Around 300 students from various colleges in the city donning black outfits, and sashes of ‘#AmINext’ worn around their heads and hands flocked under the banner of Humanising India, a students’ initia
Around 300 students from various colleges in the city donning black outfits, and sashes of ‘#AmINext’ worn around their heads and hands flocked under the banner of Humanising India, a students’ initiative to stir awareness and protest against atrocities towards women.Humanising India conducted a silent march from St. Joseph’s College (Autonomous), Shantinagar to the Town Hall, spearheaded by Arya Samaj supremo, Swami Agnivesh, on Thursday afternoon. The protest march took place in light of the recent horrific events of rape in Kathua and Unnao.“What we are used to is, they see, they empathise, they sympathise, but they do not speak up;
they are just like ‘it keeps happening’ but we need to start taking a stand, we need to speak up,” said Renita, a student of St. Joseph’s College who is said to be the brainchild of this movement.On being asked why Swami Agnivesh was invited to head the protest, one of the organisers said, “He is the only person who wears a saffron outfit but does not have a saffron ideology. He has also very boldly stood out and spoken about atrocities not only against women, but also other sections of society.”Swami Agnivesh highlighted the deplorable state of sexual abuse victims, speaking in the context of occurrences of communal violence and hate speeches perpetuated towards the minority communities and women at large. He cited examples of violence towards the Rohingyas, Bakarwal Muslims and the dreadful Unnao case in Uttar Pradesh.
The Arya Samaj scholar also alleged that most rape cases were reported in states ruled by the BJP, for which, justice keeps getting delayed.The gathering ended with the lighting of candles and singing prayers, followed by a brief moment of silence in remembrance of the victims. Humanising India roped in 22 educational institutions for the silent protest march to provoke actions by pious and effective means.
Archives for 2018
SP-BSP Combine May Play Hindu Card To Trump BJP in Kairana Lok Sabha By-Election
The seat had fallen vacant after the death of BJP MP Hukum Singh and falls in the Muzzafarnagar-Shamli-Kairana belt of western UP which witnessed large-scale communal clashes and a charged campaign in the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
Extremely wary of communal polarisation ahead of the next general elections, the united opposition is exercising utmost caution in selecting candidates for the Kairana Lok Sabha bypolls in politically crucial Uttar Pradesh.
The seat had fallen vacant after the death of BJP MP Hukum Singh and falls in the Muzzafarnagar-Shamli-Kairana belt of western UP which witnessed large-scale communal clashes and a charged campaign in the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. The bypoll will be held on May 28, while the counting of votes will take place on May 31.
Kairana, like many other seats in western UP, has a high percentage of Muslim population, varying from 25% to 45% of the total electorate. In the last three General and Assembly elections, both the BSP and the SP have competed fiercely to dovetail the minorities with their core vote-base to stich a winning social combination.
For instance, in 2007 Assembly polls, the BSP fielded 61 Muslim candidates in UP, of whom 29 won. As many as 21 Muslim candidates from the rival SP could also make the cut.
Muslim representation in UP assembly peaked in 2012 when the SP wrested back power from Mayawati in the following elections. The 16th Assembly of the state had a record 68 Muslim MLAs.
Compare this with 2014 General Elections when for the first time since Independence not a single MP from the minority community was elected to the Lok Sabha, with the BJP and its allies winning a whopping 90% of the seats.
The 2014 Lok Sabha results and the near total dominance of the BJP in the assembly elections last year have not only forced the BSP and the SP to form a political coalition, but also look at alternative social alliances.
In the recent bypolls in Phulpur and Gorakhpur, the SP-BSP combine experimented by putting up non-Yadav Backward candidates. The idea was to mobilise core SP-BSP votes around a dominant local community to inflict a surprise defeat on the ruling BJP.
In Kairana bypolls, which may well shape the battlelines for a keen contest in western UP in 2019, the SP-BSP coalition may again settle for a candidate from a socially dominant Hindu caste.
There have been speculations that Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) wants to enter the grand opposition alliance in UP if Ajit Singh’s son Jayant Chaudhary is fielded from Kairana as a joint candidate.
However, SP state President Naresh Uttam was in Shamli earlier this week to assess the ground situation. The party seems to be zeroing in on three names as of now. Former MP Munawar Hasan’s wife is among those in contention.
But the opposition is wary that fielding a Muslim candidate may again polarise the elections as BJP is likely to nominate Hukum Singh’s daughter for the bypoll.
