Page 6 - Social Issues
Fake IGP arrested in Bathinda
Amrinder Singh, who impersonated as an Inspector General of Police (IGP), was arrested by the local police here on Saturday.Police said that he used to cheat the innocent people in the name of social works.Singh, who used to identify himself as an IGP, Progressive Human Rights Organisation (PHRO), and cheat the people by promising to make them members of the organisation.Police said that Singh was arrested after a complaint was lodged by Bhola Singh, and his father Sukhdev Singh.Reads the FIR: "A guy named Shiv Kumar took Rs 6 lakh from us. He said he will make us a member of the Human Rights Organisation. He told he is an IG and asked us to be a part of this organisation.""When he started demanding money from us for various reasons, we started having doubts about him. After checking we got to know that he has given us fake identity cards," the FIR quotes complainants, as saying.Police said Amrinder Singh is in their custody. Further investigation is underway.
Woman jumps before train with daughter, both dead
A woman allegedly committed suicide over a domestic issue by jumping before a moving train along with her four-year-old daughter in Rajasthan's Barmer district on Saturday, police said. Mohni Devi (25) jumped before the train along with her daughter Hina near Jasdesar Dham temple here, they said. The woman also left a suicide note in which she alleged that she was being exploited by her husband and in-laws. Police said no FIR has been lodged so far in connection with the incident.
Advani arrives in Shimla on week-long visit
Former Deputy Prime Minister and veteran BJP leader Lal Krishan Advani along with his daughter and other family members Saturday arrived in Shimla on a seven-day private visit to Himachal Pradesh. On his arrival at Annadale helipad, Advani was received by Irrigation and Public Health Minister Mahender Singh, Health Minister Vipin Singh Parmar, Transport and Forest Minister Govind Thakur, state BJP President Satpal Satti, an official spokesperson said.
Germany's Merkel urges crackdown on far-right extremists
Chancellor Angela Merkel said the German government is "very, very serious" about fighting far-right extremism that presents "a big challenge for all of us" after a man with anti-migrant views allegedly killed a regional official from Merkel's party. Far-right extremists "need to be fought from the beginning without any taboo," Merkel said Saturday at a gathering of Lutheran Protestants in the western city of Dortmund. The Germany leader called the slaying of Kassel administrator Walter Luebcke, 65, who was found shot in the head at his home on June 2, "not only a gruesome act, but a big challenge for all of us to check on all levels (of society) for far-right tendencies." A week ago, police arrested a 45-year-old German man, Stephan Ernst, as the alleged killer. Ernst was known to police as a far-right extremist with convictions for violent crimes dating from the late 1980s to 2009, German media reported. They include a 1993 pipe bomb attack on a refugee shelter. German Interior ...
App-cab aggregator regrets shabby treatment to disability
Two days after disability rights activist Arman Ali shared his experience of being "treated horribly" by two drivers of an app cab aggregator, the company on Saturday expressed regret over the incident and said action will be taken against the wrongdoers. Uber India does not condone discrimination of any kind, a spokesperson of the service provider told PTI. Ali, Executive Director of the National Centre for Promotion of Employment of Disabled People, claimed in a Facebook post that due to the ill-treatment of the drivers in Chennai, he had missed a flight and a meeting and had to shell out Rs 14,000 to book a fresh air ticket on Tuesday. In Thursday's Facebook post that he had tagged the Prime Minister's Office and Narendra Modi, the Assam-based wheelchair-bound man said, "I was treated horribly and #discriminated against by @uber @uber_india in #chennai yesterday evening." An Uber India spokesperson Saturday said, "We do not condone discrimination of any kind and ...
