*INDIAN POLITICS*

End Nears. Sachin Pilot Is Now Ex Deputy Chief Minister

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/rajasthan-crisis-second-congress-crisis-meet-today-no-rsvp-from-sachin-pilot-10-points-2262280

Jaipur/ New Delhi: The Congress government in Rajasthan is on the brink just three months after the party lost Madhya Pradesh. Rebel leader Sachin Pilot was sacked as Deputy Chief Minister and removed as state party chief after he skipped two meetings of MLAs despite the leadership reaching out to him several times. Two more ministers who have joined him in his revolt were also dropped. Sachin Pilot was "ensnared" by the BJP to bring down the Ashok Gehlot government, the Congress said, announcing his expulsion from the cabinet. Sachin Pilot, whose demands reportedly included Chief Ministership, is set to be the next high-profile exit from the Congress after Jyotiraditya Scindia, following an almost identical script.

Rajasthan Crisis Updates: After Pilot’s exit, state Cabinet and council of minister to meet today evening

 

‘Compelled to take decision, it was a huge conspiracy’: CM Gehlot after Cong axes Sachin Pilot from cabinet

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/compelled-to-take-decision-it-was-a-big-conspiracy-ashok-gehlot-after-congress-axes-sachin-pilot-from-state-cabinet/story-LWIY9sbdX3vtoBqbYabrSP.html

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday blamed BJP for conspiring and resorting to horse-trading in Rajasthan which led to the current crisis. He also said that there is nothing in Sachin Pilot’s hands, it’s the BJP which is running the show.“The high command was compelled to take the decision because since a long time BJP was conspiring and resorting to horse-trading. We knew it was a huge conspiracy; now some of our friends went astray because of it and went to Delhi,” Gehlot said after meeting Governor Kalraj Mishra and dropping Pilot and two other ministers from his cabinet.“There is nothing in Sachin Pilot’s hands, it is the BJP which is running the show. BJP has arranged that resort and they are managing everything. The same team which worked in Madhya Pradesh is at work here,” he added.

 

BJP says Sachin Pilot is welcome to join party, wants Gehlot to face floor test right away

https://theprint.in/politics/sachin-pilot-welcome-to-join-bjp-gehlot-must-face-floor-test-right-away-says-rajasthan-mp/460573/

New Delhi: BJP vice-president Om Prakash Mathur Tuesday said Sachin Pilot, who has been sacked as the Rajasthan deputy chief minister and as state Congress president, was welcome to join the party. In an exclusive interview to ThePrint, Mathur, the Rajya Sabha MP from Rajasthan, also said Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot should face a floor test right away.   “The BJP is a big party and we will be happy to accommodate him if he (Pilot) decides to join us. We welcome everyone to join BJP, including Congressmen,” Mathur said. “The Congress is a sinking ship and people are deserting it to join the BJP.” On Gehlot’s charges that the BJP was indulging in horse trading, Mathur said, “Gehlotji is saying that the BJP is offering MLAs money, indulging in horse trading. Tell me one thing. Is his own house in order?” He added, “You removed your own pradesh committee president who is also the deputy chief minister. Was he corrupt? He was demanding his due. Before making allegations, look within your own party and culture. Your young politicians are feeling suffocated as there is no mechanism in the Congress to hear them out. Gehlot should immediately face a floor test.”

 

 

Before Polls, CBI Charge Sheet to Nitish's 'Trusted' Officer Rekindles Srijan Scam Politics in Bihar

https://thewire.in/politics/srijan-scam-cbi-chargesheet-nitish-sushil-modi-kp-ramaiah

CBI has issued a charge sheet against former IAS officer K.P. Ramaiah, among 59 others, in connection with the Rs 2000-crore Srijan scam. The timing of the charge, in the run up to the Assembly elections due just before November in Bihar, has created quite the flutter in the ruling establishment.Ramaiah is the second former district magistrate of Bhagalpur – the nerve centre of the mega-scam – to have been charge-sheeted by the CBI. The first one was Birendra Kumar Yadav, a special secretary at the state government’s social welfare department.But it is the charge sheet against Ramaiah that is said to have created “anxiety” particularly in the ranks of the ruling Janata Dal United. This is because Ramaiah was a “blue eyed” officer of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The extent to which Nitish liked Ramaiah was evident from the fact that the IAS officer, originally belonging to Andhra Pradesh, joined JDU after voluntarily retiring from service and contested the Lok Sabha elections from Sasaram as a JDU candidate against Congress’s Meira Kumar, unsuccessfully, in 2014.

