03 OCT. NEWS DIGEST

 

INDIA- RAPE OUTRAGE

 Hathras Rape: Village borders opened after 2 days, reporters allowed to enter, victim's family speaks to media after 2 days

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/hathras-village-borders-opened-after-2-days-reporters-allowed-to-enter-2304580

Hathras: 2 days after a village in UP's Hathras was sealed amid outrage over the death of a 20-year-old woman who was allegedly gang raped and tortured, the borders were re-opened today. Only reporters can enter the village, a senior official said, adding that political leaders will not be permitted. "The curbs were put in place only to maintain law and order," Joint Magistrate Hathras Prem Prakash Meena said. Dismissing allegations by the victim's family that they were locked up in their homes and their phones were taken away, he told NDTV: "The allegations by a boy who spoke to some reporters on Friday are baseless. If a child can escape, it shows there were no restrictions on the family. No phones were confiscated." On Friday, the family of the victim had alleged that they were "not being allowed to come out" of their homes.A boy from the family who spoke to the reporters said: "They have taken away our phones. My family has sent me here to talk to the reporters. I escaped and came here. They are not letting us come out are they not allowing the media to come in. They are threatening us as well.""DM kicked my uncle in chest... he fainted after he was hit," he added.In the last 2 days, several opposition leaders have been stopped from entering the village amid fiery protests. ndtv

 

Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Enter UP, En Route Hathras To Meet Victim's Family

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/two-days-after-brief-detention-rahul-gandhi-to-go-to-hathras-today-2304554?pfrom=home-topscroll

New Delhi: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have been allowed to travel to Uttar Pradesh's Hathras and meet the family of the 20-year-old Dalit woman who was allegedly gang raped and murdered last month - and whose body was then cremated in a secretive ceremony at 2.30 am - in a savage crime that has shocked the nation.This was Congress leaders' second attempt to reach Hathras - first, on Thursday, ended in a tussle with cops who refused to let Gandhi pass, citing orders banning large gatherings amid coronavirus concerns, and shoved him to the ground in the chaos that followed. ndtv

 

Hathras rape: As Right-Wing Maligns Reporter, India Today Asks How Govt Is Tapping, Recording Calls

https://thewire.in/media/india-today-tanushree-pandey-hathras-case-phone-tapping

New Delhi: India Today journalist Tanushree Pandey – who broke the story of the secret cremation of the Hathras rape victim – is now being maligned over a telephone conversation she had with the brother of the deceased.‘Op India’, a right-wing, pro-govt portal, played a recording of the conversation and claimed Pandey tried to convince the woman’s brother to send her a video statement of his father saying that he was put under immense pressure from the administration to sign a document stating “they were satisfied by the police probe”. On Saturday, India Today issued a statement questioning the authorities for recording the call, asking why its journalist’s phone – or the phones of the family of the deceased – are being kept under surveillance.The statement also questioned the legal basis on which phone calls are being recorded and leaked. “India Today first asks why was the telephone of our reporter, who was covering the Hathras murder, being tapped? If it was Sandeep’s phone that was being tapped, then the government needs to answer why are the phones of the grieving victim’s family under surveillance. And under what legal provision of law were the phones tapped and call recordings leaked by officials who had access to these recordings,” the statement reads. In a video of the woman’s father shared by Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, he had said, “We are not satisfied with this. My daughter’s case should be probed by CBI and monitored by a Supreme Court judge. We are under pressure from officials and confined to our home while the media has also been disallowed from meeting us.”BJP leader Amit Malviya blamed India Today‘s “false reporting” for the ban on the media entry into the woman’s village. Malviya even suggested that woman was not raped, referring to the autopsy report. thewire

 

Hathras case | UP govt threatening family with narco test, alleges Priyanka Gandhi

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/hathras-case-up-govt-threatening-family-with-narco-test-alleges-priyanka-gandhi/article32757555.ece?homepage=true

New Delhi:Terming the Yogi Adityanath government morally corrupt, Congress general secretary for Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday alleged the State govt had threatened the Hathras rape victim’s family with a lie detector or narco test.Her tweet comes on a day when a Congress delegation of MPs led by Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to visit Hathras again to try and meet the victim’s family. “UP government is morally corrupt. The victim didn’t get treatment, didn’t write her complaint, her body was burnt forcibly and the family is in captivity and is being pressurised. Now, they are being threatened that a narco test will be done on them,” Ms. Vadra tweeted.

 

Yogi Govt Enlists PR Firm to Push ‘Hathras Girl Was Not Raped’ Story Line With Foreign Media

https://thewire.in/government/adityanath-government-hathras-case-rape-pr-firm

New Delhi: All states have information departments to put out official line on any given subject. But only in ‘atmanirbhar’ Uttar Pradesh has the government felt the need to hire the services of a PR firm to press its controversial claim that the 19-year-old Dalit woman who was gang-raped in Hathras and succumbed to her injuries was not actually raped at all. On Thursday night, a number of foreign correspondents in India – and some national media correspondents – received a ‘clarification note’ from Concept PR, a Mumbai-based public relations firm with the ungrammatic headline: “Hathras girl was not rape, reveal Forensic investigation, Preliminary Medical and Post-mortem report”. The note played up other claims too, such as: “The reports also revealed the conspiracy to push the state into caste turmoil”. “SIT is sure to unveil evil design behind the whole incident”. And in a presumed reference to the government’s decision to quickly cremate the victim’s body in the middle of the night against the wishes of her family, the note says:"Police action was prompt to prevent untoward incident: further intensive probe into the matter".  PR note then goes on to reiterate what the UP ADG of police (law and order) Prashant Kumar had already told the Indian media:thewire

