New Delhi, May 21 (PTI) Amid a row over hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s plea for passport, the Union Home Ministry today said the request will be processed on “merit” as the travel document is the “right of every Indian citizen”.

Sources said the Ministries of Home Affairs and External Affairs will take a decision on the issue in consultation with the Jammu and Kashmir only after Geelani visits the nearest passport office for biometrics.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, meanwhile, said Geelani will have to write ‘Indian’ in the nationality column to apply for the passport.

“Passport is the right of every Indian citizen and is issued by the Ministry of External Affairs after following due process. In case any applicant applies for the passport, he should fulfill all the formalities before his case is processed. As and when the matter is referred to the Ministry of Home Affairs, we will process the case on merit,” a Home Ministry spokesperson said.

Jammu and Kashmir’s ruling coalition partners PDP and BJP are sharply divided over the Geelani passport issue.

PDP has said it would approach the Centre for giving passport to Geelani on “humanitarian” grounds while BJP has said he should not be given the travel document till he “apologises” for his anti-national activities.

Sources said Geelani and his family members want to travel to Jeddah and have applied for passports online.

But he has not yet visited the regional passport office in Srinagar to give his biometric data and clicking the photograph. As per the new rules, an applicant must visit the passport office in person to give biometric details and click the photograph.

Sources said after Geelani visits the passport office to complete the formalities, his application will be sent to the Ministries of Home and External Affairs for their comments as he falls in ‘prior security clearance’ category for issuing of a passport.

The Ministries, then, in consultation with the Jammu and Kashmir government, would take a final decision on granting the passport to him. .

Mumbai, May 21 (PTI) In a case smacking of religious discrimination, a young MBA graduate was declined employment in a diamond export company for being a Muslim, prompting the National Commission for Minorities to seek an explanation from the business house.

The alleged incident also drew criticism from the Centre’s BJP-led government, which said religious discrimination cannot be allowed.

Management graduate Zeshan Ali Khan had applied for an opening in the company on May 19 and, according to him, he received a response within 15 minutes which said they hired only non-Muslim candidates.

“Thanks for your application. We regret to inform you that we hire only non-Muslim candidates,” the company said in response to his application.

“I was looking for a job, I came to know about a recruitment drive taking place at Hare Krishna Exports Pvt LTD, one of the leading exports houses of the country. I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to start my career with them.

“I applied for a job day before yesterday in the evening at 5:45 PM and within 15 minutes I get a reply from them that we regret to inform you, we don’t hire Muslims. We only hire non-Muslim candidates. I was quite shocked when I read about this, I took a screen shot of it and posted it on Facebook,” he said.

“At a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting foreign countries and inviting them for investment and pushing ahead the ‘Make in India’ campaign, the leading export houses are rejecting candidates for their religion,” he said.

Even as his social media posts triggered an outrage against the company, it sent a regret mail to Khan, blaming a trainee in its HR team with no decision-making powers for the “blunder”.

“It was a blunder and personal mess created by one of our trainees who has no decision making power. We have 61 employees in our office here including one Muslim in the HR team,” Hari Krishna Exports Private Ltd said in the mail.

NCM chairperson Naseem Ahmed said, “We just received a petition this morning and as per our set procedure we will call for the comments of the respondent company and based on their response we will decide our course of action.

“If there is any truth in this, it is unfortunate. An inquiry should be conducted,” he said.

Reacting to the controversy, Minister of state for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, “A person’s caste, region or religion cannot be a demerit.

“Discrimination on the basis of religion is neither allowed by our system nor the Constitution. If there has been case in which he (Zeeshan) was denied or fired from the job only on the basis of his religion, then I feel its not right,” Naqvi said.

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Mumbai, May 20 (PTI) Veteran actress Shabana Azmi has expressed her disapproval over the Cannes Film Festival’s practice of only allowing women in heels at the gala.

The 64-year-old actress, who has attended the festival in the past and also served as a jury member, said she was shocked to read reports that women in flats were denied entry at the festival.

“Shocking report that Cannes bans flats on red carpet! Director of ‘Amy’, Asif Kapadia says his wife was given rough time too. Unacceptable surely,” Azmi posted on twitter.

Earlier Hollywood actress Emily Blunt had also criticised the Festival’s reported practice though festival director Thierry Fr?maux had denied that there was any such rule.

Mumbai, May 20 (PTI) State Bank of India today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with e-commerce player Amazon to develop payment and commerce solutions for customers and small businesses.

“Amazon is a very large company in the digital commerce space. We have a very large group of customers who could benefit by getting connected with this platform. The idea of the MoU is that we can try and give customers a good experience in both buying and selling,” SBI Chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya told reporters here today.

She said the bank is working on ways to enrich customers’ payment experience and opening up the windows of e-commerce to its SME customers through this tie-up.

Amazon India Vice President and Country Manager Amit Agarwal said, “In SBI, we have a fantastic partner whom customers and businesses trust through long-standing relationships, sometimes over generations. Moreover, SBI shares Amazon’s philosophy of building customer trust and investing for the long term.”

The SBI, country’s largest lender, will also provide loans to SME customers who supply products to Amazon to help them increase their operations.

