News Analysis India

Tag: Muslims

  • Yadavs, Muslims must not expect me to be of any help: JD(U) MP

    Patna: A newly elected MP of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) on Monday found himself at the centre of a controversy for laments about “Muslims and Yadavs” not voting for the BJP-led NDA. In a video clip that has gone viral on social media, Sitamarhi MP Devesh Chandra Thakur can also be heard ruing that “NDA’s own voters” gravitated towards the opposition RJD.

    Thakur, 71, a former chairman of the state legislative council, made his parliamentary debut in the recently held Lok Sabha polls, winning the seat by a modest margin of less than 55,000 votes.

    “I did not get votes of Suris (a fishing community) and Kalwars. Even the Kushwahas deserted me. Just because respected Lalu Prasad (RJD supremo) gave tickets to many Kushwahas. Could a Kushwaha elected from elsewhere be of any help to members of the community in my constituency?” Thakur could be heard asking in the video, which was not independently verified by PTI. Later, he said, “I have made it clear that Yadavs and Muslims must not expect me to be of any help to them. They will be treated with due respect, even offered tea and snacks, when they call on me. But I will not take up any of their problems.”

    The JD(U) MP added that he had expressed the sentiment before a “Muslim” who visited him after the elections.

    “I asked the Muslim brother how can you expect me to work for you when you did not vote for me just because my party is aligned with the BJP,” said Thakur, claiming that the visitor agreed with the contention and went back feeling regret for his electoral choice. Often called “Ajaatshatru” in political circles because of his friendly disposition, Thakur retained the seat for his party which chose to drop sitting MP Sunil Kumar Pintu. Thakur defeated his nearest RJD rival Arjun Roy, who is a former MP from the Lok Sabha seat.

    The JD(U) leader’s outbursts met with disapproval from the RJD as well as ally BJP, leaving the party to fend for itself.

    “The remarks made by Thakur are objectionable. An MP is the representative of all sections of society in his constituency,” said Bhai Virendra, the RJD’s chief spokesperson and an MLA.

    BJP OBC Morcha national general secretary Nikhil Anand also came out with a strongly worded statement, but without mentioning Thakur by name.

    “Giving vent to frustration in a manner that smacks of caste prejudice is shameful and deplorable in politics. The BJP takes all social segments along. In Bihar, no political party can succeed if it tries to marginalise Yadavs, who are 14 per cent of the total population,” said Anand.

    The BJP leader underscored “27 OBCs, four of them Yadavs” in the Union Council of Ministers and claimed that it was proof of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to “social harmony”.

    JD(U) chief spokesman and MLC Neeraj Kumar responded to the criticisms, saying, “It is unthinkable that Thakur will discriminate against any section of society. He was just expressing his pain at not getting votes of even those whom he may have helped him personally but who got swayed by other considerations.”

  • ‘Lies, Hate Speech’: Congress Claims PM Modi’s ‘Wealth To Muslims’ Remark Shows INDIA Is Winning 1st Phase Of Polls |

    In a fiery rebuttal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s allegations, the Congress party claimed on Sunday that the PM has resorted to “lies” and “hate speech” to divert the public’s attention away from real issues, following a “disappointment” in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections. The counterattack came in response to PM Modi’s claim that if Congress wins power, it will redistribute wealth to Muslims, citing former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s statement that the minority community has the first claim to the country’s resources.

    At a rally in Rajasthan’s Banswara, Modi claimed that the Congress intends to distribute people’s hard-earned money and valuables to “infiltrators” and “those who have more children”.

    Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge retaliated, claiming that no prime minister in India’s history has degraded the dignity of the office more than Modi. He accused Modi of using “lies” and “hate speech” to divert attention, and claimed that the Prime Minister’s actions reflect the values of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

    Kharge also claimed that lying for power, making false references, and levelling baseless accusations against opponents are hallmarks of the Sangh and BJP’s training. He promised that the country’s 140 crore people would no longer fall for such “lies”.

    Kharge siad that the Congress manifesto is for all Indians and promotes equality and justice for all, claiming that the party’s Nyaya Patra is founded on truth.

    Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stated that after “disappointment” in the first phase of voting, “the level of lies of Narendra Modi has fallen so much that he now wants to divert the people’s attention from the issues as he is rattled”.

