*16 DEC. 2019: 18 Rabius Sani 1441:
Vol: 12, No: 84*
*jAMIA AMU CAA, NRC PROTESTS*
After Jamia, anti-Citizenship Act protests spread to campuses
country-wide
New Delhi: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra today joined growing
protests against police crackdown on students of Jamia Millia Islamia and
Aligarh Muslim University. Students from campuses around the country have come
out in strong support of counterparts from Jamia and AMU after Sunday evening's
violence over the new citizenship law. Cops in both Delhi and Aligarh have been
accused of using excessive force during protests that turned violent. The
clashes left a total of nearly 50 students injured and the 100 Jamia students -
who had been detained after cops barged into the campus without permission -
were only released after a massive show of strength by students outside Delhi
Police Headquarters throughout Sunday night. Earlier today the Supreme Court,
responding to a request to take note of the cops' actions, said
"rioting" must stop. The top court will hear the case tomorrow.College
students in Tamil Nadu joined the protest on Monday afternoon with members of
SFI gathering outside the Chennai Suburban Railway Terminal. In addition,
students of the prestigious IIT Madras took out a procession inside their
campus, as did students of city-based Loyola College. In Tiruvannamalai, which
is around 200 kilometres from state capital Chennai, students of Government
Arts College held protests and shouted slogans.In neighbouring Karnataka,
thousands of people protested against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment)
Act, calling it a new "freedom struggle". Students from Jai
University, IISc and National Law School University gathered at Bangalore Town
Hall at 4 pm.Early this morning students from Uttar Pradesh's Nadwatul Ulama
Institute threw stones at cops who tried to stop them from leaving the campus
for a protest march. Hundreds of them pushed against the main gates as cops
kept them firmly shut. Elsewhere in the state the Integral University was shut
for three days after students launched a protest.In Mumbai students and faculty
of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) boycotted classes and field
work today. Students of Mumbai University too planned protests.In other parts
of the country, students of Banaras Hindu University in Uttar Pradesh and
Chandigarh University have planned protests against the amended Citizenship
Act.The police action on students was "an attack on the soul of the
nation", Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said today. Speaking after a two-hour
silent protest at Delhi's iconic India Gate to show solidarity with the
students, Ms Gandhi Vadra launched a scathing attack on the government,
accusing it of impairing the constitution.Protests by students and others have
erupted across the country over the new citizenship law that makes it easier
for non-Muslims from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh to become Indian
citizens. Critics say the law discriminates against Muslims and is against
secular principles of the constitution.NDTV
Jamia Residents Keep Shutters Down, Block Delhi-Noida Highway in Protest
against Citizenship Law, Police Crackdown on Varsity
NEW DELHI: Shops and business establishments in Shaheen Bagh, Abul Fazal
Enclave, Batla House, Jogabai and Zakir Nagar areas in Jamia Nagar remained
closed for the entire day on Monday in protest against the police action on
Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) students protesting against the Citizenship
(Amendment) Act. More than 200 students were injured in police action in Jamia
campus and many of them were injured seriously in police beating. The locals
showing solidarity with Jamia students over the CAA also held dharna on the
busy Delhi-Noida highway, near Kalindi Kunj-Shaheen Bagh, blocking vehicular
traffic. All the traffic from NOIDA to Delhi was diverted via DND flyover owing
to the dharna at Kalindi Kunj-Shaheen Bagh.On Sunday evening, the protest by
Jamia students and local residents had turned violent with several buses and
two-wheelers set on fire. There are conflicting reports about who actually
torched vehicles. Following the incident, a huge number of policemen and CRPF
personnel barged into the campus of the university and brutally assaulted
students. The security men also fired teargas shells inside the library where
students were studying. Locals and students also charged that some cops entered
the mosque also and beat up students there. The students have been protesting
against the new citizenship law that discriminates with Muslims on the ground
of religion.To protest against the police action and citizenship law, residents
in the Muslim-dominated neighbourhood of Jamia Millia kept their shops and
offices shut down from dawn to dusk on Monday. They did it without any call by
any political outfit or religious group.There was very thin vehicular traffic
on the internal roads in Jamia Nagar areas including Shaheen Bagh, Abul Fazal
Enclave, Batla House, Zakir Nagar and Ghaffar Manzil. There was almost 100 per
cent shut down in these areas.To protest against the citizenship law and
upcoming NRC updation, hundreds of residents blocked the Delhi-Noida highway
near Shaheen Bagh-Kalindi Kunj bus stop.The protesters included men and women,
old and young.On the other hand, hundreds of students of Jamia and local
residents demonstrated on road near the main gate of the university against the
Sunday action of the police. They were demanding probe into the incident and
action against the cops for entering the premises without permission and
beating the students.indiatomorrow
Bullets Injuries To Jamia
Protesters
New Delhi: Two persons who were part of yesterday's protest march in
Delhi -- admitted to the Safdarjung
Hospital allegedly with bullet injuries -- had been hit by splinters from
bursting tear gas shells, the Delhi Police said, strongly denying that any
firearms were used to quell mob. Joint Commissioner of Police Devesh Srivastava
said, "We have not shot anyone and
we do not have rubber bullet".The hospital's medical superintendent
had earlier told NDTV that they had bullet injuries.The protest against the new
Citizenship law - organised by the students of Jamia Millia Islamia -- had culminated in a pitched battle with the crowd.Unconfirmed
videos of people with alleged bullet injuries at hospitals had been doing the
rounds in social media after yesterday's violence. But Delhi Police, which was
accused of using excessive force against the Jamia students, today
categorically denied using firearms. "There was no firing, no casualties
in Jamia violence," MS Randhawa, Public Relations Officer of Delhi Police,
told reporters at a press conference this afternoon. "There was no firing
from our side. Our referral hospital is AIIMS, we did not get these people admitted.
