
*OTHERS*
Over 2.4 lakh cases relating to rape and POCSO pending in courts across country:govt
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/over-2-4-lakh-cases-relating-to-rape-and-pocso-pending-in-courts-across-country-says-government-1652567-2020-03-05?fbclid=IwAR3aOc8hBUBywwzvXeqzeWkq18Ey54DT9RT0KchjpW9nXCuDxcKZ3ESN_XU
The government on Wednesday said that there are over 2.4 lakh pending cases in courts related to rape and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act across the country till December last year.According to a written reply in Lok Sabha by the Ministry of Law and Justice, Uttar Pradesh tops the list of states with 66,994 pending rape cases followed by Maharashtra with 21,691 and 20,511 in West Bengal."As per information received from High Courts, the status of pending cases related to rape and POCSO Act, as on December 31, 2019, is 2,44,001," Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad informed the Lower House in response to a query by Janata Dal (United) leader Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh.In furtherance to, Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018, a scheme was finalized for setting up of 1,023 Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) across the country for expeditious trial and disposal of pending cases related to Rape and Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, in a time-bound manner under Centrally-Sponsored Scheme.So far, the Central's share of funds amounting to Rs 99.43 crore has been released during 2019-20 to 27 States/UTs which have so far consented to setting up of 649 number of FTSCs.According to proposed FTSCs, maximum number of 218 courts will be in Uttar Pradesh, 138 in Maharashtra and 123 in West Bengal.indiatoday
Nirbhaya rape case: Supreme Court to step in on March 23 if convicts are not hanged on March 20
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/nirbhaya-case-supreme-court-to-step-in-on-march-23-if-convicts-are-not-hanged-on-march-20/article30990699.ece?homepage=true
The Supreme Court on March 5 made it clear that any delay in the scheduled execution of death sentence of the four Nirbhaya gang-rape case convicts on March 20 will see the court itself step in on March 23 to promptly decide the government's appeal for permission to separately hang them to death.The assurance from a three-judge Bench led by Justice R. Banumathi came while addressing the government's apprehension that chances are high that one or other of the four convicts may turn up in court before March 20 with a new plea and further delay the execution. “I am no astrologer... but they [convicts] will find something to delay the March 20 execution... I am not in a hurry to execute them, but the system is suffering when the punishment keeps getting postponed. The convicts have been taking the system for a ride... Even now, it has been over two years since their review petitions were dismissed by the Supreme Court,” Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta submitted.At this juncture, Justice Banumathi turned to the convicts’ lawyers to come prepared on March 23 as the court would not entertain any requests for adjournment. The court would examine the government's appeal to hang them separately even if it involves an “extended hearing” on March 23, Justice Banumathi assured.The Bench was hearing an appeal filed by Ministry of Home Affairs and the Delhi government for permission to separately hang those among the four convicts who had exhausted their remedies in court and before the President.The apex court hearing came within an hour of a trial court issuing a fresh death warrant to execute the four men on March 20 at 5.30 a.m. As of now, all the four — Gupta, Mukesh Kumar Singh, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Kumar Singh — have exhausted their available legal and constitutional remedies. Gupta may, however, approach the Supreme Court to challenge the rejection of his mercy plea.thehindu
Tension in Coimbatore after attack on mosques
https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/tension-in-coimbatore-after-attack-on-mosques/1752946