    The trends of massive support for Congress’ “revolutionary manifesto” have begun to emerge, Gandhi stated in a Hindi post on X.

    “The country will now vote on its issues, including employment, family, and the future. “India will not be diverted,” the former Congress chief stated.

    In his remarks in Rajasthan, Modi said, “The Congress manifesto states that they will calculate the gold with mothers and sisters, gather information about it, and then distribute that property. They will distribute it to whom- – Manmohan Singh’s government stated that Muslims have the first right to the country’s assets.”

    “Previously, when their (Congress) government was in power, they stated that Muslims have first priority over the country’s assets. This means, to whom will this property be distributed? “It will be distributed to those who have more children,” the prime minister stated.

    The Congress has stated that its manifesto does not mention “redistribution” and that it supports a “comprehensive socio-economic caste census”.

  • Never seen State becoming Union Territory: Farooq Abdullah – The Economic Times Video

    Addressing one day Gujjar & Bakarwal conference at National Conference Office, Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and National Conference President Farooq Abdullah on January 17 said that he had never witnessed a state becoming a union territory. He had only seen a union territory becoming a state.While addressing the conference, Farooq Abdullah said, “I have never witnessed a state becoming a union territory. I have only seen a union territory becoming a state…During my time, there was such a rush at the secretariat. But now, there is nobody to listen (to the problems). This can be changed only by you i.e. the Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians living here…”

  • Since triple talaq law, divorce rate among Muslims down by 96 per cent: Kerala Guv Arif Mohd Khan 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The rate of divorce among Muslims has “come down by 96 per cent” since triple talaq was made a punishable offence under the law in 2019 and this has benefitted women and children, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said on Thursday.

    Addressing a gathering at a seminar here on Uniform Civil Code (UCC), he also wondered if is it not odd that when one seeks justice, religion has to be stated first.

    On the All India Muslim Personal Law Board sending its objections on UCC to the Law Commission, Khan said everyone has a right to express their opinion.

    “The Law Commission has sought suggestions. And, I am very hopeful that all suggestions that will come up, will get full attention from the Law Commission and the government,” he told reporters later.

    The UCC refers to a common set of laws on marriage, divorce and inheritance that would be applicable to all Indian citizens irrespective of religion, tribe or other local customs.

    The Law Commission had on June 14 initiated a fresh consultation process on UCC by seeking views from stakeholders, including public and recognised religious organisations, on the politically sensitive issue.

    In his address, Khan also spoke of the Shah Bano case of the 1980s.

    READ HERE | ‘UCC necessary to bring fundamental right of equality’: Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan

    He praised the enactment of the The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act 2019 which makes the practice of instant divorce through triple talaq among Muslims a punishable offence entailing imprisonment of up to three years, and recalled how it took two years since the Supreme Court’s landmark verdict in 2017.

    In its verdict, the apex court by a majority of 3:2 had ruled that the practice of divorce through triple talaq among Muslims is “void”, “illegal” and “unconstitutional”.

    The apex court also held that the triple talaq is against the basic tenets of Quran.

    “Do you know after the judgement, teen talaq did not stop even a single day,” Khan said, and recounted how he got a call from a person in Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh, who mentioned such a case happening with a woman, even after the verdict.

    He then mentioned how it took two years to finally have the practice of instant divorce through triple talaq among Muslims, made a punishable offence.

    “Talaq has not been banned, and it can’t be banned, triple talaq has been banned, and the result of making it a punishable offence is that in the Muslim community, the rate of divorce has come down by 96 per cent.

    And, not only women benefitted, but children too whose future were ruined due to divorce earlier,” Khan said.

    In his address, he also mentioned that the British rulers had decided to implement laws for people pertaining to their respective religions.

    “Is it not odd that when one goes to seek justice, then one’s religion has to be stated first, and which community one belongs to. So, is it equality before the law? Is it equal protection of the law? No,” he said.

    Two women go to a court, and in a similar case, both get different justice because they belong to different religious backgrounds.

    How can you accept in today’s era, Khan asked.

    NEW DELHI: The rate of divorce among Muslims has “come down by 96 per cent” since triple talaq was made a punishable offence under the law in 2019 and this has benefitted women and children, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said on Thursday.

    Addressing a gathering at a seminar here on Uniform Civil Code (UCC), he also wondered if is it not odd that when one seeks justice, religion has to be stated first.

