Newsletter 3 August

News in Box

While, Indian is facing multiple crisis like Corona (Max in world), Sino-Indian Standoff, etc, but media is busy in getting Justice for Sushant Singh Rajput and Ground Breaking Ceremony at Ayodhya, to be held on Aug 5^th.

Headlines of the Week

Among Sino-Indian Standoff: Beijing is pushing New Delhi to accept the Altered LAC, while India cant
- China refuses to discuss standoff in Pangong Tso-Media Source
- We should occupy ‘more mind space’ of China: S Jaishankar, External affairs minister
- Has China infiltrated Indian newspapers
Meanwhile, In JnK & along LoC.
- The Union Min Jitendra Singh laid foundation stones of some 28 projects, worth 175 Cr Rupees in JnK.
- Pak trying its best to internationalize JnK Issue
Pakistani separatist groups unite to target China’s Belt and Road
- Chinese defense attaché visits ISPR to commemorate PLA’s 93rd founding anniversary-Pak Radio
Afghan forces killed Pakistan-origin intelligence head of ISIS-Khorasan
Nepal to send updated map to India, international community: Minister- ANI
MHA seeks three additional months for framing CAA rules
Police Claimed ‘Tahir Hussain’ confesses of masterminding northeast Delhi riots, says ‘wanted to teach lessons’
Apple vendors, Samsung, others line up with Rs 11 lakh crore mobile manufacturing scheme: Prasad

Among Sino-Indian Standoff: Beijing is pushing New Delhi to accept the Altered LAC, while India cant

hina refuses to discuss standoff in Pangong Tso-Media Source

5^th Round of India-China Lt Gen level talks Concluded on Sun at Chushul-Moldo. Official statement yet to come.

China’s reluctance to discuss the stand-off in Pangong Tso Finger may hinder the ongoing engagement and dialogue process at military and diplomatic levels to restore peace and tranquility in the region. As per India Today TV report, China is practically refusing to discuss the standoff in Pangong Tso, dismissing to even acknowledge the Pangong Tso situation as a friction point.

Disengagement status:

Galwan: √
Hot Springs: √
Gogra: X
Pangong Tso: XX
Depsang: XXX
The Corps Commanders of the two sides have held 4 rounds of talks so far on June 6, 22, 30 and July 14 to de-escalate from the build-up areas in Galwan Valley, Gogra-Hot Springs and Finger area along the Pangong Tso (lake) in Ladakh sector along the LAC.
India has demanded that status quo be restored along the unsettled boundary line. China had massed troops since April-May all along Eastern Ladakh and occupied positions in India’s perception of the LAC.
On Thurs, the MEA said that the disengagement process of troops had not yet been completed. Though, China has maintained that the process is complete.

As per intel Sources, that number of PLA soldiers is increasing in eastern Laddakh, they are constructing war time infrastructures & also increasing its presence on LAC at other places like Lipulekh Pass, North Sikkim and parts of Arunachal Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh”

Chinese software companies feeding data directly to CCP, says Pompeo on TikTok

Chinese software companies doing business in the US are feeding data directly to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo said on Sunday, amid worsening relations between Washington and Beijing.
“These Chinese software companies doing business in the United States, whether it’s TikTok or WeChat – there are countless more,” Pompeo said on Fox News quoting White House trade adviser Peter Navarro “are feeding data directly to the Chinese Communist Party, their national security apparatus”.
On reacting the statement, Chinese FM spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Mon said “China firmly opposes discriminatory US policies against Chinese software companies and its tendency to generalize the concept of national security, make guilty presumptions without evidence and politicize economic issues.
The US is running counter to market economy principles and having double standards by making presumptions of guilt on Chinese tech companies without providing any evidence.”
High-headed Aussies, take a look at your government. In dealing with China, is it acting like a certain pet chained by Washington, so it will bark exactly the same tune as Washington asks it to? Global Times on Mon
Protest against Chinese Communist Regime by Indian, Iranian, Vietnamese, Tibetan and Taiwanese Diaspora in Montreal. People from Hong Kong also participated. Slogans of ‘China Lied, People Died’, ‘COVID19 – Made in China’, ‘Ban Huawei Now’ and ‘Leave Hong Kong’ resonate in the air.