Coimbatore: Tension prevailed in parts of the city early on Thursday after two mosques came under attack here, following which security was beefed up, police said. While a bottle filled with petrol was hurled at a mosque in Ganapati locality, there were reports of stones being thrown at another place of worship in Kovaipudur. The incidents came in retaliation to an alleged attack on a Hindu Munnani worker late on Wednesday night, they said. Madukkarai Anand, District Secretary of Hindu Munnani, was attacked by some unidentified people who came on bikes, while he was returning home after participating in a pro-CAA dharna in the city around 10 PM on Wednesday. A large posse of police were deployed in sensitive areas to prevent any untoward incidents, even as Anand was undergoing treatment at the Government Hospital. Investigation is underway in connection with both the incidents, police said. Meanwhile, Hindu Munnani called for a one-day bandh on Friday in the district to protest the attack on its functionary and police inaction to nab the culprits. Talking to reporters here, Hindu Munnani functionary Kadeswara Subramanian described it as an "organised" attack to incite violence. He accused DMK, Congress and Left parties of instigating the members of Muslim community to "take political advantage" and "indulge" in violence. SDPI petitioned Police Commissioner, seeking to bring to book those involved in the attack on the mosques. Tamil Nadu Towheed Jamaat in a release said some people who did not believe in peace had hurled the petrol bomb on the mosque.PTI
UP: 2 arrested for thrashing 2 youths for spreading a 'false' story of cow slaughter in Bulandhshar
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/two-arrested-for-thrashing-2-youths-for-cow-slaughter/article30992461.ece?homepage=true
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh police on Thursday arrested two persons for thrashing 2 youths and spreading a 'false' story of cow slaughter in Bulandhshar.The arrests followed the wide circulation of a video showing the two youths being hit with sticks by a group of at least 6 persons in Sikandrabad area on March 2. The two had claimed that while assaulting them, the assaulters accused them of cow slaughter and hurled communal abuses at them while referring to Delhi violence.While declaring the arrest of 2 of 5 persons named in FIR, a senior Bulandhshar police officer said accused had “come up with a false story” of cow slaughter. Bulandhshar ASP Gopal Krishan Chaudhary said the accused knew of a dead cow lying near a ground where they would often play cricket. “So they came up with a false story to spoil the atmosphere”, he said, adding that a police team instantly reached the spot upon hearing about an assault and alleged cow slaughter. The police recovered the skull of a cow from the spot while the carcass had been eaten by dogs. After investigation, it was found that the carcass was five days old and the cow had a “natural death”, the officer told media.Upon questioning the arrested persons, Chaudhary said, they mentioned that Pradeep and Sachin had some dispute with 2 youths over payment at a hotel.The arrested persons were identified as Karan alias Vipin and Badal alias Vinendra. In one video widely shared on social media, the two youths, one of them bare-chested, were seen being punched, kicked and hit with a lathi by the men, later identified as the accused, in an undisclosed location next to a car bearing a Delhi number plate.Later, in another video, one of them, identifying himself as Umar, is heard saying the assaulters intercepted their car and pulled them on the road while they were going to a cold storage. Thehindu
Trouble For Congress In Madhya Pradesh As MLA Hardeep Singh Dang Resigns; 3 More Missing
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/congress-mla-hardeep-singh-dang-among-4-missing-madhya-pradesh-legislators-resigns-from-assembly-2190632
Bhopal: One of the four missing Congress MLAs from Madhya Pradesh has sent his resignation letter to state assembly Speaker NP Prajapati. In the letter, Hardeep Dang said despite getting the people's mandate for a second time, he is constantly being ignored by the party. "None of the ministers are ready to work as they are part of a corrupt government," his letter read.Hardeep Dang was one of 10 MLAs who were allegedly spirited away by BJP in an effort to bring down the government on Tuesday. The Congress said it managed to recover six of the MLAs from a hotel in Gurgaon, near Delhi, after a late-night rescue operation on Tuesday.Hardeep Dang, Raghuraj Kansana, Bisahulal Singh and Independent member Shera Bhaiya remained missing. There were rumours that they were ensconced at a five-star hotel in BJP-ruled Karnataka, which, last year, saw the Janata Dal Secular-Congress government crashing after 15 rebels crossed over to the BJP.
BJP "Kidnapped 14 MLAs" To Destabilise Madhya Pradesh Government: Congress
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/bjp-kidnapped-14-mlas-to-destabilise-madhya-pradesh-government-congress-2190515?pfrom=home-topscroll
Bhopal: Congress, rattled over missing MLAs that could threaten its wafer-thin majority in Madhya Pradesh, today accused the BJP of "kidnapping 14 MLAs" to destabilise its government in what it called "Operation Holi".Congress leaders in Delhi accused the BJP of attacking it "state by state" and making attempts to topple its governments closer to elections to the Rajya Sabha or upper house of parliament.