We're trying to find out how they reached Safdarjung (hospital) and also the
nature of their injuries. We are probing further. There are some things that
cannot be shared right now," he said. Splinters from tear gas shells when
they burst have been known to be lethal in the past. In some cases, they have
even caused deaths.NDTV
Police went berserk at AMU on Sunday, claim doctors and eyewitnesses
Eyewitness accounts from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) suggest that a
large posse of policemen, led by the DIG, was waiting outside the main gate of
the university on Sunday evening even before the students came out to protest
against police brutality in Jamia.A group of AMU students assembled inside the
campus near the main gate and began shouting slogans. Soon thereafter a few
stones were hurled at the policemen outside. And as if on cue, the men in
uniform rushed in, firing rubber bullets and caning students.Aligarh SSP Akash
Kulhari had last week told the students opposing the Citizenship Amendment Bill
(now Act) that they were free to protest peacefully and ‘democratically’ inside
the campus. Why then did the Rapid Action force and policemen rush inside?
Students claimed that stones were hurled at the police by agents provocateurs
and demanded that an independent inquiry be conducted.The role of the police at
AMU has also come under a cloud because of the accounts given by several
doctors, who were prevented from reaching the hospital in the campus. Said Dr
Azimuddin Malik, “ My car sported Red Cross symbol, I had a stethoscope around
my neck and a white doctor’s gown but I was stopped at the main gate; and
police refused to allow me entry though I pleaded that I was responding to an
emergency call.”Dr Malik and his fiancée, also a doctor, were forced to take a
long detour through Jamalpur to reach the AMU hospital. He saw several police
vehicles take the same route to get inside the campus.Around 60 AMU students
had sustained serious injuries, doctors confirmed. Some had head injuries and
were bleeding profusely. Others had their limbs broken. The Students’ Union
President Salman Imtiaz had been hit by rubber bullets and was gasping for
breath.Doctors told this correspondent that students had been assaulted
mercilessly. “Not even animals are assaulted like this,” said a doctor on
condition of anonymity.One of the injured students, Nadeem, claimed he was in
the library when he heard a commotion outside. When he came out of the library,
he saw policemen chasing a group of students. “Whoever they found on the way,
the policemen pounced on them. I too was not spared though I was not among the
protestors,” he added.Another doctor told NH, “As a doctor, I can say with
authority that the policemen did not act with any restraint. They were clearly
unconcerned where they were hitting and what could be the consequences.”Police
entered the hostels too at AMU and dragged the students studying in their rooms
out. They were particularly severe with senior students staying in hostels in
the Macdonald area. Clearly the policemen had been given directions, the eyewitness
accounts held, and had done their homework.Demand for an inquiry was growing in
Aligarh with students and faculty members pointing out that the police did not
spare AMU security guards, the Vice Chancellor’s driver and even the
elderly.nationalheraldindia
AMU: 21 held after clashes between students, police; hostels being
vacated
As many as 21 people have been arrested in connection with the clashes
between AMU students and police over the Citizenship Amendment Act and orders
issued to completely vacate all hostels of the university, officials said on
Monday."We have arrested 21 persons in the matter. Named FIR has been
lodged against 56 persons and others unidentified, SSP Aligarh Akash Kulhary
told PTI over the phone from Aligarh.AMU Proctor Afifullah khan said no student
will be allowed to remain in the hostels as strict orders have been issued to
vacate all hostels completely.PTI
Aligarh Schools, Colleges to Remain Shut Tomorrow as Protests Against
Citizenship Law Flare Up
New Delhi: In view of the ongoing student protests against the amended
Citizenship Act, the district administration of Aligarh declared that all
schools, degree colleges and other educational institutions in the city will
remain closed on Dec. 16 and 17.news18
Police entered univ campus without permission, says Jamia VC Najma
Akhtar
Jamia Millia Islamia Vice-Chancellor Najma Akhtar on Monday asserted
that the varsity will not tolerate police presence on campus and demanded a
high-level inquiry into the crackdown on university students."Police
entered the campus without permission. We will not tolerate police presence on
campus. They scared our students with police brutality. There has been huge
damage to university property," Akhtar said at a press conference
here."We will file FIR on damage of property and police action on students,
we want high level inquiry. I will present facts to the HRD Minister," she
added.Akhtar said the university should not be targeted and its image should
not be maligned.PTI
After Jamia and AMU, Nadwa in Lucknow erupts in protest over citizenship
law
New Delhi:After Jamia Millia Islamia and AMU, violence broke out at
Nadwa college in Uttar Pradesh’s capital Lucknow over the new citizenship law.A
group of students Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama, or Nadwa college, had on Sunday
night attempted to come outside and reportedly raised slogans against the
arrest of Jamia students by Delhi Police. The teams of Uttar Pradesh Police
were rushed to the spot who along with the Nadwa administration took the students
inside.But on Monday morning, the number of protesters started swelling up and
the police had to close the gate of the college from outside.“There was stone
pelting for about 30 seconds when around 150 people had come out to protest and
