15 SEPT. NEWS DIGEST

*INDIA*

'Purpose to Vilify Muslims': SC Restrains Sudarshan TV From Telecasting 'UPSC Jihad' Show

https://thewire.in/law/supreme-court-sudarshan-tv-upsc-jihad-bindas-bol-restrain-chandrachud

 The Supreme Court has restrained Sudarshan News TV from telecasting the remaining episodes of its ‘Bindas Bol’ programme which had promised to unfurl a ‘UPSC Jihad’ conspiracy, after observing prima facie that the objective of the show was to “vilify Muslims.”Hearing a plea against the programme, a bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud, Indu Malhotra and K.M. Joseph made strong remarks against the tone and tenor of the show, a teaser of which was released on August 27 and had resulted in outrage on social media.“Any attempt to vilify a community must be viewed with great disfavour by this court which is a custodian of constitutional rights,” LiveLaw quoted the bench as having said. On Sept.11, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had allowed the show to be telecast. On the same day, the Delhi high court had declined to stay the telecast, after initially having stopped the channel from airing the programme. The SC called the programme “rabid” and said there should be some mechanism for self-regulation in media.“Look at this programme, how rabid is this programme that one community is entering into civil services?” observed the bench headed by Justice Chandrachud. “See how insinuating is the subject of this programme that Muslims have infiltrated the services and this puts the examinations of UPSC under scanner without any factual basis?” said the bench.Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the top court that freedom of journalist is supreme and it would be disastrous for any democracy to “control the press.”To this, Justice Joseph noted that no freedom is absolute. The apex court observed that revenue model of TV channels and their ownership patterns should be put in public domain on the website. thewire

 

Ex-civil servants move SC seeking ‘authoritative ruling’ on ‘hate speech’

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/ex-civil-servants-move-sc-seeking-authoritative-ruling-on-hate-speech-6596619/

New Delhi:A group of retired civil servants has moved the Supreme Court seeking an “authoritative ruling” on the subject of “hate speech”.They have sought the court’s permission to intervene in a matter relating to a programme telecast on Sudarshan News. The applicants, including Amitabha Pande, Navrekha Sharma, Deb Mukharji, Sundar Burra, Meena Gupta, Pradeep K Deb and Ardhendu Sen, said they belong to a collective called ‘Constitutional Conduct Group’. indianexpress

 

Delhi Court Sends Umar Khalid To 10 Days Police Custody

https://thewire.in/law/delhi-court-sends-umar-khalid-to-ten-days-police-custody

A Delhi court on Monday sent former JNU student leader Umar Khalid, arrested under the draconian UAPA, to police custody for 10 days in a case related to the communal violence in northeast Delhi.The court allowed police to interrogate Khalid in its custody saying it was a fit case for police custody remand. It allowed his counsel to confer with him for a period not exceeding half an hour at the beginning of police custody and thereafter daily during police custody remand at a specified venue.Khalid’s counsel opposed the remand application, saying he was not in Delhi during Feb.23-26, 2020, when the riots took place. He said the former JNU students union leader has already been interrogated twice in the case, first on July 31, 2020, for 5 hours and then on Sunday for about 12 hours. thewire

 

'Leaked Private Chat' Aired by Times Now to Link Umar Khalid With Radicals Was an FB Live Video

https://thewire.in/media/times-now-umar-khalid-facebook-live-secret-tape

A day after Umar Khalid arrest, Times Now trended hashtag #UmarLobbySecretTape on the daily show ‘India Upfront’ where the channel claimed, “Chat exposes ‘radicals’ allegedly linked to Umar Khalid.” Anchor Rahul Shivshankar said that the “activist lobby” admitted in a “private chat” that Khalid is aligned with a “dangerous” organisation. The group that he refers to is PFI which has been accused of allegedly inciting and funding the riots. Shivshankar accused Khalid of “radicalising Muslims”. The channel then played a video of a conference call on Zoom which it claimed was a “leaked private chat” between Left-wing activists. The ticker above the video read, “Damming admission tape.”The video “evidence” is played right after Shivshankar’s impassioned monologue on “anti-national” activities driven by the “Left Lutyens lobby” to save Umar Khalid. The chat that Times Now claims its “security agencies” procured is nothing but a webinar held on August 16 by civil rights activists. The Zoom call was uploaded as a Facebook Live video by Pedestrian Pictures and described as, “Reclaiming Freedom of Speech and Liberty in Times of Intensified State Aggression and Repression.” thewire

 

Aashiqui 3 plotline? Times Now apologises for using actor Rahul Roy's visuals during Delhi riots reportage

https://www.freepressjournal.in/viral/aashiqui-3-plotline-times-now-apologises-for-using-actor-rahul-roys-visuals-during-delhi-riots-reportage

Actor Rahul Roy, touted as OG ‘Aashiqui’ from the 90s made waves on social media after his visuals were used Times Now news channel during the Delhi riots reportage.The news channel mistook the former Bigg Boss winner with independent filmmaker of the same name.Times Now apologised for the same and wrote on Twitter, “Times Now inadvertently ran visuals of actor Rahul Roy in association with a different story on the Delhi riots. Times Now regrets the error, and apologises for the same.” freepressjournal

 