 

 

 

*INDIA- ISLAMOPHOBIA, HUMAN RIGHTS & OTHERS*

Kapil Mishra's Ultimatum Went Viral, But Police Says No Evidence Yet Of Politicians Instigating Delhi Riots

https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/kapil-mishra-delhi-police-no-evidence-riots_in_5f0d5509c5b6df6cc0b0aa45

Four months after the Delhi riots in which more than 50 people were killed, the Delhi Police has told the High Court that its investigations so far have not revealed any evidence showing political leaders instigating or participating in the violence, according to reports.The police also told the court that “no involvement of any police officials has been found” in rioting so far, according to Indian Express.The police’s submission to the Delhi High Court came in response to pleas alleging that BJP leaders Kapil Mishra, Anurag Thakur, Parvesh Verma and Abhay Verma gave hate speeches, leading to the violence, PTI reported.PTI also reported that another plea had alleged Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, as well as AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Amanatullah Khan, and AIMIM MLA Waris Pathan also gave hate speeches. “It is submitted that during the investigations conducted so far in all the aforesaid matters related to north-east Delhi riots, no actionable evidence has yet surfaced indicating any role being played by the persons named in the writ petitions in instigating and/or participating in the riots,” the police said in its affidavit, which was placed before the bench on Monday. The next date of hearing is 21 July.

 

Meet Lawyer Fighting 50 Delhi Riot Cases, Almost Half For Free

https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/abdul-gaffar-lawyer-delhi-riots-delhi-police_in_5f0c8f0fc5b63cbc5eae17b1?ncid=fcbklnkinhpmg00000001&fbclid=IwAR2gm-2XQw0e_fKTJRsns1qfZD1nml8L765671AqatmkEmQu2V0tJl0-WNo

NEW DELHI: Abdul Gaffar, a 40-year-old criminal lawyer, is defending close to 50 cases related to Delhi riots in Feb, almost half of them for free, but there is another communal riot from seven years ago that he cannot forget. In 2013, Gaffar’s elderly uncle was killed by a mob in Muzaffarnagar riots that swept through western UP. “Village sarpanch, who is Hindu, rushed over and moved my family to his  house before the mob arrived. But my uncle said, ‘I’m 75-years-old, who will beat me? I have raised all these boys.’ He said, ‘You go and I will stay here.’ The mob entered the house, and hacked him into 4 or 5 pieces,” said Gaffar, his voice low and matter-of-fact. His uncle’s grandson, Gaffar said, is a soldier in the Indian army. “When you are in the legal field, people expect you to get things done,” Gaffar said. “I called everyone I could think of to inform them of the murder and ask his body be removed, but no one responded. I cannot explain to you how helpless I felt that day.”Gaffar said that if death of his maternal uncle stays with him till today, so do the actions of the Hindu village chief who saved his family from the mob. If most of his clients are Muslim, half the junior lawyers working with him are Hindu. As a criminal lawyer, he said, he is happy to take on Hindu clients, but a communal riot erodes trust. Families of two Hindu men accused in the riots who had approached him in March, and whose vakalatnama (power of attorney) he obtained, later dispensed of his services. HuffPost India

 

India records daily 5 deaths in custody ; most victims from Muslim, Dalit and marginalised communities : Report

http://muslimmirror.com/eng/india-records-daily-five-deaths-in-custody-most-victims-from-muslim-dalit-and-marginalised-communities-report/