raise slogans. The situation is normal now, students are going back to their
classrooms,” said Lucknow Superintendent of Police, Kalanidhi Naithani.The
students were raising slogans in support of students of Delhi’s Jamia
university, who clashed with the police on Sunday during a protest against the
amended citizenship law. Nadwa College was closed till January 5.hindustantimes
Students across country condemn Delhi Police action on Jamia counterparts,
Mamata holds mega rally against exclusionary law, Congress blames PM Narendra
Modi, Amit Shah for current situation
Guardians come out in support of students, say will not tolerate
atrocities on them
Parents and local guardians on Monday came out in support of students
protesting outside the Jamia Millia University against the police action during
a protest over the amended Citizenship Act a day earlier. Nationalheraldindia
Jamaat-e-Islami Hindi seeks judicial probe into police action against
students
Jamaat-e-Islami Hindi, an Islamic organisation, also condemned the
police action against the Jamia students. In a statement today, the body's
president Syed Sadatullah Hussaini said, "All this blatant violence was
carried out without the permission of the university authorities." Also
referring to the violence at Aligarh Muslim University, the body said, "We
demand an independent judicial probe of this incident and punitive action
against errant police personnel. We express our solidarity with the student community
who are fighting for their constitutionally guaranteed democratic right of
dissent and urge all justice-loving citizens of our country to support the
students of JMI, AMU and others in their fight for justice." Indian
Express
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind condemns cops role in Jamia, AMU
Amnesty slams police action against Jamia, AMU students
The Amnesty International India
on Monday slammed the police for its "violent" action against
students at Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi and Aligarh Muslim University (AMU)
protesting against the amended citizenship act.It said the allegations that the
police brutally beat up and sexually harassed Jamia students must be
investigated and those responsible prosecuted.The human rights body''s
executive director, Avinash Kumar, in a statement said the arrest of protesters
violate India''s obligations under international law, specifically the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to respect and
protect the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, set out in
Article 19 and Article 21 of that treaty."Students have the right to
protest. Violence against them cannot under any circumstance be
justified," he said, referring to media reports on police baton charge
against the protesting AMU students. PTI
'Grant Of Citizenship On Basis Of Religion Is Against Grain Of
Constitution' : Civil Rights Activists Move SC
Civil rights activists Harsh Mander, Aruna Roy, Nikhil Dey, Irfaan Habib
and Prabhat Patnaik have filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the
constitutional validity of the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act 2019.The
petitioners argue that the Act, which liberalizes and fast-tracks grant of
citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan,
promotes religion-based discrimination.
Kejriwal Joins List of Chief Ministers Opposing Citizenship Amendment
Act
New Delhi: Delhi’s Arvind Kejriwal has joined the list of chief
ministers to openly voice opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019.
Kejriwal told IANS that his party opposed the law as a Bill in parliament, and
will continue to oppose it even though it has been passed by both houses of
parliament.Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh had said in the Rajya Sabha that the
Bill violated the constitution, and could not be accepted. “I am opposing this
Bill as it is against the Constitution made by Babasaheb Ambedkar. It is
against the Preamble of the Constitution. It is against the India of the dreams
of Mahatma Gandhi and Bhagat Singh,” he had said.Kejriwal is not alone – a
number of opposition chief ministers have said that they oppose the law. So
far, West Bengal’s Mamata Banerjee, Kerala’s Pinarayi Vijayan, Punjab’s
Amarinder Singh, Madhya Pradesh’s Kamal Nath and Chhattisgarh’s Bhupesh Baghel
have said that they “will not allow” the amended law to be implemented in their
states.“BJP does what it knows best. They misguide people in the name of
religion and caste. The economy has gone down but there is no discussion on it
in the parliament. The prices of onions have gone in excess of Rs 150 but there
is no work on that front. They have also not done anything for the Hindu
community and only indulge in vote bank politics,” Baghel said about the new
law.
Caught on video: Cops assaulting women at Jamia protests
After a video emerged of police assaulting a group of protesters
comprising mainly women, two of those who were hit spoke to Indian Express
about the incident. They were at Alshifa hospital, where many of those injured
were being treated.Ayesha Renna, 22, a history student at Jamia Millia Islamia,
and Ladeeda Sakhaloon, 22, a BA Arabic student were among those who were seen
getting thrashed by policemen. They were part of the protests near NFC. Renna
said, “We were at the back of the group. Around 5.30 pm, we saw people at the
front running back and police charging towards us. We went inside the garage of
a house and stayed there. There were nine of us girls and one boy. The gate
couldn’t be closed because a car was blocking it. A few policemen surrounded us
outside and asked us to come out. They said they wouldn’t hit us. We refused
but suddenly one of them dragged the boy out and we were pulled out too. They
then started hitting all of us with lathis.” Sakhaloon reiterated Renna’s
allegations.
