26 SEPT. NEWS DIGEST

INDIA

 Now civil suit filed in Mathura court for removal of Masjid Idgah from ‘Shrikrishna Janam Bhoomi’

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/suit-filed-in-mathura-court-on-krishna-janmabhoomi-land-seeks-removal-of-shahi-idgah-masjid-6616674/

https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/civil-suit-filed-in-mathura-court-for-removal-of-masjid-idgah-from-shrikrishna-janam-bhoomi

A suit has been filed in a Mathura court, on behalf of Hindu deity Shrikrishna Virajman, seeking ownership over the entire 13.37 acres of Krishna Janmabhumi land and removal of Shahi Idgah Masjid, which is situated adjacent to Krishna temple complex in the city. A civil suit filed by Ram Lalla Virajman in 1989 led to the ownership of the disputed Ayodhya land in 2019. The plaintiff, described as Bhagwan SriKrishna Virjman at Katra Keshav Dev Khewat, Mauja Mathura Bazaar City, has moved the civil suit through Ranjana Agnihotri and 6 other devotees of Lord Shri Krishna.Lawyers Hari Shankar Jain and Vishnu Jain have filed the petition. The respondents of the suit are UP Sunni Central Waqf Board and Committee of Management Trust of Shahi Masjid Idgah. Describing the first Petitioner, i.e. the deity himself, the plea states:“He is minor. He is a juristic person. He can sue and be sued through shebait and in his absence through next friend. It can own, acquire and possess the property. It has every right to protect its property and to recover its lost property through shebait and in absence of shebait through next friend by availing an appropriate remedy in Court of law.”Alleging that Masjid Trust Idgah, with the help of some Muslims, put super structure and encroached upon the land of Katra Keshav Dev belonging to Shree Krishna Janmasthan Trust and the deity and added that “it is there without any authority”.“Hindu Law prevalent in India from thousands of years, it is well recognized that the property once vested in the deity shall continue to be the deities property and property vested in the deity is never destroyed or lost and it can be regained and re-established whenever it is freed, found or recovered from the clutches of invaders, ultras or hoodlums,” it further states. The second plaintiff is 'Shree Krishna Janmbhoomi' — the place of birth of Shree Krishna. The other plaintiffs are the devotees. Indianexpress/ nationalheraldindia

 

Bihar elections in 3 phases from 28 Oct; 72 million voters, 243 seats: EC issues guidelines

https://www.livemint.com/news/india/bihar-polls-2020-ec-issues-guidelines-for-elections-read-details-11601094632762.html

Election Commission of India on Friday announced that the Bihar Assembly elections will be held in three phases with polling to take place on October 28, and November 3 and 7, and the counting of votes to take place on Nov.10. Ahead of the elections, the Election Commission of India (EC) issued guidelines for holding a 'free, fair, and safe election' amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "Election Commission of India is committed to holding a free, fair, and safe election to the Legislative Assembly of Bihar before the cessation of its term," a statement from the EC said on Friday, adding that it had directed Bihar election machinery to ensure a smooth, effective, inclusive and time-bound completion of Special Summary Revision of Electoral Rolls to ensure maximum registration of un-enrolled citizens."Special efforts were made to identify the critical gaps in the electoral rolls and targeted SVEEP activities were carried out to address them," it added. It also said, "At the entry of hall/room used for election purposes, thermal scanning of all persons shall be carried out, hand sanitizers shall be made available at all locations, social distancing shall be maintained and as far as practicable, large halls should be identified and utilized to ensure social distancing norms."The norms for the number of people accompanying a candidate for the submission of a nomination is now two instead of five, and only two cars will be allowed for the purpose, instead of 3. Online facilities have also been created for filing in the nomination forms and for the first time, candidates will also be able to deposit a security amount online.It also said that public meetings and roadshows were permissible with instructions but will be subject to containment instructions issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs or the state.As of August 23, 7,29,27,396 electors are registered to vote in the coming state elections, the EC said.

 

Polling for 8 Bihar Legislative Council seats on October 22: ECI

https://www.business-standard.com/article/elections/polling-for-8-bihar-legislative-council-seats-on-october-22-says-eci-120092501526_1.html

Election Commission has announced that the biennial elections for eight legislative council seats in Bihar will be held on October 22.  The 8 council seats comprise four each from graduates constituencies and teachers constituencies.

 

Bihar Elections: Issues from Mumbai can be sent as parcel to Bihar, says Sanjay Raut

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/bihar-assembly-elections-2020-issues-from-mumbai-can-be-sent-as-parcel-to-bihar-says-sanjay-raut/story-mFKYlmvU3LU6mkjVoqYTNL.html

New Delhi:A day after the Election Commission of India announced the schedule of Bihar elections, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said if Bihar doesn’t have enough issues, Mumbai can parcel some. His jibe came in the backdrop of allegations that the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who hailed from Bihar, is being used as an election issue in Bihar.“Elections in Bihar should be fought on the issues of development, law and order, and good governance, but if these issues have exhausted, then issues from Mumbai can be sent as parcel,” the Shiv Sena leader said.The state police departments of Bihar and Maharashtra locked horns over the investigation into death of Rajput who was found dead on June 14 at his Mumbai residence. Former Bihar DGP Gupteshwar Pandey accused Maharashtra Police of not co-operating with them. It is also being speculated that Pandey may join politics after he took a VRS. Shiv Sena may contest in the Bihar polls, Raut hinted. “Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will take a call on Shiv Sena contesting the Bihar elections in coming 2-3 days. The election in Bihar is held on caste and other things. Labour laws or farmers bills will not be an issue in Bihar elections,” Raut said.

 

Rhea Chakraborty’s lawyer says agencies pressured in Sushant case before Bihar polls

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/rhea-chakraborty-s-lawyer-says-agencies-pressured-in-sushant-case-before-bihar-polls/story-s8mgUh5Q7HtyTaz5QYNkcI.html

Actor Rhea Chakraborty’s advocate Satish Maneshinde has alleged that agencies probing Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case are being pressured into reaching a predetermined conclusion on the eve of Bihar assembly elections. Maneshinde was responding to Rajput’s family’s counsel and senior advocate Vikas Singh’s claim that a senior AIIMS doctor had told him long back that the actor died by strangulation and not by suicide. Singh, on Friday, also wondered why the Central Bureau of Investigation was delaying registering a murder case despite the tell tale signs.