Halwa ceremony at Finance Ministry marks printing of Budget-2019 documents
The traditional 'Halwa ceremony' was held at the Finance Ministry in the North Block here on Saturday, which marks the beginning of printing of Budget documents.Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman attended the ceremony in the presence of Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs Anurag Thakur, SC Garg, Finance Secretary, AB Pandey, Revenue Secretary, Rajiv Kumar Secretary, Department of Financial Services, and Atanu Chakraborty, Secretary, Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), and other officials.Sitharaman, India's first full-fledged woman Finance Minister will present the annual Budget for the financial year 2019-20 on July 5. She will table the Economic Survey report in parliament on July 4.To maintain the secrecy of the Budget, there is a lock-in of the officials involved in making the Budget.The Finance Minister also took a round of the Press and acquainted herself with the printing process.According to an official statement, PC Mody, Chairman, ..
Sajan Parayil suicide: Kerala HC registers suo motu case
The Kerala High Court on Friday registered a suo motu case in connection with Nigeria-returned entrepreneur Sajan Parayil's suicide.The 49-year-old businessman allegedly committed suicide after Anthoor municipality delayed giving him ownership certificate for an auditorium constructed at a cost of Rs 15 crore by him.Reportedly, the judicature has asked the state government to submit a detailed report to them by July 15.More details in this regard are awaited.
Owaisi should be happy that 'certain protections' being made for Muslim women: Mehmood Pracha
Owaisi should be happy that government is making certain protections for Muslim women through Triple Talaq bill, said Mehmood Pracha, member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) here on Friday.Pracha said the arguments given by the opposition shows that they have not studied the bill properly."Owaisi is saying that there is one-year punishment for men in other communities but Muslim men will get three years. I do not think there for men there is one-year punishment for divorce in any community. That punishment is under Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 and that itself is for violation of a protection order," he said.However, he also criticised the bill. If anything, according to Mehmood Pracha, Owaisi as a Muslim leader should be very happy that certain protections are being made for Muslim women and he should rather criticize the government on the ground that the bill is not strong enough."Firstly, the bill does not take care of women in situations where
Bihar BJP leaders observe moment of silence over AES deaths
Senior Bihar BJP leaders on Saturday observed a moment of silence at the party headquarters in Patna to mourn the deaths of children due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) in Muzaffarpur.BJP National General Secretary Ramlal, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwani Kumar Chaubey, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey, Cabinet Minister Nand Kishor Yadav, state BJP President Nityanand Rai and were among the leaders present at the headquarters.So far, as many as 128 children have died due to the vector-borne disease in the state, including 108 children at Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital and 20 children at Kejriwal hospital in Muzaffarpur district.The meeting was conducted at the arrival of BJP leader Ramlal in Patna.
Malaysia calls for "justice" and citizenship for Rohingya Muslims
Malaysia on Saturday said the perpetrators of violence against Myanmar's Rohingya minority must "be brought to justice", in sharp comments delivered at a normally tame regional summit. Myanmar does not recognise the Rohingya as citizens, instead officially labelling them "Bengalis", short-hand for illegal immigrants from neighbouring Bangladesh. A military crackdown in 2017 drove more than 740,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh, carrying accounts of rape, mass killings and the razing of villages. UN investigators have called for Myanmar's top generals to be tried for genocide. But Myanmar's army and de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi have defended the action as necessary to flush out Rohingya militants from Rakhine state. In talks Saturday with Southeast Asian counterparts, Malaysia's Foreign Minister Saifuddin Bin Abdullah called for the "perpetrators of the Rohingya issue to be brought to justice", his ministry said in Tweet. He also said repatriation of the minority from the fetid, ...
