07 March 2020: 11 Rajjab 1441: Vol: 12, No: 150
*DELHI VIOLENCE*
After strong criticism, Modi govt revokes suspension of Malayalam channels MediaOne, Asianet News over Delhi violence coverage
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/after-strong-criticism-modi-govt-revokes-suspension-of-2-malayalam-channels-over-delhi-violence-coverage?fbclid=IwAR0NHwiS2lw3x1Ii-_DVtuwj388d3WQMWUdtWpR21yCnEadlrIJYU0bFqxU
After an arbitrary move by Modi govt to ban 2 Malayalam News channels Asianet News and MediaOne on Friday night, by Saturday 2 am the ban on Asianet News was revoked. Soon after by 9.25 am, the ban on MediaOne was also lifted. The revocation came after strong protests by BJP critics on social media about the ban and the preferential treatment given to Asianet after the ban. Several called it govt’s version of NRC for news channels. Asianet is promoted by businessman and BJP MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar, while MediaOne, the TV arm of Madhyamam Broadcasting Limited, whose newspaper has a wide readership among Malayalis in Gulf, is owned by mostly Muslim Ideal Publication Trust. The order passed by Information and Broadcasting ministry stated that both news channels violated Cable TV Network Rules 1994. The blackout, ordered without establishing any inaccuracy in reportage but based on rules dealing with communal strife, drew comparisons with the Emergency-era clampdown on freedom of expression. The ministry of I&B alleged Asianet News and Media One were "biased" and critical of RSS and Delhi Police.Both have been accused of highlighting “attack on places of worship”, “siding towards a particular community” and alleging “police inaction”.In addition, Asianet has been faulted for reporting that “riots continued in Delhi and death toll has reached 10”, that “hundreds of shops, houses and vehicles were set on fire”, that “rioters were firing at each other” and that the “rioters were attacking people after asking their religion”.Against Media One, the additional charges are that it “seems to be critical towards Delhi police and RSS” and “questions RSS”, and that it focuses on “vandalism of CAA supporters”. Nowhere does the ministry’s order say that reporting by either channel was factually incorrect. Both channels have defended their coverage. Group Editor of Madhyamam-MediaOne, O Abdurahman said, “A week earlier, we had gotten a show cause to which we had responded. I&B ministry did not respond to the notice, instead they suddenly announced the ban. And just as suddenly they lifted the ban around 9.30 am on Saturday morning. We believe it happened because of pressure on social media and protests on the ground. We have not apologised for our coverage. Freedom of the press is one of the basic tenets of our democracy. People will not tolerate the ban on a channel without any specific issue. The reporter Hasannul Banna was reporting what he saw.” Banna, a journalist who was named in the ministry’s order, said he had only told the channel what he saw and was not reporting for Media One. “I narrated what I saw when the channel called me. Someone was firing at the crowd from the top of a building on Jan. 24,” Banna said. “I didn’t say who fired because I don’t know. But this kind of a reaction by the government is very unfortunate,” he added. MediaOne channel issued a statement on the order. "This is a blatant attack against free and fair reporting. The ministry order mentioned that our reporting has violated cable TV Act. This is something but an order to stop free and fair journalism. MediaOne will fight legally against this unprecedented and undemocratic action imposed by I&B Ministry," signed CL Thomas, Editor-in-Chief of MediaOne TV. The news of ban against these 2 channels saw a stream of criticism by politicians of all hues except BJP. Several people got out on the streets to protest late on Friday night. Leaders of both CPI(M) and Congress slammed the move by BJP govt.“How on earth can Malayalam channels inflame communal passions in Delhi? Whereas the truly vicious propaganda channels like Ré-pubic & TimesCow continue their brazen distortions w/impunity,” stated Shashi Tharoor, Congress MP. Supporting him, Congress MP P Chidambaram stated, “The Ministry of I&B plays the roles of Prosecutor, Jury and Judge. This is a travesty of justice. All media entities should protest vehemently. The govt must scrap the shut down order forthwith.”nationalheraldindia/ theweek/ telegraphindia
Govt. Lifts Ban on Malayalam TV Channels After Facing Strong Criticism
http://www.indiatomorrow.net/eng/govt-lifts-ban-on-malayalam-tv-channels-after-facing-strong-condemnation
Protests erupt in Kerala over Centre’s move to ban two Malayalam news channels
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/protests-erupt-in-kerala-over-centres-move-to-ban-two-malayalam-news-channels/article31008001.ece?homepage=true
Central govt’s decision to ban 2 Malayalam news channels for their coverage of the New Delhi riots triggered a flurry of protests in Kerala on Saturday.Chief Minister Pinarayi condemned the move and said in a Facebook post that it reflected a dangerous trend that presaged an era of political and religious intolerance.Vijayan said an undeclared emergency prevailed in India. Centre had infringed on independent journalism. It wanted civil society to fall in line with its divisive political agenda. Centre had sent an unequivocal message. “Anyone who dares criticise RSS will earn the Centre’s ire”, he said.The Constitution guarantees citizens to air their opinion fearlessly. Hence, no entity was above criticism in a democratic polity. “Is RSS a holy organisation that is above reproach? Is there such a rule in the country?” he asked. Vijayan said journalists had demonstrated against the ban. However, no sound of protest had come from the association of media owners, he said. The people had a right to know what is happening in the country and journalists must inform them. By banning two media organisations, the Centre has trespassed on the rights of both groups. RSS has a history of using intimidation as a tool to cow down opponents. It has now used it against the independent media, the judiciary and in Parliament.Kerala Union of Working Journalists took out a march to General Post Office in Thiruvananthapuram to protest ban.thehindu
‘Dark day for democracy’: Kerala journalists protest govt ban on Asianet, MediaOne
https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/dark-day-democracy-kerala-journalists-protest-govt-ban-asianet-mediaone-119720
'Freedom Of Press Absolutely Essential': Javadekar On Revoking Ban Two Kerala News Channels
https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/india-news-two-kerala-news-channels-back-on-air-after-being-banned-for-delhi-riots-coverage/348385
Union I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar has said the Centre has lifted the ban on two Malayalam news channels."Our basic thought process is that the freedom of press is absolutely essential in the democratic set up and that is the commitment of the Modi government," Javadekar said.Referring to the Emergency, Javadekar said the freedom of press was suppressed in those days. "We went to jails against that and we secured the freedom of press," he added.outlookindia
Kapil Sibal Throws "Changing Status Quo" Question At PM Modi
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/congresss-kapil-sibal-throws-changing-status-quo-question-at-pm-narendra-modi-2191426
New Delhi: Hitting back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his "critics do not want to change status quo" comment, Congress leader Kapil Sibal asked Prime Minister if "banning TV channels critical to RSS, detaining citizens critical of the government, remaining silent while Delhi burns and using sedition laws to silence people indicate to changing the status quo"."Modiji says: We want to change the status quo, our critics don't want it. Modiji is: 1) Banning TV channels critical of RSS 2) Detaining citizens critical of government 3) Remaining silent while Delhi burns 4) Using sedition laws to silence people. Changing the status quo?" Mr Sibal tweeted.ndtv
Shocking and Shameful That PM, CM Not Visiting Violence-Hit Delhi Areas: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind
http://www.indiatomorrow.net/eng/shocking-and-shameful-that-pm-cm-not-visiting-violence-hit-delhi-areas-jamaat
NEW DELHI: Large-scale violence was orchestrated and over 50 people were killed and thousands rendered homeless in northeast Delhi, just a few kilometres from Prime Minister’s office and residence, but neither the PM nor the Chief Minister have yet visited the affected areas; this is very shocking and shameful, said Jamaat-e-Islami Hind here on Saturday.“Over 50 people have been killed and hundreds injured and hundreds of homes, shops were looted and torched and thousands of people became homeless. This all happened just a few kilometres from the PMO. It is very shocking and shameful that Prime Minister and Chief Minister are not yet visiting the affected people,” said Jamaat’s national president Syed Sadatullah Hussaini.Around two weeks have passed since the violence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has neither condemned the violence nor condoled the deaths. Three days after the violence, PM had posted a tweet in which he had appealed to people "to maintain peace and brotherhood." Addressing its monthly press conference, Jamaat chief demanded a high-level probe by the Delhi Minorities Commission because, he said, there are several allegations about passive or active involvement of police personnel also in 3-day long violence, and therefore only SIT probe is not sufficient. Addressing the press conference, Jamaat’s Vice President Mohammad Salim Engineer said that what happened in the northeast Delhi “cannot be called clashes between two groups or communal riots. It was a planned attack and rioters were trained.”They have distributed thousands of food kits and cooked food packets among victims. The volunteers rescued 30 injured persons and got them admitted at Al Shifa hospital, run by sister organization of Jamaat in Jamia Nagar in South Delhi. Most of them were treated free of cost.indiatomorrow
Delhi violence pre-planned; lives, properties of Muslims specifically targeted says Jamaat Islami Hind Preident; Jamaat’s relief operations underway
Delhi Police internal report on riots nails Kapil Mishra, Bhim Army Chief Chandrashekhar Azad
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/national/delhi-police-internal-report-on-riots-nails-kapil-mishra-bhim-army-chief-chandrashekhar-azad
While Delhi Police bore the brunt of being "mute spectators" during the riots in northeastern parts of the capital recently, it has sprung back to action and detailed a chronology that led to the Delhi violence. The police have detailed how BJP leader Kapil Mishra sent text messages to his followers and Bhim Army Chief Chandrashekhar Azad mobilized people from minority-dominated areas to be a part of the riots that have led to death of 53 people so far.The police's internal report accessed by IANS states that it was pro-CAA protesters who carried out attack on a Bhim Army vehicle. The Bhim Army activists then mobilized local people and retaliated.The internal status report on riots in Delhi states: "On February 22, 2020 around 10:30 p.m. nearly 500 women began a protest near Jafrabad Metro Station against CAA and NRC. Seeing them, about 2,000 local youths join the protest."In the report, the police also stated that they tried to control the situation and roped in Maulana Shameem and Maulana Dawood for support and contained that situation."On Feb.23 morning, Kapil Mishra and Deepak Singh sent a message to their followers using social media, calling them to assemble at Maujpur Chowk in favour of CAA and NRC at 2:30 p.m. and to oppose the protest at Jafrabad," the report said.The police noted that Mishra accompanied by Deepak Singh arrived at the spot at 2.30 p.m. and stayed there for almost three hours. "Deepak Singh was kept away from the spot," stated the report adding, "Bhim Army led by Chandrashekar had given a call for Bharat Bandh the same day."The police thereafter explains how rioting began at 5 p.m. the same day."One vehicle carrying Bhim Army supporters was attacked by pro-CAA supporters at Maujpur Chowk," the report said.IANS
AAP's Tahir Hussain, Accused In Intel Employee's Murder, Sent To 7-Day Custody
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/aaps-tahir-hussain-accused-in-intel-employees-murder-sent-to-7-day-custody-2191298
New Delhi: A Delhi court Friday sent suspended AAP councillor Tahir Hussain to seven day police custody in connection with the alleged killing of IB employee Ankit Sharma during the recent violence in northeast Delhi. Delhi Police said that Tahir Hussain's custodial interrogation was required to unearth a larger conspiracy, his advocate Mukesh Kalia said. Hussain was arrested on Thursday after a court in Delhi dismissed his plea seeking to surrender before it in connection with the case.Hussain had said that he was willing to join the investigation and wanted to surrender in the case.The lawyer said Hussain has been falsely implicated in the case and sought protection for his life and property. As the court dismissed Hussain's plea, a Delhi Police team, which had already arrived, arrested him and took him into custody.On the complaint of the father, the police registered an FIR against Hussain, who has rejected the charge.PTI