New Delhi:  A total of 1,731 persons died in custody in India during 2019 which comprises  almost five such deaths daily and most of the victims belong to the poor and marginalised communities including  Dalit, tribal and Muslim. This was revealed in the annual report on torture by the rights group United NGO Campaign Against Torture (UNCAT) which is a platform for action of the NGOs committed to stamp out torture worldwide.NCAT  in its “India: Annual Report on Torture 2019” released Friday  on the occasion of the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture stated that a total of 1,731 persons died in custody during 2019 i.e. death of about five persons daily. These included 1,606 deaths in judicial custody and 125 deaths in police custody.  While during 2018, a total of 1,966 custodial deaths were reported including 147 deaths in police custody and 1,819 deaths in judicial custody. These figures do not reflect the extent and actual incidents of custodial death and torture in the country”, warned the report.Paritosh Chakma, Director of the NCAT, stated that “Out of the 125 deaths in police custody, 75 persons or 60% belonged to the poor and marginalised communities. These included 13 victims from Dalit and tribal communities, 15 victims belonged to Muslim minority community, 37 victims were picked up for petty crimes such as theft/ burglary/ cheating/ selling of liquor illegally, gambling, etc which indicate their economic status.muslimmirror

 

 

Gym operator, journalism student from Pune planned terror activities with Kashmiri couple arrested for IS links: NIA

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/pune-nia-islamic-state-6504171/

A gymnasium operator and a journalism student, arrested by NIA from Pune for their alleged links with the Islamic State (IS), were taken to Delhi on Monday for further investigation. The duo will be questioned over their alleged links with a Kashmiri couple from Delhi, who were accused of having affiliations with the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), a banned terror organisation that is part of IS. NIA had arrested the two — Nabeel Khatri (27), who runs a gymnasium in Pune and Sadiya Shaikh (22), a student of mass communication at a Baramati college — on Sunday. Khatri has been accused of helping plan “violent terrorist attacks”, while Sadiya was allegedly trying to “build up a cadre of IS in India”.According to the NIA, both Khatri and Sadiya Shaikh were allegedly in contact with the Kashmiri couple, Jahanazaib Sami Wani and his wife Hina Bashir Beigh, who were arrested in a case initially registered with the Delhi Police’s Special Cell on March 8 this year.When The Indian Express visited the residential society in Kondhwa where Khatri lives, none of his family members were available for comment. Sources said Khatri has been on the radar of central intelligence agencies since 2017, and was being watched for his association with persons with a “radical Islamic mindset”.Sadiya’s mother said, “They (NIA officials) came to our house around 12.30 pm on Sunday and spoke to Sadiya at length. We fully cooperated with them from the beginning but they did not answer any of our questions. We wanted to know what the case is, what the charges are and what does she have to do with any of it. But they told us nothing. At 8.45 pm, they told us they were taking her with them. We asked why she was being taken away, but got no answer. We want to know what is going on.”

 

Despite lockdown, no let-up in hate crime and violence against Christians in India : Evangelical Commission

http://muslimmirror.com/eng/despite-lockdown-no-let-up-in-hate-and-targeted-violence-against-christians-in-india-evangelical-commission/

New Delhi: Releasing half-yearly report on violence against  minority Christian community in India, the Religious Liberty Commission of  Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFIRLC) said it registered 135 cases of  lynching, community ostracization and concerted efforts to stop worship and gospel-sharing  in the first 6 momentous and eventful months of 2020.Evangelical Commission demanded that the center should enact a comprehensive national legislation against targeted and communal violence and enforce rule of law and arrest members of groups promoting sectarian hate, violence and involving in pre-orchestrated programs of levelling false accusations of conversions upon Christian priests and missionaries.It said targeted hate and violence against Christians in major states and National Capital New Delhi has seen manifold increase despite Corona pandemic lockdown.“The absolute sense of impunity generated in the administrative apparatus of India by the Corona pandemic lockdown, and the consequent absence of civil society on the streets and in the courts, has aggravated the environment of targeted hate and violence against Christians in major states and the NCR.”33-page Report titled “Hate and Targeted Violence Against Christians In India” stated that the situation has worsened as even in normal times, the police were loath to register cases while communally motivated crime is either unreported, or under reported.