RJD drops Shahabuddin from national executive, wife Hina makes entry as Rabri Devi becomes VP
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/rjd-drops-shahabuddin-from-national-executive-wife-hina-makes-entry-as-rabri-devi-becomes-vp-1652777-2020-03-05
Patna:Former RJD MP and dreaded gangster Mohammad Shahabuddin who is presently lodged in Delhi's Tihar jail has failed to find a place in the newly formed national executive of RJD .The former MP who was a member of the national executive for past several years has been shown the door and instead his wife, Hina Shahab, has been inducted into the RJD's topmost forum.According to sources, Shahabuddin has been kept out of the national executive as per the wishes of RJD leader and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav who is the party's chiefministerial candidate for the upcoming assembly elections in the state.indiatoday
7 Congress MPs suspended from Lok Sabha for throwing paper at Speaker
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/7-congress-mps-suspended-from-lok-sabha-for-throwing-paper-at-speaker-1652743-2020-03-05
7 Congress MPs have been suspended from Lok Sabha for the remaining period of the Budget session for their gross misconduct after they snatched papers from the Speaker’s table and utter disregard for House rules.As soon as the House met at 3 pm following an adjournment, Meenakshi Lekhi, who was presiding the House, named Gaurav Gogoi, T N Prathapan, Dean Kuriakose, Manicka Tagore, Rajmohan Unnithan, Benny Behanan and Gurjeet Singh Aujla.Once a member is named by the Chair, he or she cannot attend the House for that day.indiatoday
UP minister directs Ghaziabad officials to file FIR against waqf land encroachers
https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/up-minister-directs-ghaziabad-officials-to-file-fir-against-waqf-land-encroachers/story-6IaxNyUU3CZXswR5hpN7FK.html
Uttar Pradesh waqf minister Mohsin Raza Tuesday said he has directed Ghaziabad officials to register an FIR against those who have encroached on waqf land in Ghaziabad. This came after an inquiry by the district minority welfare officer brought the encroachment to the fore.The minister said his government has already recommended to CBI an inquiry on all waqf land in the state.Raza said he had come across the inquiry report sent by Amrita Singh, district minority welfare officer, Ghaziabad, and have come to know about large-scale encroachment of waqf land by private persons.HT
*WORLD*
Erdogan, Putin meet with hopes of reaching Idlib ceasefire
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/erdogan-meet-putin-hopes-reaching-idlib-ceasefire-200305064415351.html
Turkish and Russian presidents are meeting in Moscow for talks over a ceasefire deal amid intensifying fighting between Turkish and Syrian government forces in Syria's northwestern Idlib province.Last week, Turkey and fighters aligned to it launched a military operation in the region after at least 33 Turkish soldiers were killed in an air attack by the Russia-backed Syrian army.Two Turkish soldiers died and several others were wounded on Wednesday in a fresh Syrian assault, which prompted Ankara to retaliate by striking military objectives.On Thursday, Russian air raids in Idlib killed 16 civilians, according to Syrian civil defence group, the White Helmets, while Turkish defence ministry said 184 Syrian government forces were killed in the last 24 hours. Ankara says its army downed three Syrian planes, destroyed hundreds of vehicles and equipment, and killed more than 3,000 government soldiers since the operation was launched on February 27.aljazeera
Tensions escalate in Deraa, 'cradle of Syrian revolution'
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/tensions-escalate-deraa-cradle-syrian-revolution-200304110051998.html
Tensions escalated in southern Syria's Deraa province after government troops and armed volunteers launched a raid against opposition fighters controlling parts of Al-Sanamayn town.On Monday, after a day of heavy shelling and fighting led by Fourth Division of Maher al-Assad, brother of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, an agreement was brokered by Russia that saw two dozen opposition fighters leave the town for opposition-held areas in the country's northwest, local residents told Al Jazeera.
ICC authorises investigation into alleged Afghanistan war crimes
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/icc-authorises-investigation-alleged-afghanistan-war-crimes-200305101406253.html
International Criminal Court (ICC) has authorised an investigation into possible war crimes committed in Afghanistan, which would include allegations against US, Afghan and Taliban armed fighters."Appeals chamber considers it appropriate to ... authorise the investigation," said presiding Judge Piotr Hofmanski on Thursday.The decision, which comes days after US and Taliban armed group signed a peace deal, overturns a lower court decision and opens the way for prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to launch a full investigation, despite US government opposition.US is not a member of the Hague-based court.aljazeera
Fighting in Rakhine, Chin states rages as Myanmar limits internet
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/fighting-rakhine-chin-states-rages-myanmar-limits-internet-200304033937563.html
Continued fighting between Myanmar's military and the Arakan Army armed group has left several people dead in recent days as the government continues a clampdown on the western region.Activists and journalists have decried the internet blackout the government has imposed as part of the clampdown as a violation of human rights.Reports on Tuesday said at least 11 civilians, including five Muslim Rohingya, had been killed after being caught in the hostilities in Rakhine, a western state that is home to more than three million people.In a statement, four United Nations human rights experts also said "credible reports" showed that more than 1,000 people had been displaced in the 10 days up to February 18. Myanmar Times also quoted the Rakhine Ethnic Congress as saying that more than 120,000 have evacuated beginning in November 2018.
