Month: February 2020

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday said that seven people have been arrested in connection with the “horrific incident” in Nagaur, where two Dalit men were tortured for alleged theft.

“In the horrific incident in Nagaur, immediate and effective action has been taken and seven accused have been arrested so far. Nobody will be spared. The culprits will be punished according to the law and we will ensure that the victims get justice,” Gehlot tweeted.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had on Thursday urged the Ashok Gehlot-led Rajasthan government to take immediate action in the Nagaur incident.

“The recent video of two young Dalit men being brutally tortured in Nagaur, Rajasthan is horrific and sickening. I urge the state government to take immediate action to bring the perpetrators of this shocking crime to justice,” Rahul tweeted.

According to reports, the incident took place on Sunday after which few videos had gone viral. The victims registered an FIR on Wednesday.

(ANI)

Supreme Court-appointed mediators Sanjay Hedge and Sadhana Ramachandran on Thursday interacted with the protesters at Shaheen Bagh and told them that their right to protests was sacrosanct, but at the same the protest should not cause inconvenience to others.

“Supreme Court is looking into a fact in a broader sense that the Shaheen Bagh protest should be remembered as a peaceful one. I believe if we solve the issue mindfully and in a civilized manner. You continue with the right to protest but the protest should be held where it doesn’t cause any problem to other people,” senior advocate Sanjay Hegde told the protesters.

Thousands of people have been staging a sit-in protest at Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh area since mid-December last year against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC). They fear that the two laws in combination would deprive a large section of Muslim population of their citizenship rights.

Speaking to the protesters, Sadhana Ramachandran said that the Citizenship Amendment Act has already become a law and its validity can be examined by the Supreme Court.

“We are here to think and talk mutually to resolve the matter. Yesterday, we got the blessings of Dadiya. We received a lot of love from sisters and daughters. If a country has such women, then no one can harm the country’s position.

“On the blocking of the road, a plea was filed. Sanjay and I want that Shaheen Bagh should remain forever. Your protest in Shaheen Bagh should not cause problems to the public. We are the citizens of this country we should come to a conclusion mutually. We understand your pain and demands,” Ramachandran said.

She said that people’s right to peaceful protest cannot be questioned and the protest should continue.

She added: “You need to understand the CAA and NRC matters have reached the Supreme Court. The CAA has already become an Act on which a lot of questions have been raised. In that case, no one can tell the result…whether SC will accept your demands or not, but arguments will definitely take place.”

She underlined that the mediators were trying their best to reach a solution and that the solution should emerge from the Shaheen Bagh area itself.

“There is not a problem which has does not have a solution,” Hegde said.

(ANI)

A 33-year-old Muslim man is all set to become a seer at Muruga Rajendra Mutt in Gadag.

Ordained by Sri Murugarajendra Koraneswara Swami of the mutt, Dewan Sharief Mullah claims he was taking the step not under any duress but after being “guided by the almighty”.

“Nobody asked me to do it. The almighty came in my mind and guided me…. They have put the sacred thread and given me the responsibility. They have given me the ‘Ishta-linga’ and this honour. I have done the ‘Ishta-linga dharan’. I will walk on the path of dharma. Love and sacrifice is the message given to me. That is what I want to propagate,” he said.

Sri Murugarajendra Koraneswara Swami said, “It does not matter what caste you belong to. If God appears to you for a path of goodwill and sacrifice, you will do it regardless of the manmade restrictions of birth and caste.” (ANI)

Senior advocates Sanjay Hegde and Sadhana Ramachandran, mediators appointed by the Supreme Court to engage with the anti-CAA protestors for shifting the venue from Shaheen Bagh, on Wednesday reached the spot.

Advocate Sanjay Hegde said that he is hoping to reach a resolution with everyone’s co-operation.

“We have come here according to the order of the Supreme Court. We hope to speak to everyone. We hope to resolve the matter with everybody’s co-operation,” Hegde told reporters.

Wajahat Habibullah, a former bureaucrat who was also appointed by the Supreme Court to engage with the protestors, today said that he will meet the other interlocutors.

“I am going to meet SC appointed interlocutors today. We will discuss in detail about what to do and how to do it. The main issue is that people should not suffer due to the protest in Shaheen Bagh,” Habibullah said.

The Supreme Court had on Monday appointed senior lawyers Sanjay Hegde and Sadhna Ramachandran and former chief information commissioner Wajahat Habibullah to go and talk to protesters at Shaheen Bagh area to convince them to hold the agitation at an alternative site.

The apex court has fixed the matter for further hearing on February 24.

The Shaheen Bagh area of Delhi had lately gained nationwide attention due to a continued anti-CAA sit-in by people, especially Muslim women against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Population Register and National Register of Citizens.