 

Hathras rape: ‘It was not our girl’s body that was cremated,’ says woman’s sister-in-law

https://scroll.in/latest/974800/hathras-rape-it-was-not-our-girls-body-that-was-cremated-says-womans-sister-in-law

The sister-in-law of a 19-year-old Dalit woman, who died after she was allegedly gang-raped and tortured by four men from an upper-caste community in UP’s Hathras, claimed on Saturday that police had cremated someone else’s body earlier this week, News18 reported. “First of all, police should clarify whose body was cremated that night,” the sister-in-law told the channel. “It wasn’t our girl’s body, we didn’t see it.” The mother of the 19-year-old woman said the police did not hand over her daughter’s body after her death. “These people didn’t let me see the body of my girl even after I kept begging for it,” the mother said.

 

UP Congress chief put under house arrest ahead of Rahul Gandhi’s scheduled visit to Hathras

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/up-congress-chief-put-under-house-arrest-ahead-of-rahul-gandhis-scheduled-visit-to-hathras/article32758328.ece?homepage=true

LUCKNOW:UPCC president Ajay Kumar Lallu has been put under house arrest here ahead of the scheduled visit of senior leader Rahul Gandhi to Hathras on Saturday, the party said.According to party spokesperson Anshu Awasthi, police personnel have been stationed outside Mr. Lallu’s house here and he is not being allowed to venture outside.PTI

 

Opposition leaders, activists demand resignation of UP CM Yogi, Siddharamaiah says “Yogi is nalayak”

https://indiatomorrow.net/2020/10/02/opposition-leaders-activists-demand-resignation-of-up-cm-yogi-adityanath-siddharamaiah-says-yogi-is-nalayak/

NEW DELHI: Hundreds of leaders from different political parties and civil society activists demanded resignation of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath while speaking at a protest at Jantar Mantar here on Friday evening, against the gangrape and murder of Hathras Dalit woman and cremation of her body by Uttar Pradesh police forcefully at night hours without consent of the family members. Among those who addressed gathering and demanded resignation of UP CM included Independent Dalit MLA from Gujarat Jignesh Mewani, Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad, CPI leader D Raja, AAP MLA and minister in Delhi govt Saurabh Bhardwaj, ex JNU student union president Kanhaiya Kumar, activist Swara Bhaskar, Supreme Court advocates Vrinda Karat and Prashant Bhushan.The protest was earlier scheduled to be held at iconic India Gate. However, it was shifted to Jantar Mantar later on owing to prohibitory orders at India Gate and nearby areas.Demanding resignation of UP Chief Minister, AAP minister Saurabh Bhardwaj said, “UP CM Adityanath is not a ‘Yogi’. He can’t be a representative of Hindu Dharma as he has failed in his duties towards providing protection to the people in his state”.Later on, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also joined the protest.Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Vice-president Engineer Mohammad Salim, addressing the protesters, said the role of police in whole Hathras episode and with political leaders, activists and mediapersons who wanted to meet family members of the Dalit woman victim was very dangerous to Indian democracy. He appealed people to unite to protect democratic rights of the people.Senior Supreme Court advocate Prashant Bhushan alleged that there was “goondaraj” in Uttar Pradesh.WPI president Dr. Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas also took part in the protest and demanded resignation of Yogi Adityanath. Alarge number of representatives from Dalit organisations form different parts of the country had also gathered at the protest site to demand justice for the Hathras Dalit woman. Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in Karnakata Assembly Siddaramaiah demanded resignation of UP CM Yogi Adityanath, saying “there is ‘jungle raj’ in Uttar Pradesh under the rule of CM. Yogi does not have the right to continue as CM”, he said in reference to the police roughing up Rahul Gandhi who was prevented from going to Hathras to console the family of the rape victim.India Tomorrow

 

Opposition trying to trigger ‘caste riot’: UP Minister

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/opposition-trying-to-trigger-caste-riot-up-minister/article32758959.ece?homepage=true

Lucknow:The ruling BJP in Uttar Pradesh, under fire on the Hathras issue, on Saturday turned combative against the Opposition criticism over the incident. Two Ministers hit back at the Opposition parties on the issue.“The Opposition doesn’t want the truth to be revealed. They don’t care about the honour of the Dalit daughter. They want to instigate caste riot in the region”, Minister Ramapati Shastri, himself a Dalit, told the media.Mr. Shastri, who holds the Social Welfare, Scheduled Castes and Tribal Welfare portfolios, accused the Opposition of behaving “irresponsibly” in Hathras gang rape case of a Dalit girl.Another Cabinet Minister, Siddharth Nath Singh, accused Congress of running a conspiracy over the issue. “They want to do politics over Dalits and the body [of the girl]. This is a total conspiracy”, he told an agency. thehindu

 

Bihar Dalit Teen Dies By Suicide After Alleged Gang Rape, Case Filed

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/bihar-dalit-teen-dies-by-suicide-after-alleged-gang-rape-case-filed-2304598?pfrom=home-topstories

Patna: Amid nationwide outage against the alleged gang rape and murder of a 20-year-old woman in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras, a Dalit teenage girl in poll-bound Bihar's Gaya district died by suicide on Friday after allegedly being gang raped by four men, the police said.According to the police, the girl's parents have filed a case of gang rape naming 3 of the 4 accused as Rahul Kumar, Chintu Kumar and Chandan Kumar. The fourth accused remains unidentified, the police said. According to sources, the body's autopsy was done at Gaya Medical College and the results are awaited.