India’s diversity should be kept as it is: New French Ambassador
Emmanuel Lenain
New Delhi: Amid protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA),
newly-appointed French Ambassador to India Emmanuel Lenain Monday said the
country’s diversity should be kept “as it is”.Speaking to reporters in Delhi,
the French envoy said issues such as the CAA and the NRC are India’s “internal
matters”. He also expressed hope that the rule of law will ultimately prevail
in India and said France will always uphold “freedom of all religions”.theprint
PM Modi is distressed at ‘violent protests’ but voices no regret for
communal barb made in Jharkhand
The day after making the insidious and provocative statement that he and
others could make out the identity of protestors opposing the Citizenship
Amendment Act by the clothes they wear, Prime minister Narendra Modi finally
tweeted on Monday that he is distressed at the violent protests ‘ on CAA’ (
sic) which he added are unfortunate.Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the
statement in Dumka, Jharkhand on Sunday. He was quoted as saying, Congress
& their allies are creating a ruckus. They are doing arson because they did
not get their way. Those who are creating violence can be identified by their
clothes itself.”It triggered comments and memes with some pointing out that
policemen in uniform were seen on Sunday vandalising parked motorcycles in AMU
and unleashing violence and brutality against students at
Jamia.nationalheraldindia
Indian premier claims citizenship law 'not against any religion'
"I'm Not Even Muslim But Am At The Frontline": Jamia Student
Breaks Down
New Delhi: Students lay bleeding in the library and on roads and many
women hid in the bushes as police stormed the Jamia Millia Islamia University
in Delhi during violent protests against the new citizenship law, which have
spread to several campuses in the country."We thought Delhi is the safest
place for students, and this is a central university. I thought the university
is the safest place, nothing can happen to us. We cried all night. What is
happening," a woman student wept before TV cameras this morning. She said
she and many others were leaving the hostel."I don't feel safe in this
entire country. I don't know where I will go and get lynched. I don't know if
tomorrow my friends will be Indians."ndtv
‘Water, Not Fuel’: Delhi Cops on Accusations of Setting Bus Ablaze
Amid the Anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests in New Delhi's Jamia
Millia Islamia University, a video of the Delhi Police has gone viral where the
cops are claimed to be setting a DTC bus on fire. In the video where a two
wheeler already set on fire is lying next to an orange DTC bus, police
personnel are seen pouring what is claimed to be 'fuel' into the fire.The
police later told The Quint that they were instead trying to douse the
fire."We were carrying water in those (yellow containers). And those
particular buses haven't even been burnt. You can still see them parked,"
a police personnel said. The visuals have gone viral with many accusing the
police of setting fire to the bus to frame protesters.Delhi Deputy Chief
Minister Manish Sisodia also tweeted the visuals, accusing BJP of getting
police to set buses on fire as part of its “dirty politics”.Sisodia also
tweeted some photos from the protest site. "There should be an impartial
investigation into the violence that erupted during the protest against the
amended Citizenship Act," the deputy chief minister said in a tweet in
Hindi.The Quint
UN Rights Official Urges India to Scrap New Citizenship Law
GENEVA :Office of the UN’s top human rights official is urging India to
scrap its new Citizenship (Amendment) Act, which it says discriminates against
Muslims.Violent protests erupted in the Indian states of Assam and Tripura in
the wake of last week’s passage of India’s new citizenship law, killing three
people and Injuring many others, including police officers. UN human rights
office says it deplores the government’s brutal crackdown on those protesting the
enactment of the law, which it calls fundamentally discriminatory. The amended
legislation grants citizenship rights to six religious minorities fleeing
persecution in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. But human rights
spokesman, Jeremy Laurence, says the law does not extend the same protection to
Muslims.“The amended law would appear to undermine the commitment to equality
before the law enshrined in India’s constitution and India’s obligations under
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention for the
elimination of Racial Discrimination, to which India is a state party,” he
said. Laurence says India’s Citizenship Act could violate these international
covenants, which prohibit racial, ethnic or religious discrimination. voanews.com
Fact Check: BJP Shared Doctored Video to Paint AMU Students as
Anti-Hindu
A video of AMU students protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act
is being circulated on social media with a claim that they raised slogans
against Hindus. BJP Yuva Morcha vice president Santosh Ranjan Rai posted the
video with the message, “हिंदुओं की कब्र खुदेगी, AMU की छाती पर.यह à¤ारत में सुनने को मिल रहा है à¤ाई (The grave of Hindus will be dug on
the chest of AMU. We are getting to listen this in India -translated)”. With
the help of a keyword search on Twitter, Alt News found the same video with
better audio and video quality. Listening to the video posted below, it becomes
clear that the claim about the students raising anti-Hindu slogans is false.