 

For VHP, Bollywood Khans’ Hindu wives, New Year & birthday parties help spread ‘Love Jihad’

https://theprint.in/india/for-vhp-bollywood-khans-hindu-wives-new-year-birthday-parties-help-spread-love-jihad/510691/

New Delhi: Birthday parties marked in “Westernised” way, New Year celebrations, Hindu parents who follow “fake secularism”, are among the many reasons why Hindu girls get “attracted” and later duped by Muslim men, resulting in love jihad. All these have been written in articles published in VHP fortnightly magazine Hindu Vishwa, whose latest edition was released Friday. The cover story has been titled ‘Love jihad se desh bachaye’ (Save India from love jihad). The magazine also listed 147 alleged cases of love jihad across the country and carries 11 articles on the subject penned by various Right-Wing writers. In one of the articles by Ramesh Shinde, spokesperson of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, an organisation working in the field of conversions, he wrote that parents are not bringing up their children well and are exposing them to the “Western way of life”.  “It is not difficult to trap young Hindu girls in love as their Hindu parents have already become secular. They keep on preaching fake narrative of Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb and that all religions are equal,” Shinde wrote in his article called ‘Love Jihad — Vishva Bhar Mein Bhayankar Sharyantra’ (Love Jihad — a worldwide conspiracy).  “Bollywood also has a big influence in this wherein all the ‘Khan’ actors have Hindu wives. Due to this, also Hindu girls from simple families get duped.”  In another article — ‘Hindi ko bhi chaiye sankraman se mukti’ — penned by VHP spokesperson Vinod Bansal, he came up with a list of 227 Urdu words, and wrote that people have been using them without realising that they aren’t Hindi words.  In a statement, VHP’s central working president Alok Kumar said that love jihad is a calculated agenda of invasion on India’s demography.

 

Bharat Bandh: Massive protests against farm bills throw life out of gear across Punjab and Haryana

https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/bharat-bandh-massive-protests-against-farm-bills-throw-life-out-of-gear-across-punjab-and-haryana

Thousands of farmers in Punjab and Haryana held massive protests on Friday as part of the call for ‘Bharat Bandh’ against three farm Bills recently passed in Parliament, throwing normal life out of gear for several hours. No untoward incident was, however, reported as of now.The protesters, which included women and children, blocked highways and main roads, and in some instances parking their vehicles, especially tractors, across the roads to block traffic. This put road users to great hardship. To avoid any untoward incident, security was tightened at interstate borders and sensitive places. However, long queues of vehicles were seen on National Highways crossing Punjab and Haryana at many places, with the GT Road being the worst hit due to huge traffic jams in Punjab.Cutting across party lines, leaders, activists and workers of all parties comprising Congress, Shiromani akali Dal, AAP and other political outfits joined protesting farmers and commission agents (aarhtiyas) in lodging a strong protest against NDA govt at the Centre. In Haryana, farmers braved the sweltering heat and started converging at the highways and other designated protest places and raised anti-government slogans. The irate farmers virtually took over the highways and shut down all non-essential traffic. Punjab-Haryana border was sealed at Shambhu barrier near Ambala. Delhi-Amritsar highway was blocked at several places by farmers from BKU and activists of Marxist Party of India. Punjab too saw a virtually complete shutdown with activists of 31 farmers' groups protesting under the banner of the BKU across the state.  Accompanied by former Union Food Processing Industries Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, SAD Chief Sukhbir Singh Badal led a protest in Lambi. Meanwhile, taking precautionary measures, Ferozepure Railway division suspended operation of all special trains in Punjab, Himachal and J&K till Sept.26.

 

Rail roko: Farmers agitation in Punjab enters third day, extended till Sept.29

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/rail-roko-farmers-agitation-in-punjab-enters-third-day-extended-till-september-29/story-uzbaBrLn6GTbrZOhL8PFML.html

The ‘rail roko’ agitation against the farm bills passed in Parliament in the recently concluded monsoon season entered its third day on Saturday. It was scheduled to conclude on Sept. 26 but now has been extended by 3 more days. Several special passenger trains have been cancelled till Sept.26.The railways are yet to announce its further schedule given the extension of the ‘rail roko’ protests.  HT 

 

Sowing seeds of doubt: Farm Bills leave farmers, commission agents and workers worried: The Hindu ground report

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/sowing-seeds-of-doubt-farm-bills-leave-farmers-commission-agents-and-workers-worried/article32698797.ece?homepage=true

Farmers in Punjab are worried about the implications of 3 new farm bills that will allow them to sell their produce directly to private players. In June 2020, 55-year-old Shingara Singh in Fatehpur village in Patiala, Punjab, sold his spring season maize crop at ₹700-₹800 per quintal, far below Minimum Support Price (MSP) of ₹1,850/q fixed by the Central government for the season’s crop. He says private traders buy the produce at a much lower price than MSP.In the upcoming Rabi (winter) season, Shingara is hoping to get a remunerative price for his wheat crop. In Punjab and Haryana, the Central government purchases wheat and paddy (rice) at the MSP, which gives farmers an assured market and return. But Shingara is worried that following the passage of the farm bills in Parliament last week, even wheat and paddy will face the same fate that crops that are not purchased by the government agencies of the State or the Centre face. The provisions of the three farms bills, the govt says, will enable barrier-free trade in agricultural produce and empower farmers to engage with investors of their choice.But farmers are not convinced by the government’s promises. In both Punjab and Haryana, farmers are up in arms against the three farm bills. They fear that they are a step towards abolition of MSP regime, leaving farmers to suffer possible exploitation at the hands of big corporate houses. And the fear is not limited to any one group of farmers; it is shared by marginal, small and large/ other farmers.Shingara is wary of dealing with private companies. His fear is rooted in his experience of trading with a company. He started sowing barley crop around eight years ago after a liquor manufacturing company near his village offered to buy his crop.Dilbag Singh, 44, another farmer from the same village, who has over 15 acres of family land, speaks of a similar experience that left him poorer.

 

Delhi court denies interim bail to Delhi riots police constable murder accused

https://www.indialegallive.com/constitutional-law-news/courts-news/delhi-court-denies-interim-bail-to-delhi-riots-police-constable-murder-accused/

A Delhi Sessions Court has dismissed the interim bail application filed by Saleem Khan. Saleem is an accused in the Delhi riots police constable murder case.The order was passed by Additional Sessions Judge Vinod Yadav, while hearing the matter through video conferencing. Judge Yadav noted:   “It will be highly unsafe to admit the applicant on interim bail in the case, as he seeks permission to go to Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh, which is about 450 km from Delhi and the possibility of applicant misusing the liberty of interim bail cannot be ruled out.” The application has been moved by Saleem Khan seeking interim bail for a period of one week on the ground of the death of his sister.ILNS

 

Delhi riots: Involvement of ISI, Khalistan supporters surfaces in charge sheet

https://www.timesnownews.com/delhi/article/delhi-riots-involvement-of-isi-khalistan-supporters-surfaces-in-charge-sheet/657983

New Delhi: Names of 3 supporters of Khalistan movement, a Sikh separatist movement, and Pakistan intelligence agency ISI have cropped up in a disclosure statement of an accused in the charge sheet filed by Delhi Police Special Cell in the riots case.Alleged involvement of ISI and Khalistan movement supporters surfaced in the supplementary disclosure statement given by accused Athar Khan, who has been charged with UAPA, to the police on August 25. According to the Indian Evidence Act, such confessions recorded by police officers are inadmissible as evidence. These statements can only be used to prove the contradictions and cannot be used against the accused in the criminal cases.IANS