 

Hyderabad Muslim Rape Victim Didn’t Commit Suicide, Was Apparently Murdered, Says Fact-Finding Team

https://clarionindia.net/hyderabad-muslim-rape-victim-didnt-commit-suicide-was-apparently-murdered-says-fact-finding-team/

hyderabad: A fact-finding team, which visited Himayathnagar village in Moinabad Mandal in Rangareddy district, a suburb of Hyderabad, where a poor Muslim maid had allegedly ended her life after her employer sexually assaulted her last week, has ruled out suicide and concluded that 17-year-old girl was repeatedly raped by the man, a rowdy-sheeter.The body of Hayath Begum (name changed) was found hanging from a ceiling fan in the employer’s bedroom in the morning on Sept.25. 4-member team from Hyderabad, 30 km away, also found that Madhu Yadav, who used to get drunk, verbally abuse her and her younger sister Afreen, and almost every night took Hayath to one of the spare bedrooms on the upper floor, had threatened the victim’s younger sister Afreen that he would kill her family if she revealed anything to anyone.For the past five years, the two sisters had been working as resident domestic servants at the house of Madhu Yadav, a real estate dealer and a local leader of state’s ruling TRS. Fact-finding team visited Himayathnagar village in Moinabad Mandal in Rangareddy district, a suburb of Hyderabad. clarionindia

 

MP: Dalit ‘gangrape victim’ ends life, CM orders action against police officers

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/mp-dalit-gangrape-victim-ends-life-cm-orders-action-against-police-officers-6682116/

Bhopal :Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan late Friday night ordered registration of a criminal case against a police officer for failing to act on a rape complaint of a Dalit woman for four days. The stern action came after the woman killed herself on Friday. Besides ordering the arrest of Gotitoria police outpost incharge, ASI Mishrilal Gopade, Chouhan has also shunted out ASP of Narsinghpur district, Rajesh Tiwari, and SDOP of Gadarwara, SR Yadav. The CM has also sought an explanation from the Superintendent of Police, Ajay Singh, on the incident.  32-year old woman, from Narsinghpur district, was allegedly raped by three men on September 28. She had reportedly approached Gotitoria police station but the police had not registered an FIR based on her complaint. indianexpress

 

 OTHERS

British MPs, Prominent Figures Condemn Modi Regime’s 'Dictatorial Agenda'

https://thewire.in/rights/british-mps-prominent-figures-condemn-modi-regimes-clampdown-dissent

Over 200 prominent citizens from United Kingdom – artists, journalists, lawyers, politicians and over 50 senior academics – have signed an open letter condemning the “dictatorial and majoritarian agenda” being pursued by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government.These include British MPs cutting across various political parties, including the Labour Party’s Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell, the Green Party’s Caroline Lucas, Scottish National Party’s Brendan O’Hara (spokesperson on International Human Rights), and sitting members of the House of Lords, including Shami Chakrabarti (former director of civil liberties group Liberty).Signatories have expressed solidarity with “courageous activists in India who are opposing this vicious regime”. The many prominent cultural figures supporting this letter include Danny Boyle (director of Slumdog Millionaire), filmmaker Ken Loach, actress Maxine Peake, musician Lowkey, novelist Hari Kunzru, cultural producer Tobi Kyeremateng, environmentalist George Monbiot and writer Paul Gilroy.Significantly, a number of British-Indian cultural figures have also signed their names – journalists (Ash Sarkar, Angela Saini), writers (Nikesh Shukla, Preti Taneja, Sandeep Parmar, Jemma Desai), musicians (Adam Bainbridge, Kapil Seshasayee, Sarathy Korwar), and theatre-makers (Tanika Gupta, Vinay Patel, Anjli Mohindra, Rakhee Thakrar, Milli Bhatia).

 

India signs defence deal with US, gives blow to China amid LAC standoff: zeenews

https://zeenews.india.com/world/india-signs-defence-deal-with-us-gives-blow-to-china-amid-lac-standoff-2314120.html

New Delhi: Amid ongoing Sino-India standoff in eastern Ladakh along LAC, US has approved India's request to buy USD 90 million worth of equipment, spare parts and logistical support for its fleet of C-130J Super Hercules cargo aircraft. In its notification to Congress, the Pentagon said the proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the US by helping to strengthen US-India strategic relationship and improve the security of a major defence partner, which continues to be an important force for political stability, peace, and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific and South Asia region.

