CURRENT AFFAIRS
01 October 2020
NATIONAL NEWS:
A) All acquitted in the Babri Masjid demolition case.
A special CBI court in Uttar Pradesh today held that the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992 was not planned but involved “anti-social elements” who got agitated and caused the destruction. It acquitted all the 32 persons accused by the CBI of a conspiracy to bring down the mosque, including BJP leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, and Uma Bharti. The court also held that the audio and video evidence produced by the CBI did not establish conspiracy charges. It further said that the audio of the speeches was not clear. There is no evidence that the accused got together in common cause with anti-social Kar Sewaks to bring down the disputed structure. The leaders seated on stage and those near the Ram Chabutara, VHP leader Ashok Singhal and BJP’s Vijaya Raje Scindia, did not suspect that a section of the Kar Sewaks will get agitated. The mosque demolition was preceded by a series of ‘Rath Yatras’ led by L.K. Advani, whose campaign for a Ram temple catapulted the BJP to the national spotlight. The CBI alleged that Advani, Joshi, Uma Bharti, and Kalyan Singh, the chief minister of the U.P. at the time, were present near the mosque and delivered speeches that instigated the crowds to carry out the demolition. The CBI will decide on filing an appeal against the special court verdict after consulting the legal department, its counsel said.
B) Verdict runs counter to SC judgment, constitutional spirit: Congress.
Reacting to the Babri verdict, the Congress on 30 September said that it runs counter to a Supreme Court judgment and the constitutional spirit. Congress’s chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said every Indian who has innate faith in the Constitution and in the spirit of communal amity and brotherhood expects and urges the central and state governments to file an appeal against the decision of the special CBI court. Last year on 9 November, the Supreme Court has pronounced its Judgement that the demolition of Babri Masjid was clear illegality and an egregious violation of the rule of law, Surjewala told reporters. But the special court exonerated all the accused.
C) Supreme Court refuses to defer civil services prelims.
On 30 September, the Supreme Court has refused to defer the civil services preliminary examination which was scheduled for October 4 but asked the authorities to consider a possible concession for those aspirants who are unable to take their last shot at the exam due to the Covid-19 pandemic. A Bench led by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar asked the authorities to ensure that candidates with admit cards are able to find suitable accommodation near the exam centers/sub-centers. The court said security and health protocols should be strictly followed. The examination is scheduled to be held at 72 centers (2,569 sub-centers) across the country.
D) Crime against SCs/STs saw a rise of 7% and 26% in 2019: NCRB.
Crime against Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) saw an increase of over 7% and 26% respectively in 2019 compared to 2018, according to the annual Crime in India 2019 report which was published on 30 September by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). A total of 45,935 cases were registered for committing a crime against SCs, showing an increase of 7.3% over 2018 when 42,793 such cases were recorded. At 11,829 cases, Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of crimes against SCs in 2019, followed by 6,794 cases in Rajasthan, and 6,544 cases in Bihar, the report said. Rajasthan topped the list with 554 cases, in the number of cases of rape of women belonging to Schedule Casts, followed by Uttar Pradesh at 537, and Madhya Pradesh at 510 cases.
E)COVID Watch: Numbers and Developments.
The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 62,93,194 with the death toll at 98,581. The Centre on 30 September has announced fresh guidelines for Unlock 5.0, with relaxations allowing for the reopening of movie theatres, swimming pools, entertainment parks, and educational institutions. Movie theatres and multiplexes are permitted to open from October 15 with 50% seating; Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for this will be issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. States and Union Territories can open schools and colleges in a staggered manner post-October 15. B2B exhibitions will be permitted in open areas outside containment zones after October 15. Swimming pools used by sportspersons can be opened after October 15. Entertainment parks and similar places will be permitted to open after October 15, with SOPs to be issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. There will no longer be any restrictions on the inter-State or intra-State movement of persons, and no special permit will be required for this purpose.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
A) German Chancellor accuses China of ‘cruel treatment’ of minorities.
On 30 September, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has accused China of poor and cruel treatment of minorities and underlined deep concerns over the crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong. In a speech at the Bundestag, she vowed to bring up rights issues and Germany’s worries over the situation in the former British colony in any future dialogue with Beijing. She said they have to bring up their different opinions in talks, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union. That’s why they have flagged up their deep concern about the development in Hong Kong. The principle of one country, two systems stands but again and again, it’s being undermined. They will bring that up, as well as the poor and cruel treatment in part of the rights of the minorities in China. She did not name the minorities bearing the brunt of poor treatment but activists have accused China over the mass internment of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang. Hong Kong was guaranteed autonomy under the One Country, Two Systems deal agreed ahead of its 1997 handover from Britain. But critics say the security law, imposed following months of large and often violent protests calling for greater democratic freedoms and accountability, spells the end of the agreement.
B) As fighting rages on, Armenia, Azerbaijan rejects talks.
Armenia and Azerbaijan vowed to keep fighting and rejected international calls for negotiations on 30 September as clashes over the disputed Nagorny Karabakh region raged for a fourth day. The confirmed death toll surpassed 100 people including civilians and both sides are claiming to have inflicted heavy losses on opposing forces. Baku and Yerevan have ignored mounting international pressure for a ceasefire, as fears grow that the conflict could escalate into an all-out war and draw in regional powers like Turkey and Russia. Moscow, which has a military pact with Armenia but also good ties with Azerbaijan, has called for an end to the fighting and also offered to host negotiations. Meanwhile, Turkey said that on 29 September it was fully ready to help Azerbaijan recover Nagorny Karabakh. Yerevan is claiming that Turkey, an ally of Azerbaijan, is providing direct military support for Baku. It said that a Turkish F-16 flying in support of Baku’s forces had downed an Armenian SU-25 warplane, but Ankara and Baku denied the claim. French President Emmanuel Macron on 30 September condemned what he called Turkey’s reckless and dangerous statements backing Baku. But Turkey fired back, by accusing Mr. Macron of supporting Armenia’s occupation of the region. Russia also called on Turkey to stop proclaiming support for Azerbaijan and to work toward a diplomatic solution to the conflict.