 

Delhi Riots: Son in Jail Since March, Poor Muslim Family Struggles to Make Both Ends Meet

https://clarionindia.net/delhi-riots-son-in-jail-since-march-poor-muslim-family-struggles-to-make-both-ends-meet/

New Delhi: Like other lanes, this one is also gated to keep its poor inhabitants safe from communal violence, just a spark away. A little ahead, an alley leads to the two-room home of Mohd Wasim in Chandu Nagar locality of North East Delhi. The front door is missing. The entry is gated by a large white polypropylene sack. It is afternoon. The space is dimly lit with poor ventilation. Wasim’s 2 sons and his daughter are asleep on a mat under a ceiling fan. Their mother Jannat is fiddling with toys.  The eldest son Mohd Iqbal, 24, is in jail.Iqbal was detained on the evening of March 8 this year. That day at around 8 pm, he and his 3 friends went out to buy meat from a nearby market. On the way, they were intercepted by the police. The police asked them why they were out during curfew time and rounded them up into a police vehicle. Since then, Iqbal has been lodged in Mandoli Jail located near Delhi-UP border near Ghaziabad in connection with Delhi riots.Iqbal is among the hundreds of young men who were arrested in cases related to Delhi riots.Activists have said that Delhi police are hounding innocent people and leaving out those who instigated and participated in the riots. 3 months later, on June 10, the court granted Iqbal bail against a surety bond of Rs 20,000. The family did not have a fixed account to submit as surety. It was then that a few local activists who arranged Rs 20,000 through crowd-funding and opened a fixed account in Jannat’s name. But when Wasim went to jail with the bail order to fetch his son, he was shocked when jail authorities told him that Iqbal would not be released. They asserted that there was another case against him, a case of murder. Wasim had to return home dejected. His family says the cases against Iqbal are fabricated. “During the days of rioting, he was at home all the time,” Jannat claims. “I did not allow him to go out.”

 

Delhi Riots: Yadav, Mander, Krishnan Dispute Police Witness Testimony In Umar Khalid Chargesheet

https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/delhi-riots-umar-khalid-delhi-police-chargesheet_in_5f6d8b9ec5b61af20e738aaa

In the chargesheet for FIR 59/2020 Crime Branch “Kilo”, a protected witness whose name has been concealed, said he attended a meeting where prominent political activists who protested against CAA spoke like cartoon villains disclosing their evil master plans.  “Our mission has been successful,” the witness alleges he heard Yogendra Yadav, the founder of Swaraj Abhiyan, say. “By orchestrating these riots we have shown our strength to the central government.”To which Nadeem Khan, co-founder of United Against Hate, a platform for social activists, allegedly said, “Yogendra ji, now it is essential that we pin the blame for this violence on someone else. It is best we put pressure on Delhi Chief Minister to put all the blame on the Delhi Police.”Kilo, who has made these claims in a sworn affidavit before a magistrate, claims that he was called to meeting by documentary filmmaker Rahul Roy. The meeting was held at about 4:00 PM on 25 Feb.2020, when violence was still raging in northeast Delhi. Documentary filmmaker Saba Dewan was also present in the room, Kilo said in his affidavit to the magistrate. Now, in interviews with HuffPost India, Yogendra Yadav and other activists who were present at the meeting have disputed Kilo’s characterisation of the events. 5 witnesses from the meeting have contradicted Kilo’s claims and told HuffPost India that the meeting was called to organise emergency relief for Hindu and Muslim victims of the worst communal conflagration in the National Capital in a quarter of a century. These witnesses pointed to a resolution, included in the voluminous chargesheet, Whatsapp messages, to support their contentions. Huffingtonpost

 

Over 200 National, International luminaries demand Umar Khalid’s release from unjust incarceration

https://clarionindia.net/over-200-national-and-international-luminaries-demand-umar-khalids-release-from-unjust-incarceration/

New Delhi; Even as over 200 national and international scholars, academicians and artistes have released a statement in support of former JNU student leader Umar Khalid, the incarcerated youth icon of resistance, his father SQR Ilyas said the battle for Umar’s release would have to be fought more on political front than legal. “Delhi Police have invoked stringent laws against him. In the name of investigations, they would keep him behind bars as long as possible. But they don’t have substantial evidence against him. They know they can’t stop him from getting bail. So they would ensure that the case does not reach proceeding level at the court. This leaves us with only one option, that is political pressure on the govt,” Ilyas told Clarion India soon after a Delhi court sent Umar to judicial custody till Oct.22.“Umar was cheerful, healthy and comfortable. He conveyed his regards and greetings to all his well-wishers and supporters,” Ilyas said. He also conveyed Umar’s message through Twitter.A total of 208 signatories have called the investigation a “pre-meditated witch-hunt”. They said Umar was falsely implicated by the Delhi police under UAPA. They demanded that the government “free” Umar and “all those falsely implicated and unjustly incarcerated for protesting against CAA-NRC”, and “ensure that the Delhi police investigate the Delhi riots with impartiality under the oath they took as public servants bound by the Constitution of India”.Some prominent people among the signatories are linguist Noam Chomsky, authors Salman Rushdie, Amitav Ghosh, Arundhati Roy, Ramachandra Guha and Rajmohan Gandhi, filmmakers Mira Nair and Anand Patwardhan, historians Romila Thapar and Irfan Habib, and activists Medha Patkar and Aruna Roy.The signatories said the anti-CAA movement was “the largest and most peaceful democratic rights movement in independent India” that “followed proudly in the footsteps of Mahatma Gandhi and embodied the spirit of the Indian Constitution drafted under the leadership of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar”.Umar’s father welcomed the statement by national and international personalities. Ilyas said this would build pressure on the government. The statement also mentions all those arrested under UAPA, including Pinjra Tod activists Devangana Kalita and Natasha Narwal. clarionindia

  

Case Against Hindutva Leaders Ignored, No Justice in Sight for Bhima Koregaon Violence Victims

https://thewire.in/caste/bhima-koregaon-violence-hindutva-leaders-case

Mumbai: On Jan.2, 2018, a day after a violent mob attack on Dalit community members visiting Bhima Koregaon, anti-caste activist Anita Sawale had filed a case accusing Samasta Hindu Aghadi president and Hindutva leader Milind Ekbote and Shiv Prathistan Hindustan leader Sambhaji Bhide as the “masterminds” of the attack.Even amid tremendous pressure to withdraw the case and a threat to her life, Sawale has doggedly followed up with the police and demanded a swift investigation in the case. When police failed in their duty, she even moved the Bombay high court demanding accountability. But 2 years and nine months later, she says, she has lost every hope for concrete action against the accused. Meanwhile, Shikrapur police, which is in charge of the case, told The Wire that they have already completed their investigation but the file has been long pending with DGP’s office for mandatory sanctions for prosecution. “Since the accused have been booked under Sections 153 (B) and 295 (A) of IPC, we have sent the report to DGP’s office a few months ago. But we haven’t heard from them yet,” Shikrapur police inspector Sadashiv Shelar said.Shelar further added that even after DGP’s office approves it, the report will have to be further sent to the home department and only when they get approval will the police be able to file a chargesheet in the case.“I had witnessed the violence up close. People all around me were being beaten up, were soaked in blood. Our vehicles were burnt and the attackers were openly chanting slogans hailing their leaders Bhide and Ekbote. My complaint mentions all of this very clearly. But the police tried every bit to delay the investigation in the case,” she alleges.