Delhi Riots: Delhi Police Probe Most Prejudiced Ever, Says Julio Ribeiro

https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/india-news-delhi-police-taking-advantage-of-uapa-most-prejudiced-probe-ive-ever-seen-ex-ips-officer-julio-ribeiro/360310

Expressing concern over the arrests of anti-CAA activists including political activist Umar Khalid, former Mumbai Police Commissioner Julio Ribeiro tells Preetha Nair that the Delhi police is not conducting a fair probe in the North Delhi riots that rocked the capital in Feb.  Ribeiro said, "I haven’t seen this kind of one-sided action by police before. The police have to act in a fair manner. Whoever commits offense should be prosecuted. I have worked with many governments in my long career. I have never seen such a situation in my professional life." outlookindia

 

‘Politically-sophisticated network’ tried to influence Delhi polls: Sacked Facebook employee

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/politically-sophisticated-network-tried-to-influence-delhi-polls-sacked-facebook-employee/

New Delhi :A former Facebook data scientist has accused the social media platform of dragging its feet or, in some instances, ignoring evidence that its platform was being manipulated by fake accounts to influence elections in countries including India, Ukraine, Spain, Brazil, Bolivia, and Ecuador.In a 6,600-word internal memo, written by former Facebook data scientist Sophie Zhang on her last day at the company, and obtained by BuzzFeed News, the Delhi Assembly election that took place in February this year finds mention. Zhang claimed she had worked hard to remove “a politically-sophisticated network of more than a thousand actors working to influence” the Delhi polls. However, she did not disclose the political affiliation of the malicious network. According to BuzzFeed News, Facebook never publicly disclosed this network or that it had taken it down.Responding to the story, Facebook spokesperson Liz Bourgeois said in a statement: “We’ve built specialized teams, working with leading experts, to stop bad actors from abusing our systems, resulting in the removal of more than 100 networks for coordinated inauthentic behavior. indianexpress

 

Attempt to hide crucial facts on Facebook’s role in Delhi riots, says Assembly committee

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/attempt-to-hide-crucial-facts-on-facebooks-role-in-delhi-riots-says-assembly-committee/article32608982.ece?homepage=true

Facebook India’s Vice-President and Managing Director Ajit Mohan did not appear before a Delhi Assembly Committee on Peace and Harmony on Tuesday, which is looking into Facebook’s alleged role in Delhi riots in Feb.despite being summoned via a notice, said the committee.Committee chairman Raghav Chadha said on Tuesday that Facebook India officials had “objected” to the notice sent by the committee for the appearance.“Refusing to appear before the committee is contempt of Delhi Assembly. Your refusal to appear before the committee is an attempt to conceal crucial facts in relation to Facebook’s role in Feb.2020 Delhi communal violence. This shows that Facebook has something to hide. This shows that Facebook is running away from this committee and allegations on Facebook’s role in Delhi riots may not be completely baseless,” Chadha said. thehindu

 

Once its core member, Prashant Bhushan says  Against Corruption propped up by RSS, BJP

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/once-its-core-member-prashant-bhushan-says-iac-propped-up-by-rss-bjp-6596301/

AAP founder member and civil rights lawyer Prashant Bhushan, who was expelled from the party in 2015, has claimed that India Against Corruption (IAC) movement was “propped up by BJP and RSS” to bring down UPA government. Bhushan was a core member of IAC, which was the precursor to AAP led by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. In 2015, he was expelled from the party along with Yogendra Yadav over alleged “anti-party activities”.Bhushan said: “In hindsight there are 2 things that I do regret. One is not seeing that the movement was to a large extent supported and propped up by BJP-RSS for their own political purposes to bring down the Congress government and get themselves in power.” Indian express

 

India sheds reluctance in engaging Taliban at the Doha intra-Afghan talks: HT

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-sheds-reluctance-in-engaging-taliban-at-the-doha-intra-afghan-talks/story-JjalNUPrIRqqnZLo5bcbAO.html

 By participating in the intra-Afghan inaugural dialogue in Doha, India has shown its willingness to engage with all Afghan parties including the Taliban for peace in Kabul and to ensure no anti-India activity is allowed from Afghan soil.“There is no ambiguity on the Indian position vis-à-vis engagement with Afghan parties as Indian delegation sat on the same table as the Afghan government as well as the Taliban. The host nation Qatar could have only made this possible after talking to all principal stake-holders in the Afghan dialogue, ” said a senior official.Pakistan is understood to have conveyed its concern over an Indian role at Doha to the parties concerned as Indian participation is now not restricted to only Kabul, instead New Delhi is a legitimate stake-holder in Afghan peace and reconciliation process.Over the past decade, New Delhi was reluctant to engage with the Taliban but with external affairs minister S Jaishankar himself addressing the inaugural session, this ambiguity has been removed with India ready to talk to both sides. Hindustan times

 

US special envoy Khalilzad to visit India today, brief officials on intra-Afghan talks

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/us-special-envoy-zalmay-khalilzad-to-visit-india-today-brief-officials-on-intra-afghan-talks-6596338/

US special envoy on Afghan peace process Zalmay Khalilzad is visiting India on Tuesday and meet top Indian officials to brief Delhi on intra-Afghan talks that started on Sunday in Doha. He had visited India in May this year and met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and NSA Ajit Doval.Khalilzad, US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, met top brass in Islamabad on Monday. indianexpress