They were actually raising slogans against Hindutva, Savarkar, BJP, Brahminism
and casteism.Here, the students can be heard saying, “हिंदुत्व की कब्र खुदेगी, AMU की छाती पर, सावरकर की कब्र खुदेगी, AMU की छाती पर, ये बीजेपी की कब्र खुदेगी, AMU की छाती पर, ब्राह्मणवाद की कब्र खुदेगी, AMU की छाती पर, ये जातीवाद की कब्र. (grave of Hindutva
will be dug on the chest of AMU, grave of Savarkar will be dug on the chest of
AMU, this BJP’s grave will be dug on the chest of AMU, Brahminism’s grave will
be dug on the chest of AMU, Casteism’s grave will be dug -translated)”. It may
be noted that this video was uploaded on Dec.12.
Kerala govt. joins hands with Opposition to fight
Centre on CAA
In a rare bipartisan coming together of political
forces against Centre, Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala on
Monday joined hands with Congress-led UDF Opposition to protest against the
enactment of the recently legislated and controversial Citizenship (Amendment)
Act. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala
joined a galaxy of Ministers, leaders and heads of social organisations at a
protest here to condemn BJP-sponsored law as “patently unconstitutional and
particularly discriminative against Muslim refugees and migrants” aspiring for
Indian citizenship. thehindu
Detained Jamia students released, Altnews exposes
BJP’s fake video
Following orders of Delhi Minorities Commission,
all detained students from Jamia were finally released by the police early on
Monday. The Commission had threatened to take legal action against SHOs and
asked for a compliance report by 3 pm on Dec.16.The Commission’s order followed
12 hours of an ugly standoff which saw Delhi policemen barge into the Jamia
campus, enter the library, canteen and even washrooms, break glass doors and
windows, drag out students and assault them. They are also accused of abusing
and assaulting a woman reporting for BBC.Even more seriously, police are
accused of firing tear gas shells inside the library and a mosque inside the
campus.The provocation, police claimed, was a violent protest outside Jamia
against the Citizenship Amendment Act, in which three buses were apparently
torched. Media reports quoted police sources admit that the trouble was
instigated by outsiders. The night-long attrition saw hundreds of students,
parents and members of the civil society reach the former police headquarters
at ITO around midnight and demand the release of the detained students. Armed
with photographs of Mahatma Gandhi and Ambedkar, they shouted slogans in
support of Jamia students.As news of the standoff spread, students at
Hyderabad, Aligarh, Mumbai and Guwahati were reported to have taken our protest
marches in solidarity. However, several BJP workers including its IT Cell chief
tried to fish in troubled water by tweeting a video and claiming that students
had raised anti-Hindu slogans. Fact checking website Altnews was quick to
expose the fake video. Pratik Sinha tweeted: “Many senior BJP functionaries
including Amit Malviya and Tajinder Bagga posted a video claiming that slogans
against Hindus were raised in AMU. Alt News found the claim to be false, read
the #AltNewsFactCheck for more.Early on Monday morning, Yogendra Yadav of
Swaraj India tweeted, “ Back from Jamia. FACTS: 125+ injured 5+ detained;
Police used brutal force, chased students into library, hostels…IMPRESSIONS:
Trouble began with miscreants from outside campus; Local political leaders
instigated the youth; Stone pelting by students, also by police.”“About bus
burning, there are too many conspiracy theories, videos and counters. Hard to
say anything with confidence, except that 3 buses were burnt and that it was
condemnable.”nationalheraldindia
Opposition demands judicial inquiry into Jamia-AMU
police action
Opposition parties today attacked the Narendra Modi
government over the police action against students in the Jamia Millia Islamia
University and AMU and demanded a judicial inquiry by a sitting Supreme Court
judge into the alleged police atrocities on the students of Jamia who were
protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.“Delhi Police comes under
the Centre, so the Modi government has to answer how the police entered the
campus (Jamia Millia University) without the permission of V-C, went inside the
library and even the students' washrooms. A judicial inquiry should be held
into the incident to fix accountability,” said Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi
Azad.He said that the students' protests were part of largescale agitations
being held all over the country against the “unconstitutional” CAA and held PM
Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah responsible for the situation. He denied the allegation
made by Modi that the Congress was instigating the protests, saying, “If the
Congress had that kind of strength, Modi would not be the prime minister.”The
press conference was held impromptu in Delhi after a telephonic discussion
amongst them on the largescale protests in campuses against CAA and the alleged
police high-handedness in dealing with the agitation.CPI(M) General Secretary
Sitaram Yechury expressed concern over three central universities being in
turmoil and demanded to know on whose orders Delhi Police entered the Jamia
campus. “Home Minister is directly in charge of police. Where is he? He is not
be seen over the last two days?” he said.D. Raja, National Secretary of the
CPI, said there was a civil war-like situation in the country. “Jammu and
Kashmir was thrown into turmoil by the abrogation of Article 370. And now,
after the enactment of CAA, the whole country is in turmoil,” he said. The Left
parties have given a call for nationwide protests against CAA on Dec.19.Rajya
Sabha MP Manoj Jha, of the RJD, said his party has given a call for Bihar Bandh
on December 21 to protest against CAA. “The state cannot perpetually be at war
against the youth and the students,” he noted.Javed Ali of the Samajwadi Party
claimed that while incidents of arson took place around three kilometres away
