PAK MINISTER BRAGS ABOUT OUR SUCCESS IN PULWAMA ATTACK
In a sensational admission, a senior Pakistani minister on Thursday admitted
that Pakistan was responsible for the Pulwama terrorist attack in Jammu and
Kashmir in 2019 that killed 40 CRPF personnel and brought the two countries
to the brink of a war.
"Humne Hindustan ko ghus ke maara (We hit India in their home). Our success
in Pulwama, is a success of this nation under the leadership of Imran Khan.
You and we are all part of that success," Science & Technology Minister
Fawad Chaudhry said in the National Assembly during a debate.
Chaudhry, a close aide of Prime Minister Khan, made the remarks a day after
Opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Ayaz Sadiq said that Foreign
Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in an important meeting pleaded to release
Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured by
the Pakistani Army on February 27, 2019 after his MiG-21 Bison jet was shot
down in a dogfight with Pakistani jets.
In the early hours of February 26, 2019, the IAF jets bombed the
Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camps in Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of Pakistan.
"Legs were shaking and forehead perspiring, and the foreign minister
(Qureshi) told us, "For God's sake, let him (Varthaman) go back now because
India is attacking Pakistan at 9 PM in the night'", Sadiq said, recalling
the high-level meeting which was also attended by Army chief Gen Qamar Javed
Bajwa, and added that "India was not planning to attack...They just wanted
to kneel before India and send back Abhinandan."
Chaudhry, who was the information and broadcasting minister at the time of
the Pulwama attack, criticised Sadiq's remarks and termed them as
"inappropriate". He said Sadiq lied with a lot of confidence regarding his
statements and asserted that everyone has the right to disagree with the
government but the state should not be subjected to criticism.
Fawad Chaudhry later told TV channels that his remarks on the Pulwama attack
had been misinterpreted. "My statement is very clear. It was about Operation
Swift Resort that we undertook after India dared to enter into Pakistan
territory on Balakot. I was talking about the post-Pulwama operation that
Pakistan undertook," he said, trying to suggest "Pulwama" was a broad term
used for the face-off.
STUBBLE-BURNING: PRESIDENT PROMULGATES ORDINANCE TO DEAL WITH AIR POLLUTION
IN DELHI-NCR
The Centre on Thursday told the Supreme Court that it has brought an
ordinance to deal with air pollution problem in Delhi-NCR which turns into a
virtual gas chamber during October-November due to stubble-burning by
farmers in Punjab, Haryana, UP and Delhi.
During hearing on PILs on air pollution, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta
informed a Bench headed by CJI SA Bobde that the President had promulgated
the ordinance which sets up Commission on Air Quality Management in
Delhi-NCR.
Headed by a Secretary-rank officer, the 'Commission for Air Quality
Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Ordinance 2020,
will have jurisdiction over NCR, including areas in Haryana, Punjab, UP and
Rajasthan with regard to air pollution.
The decision came three days after Mehta assured the top court that the
government was in the process of introducing a law to deal with the menace
of air pollution in Delhi-NCR. The top court had decided to keep in abeyance
its order to appoint Justice MB Lokur (retd) as a one-man panel to check
stubble-burning.
FRANCE CHURCH ATTACK: PM UNDERLINES INDIAS SUPPORT
A day after becoming the first non-Western country as a senior diplomat
put it to come out in support of French President Emmanuel Macron, New
Delhi Thursday underlined its solidarity with a statement from Prime
Minister Narendra Modi himself after the attacks in Nice (see below).
I strongly condemn the recent terrorist attacks in France, including
todays heinous attack in Nice inside a church. Our deepest and heartfelt
condolences to the families of the victims and the people of France. India
stands with France in the fight against terrorism, the PM tweeted.
In the shadow of the attacks, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla
reached Paris Thursday on a scheduled visit and met Macrons diplomatic
advisor Emmanuel Bonne.