 

China in illegal occupation of 38,000 sq km of Indian land, effort to alter status quo not acceptable: Rajnath

https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/national/china-in-illegal-occupation-of-38000-sq-km-of-indian-land-effort-to-alter-status-quo-not-acceptable-rajnath

China is in illegal occupation of 38,000 square km of Indian land and it considers another 90,000 square km as its own, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in Parliament on Tuesday, adding that LAC is not clearly delineated.The Defence Minister said that China has tried to disrupt the ground situation in May and June and it led to India's response. "We have told China that such incidents won't be acceptable to us," Rajnath saidChina continues to be in illegal occupation of approximately 38,000 sq km in the Union Territory of Ladakh. In addition, under the so-called Sino-Pakistan 'Boundary Agreement' of 1963, Pakistan illegally ceded 5,180 sq km of Indian territory in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to China. China also claims approximately 90,000 sq kms of Indian territory in the eastern sector of the India-China boundary in Arunachal Pradesh, the minister said.China does not accept the customary and traditional alignment of the boundary between India and China."We believe that this alignment is based on well-established geographical principles confirmed by treaties and agreements, as well as historical usage and practice, well-known for centuries to both sides," the minister said. IANS

 

After India Accuses China Of Provocative Action at LAC, Beijing's Claim

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/india-china-stand-off-after-india-accuses-china-of-provocative-action-at-lac-beijing-claim-2295406

New Delhi: China has alleged that India was "obviously... illegally trespassing" along LAC - de facto border between the two countries - during a military stand-off in the eastern Ladakh region on August 29 and 30 that India said was a provocative attempt to change the status quo. India has yet to respond to this statement, which comes days after ministerial-level meetings in Moscow last week - the Foreign Ministers and the Defence Ministers of the two countries met; after the talks the Chinese Foreign Minister claimed the two countries needed "mutual trust, not suspicion". ndtv

 

Chinese army build up seen opposite Arunachal border, Indian troops on high alert:India Today Exclusive report

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/india-china-border-lac-arunachal-pradesh-incursion-eastern-ladakh-1722067-2020-09-15

Having suffered a setback near Rezang La-Rechen La heights in Ladakh, the Chinese Army is now building up its troops deployment at at least four locations across the border in Arunachal Pradesh.Troops build-up has been noticed in the Chinese territory opposite Arunachal Pradesh's Asaphila, Tuting axis, Chang Tze and Fishtail-2 sectors, nearly 20 km from the Indian territory, top government sources told India Today TV.The sources said it is possible that China may try to carry out more incursions in these areas and capture some dormant locations or height. They said the Indian troops are fully prepared to thwart such attempts and the forces have beefed up their strength accordingly.The sources said movement of Chinese troops in their depth areas (around 20 km from LAC) has been seen in the last few days using roads built by them in the area.Looking at the Chinese activities in the area, Indian side has also strengthened its positions on LAC in all sectors. Chinese Army patrols have also been seen regularly and are coming very close to Indian areas, sources said. indiatoday

 

CJI to top regulators, serving and retired: 30 judges on China-monitored list

https://indianexpress.com/article/express-exclusive/cji-to-top-regulators-serving-and-retired-30-judges-on-china-monitored-list-6596371/

From a judge heading a panel probing killing of a BJP legislator by Maoists in Chhattisgarh to India’s first anti-corruption ombudsman appointed by Modi govt, Overseas Key Information DataBase (OKIDB) developed by Zhenhua Data, and investigated by Indian Express, is monitoring 30 judges including the current Chief Justice of India, another judge in Supreme Court, 3 serving judges of the higher judiciary, and 4 retired judges of the SC who are currently heading key posts in various capacities. The list includes CJI S A Bobde, Justice A M Khanwilkar of the Supreme Court, Justice Sandeep Mehta of the Rajasthan High Court, and Justice Sunita Agarwal of the Allahabad High Court. indianexpress

 

Indian Express Investigation Part-2: End user key, govt looks at ‘depth’ of data mined by China

https://indianexpress.com/article/express-exclusive/china-zhenhua-end-user-key-govt-looks-at-depth-of-data-mined-6596331/

Taking note of Indian Express investigation of a Shenzhen firm with links to the Chinese government and Chinese Communist Party which is monitoring thousands of individuals, Indian security establishment, directly dealing with cyber security, is evaluating the depth of data being collected and the risks it may pose to national security.Top government officials said an assessment is being prepared for NSA Ajit Doval. “While the reports clearly state the scale of the operation, we are more concerned about its depth — to what level of detail the Chinese firm is profiling individuals in terms of data points, the financial investment in hardware facilitated by its partners, and the need for upgrading cyber hygiene at our end,” said a top official.

