1. Saudi Crown Prince Condemns Terror but Silent on Pakistan’s Role
Saudi Arabia on Wednesday condemned the Pulwama suicide attack but refrained from naming Pakistan for backing anti-India terror in a joint statement, which spoke in generic terms of the need for dismantling terrorist infrastructure and countering terror financing, while announcing investments potentially worth more than 100 billion dollars.
The statement, issued almost nine hours after the end of formal talks between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, called on “all countries to renounce the use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy”. It made no mention of Pakistan’s role in this regard – something India has been pushing for with its key allies after the 14 February attack by the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) that killed 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
2. In Tamil Nadu Poll Pact, DMK’s Stalin Gives 10 Seats to Congress, Takes Jab at NDA
The Congress will contest nine Lok Sabha seats and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) will field its candidates along with smaller parties for the remaining 30 constituencies in Tamil Nadu, as the two parties sealed an alliance for this summer’s general elections a day after the Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) returned to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) fold for the electoral battle.
The Congress will also contest the lone Lok Sabha seat in Puducherry. The DMK – a key constituent of the Opposition’s ‘mahagathbandan’ formed to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – is in talks with the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) to finalise the seat-sharing pact for 30 seats.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
3. Supreme Court Constitution Bench to Hear Ayodhya Matter on 26 Feb
The Supreme Court will begin hearing the Ayodhya case on 26 February. The five-judge bench of the apex court led by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi will hear the Ram-Janmabhoomi Babri Masjid land dispute matter at 10.30 am.
Besides the CJI, the other judges on the bench are Justice D Y Chandrachud, Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice S Abdul Nazeer.
The hearing of the Ayodhya title suit case was deferred on 27 January following the non-availability of one of the five judges on the constitution bench, Justice S A Bobde.
The constitution bench will hear the appeals against the 2010 Allahabad High Court judgment, delivered in four civil suits, that the 2.77-acre land in Ayodhya be partitioned equally among three parties—the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
4. Jadhav Case: India Calls for Civilian Court Trial
Two days after India urged the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague to annul Kulbhushan Jadhav’s death sentence given by a Pakistan military court and order his immediate release, New Delhi on Wednesday told the court that, as a last resort, it could direct Islamabad to hold Jadhav’s trial in a “civilian court” and grant him all legal recourse, including consular access.
However, India’s first plea remains that Jadhav, a retired Indian Navy officer, should be released and provided safe passage. These options were spelt out by the Ministry of External Affairs’ Joint Secretary (Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran) Deepak Mittal at the ICJ.
(Source: The Indian Express)
5. CRPF, Army, BSF Convoys in J&K to Move Together
Following the 14 February terror attack on a CRPF convoy which killed 40 personnel, the CRPF, Army and BSF have decided to move their convoys in the Valley in a common “window of time”, during which civilian traffic will remain suspended.
Also, the Jammu-Srinagar convoy movement will be spread over two days, with more stops in between, instead of the current one-day trip. The capacity of transit camps which fall on the route, like Qazigund, is likely to be increased. The timing of convoy movement is also being changed, as convoys are usually targeted in the sensitive areas of Pulwama and Pampore during the afternoon.
(Source: The Indian Express)
6. 7,500 Farmers Reach Nashik, March From Today
Tribals, landless agriculturalists and small farmers converged in Nashik on Wednesday for their second “long march” to Mumbai since March last year.
In small contingents, they arrived from places like Peint, Trimbakeshwar, Kalwan, Palghar and adjoining areas, getting off their dust-covered vehicles 8 to 15 km outside Nashik to reach the starting point at the inter-city Mahamarg bus stand. Police estimated that around 7,500 farmers have reached Nashik.
The vehicles were loaded with provisions such as rice, flour, oil and salt in anticipation of the seven-day march that was to begin on Wednesday. However, the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) said the farmers would set off on Thursday, as contingents from Thane and Palghar districts, who were delayed after being stopped by police, were expected to reach by then. The march is set to end on 27 February at the state Legislative Assembly in Mumbai, when the Budget Session would be in progress.
(Source: The Indian Express)
7. Our Fight Is Not With Kashmiris: Satya Pal Malik
Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik said on Wednesday that the country’s fight is with Pakistan and terrorists and not with Kashmiris.
Mr. Malik attributed the return of Kashmiri students from across institutions in north India to a sense of insecurity and not due to any serious physical violence.
Asked why over 300 students had returned to the Valley, Mr. Malik told The Hindu, “They are returning because their colleges are shut. May be some feel insecure. We have made arrangements for their stay and travel.”
Apprehending physical and verbal attacks from some groups in the wake of the Pulwama attack, Kashmiri students from various colleges across north India, mostly from Dehradun in Uttarakhand, returned to the Valley. Mr. Malik said around 1,200 students from Kashmir are studying in Aligarh Muslim University and none of them have come back.
(Source: The Hindu)
8. J&K Police Raise Alarm Over ‘Reprisal Attacks’ on Non-Locals
The J&K police has raised an alarm over the ‘reprisal attacks’ on non-locals living in Kashmir, after the reports of intimidation of non-local workers in Srinagar’s Kara Nagar and Bandipora areas.
A senior police officer at the police headquarters said the situation was “being monitored closely as a few incidents of intimation has started pouring in.”
“There were two minor incidents of intimidation at a sweets shop in Srinagar and workers in Bandipora. Some bike-borne youth tried to intimidate non-local workers. However, locals intervened and doused the situation,” said the police officer. The police said it fears that viral videos of alleged violence emerging from across the country against Kashmiri students and traders are “fueling tension and anxiety in Kashmir Valley.”
(Source: The Hindu)
9. Where Are the Green Crackers, Asks SC
Four months after it banned polluting firecrackers, the Supreme Court on Wednesday realised that the concept of non-polluting ‘green crackers’ remains a non-starter, while its ban has affected the livelihood of four lakh workers and resulted in the closure of 974 firecracker units in Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu, alone.
“Where are the green crackers,” a Bench, led by Justice AK Sikri, asked the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) and the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI). The court refused to accept submissions that the finalisation of the formula for green crackers and passing it on to manufacturers would take another three months.
Justice Sikri said the 23 October ban and the insistence on green crackers were meant to stop pollution and, at the same time, ensure that livelihoods were not affected. He observed that the court had ordered the ban under the belief that a formula for non-polluting crackers was in place.
(Source: The Hindu)
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