1. Security Withdrawn Over Pulwama Attacks, Separatist Leaders Say ‘Don’t Need It’
The Jammu and Kashmir administration has withdrawn the security of five separatist leaders including Hurriyat Conference Chief Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. The orders come three days after the Pulwama attack in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed in a suicide bombing.
Apart from Mirwaiz, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has also removed the security cover of Abdul Ghani Bhat, Bilal Lone, Hashim Qureshi and Shabir Shah.
Reacting to the withdrawal of security from the separatist leaders, the Mirwaiz-led All Parties Hurriyat Conference spokesperson said, that the separatist leaders had never asked for security and that they had repeatedly said that the government can withdraw it.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
2. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Begins Pakistan Visit with Pact to Invest $20 Billion
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a raft of investment deals Sunday worth up to 20 billion dollars for the cash-strapped South Asian country.
Seven agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were inked as Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman launched his diplomatic trip to Asia in Islamabad, with Pakistan hoping the deals will provide welcome relief to its teetering economy.
Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman was greeted with a booming 21-gun salute in Pakistan Sunday, as the powerful royal scion kicked off an Asia tour months after being tarnished by his alleged links to the murder of a journalist.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
3. ‘Won’t Let Assam Turn Into Another Kashmir,’ Says Amit Shah on NRC
BJP President Amit Shah on Sunday said the government will not allow Assam to become another Kashmir and will ensure that National Register of Citizens (NRC) will do its job of picking out every infiltrator in the state.
He also said that the sacrifice of the CRPF troopers killed in the suicide bombing in Pulwama last week, will not go waste as there was no Congress government at the Centre and stressed that the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill or CAB will be re-introduced once the party returns to power in May.
“We will not let Assam turn into Kashmir. This is our commitment, we will execute NRC (national register of citizens) again and again and pick out each and every infiltrator from Assam,” Shah said while addressing a convention of the Bharti Janta Yuva Morcha, the BJP’s youth wing in Lakhimpur, 380 km northeast of Guwahati.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
4. ‘He Insulted India’s Intelligence’, Says Piyush Goyal after Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Make in India’ Remark
Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday hit back at Congress President Rahul Gandhi for his Twitter remark on India’s fastest train Vande Bharat after it broke down early on Saturday on the return journey to New Delhi from Varanasi, a day after it was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a day before its first commercial run.
“Modi ji, I think Make in India needs a serious rethink. Most people feel it has failed. I assure you we in the Congress are thinking very deeply about how it will be done,” Gandhi tweeted, tagging a report which claimed train 18 ‘breaks down’ 200 km outside Delhi.
Goyal hit back a day after on Sunday after the train’s first commercial run accusing Gandhi of insulting India’s intelligence and hard work with his mocking tweet.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
5. Pulwama Attack: Did Not Refuse Air Transit Facility for CRPF Jawans, MHA Clarifies
The Ministry of Home Affairs Sunday denied media reports suggesting air-transit facility for CRPF personnel on Jammu-Srinagar sector was not allowed. Calling the reports false, the ministry in a statement said, “Over the last few years, MHA has significantly enhanced the air courier services for Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in all sectors to help the jawans cut down on travel time during their journey to and fro home on leave.
“In Jammu and Kashmir sector, air courier service for transportation of Jawans have been in operation for quite some time. This included initially the Jammu-Srinagar-Jammu Sector, which at the request of the CAPFs in December 2017 was extended to Delhi-Jammu-Srinagar-Jammu-Delhi with seven flights a week,” the statement added.
(Source: The Indian Express)
6. In Dehradun, Two Colleges Say Won’t Admit Kashmiris
As fear hung in the air over Kashmiri students being targeted in Dehradun following the Pulwama terror attack on Thursday, at least two institutes in the city have stated that they will not admit any student from Kashmir in the new academic session. The fear and open threats also prompted several Kashmiri students to temporarily leave the city.
In an “undertaking” to the students’ union of the Dehradun-based DAV PG College — which, along with members of the ABVP, VHP, and Bajrang Dal, had led the protests outside colleges on Friday — Dr Aslam Siddiqui, principal of Baba Farid Institute of Technology (BFIT), wrote on Friday, “Students’ Union president, we assure you that if any Kashmiri student is found engaged in any anti-national activity, then the student will be expelled from the institute.”
(Source: The Indian Express)
7. PCB Finds India’s Covering of Imran Khan’s Portrait ‘Highly Regrettable’
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) late on Sunday night, 17 February, issued a statement in response to IMG-Reliance stepping away from production duties of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) few hours after TV broadcaster D-Sport suspended coverage. The actions come in the aftermath of the Pulwama terrorist attack that claimed the lives of at least 40 CRPF soldiers in the South Kashmir region.
“We have been informed by IMG Reliance that they will be unable to partner with us for the remaining HBL PSL 2019 and PCB has reserved all its rights. The PCB always had a contingency plan in place, and we are confident we will be in a position to announce the new partner on Monday after the completion of the formalities,” said PCB’s Managing Director Wasim Khan in the statement.
(Source: The Indian Express)
8. I-League: ‘Real Kashmir - Minerva Fixture at Centre of Controversy’
Minerva Punjab’s refusal to travel to Srinagar for Monday’s I-League match against Real Kashmir has triggered a row, leaving the AIFF in a quandary. Minerva’s decision means Kashmir is set to be awarded a 3-0 victory – a result with huge consequences in a title race that is going to the wire.
Ranjit Bajaj, the Minerva owner, has called on the AIFF to postpone the tie on account of the prevailing “unsafe” situation in Jammu and Kashmir. The home club, though, believes the I-League should not call the game off, insisting that all is normal in the city, and is going ahead with its preparations. Chennai City FC (CFC) and East Bengal, who are battling Real Kashmir for the title, are understandably concerned.
(Source: The Hindu)
9. States Allocation: Panel Sticks to 2011 Census
The 15th Finance Commission will not alter its approach on solely using the 2011 Census for population figures in its calculations for allocations to States, Chairman NK Singh said in an interview.
However, he added that other measures would be included that would ensure that States that have performed well by controlling population growth would not be penalised.
“The final decision is that, as far as we are concerned, the Commission is a recipient of the Terms of Reference (ToR),” Singh said. “It is not the creator of the Terms. Having received the Presidential Order, we are obligated by the Constitution to act on the basis of the Presidential Order. It is very clear that wherever population has to be used as a criterion, that population should be what is in the Census of 2011.”
(Source: The Hindu)