    On the All India Muslim Personal Law Board sending its objections on UCC to the Law Commission, Khan said everyone has a right to express their opinion.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “The Law Commission has sought suggestions. And, I am very hopeful that all suggestions that will come up, will get full attention from the Law Commission and the government,” he told reporters later.

    The UCC refers to a common set of laws on marriage, divorce and inheritance that would be applicable to all Indian citizens irrespective of religion, tribe or other local customs.

    The Law Commission had on June 14 initiated a fresh consultation process on UCC by seeking views from stakeholders, including public and recognised religious organisations, on the politically sensitive issue.

    In his address, Khan also spoke of the Shah Bano case of the 1980s.

    READ HERE | ‘UCC necessary to bring fundamental right of equality’: Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan

    He praised the enactment of the The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act 2019 which makes the practice of instant divorce through triple talaq among Muslims a punishable offence entailing imprisonment of up to three years, and recalled how it took two years since the Supreme Court’s landmark verdict in 2017.

    In its verdict, the apex court by a majority of 3:2 had ruled that the practice of divorce through triple talaq among Muslims is “void”, “illegal” and “unconstitutional”.

    The apex court also held that the triple talaq is against the basic tenets of Quran.

    “Do you know after the judgement, teen talaq did not stop even a single day,” Khan said, and recounted how he got a call from a person in Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh, who mentioned such a case happening with a woman, even after the verdict.

    He then mentioned how it took two years to finally have the practice of instant divorce through triple talaq among Muslims, made a punishable offence.

    “Talaq has not been banned, and it can’t be banned, triple talaq has been banned, and the result of making it a punishable offence is that in the Muslim community, the rate of divorce has come down by 96 per cent.

    And, not only women benefitted, but children too whose future were ruined due to divorce earlier,” Khan said.

    In his address, he also mentioned that the British rulers had decided to implement laws for people pertaining to their respective religions.

    “Is it not odd that when one goes to seek justice, then one’s religion has to be stated first, and which community one belongs to. So, is it equality before the law? Is it equal protection of the law? No,” he said.

    Two women go to a court, and in a similar case, both get different justice because they belong to different religious backgrounds.

    How can you accept in today’s era, Khan asked.

  • What is happening to Muslims in India today, happened to Dalits in 1980s: Rahul Gandhi in US

    By ANI

    SAN FRANCISCO: Targeting the BJP-led government, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said, “what is happening to Muslims in India today, happened to Dalits in the 1980s” and it has “to be fought with affection”.

    Speaking at the ‘Mohabbat Ki Dukaan’ event in San Francisco in the United States, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the impact of some actions of the BJP-led government was being felt by minorities and people from the Dalit and tribal communities.

    “It is being felt by the Muslims most directly because it is done most directly to them. But in fact, it is done to all communities. The way you (Muslims) are feeling attacked, I can guarantee Sikhs, Christians, Dalits, and tribals are feeling the same. You can’t cut hatred with hatred., but only with love and affection,” Gandhi said.

    “Also, this is a periodical thing. What is happening to Muslims in India today happened to Dalits in the 1980s. If you went to UP in the 1980s, this was happening with Dalits…We have to challenge it, fight it and do it with love and affection and not with hatred and we will do that,” he added.

    ALSO READ | ‘PM Modi thinks he knows more than God’: Rahul Gandhi in US

    The Congress leader was responding to a question concerning Muslims in India from the ‘Bay Area Muslim community’ and the steps Congress will take to tackle the issues faced by them.

    Rahul Gandhi is on a six-day visit to the United States to interact with the Indian diaspora and express the Congress party’s “commitment to democratic values in India and across the world.”

    During the event, Rahul Gandhi also spoke about “economic inequality” and said that while some people were finding it difficult to make ends meet, about “five people have lakhs of crores” rupees.

    The Congress leader talked about the caste census conducted during the Congress-led UPA government, MNREGA and the NYAY (Nyuntam Aay Yojana) proposed by the Congress.

    “When we were in power, we had carried out the caste census. The idea was to take an X-Ray of society. Because without understanding the exact demographic and who is who, it is very difficult to distribute power effectively. We have been asking the BJP to release the numbers of the caste census and they are of course not doing it. When we will come to power we will do that,” he said.

    “We are committed to making India a fair place. We understand deeply that India today in terms of its treatment of Dalits, tribals, the poor and minorities is not a fair place. And there are many things that can be done. The NYAY scheme that we proposed, MNREGA, increases education and healthcare spending, all these things can be done.”

    Attacking the Narendra Modi government, he alleged that it does not want to discuss issues of price rise, unemployment, and inequality and was trying to cause distractions.

    “I would have to look at exactly how they are planning to do it (delimitation exercise to increase the number of MPs). What criteria they are using? I would be interested to know how have they come up with the number 800. These things should not be done flippantly. India is a conversation, a negotiation between its languages, its people, their history and its culture. And the negotiation has to be fair.

    “All sections of the country should feel that there is fairness in the process of negotiation. But, these are all distractions. The real issue is price rise, unemployment, and inequality. BJP can’t really discuss them, so they have to do the old sceptre thin. Lying down and doing all that. Aren’t you happy that I am not lying down?” he asked.

    Answering another query, he said as per Constitution, the definition of India is ‘Union of States’.

    “The idea is that the history, culture, and language of each and every state has to be protected under the union. BJP-RSS is attacking that idea as well as the Constitution of India. I know that Tamil is more than just a language for the people of Tamil Nadu. And I would never allow the Tamil language to be threatened. Because for me, an attack on Tamil, Bengali, Hindi, Kannada or Punjabi is an attack on India,” he said.

    Answering a query, he said allies of Congress had objections to the Women’s Reservation Bill and the party will work for its passage when it comes to power. 

    SAN FRANCISCO: Targeting the BJP-led government, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said, “what is happening to Muslims in India today, happened to Dalits in the 1980s” and it has “to be fought with affection”.

    Speaking at the ‘Mohabbat Ki Dukaan’ event in San Francisco in the United States, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the impact of some actions of the BJP-led government was being felt by minorities and people from the Dalit and tribal communities.

    “It is being felt by the Muslims most directly because it is done most directly to them. But in fact, it is done to all communities. The way you (Muslims) are feeling attacked, I can guarantee Sikhs, Christians, Dalits, and tribals are feeling the same. You can’t cut hatred with hatred., but only with love and affection,” Gandhi said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “Also, this is a periodical thing. What is happening to Muslims in India today happened to Dalits in the 1980s. If you went to UP in the 1980s, this was happening with Dalits…We have to challenge it, fight it and do it with love and affection and not with hatred and we will do that,” he added.

    ALSO READ | ‘PM Modi thinks he knows more than God’: Rahul Gandhi in US

    The Congress leader was responding to a question concerning Muslims in India from the ‘Bay Area Muslim community’ and the steps Congress will take to tackle the issues faced by them.

    Rahul Gandhi is on a six-day visit to the United States to interact with the Indian diaspora and express the Congress party’s “commitment to democratic values in India and across the world.”

    During the event, Rahul Gandhi also spoke about “economic inequality” and said that while some people were finding it difficult to make ends meet, about “five people have lakhs of crores” rupees.

    The Congress leader talked about the caste census conducted during the Congress-led UPA government, MNREGA and the NYAY (Nyuntam Aay Yojana) proposed by the Congress.

    “When we were in power, we had carried out the caste census. The idea was to take an X-Ray of society. Because without understanding the exact demographic and who is who, it is very difficult to distribute power effectively. We have been asking the BJP to release the numbers of the caste census and they are of course not doing it. When we will come to power we will do that,” he said.

    “We are committed to making India a fair place. We understand deeply that India today in terms of its treatment of Dalits, tribals, the poor and minorities is not a fair place. And there are many things that can be done. The NYAY scheme that we proposed, MNREGA, increases education and healthcare spending, all these things can be done.”

    Attacking the Narendra Modi government, he alleged that it does not want to discuss issues of price rise, unemployment, and inequality and was trying to cause distractions.

    “I would have to look at exactly how they are planning to do it (delimitation exercise to increase the number of MPs). What criteria they are using? I would be interested to know how have they come up with the number 800. These things should not be done flippantly. India is a conversation, a negotiation between its languages, its people, their history and its culture. And the negotiation has to be fair.

    “All sections of the country should feel that there is fairness in the process of negotiation. But, these are all distractions. The real issue is price rise, unemployment, and inequality. BJP can’t really discuss them, so they have to do the old sceptre thin. Lying down and doing all that. Aren’t you happy that I am not lying down?” he asked.

    Answering another query, he said as per Constitution, the definition of India is ‘Union of States’.

    “The idea is that the history, culture, and language of each and every state has to be protected under the union. BJP-RSS is attacking that idea as well as the Constitution of India. I know that Tamil is more than just a language for the people of Tamil Nadu. And I would never allow the Tamil language to be threatened. Because for me, an attack on Tamil, Bengali, Hindi, Kannada or Punjabi is an attack on India,” he said.

    Answering a query, he said allies of Congress had objections to the Women’s Reservation Bill and the party will work for its passage when it comes to power. 

  • Caring, Sharing in Ramadan: ‘Sehri’, ‘Iftar’ for fasting Muslims in hospitals

    Express News Service

    RAIPUR: During the ongoing sacred month of Ramadan, when Muslims engage in observing fast, a former well-known hockey player devotes his time with his small team of youths to reach out to those who keep fast staying in hospitals while enduring challenging or difficult situations and provide them with Sehri (before sunrise meal) and Iftar (after sunset food) daily.

    Nauman Akram’s Raipur-based welfare group believes that a large segment of the Muslim population may not be blessed with enough foodstuffs and provisions since they usually have little except to work hard to make ends meet during Ramadan month.

    Akram, also a former national hockey umpire, has chosen hospitals and passengers terminals to extend the help by offering food, water/juices as a moral responsibility to the fasting people who are away from their homes and essentially need the support that brings them some solace during the pious month.

    “We visit big hospitals like Raipur AIIMS, Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar hospitals among others to distribute small food bags among the patients and their fasting families. We also interact with Muslim travellers. The food packets are prepared by us daily. The distressed relatives of patients or the travellers in buses or elsewhere are already in demanding situations. So, any small support raises their morale and brings them some comfort”, he said. Hospitals usually do not have a good canteen or available food choices.

    Akram also solicits assistance from various Muslim groups through social media to lend a helping hand for his noble task. “Sehri particularly remains much in demand as finding the food post-midnight is really a major problem for the fasting people in hospitals or any passenger. So we prepare and distribute it by 3 am”, he added.

    The menu of Sehri usually comprised chapatis, egg curry or bhurji, biryani and fruits. Similarly, iftar food contains dates, fruits, samosa, baked items, juices among others.

    The religious scholars appreciated the benevolent service citing that the month of Ramadan is also about compassion for others, caring for the needy and sharing with empathy. 

    RAIPUR: During the ongoing sacred month of Ramadan, when Muslims engage in observing fast, a former well-known hockey player devotes his time with his small team of youths to reach out to those who keep fast staying in hospitals while enduring challenging or difficult situations and provide them with Sehri (before sunrise meal) and Iftar (after sunset food) daily.

    Nauman Akram’s Raipur-based welfare group believes that a large segment of the Muslim population may not be blessed with enough foodstuffs and provisions since they usually have little except to work hard to make ends meet during Ramadan month.

    Akram, also a former national hockey umpire, has chosen hospitals and passengers terminals to extend the help by offering food, water/juices as a moral responsibility to the fasting people who are away from their homes and essentially need the support that brings them some solace during the pious month.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “We visit big hospitals like Raipur AIIMS, Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar hospitals among others to distribute small food bags among the patients and their fasting families. We also interact with Muslim travellers. The food packets are prepared by us daily. The distressed relatives of patients or the travellers in buses or elsewhere are already in demanding situations. So, any small support raises their morale and brings them some comfort”, he said. Hospitals usually do not have a good canteen or available food choices.

    Akram also solicits assistance from various Muslim groups through social media to lend a helping hand for his noble task. “Sehri particularly remains much in demand as finding the food post-midnight is really a major problem for the fasting people in hospitals or any passenger. So we prepare and distribute it by 3 am”, he added.

    The menu of Sehri usually comprised chapatis, egg curry or bhurji, biryani and fruits. Similarly, iftar food contains dates, fruits, samosa, baked items, juices among others.

    The religious scholars appreciated the benevolent service citing that the month of Ramadan is also about compassion for others, caring for the needy and sharing with empathy. 

  • Supreme Court admits pleas seeking ‘Talaq-e-Hasan’ to be declared unconstitutional

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday admitted the pleas seeking ‘Talaq-e-Hasan’ and all other forms of “unilateral extrajudicial divorce” to be declared unconstitutional.

    ‘Talaq-e-Hasan’ is a form of divorce among Muslims by which a man can dissolve the marriage by pronouncing the word ‘talaq’ once every month over a three-month period.

    A three-judge bench headed by Justice S K Kaul asked the Centre, National Commission for Women, National Human Rights Commission and others to file their responses within four weeks.

    “Counsel for the private respondent (husband) has entered appearance and seeks to affirm that he is not agreeable to settlement even on the issue of further alimony.

    List in the third week of January for final hearing,” the bench, also comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Vikram Nath, said.

    The apex court was hearing three separate petitions, including the one filed by Ghaziabad resident Benazeer Heena, who claimed to be victims of unilateral extrajudicial Talaq-e-Hasan.

    They have also sought direction to the Centre to frame the guidelines for gender and religion-neutral and uniform grounds of divorce and procedure for all citizens.

    The top court had earlier impeached the husbands of the petitioners and sought their response to the pleas filed by them.

    When the hearing commenced today, the lawyer appearing for Benazeer’s husband informed the court that no settlement was possible in the dispute with his wife.

    The bench then asked the parties to file their responses and said it will hear the case in the third week of January, 2023.

    The top court had in August said its primary focus is to provide relief to two women, who claimed to be victims of Talaq-e-Hasan, before deciding the constitutional validity of this form of divorce.

    Under Talaq-e-Hasan, a divorce gets formalised after the third utterance of the word ‘talaq’ in the third month if cohabitation has not resumed during this period.

    However, if cohabitation resumes after the first or second utterance of talaq, the parties are assumed to have reconciled.

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday admitted the pleas seeking ‘Talaq-e-Hasan’ and all other forms of “unilateral extrajudicial divorce” to be declared unconstitutional.

    ‘Talaq-e-Hasan’ is a form of divorce among Muslims by which a man can dissolve the marriage by pronouncing the word ‘talaq’ once every month over a three-month period.

    A three-judge bench headed by Justice S K Kaul asked the Centre, National Commission for Women, National Human Rights Commission and others to file their responses within four weeks.

    “Counsel for the private respondent (husband) has entered appearance and seeks to affirm that he is not agreeable to settlement even on the issue of further alimony.

    List in the third week of January for final hearing,” the bench, also comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Vikram Nath, said.

    The apex court was hearing three separate petitions, including the one filed by Ghaziabad resident Benazeer Heena, who claimed to be victims of unilateral extrajudicial Talaq-e-Hasan.

    They have also sought direction to the Centre to frame the guidelines for gender and religion-neutral and uniform grounds of divorce and procedure for all citizens.

    The top court had earlier impeached the husbands of the petitioners and sought their response to the pleas filed by them.

    When the hearing commenced today, the lawyer appearing for Benazeer’s husband informed the court that no settlement was possible in the dispute with his wife.

    The bench then asked the parties to file their responses and said it will hear the case in the third week of January, 2023.

    The top court had in August said its primary focus is to provide relief to two women, who claimed to be victims of Talaq-e-Hasan, before deciding the constitutional validity of this form of divorce.

    Under Talaq-e-Hasan, a divorce gets formalised after the third utterance of the word ‘talaq’ in the third month if cohabitation has not resumed during this period.

    However, if cohabitation resumes after the first or second utterance of talaq, the parties are assumed to have reconciled.

  • Supreme Court grants bail to hate speech accused in Haridwar Dharma Sansad case

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to Jitendra Narayan Tyagi, an accused in the Haridwar Dharma Sansad case related to alleged inflammatory speeches made against Muslims.

    A bench of Justices Ajay Rastogi and B V Nagarathna directed Tyagi, formerly known as Wasim Rizvi, to furnish an undertaking before the trial court that he will not address electronic media or social media and shall not indulge in such alleged activities anymore, directly or indirectly.

    The petitioner may be produced before the Trial Court within three days and shall be released on post-arrest bail subject to such terms and conditions to the satisfaction of the concerned trial Court and furnishing undertaking in the above terms before the trial Court.

    “If the petitioner violates or commits a breach of any of the conditions on which bail has been granted to him, the respondents/prosecution is at liberty to move an application seeking cancellation of bail,” the bench said.