 

NIA arrests alleged conspirator in Bengaluru riots; searches 30 locations: IANS report

https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/nia-arrests-alleged-conspirator-in-bengaluru-riots-searches-30-locations-120092500009_1.html

Bengaluru :NIA arrested the alleged key conspirator in Bengaluru riots on August 11 and searched 30 locations across the city, an official said."We have arrested Sayed Saddiq Ali, a key conspirator in the attack on the KG Halli police station in the city's north-eastern suburb on August 11, which resulted in heavy damage and destruction of public and state property," a NIA official said in a statement here. 44-year-old key accused works as a recovery agent with a bank and has been absconding since August 11 riots in which a Congress legislator's house was also set on fire and a number of public and police vehicles were torched. About 400 people were arrested in connection with the riots.IANS

 

Kochi: Special NIA court convicts alleged Islamic State fighter; quantum of sentence on Monday

https://www.timesnownews.com/india/article/kochi-special-nia-court-convicts-alleged-islamic-state-fighter-quantum-of-sentence-on-monday/657899

Kochi: A special NIA court in Kochi on Friday convicted Subahani Haja Moideen, who allegedly fought for IS, for supporting the activities of the terror outfit.The special NIA court will pronounce the quantum of sentence in the matter on Monday. Moideen, hails from Idukki district of Kerala. He was arrested by NIA in 2016 for allegedly supporting activities of the Islamic State.

 

Chinese Drones, Guns Point At New Pak Plot In J&K: Govt Sources

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/chinese-drones-guns-point-at-new-pak-plot-in-j-k-government-sources-2301179?pfrom=home-topstories

New Delhi: Pakistan has been instructed by China to push large quantities of arms and ammunition into Jammu and Kashmir to sponsor increased anti-India activity and unrest amid the border standoff in Ladakh, govt sources said on Friday, citing intelligence reports.Intelligence inputs reaching the government indicate that Pakistan's spy agency ISI has been instructed by China to execute a plan to flood Jammu and Kashmir with weapons, sources said. Recent seizures made by security forces in the union territory back this claim and most of the weapons recovered have Chinese markings, they added."Due to the strong anti-infiltration grid established by the Indian security forces, Pakistan is unable to infiltrate neither terrorists nor weapons into the valley to increase violence levels in the valley. Pakistan's ISI has been given an ultimatum to push in maximum infiltrators along with weapons into Kashmir before onset of winters, when the undergrowth or bushes in most infiltration prone areas will die down due to dew and snowfall," the reports say, according to sources.NDTV

 

India accuses Pakistan of peddling ‘litany of lies’ as Imran Khan rakes up Kashmir dispute at UN

https://scroll.in/latest/974143/india-accuses-pakistan-of-peddling-litany-of-lies-as-imran-khan-rakes-up-kashmir-dispute-at-un

India on Friday hit back at Pakistan for once again raising the issue of Jammu and Kashmir at the 75th UN General Assembly and accused Islamabad of peddling “another litany of vicious falsehood, personal attacks, war mongering”. New Delhi said Pakistan’s only crowning glory was “70 years of terrorism, ethnic cleansing, majoritarian fundamentalism, and clandestine nuclear trade”.At UN gathering of world leaders, Pakistan PM Imran Khan accused India of trying to cement control in Kashmir, and called the Modi govt a sponsor of hatred and prejudice against Islam.“The one country in the world today where, I am sad to say, the state sponsors Islamophobia, is India,” Khan said in a recorded speech to UNGA, which is being held virtually amid coronavirus pandemic. “The reason behind this is RSS ideology that unfortunately rules India today. They believe that India is exclusive to Hindus and others are not equal citizens.”Khan added that there could be no durable peace and stability in South Asia until the J&K dispute was resolved on the basis of international legitimacy. “Pakistan has always called for a peaceful solution,” he added, according to NDTV. “To this end, India must rescind the measures it has instituted since August 5 in 2019, end its military siege and other gross human rights violations in J&K.”Following this, First Secretary in India’s Permanent Mission to UN Mijito Vinito walked out of the General Assembly hall in protest. TS Tirumurti, India’s permanent representative to UN, tweeted that the country would use the “Right to Reply” facility to give a “befitting response” to Khan’s statements. India responded by calling Khan’s remarks “a new low” in diplomacy. “This Hall heard the incessant rant of someone who had nothing to show for himself, who had no achievements to speak of, and no reasonable suggestion to offer to the world,” Vinito said as the two countries traded rebuttals. “Instead, we saw lies, misinformation, warmongering and malice spread through this assembly.”In his speech, Khan had urged the international community to intervene in the Kashmir dispute. “The international community must investigate these grave violations and prosecute the Indian civil and military personnel involved in state terrorism and serious crimes against humanity,” Khan said, according to AP.But Vinito wondered if Khan was referring to himself. “The leader of Pakistan today called for those who incite hate and violence to be outlawed,” the Indian diplomat said. “But, as he went on, we were left wondering, was he referring to himself?”

 

J&K : DNA confirms identity of 3 labourers killed by Army in Shopian

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/dna-confirms-identity-of-three-labourers-killed-by-army-in-shopian-6615213/

DNA samples of 3 labourers from Rajouri in J&K, who were killed in an encounter in Shopian by Army on July 18 and labelled as “terrorists”, have matched those of their families, IGP(Kashmir) Vijay Kumar said.The confirmation comes days after the Army said that its inquiry into the killings in Amshipora village “prima facie” found that the soldiers involved had exceeded their powers under the AFSPA, and that disciplinary action would be taken.“We have received the (result of) DNA samples today. They are matching…Now, we will take further action, we will take forward the investigations,” IGP Kumar said.Following the confirmation, the families of the slain labourers — Abrar Ahmed (25), Imtiyaz Ahmed (20) and Mohammed Ibrar (16) — demanded that the victims’ bodies be exhumed and handed over to them, and those behind the killings be arrested.Political parties in the Valley, meanwhile, hit out at what they said was murder “in cold blood” and demanded to know what the “incriminating evidence” was that the Army had said led them to identify the labourers as “terrorists”.