 

Demand for new church at Telangana Secretariat grows after mosque-temple row

https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/demand-new-church-telangana-secretariat-grows-after-mosque-temple-row-128590

 Federation of Telugu Churches (FTC) has requested the state government to build a church on the new Telangana Secretariat premises. Following damage to two mosques and a temple during the construction of the complex, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao promised to rebuild them. Claiming that church services were always held in the old Secretariat, the Federation urged the Chief Minister to construct a church along with a mosque and a temple in the proposed complex.While demolishing the existing structures last week, the authorities also damaged the mosques and temple, sparking protests from both communities and the opposition parties.The Chief Minister expressed his regret over the incident and promised that the government will rebuild them as part of the new complex.IANS

 

AIMIM workers protest razing of mosque in sectt

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/millat-workers-protest-razing-of-mosque-in-sectt/articleshow/76936291.cms

HYDERABAD: Workers of the All India Majlis-e-Inqualabe-Millat (AIMIM) on Sunday staged a protest against the demolition of places of worship within the secretariat’s premises and demanded the government rebuild the mosques at the same place. Party workers burnt effigies of chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, home minister Mahmood Ali and state waqf board chairman Mohammed Saleem outside the Millat party office.

 

SC asks UP to file status report on Vikas Dubey encounter by July 16

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/sc-asks-up-to-file-status-report-on-vikas-dubey-encounter-by-july-16/story-j8H38MG3haIqs9pDyTlq6O.html

New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Tuesday posted petitions seeking a court-monitored probe into the killing of gangster Vikas Dubey in Kanpur by the Special Task Force of the Uttar Pradesh Police for July 20.It also asked the UP government to file a status report in the Vikas Dubey case by Thursday. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appearing for UP government volunteered to file a report on the steps they have taken so far.A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India S A Bobde said that it is open to form a judicial committee to probe the incident. An order in this regard has not been passed yet.The Court said that this is something which the Court will do reluctantly. However, since there was a precedent of forming a judicial committee to probe a similar encounter killing in Telangana in December 2019, the Court was willing to pass a similar order in this case too.

 

 

 

*SOUTH ASIA, INDO-PAK & J&K*

High production costs, compliance burden won’t let India emulate China, says PM’s advisor

https://theprint.in/economy/high-production-costs-compliance-burden-wont-let-india-emulate-china-says-pms-advisor/460838/

New Delhi: Emulating China may not be easy for India, given the high cost of production locally as well as the large compliance burden faced by firms, according to V. Anantha Nageswaran, member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council.Speaking at a virtual panel discussion organised by the S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research, Nageswaran made a case for reducing the number of rules and regulations for businesses.“Emulating China from where we are, with the kind of high cost of production and the legislative and compliance burden that our businesses carry, is not going to happen. Right now, that is why Vietnam and Mexico and Bangladesh are getting the industries moving out of China and not India. We need to face up to the fact that we are not there yet,” Nageswaran said.

 

 

Several myths,references about Shri Ram, places associated with him, PM simply highlighting importance of further studies: Nepal clarifies

https://www.oneindia.com/international/not-meant-to-debase-ayodhya-s-significance-nepal-clarification-on-pm-oli-s-remark-on-lord-ram-3119675.html

A day after Nepal PM KP Oli claimed that the real Ayodhya was in Nepal, country's foreign ministry has issued a statement saying that they are not meant to debase the significance of Ayodhya and the cultural value it bears.  "The remarks not linked to any political subject and have no intention to hurt anyone's feelings, they are not meant to debase the significance of Ayodhya and the cultural value it bears," said the ministry in a statement. "As there have been several myths and references about Shri Ram and the places associated with him, Prime Minister was simply highlighting the importance of further studies and research of the vast cultural geography Ramayana represents to obtain facts about Shri Ram, Ramayana and the various places linked to this rich civilization. The remarks were not meant to debasing the significance of Ayodhya and the cultural value it bears," the statement said.