    The top court on August 29 refused to extend the interim bail granted earlier on medical grounds and directed Tyagi to surrender.

    The apex court on May 17 granted three months of interim bail to Tyagi on medical grounds and directed him to give an undertaking that he would not indulge in hate speech and not give any statement on electronic or digital or social media.

    Tyagi had approached the top court after the Uttarakhand High Court dismissed his bail plea in March this year.

    The case against him and others had been lodged on the complaint of Nadeem Ali, a resident of Jwalapur Haridwar at Haridwar Kotwali on January 2 this year.

    He had alleged in his complaint that Dharma Sansad or religious Parliament was organised in Haridwar by Hindu sages from December 17 to 19 last year and in the garb of this event, the participants were instigated to wage a war against Muslims.

    Objectionable words were allegedly used against the Holy Quran and Prophet Mohammad, Ali had said in his complaint, adding these provocative statements had later gone viral on social media. These videos were circulated by Tyagi, Yati Narsinghanand, and others, he had alleged.

    The FIR also alleged that an attempt was made by Prabodhanand Giri to spread violence against the people living in Haridwar’s mosques.

    On Ali’s complaint, Narsindhanand Giri, Sagar Sindhu Maharaj, Dharamdas Maharaj, Parmanand Maharaj, Sadhvi Annapurna, Swami Anand Swaroop, Ashwani Upadhyay, Suresh Chavan along with Swami Prabodhanand Giri, Jitendra Narayan were booked under various sections of the IPC for allegedly delivering hate speeches in the name of religion at the conclave.

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to Jitendra Narayan Tyagi, an accused in the Haridwar Dharma Sansad case related to alleged inflammatory speeches made against Muslims.

    A bench of Justices Ajay Rastogi and B V Nagarathna directed Tyagi, formerly known as Wasim Rizvi, to furnish an undertaking before the trial court that he will not address electronic media or social media and shall not indulge in such alleged activities anymore, directly or indirectly.

    The petitioner may be produced before the Trial Court within three days and shall be released on post-arrest bail subject to such terms and conditions to the satisfaction of the concerned trial Court and furnishing undertaking in the above terms before the trial Court.

    “If the petitioner violates or commits a breach of any of the conditions on which bail has been granted to him, the respondents/prosecution is at liberty to move an application seeking cancellation of bail,” the bench said.

    The top court on August 29 refused to extend the interim bail granted earlier on medical grounds and directed Tyagi to surrender.

    The apex court on May 17 granted three months of interim bail to Tyagi on medical grounds and directed him to give an undertaking that he would not indulge in hate speech and not give any statement on electronic or digital or social media.

    Tyagi had approached the top court after the Uttarakhand High Court dismissed his bail plea in March this year.

    The case against him and others had been lodged on the complaint of Nadeem Ali, a resident of Jwalapur Haridwar at Haridwar Kotwali on January 2 this year.

    He had alleged in his complaint that Dharma Sansad or religious Parliament was organised in Haridwar by Hindu sages from December 17 to 19 last year and in the garb of this event, the participants were instigated to wage a war against Muslims.

    Objectionable words were allegedly used against the Holy Quran and Prophet Mohammad, Ali had said in his complaint, adding these provocative statements had later gone viral on social media. These videos were circulated by Tyagi, Yati Narsinghanand, and others, he had alleged.

    The FIR also alleged that an attempt was made by Prabodhanand Giri to spread violence against the people living in Haridwar’s mosques.

    On Ali’s complaint, Narsindhanand Giri, Sagar Sindhu Maharaj, Dharamdas Maharaj, Parmanand Maharaj, Sadhvi Annapurna, Swami Anand Swaroop, Ashwani Upadhyay, Suresh Chavan along with Swami Prabodhanand Giri, Jitendra Narayan were booked under various sections of the IPC for allegedly delivering hate speeches in the name of religion at the conclave.

  • Dissent gets shriller in SP, party leader quits of apathy to Muslims

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: Amid the growing discontent among the Muslim leadership in the Samajwadi Party, the first Muslim leader Salman Javed Raeen tendered his resignation from the party in protest against the alleged apathy of the party leadership towards the Muslim community.