 

PM Modi questions previous regimes over Ladakh’s Daulat Beg Oldi, says they compromised on security

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/pm-modi-inaugurates-9-02km-atal-tunnel-connecting-manali-to-lahaul-spiti-valley/story-LcX6JyHvq5ADJHibvEjDqJ.html

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday took a jibe at the previous Congress-led UPA govt for its lack of focus on the development of border infrastructure and compromising with the country’s security, as he especially mentioned the Daulat Beg Oldi airstrip in Ladakh, where India is witnessing a border stand-off with China. PM Modi said, without naming the Congress party, during the inauguration of Atal Tunnel in Himachal Pradesh, that the previous government must explain the reason the Daulat Beg Oldi airstrip remained closed for nearly 50 years. He inaugurated 9.02km long Atal Tunnel, which will connect Manali to Lahaul-Spiti valley in the state. hindustantimes

 

Yet to decide on opening Kartarpur Corridor, says India

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/yet-to-decide-on-opening-kartarpur-corridor-says-india/story-Xa65Nq6HZ7yHrBhVZad0LK.html

India on Saturday said it is yet to decide on opening its part of the Kartarpur Corridor, which allows Indian pilgrims visa-free access to Durbar Sahib gurdwara, following Pakistan’s decision to open its side of the corridor.New Delhi also called on Islamabad to construct required infrastructure, including a bridge, for the safe movement of pilgrims over a stretch that gets waterlogged during the rainy season.Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry issued a notification for reopening Kartarpur Corridor on Friday following an improvement in the Covid-19 situation. According to reports in the Pakistani media, the notification said Indian pilgrims would be allowed to visit the gurdwara from dawn to dusk. hindustantimes

 

J&K: Bypolls to over 13,000 panch, sarpanch seats in 9 phases in Nov

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/jk-bypolls-to-over-13000-panch-sarpanch-seats-in-9-phases-in-november-6676364/

Srinagar :Bypolls to over 13,000 vacant panch and sarpanch seats in Jammu and Kashmir will be conducted in nine phases from early Nov. Administrative Council headed by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had last week approved the proposal to conduct by-elections and the notification is likely by Oct.10. In 2018, elections to 39,521 sarpanch/panch constituencies in 4,483 Halqa Panchayats were conducted. Of these, 13,257 positions are currently vacant due to resignations, removals, election of sarpanchs as Block Development Council chairpersons, deaths as well as non-availability of candidates at the time of election. Among them, 1,089 vacancies pertain to the office of sarpanch, whereas 12,168 are panch vacancies. indianexpress

 

Shopian encounter: Bodies of 3 Rajouri labourers exhumed, handed to families

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/shopian-encounter-rajouri-labourers-bodies-exhumed-6681377/

Srinagar:Jammu and Kashmir govt has exhumed the bodies of the three Rajouri labourers killed in an encounter in South Kashmir’s Shopian in July. The bodies were exhumed during night in the presence of the families and handed over to them. On Sept.18, Army had admitted that the 3 individuals killed in the Shopian encounter were missing labourers from Rajouri.“Yes, the bodies have been exhumed and handed over to the families,” Guftar Choudhary, a social activist who accompanied the families for the exhumation, said. “The bodies were exhumed around 5.30 am.” indianexpress

 

J&K Police begin process to arrest businessman Mubeen Shah months after revoking PSA charges

https://scroll.in/latest/974750/j-k-police-begin-process-to-arrest-businessman-mubeen-shah-months-after-revoking-psa-charges

J&K Police on Friday said they have initiated the process of taking non-resident Indian businessman Mubeen Shah into custody and begun attaching his properties, PTI reported. Shah was detained under Public Safety Act after the Centre, revoked the special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir. Public Safety Act charges against him were later revoked in December last year. scroll

 

Separatists helped terror recruits travel to Pakistan with valid papers: NIA

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/separatists-helped-terror-recruits-travel-to-pakistan-with-valid-papers-nia/articleshow/78451857.cms

Srinagar: Some prominent Kashmir-based separatists are under the scanner for arranging identity and travel documents for local recruits of terrorist outfits to legally enter Pakistan by road and get arms training there for a couple of weeks, a spokesperson for NIA said on Friday.TOI

 

Centre extends 'disturbed area' tag under AFSPA for 3 districts, 4 police station jurisdictions in Arunachal

https://www.firstpost.com/india/centre-extends-disturbed-area-tag-under-afspa-for-3-districts-4-police-station-jurisdictions-in-arunachal-8874051.html

New Delhi: Centre has declared 3 districts and 4 police stations in three other districts of Arunachal Pradesh as "disturbed areas" under the AFSPA for six more months after review of insurgent activities and the law and order situation in the areas.In a notification, Union Home Ministry said that the order came into effect from 1 Oct.PTI

 

Not possible to take up Kashi, Mathura issues right now: VHP's Champat Rai

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/not-possible-to-take-up-kashi-mathura-issues-right-now-vhps-champat-rai/articleshow/78451849.cms

Prayagraj: VHP vice-president and Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Kshetra Trust’s general secretary Champat Rai said here on Friday that the organisation’s single focus was Ram Temple in Ayodhya and it was at present not possible to support any claims over Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi and Shahi Idgah in Mathura.  Rai was in the city on Friday to chair a meeting of office-bearers of the four pranths of VHP’s Lucknow Kshetra at Kesar Bhawan.“Wise are those who take up a mission and then work dedicatedly to complete it and only then move on to the next task. In the present circumstances, the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhyay is our single-point agenda and it is not possible to take up the Kashi and Mathura issues,” said Rai.