 

On PM Oli’s Ayodhya claim, Congress and BJP leaders on same page

 https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/on-pm-oli-s-bizarre-ayodhya-claim-congress-and-bjp-leaders-on-same-page/story-xxeZzzBhVjALgMEC8kUKFM.html

From seers in Ayodhya to politicians in Lucknow and New Delhi, Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was roasted on Tuesday for his claim that “real” Ayodhya lies in Nepal, not in India and that Lord Ram was born in Thori in southern Nepal.  One of the first responses to PM Oli came from Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, who heads the trust set up on the Supreme Court’s orders to build a temple. Mahant Nritya Gopal Das asked PM Oli to keep Lord Ram out of his politics. “PM Oli must know that Lord Ram was a ‘chakravarti’ emperor and Nepal was also a part of his kingdom. Ties between India and Nepal are even older than history,” he said. Sharad Sharma, spokesperson of VHP in Ayodhya, suspected that communist China appeared to be prompting PM Oli to make the “absurd” claim. “All religious scriptures prove that Lord Ram was born in Ayodhya in India,” he said.PM Oli’s comment did appear to have achieved the rare feat of bringing two Congress and BJP leaders on the same.Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi tweeted a sharp attack at PM Oli, saying he seems to have “lost his mental balance or is a puppet and parrot-like mouthing lines scripted by #desperate Chinese”.BJP leader and Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya appeared to share Singhvi’s assessment.

 

Kashmir: Prisoner Detained Under Public Safety Act Tests Positive for COVID

https://thewire.in/rights/kashmir-prisoner-jail-public-safety-act-covid-19

Srinagar: A prisoner jailed under the controversial Public Safety Act (PSA), which allows detention without a trial for up to two years, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Kashmir, raising questions about the health of other PSA prisoners lodged in jails within and beyond Jammu & Kashmir.The first prisoner to test positive for COVID-19 virus in J&K is Zahoor Ahmad Bhat of Trehgam, Kupwara, who has been detained under the PSA since 2018.Sheroz Ahmad, superintendent of Anantnag Jail, said a sample taken from Bhat had been sent for COVID-19 testing on July 6, after he developed a mild fever and cough.“His report arrived on July 10, showing that he had tested positive for the virus. After this, we took samples of 350 persons, including 200 jail inmates, for COVID-19 testing,” Ahmad told The Wire.Bhat is the brother of Muhammad Maqbool Bhat, who was hanged in Tihar jail in 1984 and buried there.Members of Bhat’s family said they had been informed by the jail authorities on Friday morning that he had not been feeling well and had been taken to the district hospital in Anantnag.“Jail authorities told us over the phone that we could go to the hospital to meet him,” said Bhat’s nephew, Zahid Mazoor Bhat. “When we got there, we were shocked to learn that he had tested positive for COVID-19. We couldn’t meet him because he had been quarantined.”

 

 

First time since 1947, Kashmir Martyrs' Day won't be observed

http://www.asianage.com/india/crime/130720/first-time-since-1947-kashmir-martyrs-day-wont-be-observed.html

For the first time since 1947, Kashmir martyrs' day will not be observed at official level in Jammu and Kashmir.It has been reliably learnt that no official event will take place in J&K on Monday to commemorate the occasion. Also, it is not yet clear if a government representative will visit the ‘Mazaar-e-Shohada’ in Srinagar’s Khawaja Bazaar area to pay obeisance to the martyrs of July 13, 1931 or not. Last year, Khurshid Ahmad Ganai, one of the advisors to the then Governor, Satya Pal Malik, had visited the historic cemetery to offer floral tributes to the 1931 martyrs. He was accompanied by senior govt and police officials including the then Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir, Baseer Ahmad Khan, who is now serving as an advisor to the J&K Lieutenant Governor, Girish Chandra Murmu. They too had laid wreaths over the graves of the martyrs and, in order to follow the tradition, a contingent of J&K police had posted the bugle and presented the ceremonial guard of honour to the martyrs.However in January this year- six months after the erstwhile state was stripped of its special status and split up into two Union Territories on August 5 last year- govt cancelled the gazetted holiday on July 13 in J&K, the decision which evoked widespread condemnation by local political parties.ASIAN AGE