“Tahir Hussain is being punished today simply because he’s Muslim”: AAP MLA Amanatullah
http://www.jantakareporter.com/india/tahir-hussain-is-being-punished-today-simply-because-hes-muslim-aap-mla-amanatullah-khan/284087/?fbclid=IwAR2RHc8NMcfFjdgNwWn5oiFiAGSpBE98q3mFgPJd75WK9Zr1W_A0SEViTJQ
AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan has said that his party colleague Tahir Hussain was facing harassment from the law enforcement agencies in the Delhi carnage case only because he was a Muslim. Khan, who recently won his assembly election from Okhla by a huge margin, took to his social media page to make extraordinary allegations. His allegations came just a day after Hussain was arrested by the Delhi Police. Amanatullah Khan wrote in Hindi, “Hussain is being punished today simply because he’s Muslim. Perhaps being a Muslim is the biggest punishment in India. It’s possible that it will be established in the coming days that the entire Delhi violence was orchestrated by him.”jantakareporter
Delhi court extends police custody of Jaffrabad shooter Shahrukh for 3 days
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/delhi-court-extends-police-custody-of-jaffrabad-shooter-shahrukh-for-three-days-1653462-2020-03-07
Karkardooma court in Delhi on Saturday extended police custody of Mohammed Shahrukh for 3 more days. A resident of Jaffrabad in Delhi's North East district, Shahrukh was arrested from Shamli in Uttar Pradesh earlier this month. Delhi Police had been on Shahrukh's trail ever since a video of him waving a gun at a policeman during the recent unrest in the national capital went viral on social media platforms. Shot during the riots that broke out in several areas of northeast Delhi, including Jaffrabad, an armed Shahrukh could be seen charging at a policeman in a fit of rage. A case was registered against him but Shahrukh remained absconding until recently.indiatoday
SIT arrests 3 other Muslims in connection with Delhi violence after questioning Tahir Hussain
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/sit-arrests-three-others-in-connection-with-delhi-violence-after-questioning-tahir-hussain-1653486-2020-03-07
New Delhi:A SIT comprising of personnel attached with Delhi Police Crime Branch has arrested 3 people in connection with the recent violence in Delhi's North East district. These arrests were made after suspended AAP councillor Tahir Hussain was arrested from the Rouse Avenue court on Thursday after his surrender plea was rejected by a judge.3 men have been identified as Tariq Rizvi, Liyakat and Riyasat. While Tariq was the manager of Tahir Hussain's factory in Kasna and was arrested from Janki Nagar where he had been hiding since the violence, Liyakat is a resident of Chand Bagh and is an accused in the riots. Another resident of Chand Bagh, Riyasat has also been accused of rioting.All 4 men, including Tahir Hussain, have been arrested on the basis of a complaint registered against them at the Khajuri Khas police station by one constable Sangram Singh. The men were arrested on the basis of FIR registered by constable Singh.
Delhi riots: SIT arrests Shehnawaz from Shiv Vihar, claims he was part of rioters
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/delhi-riots-sit-arrests-1-from-shiv-vihar-claims-he-was-part-of-rioters-1653346-2020-03-07
New Delhi:One of the two SIT formed by the Delhi Police to probe cases related to the communal riots that broke out in northeast Delhi last month, killing over 50 people, has arrested a man from Shiv Vihar.SIT claims he was part of the rioters.The person who was arrested has been identified as Mohammad Shehnawaz (27). Police claim he is a resident of Shiv Vihar. An FIR was filed against him at the Gokulpuri police station.Police have accused Shehnawaz of having pelted stones along with others when riots broke out at a tri-junction in Shiv Vihar. The police have also claimed that he ransacked and torched several shops.SIT claimed, "Shahnawaz entered into a book store and a sweet shop godown at A-29, Chaman Park, Shiv Vihar and torched both the places along with other rioters."Police said this was the same shop (A-29) from where the dead body of Dilbar Singh was found on February 26. indiatoday
Delhi court grants bail to Shaheen Bagh shooter Kapil Gujjar
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/delhi-court-grants-bail-kapil-gujjar-fire-shaheen-bagh-february-1653487-2020-03-07
New Delhi:A Delhi court on Saturday granted bail to Kapil Baisala (Gujjar) who opened fire in Delhi's Shaheen Bagh area on February 1.The Delhi Police had opposed the bail plea.Kapil Gujjar, who belongs to East Delhi's Dallu Pura area, had on February 1 fired three bullets in the air after warning anti-CAA protesters to disperse.He had also shouted communal slogans.On February 1, Kapil Gujjar, a 25-year-old resident of a village in the outskirts of Delhi bordering Noida, had shot twice in the air near the Shaheen Bagh protest site.After firing the shots he had told media that no one but Hindus will get what they want in this nation.indiatoday
Delhi: 683 cases registered, 1,983 people detained or held
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/northeast-delhi-riots-683-cases-registered-1-983-people-detained-or-held-1653236-2020-03-06
Delhi Police said on Friday it has registered over 600 cases in connection with last week''s riots in northeast Delhi, officials said.Out of 683 cases registered, 48 were related to the Arms Act, it said in a statement.In total, 1,983 people have been either detained or arrested so far in connection with the communal violence, the police said.Total 251 meetings with Aman Committee have been conducted across the national capital, a senior police officer said.PTI
Delhi High Court seeks list of people arrested in Delhi riots
https://www.thehansindia.com/news/national/delhi-high-court-seeks-list-of-people-arrested-in-delhi-riots-610157
Delhi High Court Friday sought responses from the Delhi government and the police on a PIL by CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat seeking directions to make public the list of persons arrested in connection with the recent violence in the northeast part of the city.A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar issued notice to the Delhi government and the police on Karat's plea which has sought that a list of the arrested persons be put up outside the police control room and police stations in the district, and should 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 the Delhi Police in relation to the violence that killed at least 44 people and left around 200 injured.thehansindia
Delhi riot: HC asks hospitals to Videotape autopsies
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhi-riot-hc-asks-hospitals-to-videotape-autopsies-6303118/
Delhi High Court Friday directed all hospitals under the central and Delhi governments to videograph post-mortems of all persons killed in Northeast Delhi. The death toll from the riots stands at 53, with over 300 injured.A bench of Justice Siddharth Mridul and Justice I S Mehta also directed all hospitals to collect and preserve DNA samples of the dead. The bench further directed government hospitals not to dispose of any unidentified bodies till the next date of hearing, March 11.indianexpress
People involved in Delhi violence came from places near Meerut, Ghaziabad: Delhi Police
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/people-involved-in-delhi-violence-came-from-places-near-meerut-ghaziabad-delhi-police-1653314-2020-03-07
Those involved in the violence in northeast Delhi that erupted on February 23, had come in from nearby areas of Meerut and Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi Police said here on Friday.According to a police source, this information was revealed in a coordination meeting held at the DCP office in North-East district between the Delhi Police and Uttar Pradesh Police officials on Friday.Till Friday the Delhi Police had registered 683 cases, including 48 cases under the Arms Act, in connection with the violence.The police added that 1,983 people have also been either arrested or detained.ANI
Delhi Violence: Waqf Board to Repair Damaged Shops, Homes of All Communities, Releases Rs 50 Lakh
http://www.indiatomorrow.net/eng/delhi-violence-waqf-board-to-repair-damaged-shops-homes-of-all-communities-says-amanatullah-khan
Delhi Waqf Board has announced to repair all shops and homes damaged during the three-day long violence in the northeast Delhi last month. Delhi Waqf Board chairman and MLA Amanatullah Khan released Rs 50 lakh on Friday to start the repair work.“The Construction Committee of Delhi Waqf Board will start full repair work of all the torched and damaged shops and homes, irrespective of which religion their owners belong to. Today I have given Rs 50 lakh to the committee to start the work,” tweeted Khan in Hindi Friday night.India Tomorrow
I cannot find my father's body, Delhi's fearful Muslims mourn riot dead:the Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/06/how-can-i-go-back-delhi-fearful-muslims-mourn-riot-dead?CMP=fb_gu&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR3YhXW3HQV2zyCwB5LDbMDo4eZz_NiS5cx4EEQXiVCTt_1P-LFOH6tQ-lQ#Echobox=1583506681
Mohammad Arshad’s body was brought into the courtyard, his lifeless face covered in a white shroud, the wailing began. 22-year-old house painter, who had been beloved by his 6 sisters and would always bring them fruit when he finished work, had died a brutal death 2 days earlier. He had been killed because he was Muslim.Several of Arshad’s sisters reached out to touch his cold bruised cheeks. “Please wake up, brother,” they cried. “Wake up. Please open your eyes.”Arshad’s death is just a small fragment of the devastating legacy of the riots that engulfed Delhi last week – the worst religious violence in the capital in decades. For four consecutive days, Hindu mobs of thousands roamed the streets of north-east Delhi, destroying Muslims’ houses and shops, and lynching or killing Muslim residents. The bodies of the dead are gradually being returned to families but the thousands of Muslims who fled their homes in the riots are mostly still too afraid to go back.While there was retaliation on both sides, the majority of the violence was carried out against Muslims. A senior Delhi government health department official told the Guardian that of the 49 found dead so far from the violence, 35 were Muslim. More bodies were still being recovered from the drains more than a week on.Last Wednesday had begun as a normal day for Arshad, who had left for work on his motorcycle accompanied by two Hindu friends. But in the Delhi neighbourhood of Karaval Nagar, a mob of around 30 Hindus had descended, demanding to know their religion. According to a witness, Arshad kept quiet, so the mob forced down his trousers. On seeing he was circumcised, as is common among Muslims in India, the mob instantly beat him to death. His bloodied body was later found in a gutter, his pants still around his ankles.At his funeral on Monday, held in his uncle’s hometown of Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, Arshad’s 15-year-old sister Ayesha broke into a furious, grief-ridden rage and began pointing her finger angrily at an onlooker she presumed to be Hindu.theguardian
In Delhi’s worst violence in decades, a man watched his brother burn:washingtonpost
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/in-delhis-worst-violence-in-decades-a-man-watched-his-brother-burn/2020/03/05/892dbb12-5e45-11ea-ac50-18701e14e06d_story.html?fbclid=IwAR2snuHVsBEJQGzClRTMRLmQ5LS1CRHWj86sIVhOpJptqfTYrgG5ZXXF_b4&utm_campaign=wp_world&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook
New Delhi:Hours before Anwar Kassar was shot and burned to death, he was having tea with a neighbor.It was time to leave, the neighbor suggested to him. Violence had broken out between Hindus and Muslims nearby, and rumors flew about mobs targeting Muslims. But Anwar said he wasn’t going anywhere, his neighbor recalled: Even though he and his brother were the only Muslim family on the block, this was his home of more than 30 years, and whatever would happen was his fate.Later that day, dozens of men pulled Anwar, 58, out of his home, shot him and threw him into a fire in broad daylight, said two witnesses, one of whom was his younger brother Saleem Kassar, 52. Hidden by a Hindu neighbor, he watched it happen from a third-floor window.More than 10 days have passed since Delhi descended into violence on a scale not seen in decades, and the full measure of the bloodshed is still emerging. The majority of those killed were Muslims, many shot, hacked or burned to death.Saleem Kassar recalled seeing a mob of a few hundred people, most of them wearing helmets, armed with sticks, swords and small pistols. He heard shouts of “Jai Shri Ram,” or “Victory to Lord Ram,” a rallying cry of Hindu nationalists and the ruling party.Then he watched, helpless with terror, as Anwar was killed.