    While writing a letter to party leadership, Raeen flagged the guarded silence by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav by quoting the instances of Azam Khan who, he claimed, was sent to jail along with his family, Kairana MLA Nahid Hasan had been languishing in jail and Shahzil Islam, SP MLA from Bhojipura assembly segment in Bareilly district, booked for hate speech and his petrol pump was demolished.

    The SP office-bearer from Sultanpur further added that if a coward leader could not raise the voice in support of his party men, how could he be expected to raise people’s issues. Raeen is not the first person to express his discontent with the attitude of SP chef towards Muslims, earlier, SP stalwart and party’s Rampur MLA Azam Khan’s media in-charge Fasahat Ali Shanu had also aired his anger and disappointment with the approach of Akhilesh Yadav towards Azam. 

    Shanu had claimed that Akhilesh did not reciprocate the gesture of Azam Khan who supported the candidature of both Akhilesh and Mulayam for the Chief Ministership, by appointing him as leader of the opposition in the 18th Assembly.

    Shanu had claimed at a meeting in the Rampur SP office that Akhilesh Yadav could win 125 seats with the overwhelming support of Muslims but he did not want to be seen with them. He had accused Akhilesh Yadav of visiting Azam Khan in jail just once during the last 26 months of his incarceration.

    Earlier, even SP MP from Sambhal, Shafiqur Rehman Barq had also expressed his dissatisfaction with the way SP was going about Muslims. Significantly, the state chief of Jayant Chaudhury led Rashtriya Lok Dal, Masood Ahmad was the first one to raise a red flag against the alliance leadership immediately after the Assembly elections accusing them of having a dictatorial attitude and having sold the tickets to candidates.

    On the other, in an interesting turn of events, a senior Muslim cleric Maulana Shahabuddin Rizvi, associated with the revered shrine of Ala Hazrat in Bareilly, advised the community to explore other options, even the BJP, to extend support. He even accused the SP chief of abhorring Muslims and that he failed to unite himself with the minority community. The cleric charged Akhilesh with pushing the prominent Muslim faces back during the election carrying the whole campaign alone. “There is a huge difference between the SP of Akhilesh and Mulayam Singh Yadav,” said the cleric.

  • BJP MLA’s remarks against Muslims lead to opposition walkout in Bihar Assembly

    By PTI

    PATNA: The Bihar Assembly on Monday witnessed repeated clashes between MLAs of the BJP, which is part of the ruling NDA in the state, and the opposition over issues relating to the Muslim community.

    The question hour saw BJP MLAs on their feet demanding fencing of ‘shamshan ghats’ (cremation grounds) on government expenses, provoked by an RJD legislator raising the issue of ‘kabristaans’ (burial grounds).

    RJD MLA Shamim Ahmad had said delay in fencing of burial grounds often left these vulnerable to mischief from anti-social elements, and requested that legislators be allowed to facilitate the work from their local area development funds.

    Minister Bijendra Kumar Yadav rose to reply on behalf of the government and submitted that district-level committees headed by respective collectors were in place to identify “sensitive” burial grounds.

    He, however, said so far the government has not considered the option of allowing legislators to get the job done through their respective funds.

    The House plunged into turmoil as some BJP MLAs rose in their seats, demanding that the government also similarly undertake fencing of the ‘shamshaan ghats’ and temples.

    “This is the type of communalism for which the BJP is known. Raking up ‘shamshan’, Pakistan at the drop of the hat,” rued RJD MLA Nehaluddin outside the House later.

    Haribhushan Thakur Bachaul, the BJP MLA who was recently in news for suggesting that Muslims should be stripped of voting rights if they refused to sing ‘Vande Mataram’, told reporters “we raised the issue of ‘shamshan’ and mandir because these to need to be secure. We will continue doing so.”

    Post-lunch, the House got down to debate on the second supplementary budget, but chaos followed again after BJP MLA Kumar Shailendra used an “unparliamentary” word for Muslims.

    Opposition MLAs trooped into the well raising slogans in protest.

    Former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, who is with the ruling NDA, said it was indeed objectionable to use disparaging words about a community.

    Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary concurred and urged Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha that the remark be expunged from the proceedings of the House.

    The Speaker said suitable action will be taken in the matter, though the opposition remained dissatisfied and staged a walkout.

    The debate carried on with the opposition in absentia, and the second supplementary budget was passed by voice vote.