We should occupy ‘more mind space’ of China: S Jaishankar, External affairs minister

In an interview with TOI, External affairs minister S Jaishankar said, ‘Reaching an equilibrium with China is not going to be easy. We will be tested and we must stand our ground. Part of the answer is for us to also occupy more of their mind space. China may have its own issues and problems with the US. But to view us through an American lens would be a serious misreading of India. And clearly do the relationship great disservice.’

Jaishankar said, “We have agreed on the need to disengage because troops are deployed very close to each other. Disengagement and de-escalation process has been agreed and it has just commenced. It is very much a work in progress”. (means nothing)
He made it clear that resolving tensions on the LAC was critical.
He added that “The state of the border and the future of our ties (with China) cannot be separated. That is the reality.”
In what marks a breakthrough after several rounds of military and diplomatic talks, India and China have kicked off step-wise disengagement from the two-month-long confrontation in Galwan Valley and Gogra-Hot Springs areas of eastern Ladakh, with People’s Liberation Army soldiers also moving back slightly from the seemingly intractable face-off site at Pangong Tso.
Chinese soldiers “have removed some tents and seem to be pulling back” towards ‘Finger-5’ (fingers are mountainous spurs) from ‘Finger-4’ on the north bank of Pangong lake, in accordance with Phase-I of the de-escalation plan thrashed out between the rival corps cmdr on June 30^th.
This is significant as the confrontation here is seen to be particularly sticky to resolve.

The next round of corps commander-level talks has been deferred to next week.

The deferment comes even as Chinese troops show no signs of pulling back from Pangong Tso and Depsang Plains in eastern Ladakh.
The PLA also seems to be continuing to increase deployments along the Line of Actual Control right till Arunachal Pradesh.
Experts say the PLA could still be contemplating whether it should implement the proposals it had agreed to during the 4th round of military talks on July 14.

After the high-powered China Study Group held a meeting this week to fine-tune India’s strategy, officials say there could be two reasons for the PLA to drag its feet on troop disengagement at Pangong Tso and Patrolling Point (PP)-17A at Gogra.

The PLA, for one, could still be contemplating whether it should implement the disengagement proposals it had agreed to during the fourth round of military talks on July 14.

“It does take time to finalize what is acceptable and what is not, along with the requisite political approvals,” said a senior official.

“But the other reason could be that the PLA is simply biding time to present us with a fait accompli once winter sets in. Either way, we are prepared for the long haul. Restoration of status quo ante is not on the cards as of now,” he added.

Global Times Reported three possibilities risking China-US military conflict

At 2:22 pm on Sat, China’s Army Day, think tank South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative (SCSPI) released the latest movement of US warships on its Weibo account.
The USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier and USS America amphibious assault ship in the East China Sea.
From July 15 to 30, SCSPI’s Weibo account has released a total of 24 updates on the activity tracks of US warships and warplanes in regions including South China Sea and East China Sea.
This has attracted wide domestic and foreign attention.
In an exclusive interview with the Global Times reporters Liu Xuanzun and Guo Yuandan on Thursday, Hu Bo, director of SCSPI, introduced why the SCSPI platform releases the information to the public, and the characteristics of US military activities in the South China Sea.

Characteristics of US military activities in South China Sea

SCSPI’s tracking data show that the US military has significantly increased large reconnaissance aircraft activities in July compared to May’s 35 and June’s 49. July’s figure 67 is almost twice as many as May’s.
Reports show that since 2009, the US military has significantly enhanced the frequency of activities in the region by boosting the presence of surface vessels by more than 60%, reaching about 1,000 activities a year.
In the air, it sends on average three to five warplanes to the South China Sea a day, most of them being reconnaissance aircraft, making a total of more than 1,500 activities a year, almost twice as many as in 2009.

In addition to this, US military activities have also become more pointed to China.

US reconnaissance aircraft made intensive flights when the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was conducting operations.
During the PLA’s drills in the Xisha Islands from July 1 to 5, the US conducted 15 reconnaissance aircraft operations in these five days. In July, US reconnaissance aircraft entered areas within 70 nautical miles of China’s territorial sea baseline nine times, six times within 60 nautical miles, and in the closest event, only about 40 nautical miles away from China’s territorial sea baseline.
These kinds of close-up reconnaissance are obviously provocations, because “since the US military has all-round, advanced reconnaissance technologies, such a high frequency aerial reconnaissance and close distance would not be necessary if it wants to gather intelligence on China,” Hu said.
Hu said “the reason behind the significantly increased US aerial reconnaissance in 2020 could be related to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Since many US warships suffered from group infection events which resulted in a lack of warships, the US might have opted to enhance aviation reconnaissance.”
Hu pointed out that out of the strategic thinking of great power competition, the US is applying prejudice and judging others. It worries about China’s presence in the South China Sea during the pandemic, so it increased military deployment.
“US military deployments and activities in the South China Sea took 60% of its frontline troops in the Indo-Pacific region,” Hu noted.

Has China infiltrated Indian newspapers- WION? [1]

In the last 6 months, a number of mainstream Indian dailies from TOI to Free Press have provided editorial space to Chinese voices.

Feb 29^th, Economic Times details about ‘development road of China’
Mar 13^th, The Hindu covered Op Ed on “7 decades of togetherness” by Sun Weidong Chinese’s Ambassador, “Chinese’s efforts are not only protecting the health of its own people, but also that of the people of world, including India”.
Apr 2^nd, TOI, covered OpEd, “a seven decades journey, Dragon-Elephant Tango, by Weidong.
Apr 6^th, OpEd by Free Press, India and China can show the way in fighting the virus, by Sudhindra Kulkarni and Tang Guacai.
May 1^st, Hindustan Times, “Viruses don’t respects the Borders, come together for a shared future” Weidong
May 8^th, Indian Express, by Tang Guacai “COVID-19, has triggered a New Wave of China-Bashing”.

Meanwhile, In JnK & along LoC

The Union Min Jitendra Singh laid foundation stones of some 28 projects, worth 175 Cr Rupees in JnK.

In an interview, Lt Gov GC Murmu, after a year of Abrogation of Art, 370, claimed the followings:

A continuous assessment of the situation is taking place and accordingly, we will take the decision to release the leaders at the appropriate time.
The security situation in JnK is very satisfactory.
There is no reason to worry about security in JnK
In the next one year, J&K will be far more developed with a vibrant society.
Separatism is fading away from J&K and Pakistan is trying to keep it alive.
I can say that Saifuddin Soz is not under any kind of detention or arrest.
Sarpanches in J&K are now being provided round the clock security.
People are participating and cooperating in mainstream activities, and this participation is having a negative impact on those who mislead youth in J&K.
There is complete normalcy in JnK except the disruption caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.
The means of communication are important, we will ensure that they’re being sorted soon.

However, some other reports from other media are as under

No new government jobs in J&K a year after Article 370 move.
As many as 10,000 vacancies at all levels are to be filled in Phase-1, a senior government official said.
The recruitment drive had been badly affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, he pointed out.

Investments

As per a latest MHA data, as many as 168 Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) worth ₹13,600 crores have been signed for investments in J&K.
“The pace of recruitment in government sector slowed largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Before that, the UT officially came into existence only on Oct 31 last year, the day of the reorganization,” said a senior government official.
A new land policy for purchase and acquisition of land was under construction and the administration had identified 6,000 acres of government land for setting up industries, the official stated.
Sheikh Ashiq Ahmed, President of Kashmir Chamber of Commerce, however, said that since August 5, trade and businesses in J&K had suffered a loss of ₹ 40,000 crore.
He said a delegation of businessmen were given assurances by Home Minister Amit Shah and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in March but nothing concrete had been offered so far.
“We are a small economy, contributing only .77% to the GDP. We require hand-holding from the government as the situation is grim in every sector,” he added.

A prominent political leader from JnK, M Hashim Qureshi, Chairman of J-K Democratic Liberation Party, has pulled up China for its concentration camp-type treatment against Uyghur minorities in Xinjiang region

Meanwhile, Pak trying its best to internationalize JnK Issue

Pak PM Imran Khan will address Legislative Assembly of Azad Jammu & Kashmir (PoK-India Claims) on Wed to further highlight the Kashmiri people’s struggle for freedom and their sufferings at the hands of Indian occupation forces-Pak Radio reported. [It’s as per agenda we disclosed on last Tue.]
The consensus to this effect was reached during a telephonic conversation between the Prime Minister Imran Khan and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Pak’s PM told media that Turkish President reassures his country’s support to Pakistan on Kashmir issue.
Whereas, in Pakistan, as Pak Radio, President Dr Arif Alvi will lead a rally on the day while all the Chief Ministers will speak at their respective assemblies to condemn Indian brutalities on the people of held valley.
One minutes silence will be observed across the country in the morning to express solidarity with the oppressed Kashmiri people.
Pakistan will continue supporting Kashmiris’ struggle for right to self-determination: Sobia
Parliamentary Secretary on Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan Affairs Sobia Kamal has reassured Pakistan’s continued support to Kashmiris till achievement of their right of self-determination.
She was talking to Kashmiri people while celebrating Eid-ul-Azha with them in Muzaffarabad.
Sobia Kamal said every Pakistani will stand firm with their Kashmiri brothers till the great goal of right to self-determination is achieved.

Pakistani separatist groups unite to target China's Belt and Road

Baloch and Sindhi separatist groups in Pakistan have announced they are forming an alliance aimed ostensibly at attacking Chinese interests in a development likely increase security costs for Belt and Road Initiative projects in Pakistan.

On July 25, Baloch Raji Ajoi Sangar, or BRAS, a consortium of four Baloch separatist organizations, announced in a media release an alliance with the Sindudesh Revolutionary Army, or SRA, a little known separatist group operating in southeastern Sindh province. Baluchistan is another province in the southwest.
“Sindh and Baluchistan are equally affected by the ‘expansionist’ and ‘oppressive’ resolves of China,” the statement said.
“Through the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), China aims to subjugate Sindh and Baluchistan and occupy the coasts and resources from Badin to Gwadar,” the statement added, referring to a pair of coastal cities.
Pakistan has reduced its annual allocation to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) from $241 million last year to $159 million in the budget running to June 2021.
The CPEC consists of a variety of infrastructure projects under China’s Belt and Road Initiative with financial help from Beijing. Pakistan and China, which both have tense relations with India, have been allies for decades.
Baloch insurgents claimed that an attack on the Pakistan Stock Exchange in June was carried out with support from Sindhi separatists.
Security officials told local media that with the alliance Sindhi insurgents can now launch deadlier attacks with the help of Baloch militants.
Experts believed that while the alliance can create problems for the CPEC, it cannot halt the flagship project of President Xi Jinping’s trademark program.
“An alliance between the Baloch and Sindhi armed groups cannot be so effective that it will compel China and Pakistan to completely withdraw from [CPEC] plans,” said Malik Siraj Akbar, a South Asian analyst based in Washington D.C.
However, analysts also think that the grouping will significantly increase security costs for CPEC activities.
- “As China doubles down on the CPEC infrastructure projects from Kashmir to Karachi and Gwadar, the insurgent forces will seek to raise the costs by launching attacks and raids,” Mohan Malik, a professor of strategic studies at the National Defense College of the United Arab Emirates NAR
- In May 2019, the Baloch Liberation Army, a BRAS constituent, attacked the Pearl Continental Hotel in Gwadar, the port city’s only five star hotel, and killed five people including four hotel employees.
- Though no Chinese were killed, the BLA said in a statement that the attack was planned with the intent of targeting Chinese, who often stayed in the hotel.
- Akbar, meanwhile, sees the government’s expected moves to beef up security in response to more attacks as playing into the hands of the new alliance.
- “An increase in violent attacks will require reevaluating the security plans and timelines for the completion of certain parts of CPEC,” he told Nikkei.
- “The more the government increases security [for CPEC projects], the more it gives the nationalists a reason to tell the local population that these are exploitative projects aimed to take their resources away.”
- Pakistan has blamed India for supporting Baloch and Sindhi insurgents to target Chinese interests in the country. PM Imran Khan last month blamed India for the attack on the Pakistan Stock Exchange, which has a major Chinese stake. New Delhi denied Khan’s claim.
- Experts also link the new alliance to the recent India-China military standoff in the Himalayas. Malik believes that an escalation in separatist violence and proxy wars on the subcontinent will be an inevitable consequence of New Delhi-Beijing security tensions.
- “[India and China] will engage in an intense geopolitical competition to win over the allegiance of countries and [separatist movements] hostile to the other.”
- Other experts see a relationship between the forming of the new alliance and phenomenon of resistance by local communities to China’s growing role.
- “As China’s global footprint extends and Chinese economic activities directly impact, sometimes adversely, local communities, the pushback is inevitable,” said Dibyesh Anand, head of the School of Social Sciences at the University of Westminster, London
- Anand cautioned, however, that the threat posed by the Baloch-Sindhi separatist alliance to Chinese interests should not be blown out of proportion. “The claims of Baloch and Sindhi nationalists [to attack the CPEC] should be taken with a pinch of salt because the economic might of China is closely tied in with [the] security-military might of the Pakistani state and separatists cannot match that,” he told Nikkei.
- Experts also see the formation of the new alliance as a factor that can push Pakistan and China to make CPEC more inclusive.
- Akbar believes that the two countries might also start considering employing more locals in CPEC projects in an effort to gain support from communities by giving them an economic stake in the projects.
- Anand said that Pakistan must for now wait and watch. “Whether CPEC can be turned into an engine for inclusive development rather than a highly visible security-economic prestige project perceived by many Baloch or Sindhi separatists as neocolonial, is an open question,” he said.

Pakistan has already banned political party to critical of China’s Belt and Road, Government claims ‘reasonable grounds’ for terror link as rights groups cry foul.

Chinese defense attaché visits ISPR to commemorate PLA’s 93^rd founding anniversary-Pak Radio

Chinese embassy Defense Attaché Maj Gen Chen Wenrong along with delegation visited Inter Services Public Relations on Sat in connection with celebrations of 93^rd anniversary of founding of Chinese People’s Liberation Army.
DG Major Gen Babar Iftikhar welcomed the delegation on behalf of Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa.
The DG ISPR quoted Army Chief as saying, Pakistan Army and PLA are the key components of Pak-China strategic relations and we are proud to be brothers in arms.
The visiting dignitary expressed his gratitude for hosting this commemoration ceremony.
Speaking on the occasion, the Defense Attaché Wenrong said the military relations between China and Pakistan have strengthened over the years.

COAS visited troops deployed on frontlines along LOC in Khuiratta Sector on Sat. COAS spent time with troops on Eid day, commended their high morale, operational readiness & continuous vigil being maintained along the LOC. While interacting with troops, COAS said that Eid-ul-Azha epitomizes the essence of unconditional sacrifice.