Israel demolishes two Palestinian houses in occupied West Bank
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/israel-demolishes-palestinian-houses-occupied-west-bank-200305074417745.html
Israeli forces have demolished homes of two Palestinians in occupied West Bank.Walid Hanatsheh and Yazan Mughamis are currently in custody and facing trial over allegations of carrying out an attack in the West Bank last year which killed an Israeli citizen and injured another.Witnesses told local media that armed Israeli vehicles stormed into the town of Birzeit today, cordoned off the area surrounding Mughamis's house before tearing it down.Israeli forces used jackhammers to demolish walls of Hanatsheh's apartment in Ramallah.
More white people arrested over terrorism than any other ethnic group for second year in a row
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/white-people-terror-offences-number-ethnic-group-asian-home-office-a9376846.html?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR1LXjNaOasboUHT8SfmP4OMfOGDcGMcIlSJQWmUGbcOrtG-xUFXmIKQHd0#Echobox=1583402173
The number of white terror suspects being arrested in UK has outstripped those of Asian appearance for the second year in a row.Official figures showed that 117 white people were arrested on suspicion of terror offences in 2019, compared to 111 Asian suspects and 21 black suspects.“The proportion of white people arrested exceeded the proportion of Asian people arrested for the second consecutive year, having not done previously since 2004,” a Home Office document said.The change comes after increased police operations against far-right extremists, including members of National Action.The neo-Nazi terrorist group was banned in 2016 but split into factions that operated under different names, whose members were later arrested in mass raids. Independent UK
*views, Articles, FEATURES*
As the Gujarat Model Goes National, Hindutva Hunts for the 'Enemy in Our Midst':Jan Breman, thewire
https://thewire.in/communalism/as-the-gujarat-model-goes-national-hindutva-hunts-for-the-enemy-in-our-midst
Legacy of Michael Bloomberg's Muslim surveillance programme:Azad Essa, Nur Ibrahim in New York City
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/legacy-michael-bloomberg-new-york-muslim-surveillance-program
Rights or wrong?: On UN rights body move against CAA:EDITORIAL, thehindu
https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/rights-or-wrong-the-hindu-editorial-on-un-rights-body-moving-supreme-court-against-caa/article30984751.ece
SC Violates It's Own Resolution In Transfer Of Justice Muralidhar:Prof. Madabhushi Sridhar Acharyulu
https://www.livelaw.in/columns/sc-violates-its-own-resolution-in-transfer-of-justice-muralidhar-dear-lords-of-collegium-please-explain-why-153499?fbclid=IwAR1j5uDKsd5THj68slbLdSgc4F5mjY3UuSymzmKVn8Hza8BGbiRSadPehtk
Defence of CAA exposes the moral emptiness of the ruling dispensation:Alok Rai
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/caa-protest-npr-citizenship-act-narendra-modi-amit-shah-on-nrc-shaheen-bagh-protests-6297804/
Violence in Delhi was part of a familiar playbook?:Omkar Goswami
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/delhi-northeast-violence-caa-protests-maujpur-6299567/
Domestic demand must play a greater role in India’s growth story:Jahangir Aziz
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/nso-india-gdp-growth-data-indian-economy-nirmala-sitharaman-6299532/
No more pretences: Move over ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’, enter ‘Goli Maro…’:nationalheraldindia View
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/opinion/no-more-pretences-move-over-sabka-saath-sabka-vikas-enter-goli-maro
Social cost of Delhi riots: An environment of mistrust between communities:Ashlin Mathew
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/social-cost-of-delhi-riots-an-environment-of-mistrust-between-communities
Higher education has become a waste of money:Milind Sohoni
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/a-disconnected-pedagogy-6299554/
UNHRC moves SC on CAA: Easy to mock UN body's hypocrisy, but what's the impulse that motivates western campaign against India? Sreemoy Talukdar
https://www.firstpost.com/india/unhrc-moves-sc-on-caa-easy-to-mock-un-bodys-hypocrisy-but-important-to-understand-the-impulse-that-motivates-western-campaign-against-india-8120691.html
Fact Check: Do the images show Muslim women pelting stones in Delhi? Here’s truth: claim, is false
https://www.hindustantimes.com/it-s-viral/fact-check-do-the-images-show-muslim-women-pelting-stones-in-delhi-here-s-the-truth/story-NlZwb3rTBXqkUuCVj34PyL.html
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 9:53 PM).
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment