KERALA FLOOD MUST BE DECLARED A NATIONAL CALAMITY: JIH
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind has demanded that the huge flood in Kerala must be declared a national disaster. In a statement on August 18, Jamaat Ameer, Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari said, “Heavy rain and unprecedented flood and landslides have driven the state into excruciating catastrophe. Many parts of the state are lying under water. People are fleeing in great numbers. More than 350,000 people have taken shelter in relief camps. Tens of thousands of houses are submerged. Thousands of people are stranded in various parts. Even rescue works are wading through a tough time in the present situation. The colossal disaster cannot be overcome by Kerala government or voluntary workers alone. Given the situation, the central government must deploy additional military personnel and provide for more facilities to help in the rescue operation. Prompt attention of the international community must turn to Kerala. Otherwise, news of a horrible tragedy must be feared.
He continued, “Losses incurred by the huge flood run into billions of rupees. In fact, Kerala is badly in need of massive reconstruction works. Therefore, the central government must declare a special package.” The Jamaat leader appealed to all citizens of the country to extend all kinds of help to the hapless people of Kerala.
MUSLIM MAN’S HOUSE, VILLAGE MOSQUE VANDALISED IN ROHTAK
An unruly mob on August 22 vandalised the house of a Muslim man at Titoli village in Rohtak over suspicion that he killed a cow on the occasion of Eid. Yamin Khokhar, his family and neighbouring Muslim families fled the village to save their lives before the mob armed with lathis also vandalised the mosque of the village.
According to villagers, a calf hit Yamin’s niece on Wednesday when she was playing outside his house, leaving her injured. “To shoo away the calf, Yamin hit it with a lathi. The calf walked a few steps and died on the corner of the road. But some anti-social elements spread the rumour that Muslims killed it for Bakrid.
SAVARKAR’S PHOTO INSTALLED IN MP GOVERNOR’S HOUSE
The move to install a photo of former Hindu Mahasabha President late Vinayak Damodar Savarkar – also known as Veer Savarkar – adjacent to that of Mahatma Gandhi in Madhya Pradesh governor’s house has sparked a controversy in the state, a report said on August 14. Ahead of the Independence Day, the governor’s house in the state was decorated with garlands and colourful lights, while photos and posters of the freedom fighters have also been installed, and have been opened for public to remind them of the freedom fighters and their struggle.
Savarkar was accused of the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi in 1948, but was acquitted by the court, owing to the lack of witnesses. Moreover, the assassinator of Gandhi, Nathuram Godse was also associated with Hindu Mahasabha and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
AIMPLB SETS UP SOCIAL MEDIA DESK TO COUNTER ‘PROPAGANDA’
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has decided to establish a social media desk to counter “the anti-Muslim rhetoric” in the country. It also plans to address “infirmities” in the religion by way of organising conferences and rallies. The call to establish such a desk was taken at the Board’s two-day meeting in Bhopal. “We know the power of social media. Muslim Personal Law Board feels that there are rumours being spread about Muslim personal law which have no relation to Islam,” said an official.
The AIMPLB, the highest decision making body on Muslim affairs, has said that the need of the social media desk stemmed from the fact that there was a lot of “propaganda news” doing the rounds like that of “Nikah Halala”. The board has also decided to establish social welfare committees in all states and districts of the country. The board would first begin the implementation of such centres from Bhopal
SC ASKS UP GOVT WHY ADITYANATH SHOULD NOT BE PROSECUTED
The Supreme Court has asked UP govt why Yogi Adityanath should not be prosecuted for alleged hate speech in 2007, a report said on August 20. The bench issued the notice while hearing a plea challenging Allahabad High Court’s decision in the case. The Allahabad High Court in February dismissed a writ petition which sought a CBI probe into Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s involvement in 2007 Gorakhpur riots case.
In November 2008, the petition was filed by Mohammad Asad Hayat and Parvez, who said a hate speech by the chief minister had triggered the riots in which one person was killed. Parwaz was a resident of Gorakhpur and had filed an FIR in connection with the riots and Hayat was a witness in the case. In January 2007, an altercation involving a group of Hindus and Muslims broke out during a Muharram procession in Gorakhpur.
FORMER SS CORPORATOR FUNDED ARMS PURCHASE: ATS
The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) suspects that Shrikant Pangarkar, former Shiv Sena corporator from Jalna, financed the purchase of the massive arsenal that was recovered from the Nallasopara house of Hindu Govansh Samiti coordinator Vaibhav Raut on August 9 as well as the killing of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, CPI leader Govind Pansare, scholar MM Kalburgi and journalist Gauri Lankesh, a report said on August 21.
Pangarkar, who was produced in the sessions court on Monday, is also suspected to have funded the weapons training of Raut and his aides, Sharad Kalaskar and Sudhanva Gondhalekar, who were arrested on August 10 for allegedly conspiring to carry out terror attacks in the state. The investigating agency believes that Raut, Kalaskar and Gondhalekar also planned to target the rally sites of Maratha Kranti Morcha, the agitation by the Maratha community to get reservation in jobs and education. Besides, Kalaskar and Gondhalekar are suspected to have been involved in Dabholkar’s killing.
ATS PREPARES FRESH DOSSIER FOR SANATAN SANSTHA BAN
Days after the Maharashtra government decided to send a reminder to the Union government to fast-track its pending proposal on banning the radical right-wing outfit Sanatan Sanstha, its Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has started preparing a fresh dossier on the organisation. The ATS has already sent a status report on the recent terror case made out by it under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), against five people. Members of various fringe Hindu radical groups, they were believed to be planning to carry out attacks in Mumbai, Pune, Satara, Solapur and Sangli.
“The focus of the dossier would basically be to establish links between the accused and the Sanstha,” said an officer. “The dossier will be a detailed one to fast-track the pending proposal of the state government to ban the outfit.” The fifth arrest in the case, of Avinash Pawar, was made by the ATS on Saturday. A resident of Mumbai suburb Ghatkopar, the 30-year-old is alleged to be associated with the Shri Shivapratishthan Hindustan.
DON’T WIPE OUT JAWAHARLAL NEHRU’S ROLE, PM URGED
In A strongly worded letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has raised concerns over what he described as an “agenda” to “change the nature and character” of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) and the Teen Murti complex, a report said on August 27.
In the letter sent last week, Singh invoked former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and said that under Vajpayee’s six-year tenure as PM, “there was absolutely no attempt made to change the nature and character of the NMML and the Teen Murti complex in any way. But sadly, that seems to be part of the agenda of the Government of India now.” Singh’s letter comes amidst the controversy surrounding the Government’s plans to set up a museum for all Prime Ministers within the Teen Murti complex with the Congress alleging that it is an attempt to “obliterate” Nehru’s legacy.