 

 

 

*CORONAVIRUS- LOCKDOWN*

 

Bihar bans public transport, mass gatherings during 16-day lockdown, here’s the list of restrictions and exceptions

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/bihar-bans-public-transport-mass-gatherings-during-16-day-lockdown-here-s-the-list-of-restrictions-and-exceptions/story-LGAQ3VU1Mg59oWgwd8zsAI.html

Bihar has attributed its decision to clamp a 16-day-long lockdown in the state beginning July 16 to an “alarming surge” in Coved-19 cases, The total number of positive cases registered so far in the state are nearing 20,000-mark with 1,432 new cases on Tuesday taking the toll to 18,853, as per the data released by the state government. The crisis management group of the state government today met to take stock of the situation following which the government said it was convinced that the requirement for a lockdown was “inevitable” and “urgent” to contain further spread of the pandemic in the state.Offices of the government of India its autonomous/subordinate offices and public corporation shall remain closed.Exceptions – Security forces, public utilities, disaster management, power generation and post offices allowed to function with the minimum number of employees. Offices of the state government, its autonomous/subordinate officers and public corporation shall remain closed.Exceptions – Security forces, fire and emergency, disaster management, elections, public utilities, food and civil supplies, agriculture, animal husbandry, municipal bodies, forest officers, offices of social welfare. Commercial and private establishments shall be closed down.Exceptions – Shops and services related to food, grocery and agriculture inputs along with banks, IT and related services, print and electronic media, internet, telecommunication, e commerce, petrol pumps, power generation etc are exempted.Restaurants allowed to open but to only exercise home delivery option. All transport services will be suspended.Exceptions- Air and rail transport, taxis, auto rickshaws, private vehicles for permitted activities, essential service providers, business transportation vehicles. All places of worship shall be closed for public participation. No religious congregation will be permitted without exception.All social, political, academic, entertainment, sports, cultural and religious gatherings and functions will be prohibited. Stadiums will be allowed to open without spectators.

 

Maharashtra: Muslim leaders seek govt intervention for Bakri Eid preparations

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/muslim-leaders-seek-govt-intervention-for-bakri-eid-preparations/articleshow/76944205.cms
MUMBAI: After the Maharashtra government issued guidelines for celebration of Ganesh Utsav in the state, several Muslim leaders have written to the chief minister Uddhav Thackeray to immediately take necessary decisions on Bakri Eid festival which is falling on August 1.With just 17 days left the community leaders are concern on the government preparedness and arrangements of cattle mandis (makeshift market) in the city in the wake of outbreak of pandemic.Community leaders Senior NCP leader Nawab Malick, Amin Patel, Samajwadi party president Abu Asim Azmi, Congress MLAs Zeeshan Siddiqui and Rais Shaikh met Guardian Minister Aslam Shaikh on Monday and discussed a plan on how to organise the festival without violating the social distancing and lockdown norms."As the government has come out with preparedness on the Ganesh festival, no decision has been taken on Bakri Eid. Its high time that the government should immediately make a SOP and issue guidelines on the sale and slaughtering of cattle. Festival of sacrifice is an important religious festival binding on every Muslim and hence I have written to chief minister and home minister Anil Deshmukh to immediately take a call on it," said former minister Arif Naseem Khan.

 

Traders, buyers of sacrificial animals lie low ahead of Bakr-Eid

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ludhiana/traders-buyers-of-sacrificial-animals-lie-low-ahead-of-bakr-eid/articleshow/76947120.cms

Ludhiana: Even as the festival of Eid-ul-Zuha, or Bakr-Eid, is less than three weeks away, the sheep/ goat traders in the city are in no hurry to stock sacrificial animals, as they are not sure whether their sale will be allowed amid the Covid-19 pandemic this year.Sacrificing animals has been the main ritual associated with Bakr-Eid, and the members of Muslim community, who can afford buying animals, do so weeks in advance.“Last year around this time, we had started selling sheep and goats for Bakr-Eid, but this year, there is no clarity whether sale of animals will be allowed at Bakra Mandi. I will be going to Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur and surrounding areas to get the stocks. However, compared to last year, I will bring only around 25% animals. Lockdown and subsequent slump in businesses has badly affected people’s purchasing power. As per our estimates, nearly 75% of the community members will not buy animal this year,” said Haji Ehsaan, a prominent sheep merchant of Ludhiana.Those in the trade feel that of the around seven lakh Muslim population in Ludhiana, only around one lakh would buy animals for sacrifice on Eid.