“Amazon has lot of SMEs who sell products on Amazon.

Their products are very good but they are not able to scale because they don’t have that kind of financing. Can we look at something like that to see how they can scale as we are into the business of financing,” Bhattacharya said.

The bank may also look at selling its financial products on Amazon in near future, she said, without giving further details.

She said the bank is open for similar kinds of tie-ups with other e-commerce players.

When asked about his views on media report about big retailers demanding level playing field in FDI norms as given to e-commerce players, Agarwal said, “There are many sellers on our platform which are offline players and are of different sizes. Our focus is how do we offer massive selection and great prices to consumers all over India and give them fast and reliable delivery.

“These kinds of innovations are only possible because of partnerships. So, I don’t even understand that question because I am giving ideas where offline sellers are thriving on our platforms.”

Bhattacharya said when a sector is growing there is a need for investment to help it grow.

“Therefore, that investment has to come from somewhere, whether it comes from outside or within India. But the fact of the matter is that investment has to be there,” she said.

Colombo, May 20 (PTI) Sri Lanka will begin next month its domestic probe into the alleged human rights violations during the final stages of decades-long war with the LTTE to meet the UN deadline, President Maithripala Sirisena said today.

“We will start the work of the local mechanism by next month,” he said.

The probe would be conducted in line with the local laws, Sirisena told reporters.

Sirisena said that his government would welcome UN Human Rights Council guidance on its own mechanism.

“The guilty would be dealt with local laws,” he said.

The Sirisena government, which unseated long-time strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa in the January polls, pledged a credible domestic mechanism rather than the UN rights body dictated international mechanism to investigate alleged war crimes committed by both government troops and the LTTE during the military conflict in 2009.

The new government is of the view that since Sri Lanka is not a signatory to the Rome statute on international jurisdiction to war crimes, the island would execute justice through its national independent judicial mechanism.

The former Rajapaksa regime was subjected to three successive UNHRC resolutions which called for an international investigation into rights violations.

Rajapaksa drew international condemnation over his refusal to investigate alleged military abuses. His government had refused to cooperate citing it as an attack on Sri Lanka’s sovereignty.

The UN, backed by the US, has been investigating possible war crimes during the conflict for more than a year. In February however, the UN postponed its resolution at the government’s request to allow more time for Sri Lanka to complete its own investigation.

Sirisena said it was mandatory for Sri Lanka to show progress by Septembe

New Delhi, May 20 (PTI) Many mountaineers have served with great distinction during Kargil conflict and they continue to defend country’s highest frontiers with courage and fortitude, President Pranab Mukherjee said here today.

Addressing golden jubilee celebrations of India’s first historic climb of Mt Everest in 1965, he hoped that Indian mountaineers will help in rebuilding lives of those affected by earthquake in Nepal.

“Over the years our mountaineers have distinguished themselves not only by scaling the highest peaks but also as brave soldiers of the gallant armed forces which have included the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

“Many of them have served with great distinction during the Kargil conflict and continue to defend our highest frontiers with courage and with fortitude,” the President said.

In May 1999, India and Pakistan, in their most serious military engagement since 1971, clashed in Kargil area of Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir after militants backed by Pakistan’s Northern Light Infantry occupied the mountain peaks of the region.

He said the majesty and the mystique of the mighty Himalayas have always had a special place in the hearts of the people of India.

“Only a few weeks back the Himalayan nation of Nepal was rocked by one of the most devastating earthquakes in the history of the region causing large scale damage to life and property of the people.

“I am certain that Indian mountaineers who have been enthusiastically going to the Himalayas for climbing, will use the same enthusiasm in the rebuilding of the lives of those affected by this great tragedy,” Mukherjee said.

Jammu, May 20 (PTI) Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his foreign visits, Congress today asked him to spell out how the country has benefitted from his tours as it questioned the decision to extend USD 1 billion to Mongolia.

Sarcastically describing Modi as “Maharaj” (King), Congress spokesman Raj Babbar said he “should come out with a white paper about the benefits and good things that have happened to India with regard to his foreign trips starting from Australia, Canada, Germany, China and Mongolia and Seoul now.”

Accusing the Prime Minister of practising “self-centred politics”, he said, “We should know how India has been benefitted from the foreign trips of the Prime Minister.

People of the country want to know that.”

Babbar said Modi is behaving virtually like a King and delivering sermons as if everything has happened in India because of him.

Without taking the name of Modi, he said, “my way or highway used to be the theory in the West where Mafias used to shoot and throw those persons on highway who did not agree with them.”

He is deciding who among the Ministers will speak on which issues despite being the Ministers of Particularly department.

Referring to comments of ruling NDA ally Shiv Sena that while Modi has given funds to Mongolia, farmers are starving in Maharashtra, Babbar said, “the PM has been given right kind of advice by the coalition partner.”

The Congress spokesman said, “he (PM) has given funds to Mongolia from the earning of the state exchequer of the UPA period. This government has hardly be able to generate resources till now”.

He added that “granting funds to Mongolia is a good thing.

But at the same time, the amount he has given to Mongolia is estimated at Rs 22,500 to Rs 30,000 per citizen. But in Maharashtra a farmer is forced to commit suicide for he fails to repay an amount of Rs 10,000 loan.