 

Vocal Kashmiri Lawyer Babar Qadri Shot Dead at His Srinagar Residence

https://www.newsclick.in/vocal-kashmiri-lawyer-babar-qadri-shot-dead-srinagar-residence

Srinagar: Armed assailants shot dead the lawyer Syed Babar Qadri at his residence in Srinagar’s Hawal area Thursday evening. The two attackers had entered the 40-year-old Kashmiri lawyer’s home posing as clients before assassinating him. According to IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar, Qadri was shot at 4 times from close range, which killed him instantly. The doctors at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences said he was brought dead to the hospital. He had sustained bullet injuries near his eye and shoulder area.“Both the attackers had their faces covered and were carrying files. They had come at about 6:20 PM for an advice and when Qadri came near them, they used pistols to fire at him indiscriminately. They also fired aerial shots when they escaped,” IGP Kumar said. The police, who suspect that the attack was carried out by militants, have formed a SIT led by SP Hazratbal to investigate the matter “on priority”. His killing has elicited wide condemnation from the Valley as well as other parts of the country.

 

19-year-old raped in Hathras fights for life, Dalit family says used to staying quiet

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/19-yr-old-raped-in-hathras-fights-for-life-dalit-family-says-used-to-staying-quiet-6615508/

Hathras (UP): She keeps thinking about the morning of Sept.14, about going with her daughter to a field nearby to cut grass for their cows, about the desperate search on realising she was missing, about finding her battered and bleeding just 100 metres away, about hailing an e-rickshaw to rush the 19-year-old to a district hospital, and about other questions that have been nagging her: what if she could hear better so that she could have responded to her daughter’s screams, what if they were not Dalits.It’s been 11 days and 19-year-old, whose tongue was cut off and spinal cord severely injured, is on a ventilator at a hospital in Aligarh and fighting for her life. Hathras SP Vikrant Vir said she has severe injuries on her neck as well.4 upper caste men of the woman’s village in Hathras district have been charged with gangrape and attempt to murder, apart from under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. 3 have been arrested. The woman gave a statement to the police on Wednesday.The initial medical report by the hospital has confirmed strangulation and assault. “I was sitting 100 metres from her. I could have saved her. I wish I wasn’t hard of hearing,” cries the mother, sitting outside their home. The family says the main accused, 20-year-old Sandeep, and his family, who live nearby, have “always harassed Dalits in their area”. Nearly 2 decades ago, Sandeep’s grandfather had been booked under SC/ST Act and served 3 months in prison for allegedly thrashing the victim’s grandfather over a petty issue. Of 600-odd families in the village, nearly half are Thakur, say district officials, while Brahmins make up another 100. Only 15-odd families are Dalit.

 

DDA demolishes hutments behind Batla House, hundreds lose roof over their heads

https://indiatomorrow.net/2020/09/26/dda-demolishes-hutments-behind-batla-house-hundreds-lose-roof-over-their-heads/

NEW DELHI:Removal of over 300 jhuggies (huts) at a slum in the floodplains of the river Yamuna, behind the Batla House Dhobi Ghat in South Delhi, has left hundreds of poor people, mostly daily wagers and domestic helps, without a roof over their heads. The jhuggis were removed by Delhi Development Authority’s (DDA) anti-encroachment wing Thursday. DDA comes under Central government.The victims, who are mostly from Bihar, Eastern UP and some from West Bengal, told India Tomorrow that they were not given any advance notice and the action was taken all of a sudden. The result was that the hutment dwellers could not remove their belongings and whatever they had earned and possessed, was reduced to ruins within a matter of minutes. Many of them were also having refrigerators and TV sets.According to the jhuggi dwellers, most of them were living there since 2006. And all huts were numbered on the basis of which they were also issued Aadhar cards and some had also got LPG connections.India Tomorrow

 

Holding CBI stand ‘ambivalent’, Delhi court grants bail to two accused

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/holding-cbi-stand-ambivalent-court-grants-bail-to-two-accused-6616296/

A Delhi court has granted bail to 2 persons accused of extorting money from Hyderabad businessman Sana Sathish Babu on the pretext of shielding him in the CBI investigation against meat exporter Moin Qureshi. CBI had registered an FIR against former CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana on the basis of a complaint from Sana, facing investigation in a 2017 case involving meat exporter Qureshi.

 

Hawala transactions run into crores: CBI

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/hawala-transactions-run-into-crores-cbi-6616220/

Kolkata :A trader at the centre of an alleged cattle-smuggling nexus of BSF and Department of Customs officials has conducted hawala transactions worth crores, according to a CBI source. The net worth of Mohammad Inamul Haque, who was booked earlier this week by agency along with 2 other traders and BSF commandant Satish Kumar, is approximately Rs 1,000 crore.Haque owns properties in Lalgola and Raghunathganj in Murshidabad district, Kolkata, and Dubai. His hawala network, run by cattle smugglers, has links to Dubai and other countries in West Asia, said sources. An earlier probe by Enforcement Directorate allegedly found that Haque owns four to five companies that he uses to run the network.

 

Govt considering to start application submission for Haj 2021 from Oct-Nov: Naqvi

https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/govt-considering-to-start-application-submission-for-haj-2021-from-oct-nov-naqvi20200926152340/

Mumbai: Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Saturday said that the government is considering to initiate the process of Haj 2021 application from October-November."We are considering starting the process including application submission for Haj 2021 from October-November. We will wait for Saudi Arabia's guidelines and hope that the pilgrimage takes place," Naqvi told ANI.The meetings with state Haj Committees and other officials have begun regarding the applications' submission for the pilgrimage. "We hope that Haj 2021 happens this time and the people of India will be able to make Haj journey. It is the wish of every Muslim to do Haj journey once in a lifetime," the minister further added.ANI

 

Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s Hindu nationalism could cause riots in Kolkata today: Subhas Chandra Bose grandnephew

https://www.theweek.in/theweek/cover/2020/09/25/mookerjee-hindu-nationalism-could-cause-riots-in-kolkata-today.html

Grandnephew of Subhas Chandra Bose and BJP member Chandra Bose has said that Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s Hindu nationalism could cause riots in Kolkata today.  In an Interview with The Week, Chandra Bose said, "I do not want to insult Mookerjee. But it is a fact that he opposed the Quit India movement. The Central government celebrated Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday with so much fanfare, so then how could you mix that with Mookerjee’s politics? Here lies the contradiction. Also, his politics in Bengal was not at all good for Hindu-Muslim unity." He further stated, "In India, we faced Sikh radicalism and Hindu radicalism along with Islamic jihadism. What would you say about the people who destroyed Babri Masjid? Are they not radicals?" When asked you do not consider Mookerjee a legend? Chandra Bose replied, "I do not think of it that way. I do not think of it that way. Of course, Mookerjee made a huge contribution in Kashmir. He was an extremely bright academician and his contribution in Kashmir was extremely memorable and we should cherish that. A man launching such a movement and dying because of that was definitely a big contribution. But that does not mean we should not point out what he got wrong. His Hindu nationalism should not be replicated in Bengal today. In fact, it would be a dangerous idea to propagate such an ideology today. There will be riots in Kolkata if we apply such principles."