Nicki Minaj spits fire out for Miley Cyrus on her radio show
Nicki Minaj made her comeback to the radio after three months and it seems that the rapper is back with some harsh words for singer Miley Cyrus."Perdue chickens can never talk s--t about queens. She disrespected me in a magazine article for no reason," E! News quoted Minaj as saying on her radio show.However, Minaj made no mention of Cyrus' name but gave clear clues referring to the 26-year old singer."Now you coming out with pink wigs, all you bitches wanna be Nicki," the rapper commented on her look in the latest Netflix series 'Black Mirror' where she wears a pink-purple wig.Back in 2015, Cyrus made some comments on the 'Anaconda' rapper about the latter's miscommunication with Taylor Swift over MTV VMAs nominations on Twitter."You made it about you. Not to sound like a bitch, but that's like, 'Eh, I didn't get my VMA.' If you want to make it about race, there's a way you could do that. But don't make it just about yourself. Say: 'This is the reason why I think it's important to be
Government is with you, Maha Cabinet Minister Deshmukh and Bonde to farmers
Two Maharashtra cabinet ministers on Saturday assured government support to distressed crop growers and appealed to them to not commit suicide."The government will fulfil its promise of farmer loan waiver. So far 50 lakh farmers have benefited from the loan waiver scheme. I assure the farmers that the government is with them. I appeal to them not to commit suicide," Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Subhash Deshmukh told ANI.Delayed monsoon has lead to a severe agrarian crisis in the state. The state government had announced a loan waiver for the farmers but only about half the sanctioned money has been distributed."It is true that there is an agrarian crisis in the state. The government is doing its best. Till today, Rs 19,000 Crore have been transferred into the accounts of farmers. Those remaining will also get the benefit of loan waiver in the coming weeks," said State Agriculture Minister Anil Bonde."As compared to Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra's loan waiver scheme is much
US urges Pak to release those held for blasphemy, asks China to curb religious freedom abuses
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday urged Pakistan to release over 40 people from the religious minority community who have been serving jail term or facing execution on blasphemy charges in the country.Releasing the annual report on the International Religious Freedom of the State Department for the year 2018, on Friday, Pompeo stressed that Pakistan should do more to stop the abuse of blasphemy laws, especially after the release of Asia Bibi, who escaped a death sentence in a case that drew international scrutiny."In Pakistan, the Supreme Court acquitted Asia Bibi, a Catholic, of blasphemy, sparing her the death penalty after she spent nearly a decade in prison. However, more than 40 others remain jailed for life, or face execution on that very same charge," the report said.It added, "We continue to call for their release, and encourage the government to appoint an envoy to address the various religious freedom concerns."Bibi, a Catholic, was convicted of blasphemy in 2010 ..
Mexico says National Guard deployment is complete
Mexico has completed its deployment of 6,000 National Guard agents to help control the flow of migrants headed toward the US and filled 650 immigration agency posts to regulate border crossings, the government said Friday. The announcement by foreign minister Marcelo Ebrard comes as Mexico puts into effect a deal on irregular immigration reached with Washington to head off stiff tariffs that President Donald Trump threatened to slap on all imports from Mexico. A Mexican official who was not authorised to speak about the deployment and requested anonymity said the National Guard agents have not been visible in large contingents because they are spread along the southern border that stretches more than 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) and as well as up Mexico's southern isthmus. They were also deployed to remote areas to target human smugglers, the official said. The Associated Press witnessed an operation near the town of Comitn last weekend, when members of the new militarised policing ...
Indian tourists racially abused on a train in Ireland
An Indian family of three was subjected to racial abuse by a man on a train from Belfast to Dublin earlier this month.Indian tourist Prasun Bhattachrjee and his parents were at the receiving end of an hour-long tirade against their skin colour, culture and accent by a man sitting next to them on the train during their holiday in the European nation, as per an Irish Times report.The man, who was sitting next to them during the train journey was drinking from a can of beer. Bhattachrjee believes that the man was drunk while making the derogatory statements against them.Speaking to the Irish daily, Bhattachrjee said that the man had verbally abused them for their "skin colour, nationality and other things".Witnesses say that when a member of the train staff arrived at the scene, he simply asked the unidentified man -- who would occasionally get up from his seat -- to sit down. He was not asked to deboard or refrain from making the racially abusive comments."The train guard could have ...