No one understands this spirit of sacrifice better than a soldier. Let us also reiterate our pledge to always stand by our Kashmiri brethren braving Indian atrocities for their right of self-determination despite all odds COAS said that we are aware of the enemy’s design to destabilize our country and this region.
Pak Army is fully prepared and capable of thwarting any such covert or overt undertakings COAS also visited AFIC and NIHD & performed earth breaking of NEPCARD where indigenous research on heart diseases will be carried out including their preventive measures.
Appreciating contributions of Army Medical Corps, COAS said that AFIC & NIHD being state of the art facility is providing high quality medical care at National level.
He especially lauded the contributions of doctors and healthcare workers as frontline soldiers against COVID 19 pandemic

Afghan forces kill Pakistan-origin intelligence head of ISIS-Khorasan

Zia-ur-Rehman (Assadullah Orakzai) was killed during an operation near Jalalabad

Pakistan-origin intelligence head of terror group Islamic State’s Khorasan unit (ISIL-K) has been killed by special forces near the eastern town of Jalalabad, according to the Afghan security agency.

Zia-ur-Rehman known as was killed during an operation near Jalalabad, close to Pakistan border, the National Directorate of Security or NDS said in a statement on Sat.
Orakzai was the head of intelligence for Islamic State’s Khorasan branch, which is active in South Asia and Central Asia.
“The Special Units of the National Directorate of Security NDS have eliminated Assadullah Orakzai, the native of Akhel Orakzai agency of Pakistan during a targeted operation,” the TOLO news reported, citing the statement.
- He was involved in several deadly attacks against both military and civilian targets in Afghanistan, it said.
- “Afghanistan’s regional and international partners should remember that Afghanistan is a key player in the fight against terrorist and will crush terrorists’ roots anywhere,” the NDS said.
- Last week, the 26^th report of the UN’s Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team concerning ISIS, al-Qaeda and associated individuals and entities said that many former Tehreek-e-Taliban militants have joined ISIS-Khorasan (ISIL-K).
- “The total number of Pakistani foreign terrorist fighters in Afghanistan, posing a threat to both countries, is estimated at between 6,000 and 6,500, most of them with TTP,” it said.
- The monitoring team also estimates the current ISIL-K membership in Afghanistan at 2,200.
- In April and May, the Afghan special forces conducted a series of countrywide operations that led to the arrest of the group’s leaders, including Aslam Farooqi (also known as Abdullah Orakzai), the head of ISIL-K, his predecessor Zia ul-Haq (also known as Abu Omar Khorasani) and other senior members.
- In March, at least 25 Sikh worshippers were killed and eight others injured when a heavily armed ISIS suicide bomber stormed his way into a prominent gurdwara in the heart of Afghanistan’s capital of Kabul, in one of the deadliest attacks on the minority community in the strife-torn country.
- 80 people, including women and children, stranded inside the gurdwara were rescued by the security forces.
- The ISIS terrorist group claimed responsibility for the latest attack.
- In July 2018, ISIS terrorists bombed a gathering of Sikhs and Hindus in the eastern city of Jalalabad, killing 19 people and injuring 20.
- Awtar Singh Khalsa, one of the country’s best-known Sikh politicians then, was among those killed in the attack.

Nepal to send updated map to India, international community: Minister- ANI

On Aug 01, Nepal government intends to send its recently revised map to India, Google and international community by the middle of August, a minister has said.
The revised map includes Indian territories of Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani, which is under Indian Jurisdiction until now. On the May 20 had released the revised political and administrative map.
“We will be sending the updated map to various UN agencies and the international community including India, and will completed by mid of this month, said Padma Aryal, Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation.
The Ministry has asked the Department of Measurement to print 4,000 copies of the updated version of Nepal’s map in English language and send it to the international community.
The Department of Measurement has printed on 25,000 copies of the latest version of the map, which have been distributed around the nation.
India has said that Nepal’s unilateral action is “not based on historical facts and evidence.”
The move is contrary to the bilateral understanding to resolve the outstanding boundary issues through diplomatic dialogue and “such artificial enlargement of territorial claims will not be accepted by India”.

MHA seeks three additional months for framing CAA rules

After the CAA was passed by Parliament, widespread protests were witnessed in the country.
Those opposing the CAA contend that it discriminates on the basis of religion and violates the Constitution.
The plea was made before the Department Related Standing Committee for Subordinate Legislation as according to the Manual on Parliamentary Work, the rules for any legislation should be framed within 6 months of the presidential assent or an extension must be sought. So, 3 additional months extension
The controversial CAA, which facilitates granting Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim minorities of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, was passed by Parliament nearly eight months ago and had led to protests in different parts of the country.
- The President had given his assent to the legislation on Dec 12, 2019.
- “The home ministry has sought an additional 3 months’ time to frame the rules for the CAA.
- The plea was made before the Department Related Standing Committee for Subordinate Legislation,” a senior official told PTI.
- The committee is likely to accept the request, the official said.
- The objective of the CAA is to grant Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities — Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian — from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
- People from these communities who had come to India till Dec 31, 2014 due to religious persecution in these countries will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship.
- They also allege that the CAA along with the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is intended to target the Muslim community in India.
- However, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had dismissed the allegations and described the protests against the CAA as “mostly political”.
- He had asserted that no Indian will lose citizenship due to the Act.
- Clashes between pro and anti-CAA groups had spiraled into communal riots in Northeast Delhi early this year which had left at least 53 people dead and around 200 injured.
- Lok Sabha had passed the CAA legislation on Dec 9, 2019 and Rajya Sabha on December 11, 2019.
- The Manual on Parliamentary Work states that, “statutory rules, regulations and bye-laws will be framed within a period of six months from the date on which the relevant statute came into force”.
- The manual also states that in case the ministries/departments are not able to frame the rules within the prescribed period of six months, “they should seek extension of time from the Committee on Subordinate Legislation stating reasons for such extension” which cannot be more than for a period of three months at a time.

Police Claimed ‘Tahir Hussain’ confesses of masterminding northeast Delhi riots, says 'wanted to teach lessons'

Suspended AAP councilor Tahir Hussain is accused along with 10 others in northeast Delhi violence; and murder of an Intelligence Bureau employee Ankit Sharma in Chand Bagh.
The Special Investigation Team (STF) team of Delhi Police said on Sun (Aug 2) that Tahir Hussain has admitted to his role in the northeast Delhi riots that took place in the month of Feb, against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Police said that during the interrogation the now suspended AAP councilor revealed that he wanted to teach Hindus a lesson using his political power and money. He told police that he was the mastermind of the northeast Delhi riots.

What all he revealed:

As per the police officials, Tahir used support from Khalid Saifi, former JNU student Umar Khalid, Ishrat Jahan and Popular Front of India (PFI) member Danish.
Tahir reportedly told the police that he was aggrieved after the abrogation of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir, Supreme Court ruling in the favor of Ram Temple in Ayodhya and Centre passing Citizenship Amendment Act; and hence decided to take an extreme step.
He revealed that that on Jan 8, 2020, Khalid Saifi facilitated his meeting with former JNU student Umar Khalid at PFI office in Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh.
During the meeting, Khalid reportedly told him that he is ready to sacrifice his life for his community. It was at the same time, when Khalid Saifi told Tahir that PFI member Danish will provide all financial assistance needed in the ‘war against Hindus’.
The trio then conspired to do something major in the national capital in order to force the Central government to roll back its decision of CAA. As per Tahir, Khalid Saifi took the responsibility to provoke people to a level that they come out on the streets and unleashed violence against the Hindu community.
Saifi, along with his friend Ishrat Jahan, staged anti-CAA demonstration along the lines of Shaheen Bagh at Khureji, which gradually spread to different parts of Delhi.
Tahir revealed that on Feby 4, he met Saifi again at Abu Fazal Enclave to discuss planning for riots. He said that Saifi informed that the riot plan should be carried out during the visit of United States President Donald Trump to India to put pressure on the Centre.
Tahir revealed that he started collecting empty bottles of liquor and cold drinks from the trash, stones from the construction sites, and fuel, and gathered it on the roof of his house at Chand Bagh. He said he refueled all four cars, the fuel of which was used in filling empty bottles that were used as petrol bombs during the riots.
He said that on the advice of Umar Khalid, he stocked large quantities of acid, bricks, stones, petrol, diesel etc on the roof of his house. He informed that he had also collected his licensed pistol, which was deposited with police, to use during the riots.
Tahir said that he ensured that people of his community were not harmed during the violence; and hence a day before the incident, he shifted his wife, children and elders of his family to another safe place.
He also ensured that all CCTV cameras were pulled out so that the police did not get any evidence. On the day of the riots, he deliberately kept calling the Delhi Police so as to avoid any kind of suspicion about his role.
On Aug 1, Delhi Police questioned Umar Khalid about his speeches that he delivered before the northeast Delhi riots, and also about his meetings with Tahir and Saifi at Shaheen Bagh ahead of the communal violence.

Apple vendors, Samsung, others line up with Rs 11 lakh cr mobile manufacturing scheme: Prasad

Mobile phones and components worth Rs 11.5 lakh crores will be produced in India in the next five years under the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister, Electronics and IT said here on Sat.
“Under the Production-Linked Incentive Scheme, around 22 companies have applied.
These companies will produce mobile phones and components in India worth Rs 11.5 lakh crores in the coming five years, out of which products worth Rs 7 lakh crores will be exported,”
He said these companies will create 3 lakh direct and around 9 lakh indirect jobs.
Prasad said this scheme is not against any country, it is only India positive.
“I do not wish to take the name of any country. We have got proper rules and regulations with regard to our security, bordering countries, all those compliances are important,” he said.
“We are optimistic and looking forward to building a strong ecosystem across the value chain and integrating with the global value chains, thereby strengthening electronics manufacturing ecosystem in the country,” he added.
Prasad said that PLI Scheme has been a huge success in terms of the applications received from global as well as domestic mobile phone manufacturing companies and electronic components manufacturers.

Kerala Gold Smuggling Case Row-

Continuing the probe, NIA made 6 fresh arrests and conducted searches at 6 places this week. Today NIA conducted searches at residences of accused Jalal AM and Rabins Hameed in Ernakulam, and Ramees KT, Mohammed Shafi, Said Alavi & Abdu PT in Malappuram.
Minister of state for external affairs V Muraleedharan on Sunday started a day-long hunger strike to demand the resignation of Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan over the gold smuggling case in the southern state.
Muraleedharan, who belongs to Kerala, is holding the day’s fast at his official residence in New Delhi.
“This is not only a gold smuggling case but it is related to India’s security. It is also related to the financing network of terrorist organizations.
A thorough probe should be conducted. Kerala CM must resign. This is our demand,” Muralidhar Rao, the BJP’s national general secretary, was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Kerala smuggling accused funded terror activities, says NIA reported on July 26^th.
The probe in the Kerala gold smuggling case is revealing links to hawala operations and anti-terror activities
The probing agency reported that the Kerala gold smuggling case says one of the accused K T Ramees is the key link in diverting proceeds of smuggling to fund anti-national activities in south India.

Nation Amid COVID-19

India’s Covid-19 tally has risen to 18,03,696 including 5,79,357 active cases, 11,86,203 cured/ discharged/ migrated. There have been a total of 38,135 deaths, according to the health ministry.
Home Minister, Amit Shah, Tested positive for the Corona-19 on admitted, he informed by a tweet. He suggested the person to be tested who came in my contact. But no major symptoms reported.
India crosses a milestone, conducts 2,02,02,858 COVID19 samples so far; with 3,81,027 samples tested in the last 24 hours, the number of Test Per Million (TPM) has increased to 14640.
A number of vaccines are now in phase-3 clinical trials & we all hope to have a number of effective vaccines that can help prevent people from infection. However, there’s no silver bullet at the moment & there might never be.
Number of cases globally has increased more than 5-fold to 17.5 million & the number of deaths has more than tripled to 680,000 since WHO’s emergency committee on COVID19 last met 3 months ago: Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, DG, World Health Organization (WHO)

https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-has-china-infiltrated-indian-newspapers-317368