During Delhi Violence, Rioters Torched Even Medical Stores
http://www.indiatomorrow.net/eng/during-delhi-violence-rioters-torched-even-medical-stores
NEW DELHI:During 3–day long violence in dozen-odd areas of the northeast Delhi last month, rioters torched not only hundreds of homes and vehicles but also medical stores.Ashrafi Dawakhana on the main road of Moonga Nagar near Chand Bagh was set afire by a mob of rioters around midnight on February 24. A look inside the completely gutted medical store gives an idea about the massive fire with which rioters were torching homes and shops for whole two days in the area.“My shop was torched around 12:30 am, in the intervening night of Feb 24-25. My shop was closed at that time. Ashrafi Dawakhana was written on the board of the shop. I estimate my loss at around Rs 1.75 crore,” says Mohammad Hilal while talking to India Tomorrow. This shop would all types of medicines but it was the main distributor of Hamdard medicines for the entire northeast Delhi region. “But everything has now turned into ashes,” he says.He informed that some government officials had come to his shop to assess the damage. “They have promised Rs 5 lakh. I don’t know when they will give this amount. But how will this amount help me? It may help some small shops.“There were five employees in the shop. Now all of them and their families are on the road. They have lost source of livelihood,” says Hilal, whose elder brother Faizan Ashrafi would run the shop.India Tomorrow
Afghan protesters decry persecution of Indian Muslims
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/afghan-protesters-decry-persecution-of-indian-muslims/1757371#
KABUL:Protesters took to the streets in various cities of Afghanistan on Friday against the oppression of Muslims in India.The largest demonstration against killing of Muslims in the recent New Delhi riots was held in the western Herat province that borders Iran.A rally participant told Anadolu Agency the protesters burnt Indian flags and raised slogans against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while urging Muslims across the world to unite against the injustice. Mujeeb Rehman Ansari, a prayer leader at a local mosque, led the demonstration.Similar rallies were held in other major urban centers of Afghanistan, including a protest by a leftist party in the capital Kabul.Anadolu Agency
Former SC Judges Visit Riot Affected AreasIn Delhi, Justice Kurian Joseph Urges Legal Service Authorities To Start Help Desk
https://www.livelaw.in/top-stories/former-sc-judges-visit-riot-affected-areasin-delhi-justice-kurian-153520
Justice Kurian Joseph, Justice Vikramjith Sen and Justice AK Patnaik have visited the riot affected areas in Delhi today to ascertain the prevailing condition there.Justice Kurian Joseph told Live Law that the situation therein is very shocking. "We went there to ascertain the prevailing situation there, and not to check who is culpable. We have seen people who lost their homes, those who lost their valuables, their vehicles etc.. The situation is relief camps is worse. People there are afraid to return to homes.", he said.He has also requested the Legal Service Authorities to start a help desk by organizing lawyers, whose presence at those relief camps will give assurance to the riot victims.Justice Joseph also urged V-Cs of the Law Universities in Delhi to send the students to these places to do volunteer service where they could learn more about the Constitution values, the duties of the State etc.They need to understand that India is not about a religion, caste, race or language, but Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (world is one family), he said. Live Law
3 dead bodies found at different places near Shaheen Bagh, police engaged in investigation: ourbitcoinnews report
https://ourbitcoinnews.com/delhi-3-dead-bodies-found-at-different-places-in-shaheen-bagh-police-engaged-in-investigation/
https://www.bhaskar.com/delhi/delhi-ncr/news/3-dead-bodies-found-at-different-places-in-shaheen-bagh-this-area-has-been-going-on-protest-against-caa-for-84-days-126922287.html
New Delhi: 3 bodies were recovered from three different places on Friday in Shaheen Bagh area of Delhi. All three cases are being investigated. According to the police, at present no suspicious thing has been seen in all three cases. Postmortem of the dead bodies will be done on Saturday. District Deputy Commissioner of Police R.P. Meena gave this information to IANS on Friday night. He said, 'The first case of finding the dead body came to cognizance at around 12:30 pm. The age of the deceased is about 35 years. This body was floating on the banks of river Yamuna.After investigation, the body was identified as Madan Thapa son Manveer Thapa, resident of Ashok Nagar Delhi. It is learned that the disappearance of Madan Thapa was lodged at Hari Nagar police station on 3 February 2020. No trace of injury has been found on the dead body.In the second case, a dead body was found around 3:30 pm. The estimated age of the deceased is 40 years. The body could not be identified till late Friday night. The body has been kept safe in the postmortem house for identification and then postmortem. The body was found in the Shaheen Bagh F block near the drain behind Mother Dairy. Another body was also found in this area. Railway police is investigating this third body.
From the Station to the Streets, Justice Muralidhar Gets a Warm Welcome in Chandigarh
https://thewire.in/law/from-the-station-to-the-streets-justice-muralidhar-gets-a-warm-welcome-in-chandigarh
New Delhi: Hours after receiving an extraordinary farewell from the Delhi Bar Association, Justice S. Muralidhar was received in Chandigarh with a rousing welcome by several members of Bar Council of the Punjab and Haryana high court on March 5 night.Speaking to The Wire from Chandigarh, Karanjit Singh, the chairman of the Bar Council of the Punjab and Haryana high court, said, “I myself was present at the railway station on March 5 night to receive him. Altogether we were about 50 of us. We have also put up 2 banners in Chandigarh to welcome him.”Singh said, “[People from] Punjab and Haryana are always known for their hospitality, so receiving him at the railway station was to convey to him that he is welcome. There is nothing wrong in it.”Photos shared by lawyer and council member Amarbir Singh Salar on Twitter showed a number of lawyers welcoming a smiling justice with bouquets. A welcome banner from “Lawyers from Punjab and Haryana High Court” could also be seen.The banners put up by the council stated: “Delhi’s Loss – Punjab’s Gain”.thewire
*anti-CAA,NRC-NPR stir*
Bidar Court Says Play on CAA by School Students Was Not Seditious
https://thewire.in/law/bidar-court-caa-play-sedition
The district and sessions court in Bidar has ruled that the play staged by some children of Shaheen Urdu Medium School against CAA does not amount to sedition. Principal District and Sessions Court made the observation while granting anticipatory bail to five members of the school, citing lack of material for a prima facie case of sedition.Granting bail, district judge Managoli Premavathi observed, “What the children have expressed is that they will have to leave the country if they do not produce the documents and except that, there is nothing to show that the school has committed the offence of sedition.”The dialogue ‘does not lead to hate or contempt towards the government’, the judge said, according to reports. “The drama has not caused any disharmony in the society,” the judge stated in her order. Section 124A of the IPC, which deals with sedition, says that “whoever brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards… the government shall be punished with imprisonment for life…”. The case caught the public eye after two women – the mother of an 11-year-old student and a teacher at the school – were arrested on charges of sedition over a play staged in the school on January 21. Nazbunnissa, the mother of a student who delivered dialogues about Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the play, and Fareeda Begum, the head teacher of the school’s primary section were arrested based on a complaint by a right-wing activist alleging sedition. “In the country, there are rallies and protests for and against CAA, NRC and, as a citizen, everybody has the right to express disapprobation of the measures of the government with a view to obtain their alteration by lawful means. The dialogues were expressed during the course of enacting a play in the school,” judge said.thewire/ indian express
CAA protest: Bidar court says no sedition in school play, grants bail to all
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/karnataka-bidar-court-says-no-sedition-in-school-play-grants-bail-to-all-6301522/?fbclid=IwAR12GwPJlrQFvGyKsd8PBnP1-QmXIgB06jWwrm8TyI0F12VyidSptbjXJdY
SC Stays Karnataka HC Order Granting Bail to 21 Detained During Mangaluru CAA Protest
https://thewire.in/law/sc-stays-karnataka-hc-order-granting-bail-to-21-detained-during-mangaluru-caa-protest
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the Karnataka high court order granting bail to 21 PFI members accused of indulging in violence at Mangaluru on December 19 during anti-CAA protests.The high court had on February 17 granted bail to the accused on the pleas filed by Mohammed Ashik and 20 others hailing from Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts of Karnataka.A bench comprising Chief Justice S.A. Bobde and Justices B.R. Gavai and Surya Kant issued notice to the accused after taking note of the appeal filed by Karnataka government against the grant of bail by the high court.“Issue notice. In the meantime, there shall be an ad-interim stay of operation of the impugned judgment and order passed by the High Court if the respondents-accused are still in custody,” the bench ordered.The high court, while granting bail, had said that the records produced indicate that the “identity of the accused involved in the alleged incident appear to have been fixed on the basis of their affiliation to PFI and they being members of the Muslim community”.PTI
Arunachal Police Interrogates Sharjeel Imam in Sedition Case
https://thewire.in/government/arunachal-pradesh-police-interrogates-sharjeel-imam-in-sedition-case
Itanagar: The crime branch sleuths of Arunachal Pradesh Police have been interrogating Sharjeel Imam, a JNU research scholar arrested on sedition charges in January, a senior police officer informed here on Friday.The police had on January 26 registered a case at crime branch police station here in connection with a video footage where Imam was purportedly heard instigating people to cut-off Assam and the northeastern states from India by blocking rail and road connections. Imam was brought to the state capital on Thursday and the crime branch has been interrogating him since then, DIG (Crime) V.J. Chandran said.During preliminary interrogation, he admitted that he had made the speech that is circulating on social media, the DIG said.PTI
Indian agencies point to Pak link in anti-CAA protests: HT report
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/indian-agencies-point-to-pak-link-in-anti-caa-protests/story-qWCiqnXCO285Qsv1rFQJeL.html?fbclid=IwAR0oMf_nq2ZtSQc6_OIUscHN6dz9Upx_gvs16PV1OCDIZR4c6Cg_Jik41fA
New Delhi: The government has specific evidence that Pakistan’s deep state played a part in amplifying anti CAA protests all over country through funding and direction, even as Islamabad has made an all out effort to equate Delhi riots with 2002 Gujarat riots at the ongoing meeting of UN Human Rights Council at Geneva.HT learns that Indian intelligence agencies have picked up cross-country electronic chatter where people believed to be Pakistani operatives are berating their sources for not organizing enough crowds for anti-CAA protests on March 3-4 despite the funding at their disposal. In one such call, heard by HT, the handler curses his contact and adds that he has to explain the lack of crowds to his higher ups. While the context of the call is clear, HT cannot establish when it was made, or the identity of the 2 speakers. ht
UP Erects Hoardings With Names, Photos of Anti-CAA Protesters
https://thewire.in/rights/up-anti-caa-protest-horadings
New Delhi: In what seems to be a move to publicly name and shame those who participated in December protests in Lucknow against CAA – and possibly jeopardise their lives at the hands of miscreants – BJP government in Uttar Pradesh has put up hoardings with the photos and home addresses of those it blames for the violence seen at strategic traffic points in the capital city.In February, the state government had issued notices to the 28 persons whose faces feature in the hoardings, including political activist and Congress member Sadaf Jafar, retired police office S.R. Darapuri, activist Mohammad Shoaib and poet Deepak Kabir. The notice sought the payment of more than Rs 63 lakh from them for allegedly damaging public property within 30 days. If they failed to do so, their property would be attached by the administration.Jafar and some others had then told media persons that they would challenge the notices served to them in court. Both Shoaib and Darapuri responded to the recovery notices saying that they had been put under house arrest at that time and could not have been present at the site.According to an NDTV report, a source in the office of UP chief minister said that the hoardings had been put up on Adityanath’s instructions. After violence broke out last December in Lucknow and other parts of the state, Adityanath had declared that his government would take “revenge” and attach the property of anyone involved in it. The police had video graphed people who had attended the protests in addition to identifying some protesters through closed-circuit cameras. Hundreds of people were arrested and accused of fomenting violence.thewire/NDTV
UP: Students Marching With Slogans of Peace Arrested by Police in Fatehpur district
https://thewire.in/rights/students-marching-with-slogans-of-peace-arrested-by-up-police
New Delhi: A group of eight students was arrested in Fatehpur district by Uttar Pradesh police during a ‘non-violent peace march’.The ‘Nagrik Satyagraha Padyatra’ began on February 2 from Chauri Chaura in Gorakhpur and is scheduled to culminate in Delhi in March. The objective of the march is to ‘spread the message of peace’ and to attempt to ‘reduce divisions and hatred’ in society.The police have said in FIR that they were told by ‘informers’ that a group of people will be walking towards mosques in Fatehpur with the ‘intention of disrupting peace’. The ‘informers’ also said that the students will distribute pamphlets to people gathered for prayers, according to the case diary. The police or the ‘informers’ did not detail what the pamphlets would contain.In a pamphlet that the students had prepared, and The Wire has seen, they attempt to highlight the importance of sticking to the principles of Mahatma Gandhi ‘in times of hatred’.thewire
Mumbai Bagh: Police Pull off Tarp Used to Shield Protesters From Sun in Dawn 'Attack'
https://thewire.in/rights/mumbai-bagh-police-action
Mumbai: Women anti-CAA protesters at Mumbai Bagh have accused the city police of using force and attacking them late at night after they had fallen asleep. The incident, according to the protesters, occurred at around 4 am on March 6. While the Mumbai police have claimed that no such incident took place, several videos of women protesters crying and fainting in the aftermath have since been circulated.The reasons for the attack, the protesters say, was a thin blue tarpaulin sheet they had put up a day before to protect the site from the sun. “It has been exceptionally sunny over the past few days and women have been exhausted sitting here every day in the sun. Some of us thought it would better to protect ourselves and invested in a small sheet. At night, however, the police team came and beat some of us. They also confiscated the sheet,” said Barira, one of the protesters, who has been at the protest site in Mumbai’s Morland Road since January 26, when it began.thewire
Social tension threatening to char the soul of the nation: Manmohan Singh
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/withdraw-caa-social-tension-threatening-to-char-the-soul-of-the-nation-manmohan-singh?fbclid=IwAR2tKFuhE_-BqnhDuX6U7EAIV1mL4-SAKDbr4uLzv0IuuKoU1n-2jUGe5Gg
In the wake of Delhi riots that have claimed over 54 lives so far and the deepening economic crisis, former PM Manmohan Singh made a heartfelt appeal to the nation, asserting that the rising social tension among communities is threatening to char the soul of the nation.In a column written for The Hindu, former Prime Minister says, “With no checks, the fire of social tensions is rapidly spreading across the nation and threatens to char the soul of our nation. It can only be extinguished by the same people that lit it”.“It is both futile and puerile to point to past instances of such violence in India’s history to justify the present violence in the country. Every act of sectarian violence is a blemish on Mahatma Gandhi’s India.”Appealing to Prime Minister to convince the nation not through words but deeds, Singh highlighted that India was facing a 3-pronged challenge of coronavirus, economic slowdown and protests and riots across the country.“Prime Minister Narendra Modi must convince the nation, not merely through words but by deeds, that he is cognisant of the dangers we face and reassure the nation that he can help us tide over this as smoothly as we can,” wrote Singh. Expressing his apprehensions, Manmohan Singh said that he worries that the “potent combination” of social disharmony, economic slowdown and global health epidemic “may not only rupture the soul of India but also diminish our global standing as an economic and democratic power in the world”.nationalheraldindia
Jailed Peasant Leader Akhil Gogoi's Health Deteriorates, Activists Express Concerns
https://thewire.in/rights/akhil-gogoi-jail-health-condition
Guwahati: Assam based farmers’ organisation Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) leader and RTI activist Akhil Gogoi, who has been lodged in jail since December 27, under UAPA, has been seriously unwell for some weeks.Between February 29 and March 6, the Guwahati jail authorities have brought him to Guwahati Medical College (GMC) twice for treatment.Local news channels have aired video clips of a frail Gogoi brought to the hospital on a wheelchair for some days now. It has raised considerable concern over his health, leading a number of activists from the state to sit on dharna in Guwahati, demanding his unconditional release.Gogoi has been a sharp critic of the BJP-led Assam government and of the party’s ideological fount, the RSS. He was at the forefront of the protests against the CAA in the state when he was arrested by the NIA under the charge of being a ‘Maoist’.thewire
Show me a country that says everybody is welcome: Jaishankar on CAA
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/show-me-a-country-that-says-everybody-is-welcome-jaishankar-on-caa/article31008076.ece?homepage=true
No country in the world says everybody is welcome, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Saturday, hitting out at those criticising India over the CAA. Jaishankar criticised UNHRC for its criticism on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, saying its director had been wrong previously too and one should look at UN body’s past record on handling the Kashmir issue.“We have tried to reduce the number of stateless people through this legislation. That should be appreciated,” he said when asked about the CAA at a media event in New Delhi. “We have done it in a way that we do not create a bigger problem for ourselves.”“Everybody, when they look at citizenship, have a context and has a criterion. Show me a country in the world which says everybody in the world is welcome. Nobody says that,” Minister said.Asked about UNHRC director not agreeing with India on the Kashmir issue, Jaishankar said: “UNHRC director has been wrong before.PTI
Status of non-tribals in Meghalaya similar to that of Kashmiri Pandits in 1991:Governor Roy
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/status-of-non-tribals-in-meghalaya-similar-to-that-of-kashmiri-pandits-in-1991-says-governor-tathagata-roy/article31007854.ece?homepage=true
Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy said the status of non-tribal people in the violence-hit hill State was similar to that of Kashmiri Pandits in 1991.3 people were killed and several others injured in violence at Ichamati of East Khasi Hills on February 28 following a meeting the Khasi Students’ Union had convened to discuss CAA and Inner Line Permit, a temporary travel document needed for outsiders to visit four other states in the northeast.“I saw the need to repeatedly talk to ministers and senior civil servants of the State. The non-tribals in the State were in a thoroughly demoralised state and I got the impression their position and status is something like that of the Kashmiri Pandits of 1991 when they had to leave the Kashmir Valley,” Roy told newspersons in Meghalaya capital Shillong on Friday.There have been sporadic incidents of violence, including the stabbing of non-tribal people in Shillong since February 28. Night curfew continues to be imposed in parts of Shillong and other affected areas of East Khasi Hills district.thehindu
After Saying CAA Is 'Internal Matter', Centre Withholds Info on It Citing Foreign Ties
https://thewire.in/government/home-ministry-caa-rti-withhold
New Delhi: Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) headed by Amit Shah has been reluctant to share information on the CAA and the questions on citizenship that have arisen around the Act. In several RTI applications filed by The Wire, the MHA has denied information on tenuous grounds and in some cases delayed its response beyond the time stipulated under the RTI Act, 2005. For instance, in an RTI application the reporters had filed on December 25, 2019, we had asked for information pertaining to the process of passing of CAA in the parliament. Specifically, we asked for photocopies of all files, including file notings, correspondences and records which were part of the process. The designated central public information officer B.C. Joshi responded in a letter dated Feb.29, denying us information. Joshi argued that India’s relations with foreign states could be affected if this information is made public. MHA also sent the same response to a separate RTI filed by The Wire that sought to inspect all files pertaining to the CAA’s approval by Union Cabinet. As Akshay Deshmane of Huffpost has reported, he also received the same response in the same words, when he sought to inspect all files relating to CAA. While defending CAA in January, Modi reprimanded opposition parties for not speaking out against Pakistan and the alleged atrocities against minorities in Pakistan.He also offered advice to citizens of India who have been protesting against the CAA, and once again brought up Pakistan. Thewire
Those who preach for refugees’ rights are opposing CAA meant for refugees: PM Modi
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/prime-minister-narendra-modi-citizenship-amendment-act-6302855/
New Delhi :Facing criticism from within and outside the country over CAA, PN Narendra Modi Friday hit out at those who “preach for rights of refugees the world over” but are opposing the CAA that is giving citizenship to persecuted minorities of neighbouring nations.Speaking at the Global Business Summit in New Delhi, Modi underlined his government’s “conviction to break status quo”, while defending contentious laws, including the Triple Talaq, abrogating Article 370 and amending the Citizenship Act.“There is nothing wrong with talking the right things. But these people have a particular hatred for people who are doing the right things,” he said. “So when changes are brought in status quo, they see this as disruptions,” he was quoted as saying by PTI.
CAA protests: Madras HC keeps in abeyance order to police to act against protesters
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/caa-protests-madras-hc-keeps-in-abeyance-order-to-police-to-act-against-protesters-6303094/
Chennai :A day after it directed Tirupur police to ensure that no more agitations in support of or against CAA are allowed without police permission, the Madras High Court on Friday decided to keep the order in abeyance till March 11.A division bench of Justice M M Sundresh and Justice Krishnan Ramaswamy had passed Thursday’s order on a petition filed by K Gopinath, a lawyer and president of a Hindu outfit.The same bench on Friday ruled that the interim order be kept in abeyance after submissions by senior lawyers raised questions on Gopinath’s credentials. They also argued that Thursday’s interim order should not have been issued without without hearing arguments of the peaceful anti-CAA protesters.indianexpress
CAA is against constitution, laws should not be made on basis of religion; Bhim Army chief
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/caa-is-against-constitution-laws-should-not-be-made-on-basis-of-religion-says-bhim-army-chief-chandrashekhar
Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad has taunted Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati saying that she has lost her way. He also said that one will have to work for the larger interest of the society to bring about equality. Only the speeches cannot improve the condition of the Dalits, their participation in power must increase.In an interview with IANS, Chandrashekhar said: "Members of minority community, Dalits and backward classes are being targeted in the country. Their rights are being taken away. Our workers want that they too should get equal share in political power. Keeping this in mind, we are going to form a new political party on March 15. Their (Dalits) issues will have to be raised. Mere speeches will not work for Bahujan society, one has to raise voice in their favour. They should get a share in power."IANS
SC agrees to hear journalist's plea challenging CAA, issues notice to Centre
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/sc-agrees-to-hear-journalist-s-plea-challenging-caa-issues-notice-to-centre-1653292-2020-03-07
The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a plea challenging the constitutional validity of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act filed by an activist.A bench comprising Chief Justice SA Bobde and justices BR Gavai and Surya Kant issued notice to the Centre on activist Saket Gokhale's plea and tagged them along with over 160 petitions challenging the CAA which are listed for hearing this month.The CAA, which was notified on January 10, grants Indian citizenship to non-Muslim minorities -- Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian -- who migrated to India from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh till December 31, 2014, following religious persecution.PTI
63 villages in Odisha to pass resolutions against CAA
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/63-villages-in-odisha-to-pass-resolutions-against-caa/article30994948.ece
63 tribal villages in Odisha’s Ganjam district are planning to pass resolutions in gram sabhas against NPR, NRC and CAA.These villages are expected to get the resolutions passed by March 15, which will be sent to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Ganjam District Collector. The resolutions will urge the Odisha government to pass a resolution in the Assembly against these ‘anti-people’ laws of the Centre.Organisations like Jan Jagran Abhiyan (JJA), Ganjam Zilla Gramsabha Samity (GZGS), Marjyadara Saha Banchibara Abhiyan (MSBA) that are opposing the NPR, the NRC, and the CAA have played a major role in motivating these tribals to conduct special gram sabha meetings.
*Coronavirus*
Coronavirus Outbreak: 3 more positive cases reported in India, total tally reaches 34
https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/coronavirus-outbreak-live-updates-march-7-1653309-2020-03-07
The new coronavirus has infected more than 1,00,000 across the world, including 33 people in India, and more countries are reporting their first cases. As the virus continues its global march, the director-general of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, told the global community on March 5 that the time had come to "pull out all the stops" to tackle the outbreak. First detected in China, the coronavirus causes a disease known as Covid-19, and the fatality rate reported by WHO is 3.4 per cent. In India, members of Parliament debated the government's response to the outbreak here as a week of washouts drew to a close. Stay tuned to this live blog for the latest updates. According to reports, there are no new positive cases of coronavirus in Kerala as of now.However, 637 people have been kept under observation and 20 have been released from quarantine today. Three more coronavirus cases were reported in India -- 2 from Ladakh, and one from Tamil Nadu. With this, the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country climbed to 34. Uttar Pradesh government has exempted its employees from using the biometric system to mark their attendance till March 31 in view of coronavirus, an official said on Saturday.As a precautionary measure to control the spread of coronavirus in Karnataka, the state government has planned to suspend biometric attendance for the time-being at its offices, also in corporate and IT companies, Medical Education Minister DrK Sudhakarsaid on Saturday.indiatoday
Death toll in Iran rises to 145; Iran lawmaker dies from coronavirus
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200307-coronavirus-death-toll-in-iran-rises-to-145/
The death toll in Iran from the coronavirus has climbed to 145, the country’s Health Ministry announced on today, Anadolu Agency reports.As many as 21 more people died of the COVID-19 disease as 1,076 new cases were reported across the country in the last 24 hours, spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour told a news conference in the capital Tehran. The latest figure brought the total number of infections to 5,823, said Jahanpour.Most of the new cases, he added, were in the provinces of Tehran, Qom, Gilan, Isfahan, Alborz, Markazi, and Qazvin.Earlier on Saturday, Iranian lawmaker Fatemeh Rahbar died from the virus.Rahber, a member of the Islamic Coalition Party, was hospitalized and taken to intensive care on Thursday, where she died.She was one of many public officials fighting the virus, including including a vice president, dozes of other members of parliament, and the deputy health minister.Turkey, where there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus, last month closed its land borders and suspended air travel to Iran.Besides Italy and South Korea, Iran is the worst-affected country since the outbreak of the disease in China last December.
Coronavirus cases top 100,000 as China exports dip
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/coronavirus-cases-surpass-100000-globally-live-updates-200306231605898.html
The number of cases from the new coronavirus has topped 100,000 worldwide as official Chinese data showed a significant hit to the country's exports after the outbreak caused massive disruptions to business operations and economic activity.WHO called the spread of the virus "deeply concerning" as a wave of countries reported on Saturday their first cases of the COVID-19 disease, which has now killed nearly 3,500 people and infected more than 100,000 across 92 nations and territories.In South Korea, authorities reported hundreds of new cases of infections on Saturday, bringing the total above 7,000, while the United States was battling to contain an outbreak on the Grand Princess cruise ship where 21 people have tested positive for the virus. Aljazeera
Satellite images reveal emptying famed sites, from Saudi to Iran
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/satellite-images-reveal-emptying-famed-sites-saudi-iran-200306204250963.html
Empty public squares, a ghostly train station and deserted holy sites - a series of striking satellite images have revealed the impact of the coronavirus epidemic on some of the world's busiest spaces.The aerial photographs, released by Colorado-based space technology firm Maxar Technologies, show normally bustling spots from Mecca to Beijing thinned of people.One image shows a handful of pilgrims circling the granite Kaaba at Mecca's Great Mosque - a sacred site usually thronged with worshippers from every corner of the Muslim world.Saudi Arabian authorities have suspended the year-round "Umrah" pilgrimage to Islam's holiest place, in a bid to stop the spread of the virus which has killed more than 3,000 people worldwide.Umrah, which can be completed in a few hours, is a pilgrimage that can be undertaken at any time of year, unlike the much more intensive and time-consuming Hajj - one of the five pillars of Islam performed during a few specific days each year.The move was in line with the "precautionary measures taken by Saudi authorities to prevent the spread of the virus" in the Gulf state, the official Saudi Press Agency said.Last week, Saudi Arabia said it was preventing foreigners from reaching the holy city of Mecca and the Kaaba, the building at the centre of the Great Mosque. It also said travel was suspended to Prophet Muhammad's mosque in Medina.This year's Hajj, which usually brings about three million people to Mecca, is expected to take place from July 28 to August 2. Authorities have not yet announced any restrictive measures; more than 60,000 people have applied to participate in this year's event already.An image above the Hazrat Masumeh Shrine in Qom shows one of Iran's most hallowed places virtually empty as its famed golden dome shimmers in the sunlight.Streets and courtyards around the shrine are similarly vacant.Iran is struggling to contain the virus, with a rising number of cases and deaths each day. As of Friday evening, those totalled 4,744 and 124, respectively.Friday prayers in all provincial capitals have been halted.Elsewhere, Tiananmen square lives up to its name as the Gate of Heavenly Peace, with only a couple of dozen cars passing by and no pedestrians to be seen.aljazeera
*J&K, SOUTH ASIA & india *
‘UN human rights body has been wrong on J&K, skirts issue of cross-border terror’: S Jaishankar
https://scroll.in/latest/955449/un-human-rights-body-has-been-wrong-on-j-k-skirts-issue-of-cross-border-terror-s-jaishankar
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday criticised UN Human Rights Council for expressing concern about the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, saying the organisation’s position on Kashmir has been wrong in the past as well, PTI reported. The minister made the remark in response to a query at Economic Times Global Business Summit held in Delhi. Jaishankar’s statement comes days after United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet expressed “great concern” over alleged violation of human rights in Jammu and Kashmir.When asked about Bachelet’s position on Kashmir, Jaishankar said that the director has been “wrong before”. “UNHRC skirts around cross-border terrorism as if it has nothing to do with country next door,” he added, referring to Pakistan. “Please understand where they are coming from – look at UNHRC’s record – how they handled Kashmir issue in past.”