Delhi woman found dead in UP's Shamli, husband booked for abatement of suicide
Body of a woman from Delhi was found hanging in Uttar Pradesh's Shamli district, following which police booked her husband for abatement of suicide, officials said Saturday. The incident happened on Friday in Kandhla town of the district, where her inlaws' house is. Police said Mallika Begum, who was in her 40s, allegedly committed suicide due to some problems in her family and a case was filed against her husband, Nafees Ahmad, following a complaint by her brother. Her brother, Savaiz, alleged in the complaint that her sister was being harassed by her husband, police said. Nafees and Mallika were married for 22 years, they said. Further investigations into the case are currently underway, officials said.
Pompeo asks Pakistan to do more on religious freedom
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday urged Pakistan to do more to stop the abuse of blasphemy laws after the release of Asia Bibi, who escaped a death sentence in a case that drew international scrutiny. Releasing an annual report on international religious freedom, Pompeo estimated that more than 40 others were serving life sentences or facing execution for blasphemy in Pakistan. "We continue to call for their release and encourage the government to appoint an envoy to address religious freedom concerns," Pompeo said. Blasphemy is an incendiary issue in Muslim-majority Pakistan, where mere allegations of insulting Islam have sparked lynchings, although activists say many cases stem from personal disagreements. Bibi, a Catholic, was convicted of blasphemy in 2010 and sent to death row. Despite public protests against her, Bibi was acquitted on appeal last year and in May was able to leave for Canada. Pompeo also strongly criticized US adversaries Iran and China, pointing to ...
"Women empowerment major factor for building society"
Women empowerment is not a matter of choice but it is an essential factor for building an inclusive and forward-looking society, eminent speakers observed at a session on Friday. "Empowerment of women is important in achieving the objective of equitable and sustainable development and it is not only a national goal but also a global agenda," the speakers said. A session on "Women Achievers - Showcasing Excellence in Fashion and Creativity" was organised by the Merchants' Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) and its Ladies Forum. The speakers on the occasion were fashion designers Sharbari Datta and Agnimitra Paul, Kantha exponent and social entrepreneur Malika Varma and culinary expert Sneha Singhi. "It is beyond doubt that women can excel in different spheres of life, if the right opportunity and proper environment are provided, the Chairperson of MCCI Ladies Forum, Prapti Jhajharia, said. "Thus there is an urgent need to create suitable conditions to facilitate and .
Businessman suicide: Kerala HC initiates proceedings based on reports
The Kerala High Court Friday took up a Public Interest Litigation on its own over the suicide of an NRI businessman, which it described as "painful", and issued notice to the government, asking for an explanation by July 15. The court initiated proceedings based on news reports. The 49-year-old Nigeria-returned businessman Sajan Parayil, who had spent about Rs 16 crore for an auditorium, hanged himself at his home Tuesday after the Anthoor municipality refused to grant the certificate for his project. Initiating the PIL against the municipality secretary, the district town planner and the secretary to the state government's local self government, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Hrishikesh Roy and Justice A K Jayasankaran Nambiar termed as "painful" the news about the suicide of the businessman. The court also said the "lethargic attitude" of authorities led to the incident. It sought the state government's explanation by July 15. The high court also came down heavily on ...
Disability rights activist misses flight, meeting after shabby
Disability rights activist Arman Ali has shared a distressing experience of being "treated horribly" by two drivers of an app cab service in Chennai, for which he missed a flight and a meeting and had to shell out Rs 14,000 to book a fresh air ticket. Ali, Executive Director of National Centre for Promotion of Employment of Disabled People, alleged that the first driver cancelled the trip around 15 minutes after verbally confirming it, while the second one refused to put his wheelchair in the backseat, "pushed out of the cab" and cancelled the trip. In a Facebook post on Thursday in which he tagged the Prime Minister's Office and Narendra Modi, the Assam-based wheelchair-bound man said Uber India apologised to him and offered to refund the cancellation fee of Rs 45 only. "I was treated horribly and #discriminated against by @uber @uber_india in #chennai yesterday evening. I had booked the 1st Uber for the airport at 3 pm which I verbally confirmed with the driver. He ...