 

Ajit Pawar pays tribute to Hindutva icon Upadhyaya, deletes tweet

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/ajit-pawar-pays-tribute-to-hindutva-icon-upadhyaya-deletes-tweet-6615378/

Mumbai :A tweet remembering Bharatiya Jana Sangh leader Deendayal Upadhyaya on his birth anniversary, tweeted by NCP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s handle on Friday morning, raised many eyebrows. However, it was deleted within an hour.Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray also paid tribute to Upadhyaya, a Hindutva icon and a revered figure for the BJP, his former ally. The Sangh was the predecessor of the BJP.

 

CAG: Centre Violated GST Law, Wrongly Retained Rs 47k Crore in Compensation Cess

https://thewire.in/economy/cag-centre-violated-gst-law-retained-rs-47000-crore-compensation-cess

New Delhi: A portion of the funds collected under the provision of the GST Compensation Cess Act were retained by the Narendra Modi government for two years and not transferred to the appropriate non-lapsable fund that is used to compensate state governments, according to a recent report put out by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).This short-crediting of GST compensation cess totaled to nearly Rs 47,500 crore during 2017-18 and 2018-19. According to the national auditor, the amount by which the cess was short credited was retained in the Consolidated Fund of India (CFI) and became “available for use for purposes other than what was provided in the Act”.In particular, the CAG notes that retaining the money helped the Centre overstate its revenue receipts and understate its fiscal deficit for the year.

 

‘Faceless I-T’ comes into operation

https://www.thehindu.com/business/faceless-i-t-comes-into-operation/article32699297.ece?homepage=true

The government on Friday issued a notification operationalising ‘Faceless Income Tax Appeals’ system which seeks to honour honest taxpayers of the country and promote transparency in tax collection.Under faceless appeals, all Income Tax appeals will be finalised in a faceless manner under the faceless ecosystem with the exception of appeals relating to serious frauds, major tax evasion, sensitive and search matters, international tax and Black Money Act, Finance Ministry said.PTI

 

Vodafone Wins International Arbitration Against India in $2 Billion Tax Dispute Case

https://thewire.in/business/vodafone-arbitration-india-tax-dispute-case

New Delhi: Vodafone Group Plc has won an international arbitration case against the government in a $2 billion (Rs 20,000 crore) retrospective tax dispute, according to a Reuters report which quoted two sources with direct knowledge of the matter.The tribunal ruled that the government’s imposition of a tax liability on Vodafone is in breach of the investment treaty agreement between India and the Netherlands, one of the sources said.The proceedings were initiated by Vodafone back in 2014, two years after the then-UPA government introduced retrospective amendments to Indian income tax law, in a move that allowed it to continue to raise its tax demand despite a Supreme Court order that brought relief to the company.The telecom firm has argued that such a move violated the principles of equitable and fair treatment under the treaty.

 

Former Bihar DGP Gupteshwar Pandey to join Nitish Kumar’s JDU today

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/bihar-dgp-gupteshwar-pandey-to-join-jdu-today-1725611-2020-09-26

Patna:Former Bihar DGP Gupteshwar Pandey will be joining Nitish Kumar-led JDU at a ceremony at 1 pm on Saturday. This comes days after Gupteshwar Pandey took voluntary retirement from services and triggered speculation of contesting the upcoming Bihar assembly elections.IPS officer Gupteshwar Pandey, who has been at the centre of the controversy surrounding investigation into the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, sparked rumours of joining politics by announcing his retirement.Gupteshwar Pandey has been a vocal supporter of Nitish Kumar and was criticised over his sexist remarks on actor Rhea Chakraborty.

 

Telangana govt prohibits registration of Waqf properties in the state

https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/telangana-govt-prohibits-registration-waqf-properties-state-133868

In a move to protect Waqf properties in the state, the Telangana government has prohibited their registration to leave no scope for unauthorised transfers.The government has an order to protect Wakf properties. The latest GO aims to prevent unauthorised transfer, misuse of Wakf properties.Waqf properties have been included in the list which will be put under "auto lock" on the soon-to-be-launched Dharani portal for online registration of properties across the state.Waqf, endowment and government lands will be under "auto lock", thus disabling online registration modules for such properties.

 

Madurai Hairdresser Praised by Modi Charged With Cheating, Charging Exorbitant Interest

https://thewire.in/politics/bjp-tamil-nadu-hairdresser-modi-cheating

New Delhi: A Madurai-based hairdresser who had received high praise in one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat‘ radio programmes for feeding the poor during the COVID-19 lockdown has now been booked by the state police for cheating and charging an exorbitant interest rate.The city’s Anna Nagar police told the media that C. Mohan was charged with criminal intimidation and sections of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Charging Exorbitant Interest Act after one M. Gengairajan filed a complaint against him. According to a report in The Hindu, the complainant alleged that he had paid Rs 48,000 in total as interest for a loan of Rs 30,000 that he took from Mohan in Dec.2016. He said he has been paying Rs 3,000 a week for the last four months. However, he could not pay any further instalments because of his financial incapacity.

 

Hyderabad man killed allegedly by wife’s family over inter-caste marriage, 14 arrested

https://scroll.in/latest/974164/hyderabad-man-killed-allegedly-by-wifes-family-over-inter-caste-marriage-14-arrested

A 28-year old man in Hyderabad was allegedly abducted and killed for marrying a woman from a different caste, the police said on Friday, Indian Express reported. The Cyberabad Police have arrested 14 people, including the parents of the woman, and 10 other members of her family in connection with the murder.Hemanth Kumar, who belonged to the Vysya community, was an interior designer. His wife, Avanthi belonged to the Reddy community. Both of them lived in the same locality in Chandanagar and had known one another for eight years. The police said they got married on June 10 this year at the Sub-registrar Office in Quthbullapur against their parents’ wishes and knowledge.

 

 

*CORONAVIRUS-LOCKDOWN*

 

85,362 New Covid Cases In 24 Hours In India, Total Crosses 59 Lakh

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/coronavirus-85-362-new-cases-in-24-hours-take-indias-tally-past-59-lakh-mark-over-48-lakh-patients-have-recovered-so-far-2301290

New Delhi: More than 85,000 new Covid cases were reported across India in the past 24 hours, government data showed on Saturday, taking the total number of coronavirus cases in the country past 59 lakh-mark. Over 1,000 deaths were also recorded in the past 24 hours, pushing the total number of deaths recorded since the pandemic began past 93,000. The number of recoveries reported in the past 24 hours is around 93,000 as well, taking the total number of people who have fought off the virus past 48 lakh. Around 13.4 lakh Covid tests were also conducted in the past 24 hours. India is the second worst-affected country by the Covid pandemic, second only to US in the total number of active cases

 

COVID: SC dismisses plea for direction to authorities not to identify persons based on religion

https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/covid-19-sc-dismisses-plea-for-direction-to-authorities-not-to-identify-persons-based-on-religion/2091620/