 

With Record Ceasefire Violations by Pak & Adamant China on LAC, India Faces Threat of 2-Front War: news18

https://www.news18.com/news/india/with-record-ceasefire-violations-by-pakistan-adamant-china-on-lac-india-faces-threat-of-two-front-war-2877495.html

Amid reports that Chinese troops are setting up a network of optical fibre cables in Ladakh, the threat of a 2-front war intensified with ceasefire violations made by Pakistani troops at LoC reaching a record 17-year high. According to a report tabled in the Parliament on the first day of the Monsoon Session, 3,186 ceasefire violations by the Pakistan Army have been reported this year along the Indo-Pak border from Jan.1 and Sept.7. Besides this, 242 incidents of cross-border firing took place at the international border during the said period. This comes a day after it was reported that China has been moving ahead with its expansion plan as fibre cables have now been seen to the south of Pangong Tso lake in the Himalayan region of Ladakh. Reuters quoted a senior government official as saying that such cables would provide forward troops with secure lines of communication to bases in the area. Another official said that there had been no significant withdrawals or reinforcements on either side since the foreign ministers of the two countries met last week "It is as tense as earlier," he added. news18

 

No Data On Migrant Deaths, So No Compensation: Govt

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/parliament-session-no-data-on-migrant-deaths-so-no-compensation-says-government-10-points-2295513?pfrom=home-topscroll

New Delhi: There is no data on migrant deaths so the "question does not arise" of compensation, Union labour ministry said in parliament on Monday to a question on whether families of those who had lost their lives while trying to reach home in the coronavirus lockdown had been compensated. The govt's written response in Lok Sabha on the first day of the monsoon session triggered anger and criticism from the opposition. "If you haven't counted, have the deaths not taken place?" Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is abroad for his mother Sonia Gandhi's health check-up, tweeted this morning.

 

India elected member of UN Commission on Status of Women, pips China to the post

https://scroll.in/latest/973128/india-elected-member-of-un-commission-on-status-of-women-pips-china-to-the-post

India was on Monday elected a member of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, securing the most votes ahead of China, PTI reported. The Commission on the Status of Women is a functional commission of the UN Economic and Social Council. It is the principal global body focussed on gender equality and women’s empowerment.

 

UN Human Rights Chief Raises Kashmir at Start of HRC Session

https://thewire.in/world/un-human-rights-chief-michele-bachelet-kashmir-45th-unhrc-session

New Delhi: UN high commissioner for human rights Michele Bachelet welcomed the release of some political leadership and limited internet restoration in two Kashmir districts, but expressed concern that many still remained behind bars and called for the full reversal of the communication blockade in Jammu and Kashmir. At the start of 45th session of UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva on Monday, Bachelet gave a “Global Human Rights Update” on the situation across the world, from China to Sri Lanka, Venezuela to the US.In her section on India, Bachelet mentioned that in the last one year in Jammu and Kashmir, “incidents of military and police violence against civilians continue, including use of pellet guns, as well as incidents related to militancy”.Kashmir and other human rights issue in India had also been part of Bachelet’s updates in previous sessions of UNHRC.She observed that changes in the constitutional status and domicile rules of J&K have generated “deep anxiety”. The new media policy unveiled by the J&K administration have also constricted the space for criticism, she noted. “…the space for political debate and public participation continues to be severely restricted, particularly since new media rules have prohibited vaguely defined ‘anti-national’ reporting,” she noted. thewire

 

J&K: Police allegedly beat up two photojournalists in Pulwama for taking pictures during gunfight

https://scroll.in/latest/973135/j-k-police-allegedly-beat-up-two-photojournalists-in-srinagar-for-taking-pictures-during-gunfight

2 photojournalists were allegedly beaten up by the Jammu and Kashmir Police on Tuesday while they were covering an ongoing encounter between militants and security forces in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.One of the two photojournalists, who was severely beaten, was identified as Kamran Yousuf. He works for Newsclick, an online publication based in New Delhi. The other photojournalist was identified as Faisal Bashir, a freelancer.“I only clicked one picture and had barely taken out my camera when they shouted at photojournalists to go back,” Yousuf told Scroll.in. scroll

 

Modi govt sparks language anxieties in Jammu and Kashmir – and fears of Hindi imposition

https://scroll.in/article/973087/modi-government-sparks-language-anxieties-in-jammu-and-kashmir-and-fears-of-hindi-imposition

On the agenda of the ongoing monsoon session in Parliament is a bill to introduce Hindi, Kashmiri and Dogri as official languages in Jammu and Kashmir, in addition to English and Urdu. “This has been done based on demand by the people,” Prakash Javadekar, Information and Broadcasting minister, told reporters in Delhi on Sept.2. But move has opened old and new faultlines in the region. Communities that speak Gojri, Pahadi and Punjabi are protesting against their exclusion. Both Gojri and Pahadi were recognised as regional languages in the erstwhile state, which was stripped of its special status in August 2019, and split into two union territories.In the Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley, the inclusion of Hindi has renewed fears that the ruling BJP is pursuing an agenda of demographic change through its policies.“Whose language is Hindi in Jammu and Kashmir?” asked Zubair Nazeer, a scholar who has extensively studied tribal communities in the region. “Historically and culturally, Hindi is not the language of any community in Jammu and Kashmir.” scroll

 

'Divine Justice': Kashmir Politicians Take Dig At Kejriwal As Centre Eyes To Amend Delhi Act

https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/india-news-kashmiri-politicians-take-dig-at-kejriwal-as-centre-to-amend-nct-of-delhi-act/360333