 

Delhi Police misidentify Muslim man as Hindu in chargesheet; accuse him of murdering uncle

http://www.millenniumpost.in/delhi/delhi-police-misidentify-muslim-man-as-hindu-in-chargesheet-accuse-him-of-murdering-uncle-420008

That Delhi Police is vigorously pushing its theory of anti-CAA protesters inciting the north-east Delhi riots is now a matter of record. In multiple chargesheets filed in the riots-related cases, the purported role of anti-CAA protesters for allegedly "inciting" the riots has apparently been laid bare, with alleged connections to local BJP leaders buried in voluminous pages. In some cases, the role of pro-CAA agitators has been eliminated and dismissed, claiming that their actions were "in reaction to provocation from anti-CAA protesters". Continuing with this theory, Delhi Police have now alleged that an "anti-CAA protester" was involved in killing up to 3 Muslim men near Brijpuri pulia on Feb. 25. Police claim, on the basis of an inadmissible "disclosure statement", that 32-year-old Arif was stuck with a Hindu mob that was beating up three Muslim men during the riots and to "save himself, he tied a handkerchief around his face and joined the mob in beating the men and raised Hindu slogans".

 

Bengaluru riots: BJP gives clean chit to police, demands ban on SDPI

https://citytoday.news/bluru-riots-bjp-gives-clean-chit-to-police-demands-ban-on-sdpi/

Bengaluru:Former minister Aravind Limbavali, who headed fact-finding committee of the ruling BJP to probe the Bengaluru riots that broke out about a month ago, handed over its report to Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa at the party office here. While handing over the report, Limbavali demanded that the state govt should take steps to impose a ban on SDPI for its alleged involvement in DJ Halli riots. According to the report, the riots were pre-planned taking extensive help of social media to instigate the mob. “On that day, Bengaluru witnessed a Taliban-like situation in DJ Halli and KG Halli where the riots broke out. Efficient officers should be deputed by the police for the area,” the report noted. Giving a clean chit to the police department, the report added that intelligence failure was not the cause for the riots, but the internal crisis in the Congress was the reason.

 

BJP leader files PIL in SC seeking uniform grounds of maintenance and alimony for all citizens

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/pil-sc-uniform-grounds-maintenance-alimony-all-citizens-6684508/

New Delhi: A PIL has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking “gender and religion neutral” uniform grounds of maintenance and alimony for all citizens keeping with the spirit of the Constitution and international conventions. The plea filed by BJP leader and advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay seeks directions to the Union home and law ministries to take appropriate steps to remove the prevailing anomalies in the grounds of maintenance and alimony and make them uniform for all citizens without discrimination on the basis of religion, race, cast, sex or place of birth.The petition, filed through advocate Ashwani Kumar Dubey, said that despite the eloquent provisions in the Constitution, the central govt has totally failed to provide even gender-neutral, religion-neutral uniform grounds of maintenance and alimony for all citizens.“Even after 73 years of Independence and 70 years of India becoming a socialist secular democratic republic, laws relating to maintenance and alimony are not only complex and cumbersome but also against the constitutional mandate of being equal, rational and just,” it said. “Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains are governed by Hindu Marriage Act 1955 and the Hindu Adoption & Maintenance Act 1956. Muslims are dealt as per status of valid marriage & prenuptial agreement and governed under the Muslim Women Act 1986. Christians are governed under the Indian Divorce Act 1869 and Parsis under the Parsi Marriage & Divorce Act 1936, but none of these laws are gender neutral,” it said.PTI

 

Mobile phones to become costlier as govt imposes 10% duty on import of display: Industry body

https://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/mobile-phones-to-become-dearer-as-government-imposes-10-duty-on-import-of-display-industry-body/article32752290.ece?homepage=true

Mobile phone prices are expected to rise about 3% as the govt has imposed 10% duty on the import of displays, industry body ICEA said on Friday. he duty on display assembly and touch panel was proposed to be applied from October 1 under a phased manufacturing programme (PMP) announced in 2016 in consensus with the industry.“There will be an impact on mobile phone prices between 1.5 and 3%,” industry body ICEA National Chairman Pankaj Mohindroo said in a statement.PTI

 

Centre in SC agrees to waive compound interest on loans up to Rs 2 cr for six-months

https://indianexpress.com/article/business/economy/centre-in-sc-agrees-to-waive-compound-interest-on-loans-up-to-rs-2-cr-for-six-months-6683202/

In a relief to individual borrowers and medium and small industries, the Centre has agreed in the Supreme Court to waive compound interest (interest on interest) charged on loans of up to Rs 2 crores for a 6-month moratorium period announced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It said the government will seek due authorisation from parliament for making appropriate grants in this regard and “the endeavour shall be over and above the support of Rs 3.7 lakh crore to MSMEs, Rs 70,000 crore for home loans etc. already extended through Garib Kalyan and Aatma Nirbhar packages announced by government earlier”.PTI

 

AMU Ranked Sixth in Latest Survey Based on Teaching, Research, National and International Outlook

https://clarionindia.net/amu-ranked-sixth-in-latest-survey-based-on-teaching-research-national-and-international-outlook/

Aligarh:AMU continues to celebrate its centenary year by getting its academic credentials recognised, both, at international and national levels. AMU has now been placed sixth among the best Indian universities by ‘The Week-Hansa Research Survey 2020’, a performance assessment of universities across the country. AMU is placed in the list of top universities of the survey with a score of 654 based on parameters such as teaching, research, citations, industry income and the national and international outlook. V-C, Prof. Tariq Mansoor expressed satisfaction over the performance and said that the achievement is all the more significant as the university is observing its 100th year of existence.