The Supreme Court Friday dismissed a plea seeking directions to the Centre, Delhi govt and others not to identify persons based on religion, caste, community and religious identity with regard to COVID-19 related information.A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan refused to entertain the plea which had sought directions to authorities concerned to stop the dissemination of information of coronavirus or other epidemic disease on the basis of religion, caste, community, religious identity or communal classification.The plea, filed by 2 Delhi-based residents, also sought directions to authorities to identify persons, organisations, websites and media houses who have either authored, shared and aided in circulation of such information.It said the authorities should immediately block such websites and remove the offending materials on the internet and take action under the IT Act against those who are spreading communal hatred, creating problem for public order.“It was thus apparent that the unfortunate incident of Tablighi Jamaat was being used to demonise and blame the entire Muslim community and this Tablighi Jamaat story is just another way of the government to distract with its own policy failures,” the plea had alleged.PTI 

 

Centre analyses police response during lockdown, says they showcased humane side

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/centre-analyses-police-response-during-lockdown-says-they-showcased-humane-side/story-AQPyWIPy2vrxBeWsgxCx6K.html

Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has analysed the response of Indian police during Covid-19 pandemic, particularly during the 68-day lockdown, saying the personnel showcased their humane side and went beyond the call of duty.The ministry, however, has failed to mention anything about police excesses on the migrant labourers, who walked hundreds of kilometres from urban centres to their villages.

 

Covid-19 vaccine trial begins at Mumbai hospital today: All you need to know

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/covid-19-vaccine-trial-begins-at-mumbai-hospital-today-all-you-need-to-know/story-qtN0xTZnbOyz84QRwXJWnJ.html

The first dose of Covid-19 vaccine candidate developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca will on Saturday be administered to 3 volunteers at King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital in Mumbai while 10 more volunteers have been selected for the clinical trial.Another Mumbai hospital BYL Nair will commence the process of clinical trials from Monday.Volunteers given the vaccine dose at the KEM hospital will be checked regularly and within 29 days a second dose will be given to them.

 

Coronavirus: India’s leaders must not provide false optimism, says Lancet editorial

https://scroll.in/latest/974116/coronavirus-indias-leaders-must-not-provide-false-optimism-says-lancet-editorial

Medical journal The Lancet on Friday called on Indian leaders to respect scientific evidence and not provide false optimism to people amid the raging coronavirus crisis. The journal said that a “too positive spin” on the situation would not only cloud the reality but also adversely affect public health initiatives.The journal said in an editorial that not reporting negative news about the coronavirus honestly will discourage people from taking the health crisis seriously. “Perpetuating unrealistic claims or failing to honestly report negative news creates uncertainty among the public and health-care professionals, discouraging people from taking preventive action or taking public health messages seriously,” it said.

 

Global COVID death toll could hit 2 million before vaccine in wide use – WHO

https://indianexpress.com/article/world/global-covid-19-death-toll-could-hit-2-million-before-vaccine-in-wide-use-who-6616643/

The global death toll from COVID-19 could double to 2 million before a successful vaccine is widely used and could be even higher without concerted action to curb the pandemic, an official at WHO said.“Unless we do it (take concerted action) … the number you speak about (2 million deaths) is not only imaginable, but sadly very likely,” Mike Ryan, head of the U.N. agency’s emergencies programme, told a briefing on Friday.The number of deaths about nine months since the novel coronavirus was discovered in China is nearing 1 million.“The WHO is continuing talks with China about its possible involvement in the COVAX financing scheme designed to guarantee fast and equitable access globally to COVID-19 vaccine, a week after the deadline for committing passed.Reuters

 

 

 

*WORLD*

 

Lebanon PM-designate steps down amid impasse over gov’t formation

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/9/26/lebanon-pm-designate-resigns-amid-impasse-over-govt-formation

Lebanon’s prime minister-designate Mustapha Adib has announced his resignation after his efforts to line up a non-partisan cabinet ran into trouble, particularly over who would run the finance ministry.In a televised address on Saturday, Adib said he was stepping down from “the task of forming the government” following a meeting with President Michel Aoun.Adib, a former ambassador to Berlin, was picked on August 31 to form a cabinet after the last government led by Hassan Diab resigned following the Beirut port blast on August 4 that killed some 200 people.But the formation of a new government was hit by a logjam over the demand of two dominant Shia parties – Iran-backed Hezbollah and its ally, the Amal Movement – to name Shia ministers in the cabinet.Shia leaders feared being sidelined as Adib, a Sunni Muslim, sought to shake up appointments to ministries, some of which have been controlled by the same faction for years, politicians said.

 

Abbas at UNGA: Israel normalisation ‘violation of just and lasting’ peace

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/9/25/abbas-normalisation-deals-violation-of-just-and-lasting-peace

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has criticised the recent decision of two Arab countries to normalise diplomatic relations with Israel as a “violation” of a “just and lasting solution under international law”.In an address to UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Friday, Abbas also called for an international conference early next year to “launch a genuine peace process” in the wake of the UAE and Bahrain’s recognition of Israel.“The conference should have full authority to launch a genuine peace process based on international law,” Abbas told the virtual UNGA in a recorded video address from his headquarters in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah.

 

MPs urge UK to recognise Palestine, boycott settlement products

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200925-mps-urge-uk-to-recognise-palestine-boycott-settlement-products/

Speaking during a House of Commons debate on settlements and annexation, UK Members of Parliament called on the government to immediately recognise the State of Palestine on the basis of 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as the shared capital.Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa James Cleverly said in parliament yesterday: “We desire a stable, secure and peaceful two-state solution.” “A thriving Israel next door to a thriving Palestine based on 1967 borders with agreed land swaps, Jerusalem as a shared capital of both states, with fair, agreed and realistic settlements for refugees and we continue to believe a two-state solution is the only viable long-term solution for the area.”

 

Reports: Israel’s Netanyahu, Sudan chief to meet in Uganda

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200925-reports-israels-netanyahu-sudan-chief-to-meet-in-uganda/

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the chief of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, are scheduled to meet in Uganda in the near future to discuss bilateral relations, Israeli media outlets reported.Israel’s i24 News quoted sources close to the Sudanese Sovereignty Council as saying that a press conference will be held in the Abbasi Hall, east of Zaytuna Hospital in Khartoum, tomorrow during which Sudanese-Israeli Friendship Association will be announced.Al-Burhan, who recently visited the UAE, said he had discussed with US officials several issues during the visit, including “peace with Israel”.

 

Saudi paper: Sudan ‘likely’ to normalise relations with Israel

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200925-saudi-paper-sudan-likely-to-normalise-relations-with-israel/

Sudan is “likely” to be the next Arab country to normalise relations with Israel, Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper quoted a Sudanese official as saying.According to the source, the recent high-level talks between the US and the Sudanese government held in Abu Dhabi discussed Khartoum’s agreeing to normalise relations with Tel Aviv in return for removing it from the State Department’s list of sponsors of terrorism and a package of  $7 billion in financial assistance.