 

 

India’s daily Covid-19 growth rate has declined around 28% since March: Govt

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-s-daily-covid-19-growth-rate-has-declined-around-28-since-march-govt/story-bGwIYcV2EJVlhJnHqQaLGJ.html

The Centre on Tuesday presented a slew of data to highlight the positive aspects of India’s measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic since its outbreak. The government pointed out that the daily rate of growth of the disease was declining in India and that the high infection rate was restricted to a few states in the country.“If you look, the daily growth rate in March was around 31%, it reduced to 9% in May and around 5 % by the end of May and if you look at the figures as on July 12, it has come down to 3,24%. There has been a progressive decline in the daily growth rate of new cases,” said Rajesh Bhushan, secretary, ministry of health.

He added that this important statistic often gets missed due to the tendency to focus on the total number of positive cases reported daily.He argued that even in terms of absolute numbers, the difference between the recovered cases and the active cases was increasing with each passing day.Highlighting another important aspect, Bhushan underlined that 86% of all positive cases registered so far in India are limited only to 10 states.On cases per million, the official cited that the world average of 1,638 cases per million was significantly higher than India’s 657 cases per million, which, when compared with eight worst affected countries, was even more impressive.Similarly, he added that India had recorded 17.2 deaths per million compared to a world average of 73 casualties per million.Its tally on Tuesday crossed the 9 lakh-mark with a total of 906,752 coronavirus patients registered till date since the outbreak. 571,459 of these patients have recovered while 23,727 have succumbed to death. The number of active cases stands at 311,565.

 

Union minister in quarantine after meeting BJP J-K chief who tested Covid +ve

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/union-minister-in-quarantine-after-meeting-bjp-j-k-chief-who-tested-covid-ve/story-9hTdBTSXgPmsjdF3OoHX3N.html

Union minister of state Dr Jitendra Singh on Tuesday went into self quarantine with “immediate effect” after he got to know that the Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief whom he met on July 12 has tested positive for coronavirus.“Have gone into Self-Quarantine with immediate effect from 4 PM today, after receiving the news about Corona positive test of J&K BJP President Sh Ravinder Raina who had accompanied us from Srinagar to Bandipora on 12th July,” Dr Jitendra Singh said in a Twitter post.Sources confided to HT that Ravinder Raina, the “vociferous” BJP leader, has been hospitalised in Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Narayana Super Specialty hospital in Kakryal in Reasi district.

 

As COVID Sweeps Karnataka, ASHA Workers, AYUSH Doctors Strike for Better Pay

https://thewire.in/rights/covid-19-karnataka-asha-workers-ayush-doctors-strike-pay

On July 12, Karnataka recorded its highest single-day jump with 2,798 fresh cases and 71 deaths. With COVID-19 tightening its grip, Bengaluru urban and rural will be locked down for a week from July 14.On a parallel front, the 42,000 odd ASHA (accredited social health activists) workers across the state ‒ who have acted as a resilient workforce against COVID-19 ‒ have boycotted their work and are on an indefinite strike since July 10. They are demanding a fixed salary of Rs 12,000 per month and have given authorities time until July 15 to accept their pleas, threatening mass resignation otherwise.