from the Jamia university, the police cracked down on the students, who were
inside the campus.the week
Few people took money from BJP for perpetrating
violence, outside forces involved: Mamata
KOLKATA: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee alleged on
Monday that a few people were paid by the BJP to perpetrate violence in the
state, even as she blamed some powers from outside West Bengal "acting as
friends" of the Muslim community for the vandalism and arson. TMC supremo,
who led a mega rally from Red Road to Jorasanko Thakur Bari, the residence of
Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in north Kolkata, vowed not to implement the
amended Citizenship Act and NRC in Bengal and dared Centre to dismiss her
government. "There are some forces from outside the state, who are acting
as friends of minorities and have indulged in this violence. These forces are
stooges of the BJP, don't fall into their trap," Banerjee told party
members. "As long as I am alive, I will never implement the citizenship
law or NRC in the state. You can very well dismiss my government or put me
behind bars but I will never implement this black law. I will continue to protest
democratically till this law is scrapped," she said hitting out at the
BJP. The chief minister also condemned the police action on students at Jamia
Millia Islamia in Delhi and said it should not have happened.PTI
We were buying grocery when they shot my mother:
Victim’s daughter
GUWAHATI: In the protests against the then
Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) and now Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) on
December 12 the same resulted in some grievous injuries due to the army trying
to quell the same.In one of such incident, a lady of Hatigaon area was shot by
army personnel while she was out buying grocery for her family. The victim,
identified as Nazmin Afroz, in her attempt to stock up her provisions found
herself at the receiving end of the bullet when the Army decided to go on a
flag march in the area.“I along with my mother went there to buy essential
commodities when the army men started firing without really taking note of who
was protesting or who the passers-by were,” said the victim’s daughter.She
further said that although the bullet was not aimed at her it somehow managed
to hit her along with 17-year-old Sam Stafford who died on the spot.guwahatiplus.com
#JamiaProtest: Anubhav Sinha, Swara Bhasker,
Vikrant Massey and others condemn Delhi Police for action against students
With the Citizenship (Amendment) Act shaking the
entire nation, people from various parts of the country protested against the
bill which was passed by the government a few days ago.But what shocked the
everyone was Delhi Police's action against the students and staff of Jamia
Millia Islamia university. According to reports, the Delhi Police entered the
campus of Jamia without permission and beat up students and staff, as they
along with the locals protested at Jamia Nagar on Sunday against the amended
Citizenship Act.While this horrific brutality shocked the entire, several
people took to social media to raise their concern and condemn Delhi Police's
actions. With hashtags like #JamiaMilia and #JamiaProtest trending on social
media, several Bollywood celebrities even took to their respective handles to
express their concern as well as slam the police.'Veere Di Wedding' actress
Swara Bhasker took to Twitter and wrote, "Shocking messages of violence,
tear gassing from #Jamia in #Delhi ! Why are students being treated like
criminals? Why are hostels being tear gassed.. ??? What is going on
#DelhiPolice ???? Shocking and shameful! #CABProtests" On the other hand,
'Article 15' director Anubhav Sinha took to social media and questioned the
ones in power on being silent in a series of tweets.'Jolly LLB 2' actress
Sayani Gupta shared a picture of A-listed Bollywood stars with Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and asked them to come out and take a stand against the brutality
as she wrote, "On behalf of the students of Jamia & AMU request at
least one of you to tweet or message Mr. Modi condemning this act of police
brutality and violence against students. The time has come to speak up guys.
Yes? No? May be?"'Chhapaak' star Vikrant Massey, Konkona Sensharma, Ali
Fazal, Soni Razdan, Richa Chadha and others also took to their respective
handles to raise their voice against the brutality which shocked the entire
country.TOI
15 Vehicles Torched in UP's Mau During
Anti-Citizenship Act Stir; Cops Use Tear Gas, Fire in Air
Mau: Protesters torched 15 vehicles as a
demonstration against Citizenship Amendment Act and police action in Jamia
Millia Islamia University turned violent here on Monday, prompting the police
to fire in air.The incident occurred in Dakshintola area of Mau. Police used
tear gas shells and also fired in the air to control the situation after
protesters set ablaze 15 vehicles, including those of police.Additional Chief
Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said senior officials are on the spot.
"The mob has been dispersed. Section 144 of CrPC is already implemented in
the district," he said.PTI
Jamia Students Protest ‘Bare-Bodied’, Demand Action
Against Police
After the Jamia Millia Islamia University witnessed
violent clashes with the police amid anti-CAA protests on Sunday, 15 December,
several students launched a ‘bare-bodied’ protest on Monday, against ‘police
excesses’.Slogans of ‘inquilab zindabad’ rent the air as the group of around 10
students, accompanied by their colleagues, took out a small march, demanding a CBI
inquiry into the “police brutality.”When asked what message they wanted to
convey by protesting bare-bodied, one of the students told The Quint: “We are
doing this because we condemn the way the police treated our brothers and
sisters yesterday (Sunday). If there really is law in this country, then we
want justice.”He further said, “There should be an investigation in whatever
violence the police carried out last night. An action must be taken legally.”