Political leaders across party lines in Jammu and Kashmir have taken on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as the Centre seeks to amend the National Capital Territory of Delhi Amendment Act 1991 which will result in Delhi Lieutenant Governor receiving increased power.“Ah. Mr Kejriwal to be disempowered. What u supported me Kejriwal was people-less J&K. Now u will hopefully be an ornamental piece of decorative item in the Delhi government. The same way u supported people of J and K to b ornamental pieces,” Peoples Conference president Sajad Lone tweeted. Lone called it divine justice and said that this move by the Centre served Kejriwal right.PTI

 

CBI case against educational trust run by ex-J&K minister’s family

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/cbi-case-against-educational-trust-run-by-ex-jk-minister-6596761/

Jammu : CBI has registered a case of criminal breach of trust and corruption against a Kathua-based educational trust run by former Jammu and Kashmir minister Lal Singh’s family and certain government servants, officials said on Tuesday.A case has been registered against Lal Singh’s wife Kanta Andotra for making false declarations to possess the land for her Trust much beyond the ceiling fixed by the Jammu and Kashmir Government for agricultural lands. indianexpress

 

Pakistan Parliament extends for 4 months ordinance on Kulbhushan Jadhav

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/pakistan-parliament-ordinance-kulbhushan-jadhav-6596903/

Pakistan’s Parliament has extended for four months an ordinance that allowed Indian death-row prisoner Kulbhushan Jadhav to file an appeal against his conviction in a high court as required by the International Court of Justice.The International Court of Justice (Review and Reconsideration) Ordinance promulgated in May was set to expire on Sept.17 but the National Assembly or the lower house on Monday through a voice vote extended it for four months, the Dawn News reported.PTI

 

UP govt renames Mughal museum in Agra after Shivaji: 700-plus places in India that bear the names of Mughals today

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/mughal-museum-agra-uttar-pradesh-yogi-adityanath-chhatrapati-shivaji-maharaj-6596770/

Questioning “how Mughals can be our heroes”, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday decided to name the upcoming “Mughal Museum” in Agra after Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. An official spokesperson said Adityanath’s govt stood for the nationalist ideology, and “anything which smacks of subservient mentality will be done away with”.“How can our heroes be Mughals?” the spokesperson said. “The very name of Shivaji will invoke a feeling of nationalism and self-esteem”. The rule of the Mughals  is entwined inseparably with India’s history and culture.Apart from the historical monuments that they have left behind, the most visible legacy of their rule today is in the various towns and villages across India that bear their names.Of the 6 lakh cities, towns, and villages that make up the country, as many as 704 carry the name of the first six Mughal emperors, viz., Babur, Humayun, Akbar, Jahangir, Shahjahan and Aurangzeb.The most visible legacy is that of Akbar, who today has 251 villages and towns named after him. He is followed by Aurangzeb (177), Jahangir (141), Shahjahan (63), Babur (61), and Humayun (11).Among modern Indian states, Uttar Pradesh tops the list – with 396 of its 1 lakh-plus villages and towns bearing the names of the Mughals. UP is followed by Bihar with 97, Maharashtra 50, and Haryana 39. indianexpress

 

Maharashtra: Madrassa to train 200 constable aspirants

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/maharashtra-madrassa-to-train-200-constable-aspirants/articleshow/78118290.cms

Mumbai: Perhaps for the first time in India, a madrassa has engaged a private coaching institute to give free pre-recruitment training to around 200 minority candidates aspiring to join police constabulary in the state. Madrassa Jamia Ashrafia Qadria, in Grant Road, will train and guide the candidates in a three-month programme. Concerned with increasing minority representation, especially Muslims, in the police constabulary, community leaders, including Grant Road-based Madrassa Jamia Ashrafia Qadria’s head Maulana Moin Ashraf Qadri (Moin Mian), MLA Amin Patel, activist MA Khalid, recently met and decided the madrassa would take the lead and arrange coaching and guidance for 200 youths. This arrangement is separate from the minority development department-sponsored pre-recruitment training camps being held for students from minority communities in all 36 districts of the state. Times of India

 

IMA ponzi scam: CBI gets state nod to press charges against 2 IPS officers

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/ima-ponzi-scam-cbi-gets-state-nod-to-press-charges-against-2-ips-officers-6596324/

Karnataka government has granted the CBI sanction to press charges of cheating and criminal breach of trust on five police officers, including 2 senior IPS officers, for allegedly favouring a businessman, Mohammed Mansoor Khan, during a probe into a ponzi scheme run by his firm, I Monetary Advisory (IMA) between 2017-19.Under the ponzi scheme, valued at over Rs 4000 crore by the CBI, hundreds of depositors were swindled of their savings. It was allegedly backed by top politicians, police and state officials in Karnataka. indianexpress

 

Last date for admission to Jamia expires: Many students fail to upload marksheets on varsity’s admission portal

https://indiatomorrow.net/2020/09/15/last-date-for-admission-to-jamia-expires-many-students-fail-to-upload-marksheets-on-varsitys-admission-portal/

New Delhi: Many students applying online for admissions to different courses in the Jamia Millia Islamia have complained that they are not able to upload the marksheet of the qualifying examination along with the online application form on the university’s portal.The last date for filling up the application form online expired on Sept.14. The last date for submitting online application was August 20 earlier which was extended to Sept.14 owing to the prevailing situation.The students facing the problem of not being able to upload the marksheet of the qualifying examinations are seeking admissions to undergraduate course, masters courses as also M.Phil and other courses. indiatomorrow