Speaking at the Institut Français des Relations Internationales (IFRI) in
Paris, Shringla said: India and France face similar non-traditional
security threats in the form of radicalism and terrorism The fight today is
not against specific communities or individuals but against a radical
politico-religious ideology that attempts to negate the progress made by
secular democracies, particularly when it involves the equality of all
citizens, regardless of religion or ethnicity, and the rights of women Such
forces seek to destabilize pluralist societies, he said.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
======================
THREE DEAD IN CHURCH ATTACK, PLUNGING FRANCE INTO DUAL EMERGENCY
An attacker armed with a knife killed three people inside a church on
Thursday in the southern French city of Nice, prompting the government to
raise its security alert status to the maximum level hours before a
nationwide coronavirus lockdown.
The assailant, who was wounded by police and hospitalised, was believed by
law enforcement to be a 21-year-old Tunisian national who had recently
entered France from Italy.
It was the third attack in two months in France that authorities have
attributed to Muslim extremists, including the beheading of a teacher. It
comes during a growing furor over caricatures of the Prophet that were
republished in recent months by the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo
renewing vociferous debate in France and the Muslim world over the
depictions that Muslims consider offensive but are protected by French free
speech laws.
French President Emmanuel Macron said he would immediately increase the
number of soldiers deployed to protect schools and religious sites from
around 3,000 currently to 7,000, and Frances anti-terrorism prosecutor
opened an investigation.
With the attack against Samual Paty, it was freedom of speech that was
targeted, Prime Minister Jean Castex told lawmakers on Thursday, referring
to the teacher who was beheaded after showing his class caricatures of the
prophet during a civics lesson. With this attack in Nice, it is freedom of
religion.
Very clearly, it is France which is under attack, Macron said as he stood
before the church. He added that all of France offered its support to
Catholics so that their religion can be exercised freely in our country. So
that every religion can be practiced.
The French Council of the Muslim Faith condemned the Nice attack and called
on French Muslims to refrain from festivities marking the birth of Prophet
Muhammad as a sign of mourning and in solidarity with the families of
victims and the Catholics of France.
So far, according to French officials, only EU countries and Canada had
supported Macron, even as Turkey and Pakistan led the attack against Macron.
Diplomats point out that even the US, the UK or Australia have not spoken
out in Macrons support so far. In this context, Paris saw New Delhis
support as very meaningful.
THE REST
========
THREE BJP WORKERS KILLED IN J&K MILITANT ATTACK
Three BJP members, including the district general secretary of the Bharatiya
Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), were killed by suspected militants in Kulgam
district on Thursday evening.
Militants opened fire at Fida Hussain Yatoo, district general secretary of
the BJYM, the BJPs youth wing, and two party workers, Umar Ramzan Hajam and
Umar Rashid Beig, at Y K Pora village in Kulgam, South Kashmir. While Yatoo
died immediately, the other two died on the way to hospital.
A joint team of J&K Police, Army and paramilitary forces have cordoned off
the area and started search operations.
Condemning the killings, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said the
perpetrators of violence are the enemies of humanity and such cowardly acts
cannot be justified.
Official sources said at least nine BJP leaders and workers have been killed
in militant attacks across Kashmir this year. Most of the attacks took place
in South Kashmir.
MAYAWATI SUSPENDS 7 REBEL MLAS; SAYS BSP WILL VOTE FOR BJP TO ENSURE SP
DEFEAT
BSP leader Mayawati on Thursday suspended seven of her partys rebel MLAs
who had opposed the nomination of its official candidate Ramji Gautam for
the elections to the Rajya Sabha.
Amid speculation that the MLAs could switch sides in Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati
also said that to ensure defeat of Samajwadi Party candidates in future MLC
elections, her party will vote for BJP or any other partys candidate.
The former UP chief minister said as soon as the rebel MLAs join any party,
the BSP would take action against them under the anti-defection law.
DELHI SEES RISING COVID CASES, MINISTER ATTRIBUTES IT TO INCREASED TESTING
Amid the festive season and rising pollution levels, Delhi on Wednesday
recorded over 5,600 COVID-19 cases for the first time, with the national
capital witnessing a surge in daily cases.
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Thursday said the AAP government has
changed its strategy by conducting aggressive tracing and testing in the
city, attributing it as one of the reasons for a sudden spike in COVID-19
cases in the past few days.
Jain said that it would be too early to say if this was the third wave of
fresh coronavirus cases, adding that it may be third wave, but one should
wait for one week to see trends.
Talking to reporters about the new strategy which, he claimed, would be the
best strategy to contain the virus, Jain said the Delhi government has
started conducting aggressive tracing and testing of all family members and
close contacts of those found infected with the novel coronavirus. And, we
are at times, testing them twice after a gap of 4-5 days. We dont want to
leave any positive case...we have changed our strategy thats why the number
of cases has gone up. I believe that this strategy would be successful,
Jain said.
KEY CHANGE IN AIR INDIA DISINVESTMENT: BIDDERS CAN DECIDE DEBT BURDEN LEVEL
Introducing a key change in the Air India disinvestment process, the
Government has taken a call to allow prospective bidders the flexibility to
decide the level of debt they wish to take on along with the loss-laden
airline.
This decision marks a shift from the exercise of combining a fixed level of
debt with the carrier after the Centre froze the long-term liabilities to be
bundled with the sale at Rs 23,286.50 crore while launching its second
attempt to sell its stake on January 27.
The Government has also extended the last date for submission of expressions
of interest from October 30 to December 14, thereby giving time for
potential investors to review the new bid conditions.
NITIN GADKARI GIVES DRESSING DOWN TO NHAI OFFICIALS OVER WORK CULTURE
Speaking at the inauguration of a new office building of the National
Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Monday, Union Minister for Road
Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari was very blunt. His speech has since
gone viral.
While speaking at the virtual inauguration ceremony Gadkari said that while
it is a norm to congratulate people after the successful completion of a
work but he is finding it hard to do so.
"In 2008 it was decided to build the building and a tender was awarded in
2011. This Rs 200-250 crore work was completed today and its completion
needed two governments and eight chairman", said Gadkari.
"If possible please hang the photographs of all the CGMs and GMs who delayed
this work for nine years thanks to their indecisiveness", Gadkari added
sarcastically.
Gadkari said that negative bureaucrats who are known for their
indecisiveness and tendency to create complications are latched on to NHAI
for the past 12-13 years and they become guide and philosophers of Chairmen.
"The worthless and unworthy attitude of CGMs and GMs has come to the fore in
the delay in constructing this building", said Gadkari.
DEFAMATION CASE: BJPS KAPIL MISHRA TENDERS UNCONDITIONAL APOLOGY TO
SATYENDAR JAIN
A Delhi court has closed a criminal defamation case against BJP leader Kapil
Mishra after he tendered an unconditional apology to AAP leader and Delhi
Health Minister Satyendar Jain.
The complaint was filed by Jain against Mishra in 2017 for his defamatory
statements against him and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
"It is submitted by the accused (Mishra) that he is ready to make a
statement before the court tendering unconditional apology. Complainant
(Jain) also submitted that in case the accused gives his statement before
the court, he shall withdraw the present complaint, the Court recorded.
After recording the statement of Mishra, as well as Jain, the court disposed
of the defamation complaint as withdrawn.
In a press conference held in 2017, Mishra had accused Jain of handing over
a bribe of Rs 2 crore to Arvind Kejriwal. Mishra also claimed that Jain
"settled a land deal worth Rs 50 crore of Kejriwal's relative". On social
media, Mishra went on to state that Jain would go to jail in a few days.
CENTRE NOD TO RS 10,000-CRORE PROJECT TO STRENGTHEN DAMS
The Centre Thursday approved a Rs 10,211-crore projectto be funded mostly
via external sourcesto strengthen around 700 dams across the country over a
period of ten years.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic
Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
After the meeting, Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat told
the media: Almost 80 per cent of these dams are over 25 years of age a
scientific approach is needed for the maintenance and operation of these
dams at present.
