TRIPLE TALAQ BILL STALLED IN RAJYA SABHA
The stalling of the ‘Triple Talaq Bill’ officially called the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, in the Rajya Sabha on August 10 after it was passed by the Lok Sabha last January is a setback to the Narendra Modi government which had been vociferously fighting for it to end the pernicious practice among Muslims which amounts to instant divorce. Since the NDA does not command a majority in the Upper House, it needed a consensus to emerge which eluded it in the face of the Congress’ bid to thwart the bill covertly by using the pretext of lack of time to study it.
ATS RECOVERS EXPLOSIVES FROM SANATAN MEMBER’S HOME
The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Maharashtra police has seized explosives from the house of a suspected member of a Sanatan Sanstha sympathiser at Nallasopara in Palghar district of the state, and arrested him, a report citing a police official said on August 10. The ATS sleuths raided the residence and shop of the accused named Vaibhav Raut at Bhandar Aali in Sopara village of Nallasopara West late last night and seized the explosives, the official said. The accused was arrested and it was being confirmed whether the explosives include RDX, the official said.
The ATS returned to the Mumbai Unit along with the accused, and he will be interrogated, police said, adding he is likely to be produced in a court. Meanwhile, the explosives have been handed over to the Mumbai Forensic Science Laboratory to ascertain its nature.
RAJASTHAN GOVT RENAMES 3 ‘ISLAMIC-SOUNDING’ VILLAGES
The Rajasthan government on August 9 formally notified the change of names of three villages, three days after the Union Home Ministry gave clearance to the proposal. From now on Miyon ka Bara village in Barmer district will be known as Mahesh Nagar, Narpada in Jalore district as Narpura and Ismailpur, which falls under Jhunjhunu district, has been renamed as Pichanwa Khurd. The rechristening of the three seemingly ‘Islamic-sounding’ names comes on the heels of the controversy surrounding the renaming of the Mughalsarai railway junction to Deen Dayal Upadhyay junction in Uttar Pradesh.
The Home Ministry had received the proposal from the Vasundhara Raje-led government early this year and after getting an approval from the agencies concerned gave a nod to rename the villages. Even though the government has not given any exact reason for the move, which comes just months ahead of Assembly elections, locals and officials have floated different versions for the decision. The opposition has accused the BJP government of polarising voters and trying to wedge a divide between two communities.
HISTORIAN TRUSCHKE’S LECTURE CANCELLED
Historian Audrey Truschke’s lecture in Hyderabad, titled ‘Unpopular Stories: Narrating the Indo-Islamic Past and Navigating Present-day Prejudices’, on August 11 was cancelled on August 8. The organisers – Krishnakirti Foundation of Kalakriti Art Gallery – said they called off the lecture because of lack of space and to avoid controversy.
Announcing the cancellation of her lecture, Truschke on Wednesday tweeted, “My lecture in Hyderabad, scheduled for August 11, has been cancelled. The subject of ‘Unpopular Stories,’ proved a bit too true, perhaps, when the Hindu Right protested to the police.” Truschke – who is in India to deliver lectures in Kolkata and Delhi organised by ‘The Seagull Foundation for the Arts’ for their annual ‘A History for Peace’ event – said that she was told about the “threat” last week. “The organisers of the Hyderabad event (Krishnakirti Foundation) told me that they had received letters protesting my appearance. In view of the perceived threat, they were inclined to cancel the lecture. I saw only one threatening letter on social media, in which I was tagged,” she was reported as saying.
COURT REJECTS DISCHARGE PLEAS OF VANZARA, AMIN
A special CBI court in Gujarat on August 7 rejected the discharge applications of former police officers DG Vanzara and NK Amin in the case of alleged fake encounter of Ishrat Jahan and three others. Special judge JK Pandya rejected the applications of Vanzara and Amin. The court last month concluded the hearing of arguments of the two accused retired police officers, the CBI and Ishrat Jahan’s mother Shamima Kauser, who had challenged Vanzara’s discharge plea.
Vanzara, a former deputy inspector general of police in Gujarat, had sought discharge on the ground of parity with the state’s former in-charge Director General of Police P P Pandey, who was discharged in the case in February this year for want of evidence against him. Amin, who retired as the superintendent of police, sought his discharge on the ground that the encounter was genuine and that testimonies of witnesses produced by the Central Bureau of Investigation were not reliable.
DMC ISSUES NOTICE FOR PLANTING IDOL ON MASJID WALL
Recently police dismantled a jhuggi built against the wall of Fidayee Khan Masjid in Vivekanandpuri, Sarai Rohila. The owner of the jhuggi, a name-sake Muslim, has now planted an idol against the mosque wall and has declared that soon he is going to build a temple there. The Mosque caretaker complained to the Delhi Minorities Commission which has sent a notice to DCP North District, asking him to enquire into the matter and remove any illegal construction against the Mosque’s wall.
FATHER OF ANKIT SAXENA TO RECEIVE COMPENSATION
Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal has accepted the recommendation of Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, Chairman of Delhi Minorities Commission, to pay a compensation to the father of the slain youth who was killed by a Muslim family members for having an affair with a Muslim girl. The compensation amount is rupees five lakh which will be paid to Shri Yashpal Saxena, father of Ankit. He had made a history of large-heartedness and communal harmony when he appealed to the citizens of Delhi not to vitiate the communal situation of the capital.
CENTRAL GOVT. SCHOLARSHIPS FOR MINORITIES
The scheme for the current year’s minority students for scholarships from class I to undergraduate courses is open now and applications will be accepted up to 13th October. Students who are already getting scholarships should also apply for their renewal during this period. Scholarships of various amounts are available to students for various stages.
Every applicant has to upload copies of his/her Aadhar card, passport size photograph, previous year’s marksheet, proof of residence, income certificate, self-declared proof of belonging to a designated religious minority and bank account number with IFSC code and photo of passbook. All applications are to be filed online on www.scholarships.gov.in. After successfully uploading the application, the student has to take out a copy of his/her application and deposit it in is/her school/college.
‘DUMP GARBAGE NEAR DELHI LT GOVERNOR’S HOUSE’: SC
The Supreme Court on August 6 said that Delhi was facing an “emergency situation” due to mountains of garbage as it expressed dissatisfaction over the response of authorities on waste management. “Will there be any person alive in Delhi in such a situation?” an irked top court said and sought details of how plans on management of solid waste could be implemented, especially on segregation of household waste.
The bench comprising justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta also sought details from authorities on pilot project for segregation of household waste launched in some areas like Defence Colony, Green Park and Maharani Bagh here and also about the problems being faced by the agencies in its implementation. The court fumed at Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Pinky Anand’s submission on residents of Sonia Vihar objecting to a landfill site, saying the people had every right to question the decision and and even went on to say that the civic body should dump the “waste on the Raj Niwas Marg”, where Delhi Lieutenant Governor’s official residence is located, instead of treating people like this.