 

*CORONAVIRUS-LOCKDOWN*

India may roll out covid vaccine in huge volumes next year: Bill Gates

https://www.livemint.com/news/india/india-may-roll-out-covid-vaccine-in-huge-volumes-next-year-bill-gates-11600157155097.html

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates acknowledges the key role India is likely to play in manufacturing of the coronavirus vaccine. "India is a leading vaccine producer; we need cooperation from India on manufacturing COVID-19 vaccine," Bill Gates told PTI. "All of us want to get a vaccine out in India as fast as we can, once we know that it's very effective and very safe," Gates added.Bill Gates also hopes that covid vaccine will be rolled out from India next year. "It's very likely that roll-out of COVID-19 vaccine will take place in fairly big volume (in India) sometime next year," Bill Gates said."I'm quite optimistic that by first quarter of next year, several of COVID-19 vaccines will have final stage," said Gates."India's willingness to play big role in manufacturing vaccines, send some of these to developing countries will be critical," said Bill Gates. livemint

 

Coronavirus: ICMR Says Serum Institute Will Start Phase 3 Trial with 1,500 Patients after Clearance

https://www.news18.com/news/india/coronavirus-live-updates-covid19-vaccine-maharashtra-mumbai-engineers-day-democracy-symptoms-common-cold-tips-2877509.html

ICMR Director General Dr Balram Bhargava today said 3 vaccines are at the clinical trial stage in India. "Cadila and Bharat Biotech have completed phase-I trials. Serum Institute has completed phase II-B3 trials and will start phase-III trial (with 1,500 patients at 14 locations) after clearances," he said. "Plasma therapy has been used for more than 100 years now in some form or the other for various virus infections. It is being used in COVID-19. Whether it helps or not is being studied." news18

 

China Coronavirus Vaccine May Be Ready For Public In November: Official

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/china-coronavirus-vaccine-may-be-ready-for-public-in-november-official-2295450?pfrom=home-topstories

Beijing: Coronavirus vaccines being developed in China may be ready for use by the general public as early as November, an official with China Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.China has four COVID-19 vaccines in the final stage of clinical trials. At least three of those have already been offered to essential workers under an emergency use programme launched in July.Phase 3 clinical trials were proceeding smoothly and the vaccines could be ready for the general public in November or December, CDC chief biosafety expert Guizhen Wu said in an interview with state TV late on Monday. ndtv

 

India's COVID-19 Recovery Rate Rises To 78.28%: Health Ministry

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/indias-covid-19-recovery-rate-rises-to-78-28-health-ministry-2295745?pfrom=home-coronavirus-bigstory_live

New Delhi: India's COVID-19 recovery rate has risen to 78.28 per cent as a total of 38,59,399 people have recuperated, exceeding the active cases of coronavirus by 28,69,338 as on date, the Union Health Ministry said today. There are 9,90,061 active cases of COVID-19 in the country which comprise 20.08 per cent of the total caseload, according to the Health Ministry data updated at 8 am.Close to half (48.8 per cent) of the active cases are concentrated in three states -- Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Kerala and Telangana contribute close to a quarter (24.4 per cent) of the active cases, the ministry said.India's COVID-19 caseload rose to 49,30,236 with 83,809 people testing positive in a day, while the death count climbed to 80,776 with 1,054 people succumbing to the disease in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed. ndtv

 

*WORLD*

Fearing Iran, Oman hesitant in normalise ties with Israel

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200915-fearing-iran-oman-hesitant-in-normalise-ties-with-israel/

Sultanate of Oman is willing to normalise ties with Israel but is hesitant that its relationship with Iran would be severely harmed if it made the move, Israel Hayom reported a UAE source saying.The paper said that Oman is the only Gulf state which has relations with Iran, noting that Bahrain was hesitant to agree on normalising relations with Israel fearing Iran’s response because two-thirds of the country’s population is Shia.After the UAE announced that it was building official ties with the occupation state, Bahrain made a similar move.“Therefore, other countries are doing the same step soon,” the newspaper reported.Meanwhile, the newspaper reported what it claimed to be a consensus among Arab diplomats that Saudi Arabia “will not move to full overt relations with Israel in light of its obligation towards the Palestinian cause”. middleeastmonitor

 

Netanyahu: Peace with Arabs to pump millions into Israel’s treasury

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200915-netanyahu-peace-with-arabs-to-pump-millions-into-israels-treasury/

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that peace deals with UAE and Bahrain would pump millions of dollars into Israel’s treasury, local media reported.Prior to leaving for Washington to sign and celebrate the two peace deals with the two Gulf states, Netanyahu addressed Israelis saying that it is a “historic” trip.“2 peace deals in one month,” the Times of Israel reported him saying.“The deals will pump millions into the Israeli economy,” he added according to the same newspaper.“That’s always good, but it’s particularly good during the coronavirus,” he concluded. middleeastmonitor

 

Facing 'normalisation' threat, Palestinians respond with unity

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/09/facing-normalisation-threat-palestinians-respond-unity-200914175752492.html