The major chunk of financing for the project will come from external
agencies such as the World Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
INDIAN ARMY LAUNCHES SECURE MESSAGING APP FOR ITS SOLDIERS
The Indian Army on Thursday launched a messaging app called SAI that will
provide secure voice, text and video calling services to its soldiers.
The model (of SAI) is similar to commercially available messaging
applications like WhatsApp, Telegram, SAMVAD and GIMS and utilises
end-to-end encryption messaging protocol, the Indian Army said in a
statement.
The Army developed and named this messaging app as SAI, which stands for
Secure Application for Internet.
SAI scores over on security features with local in-house servers and coding
which can be tweaked as per requirements, it said.
JPC ON DATA PROTECTION: PAYTM SAYS YES TO GOVT REGULATION, GOOGLE DIFFERS
Financial services provider Paytm and global search engine giant Google,
which deposed before the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) with their
inputs on the personal data protection architecture in India, posted a wide
divergence on the issue of government regulation. While Paytm was open to
being regulated and even offered to provide an encryption key to the
government, Google wanted minimal government control. Both were
cross-questioned on the feasibility of their position.
Paytm said it wanted the government to ensure that all companies in the
digital sphere offering services in India also had their servers in the
country. It offered two sets of encryption keys one that would stay with
it and the other with government to facilitate greater vigilance. However,
several members intervened and said the purpose of the Personal Data
Protection Bill 2019 was not to empower the government, but the Indian
citizen.
Google, on the other hand, sought minimal regulation and was asked how, in
that case, it would prevent wrong data that could cause division, hate
and strife from being uploaded. A member referred to the observation of
the Delhi High Court earlier today that data uploaded by Google had
contributed to rioting and arson in Delhi a few months ago. Google was asked
what policies it had in place to prevent this from happening and also how it
operated in other countries, including China, where it is not allowed a
direct presence but has a footprint.
Both agencies however, felt that the appointment of a regulator, with such
wide ranging powers as envisaged in the draft Bill, would be a mistake.
Google said that a regulator whose role was not clearly defined, would have
so much on the plate that it would be impossible for companies to get
clearances in time. Some JPC members agreed that the purpose of the new law
was not to prevent or curtail business but to protect the privacy rights of
citizens.
IPL: GAIKWAD, JADEJA STAR AS CSK KEEP KKR WAITING
Ravindra Jadeja's late assault, after a splendid knock from opener Ruturaj
Gaikwad, earned Chennai Super Kings a six-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight
Riders in Dubai yesterday.
Chasing 173 for victory, Gaikwad gave Chennai Super Kings a solid start and
put them high in the saddle with an attacking 72 off 53 deliveries before
departing in the 18th over with the score 140/4
With 10 needed off the final over, Jadeja (31 not out off 11 balls) hit
young Kamlesh Nagarkoti for back-to-back sixes off the last two deliveries
to clinch a memorable victory for out-of-the-reckoning Super Kings and keep
the Knight Riders waiting for a place in the play-offs.
By virtue of Thursday's result Mumbai Indians became first team to qualify
for the play-offs.
Kolkata Knight Riders: Placed 5th, Played 13, Won 6, Points 12, NRR -0.467,
yet to play against RR
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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts
can be counted. - Albert Einstein
OFF TRACK
As a jet was flying over Arizona on a clear day, the copilot was providing
his passengers with a running commentary about landmarks over the PA system.
"Coming up on the right, you can see the Meteor Crater, which is a major
tourist attraction in northern Arizona. It was formed when a lump of nickel
and iron, roughly 150 feet in diameter and weighing 300,000 tons, struck the
earth 50,000 years ago at about 40,000 miles an hour, scattering white-hot
debris for miles in every direction. The hole measures nearly a mile across
and is 570 feet deep."
A lady exclaimed to her co-passenger: "Wow, look! It just missed the
highway!"
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