As he spoke, students in the background echoed his views.Another student said,
“Our movement is based on Gandhian principles, we want to do everything in a
non-violent manner.”thequint
Police crackdown on Jamia students an attack on
soul of nation, says Priyanka after dharna at India Gate
Accompanied by senior Congress leaders and
thousands of Congress activists, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi
held a two-hour-long symbolic silent protest at India Gate in Delhi on Monday
to show solidarity with the students of Jamia Millia Islamia.“Government has
given a blow to the Constitution. It is an attack on the soul of the nation,
youth is the soul of the nation. It is their right to protest. I am a mother
too. You entered into their library, dragged them out and thrashed them up.
This is tyranny,” said Priyanka while talking to media at the Congress
headquarters after dharna.Reiterating that every person in Congress will fight
against this tyranny and stand with the students, Priyanka demanded an answer from
the PM Modi.“Prime Minister should answer on what happened at the University
yesterday, whose government beat up the students? He should speak on the
sinking economy. His party MLA raped a girl, why has not he spoken on it?”
asked Priyanka.She re-emphasised that the Citizenship amendment law is against
India's Constitution. It is to destroy our Constitution. Police cordoned off
the movement around India Gate and asked for nearby metro stations to be shut
down during Priyanka’s dharna.nationalheraldindia
"Country And I Concerned About Jamia
Students": Cricketer Irfan Pathan
New Delhi: Cricketer Irfan Pathan has said he is
concerned about the students of Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia, where violence
erupted on Sunday during a protest against the new citizenship
law."Political blame game will go on forever but I and our country is
concerned about the students of Jamia Millia," he tweeted.NDTV
*OTHERS*
India’s Internet shutdown in Kashmir is the longest ever in a democracy
NEW DELHI:Each morning at 8:15 a.m., a train pulls out of the station in
the Kashmiri capital of Srinagar. Hundreds of passengers cram the cars for the
70-mile journey, packed so tightly they can barely move. Nearly all will return
the same day.Kashmiris call the train the Internet Express. It shuttles people
out of the Kashmir Valley — where India has shut down access to the Internet
for more than four months — to the nearest town where they can get online. On a
recent foggy morning, it was full of people hoping to renew driver’s licenses,
apply for passports, fill out admissions forms and check email. They included
16-year-old Khushboo Yaqoob, who was rushing to register for a medical school
exam. “If I had any other option, I wouldn’t be here,” she said.The shutdown,
which entered its 134th day Monday, is now the longest ever imposed in a
democracy, according to Access Now, an international advocacy group that tracks
Internet suspensions. Only authoritarian regimes such as China and Myanmar have
cut off the Internet for longer. The 7 million people in the Kashmir Valley
were abruptly returned to a pre-Internet era. They are unable to operate online
businesses or read this article. In early December, they began disappearing
from WhatsApp because accounts are automatically deleted after 120 days of
inactivity. Journalists rely on a government-run center with just 10 computers
to file their stories. The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce estimates $1.4 billion
in losses already.“The original idea that was asserted by the government for
shutting down communications was to prohibit unrest, but that really cannot be
the argument after four months,” said David Kaye, the United Nations special
rapporteur on freedom of expression. He called the blockage “draconian” and
“worse than collective punishment.”washingtonpost
Expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar Convicted in Unnao Rape Case
Ex-BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar was convicted by a Delhi trial court for the
rape of a minor woman in Unnao in 2017. Judge Dharmesh Sharma pronounced the
verdict to a packed courtroom at Tis Hazari courthouse, with the survivor’s
mother present.Sengar has been convicted under Section 376 (rape) of Indian
Penal Code read with Section 5 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault of a
child) of the POCSO Act, as the court found that the girl was a minor at the
time of the offence.The court has not announced the quantum of punishment for
Sengar. Arguments on sentencing are to take place on 17 Dec., at 12:30pm. The
maximum punishment he could face is life imprisonment.Sengar’s co-accused,
Shashi Singh, was acquitted after the judge decided to give her the benefit of
the doubt. Singh was alleged to have brought the girl to Sengar’s house.As
Sengar was a public servant, the court convicted him under Section 5(c) of the
POCSO Act, which deals with ‘aggravated penetrative sexual assault’ of a child
by a public servant. Such offences are considered ‘aggravated’ as they involve
the exploitation of a position of power or of a fiduciary relationship.the
quint
Sky-high Ram temple to be built in Ayodhya within 4 months: Amit Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said "a sky-high" Ram
temple would come up in Ayodhya within the next four months. "The Supreme Court has given its verdict. Now,
within four months, a sky-high temple of Lord Ram will be built in
Ayodhya," Shah said during an election rally in Jharkhand on Monday. Shah
employed the Ramjanmabhoomi issue for election campaigning after the Supreme
Court last month awarded the disputed Babri Masjid land for the Ram Lalla to
construct a temple. It also ordered that a 5-acre plot be given to the Muslims
in Ayodhya to construct a mosque. Shah asked Congress leader Kapil Sibal why he
sought to drag the Ram Janmabhoomi case in the Supreme Court. "Congress
leader and advocate Kapil Sibal sahab said, 'abhi mat chalaye case, baad mein
chalaye. Keon bhai, aap ke pet mein kyon dard hai' (take up the case latter, why
do you have a stomach ache following the case)," Shah asked Sibal.On
Monday, addressing a rally in Jharkhand's Pakur, Shah hit out against Rahul
Gandhi and Hemant Soren. "Rahul Gandhi is asking why we are talking of
Kashmir in Jharkhand.theweek
Students at Mangaluru school enact Babri demolition, Kiran Bedi looks on
Students at a school in Karnataka’s Mangaluru recreated the scene of the
Babri Masjid demolition and shouted provocative slogans like “mandir wahin
bange” (Ram temple will be built at Babri site only) and “Jai Shri Ram” in the
presence of high Constitutional authorities including Union Minister D.V.