Taliban is biggest gainer, India key loser from Trump's Deal:Ex envoy to Afghan Rakesh Sood
https://thewire.in/video/watch-taliban-is-the-biggest-gainer-and-india-a-key-loser-from-trumps-deal
One of India’s most distinguished former ambassadors to Afghanistan, who thereafter also served as ambassador in Nepal and France, Rakesh Sood, has said: “Taliban is the biggest gainer and India a key loser from Trump’s Taliban deal. Afghanistan’s future is bleak”. Sood says that the biggest loser is the Afghan people and,in particular, that age group of the population who were either born after the Taliban lost power in 2001 or came of age after that year. The Taliban’s refusal to accept Afghanistan’s constitution, democracy and civil liberties places in danger the environment and culture in which this demographic age group grew up.In a 40-minute interview to Karan Thapar for The Wire, Sood said that when political talks start on Monday between the Taliban and the Afghan government it will be a weak Afghan government that will be negotiating. This weakness is underlined by the fact that the US has pointedly not congratulated President Ashraf Ghani on his re-election. Since then, of course, US President Donald Trump has even begun to speculate about the possibility of the Taliban taking over in Kabul. The second reason for weakness on the Afghan government side is the split between Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani. Although Abdullah has ceased to be CEO, he is challenging Ghani’s election and has threatened to form a parallel government. All of this will put Afghan government side at a disadvantage when they sit down opposite the Taliban for talks.Speaking about India, Sood said that there were several critical senses in which India was a key loser in terms of the outcome of President Trump’s Taliban deal. First, this deal strengthens Pakistan and Taliban and, therefore, will create an adverse environment on India’s western borders. Second, the weakening of the Ghani govt – which may also soon cease to exist – and the possibility of a Taliban government means that India will have a considerably diminished role to play in Afghanistan’s development. Not only will India be less welcome if the Taliban come to power but the insecurity and instability in that country will be another disincentive.thewire
Pakistan does not want any security role for India in Afghan, says New Delhi always plays 'spoiler' in Kabul
https://www.firstpost.com/india/pakistan-does-not-want-any-security-role-for-india-in-afghanistan-says-new-delhi-always-plays-spoiler-in-kabul-8124101.html
Islamabad: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said Pakistan does not want any security role for India in Afghanistan as he accused New Delhi of playing the role of a "spoiler" in the war-torn country, according to a media report.After months of negotiations, US and Taliban signed a landmark peace deal in Qatari capital Doha on Saturday, effectively drawing curtains on US' 18-year war in Afghanistan since 2001.Qureshi said that Pakistan neither desires “any security role of India in Afghanistan”nor wants presence of militant organisations — Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State — in the landlocked country, The Nation reported. The foreign minister told Upper House that India had always played role of a spoiler, the report said."There were spoilers in the past and they are even today, within and outside Afghanistan, who want to get their own objectives," Qureshi said.Qureshi on Sunday also warned that "spoilers" could try to sabotage peace process in Afghanistan. He also said that Pakistan wanted to resolve all issues with Afghanistan bilaterally.Reiterating that Pakistan was never part of the peace talks and their role “has always been and will always be” that of a facilitator, the minister said Pakistan cannot give guarantee or take responsibility to peace in Afghanistan.PTI
Delimitation Commission for J&K, Assam, Manipur, Arunachal, Nagaland Formed
https://thewire.in/government/delimitation-commission-jk-assam-manipur-arunachal-nagaland
New Delhi: The government on Friday constituted a Delimitation Commission, to be headed by former Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, to redraw Lok Sabha and assembly constituencies of the Union Territory Jammu and Kashmir and the northeastern states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland, a law ministry notification said.Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra and state election commissioners of Jammu and Kashmir and the four states will be the ex-officio members, it said.The Commission will delimit the constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, and of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland in accordance with the provisions of the Delimitation Act, 2002, the notification said.Delimitation is the process of fixing limits or boundaries of territorial constituencies in a country or a province with a legislative body. The appointment of Justice (retd) Desai will be for a period of one year or till further orders, whichever is earlier, the notification said.thewire
Pulwama attack: NIA arrests two more persons for allegedly procuring chemicals, sheltering militants
https://scroll.in/latest/955412/pulwama-attack-nia-arrests-two-more-persons-for-allegedly-procuring-chemicals-sheltering-militants
NIA on Friday arrested two more persons, including the one who procured chemicals online for making the Improvised Explosive Device that was detonated during the attack on soldiers in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir.An unidentified official of NIA said the organisation arrested Waiz-ul-Islam, 19, of Srinagar’s Bagh-e-Mehtab locality and Mohammad Abbass Rather, 32, of Hakripora village in Pulwama district.scroll
J&K 'Apni Party' to Be Launched by Ex-PDP Leader Altaf Bukhari on Sunday
https://thewire.in/politics/jk-apni-party-to-be-launched-by-ex-pdp-leader-altaf-bukhari-on-sunday
Srinagar: A new political party called the ‘Jammu and Kashmir Apni (own) Party’ (JKAP) will be launched on Sunday and will be led by former state finance minister Syed Altaf Bukhari, with a primary aim of proving “relief to people who have been facing uncertainty since August 5 last year”.This will be the first political activity in Jammu and Kashmir after August 5 last year, the day the Centre withdrew the special status of the erstwhile state and bifurcated it into Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.“Yes, I am in politics accidentally but my idea of politics is different — I believe that it is a place where you can serve people to the best of your abilities,” said businessman-turned-politician Bukhari, who was part of PDP till he distanced himself from Mehbooba Mufti, whose government was reduced to minority after BJP withdrew support in June 2018.There were differences between Mufti and Bukhari over the functioning of the PDP.thewire
UK Court Says Indian Special Forces Helped Dubai Ruler Abduct His Daughter on High Seas
https://thewire.in/world/uk-court-india-dubai-sheikha-latifa
New Delhi: In a ruling about the future arrangements of the Dubai ruler’s two youngest children, a UK family court judgment has ruled that the account of the abduction of another daughter of his, Sheikha Latifa by Indian special forces commandos, is accurate and not contradicted by the father.In April 2019, Princess Haya bint Al Hussein, the UAE prime minister’s second official wife, fled to London with her 12-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son. A month later, the Emir of Dubai began legal action in the UK seeking the return of the children to Dubai.During these legal proceedings, one of the allegations made by Princess Haya was that Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum had masterminded the abduction of two of his eldest daughters from another marriage, Sheikha Shamsa and Sheikha Latifa.While Shamsa had been allegedly abducted from the UK in August 2000, the Emir had apparently orchestrated the forcible return of Latifa twice – once in 2002 from Oman and then from near the coast of India in 2018.The family judge gave a fact-finding judgment which went into the issues that were brought by Princess Haya as being relevant to the determination of the final arrangement for the two children. The fact-finding judgment was handed over on December 11, 2019, but was made public only on Thursday. thewire
*ECONOMY*
In biggest privatisation drive, Govt invites bids for sale of Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd
https://indianexpress.com/article/business/companies/govt-invites-bids-for-sale-of-bharat-petroleum-corp-ltd/
New Delhi :In the country’s biggest ever privatisation drive, the government on Saturday invited bids for the sale of its entire 52.98 per cent stake in India’s second biggest oil refiner Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL).Expressions of interest for the strategic sale of BPCL have been invited by May 2, as per the bid document by the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM).“The Government of India is proposing strategic disinvestment of its entire shareholding in BPCL comprising of 114.91 crore equity shares, which constitutes 52.98% of BPCL’s equity share capital along with transfer of management control to a strategic buyer (except BPCL’s equity shareholding of 61.65% in Numaligarh Refinery Limited),” it said.NRL stake will be sold to a state-owned oil and gas firm.The bidding will be a two-stage affair, with qualified bidders in the first expression of interest (EoI) phase being asked to make a financial bid in the second round.PSUs “are not eligible to participate” in the privatisation, the offer document said.Any private company having a networth of USD 10 billion is eligible for bidding and consortium of no more than four firms will be allowed to bid, it said.As per the bidding criteria, the lead member of the consortium must hold 40 per cent stake and others must have a minimum networth of USD 1 billion.PTI
This Gujarat co withdrew Rs 265 cr, hours before RBI moratorium on Yes Bank
https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/vmc-withdrew-rs-265-cr-from-yes-bank-in-the-nick-of-time-120030601491_1.html?fbclid=IwAR1BMTmFNDdW8l6nVCG4YShiZTQViv7XjdkXbI8K6zaumQNructsJA9r4Dw
On Thursday, RBI restricted withdrawals from Yes Bank to Rs 50,000 per depositor Vadodara Smart City Development Company, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC), withdrew Rs 265 crore from Yes Bank a day before the RBI imposed a moratorium, an official said on Friday.On Thursday, RBI restricted withdrawals from Yes Bank to Rs 50,000 per depositor due to the private lender's precarious financial situation.Sudhir Patel, chief executive officer of SPV and deputy municipal commissioner of the VMC, said the amount had been received from the Centre as part of a grant under the Smart City Mission and deposited with a local Yes Bank branch.It was withdrawn two days ago considering the problems faced by Yes Bank and transferred to a new account at Bank of Baroda, he informed.PTI
ED raids 3 more places in Delhi,Mumbai, investigates Yes Bank founder Rana Kapoor's daughters
https://www.indiatoday.in/business/story/yes-bank-rana-kapoor-daughters-ed-probe-raids-money-laundering-pmla-1653455-2020-03-07
Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday continued questioning Yes Bank founder Rana Kapoor in connection with a money laundering probe against him and others, officials said.The ED raided three more locations in Delhi and Mumbai on Saturday.Sources say, three more locations are being raided by the ED in Delhi and Mumbai. The agency has been already conducting raids at the residence of Rana Kapoor in Mumbai since Friday night.Apart from Rana Kapoor, family members including Rana Kapoor's daughters -- Rakhee Kapoor Tandon, Roshni Kapoor and Radha Kapoor -- are also being investigated.All three daughters of Rana Kapoor are also being investigated by the ED.indiatoday
No ATM Or Net Banking- Bank Withdrawal Only Option For Yes Bank Customers
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/yes-bank-crisis-no-atm-or-net-banking-bank-withdrawal-only-option-for-yes-bank-customers-2191596?pfrom=home-bigstory
New Delhi: Panicked Yes Bank customers were seen queuing up at the bank's ATMs at various locations, but to no avail as most of the money-dispensing machines have no cash, after the Reserve Bank placed the crisis-hit lender under a moratorium.However, many a customers said they were able to withdraw the stipulated amount of Rs 50,000 through cheques at Yes Bank branches.Customers are also facing trouble because net banking services are not working and some even complained that their credit cards are also not working.As the Reserve Bank has superseded the board of the private sector lender on a precarious financial condition and has appointed a former SBI executive as its administrator, customers cannot withdraw more than Rs 50,000 under the moratorium period till April 3, 2020.Several customers at a bank branch in central Delhi said they faced no problem while withdrawing the sum of Rs 50,000 through cheques.