Gaza City:Prompted by Arab states normalising relations with Israel, fractured Palestinian political factions are working diligently in multilateral talks to restore unity and mend the division between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank in negotiations far more promising than previous efforts. On Saturday, Palestinian groups led by Hamas and Fatah agreed on a "unified field leadership" comprising all factions that will lead "comprehensive popular resistance" against the Israeli occupation, a statement said. It called for Tuesday - when the signing ceremony takes place in Washington, DC - to be a day of "popular rejection". Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank are planning "day of rage" demonstrations, and other protests are expected outside the embassies of Israel, US, UAE, and Bahrain worldwide.The formation of the joint leadership group and progress in the intra-Palestinian unity talks came after a long-awaited September 3 meeting among Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Hamas's Ismail Haniya, Islamic Jihad's chief Ziyad al-Nakhala, and the leaders of various Palestinian entities. Gatherings were held in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank and Beirut, Lebanon. aljazeera

 

Israel to demolish mosque in occupied Jerusalem

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200915-israel-to-demolish-mosque-in-occupied-jerusalem/

An Israeli occupation court has ordered that Al-Qa’qa’ Mosque in Jerusalem’s Silwan neighbourhood be demolished because it was built without planning permission, Anadolu reported.The court gave Palestinians 21 days to challenge the order or the Islamic site will be demolished.Anadolu said the mosque is 110 square metres over two floors and was built in 2012. An order had previously been given for it to be demolished in 2015.Palestinian Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs in Gaza condemned the occupation state’s latest “aggression” against the mosque and called on the international community, Arab League and OIC to protect Muslim holy sites and places of worship in Jerusalem. middleeastmonitor

 

PA: It is not UAE’s right to interfere in Al-Aqsa Mosque’s affairs

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200915-pa-it-is-not-the-uaes-right-to-interfere-in-al-aqsa-mosques-affairs/

UAE does not have the right to interfere in the affairs of Al-Aqsa Mosque, a senior aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said according to Arabi21.After leaks that the UAE gave permission to Jews to perform their rituals inside Al-Aqsa Mosque and allowed Israel to divide the Muslim holy site, Abbas’ aide, Nabeel Shaath, stressed: “It is not UAE’s right to speak about the affairs of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.”In an interview with Arabi21, Shaath said: “UAE sought to appease US, but not in return for occupied lands such as what happened in Sinai or the Golan Heights.” middleeastmonitor

 

Haniyeh reveals details of US proposal rejected by Hamas

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200915-haniyeh-reveals-details-of-us-proposal-rejected-by-hamas/

Hamas refused US presidential adviser Jared Kushner’s proposal that the movement hold talks with the American administration, the group’s chief, Ismail Haniyeh, told Al Jazeera in an interview.Haniyeh said: “We refused holding any meeting.” This, he continued, was because Hamas understood the talks would including discussions about disarming the Palestinian resistance and adhering to the US’ so-called ‘peace deal’, the ‘deal of the century‘.According to the Hamas chief, Kushner’s office asked some parties to talk to the Hamas leadership, and informed them they are ready to hold talks with the movement wherever they choose, be it in the Middle East or Europe. Hamas, Haniyeh explained, is happy to meet with any party except the “Zionist enemy”. middleeastmonitor

 

SOHR: 10 Iran-backed militias killed in Israel raids on Syria

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200915-sohr-10-iran-backed-militias-killed-in-israel-raids-on-syria/

10 pro-Iran militants, most of them Iraqi, were killed in Israeli air strikes on eastern Syria yesterday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported.The rights group said the strikes had taken place south of the the town of Boukamal near the Iraqi border, adding that the raids were the “third in a month in eastern Syria’s Deir El-Zour city.”SOHR’s chief, Rami Abdel Rahman, pointed out that the strikes had destroyed “munition depots and vehicles”, adding that they were “likely to be carried out by Israel”.“The raids have taken the lives of eight Iraqi and two Syrian combatants,” Abdel Rahman pointed out. middleeastmonitor

 

Israel: Netanyahu coalition member threatens to resign over COVID-19 lockdown

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200915-israel-netanyahu-coalition-member-threatens-to-resign-over-covid-19-lockdown/

Israel’s battle with the spread of the coronavirus is threatening to split the fragile coalition government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.The embattled Likud leader announced a second nationwide lockdown a week ago, becoming the first country in the world to take such a drastic measure. The lockdown will come into effect on Friday and is expected to last over three weeks which will coincide with the Jewish New Year.The decision triggered a backlash with members of his own coalition government threatening to exit the fragile union of extreme nationalist and religious parties. middleeastmonitor

 

UN warns of 'further war crimes' against Rohingya in Myanmar

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/09/warns-war-crimes-rohingya-myanmar-200915095607456.html

Myanmar's alleged continued targeting of civilians in its Rakhine and Chin states could constitute additional war crimes and crimes against humanity, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has said.Michelle Bachelet on Monday demanded action to remedy the serious rights violations suffered by Myanmar's Rohingya minority in particular."People from the Rakhine, Chin, Mro, Daignet and Rohingya communities are increasingly affected by the armed conflict in Rakhine and Chin States," Bachelet said. aljazeera

 