The PIL, filed by Nand Kishore Garg and Amit Sahni through their lawyer Shashank Deo Sudhi earlier last week, sought appropriate directions to the Centre and others for removal of protestors from Shaheen Bagh near Kalindi Kunj.

It stated that people in Shaheen Bagh are illegally protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019, by blocking the common and public road connecting Delhi to Noida.

The petition seeks appropriate direction to the respondents, including the Union of India (UOI) for laying down detailed, comprehensive and exhaustive guidelines relating to outright restrictions for holding protest/agitation leading to obstruction of the public place.

(ANI)

President Donald Trump has signalled that a “big trade” deal might not be on the agenda during his visit to India next week, saying that he is saving “a very big” US-India deal for later.

“We can have a trade deal with India, but I am really saving the big deal for later, maybe before elections. But we will have a very big deal with India,” Trump said while talking to reporters.

The US President will reach Gujarat’s capital city of Ahmedabad by noon on February 24 and is slated to address a mammoth crowd of more than 100,000 people which is expected to turn up for an event at the Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad on the lines of the ‘Howdy Modi’ function that was addressed by the US President and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Houston in September last year.

Trump said that there would be seven million people between the airport and the stadium to welcome him.

“I happen to like PM Modi a lot. He told me we will have seven million people between the airport and the event. It’s going to be the largest stadium in the world. It’s going to be very exciting,” said Trump.

The President is also likely to visit the Gandhi Ashram in Sabarmati.

Later in the day he will arrive in New Delhi and is expected to hold talks. On Tuesday morning, the US President will first receive a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhawan as per protocol.

Prime minister Modi could then accompany the US leader to the Gandhi Ashram in Delhi (subjected to time availability if the Sabarmati ashram cannot be visited). The two leaders will then meet at the Hyderabad House and will lead official state meetings.

On Tuesday, President Trump will meet with executives of Indian companies — with business interests in the United States during his visit to the capital — at an event organized by the US embassy in New Delhi. The companies expected to be represented at the meeting include the Indian oil and gas company Reliance Industries, Tata Sons, Bharat Forge, Mahindra and Mahindra.

POTUS’s visit will conclude with an early banquet dinner, following which he will depart for Washington.

(ANI)

Political strategist Prashant Kishor, who has been expelled from JD(U) on Tuesday cited ideological positioning as the core reason behind conflict with Nitish Kumar. He also said that one cannot support killer Nathuram Godse and Mahatma Gandhi together and asked Bihar Chief Minister to clarify his stand.

“We had a difference since the Lok Sabha elections. First, on ideological positioning and second, I have issues with him as to how he can support both Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi) and Godse (Nathuram) at the same time. This cannot go together. The party (Janata Dal-United) should clarify its stand and choose one line,” Kishor said while questioning of toeing the middle path.

The Political strategist also questioned BJP-JD(U)’s alliance and stated, “Alliance with BJP is not required to win polls. People who are in favour of being with an ally of BJP think that it is okay to compromise a bit in order to remain in the power (Rajneeti main thora bahut compromise chalta hain).”

These statements from Kishor came just hours after he was expelled from the JD(U) by party chief Nitish Kumar for vociferously opposing the new citizenship law.

On his expulsion from the political organisation, he said, “It is Nitish Ji’s prerogative to keep me in or out. I will not question his decision.”

Kishor also targeted the Bihar Government for not doing enough to improve the quality of education in the state.

“Nitish Ji’s government failed to provide good education in Bihar. Till now they are not able to provide electricity. On various parameters, this state still lags behind,” he said while highlighting the failures of the Nitish government.

“It is true that development did take in Bihar but not at a faster pace. Not fast enough to transform the state. Also, Bihar so far has not got special status. Nitish Kumar urged Centre to give special status to Patna university but it did not happen,” he added.

In his concluding remark, Kishore said that he will soon be starting a campaign named ‘Baat Bihar Ki’ from February 20 which aims to “reach out to people who believe in the need for new leadership in the state.” He said this program will work towards making Bihar one of the 10 best states in the country.

The assembly elections in Bihar are likely to be held in October-November this year.Currently, Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) is ruling in a coalition with BJP in Bihar.

(ANI)

Despite Pakistan’s intense lobbying and negotiations this week at the parleys in Paris to be taken off the “grey” list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global anti-terror funding watchdog on Tuesday decided to keep the Islamic nation on its ‘grey’ list, informed sources have told ANI.

To a major setback, Islamabad didn’t get any respite even after the support of Turkey and Malaysia, the sources added.

The meetings began on Monday but the plenary session, which will decide whether to keep Pakistan on its watch list, also known as the grey list, begins on February 19.

The International Co-operation Review Group (ICRG), a part of the FATF, took the issue earlier today to evaluate whether the south Asian nation has taken sufficient steps and implemented its plan of action to fight the global menace.

On Monday, Pakistan submitted a report on action regarding the implementation of the watchdog’s plan of action during the Paris meeting. More than 800 representatives from 205 countries and jurisdictions around the world including the IMF, UN, World Bank, and other organisations, will take part in the meeting.

The watchdog, in 2018, had placed Pakistan on the grey list and the watchdog has already granted Islamabad an extension till February 2020 during a meeting in October last year.

The FATF’s Asia-Pacific Group’s meeting, which took place in Beijing last year in October, analyzed Pakistan’s situation from a technical point of view. China, who took over as the chair of the inter-governmental organisation since July 2019, expressed satisfaction over the “visible progress” made by Islamabad, leading to speculations that it could be put in a “white” list from “grey” list, according to Pakistan media reports.

The body warned that Islamabad would be put on the blacklist if it did not comply with the remaining 22 out of 27 points related to anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing.

Pakistan, if blacklisted, would have faced isolation from the international banking system, introducing stricter checks and safeguards on transactions involving the country.

The progress of a FATF initiative to combat financial flows from the illegal wildlife trade, adopting guidance on digital identity, and developments in the financing of ISIL, Al-Qaeda, and affiliates are some of the issues to be discussed during the meeting.

Defence experts in New Delhi on Saturday noted that the recent sentencing of Jama’at-ud-Da’wah (JuD) chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, just days ahead of the FATF meeting in Paris was also just an eyewash to delude the international community and that the Mumbai terror attacks mastermind will be released shortly after the watchdog announces its decision.

Last year, under pressure after the FATF review, Pakistan formally banned Saeed’s JuD and other associated organisations, after years of allowing them to operate freely across the country.

(ANI)

As Delhi Police formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe videos that purportedly show its personnel assaulting students of Jamia Millia Islamia campus on December 15 evening, most of the victims of the alleged police brutality on Tuesday rejected the initiative, saying they have no faith on it and demanded an independent probe into the matter.

While speaking to ANI, several students, who were present in the library on December 15 when police personnel allegedly carried out a crackdown at Jamia Millia Islamia, sought a fair inquiry under the supervision of court.

Minhazuddin, a law student, who lost his left eye in alleged police action said that Delhi Police has lost its reputation for which it was earlier famous.

“We do not have any faith in Delhi Police. Now, it has become biased police. We have recently seen police action in JNU. We all know what happened there. Role of police has been suspicious. So, we want an independent inquiry, be it under the supervision of Supreme Court or High Court,” he said.

Minhazuddin, who hails from Samastipur district of Bihar, was studying in library on the day of the incident which took place following protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

He said that he tried to register an FIR against police action but no case has been registered so far. “I wrote to Delhi Police Commissioner, Lieutenant Governor and also to the Minority Affairs Minister about the incident. But no action has been taken against the culprits. In fact, FIR has not been registered. So, how do you expect us to believe Delhi Police?” Minhazuddin asked.

Mohamad Mustafa, another Jamia student, who got injured in police action, also raised questions on the police department and accused it of working under pressure of the central government.

“What was my fault? Why was I beaten up so brutally? Just because, I was studying in the library. I never participated in any protest. Despite that, they hit me brutally and broke my laptop. I did my best to file an FIR against the police action but that too was not registered,” he said.

Asked about SIT formation by Delhi Police, he said it was meaningless. “Everyone knows what would be the outcome. When culprits become judge, what can you expect,” added Mustafa.

“If the government is serious, it could have formed a committee under a retired judge. Or the issue should be probed by a committee comprising of a retired judge and a retired police officer,” he said.

Mustafa also said he has no faith on Delhi Police as it has not registered an FIR against its December 15 action.

“Unless there is an independent inquiry, the reality of police action will not come in public domain,” he said.

Both Mustafa and Muzahiddin have knocked the doors of Delhi High Court seeking compensation of Rs 1 crore for injuries they suffered allegedly in police action on December 15.

Besides compensation, they have also sought registration of an FIR for the offences allegedly committed by the police.

Ahmed Azeem, Public Relations Officer at Jamia, echoed the same sentiments as expressed by the victims.

“There is anger against police among students. They were beaten up brutally. Now the police need to respond. But after the recent videos, it has been proved that police entered into the campus and hit the students brutally. We had also filed a complaint against Delhi Police, but FIR was not registered,” he said.

Azeem claimed that academic activities in Jamia campus are going on uninterrupted while the protest is also on outside the campus. (ANI)