No ATM Or Net Banking- Bank Withdrawal Only Option For Yes Bank Customers
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/yes-bank-crisis-no-atm-or-net-banking-bank-withdrawal-only-option-for-yes-bank-customers-2191596?pfrom=home-bigstory
New Delhi: Panicked Yes Bank customers were seen queuing up at the bank's ATMs at various locations, but to no avail as most of the money-dispensing machines have no cash, after the Reserve Bank placed the crisis-hit lender under a moratorium.However, many a customers said they were able to withdraw the stipulated amount of Rs 50,000 through cheques at Yes Bank branches.Customers are also facing trouble because net banking services are not working and some even complained that their credit cards are also not working.As the Reserve Bank has superseded the board of the private sector lender on a precarious financial condition and has appointed a former SBI executive as its administrator, customers cannot withdraw more than Rs 50,000 under the moratorium period till April 3, 2020.Several customers at a bank branch in central Delhi said they faced no problem while withdrawing the sum of Rs 50,000 through cheques.PTI
Yes Bank | In RBI bailout, SBI to pick up 49% stake for ₹2,450 crore
https://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/yes-bank-in-rbi-bailout-sbi-to-pick-up-49-stake-for-2-450-crore/article31003955.ece
Yes Bank fiasco part of financial mismanagement under BJP govt’s watch: Chidambaram
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/yes-bank-congress-p-chidambaram-rbi-bjp-government-6303877/
Former finance minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram Saturday blamed the BJP government for the Yes Bank fiasco and the mismanagement of financial institutions under their watch. In a statement to the media in the national capital, Chidambaram questioned the accountability of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Centre and asked why the government was not aware of the bank’s loan-giving spree. “Is no one in the RBI or government accountable? Which committee or who authorised the grant of new loans after March 2014? Were not the RBI and government aware that YES Bank was on a loan-giving spree?” he asked.
Use these debit, credit cards before March 16 else they will get permanently disabled
https://www.indiatoday.in/business/story/rbi-notification-credit-card-debit-card-1653472-2020-03-07
If you have a debit or credit card that you have never used so far but want to retain it, then go out and use it. If you don’t, your card will be permanently disabled from March 16.This follows a RBI notification that was put out on January 15.According to the notification, from March 16 online and contactless transaction facilities would be mandatorily disabled on those debit or credit cards that have been never used for such services ever before.RBI had asked all credit and debit card issuers, including banks, to disable online transactions and contactless payment services of all credit and cards that had never been used before.indiatoday
*OTHERS*
'Parted Ways With BJP, Not Hindutva': Uddhav Thackeray In Ayodhya
https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/india-news-parted-ways-with-bjp-not-hindutva-uddhav-thackeray-in-ayodhya/348409
Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday said that he had parted ways from the BJP but still believed in the idea of Hindutva."I parted ways with BJP, not with Hindutva. BJP does not represent Hindutva. Hindutva and BJP are separate," Thackeray said. Maharashtra Chief Minister will pay obeisance at the temple and take a 'darshan' of Hanumangarhi. But he is not scheduled to conduct 'Saryu aarti' nor take part in a public gathering. Speaking in Ayodhya, Thackeray said, "Today, I want to announce that not from the state govt, but from my trust, I offer an amount of Rs. 1 crore for the construction of Ram Temple here. It is just a small contribution from our part."Thackeray said, "It is an honour for me to come here. When I first came here it was not known when and how the Ram temple would be built here. I am here to seek blessings of Ram Lalla. It is my third visit in the last one and a half years. I will also offer prayers here today."I also wished to take a dip in the Saryu River, but as you know in the whole world these days there is an outbreak of coronavirus. And yesterday I urged people of my state to stay away from crowded areas. So I am not participating in the 'Aarti', but I will come back for it again," he said.outlookindia
Appoint Shiv Sena member on Ayodhya temple trust: MLA writes to PM Modi
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/appoint-shiv-sena-member-on-ayodhya-temple-trust-mla-writes-to-pm-modi/article31007716.ece?homepage=true
Maharashtra Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking appointment of a party leader as a member of the Ram Temple Trust formed to oversee construction of the temple in Ayodhya.Sarnaik also invoked Sena founder late Bal Thackeray’s contribution in the campaigning for the construction of temple.Sarnaik made the demand ahead of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s visit to the temple town on Saturday.In the 2-page letter, which Sarnaik said he had sent on Friday, MLA also said that Sena president Uddhav Thackeray too had campaigned hard for the cause of the temple.PTI
Bandh observed by Hindu, Muslim outfits in Coimbatore after mosques attack
https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/bandh-observed-by-hindu-muslim-outfits-in-coimbatore/1754955
Coimbatore:Hindu and Muslim outfits observed a dawn-to dusk bandh on Saturday to condemn the recent attack on a functionary of a saffron oufit and two mosques here. Almost all shops in the city downed shutters in response to the bandh call given by Hindu Munnani and Federation of Islamic Organisations. Hindu Munnani had on Thursday given the shutdown call to protest the attack on its district secretary Madukkarai Anand by unidentified men on Wednesday night, while Muslim outfits demanded that those involved in the attack on 2 places of worship here be arrested. Majority of private buses, autorickshaws and taxis stayed off roads, while government buses plied as usual with fewer passengers, police said. Over 2,500 police personnel and armed para military forces were deployed in and around the city, particularly communally sensitive areas. No untoward incidents were reported so far, they said. PTI
Groups supporting stirs can’t be barred from foreign funding: SC
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/groups-supporting-stirs-cant-be-barred-from-foreign-funding-sc-6303111/
The Supreme Court on Friday ruled that bandhs and hartals are a “legitimate means of dissent”, and an organisation which is not directly related to a political party but supports such activities cannot be deprived of “its legitimate right of receiving foreign contribution”.The court was hearing an appeal by Indian Social Action Forum (INSAF), a “registered society involved in resisting globalisation, combating communalism and defending democracy”, against the Delhi High Court judgment which dismissed its petition challenging Sections 5 (1) and 5 (4) of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 and Rules 3 (i), 3 (v) and 3 (vi) of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Rules, as violative of Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution.A bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and Deepak Gupta read down Rule 3 (vi) of Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Rules, 2011, and said that “any organisation which supports the cause of a group of citizens agitating for their rights without a political goal or objective cannot be penalised by being declared as an organisation of a political nature”.However, the top court rejected the contention that the provisions were unconstitutional.