Singh, a local Gujjar leader, had started his political career with the Congress but later shifted base to the BJP.
SP’s Virendra Singh, also a Gujjar, is seeking a ticket for his son.
The third contender, and a surprise choice that the SP is considering could be an interesting choice. Dr Sudhir Pawar is a soft spoken professor from Lucknow University who contested the last assembly polls on an SP ticket from Thanabhawan in Shamli district.
He comes from the Jat community and his candidature could also be used as a test case by the non-BJP alliance to bridge the Jat-Muslim divide prised open by the Muzaffranagar riots. The bypolls to Kairana have not been notified yet by the Election Commission. The closer they are held, the higher will be the stakes for the BJP.
Rahul slams Modi government over new US visa rules
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday attacked Narendra Modi government’s foreign policy and said “new US visa rules is a huge setback for India”.
“New US visa Rules, huge setback for India. There are some things a hug can buy. For visas, you’re on your own,” tweeted Gandhi, attaching a Times of India story with a headline “Startup visas, work permits for spouses of H-1B visa holders to go”.
“Foreign policy by Narendra Modi, foreword by Donald Trump,” he added.
Ministry of Home Affairs to discuss Muslim reservation bill.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is holding a crucial meeting on Friday with the State government officials on providing reservation to Muslims in employment and education under BC Category.The
State Legislative Assembly adopted a Bill providing 12 per cent reservations to Muslims and also increasing the total BC reservation percentage and sent the same for the approval of the Union government.The State government’s Bill is pending with the Union Home Ministry, which sought some clarifications on the Bill. According to sources, the MHA raised two queries on Muslim reservations. The State government officials prepared the answers to questions. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao reportedly approved the replies on Thursday.When the MHA invited the State government for the meeting, Chief Secretary SK Joshi called up BC Welfare secretary Burra Venkatesham, who was in Delhi, and asked him to attend the meeting on Friday. State Reorganisation (SR) department principal secretary K Ramakrishan Rao too will attend the meeting as the MHA is likely to discuss the issues mentioned in AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, which are pending for implementation.
The Telangana Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of seats in educational institutions and of appointments or posts in the services under the State) Bill, 2017.2) The Telangana Prevention of Dangerous activities of bootleggers, dacoits, drug-offenders, Goondas, immoral traffic offenders and land grabbers (Amendment) Bill, 2017.
Adityanath, Akhilesh, Mayawati to tour poll-bound Karnataka
Lucknow: The Karnataka Assembly polls are the new battle field for political stalwarts of Uttar Pradesh including Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, SP supremo Akhilesh Yadav and BSP chief Mayawati, who will be criss-crossing the state to turn the tide in favour of their respective parties.
Adityanath will be seen in action, addressing as many as 35 rallies and road shows the saffron party has organised for him as the Nath sect, to which he belongs, wields considerable clout in coastal Karnataka, BJP sources said today.
As per the partys plans, the chief ministers hectic Karnataka tour will begin on May 3 and he will be there holding rallies daily between May 7 and 10, BJP spokesperson Shalabh Mani Tripathi told PTI here. Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav will also be touring the state to champion his partys cause in those constituencies where the SP is in the fray.
“The SP has fielded over two dozen candidates in Karnataka. The party president will be campaigning there for our candidates. The tour details will be finalised in a day or two,” SP spokesman Rajendra Chowdhury told PTI.
When asked specifically as to whether Akhilesh will campaign for the Congress too, Chowdhury said, “He will campaign for SP candidates only as of now.” The Congress and the SP had contested the UP Assembly polls last year jointly, but had contested the civic body polls in the state independently.
BSP supremo Mayawati, whose party has entered into a pact with former prime minister HD Deve Gowdas JD(S), has already started working in the state with her rallies starting yesterday from Mysuru. She will be addressing a rally in Chitradurga today and Belagavi and Bidar on May 5-6 respectively.
The BSP is contesting on 20 seats in Karnataka and is hoping to open an account there with the JD(S) support. Polling will be held in a single phase on May 12 for all the 224 Assembly seats in the Congress-ruled state, including 36 reserved for the Scheduled Castes and 15 for the Scheduled Tribes. Ahead of the UP chief ministers visit, a Congress leader had made certain derogatory remarks against him.