 

Qatar refuses to head Arab League instead of Palestine

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200926-qatar-refuses-to-head-arab-league-instead-of-palestine/

The State of Qatar refused to assume the presidency of the 154th regular session of the Arab League at the ministerial level instead of Palestine, which has recently resigned from the position.Qatar announced in a statement on Thursday evening: “We apologise for completing the aforementioned session, which the State of Palestine abandoned, while adhering to the right of the State of Qatar to the next presidency of the 155th session of March 2021.”Qatar was selected alphabetically and in accordance with Article VI of the rules of procedure of the league council, which states: “If the president of the council at the ministerial level is unable to assume the position, the temporary presidency is assigned to the delegate of the country that will head the next session.”

 

 

Hamas, Fatah agree to hold elections in Palestine within 6 months

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200925-hamas-fatah-agree-to-hold-elections-in-palestine-within-6-months/

Hamas and Fatah have agreed to hold the first elections in Palestine in nearly 15 years, AFP reported.Following a meeting at the Palestinian Embassy in Istanbul, a press release was issued that confirmed the two biggest Palestinian factions had reached “a unified vision”.“We agree that the vision has matured and we plan to move ahead with a nationwide dialogue with the participation of all factions under the patronage of President Mahmoud Abbas to take place before the first of October,” the statement said.

 

Sabah election: Malaysia’s Muhyiddin faces key test in state poll

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/9/26/sabah-election-polls-open-in-key-test-for-malaysias-muhyiddin

Polls have opened in Malaysia’s eastern Sabah state in a vote seen as a referendum for embattled Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s seven-month-old unelected government.The outcome of Saturday’s state election will not directly alter the balance of power at a national level, where Muhyiddin’s coalition commands a razor-thin majority, but serves as a key test of the prime minister’s popularity.A defeat for Muhyiddin’s allies could erode support among his coalition partners and increase pressure for snap national polls, according to Al Jazeera’s Florence Looi.“There’s a lot at stake in these elections,” Looi said, reporting from Sabah.

 

One ‘killed’ in Egypt as protesters demand el-Sisi resign

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/9/26/one-killed-in-egypt-as-protestors-demand-el-sisi-resign

At least one protester was killed in Egypt on Friday, according to activists, after thousands of people defied a police crackdown to demonstrate against President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s government for the sixth straight day.The rare protests – dubbed by demonstrators as a “Friday of rage” – took place across cities, towns and rural areas in Egypt after noon prayers, including in the capital, Cairo, and the governorates of Giza, Damietta on the Nile Delta and Luxor in southern Egypt.A video clip circulating on social media showed protesters in Cairo’s Helwan neighbourhood chanting: “Say it out loud and don’t be scared, el-Sisi has got to go”, while another showed protesters burning tires to block roads in Giza. In a third clip, dozens of demonstrators and riot police squared off in a neighbourhood in Damietta city before police charged at the crowd, causing people to scatter in all directions.

 

China demolished around 16,000 mosques in recent years: Report

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/china-demolished-around-16-000-mosques-in-recent-years-report/story-uvtYtO81RzSCZfrL96bIlJ.html

Beijing:Chinese authorities have demolished thousands of mosques in Xinjiang, an Australian think tank said, in the latest report of widespread human rights abuses in the restive region.Rights groups say more than one million Uighurs and other mostly Muslim Turkic-speaking people have been incarcerated in camps across the northwestern territory, with residents pressured to give up traditional and religious activities.Around 16,000 mosques had been destroyed or damaged, according to an Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) report based on satellite imagery documenting hundreds of sacred sites and statistical modelling.AFP

 

US moves to restrict stay of Chinese journalists to 90 days

https://indianexpress.com/article/world/us-moves-to-restrict-stay-of-chinese-journalists-to-90-days-6616771/

Washington :Trump Administration is seeking to restrict the stay of journalists from China in the US to just 90 days with the provision of another extension for a similar duration, according to a federal notification.The proposal of the Department of Homeland Security is part of the fixed time limit on visas of students, researchers and foreign journalists in the US.While the time limit for foreign journalists in general has been restricted to 240 days and another extension of a similar period, those for a journalist from China would be issued a I visa by US just for 90 days, as per the federal notification issued on Friday.PTI

 

 OP-ED

 

•  It is silly to link the anti-CAA protests to the Delhi riots:Salman Khurshid, indianexpress

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/delhi-riots-shaheen-bagh-anti-caa-nrc-6611865/

 

• Delhi riots chargesheet invents conspiracy and enemy, as per script:Pratap Bhanu Mehta,indianexpress

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/you-dare-not-speak-delhi-riots-anti-caa-protests-police-6609570/

 

• Farm bills are seen by farmers to deliver freedom — not to them, but to private capital:HIMANSHU,indianexpress

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/harvest-of-distrust-farmers-protest-punjab-haryana-tamil-nadu-6612062/

 

• CAG flags pending defence offset deals: Dassault, Boeing, Russian ROE in list:Krishn Kaushik , indianexpress

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/cag-flags-pending-defence-offset-deals-dassault-boeing-russian-roe-in-list-6615263/

 

• My beloved Uncle – The Maulana with a vision for youngsters:Ibrahim Usmani, The Milli Gazette Online

https://www.milligazette.com/news/1-community-news/33692-my-beloved-uncle-the-maulana-with-a-vision-for-youngsters/

 

• Delhi Riots: When Does a Chakka Jaam Become a Crime? Vakasha Sachdev, thequint

https://www.thequint.com/news/law/delhi-riots-chakka-jaam-road-blocks-conspiracy-to-engineer-riots-ipc-uapa

 

• Rahul Roy, Saba Dewan – Named in Delhi Police's Riot Chargesheet – Have a History of Promoting Peace:Seemi Pasha, thewire

https://thewire.in/rights/rahul-roy-saba-dewan-delhi-police-riots-chargesheet

 

• 'Do Mullo Ko Maara Bhai Ne' Vs 'Maintain Peace': A Tale of Delhi Riots and Two WhatsApp Groups:Ismat Ara, thewire

https://thewire.in/rights/do-mullo-ko-maara-bhai-ne-vs-maintain-peace-a-tale-of-delhi-riots-and-two-whatsapp-groups

 

• Watch | Anti-CAA Protest Was One of the Most Remarkable Movements in History: Hamid Ansari, thewire

https://thewire.in/video/watch-anti-caa-protest-was-one-of-the-most-remarkable-movements-in-history-hamid-ansari

 

• Why the Delimitation Exercise in Jammu and Kashmir Calls for Caution;Vikas Kumar.thewire

https://thewire.in/government/jammu-kashmir-delimitation-exercise-caution-census-population-data

 

• 'Kashmiris' Dreams Are Gone, They Are Slaves': The Farooq Abdullah Interview

https://thewire.in/politics/farooq-abdullah-kashmir-china-slaves-karan-thapar-transcript