 

“Unbelievable”: Sambit Patra, other BJP functionaries condole Hindu outfit leader’s death of COVID-19 in Kolkata

http://www.jantakareporter.com/india/unbelievable-sambit-patra-other-bjp-functionaries-condole-hindu-outfit-leaders-death-of-covid-19-in-kolkata/297634/

Tapan Ghosh, founder of radical outfit Hindu Samhati, has died in Kolkata after contracting COVID-19. Several BJP leaders including Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta and Sambit Patra have condoled Ghosh’s death.Swapan Dasgupta tweeted “Tapan Ghosh died this evening. He was one of the most dedicated soldiers fighting for Hindu Unity and Sanghthan in West Bengal. He gave his live to this cause, inspiring thousands through personal example. He will always be remembered and provide constant inspiration. Om Shanti”BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra tweeted, “Unbelievable ॐ शान्ति🙏”Ghosh was receiving treatment for COVID-19 at a Kolkata hospital. He had shot to fame in 2018 when his supporters beat up media persons in Kolkata as they tried to speak to the ‘Muslim family’ that the outfit claimed to have converted to Hinduism at a special event.

 

22 states match WHO standard of 140 Covid tests/day per million, Gujarat & Bengal lag behind

https://theprint.in/health/22-states-match-who-standard-of-140-covid-tests-day-per-million-gujarat-bengal-lag-behind/460837/

New Delhi: The central government has directed states to scale up testing for the novel coronavirus disease to 140 tests per day per million population, in line with what the World Health Organization (WHO) considers a comprehensive testing volume.Currently, 22 states are already testing as much, according to the data shared by the health ministry Tuesday at a joint press conference with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). India is conducting about 201 tests per day per million population.Among the high disease burden states, Delhi’s testing rate is the highest — 977.98 tests per day per million population. Maharashtra is doing about 197 and Tamil Nadu 563.Gujarat and West Bengal though were among the states with a low testing rate.

 

*WORLD*

 

After US sanctions, UK bans Huawei from 5G networks

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/after-us-sanctions-uk-bans-huawei-from-5g-networks/story-JjT6nDdia2Drs3PY0Y3jkL.html

London:Boris Johnson government on Tuesday announced the removal of existing equipment of Chinese Huawei by 2027 and a ban on buying new equipment from the company from December 31 this year, reflecting an escalation of tensions with Beijing.China has warned the UK of consequences if it were to ban Huawei. The decision follows pressure from the United States government, which has also banned the company as part of its sanction, and a technical review by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NSC) in response to US sanctions.Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden said in a statement to the House of Commons: “By the time of the next election we will have implemented in law an irreversible path for the complete removal of Huawei equipment from our 5G networks”.

 

 

 

 

*views, Articles, FEATURES*

TV anchors outrage over Uyghurs in China, but stay quiet about Indian Muslims:KAIRVY GREWAL

https://theprint.in/opinion/pov/tv-anchors-outrage-over-uyghurs-in-china-but-stay-quiet-about-indian-muslims/459921/

Democracies in both India and the US face a similar internal challenge:Rajmohan Gandhi

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/india-like-the-us-modi-trump-6504204/

How the pandemic is depriving lovers of Urdu literature of their environment for enjoyment:Mahtab Alam

https://scroll.in/article/967400/how-the-pandemic-is-depriving-lovers-of-urdu-literature-of-their-environment-for-enjoyment?fbclid=IwAR3k3-LjGslCdSCG51JVYqH9t4daAdj_2tNB1xLE8t3RgePDYSQ-60-aw6s

With Sachin Pilot Sacked, What Happens Now in Rajasthan?Shruti Jain and Ajoy Ashirwad Mahaprashasta

https://thewire.in/politics/rajasthan-sachin-pilot-ashok-gehlot-congress

‘Lord Ram’s Ayodhya in Nepal Not UP’ - Oli Widens Scope of Conflict With India:P.K.BALACHANDRAN

https://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/en/NewsDetail/index/6/19048/Lord-Rams-Ayodhya-in-Nepal-Not-UP---Oli-Widens-Scope-of-Conflict-With-India-

Delhi Riots 2020: A Chronicle of Double Standards, and an Unending Witch-Hunt;N.D. Jayaprakash

https://thewire.in/communalism/delhi-riots-2020-double-standards

 

 

 

 

* Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 7:45 PM)*