Activists want UN to probe 'genocide' of China's Uighur minority

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/09/activists-probe-genocide-china-uighur-minority-200915092033113.html

Nearly two dozen activist groups have said a genocide is taking place against mostly Muslim Uighurs in China's remote Xinjiang region, where a reported one million people are held in camps.In an open letter signed by groups including the United States-based Uyghur Human Rights Project, Genocide Watch and the European Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, on Tuesday called on UNHRC to launch an investigation. aljazeera

 

China, EU push for greater economic relations

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/09/china-eu-push-greater-economic-relations-200915120254534.html

European leaders have pressed China on its human rights record during a virtual summit on Monday.Chinese president Xi Jinping dismissed the concerns, pushing instead for greater economic cooperation.But he stopped short of making any concessions on European demands for greater access to the Chinese market. aljazeera

 

                                  

*OP-ED*

Watch | What Umar Khalid's Arrest and Scrapping of Question Hour Say About Democracy:Arfa Khanum Sherwani

https://thewire.in/video/watch-what-umar-khalids-arrest-and-scrapping-of-question-hour-say-about-democracy

 

For Hindutva Gang, and Now UP Police, Each Hindu-Muslim Marriage Must Be Probed for ‘Love Jihad’:Sharat Pradhan

https://thewire.in/communalism/uttar-pradesh-love-jihad-police-yogi-adityanath-hindutva-vigilantes

 

Dear Delhi Police, Muslims Aren’t so Dumb to be Misled by Intellectuals:Ajaz Ashraf.newsclick

https://www.newsclick.in/Delhi-Police-Violence-Chanrgesheet-Anti-CAA-Protests

 

Turkey’s Erdogan chases Ottoman dream, ends up unsettling West Asia |Shishir Gupta Analysis

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/turkey-s-erdogan-chases-ottoman-dream-ends-up-unsettling-west-asia-analysis/story-W9DE7qiTUDRPhfwLgioonO.html

 

India’s framework of non-involvement is unlikely to survive wave of change in Afghanistan and Arabia:C. Raja Mohan

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/two-theatres-of-peacemaking-6596232/

 

China is watching — Hybrid warfare: What data they collect, why cause for concern:Jay Mazoomdaar , P Vaidyanathan Iyer

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/hybrid-warfare-pm-modi-cds-gen-rawat-zhenhua-data-information-artificial-intelligence-china-is-watching-6594884/

 

India-China tension: Sumdorong Chu military standoff that took 9 years to defuse:Prabhash K Dutta

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/india-china-tension-sumdorong-chu-military-standoff-that-took-9-years-to-defuse-1721734-2020-09-14

 

Problem With 'Strong' Prime Ministers - Ramachandra Guha:Ramachandra Guha

https://www.ndtv.com/opinion/the-problem-with-strong-prime-ministers-ramachandra-guha-2295495?pfrom=home-topstories

 

Missing in NEP: Rural youth:A R Vasavi

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/national-education-policy-rural-education-schools-6596233/

 

indian express report on China among ‘crucial issues’ Opposition wants debate in Parliament:Liz Mathew

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/parliament-rajnath-singh-india-china-lac-6597007/

 

In Modi’s India, Umar Khalid preaches peace but is called a ‘terrorist’: Jignesh Mevani:Jignesh Mevani

https://theprint.in/opinion/modi-india-umar-khalid-delhi-riots-police-arrest-terrorist-jignesh-mevani/502784/

 

‘Umar Khalid Is Not A Conspirator, But A Victim Of Larger Conspiracy’: Sadaf Jafar

https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/opinion-umar-is-not-a-conspirator-but-a-victim-of-larger-conspiracy/360315

 

Rape and death of 14-year-old-Dalit girl in orphanage in Hyderabad reveal dark side of welfare institutions:Aparajita Ghosh, TwoCircles.net

http://twocircles.net/2020sep14/439018.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Twocirclesnet-IndianMuslim+%28TwoCircles.net+-+Indian+Muslim+News%29

 

Watch | Umar Khalid's Arrest Raises Questions About Delhi Police Investigation into Riots:Ismat Ara

https://thewire.in/video/watch-umar-khalids-arrest-raises-questions-about-delhi-police-investigation-into-riots

 

How Governments Avoid Due Process by Declaring Groups as 'Front Organisations' of Banned Entities:Sukanya Shantha

https://thewire.in/law/uapa-due-process-front-organisations-misuse-legal-experts

100 Per Cent Rise in Soldiers’ Martyrdom in J&K During Modi Regime:Mahesh Trivedi | Clarion India
https://clarionindia.net/100-percent-rise-in-soldiers-martyrdom-in-jk-during-modi-regime/

 

Delhi riots: What evidence does the Delhi Police have against Umar Khalid?Vijayta Lalwani

https://scroll.in/article/973039/delhi-riots-what-evidence-does-the-delhi-police-have-against-umar-khalid

 

Tablighi Jamaat: Vindicated, finally:Ziya Us Salam

https://frontline.thehindu.com/the-nation/vindicated-finally/article32516103.ece

 

Exclusive: Why Times Now is intelligence agencies’ favourite stressbuster

https://www.newslaundry.com/2020/09/15/exclusive-why-times-now-is-intelligence-agencies-favourite-stressbuster

 

Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq