Morning Brief: Muslim Law Board To Open Sharia ‘Courts’ In All Districts Of India; Congress Facing Alliance Blues Ahead Of 2019 Polls; PM Modi To Unveil Statue Of Unity On 31 October

Good morning, dear reader! Here’s your morning news and views brief for today.

Muslim Law Board To Open Sharia Courts In All Districts Of India

To resolve issues in accordance with Islamic laws, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) is planning to open Darul-Qaza (Sharia courts) in all districts of the country. The proposal is likely to come up for discussion at a meeting of AIMPLB, which is considered to be the highest decision making body on Muslim affairs. At least 40 such courts are operational at present in Uttar Pradesh, senior AIMPLB member Zafaryab Zilani told the media late on Sunday.

According to reports, individuals could bring matrimonial and property disputes before such centres. Apart from cities in Uttar Pradesh, such centres have also been opened in Guwahai, Patna and Hyderabad, taking the total number close to 50. In 2010, a man named Vishwa Madan Lochan had petitioned the Supreme Court to quash these centres on the grounds that they clashed with the judiciary.

Alliance Blues For Congress In States Ahead Of 2019

Ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the country’s grand old party is facing problems in stitching alliances with regional parties. In West Bengal, a section of the Congress’ state unit wants to form an alliance with the Left Front, while the other section wants to go to polls with the Trinamool Congress (TMC). According to reports, if the Congress decides to go with the Left Front, some senior leaders of the party are likely to switch to the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC.

In Delhi, the state unit of the party has refused to form an alliance with the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party. However, party President Rahul Gandhi is yet to take a call on the issue. Similarly, in Punjab, where it is the ruling party, the Congress state leadership is totally against any truck with the AAP. In Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the party has not been successful in stitching an alliance the Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party to prevent the division of the anti-BJP vote.

Modi To Unveil Statue Of Unity On 31 October

The Statue of Unity will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 31 October, the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has said after reviewing the progress of work on the memorial in Kevadiya near Sardar Sarovar Dam. Around 80 per cent of the work on the statue has been completed, the Chief Minister told the media.

The 182-metre tall statue is being built with 25,000 tonnes of iron and 90,000 tonnes of cement. When complete, the Statue of Unity will be almost twice the height of the Statue of Liberty in the United States and nearly 100 feet higher than the 500-feet high Spring Temple Buddha in China. It is being constructed on a river island that will be connected to the mainland via a long bridge.

SC To Give Verdict On Nirbhaya Rape Case Review Plea

The Supreme Court will today pronounce its verdict in the 2012 Nirbhaya gang rape case. The convicts, who have been sentenced to death, had filed a review petition in the apex court. The bench comprising of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice Banumathi and Justice Ashok Bhushan had heard the review plea and is scheduled to give the judgement at 2 pm. The apex court, in its 2017 verdict, had upheld the capital punishment awarded to them by the Delhi High Court.

The review plea was filed by Mukesh Kumar stating he had been falsely implicated in the case. Kumar had said he was not present when the crime took place and told the court that the police forcibly took vakalatnama from the petitioner. The apex court had allowed the other three convicts, Pawan Kumar Gupta, Akshay Singh and Vinay Sharma to file review pleas. One of the accused in the case, Ram Singh, had allegedly committed suicide in the Tihar jail.

16 People From ‘Christian Outfit’ Arrested For Trying To Convert Tribals

In Jharkhand’s Dumka, the police have arrested 16 people "associated with a Christian organisation" for trying to convert tribal villagers. These people were arrested two days after the local police rescued at least 25 "religious preachers", including the 16 accused, from "angry" tribal villagers. The police have seized multiple posters and copies of religious books from the accused.

In his complaint, the head of village Phoolpahari, Ramesh Hembrom, said he “had been objecting to the attempt of these missionaries to convince villagers to embrace Christianity over the past few months”. The police have said they are "trying to unearth the channel behind the conversion attempts.

UP: Compulsory Retirement For Inefficient Government Employees

The Uttar Pradesh government is considering ‘compulsory retirement’ for its employees who are aged 50 or above and are found inefficient. According to reports, all government employees aged 50 or above will be considered for screening. To make sure that the order is implemented, the government has asked all its departments to complete screening of employees by 31 July.

The move, initiated by Yogi government, has not gone down well with around 16 lakh employees. The president of UP Secretariat Employees' Association Yadavendra Mishra has said the move is aimed at harassing employees. "It will not be tolerated," Mishra was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

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How The Vanishing Lakes Of Bengaluru Can Be Restored

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