 

Sushant Singh Rajput murder completely ruled out, it was suicide: Dr Sudhir Gupta of AIIMS

https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/celebrities/story/sushant-singh-rajput-murder-completely-ruled-out-it-was-suicide-dr-sudhir-gupta-of-aiims-1727920-2020-10-03

Mumbai:Dr Sudhir Gupta, who led AIIMS panel re-evaluating Sushant Singh Rajput's post-mortem and viscera reports, has said it was a case of suicide and the murder angle has been completely ruled out."Sushant's death is a case of suicide. Murder completely ruled out," Dr Sudhir Gupta said. The panel of AIIMS doctors was re-evaluating Sushant Singh Rajput's post-mortem and viscera reports based on 20 per cent viscera sample available with them. The forensic agencies have examined a laptop, two hard disks, a canon camera and two mobile phones. indiatoday

 

CORONAVIRUS-LOCKDOWN

 

Amid approaching festive season, govt allows religious events from Oct. 15

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/amid-approaching-festive-season-govt-allows-religious-events-from-october-15-6674791/

With UP govt allowing programmes in the open outside containment zones in the next phase of coronavirus lockdown, decks have been cleared for holding Durga Puja and other religious events in the upcoming festival season. Additional Chief Secretary(Information) Navneet Sehgal said the district administrations would permit such programmes with necessary availability of face masks, thermal scanners, hand sanitisers and social distancing. The new guidelines will come into effect from Oct.15 while the festival season will kick off with Navratras from Oct.17.The new guidelines have been issued under which the lockdown will be effective only in containment zones, which have been converted into micro containment areas, he said. Sehgal said in closed halls, permission will be given with 50 per cent capacity but a maximum of 200 people. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh on Friday reported 3,946 Covid-19 cases in 24 hours, and 54 deaths. indianexpress

 

Aalmi Tablighi Ijtima, World’s Third Largest Islamic Congregation in Bhopal, Postponed amid Covid Fears

https://www.news18.com/news/india/aalmi-tablighi-ijtima-worlds-third-largest-islamic-congregation-postponed-amid-covid-19-fears-2928949.html

Aalmi Tablighi Ijtima, the third biggest annual Islamic congregation of the world that takes place in Bhopal, has been postponed for the first time in 72 years due to the coronavirus pandemic. Jamats from across the globe participate in the four-day mega event organised at Bhopal outskirts where religious preachings and other events take place. The event was scheduled to begin on Nov.27 and end on November 30 this year. Speaking to the media, Atiqul Islam, spokesperson of the Ijtima Management Committee said that maintaining social distancing, ensuring wearing of masks and sanitisation facilities for such a huge crowd poses is nearly impossible to achieve. Additionally, the risk of infections transmission within such a huge crowd where people from across the world come together also poses a huge threat. Taking the prevailing situation into consideration, the event has been postponed and fresh dates for the event will be made public once the pandemic in due course, he said. news18

 

India's Covid Deaths Cross 1-Lakh Mark, Over 64.7 Lakh Total Cases

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/coronavirus-total-covid-linked-deaths-cross-1-lakh-mark-79-476-new-infections-in-a-day-take-tally-past-64-lakh-2304557?pfrom=home-topstories

New Delhi: More than one lakh people have died of COVID-19 in India - world's second worst-hit country by the coronavirus pandemic after US - as it recorded 1,069 deaths and total caseload crossed 64.7 lakh with 79,476 new cases, data released by the Health Ministry this morning showed. India now has 9,44,996 active COVID-19 cases and more than 54 lakh recoveries with 75,628 more people having fought off the disease in the last 24 hours, Health Ministry data shows. At least 77 per cent of the active coronavirus cases have been reported from 10 states and union territories, contributing 15 per cent to the caseload. India added 23 lakh fresh coronavirus cases or 40 per cent of the country's current COVID-19 tally in the month of Sept.alone, government data shows. September also saw one-third of the Covid-related deaths reported since the pandemic began.  States of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal reported the highest deaths in the last 24 hours accounting for 67 per cent of all deaths. With 54,27,706 Covid recoveries, the country is in the number one position followed by Brazil and US, according to JHU.

 

14 Andhra Students Contracted Covid From Tuition Teacher: Officials

https://www.ndtv.com/andhra-pradesh-news/coronavirus-14-andhra-students-contracted-covid-19-from-tution-teacher-in-guntur-officials-2304563?pfrom=home-topstories

Hyderabad: At least 14 children in Andhra Pradesh's Guntur district have contracted coronavirus allegedly from a tuition teacher in the district, officials said. All the children, who are below 12 years, had attended the tuition class by the teacher couple, who had tested positive, they added. Along with the students, a few parents have also tested positive for the contagious disease, they said

 

US economy adds 661,000 jobs in Sept as recovery slows

https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2020/10/2/xxxxxxx

US economy added 661,000 jobs in September – fewer than many economists were expecting – while the unemployment rate fell to 7.9 percent, US Department of Labor reported. This is the final monthly snapshot of the US labour market American voters will see before the November 3 presidential election, and the unemployment rate falls at a time of rising uncertainty around the pace of the economic recovery and President Donald Trump’s re-election bid after he and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19. aljazeera

 

COVID Vaccine Roll-Out Within 3 Months In UK: Report

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/covid-19-vaccine-roll-out-expected-in-less-than-3-months-in-uk-report-2304619?pfrom=home-topscroll

A mass roll-out of a COVID-19 vaccine in Britain could be finished in as little as three months, the Times reported, citing government scientists.Scientists working on the Oxford vaccine hope regulators approve it before the beginning of 2021, the newspaper said.A full COVID-19 immunization programme, which would exclude children, could be quicker than experts predicted, the Times said, adding that health officials estimate that every adult could receive a dose of the vaccine within six months.

