Whole country stands with Muslim women to secure them justice: PM Modi

Agencies
August 26, 2018

New Delhi, Aug 26: The country will not tolerate those committing rape and the law passed by Parliament in this regard will play an effective role in curbing crimes against women and girls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.

He also said though the bill to ban the practice of instant triple talaq could not be passed in Rajya Sabha in the Monsoon Session, "I assure the Muslim women that the whole country stands by them to provide them social justice."

In his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' radio address, he said when we move ahead in the national interest, a change in the lives of the poor, the backward, the exploited and the deprived ones can also be brought about.

"No civil society can tolerate any kind of injustice towards women of the country. The nation will not tolerate those committing rapes. With this in mind, Parliament has made a provision of strictest punishment by passing the Criminal Act Amendment Bill.

"Those guilty of rape will get a minimum sentence of 10 years and those found guilty of raping girls below the age of 12 years will be awarded the death sentence," Modi said.

He said, recently, courts have awarded stringent punishment to rape convicts after a speedy trial lasting only a few days.

The new law will play an effective role in curbing crimes against women and girls, the prime minister said.

Referring to the issue of talaq-e-biddat or instant triple talaq, he said economic growth will be incomplete without a social transformation.

"The triple talaq bill has been passed by the Lok Sabha, although it could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha, I assure the Muslim women that the whole country stands by them to provide them social justice.

"When we move ahead in the national interest, a change in the lives of the poor, the backward, the exploited and the deprived ones can also be brought about," Modi said.

To make the proposed law palatable to the opposition, a provision of bail for the accused from a magistrate has been added. The amendments to the bill, cleared by the Union Cabinet recently, also has the provision for settlement between the husband and the wife.

The FIR can now only be lodged by the victim, her blood relations and those who have become her relatives by virtue of her marriage. Others, like neighbours, cannot lodge an FIR to prevent misuse of the proposed law.

In his address, the prime minister also referred to the performance of both Houses of Parliament, saying whenever a discussion on Parliament is held, it is about hold-ups, noisy scenes and stalling of proceedings.

"But when something good happens, it is not given much importance. The Monsoon Session of Parliament ended just a few days back. You will be glad to know that the productivity of Lok Sabha remained 118 per cent and that of Rajya Sabha -- 74 per cent. All the members rose above party interests to make the Monsoon Session most productive and this is why the Lok Sabha passed 21 bills and Rajya Sabha 14," he said.

He said the recently-concluded session will always be remembered as a "session for social justice and youth welfare".

Modi pointed out that a number of important bills beneficial to the youth and the backward classes were passed during the session, including the one to grant constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes.

"This step will prove to be the one to move forward our march towards achieving the goal of social justice," he said.

He also referred to a bill which overturned a Supreme Court order putting in place safeguards in a law on atrocities against SCs and STs.

"This Act will give more security to the interests of SC and ST communities. This will also forbid criminals from indulging in atrocities and will instil confidence among the Dalit communities," the prime minister said.

Modi also thanked the MPs for a productive Parliament session.

Comments

AA
 - 
Tuesday, 28 Aug 2018

none has the right to interfear in the Sharia Law,   what is written is holy Quran is final.

and those  women complained are not muslims , only fake people,

Truth will prevail and evil will perish

Manus
 - 
Tuesday, 28 Aug 2018

Whatever; Muslim should know and get educated that Instant triple talaq is not a valid talaq procedure.

Jameel
 - 
Monday, 27 Aug 2018

this joker is the biggest liar in the world. he himself is not able to provide justice to his wife, he is after justce for other peoples' wives. 

sam
 - 
Monday, 27 Aug 2018

wow, please also stand with widows and orphans who were killed by gau terrorist, they also need you sir...law an order seems to be no more in the hands of police...

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Agencies
June 17,2020

Riyadh, Jun 17: Saudi Arabia is expected to scale back or call off this year's hajj pilgrimage for the first time in its modern history, observers say, a perilous decision as coronavirus cases spike.

Muslim nations are pressing Riyadh to give its much-delayed decision on whether the annual ritual will go ahead as scheduled in late July.

But as the kingdom negotiates a call fraught with political and economic risks in a tinderbox region, time is running out to organise logistics for one of the world's largest mass gatherings.

A full-scale hajj, which last year drew about 2.5 million pilgrims, appears increasingly unlikely after authorities advised Muslims in late March to defer preparations due to the fast-spreading disease.

"It's a toss-up between holding a nominal hajj and scrapping it entirely," a South Asian official in contact with Saudi hajj authorities said.

A Saudi official said: "The decision will soon be made and announced."

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, withdrew from the pilgrimage this month after pressing Riyadh for clarity, with a minister calling it a "very bitter and difficult decision".

Malaysia, Senegal and Singapore followed suit with similar announcements.

Many other countries with Muslim populations -- from Egypt and Morocco to Turkey, Lebanon and Bulgaria -- have said they are still awaiting Riyadh's decision.

In countries like France, faith leaders have urged Muslims to "postpone" their pilgrimage plans until next year due to the prevailing risks.

The hajj, a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime, represents a major potential source of contagion as it packs millions of pilgrims into congested religious sites.

But any decision to limit or cancel the event risks annoying Muslim hardliners for whom religion trumps health concerns.

It could also trigger renewed scrutiny of the Saudi custodianship of Islam's holiest sites -- the kingdom's most powerful source of political legitimacy.

A series of deadly disasters over the years, including a 2015 stampede that killed up to 2,300 worshippers, has prompted criticism of the kingdom's management of the hajj.

"Saudi Arabia is caught between the devil and the deep blue sea," Umar Karim, a visiting fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London, told AFP.

"The delay in announcing its decision shows it understands the political consequences of cancelling the hajj or reducing its scale."

"Buying time"

The kingdom is "buying time" as it treads cautiously, the South Asian official said.

"At the last minute if Saudi says 'we are ready to do a full hajj', (logistically) many countries will not be in a position" to participate, he said.

Amid an ongoing suspension of international flights, a reduced hajj with only local residents is a likely scenario, the official added.

A decision to cancel the hajj would be a first since the kingdom was founded in 1932.

Saudi Arabia managed to hold the pilgrimage during previous outbreaks of Ebola and MERS.

But it is struggling to contain the virus amid a serious spike in daily cases and deaths since authorities began easing a nationwide lockdown in late May.

In Saudi hospitals, sources say intensive care beds are fast filling up and a growing number of health workers are contracting the virus as the total number of cases has topped 130,000. Deaths surpassed 1,000 on Monday.

To counter the spike, authorities this month tightened lockdown restrictions in the city of Jeddah, gateway to the pilgrimage city of Mecca.

"Heartbroken"

"The hajj is the most important spiritual journey in the life of any Muslim, but if Saudi Arabia proceeds in this scenario it will not only exert pressure on its own health system," said Yasmine Farouk from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

"It could also be widely held responsible for fanning the pandemic."

A cancelled or watered-down hajj would represent a major loss of revenue for the kingdom, which is already reeling from the twin shocks of the virus-induced slowdown and a plunge in oil prices.

The smaller year-round umrah pilgrimage was already suspended in March.

Together, they add $12 billion to the Saudi economy every year, according to government figures.

A negative decision would likely disappoint millions of Muslim pilgrims around the world who often invest their life savings and endure long waiting lists to make the trip.

"I can't help but be heartbroken -- I've been waiting for years," Indonesian civil servant Ria Taurisnawati, 37, told AFP as she sobbed.

"All my preparations were done, the clothes were ready and I got the necessary vaccination. But God has another plan."

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News Network
June 23,2020

Bengaluru, Jun 23: Karnataka Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar's wife and daughter have tested positive for COVID-19, a day after his father was confirmed to have been infected with the virus.

"Test results of our family members have come. Unfortunately, my wife and daughter have tested positive for #Covid19 and are undergoing treatment," the minister tweeted on Tuesday.

He said he and his two sons have tested negative.

Sudhakar's father P N Keshava Reddy tested positive for coronavirus on Monday. He was admitted to the hospital with a cough and fever.

Earlier, the domestic help of the minister had tested coronavirus positive and was admitted to a hospital.

In April, Sudhakar was quarantined along with three other ministers for coming in contact with a journalist who was coronavirus positive.

Karnataka reported 249 new COVID-19 cases and five deaths on Monday taking the total number of cases in the state to 9,399 and the death toll to 142.

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News Network
March 22,2020

Mangaluru, Mar 22: A 22-year-old man from Bhatkal who had returned from Dubai on March 19 has tested positive for coronavirus.

Sindhu B Rupesh, Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada confrimed this today.

The youth, after landing at Mangaluru International Airport had got admitted to Govt Wenlock Hospital.

The total number of coronavirus positive patients in India rose to 342 on Sunday, as per the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

A total of 16,999 samples from 16,109 individuals have been tested for COVID-19 as of 10:00 am on March 22, as per ICMR data.

India reported two deaths today from the highly contagious virus - one each in Maharashtra and Bihar - taking the tally to six, as per state authorities.

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