BJP leaders here say that a counter offensive from the UP chief minister is very likely. “Expect a counter (attack) for sure,” a BJP leader said. In mid-April, Karnataka Congress working president Dinesh Gundu Rao had set the tone for Adityanaths visit by openly asking the people of Karnataka to boycott him. He later apologised for his remarks, describing them as an “emotional outburst.”
Earlier, during his February visit, Adityanath had taken on chief minister K Siddaramaiah on the micro blogging site, which blew up into a twitter war between the two chief ministers. In between his rallies and road shows, Adityanath is also expected to visit temples and mutts as the BJP looks to play the Hindutva card in a state where it is anxious to regain power it lost 10 years ago.
In December last, while addressing a “Parivartan Yatra” rally in Hubbali, the UP chief minister had stoked passions by asking people to choose between Hanuman Jayanti and Tipu Jayanti – a remark aimed at questioning Congress two-year-old decision to commemorate the birth anniversary of Tipu Sultan, the 18th century ruler who hailed from the region.
(PTI)
Karnataka election 2018: 7,000 fake names added to voter list in Bengaluru
(AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Bengaluru: With the state Assembly elections coming closer, election authorities are getting serious about illegal activities to guarantee a peaceful election process. While numerous raids have turned up gigantic supplies of money and different wares proposed to influence voters, one noteworthy embarrassment was revealed in Bengaluru.
A poll staff in Bangalore Urban region, in the course of recent weeks, saw a vast volume of illegal entry made to the voters’ list, which increased the current numbers by 7000. The entries were seen in the lists of four constituencies- Dasarahalli, Yelahanka, Shanthinagar and KR Puram.
Election authorities have documented complaints with the police in regards to the same and these cases were then referred to the cyber crime division of the Central Crime Branch. It is guessed that the fake names were added to the list post Feb 28, utilizing the password of the Electoral Registration Management System (ERMS) portal.
It was seen by the poll staff that the numbers of recently included names would increase in the evening time. New names were to be included after voters submitted important subtle elements in the Form 6 (application for incorporation). The staff saw that there was an increase despite the fact that they hadn’t included any names.
Upon cross examination, they saw that numerous names were included without the Form 6 application being recorded. This was the point at which they understood that the fake names were included utilizing the ERMS portal. Four individuals have been held regarding the case.
For the time being, they have started erasing these fake names from the database.
Juvenile held for raping 10-year-old in madrasa
Representational Image
New Delhi: A 10-year-old girl was taken from her home in east Delhi’s Ghazipur to a madrasa in Ghaziabad and raped there by a juvenile. The incident triggered protests in the area with locals demanding that the madrasa cleric be arrested for his alleged involvement in the matter. The police said that he was being questioned.
A Crime Branch team on Wednesday visited the Madrasa and questioned the residents and visitors in connection with the case.
The police was informed on April 21 by the girl’s father that his daughter had gone missing after she went to the market.
The police registered a case and during investigation, found a CCTV footage in which the accused was seen taking the girl along with him, they added.
The police traced the juvenile to a madrasa where he studied and apprehended him. The girl was recovered from there, the police said.
The girl’s statement was recorded in front of a magistrate on Monday. The accused was sent to a juvenile justice home.
The girl’s family was earlier staying in Ghaziabad before moving to Ghazipur and was known to the family of the accused juvenile.
The police are questioning the cleric if he was aware that the girl had been kept there and about his involvement in the matter.
The girl’s parents are alleging that the madrassa’s cleric also knew about the girl being kept captive there and are demanding his arrest.
Residents protested in Ghazipur on Tuesday demanding action against the cleric.
“We have assured them that fair investigation is being conducted on merits and no one will be spared if he is involved in the crime. Owing to inter-state ramifications of the case and for thorough in-depth investigation, the case is being transferred to the crime branch,” said Ravindra Yadav, joint commissioner of police (eastern range).
Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari, along with East Delhi MP Maheish Girri, on Wednesday met the girl’s family and assured them of all the support. Tiwari assured the family that even though the Delhi Police has handed over the case to the Crime Branch, he will talk to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for proper help in investigation of the matter as the madrasa is located there. In a letter to Union Home minister Rajnath Singh, Girri demanded a CBI inquiry into the case.
(Agencies)
Second journalist covering Gaza rally killed by Israeli forces
People grieving as Hussein’s body arrives at a hospital in the northern Gaza Strip [Mohammed Salem/Reuters]
by Al Jazeera
Ahmad Abu Hussein, a Palestinian journalist shot by Israeli forces while covering a mass demonstration along the Gaza border earlier this month, has died of his wounds, according to Palestinian officials.