Is the media today a watchdog or a lapdog, asks Hamid Ansari at IPI Award
https://www.theweek.in/news/india/2020/03/06/is-the-media-today-a-watchdog-or-a-lapdog-asks-hamid-ansari-at-ipi-award.html
"Dissent is at a discount,” said former vice president Hamid Ansari, while presiding over the International Press Institute’s event in New Delhi on Friday for the presentation of the Award for Excellence in Journalism, 2019. "Decades back, Nani Palkhivala had written about the duty of dissent as a fundamental obligation of the Indian citizen.Today, dissent is often considered unpatriotic, anti-national and seditious," he said. Speaking of the media, he asked, “Does it remain the watchdog of democracy or a mere lapdog of those who have obtained power to distort a liberal democracy into an illiberal one?” He emphasised that time was running out for India, since the world was “recording in meticulous detail our fall from grace.” He also pointed out that India's ranking in the global press freedom index had slipped. “We once took pride in the principles of the Constitution, in rule of law, in the accountability of the executive, independence of the judiciary [and] in our dedication to the maintenance of our composite culture. Today, we question many of these in deed if not in word.” 2019 IPI India Award for Excellence in Journalism was given to NDTV for the channel’s expose, anchored by Nidhi Razdan, of the conspiracy to scuttle the probe into the Kathua rape and murder.theweek
NDTV Wins Award For Kathua Reports: Full Text Of Nidhi Razdan's Speech
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/ndtv-wins-award-for-kathua-reports-full-text-of-nidhi-razdans-speech-2191195?pfrom=home-topstories
Making terror-accused MP is OK, asking questions is taboo, says Swara Bhaskar
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/making-terror-accused-mp-is-ok-asking-questions-is-taboo-says-swara-bhaskar?fbclid=IwAR38hMc_iq-wJAOXuHS0lg_6Zm7slDVhyQzJM79Pk_DtjLRK4_onwO2ceIE
In a swipe at the BJP, Bollywood actor Swara Bhaskar said in Gwalior on Friday that sending a terror-accused to Parliament is not considered an anti- national act, but asking questions is.She was apparently referring to the BJP's Pragya Singh Thakur, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, who won Lok Sabha election from Bhopal in 2019. "Sending a terror accused to Parliament by making her an MP is not anti-national, but those asking questions are labeled as traitors," the actor said, speaking at a seminar organised by the Madhya Pradesh government's Women and Child Welfare Department."I have the right to vote and like a good citizen I pay my taxes, but when I ask questions, a case of treason is registered against me," she added.PTI
Pehlu Khan lynching case: Juvenile Justice Board convicts two minors
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/pehlu-khan-lynching-case-juvenile-justice-board-convicts-two-minors/article31007297.ece
JAIPUR: Juvenile Justice Board in Alwar has held two minors guilty of participating in the murder of dairy farmer Pehlu Khan at Behror on Jaipur-Delhi National Highway in 2017. After the conviction of the teenagers, Board will pronounce the sentence against them under Juvenile Justice Act on Saturday.Khan, 55, a dairy farmer from Haryana, was waylaid by a mob of cow vigilantes on the highway on April 1, 2017, and killed on suspicion that he was smuggling cows. The Alwar sessions court acquitted 6 accused on August 14, 2019, giving them the benefit of the doubt on the basis of the police probe. State govt filed an appeal in Rajasthan High Court against the sessions court’s verdict after a Special Investigation Team pointed out loopholes in the probe earlier conducted by four investigating officers. Another juvenile, who is older than 16, is facing trial as an accused in a court in Behror, where his case was transferred because of the offence covered in the category of heinous crimes.Juvenile Justice Board, headed by Principal Magistrate Sarita Dhakad, is likely to announce the grounds of conviction of the two minors in its order of sentence on Saturday.thehindu
Relief for Rakesh Asthana as court accepts CBI clean chit
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/rakesh-asthana-cbi-special-court-1653429-2020-03-07
In a huge relief for former CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana, a CBI special court on Saturday took cognisance of the chargesheet filed by the investigation agency that had given him a clean chit.Rakesh Asthana was removed from the CBI after a case of bribery and extortion was lodged against him; he alleged that this was done at the behest of then CBI director Alok Verma.The court has accepted the chargesheet in which the CBI said no evidence was found against Rakesh Asthana. But a trial will now start against Manoj Prasad, his Someshwar Prasad and his father-in-law Sunil Mittal. The CBI chargesheet was only against Manoj Prasad, but the court found sufficient evidence to pursue the trial against Someshwar and Mittal.indiatoday
MP: Class 10 paper asks students to spot 'Azad Kashmir' in map, two suspended
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/madhya-pradesh-class-10-paper-students-spot-azad-kashmir-map-stirs-row-1653473-2020-03-07
A tricky question in a social science exam paper of Class 10 students in Madhya Pradesh stoked a major controversy on Saturday.In the question paper, the students were asked to mark "Azad Kashmir" -- an unofficial term used interchangeably for PoK -- in the Indian map.After getting the information of the objectionable question, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and Congress veteran Kamal Nath ordered an inquiry into the incident.The senior Congress leader said immediate action must be taken against the person who had set the question paper.Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education on Saturday suspended two persons who had set and moderated the Class 10 question paper, reported ANI.indiatoday
MP: 'Missing' Independent MLA Returns, Says He Supports Kamal Nath
https://thewire.in/politics/mp-missing-independent-mla-returns-says-he-supports-kamal-nath
Bhopal: Surendra Singh Shera, one of the four missing MLAs supporting the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh who went ‘missing’, returned here on Saturday and stated that he continues to be on the government’s side.The independent MLA from Burhanpur, who returned by an afternoon flight from Delhi, also denied that he had been abducted.Congress had alleged that the opposition BJP was trying to poach its MLAs to bring down the state government.3 Congress MLAs – Hardeep Singh Dang, Bisahulal Singh, and Raghuraj Kansana – are reportedly still untraceable.PTI
Free Entry for Women at all Monuments Under ASI on Sunday, Says Culture Ministry
https://thewire.in/women/free-entry-for-women-at-all-monuments-under-asi-on-sunday-says-culture-ministry
New Delhi: For the first time, entry will be free for all women visiting monuments under ASI across the country on International Women’s Day on Sunday, the culture ministry said.According to an order issued by the ministry, on March 8, no fee will be charged from women visitors at all the monuments under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).PTI
Bhima Koregaon case: SC extends interim protection from arrest for Navlakha, Teltumbde
https://scroll.in/latest/955448/bhima-koregaon-case-sc-extends-interim-protection-from-arrest-for-gautam-navlakha-anand-teltumbde
The Supreme Court on Friday extended till March 16 the interim protection from arrest granted to activists Gautam Navlakha and Anand Teltumbde in the Bhima Koregaon case, PTI reported.A bench comprising Justices Arun Mishra and Indira Banerjee said it will hear on March 16 the appeals filed by Navlakha and Teltumbde against a Bombay High Court order that rejected their anticipatory bail pleas.While refusing to grant anticipatory bail to Navlakha and Teltumbde on February 14, the court had extended their interim protection from arrest by four weeks so they could approach the top court.scroll
*WORLD*
Saudi detains king's brother, nephew in crackdown: Reports
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/saudi-arabia-detains-king-brother-nephew-crackdown-report-200307044407462.html
Saudi Arabia has detained two senior members of the royal family - Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, the younger brother of King Salman, and Mohammed bin Nayef, the king's nephew - according to reports citing sources with knowledge of the matter.Wall Street Journal reported the detentions of the two royals on Friday and said they related to an alleged coup attempt. Bloomberg also reported the detentions, quoting a source as saying that the pair were accused of "treason".Mohammed bin Nayef's younger brother, Prince Nawaf bin Nayef, had also been detained, according to the New York Times.There was no immediate comment by Saudi authorities.The detentions mark the latest crackdown by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, King Salman's son and the de facto ruler of the kingdom.Prince Mohammed, also known as MBS, has moved to consolidate power since replacing his cousin, Mohammed bin Nayef, as heir to the throne in 2017. Later that year, he arrested dozens of royals and business people, in what was billed as a move against corruption that was draining state coffers.But the crown prince has fuelled resentment among some prominent branches of the ruling family by tightening his grip on power and some question his ability to lead following the 2018 murder of prominent journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents and a major attack on Saudi oil infrastructure last year, sources have told Reuters news agency.The sources said royals seeking to change the line of succession view Prince Ahmed, King Salman's only surviving full brother, as a possible choice who would have the support of family members, the security apparatus and some Western powers. aljazeera
Saudi Crown Prince MBS orders arrest of 3 senior princes including King’s brother Bin Nayef
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200307-mbs-orders-arrest-of-3-senior-saudi-princes-including-kings-brother/
PA security services ‘brutally’ arrest Fatah MP in West Bank
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200307-pa-security-services-brutally-arrest-fatah-mp-in-west-bank/
On Friday, Palestinian Authority (PA) security services “brutally and barbarically” arrested Fatah MP Husam Khader from his house in the West Bank city of Nablus, his daughter, Amira Khader, revealed.On her Twitter page, Amira Khader announced: “[PA] Protective Security Services broke into our house, accompanied by the Joint Forces (formed to crackdown on Abbas foes) in Balata Refugee Camp [in Nablus] and took my father forcefully.”She added: “They took my father brutally and barbarically. I saw this brutality and barbarism in 2003 and 2011, when the Israeli occupation forces broke into our house and arrested my father. They attacked me as two armed officers prevented me from moving, pushed me and beat me.”Abuse, Oppression and Murder: The PA Does Israel’s Dirty Work in the West Bank Khader’s detention came following his criticism of PA President Mahmoud Abbas’s criticism of Palestinian doctors, who have been on industrial strike.
City of London revokes honour granted to Myanmar's Suu Kyi
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/city-london-revokes-honour-granted-myanmar-suu-kyi-200305152434073.html?fbclid=IwAR21JqHw8zyBiZxmdOraXjHzooqQQggiMb7nSAWeEreCPPNgzCZI9MP1Qj8
City of London Corporation (CLC) on Thursday revoked an honour granted to Aung San Suu Kyi over treatment of minority Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.Elected representatives on the body that runs London's historic centre and financial district voted to revoke the freedom of the city granted to Suu Kyi 3 years ago.This move in UK followed Suu Kyi's appearance, as Myanmar's civilian leader, at International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague in December to personally defend her country against allegations of rape, arson and mass killings against Rohingya victims.aljazeera
Trump: Taliban could 'possibly' seize power after US troops leave
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/trump-taliban-possibly-seize-power-troops-leave-200306160431549.html
US President Donald Trump has said the Taliban could "possibly" overrun US-backed Afghan government after foreign troops withdraw from the country as part of a deal signed last week. "Countries have to take care of themselves," Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday. "You can only hold someone's hand for so long."Asked if the Taliban could eventually seize power from the current US-backed government, Trump said it is "not supposed to happen that way but it possibly will"."We can't be there for the next 20 years. We've been there for 20 years and we've been protecting the country but we can't be there for the next - eventually, they're going to have to protect themselves," he said.Trump, who on Tuesday had a "good talk" during a phone call with a senior Taliban leader, added he did not know if the Afghan government had the ability to defend itself from fighters after foreign forces pull out. "I don't know. I can't answer that question," he said. "We'll have to see what happens."aljazeera
Over dozen ex British soldiers who fought in Afghan kill themselves within 2 months: independent.co.uk
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/british-veteran-soldiers-afghanistan-suicides-deaths-a9367856.html?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR0OFjbB6M6dHQ70_q_U0FX8_wSLEJzJNAPzHqG1_y1ErDvLkVgFntYODTo#Echobox=1583150725
More than a dozen former British soldiers who fought in Afghanistan have died by suicide in a short period of time, it has been reported.Times reported that some 14 former and serving army personnel are thought to have killed themselves in the past 2 months.MP Johnny Mercer told the newspaper in an interview he was concerned over the cluster of deaths involving a “specific unit that served at a specific time in Afghanistan… the bloodiest time”.The Minister for Defence People and Veterans was referring to veterans involved in Operation Herrick, which is the codename for all British operations conducted between 2002 and 2014 in Afghanistan.By the end of 2014, 453 soldiers died during Operation Herrick. According to Ministry of Defence (MoD), there were 29 coroner-confirmed suicides and open verdict deaths of army personnel who were previously deployed to Operation Herrick as of February 2018.
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Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 7:45 PM).
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