 

Trump flown to hospital after Covid-19 diagnosis

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54396670

US President Donald Trump has been flown to hospital after testing positive for coronavirus. His doctor said Trump was "fatigued but in good spirits" and, in a later update, that he was doing well.Trump has so far been treated with an experimental drug cocktail injection and the antiviral medication remdesivir after both he and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for Covid-19.In exactly one month, Mr Trump faces Joe Biden in the presidential election.The president's diagnosis has upended his campaign and also cast doubt on his attempt to get a new Supreme Court judge confirmed before polling day. The list of other people to have tested positive around Mr Trump include close aide Hope Hicks - believed to be the first to show symptoms - campaign manager Bill Stepien and former White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway. Republican Senators Mike Lee and Thom Tillis have also tested positive.

 

WORLD

 

Israel ties will help remove Sudan from US terrorism list: V-P of sovereign council Hamdan Dagalo

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/10/3/dagalo-israeli-ties-will-remove-sudan-from-us-terrorism-list

The vice president of the sovereign council that governs Sudan, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, has announced his country will continue to strive towards building relations with Israel.Speaking to a local television channel Sudania 24 on Friday night, Dagalo, also known as Hemeti, said establishing relations with Israel will fulfil a promise by US to remove Sudan from its list of countries sponsoring terrorism. Sudanese official said North African nation supports the Palestinian leaders’ efforts to establish a state of their own, but stressed he was also seeking ways to benefit his country, which has been experiencing an economic crisis. Dagalo is a controversial figure who enjoys the backing of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, latter of which normalised relations with Israel in August. Last month, UAE along with Bahrain signed US-brokered agreements to normalise relations with Israel. Dagalo headed the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which was accused of violently dispersing anti-government protests last June.

 

Israel: Minister quits in protest against Netanyahu

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201002-israel-minister-quits-in-protest-against-netanyahu/

Asaf Zamir, Israel’s tourism minister, resigned from the post on Friday citing a lack of trust in the country’s premier Benjamin Netanyahu, Anadolu Agency reports. Zamir is a member of the Blue and White party led by Benny Gantz, who is the country’s defense minister and the alternate prime minister.“This morning I called Benny Gantz and informed him of my resignation from my position as a minister in the government. I can no longer continue in a government in whose leader I do not have the slightest confidence,” Zamir said in a tweet.

 

Sudan sending hundreds of troops to Yemen via Saudi

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/sudan-yemen-sending-hundreds-troops-saudi-arabia

Hundreds of Sudanese soldiers entered Saudi Arabia en route to Yemen last week, Middle East Eye has learned, suggesting Khartoum is increasing its involvement in Yemeni conflict.In January, Sudan announced it was drawing down its military presence in Yemen from around 5,000 troops to a “minor” group of some 650. Previously, Sudan has had as many as 15,000 soldiers deployed there as part of the Saudi and UAE-led coalition fighting the Houthi movement. However, private Saudi sources told MEE that 1,018 Sudanese army officers and soldiers entered the kingdom by boat on 22 September, passing through passport control in the southeastern city of Jazan, near the Yemeni border.

 

Azerbaijan’s army destroys Armenian military equipment

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/azerbaijan-front-line/azerbaijan-s-army-destroys-armenian-military-equipment/1994261

Baku:Azerbaijan’s army troops destroyed a large amount of military equipment belonging to Armenian military amid the ongoing border clashes between the two countries."During the present day, the troops of Azerbaijani Army, successfully advancing in the intended directions, took possession of new strongholds and carried out a cleanup of the territory from the enemy," said Azerbaijani Defense Ministry on early Saturday. Azerbaijani Defense Ministry also published a video of its military suppressing Armenia's "combat activity in various directions of the front."Separately, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev held a phone conversation with his French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday discussing the clashes at Armenia-Azerbaijan frontlines.In a statement by Azerbaijan’s presidential office, Macron called President Aliyev to express his concerns over the clashes and urged a cease-fire and re-launch of negotiations. Azerbaijani president during the phone call stressed that Armenia is responsible for disrupting negotiation process and for triggering clashes. Border clashes broke out last week when Armenian forces targeted Azerbaijani civilian settlements and military positions, leading to casualties.Relations between 2 former Soviet republics have been volatile since 1991 when Armenian military occupied Upper Karabakh, an internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan.Turkey, meanwhile, has voiced support for Azerbaijan's right to self-defense. 4 UN Security Council and 2 UN General Assembly resolutions, as well as many international organizations, demand the withdrawal of occupying forces.

 

France's Macron vows to fight 'Islamist separatism': BBC

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54383173

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced plans for tougher laws to tackle what he called "Islamist separatism" and defend secular values. In a keenly awaited speech, Mr Macron said a minority of France's estimated 6 million Muslims were in danger of forming a "counter-society". His proposals include stricter oversight of schooling and control over foreign funding of mosques. He had been under pressure to address radical Islam amid security fears.But his comments were condemned by some Muslim activists who accused him of trying to repress Islam in the country. Under France's strict principles of secularism, or laïcité, the government is separated by law from religious institutions. The idea is that people of different religions and beliefs are equal before the law.The country also has the largest population of Muslims in Western Europe. Many complain the authorities use secularism to specifically target them, for instance in banning the hijab.  "The repression of Muslims has been a threat, now it is a promise," tweeted French human rights activist Yasser Louati. "In a one hour speech #Macron burried [sic] #laïcité, emboldened the far right, anti-Muslim leftists and threatened the lives of Muslim students by calling for drastic limits on home schooling despite a global pandemic."

