Human Rights

Chandigarh, May 24 (PTI) Punjab farmers in large numbers are marching towards Delhi borders, said state BKU leaders in the wake of a call given to observe May 26 as a "black day" to mark six months of the agitation against the Centre's farm laws.

Farmers are protesting at the Delhi's Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders since late November, demanding the repeal of the laws, which the Union government claimed is for their benefit.

No talks have been been held over the issue between the Centre and the agitating farmers since January 22.

Ayodhya, May 24 (PTI) The Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation has submitted to the Ayodhya Development Authority the building plan of the mosque, for which the Supreme Court had allotted five acres in the Babri Masjid-Ramjanmabhoomi land dispute case.

The mosque for which the building plan was submitted for approval will be constructed at Ayodhya's Dhannipur village.

Ahmedabad, May 24 (PTI) A Dalit man was attacked in Viramgam taluka in Gujarat's Ahmedabad allegedly by 11 people for sporting a long mustache, and three people have been arrested so far in the incident, police said on Monday.

Suresh Vaghela (22), who belongs to a Scheduled Caste community, in his complaint, has said 11 members of an Other Backward Classes (OBC) group attacked him for sporting a mustache, Deputy Superintendent of Police D S Vyas said.

"Vaghela is undergoing treatment in a hospital. We have arrested three people so far," the Deputy SP added.

Guwahati, May 24 (PTI) Defending the proposed cow protection bill in Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the ruling BJP on Monday said beef should not be consumed in places where Hindus live and the bovine is worshipped.

During a discussion on the motion of thanks on the Governor's address in Assam Assembly, the opposition AIUDF feared that the propsed bill will encourage incidents of mob lynching like those in the "cow belt" in northern India.

New Delhi, May 24 (PTI) The CPI(M) on Monday alleged that the central government was using the Delhi Police to "intimidate" Twitter for "political purposes"

The Delhi Police's Special Cell on Monday served a notice to Twitter India in connection with a probe into a complaint about an alleged 'COVID toolkit' and asked it to share information based on which it had classified a related tweet by BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra as "manipulated media", officials said.

24 May 2021; MEMO: Israeli Settlement Minister Tzachi Hanegbi has said that Israel will carry out preemptive strikes on Hamas, the Times of Israel reported.

Hanegbi, who is a senior aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told Channel 13 that Israel will stop waiting for Hamas to restock its rocket arsenal.

24 May 2021; MEMO: An Israeli security source revealed yesterday that occupation forces have left the Karm Abu Salem and Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossings closed as part of a new policy on dealing with the Gaza Strip, news agencies reported.

The Israeli security source reported that the two crossings would remain closed until further notice, pointing out that occupation authorities have been blocking the entry of any food or other commercial goods to Gaza.

24 May 2021; MEMO: The Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture today warned of a "catastrophe" in the Gaza Strip due to a shortage of animal feed as a result of the Israeli blockade on the territory.

"A major disaster will hit the animal production sector in Gaza due to the lack of fodder needed to feed the animals," the ministry said in a statement.

It said that the shortage of feed has caused the death of thousands of poultry and livestock in the Palestinian territory.

24 May 2021; MEMO: Israeli Army Chief of Staff, Aviv Kochavi, has recommended that funding being sent to rebuilt Gaza after Israel's 11-day bombing campaign be sent to the Palestinian Authority (PA), Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported.

24 May 2021; MEMO: Former Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and Palestine, Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, said yesterday that the Israeli occupation allowed Jewish settlers to raid Al-Aqsa Mosque in an attempt to prove Israel was not defeated in Gaza.

Speaking to the media, Sabri said: "Settlers' raids are being carried out under heavy Israeli military and police protection."