The 24-year-old, who was shot in the abdomen during a protest near Jebaliya on April 13, is the second Palestinian journalist to have been killed by Israeli soldiers since a wave of demonstrations known as the “Great March of Return” began on March 30.
Health officials in Gaza said Hussein died on Wednesday in Israel’s Tel Hashomer hospital, near Tel Aviv.
His body arrived later in the day at Al-Andalusi hospital in the Gaza Strip, according to Ashraf al-Qudra, a spokesperson for the health ministry.
Hussein was originally treated in Gaza, before being moved to a hospital in Ramallah on April 15 and then to Tel Hashomer four days later.
Vest marked with ‘PRESS’
According to eyewitnesses, Hussein, a photographer for the Gaza-based Voice of the People radio station, was wearing a protective vest marked “PRESS” at the time he was shot.
“Protective gear that clearly indicates individuals are members of the press should afford them extra protection – not make them targets,” said Sherif Mansour, Middle East and North Africa programme coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists.
“The death of Ahmed Abu Hussein underscores the need for Israeli authorities to urgently scrutinise its policies toward journalists covering protests and take immediate, effective action.”
Yaser Murtaja, a photographer with the Gaza-based Ain Media agency, died on April 7 as a result of wounds sustained when shot by Israeli forces the previous day.
Murtaja, 30, was hit in the stomach despite also wearing a blue flak jacket marked with the word “PRESS” while covering a protest in Khuza’a in the south of the Gaza Strip.
‘The Great March of Return’
The “Great March of Return” has seen tens of thousands of Palestinians take to the border area to demand the right of return for Palestinian refugees driven from their homes in the territories taken over by Israel during the 1948 war, known to Arabs as the Nakba.
Around 70 percent of Gaza’s two million population were forced from their homes and now live in a territory of about 360sq km.
At least 40 Palestinians have been killed and more than 5,000 wounded since the demonstrations began, according to Palestinian officials.
Israel has drawn sharp criticism for its open-fire orders along the border.
Gauri murder: Chargesheet prepared against Naveen Kumar
Bengaluru: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has quickened the examination of Gauri Lankesh’s murder and filed a charge sheet against accused KT Naveen Kumar.
The SIT has gathered details on Naveen, two of his partners and two sharpshooters and said the same in the charge sheet. That might be submitted to the court within15 days.
Naveen assumed a major role in plotting the murder plan and murdering the journalist. He talked about the plan with his partners in Kollegala and Sathyamangala forest zones. The accused himself admitted to a few perspectives for the crime, said the SIT sources. “According to available information, culprits threw the pistol used for the murder in a forest areas. We are searching for that. The point will be said in the charge sheet,” they included.
“Prior to the murder, Naveen was seen around Gauri Lankesh’s home at Rajarajeshwarinagar to observe her movements. Based on doubt, 537 calls were checked yet didn’t discover any sign. We were tuning in to the conversationof few organization leaders. At that point we found the conversation of Naveen with somebody in regards to the murder of Prof. K S Bhagavan. When he was arrested, his inclusion in the murder plot came to light,” sources said.
(Agencies)
Railway Police engages ‘tantrik’ to solve theft case in Bihar
Patna/Siwan: Belive it or not, the Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel in Bihar’s Siwan district are banking on a “tantrik” (occultist) to crack a case of theft and catch the thief, a police officer said on Wednesday.
Instead of using high-tech gadgets and conducting a scientific investigation, the GRP has sought the help of a local tantrik “Ghoda Baba” to solve the case.
According to the district police officer, last week a case of theft was reported in the house of one Anil Kumar Srivastav in the railway colony of Siwan. But as the GRP personnel failed to make any breakthrough, in-charge of the GRP Police Station Nand Kishore, along with a tantrik, visited the house of Srivastav.
After inspecting the site, the tantrik instructed Srivastav to perform some rituals at night to ensure arrest of Siwan thief.
Tantrik, along with some GRP personnel, again visited Srivastav’s house in the railway colony on Wednesday afternoon and asked him to visit his place in nearby Mairwa town at night to solve the case.
Annoyed at the railway police’s approach, Srivastav has now written to senior police officials, including Muzaffarpur Superintendent of Police (Railway) Sanjay Kumar Singh, and questioned engaging a tantrik in the age of scientific probes to solve the case.
(IANS)
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