New Delhi, May 20 (PTI) In what is claimed to be the first such case in the world, Indian surgeons have removed a kidney tumour weighing 5.018 kg from a patient suffering from kidney cancer along with dissection of the lungs.

“The patient’s right kidney had bloated 35 times the normal size making it the world’s biggest ever kidney tumour on record as per the medical literature. The previous record was removal of a 2.5kg (5.5lb) tumour by doctors at Sir Gangaram hospital,” said Dr M D Ray, consultant at department of surgical oncology, AIIMS.

The patient, 66-year-old K L Das, a resident of Darbhanga who has been living in Delhi for last 25 years, had approached doctors at AIIMS with a huge mass in the right side of the abdomen with discomfort and heaviness.

“The mass was rapidly progressing for the last two and three months and the cancer had spread to the lungs. Surgery was the only option left before it spread to other parts of the body,” said Ray.

So, after a per-anesthetic check up, Das was operated on May 14 through a long incision of almost 25 cm from chest to abdomen, a procedure which is called thoracoabdominal incision in medical terms. Chest was cut open and a part of rib was taken out.

“The tumour was compressed to the inferior vena cava (IVC) which is the main vein of the body. The surrounding structure was stuck to the mass so that had to be separated and another important gland that is adrenal gland was spared.

“That gland is important for fluid electrolyte balance and metabolism of food. Also, it produces the sex hormone,” explained Dr Ray.

Ultimately the mass was removed along with the part of the lungs to which the cancer had spread. Chest and abdomen were closed separately and respiratory muscles were repaired.

“It was five and half hour long procedure. After the operation, the patient was in the ICU for a day after which he was shifted to a general ward. He is doing well. He will be discharged tomorrow,” Dr Ray added.

Mumbai, May 20 (PTI) The Bombay High Court today held that citizens have a fundamental right to good roads and it is the state government’s statutory obligation to provide roads which are free of potholes.

The observation was made by a division bench of justices A S Oka and C V Bhadang which passed a detailed order on a PIL highlighting the poor condition of roads in the state and incidents of motorists losing their lives due to potholes- ridden roads.

“It is high time that all concerned clearly understand that the right to have properly maintained roads is a part of fundamental rights guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution of India and in the event any loss is caused due to its violation, the citizens have a right to seek compensation,” the court said.

It directed authorities like BMC, Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), Mumbai Port Trust and others which have control over roads in the city to ensure that the potholes are repaired prior to the onset of monsoon and submit compliance report by July 6.

“All municipal corporations shall maintain all roads within its jurisdiction in good and proper condition. It shall be their responsibility to ensure that potholes and ditches are properly filled, and at the time of any repair work a board shall be displayed giving details of the name of agency doing the digging work and the time period within which the work shall be completed,” the court said.

The court further held that the authorities’ excuse every year that the roads are bad due to heavy monsoon cannot be accepted as every year the monsoon in the city is heavy.

The court also directed all civic bodies in the state, the MMDRA, MSRDC and Mumbai Port Trust to provide a mechanism to enable citizens to file complaints about poor condition of roads.

“The facility of receiving complaints shall be made throughout the year. Websites shall be designed in such a way that citizens can upload photos of the roads and also track their complaints,” the court said.

“Unless there is an effective mechanism provided to the citizens to file complaints they will not be in a position to enforce their constitutional as well as legal right to have well maintained streets,” the court said.

The court will hear the matter on July 10

New Delhi, May 20(PTI) Escalating his confrontation with the AAP government, Lt Governor Najeeb Jung today cancelled all appointments made by it in the last four days, asserting he was the sole authority in matters of ordering transfer and posting of bureaucrats.

In a letter to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the Lt Governor challenged AAP government’s order to bureaucrats not to follow his directives without securing approval from the CM or any other minister, maintaining he has the power to decide on transfers and postings.

Jung also contested AAP government’s instructions to the officials to not route files through his office, saying he has been vested with power to decide on major policy issues.

In the letter, Jung explained constitutional provisions and norms laid down in Government of NCT of Delhi Act and Transaction of Business rules of the Delhi Government, and asked the AAP government to follow the rules and procedures.

Jung said orders pertaining to transfers and postings by AAP govt in the last four days were not valid as they did not have his approval.

In a directive on Monday, Kejriwal had asked the bureaucrats including the Chief Secretary to first consult him and other Ministers before acting directions from the LG.

Yesterday, both Kejriwal and Jung had taken their bitter fight to President Pranab Mukherjee, accusing each other of violating the Constitution and overstepping their respective jurisdictions.

Today, Kejriwal asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allow the city government to function “independently” and accused the Centre of trying to run the Delhi administration through Jung.

In a letter to Modi, Kejriwal mentioned about the posting and transfers made by Jung and said the elected government must have a say in distribution of work to senior officials.

The appointment of Shakuntala Gamlin as acting chief secretary last week had tgriggered a full-blown war between the AAP government and Jung with Kejriwal alleging that the LG was trying to take over the administration. Each side has since appointed some officials in senior positions which were declared void by the other.