 

Amnesty urges Egypt to release detainees after rare protests

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/10/3/amnesty-urges-egypt-to-release-detainees-after-rare-protests

Amnesty International has urged the Egyptian authorities to release hundreds of people it said were arrested during anti-government protests last month.“Egyptian security forces have used tear gas, batons, birdshot and on at least one occasion live ammunition, and arrested hundreds of protesters and bystanders to disperse rare scattered demonstrations over several days,” Amnesty said in a statement.“We call on the authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all those detained solely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly,” Philip Luther, Amnesty’s Middle East and North Africa research and advocacy director, said in the statement.At least 496 individuals are currently imprisoned as a result of the crackdown, according to the London-based rights watchdog. Egyptians took to the streets in several villages across the country from mid-Sept, according to videos shared widely on social media, especially by sympathisers of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. aljazeera

 

OP-ED

 

·        Arundhati Roy: Two conspiracies and a cremation:Arundhati Roy

https://scroll.in/article/974758/arundhati-roy-two-conspiracies-and-a-cremation

 

·        Hathras case: It is our collective dignity and decency that is erased forever. Shame on us:Menaka Guruswamy, indian express

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/hathras-gangrape-case-dalit-woman-up-police-6669922/

 

·        Increase number of women and Dalits in the police to make women safer:Uttam Sengupta, nationalheraldindia

https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/opinion/increase-number-of-women-and-dalits-in-the-police-to-make-women-safer

 

·        Hathras horror: India Today confronts Amit Malviya on tapping of journalists, victim's family's phones | WATCH

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/video/hathras-horror-amit-malviya-justifies-tapping-of-journalists-victim-s-family-s-phones-watch-1727840-2020-10-02       

 

·        Dalit lives matter? How Hathras horror may change Bihar election narrative:Darpan Singh, INDIA TODAY

https://www.indiatoday.in/elections/story/dalit-lives-matter-how-hathras-horror-change-bihar-election-narrative-1727921-2020-10-03

 

·        Hathras: Making a mockery of the idea of justice:Barkha Dutt, HT

https://www.hindustantimes.com/columns/hathras-making-a-mockery-of-the-idea-of-justice/story-JTIKURmMNTKA3lVKaGaPcL.html

 

·        Being a Dalit woman in modern India:Namita Bhandare, HT

https://www.hindustantimes.com/columns/being-a-dalit-woman-in-modern-india/story-BhbLCRuBRwz7l3lFbJoJwL.html

 

·        Hathras will shape Dalit discourse. Whether it affects their political choices is to be seen: HT editorial

https://www.hindustantimes.com/editorials/hathras-will-shape-dalit-discourse-whether-it-affects-their-political-choices-is-to-be-seen/story-vKQVYFmTsRK5IIbBJNiXGK.html

 

·        From Ayodhya to Hathras, a New Criminal Justice System for 'Atmanirbhar Bharat':Badri Raina

https://thewire.in/rights/ayodhya-hathras-new-criminal-justice-system

 

·        Watch | AMU Students Arrested For Anti-CAA Protests Describe Their Jail Experience:Salman Saleem and Maryam Tariq

https://thewire.in/video/watch-amu-students-arrested-anti-caa-protests-jail-experience

 

·        Attn UP Govt: Forcing Narco, Polygraph Tests on People is Illegal:Vakasha Sachdev

https://www.thequint.com/news/law/up-govt-narco-polygraph-tests-hathras-victim-family-police-unconstitutional-selvi-judgment-supreme-court

 

·        Gandhi Would Have Been 'Aghast and Dismayed' at Seeing the India of Today: Prashant Bhushan

https://thewire.in/rights/mahatma-gandhi-present-day-india-aghast-prashant-bhushan-speech

 

·        Modi Govt Rejoices as Media Remains Obsessed With Trivial Issues   :Amina Mirza | Clarion India

https://clarionindia.net/modi-govt-rejoices-as-media-remains-obsessed-with-trivial-issues/

 

·        My camera had ‘evidence’ of Babri Masjid demolition, but it was consigned to bin of history:PRAVEEN JAIN

https://theprint.in/opinion/my-camera-had-evidence-of-babri-masjid-demolition-but-it-was-consigned-to-bin-of-history/515822/

 

·        Barricading village of a grieving family shows how insecure UP govt is, and how compromised its police:Editorial , indian express

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/hathras-gangrape-case-up-police-congress-tmc-6671514/

 

·        Watch: 13 videos that show how events in Hathras gangrape unfolded after the victim was cremated

https://scroll.in/video/974788/watch-13-videos-that-show-how-events-in-the-hathras-gangrape-unfolded-after-the-victim-was-cremated

 

·        UP Creates Curfew-Like Conditions, Bans Protests Against Hathras Gang-Rape and Murder:Sharat Pradhan, thewire

https://thewire.in/government/uttar-pradesh-hathras-protests-curfew-media

 

Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq