India's largest selling Urdu weekly, now also in English
If a guy is with 6 girls – he’s a STUD. If a girl is with 6 guys – she’s a SLUT. We Indians have double standards. We love getting offended on any and everything. The question here is why? Sit back, relax, watch this video and think about it. Who is responsible for making rapes a joke in India? Sadly, the answer is ‘US’.
Lucknow: Seeking to “mobilise Hindus” and “remind them of their resolve” for construction of a Ram temple, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) is planning to organize ‘Ram Mahotsava’ for the first time on the lines of Durga Puja aross the country.
“We will celebrate Ram Mahotsava from March 21 or March 22 and it will continue till April 1. This will be for the first time that such an event is being organised by the organisation,” VHP Media incharge Sharad Sharma said today.
This programme would be organised in every village in the country, he said.
“It will give strength to Ram Janmbhoomi movement. The programme will not only be organised in villages where temples are located, but at those places also where there is no such arrangement,” Sharma told PTI here.
“During the Mahotsava, two to two-and-a-half feet tall statues of Lord Ram will be worshipped for 10 days as it is done during Navratras. These statues will either be enshrined permanently or immersed,” he said.
He said Hindus have already been asked to take a pledge for construction of the temple.
“But strengthen the resolve and to ensure that it is fulfilled, people will be asked to renew their pledge,” Sharma said.
“We plan to reach 1.5 lakh to 2 lakh villages across the country. In Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand, we will make efforts to reach each and every village,” he said.
The VHP media in-charge said that the organisation has planned 600 Hindu Sammelans or conclaves across the country.
(Agencies)
Allahabad: The death sentence of Surender Koli, convicted in 2006 Nithari serial killings case, was on Wednesday commuted to life imprisonment by the Allahabad High Court on the ground of “inordinate delay” in deciding his mercy petition.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PKS Baghel held that execution of Koli’s death sentence would be “unconstitutional in view of the inordinate delay” in deciding his mercy petition.
The order came on a Public Interest Litigation filed by NGO People’s Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR) which contended that the period elapsed in disposal of Koli’s mercy petition was “3 years and 3 months” and, as such, execution of death sentence would be in violation of the Right to Life granted in Article 21 of the Constitution.
A petition filed later by Koli himself, challenging the death sentence on the same ground as the one stated in the PIL, has also been clubbed with it.
The death sentence was awarded to him by a special CBI court at Ghaziabad on February 13, 2009.
The PIL was filed on October 31 last year, three days after the Supreme Court rejected Koli’s recall application.
The death warrant issued by the trial court on September 2 had fixed September 12 as the date of hanging, though its execution was stayed in view of the apex court’s decision to hear the recall application.
Rejection of the recall application had cleared the decks for execution of the death sentence, but it was stayed by the High Court on October 31 when it decided to hear the PIL.
After his appeal against the trial court order was turned down by High Court on September 11, 2009 while co-accused and his employer Moninder Singh Pandher was acquitted, Koli filed a petition before the Supreme Court challenging his conviction which was dismissed on February 15, 2011.
Koli, thereafter filed his mercy petition before the Governor of Uttar Pradesh on May 7, 2011, which was rejected 23 months later, on April 2, 2013.
The mercy petition was thereafter forwarded to the Union Home Ministry on July 19, 2013 and it was turned down by the President on July 20, 2014.
The court had agreed to hear the PIL disagreeing with the Centre’s preliminary objection that “the convict (Koli) had not filed a petition (at the time of filing of the PIL) challenging the rejection of his mercy petition”.
“The proceeding which has been instituted before this court is not in the nature of an appeal on merits against the order of conviction.”
“The petition seeks to question the constitutionality of the execution of the sentence of death in the present case, on the ground of a delay on the part of constitutional authorities in disposing of the mercy petitions,” the court had said.
Pandher and his domestic help Koli were arrested on December 29, 2006, after the police recovered skeletons and other belongings of missing girls from the drain outside his house in Noida on the outskirts of the national capital.
Koli had allegedly killed several girls, chopping their bodies to pieces before throwing them in the backyard and in the drain.
In December 2014, Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) while releasing its report, “Death Reserved for the Poor” had stated Koli must not be executed before conclusion of the trial in 11 other cases of the Nithari murders.
ACHR had called for the case to be reviewed again in the light of the judgements in all the pending Nithari cases.
(Agencies)
Ralegan Siddhi: Anti-corruption campaigner Anna Hazare today attacked the Narendra Modi government for its ‘failure’ to bring back black money stashed in tax havens abroad and said people will teach it a lesson for the “fraud” perpetrated on them.
The 77-year-old Gandhian also refused to be drawn into the subject of political slugfest going on between his two former proteges– Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal and BJP’s Kiran Bedi– in the Delhi assembly elections.
“People were promised during Lok Sabha elections that black money will be brought back within 100 days (of BJP forming its government), that Rs 15 lakh will be deposited in the accounts of every citizen, but not even Rs 15 have come.
“People have become aware now of the fraud perpetrated on them. They will teach a lesson (to the BJP-led government) the way they taught one to Congress. The masses have awakened after 2011 movement against corruption,” he told NDTV in an interview.
Asked about his views on Kejriwal and Bedi, both his proteges in the India Against Corruption campaign, crossing swords for chief ministership of Delhi, the anti-graft crusader said he would not talk about politics.
“I don’t want to go into these things. Ask me about other things, ask me about the country. An Arvind or a Kiran is not important,” he said.
Questioned whether he was angry with them for entering politics against his advice, Hazare said, “No,no. The question of getting angry arises when you have expectations that are not fulfilled. I don’t have any expectations from anybody, so where is the question of anger?”
He also refused to hazard a guess about who– Kejriwal or Bedi– will emerge triumphant in the polls.
“I don’t know. Ask them,” he retorted when persistently questioned about his views on Delhi elections and asked, “Why are you pushing me into the cesspool?”
Hazare said no change can be brought through party politics and that there was no mention of politics in the Indian Constitution.
“No change can be brought through party politics. The Constitution also does not mention politics. It says any Indian citizen can contest elections. When 543 good individuals win and choose the Speaker of Lok Sabha and the Prime Minister and run the country, change will come,” he said.
Hazare, however, acknowledged that the task was daunting and will take long to achieve.
“It will take 10-12-15 years. When people will awaken and reject party politics and choose 543 good people as their representatives, then true democracy will come. People made sacrifices for independence but there has not been any struggle for democracy,” he said.
(PTI)
New Delhi: The original preamble of the Constitution did not have the words “socialist” and “secular”, said Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore Wednesday.
The government has been criticised over a Republic Day advertisement, which showed the preamble without the two words.
The minister said a picture of the original preamble was used for the advertisement to “honour” it.
He also tweeted pictures of the preamble before and after the 42nd Amendment, which added the words “secular” and “socialist” to it. “This is the original preamble. The words ‘Socialist’ and ‘Secular’ were added in 1976,” he added.
“Let me assure you, we are celebrating the 66th Republic Day, that is, we are celebrating an anniversary of the preamble that was made way back then,” Rathore told reporters.
“The photograph that we have put is of the first preamble that our great leaders had made at that point of time,” Rathore said.
He added that the two words were included after the 42nd Constitutional Amendment in 1976.
Rathore’s comments came after row erupted when an advertisement issued by the I&B Ministry carried a picture of the Preamble to the Constitution as it appeared before the 42nd Amendment, without the words ‘secular’ and ‘socialist’.
Welcoming the move, Shiv Sena has demanded “permanent deletion” of the words ‘secular’ and ‘socialist’ from the Constitution.
“We welcome the exclusion of the (secular and socialist) words from the Republic Day advertisement. Though it might have been done inadvertently, it is like honouring the feelings of the people of India. If these words were deleted by mistake this time, they should be deleted from the Constitution permanently,” Sena MP Sanjay Raut said.
Congress leader Manish Tewari attacked the Centre on the issue, claiming the government advertisement “deleted” the two words, which was only a prelude to their “substitution” with “communal” and “corporate”.
The advertisement showed a picture of the Preamble in the background with a quote from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and pictures of some citizens in the foreground.
Fidel Castro has welcomed talks with Washington, but warned, “I don’t trust the policy of the United States.”
by teleSUR
Former Cuban President Fidel Castro publicly gave his blessing to the historic negotiations between Cuba and the United States Monday, but warned Washington isn’t to be trusted.
“We will always defend cooperation and friendship with all the peoples of the world, among them our political adversaries,” said Fidel Castro in a statement published by Cuban newspaper Granma. “Any peaceful or negotiated solution to the problems between the United States and the peoples or any people of Latin America that doesn’t imply force or the use of force should be treated in accordance with international norms and principles.”
However, Fidel Castro conceded, “I don’t trust the policy of the United States nor have I had an exchange with them.”
“But, this does not mean … a rejection of a peaceful solution to conflicts or the dangers of war,” he explained.
The first round of negotiations between Havana and Washington wrapped up last week. The talks are aimed at reviving bilateral ties after decades of U.S. attempts to overthrow the government in Havana.
Along with the U.S. blockade and the controversial listing of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, other issues discussed in the meeting included immigration reform and plans to open embassies.
U.S. President Barack Obama has already announced plans to loosen trade and investment restrictions, along with easing a long-standing travel ban.
Both sides reported some progress in last week’s talks, but said there is still more work to be done.
A Cuban official that spoke ahead of the negotiations explained the first round of talks wouldn’t “normalize” bilateral relations.
“Cuba is re-establishing diplomatic relations with the U.S. The process of normalization is much longer and deeper,” the official stated.
The U.S. blockade of Cuba must be totally dismantled before relations can be completely normalized, the official said.
Amar Singh. Photo: The Hindu
New Delhi: The special investigating team of Delhi Police, which is probing the Sunanda Pushkar death case, is questioning Amar Singh over certain claims made by him regarding the case.
Delhi police chief BS Bassi told reporters on Wednesday that SIT is questioning Amar Singh to know what details he has about the case.
Notably, the former Samajwadi Party leader had told mediapersons after the incident that Sunanda was a brave lady and she could not commit suicide. The Special Investigating Team (SIT) of the Delhi Police can interrogate Shashi Tharoor again in this regard. Also, Sunanda’s son, Shiv Pushkar Menon, can also be quizzed.
On January 19, Tharoor was questioned for around three-and-a-half hours. Police officials had then refused to share Tharoor’s answers during the questioning, saying any revelation would hamper the imvestigation.
Pushkar was found dead in a luxury hotel’s room here on January 17, 2014. Police said she was poisoned. A murder case was registered by the police against unknown people January 01 this year.
(Agencies)
Efforts to free Japanese journalist and Jordanian pilot comes after ISIL threatens to kill the two within 24 hours.
![About 200 relatives of captured Jordanian pilot protested outside the prime minister's office in Amman [AP]](https://i0.wp.com/nasheman.in/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Muath-al-Kaseasbeh.jpg)
About 200 relatives of captured Jordanian pilot protested outside the prime minister’s office in Amman [AP]
Japan is seeking help from the Jordanian government after the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIL) group released a new video threatening to kill Japanese journalist Kenji Goto and Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kaseasbeh held hostage within 24 hours.
Japanese and Jordanian officials were reportedly holding talks over ISIL’s demand for the release of Sajida al-Rishawi, an Iraqi woman convicted for her part in multiple bombings in Amman in 2005 that killed 60 people, in exchange for Goto and al-Kaseasbeh.
An angry Japanese prime minister on Wednesday slammed as “utterly despicable” the threat to kill both hostages.
“The government, in this extremely severe situation, has been asking for the Jordanian government’s cooperation towards the early release of Mr Goto, and this policy remains unchanged,” Shinzo Abe said.
After initially demanding a $200 million ransom for the release of the two Japanese men, the group said it wanted Jordan to free Sajida al-Rishawi, a would-be suicide bomber who has been on death row since 2006.
Goto was abducted by fighters in October last year after venturing into Syria on a mission to free his friend Haruna Yukawa.
Yukawa was apparently executed last week after Japan failed to meet an initial $270m ransom demand by Friday.
Parents of hostages plea
Goto’s mother Junko Ishido read to reporters a plea to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday to “Please save Kenji,” which she said she had sent earlier in the day.
She begged Abe to work with the Jordanian government to try to save Goto, saying “Kenji has only a little time left.”
Safi al-Kaseasbeh, the father of the Jordanian hostage, made a last-ditch appeal for Jordan “to meet the demands” of ISIL to secure his release.
Several hundred people, including relatives of the Jordanian pilot, gathered in front of the office of Jordan’s prime minister late on Tuesday, urging the authorities to meet the ISIL demands and release al-Rishawi to save the young pilot’s life.
A member of Jordan’s parliament said the country was in indirect talks with the fighters to secure the hostages’ release.
Bassam Al-Manasseer, chairman of the foreign affairs committee, told Bloomberg News that the negotiations are taking place through religious and tribal leaders in Iraq, adding that Jordan and Japan will not negotiate directly with ISIL and will not free al-Rishawi in exchange for Goto only.
Manaseer’s comments were the strongest suggestion yet that authorities in Jordan and Japan may be open to a prisoner exchange, something that would go against the policy of the kingdom’s main ally, the US, which opposes negotiating with armed groups.
Japan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Yasuhide Nakayama was in Amman to coordinate hostage-release efforts with Jordan, but refused comment on details of the talks early on Wednesday.
Muntasser Bakr, an eleven-year-old Palestinian boy who lost four of his relatives when two Israeli missiles slammed into a beach during the 50-day July-August Gaza war, stands outside his house on December 24, 2014 in Gaza City. AFP / Mahmoud Hams
Bethlehem: Some 700 Palestinian children per year are arrested and face “ill-treatment” by Israeli forces, according to a new report by a children’s rights group.
In the report, Child Rights International Network said that “during 2014, an average of 197 children were held in military detention every month, 13 per cent of whom are under the age of 16.”
“Arrested children are commonly taken into custody by heavily armed soldiers, blindfolded with their wrists tied behind their backs before being transported to an interrogation centre,” the CRIN report said.
“Children questioned about their experience frequently report verbal and physical abuse during the arrest.”
According to research conducted by Defense for Children International — Palestine cited by the report, some 56 percent of children report having experienced “coercive” interrogation techniques during their time in Israeli custody.
Some 42 percent say they signed documents in Hebrew, despite the fact that most Palestinian children do not speak or understand the language.
Additionally, 22 percent of detained children say they underwent up to 24 hours of solitary confinement, in violation of international standards.
“This detention is a clear violation of children’s rights under several international human rights treaties to which Israel is a party,” the CRIN report said.
“The UN’s Special Rapporteur on Torture has called for a complete ban on solitary confinement for juveniles, warning that it ‘can amount to torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment when used as a punishment, during pre-trial detention, indefinitely or for prolonged periods, for persons with mental disabilities or juveniles.'”
The report said that while it is technically possible to file a complaint about the way a child is treated in Israeli detention, “complaints are almost universally dismissed,” and there are “very few examples of soldiers being punished for ill-treatment.”
14-year-old girl imprisoned for 2 months
The report highlighted a case in which a 14-year-old girl from Ramallah was arrested on Dec. 31 and held for 22 days in Israel before being issued a sentence.
She was charged with throwing stones, blocking the road, and possessing a knife, “sentenced to two months in prison, and fined $1,528 by an Israeli military court.”
Her father believes she was coerced into confessing, saying: “She seemed to be very sick and scared.”
“The plight of this one girl put a face on a system that routinely runs roughshod over children’s rights,” CRIN said. “But behind this story there is a broader issue.”
The report recommended reforms while noting that countless other recommendations by human rights groups regarding the treatment of Palestinian children in Israeli custody have gone unheeded by Israeli authorities.
Ultimately, CRIN concluded, children will never be treated well under an Israeli military justice system.
“Regardless of the precise formulation of military rule, it can never protect children in the same way as a developed civilian juvenile justice system which places the best interests of the child at the centre of its work.”
(Ma’an)
Tamil newspaper Dinamalar received a threat letter by unidentified elements claiming to belong to an outfit called “The Base Moment”.
Chennai: Dinamalar, a Tamil newspaper, has received a letter threatening an attack similar to the one on the office of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, police said.
“We have received the letter from the newspaper and a probe is on,” a senior police official said.
The letter, typed in English, says “Yesterday-Paris Charlie Hebdo, Tomorrow – Dinamalar.” The words appear against the background of India’s map.
The letter was sent by post by unidentified elements claiming to belong to an outfit called “The Base Moment,” and said to be based at “3/10, Ukkadam, Kovai, Tamil Nadu, India.”
Below the map is a picture of Osama Bin Laden and the words “By Al Qaeda,” and some Arabic words appearing like a signature, the police official said.
“It can be a fictitious outfit or someone may be trying to play mischief or it may have some other motive…we do not know…only after the probe’s completion we will be able to comment,” the official said, declining to elaborate.
The sender’s address was listed as Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. Investigations in the case are underway. They are also investigating if the postal address given in the letter is authentic.
It is also being investigated whether the letter is authentic or is a hoax.
The police is considering if the newspaper published any cartoons that could have led to this threat. Earlier in 2008, the newspaper published Prophet Mohammad’s cartoon which led to minor protests against the publishers. However, post the incident, they have not published any controversial cartoons.
Security personnel have been deployed at the office of the newspaper.
(Agencies)