Sadanand Gowra and Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi.Notably, the Supreme Court
in its judgment on the decades-old Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute last
month noted that the act of demolition of the masjid on December 6, 1992 was
“illegal”. A slew of BJP leaders have also been facing trial for the
same.Several activities were organised at Shri Ram Vidya Kendra in Mangaluru
during the school’s sports festival on Sunday. In one of the activities,
students were to charge at a big cardboard poster of the Babri Masjid and tear
it apart while shouting slogans like ‘Jai Shri Ram’, a video that surfaced on
social media showed. All this happened in the presence of a Union minister and
a Lieutenant Governor who also happens to be a retired IPS officer.The school
is run by Prabhakar Bhatt, an RSS functionary and a member of the Sangh’s
regional executive committee.nationalheraldindia
*WORLD*
Donald Trump poised to become third U.S. president to be impeached
Republican Donald Trump is likely this week to become the third U.S.
president to be impeached when the Democratic-led House of Representatives
votes on charges stemming from his effort to pressure Ukraine to investigate
political rival Joe Biden.Mr. Trump faces one charge of abusing his power by
asking Ukraine to investigate Mr. Biden, a leading Democratic contender to
oppose him in the 2020 U.S. presidential election, and one of obstructing
Congress’ investigation into the matter.The House of Representatives is likely
to take up the issue on Wednesday, setting the stage for a vote this week on
whether to approve the charges and send the matter to the Republican-led Senate
to hold a trial on whether to remove Mr. Trump from office.Democrats, who enjoy
a 36-seat majority in the House, are expected to win an impeachment vote, which
requires a simple majority.Republicans hold 53 of the 100 seats in the Senate,
where they appear likely to prevail in any trial against Mr. Trump, which would
require a two-thirds majority of those present to remove him from
office.Seeking to shape any trial, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer
called on Sunday for testimony from White House acting Chief of Staff Mick
Mulvaney, former national security adviser John Bolton, Mulvaney aide Robert
Blair and budget official Michael Duffey.thehindu
4,000 US troops to leave Afghanistan: Report
The U.S. is planning to withdraw some 4,000 U.S. troops from
Afghanistan, Voice of America reported, citing Afghan officials.The withdrawal
could start around three months from now under "a mutual understanding
between the two allied nations,” said the U.S.-funded outlet, citing Dawa Khan
Meenapal, a spokesman for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.Other U.S. media
outlets said the troop withdrawal could be announced as early as next week.
President Donald Trump previously stressed his intention to reduce the troop
presence in Afghanistan, where 12,000-13,000 U.S. soldiers are currently
serving in the nation’s longest-running war."We're going down to 8,600 and
then we make a determination from there as to what happens," Trump told
Fox News Radio in August. "We're bringing it down."Anadolu Agency
*views, Articles, FEATURES*
CAB, NRC threaten to undo strides that Bangladesh and India have taken
in recent past:Ashikur Rahman
What image should Rajpath reflect? What should be the shape of a new
Parliament House?Gautam Bhatia
CAA has introduced a new route to acquire citizenship — by executive
fiat:P Chidambaram
Priorities of the new ruling elite are very worrying:Tavleen Singh
There is no restriction on women offering prayers in mosques in
Islam:Zehra Naqvi
The recent exclusionary steps can only bring India’s international image
down:Ashutosh Varshney
Explained: When, and to what extent, is the use of force by police
legal?indian express
‘Big Brother’ to ‘Saffron Burden’: Instagram Artists Take On CAA:SHALU
CHOWRASIA
A first person account of Police brutality at Jamia: What we faced
inside the library on dark Sunday night? Mohammad Alamullah (JMI research
scholar)
I’m a Muslim woman protesting CAA, those that support my cause value
India’s Constitution, writes Jamia’s Ladeeda Sakhaloon
WATCH : Six video clips of students recalling ‘restrained’ police action
at Jamia Milia
Jamia Protest: Meet Aysha and Ladeeda, who stood up to policemen
Injured Jamia students sat at police stations for hours ‘without food,
water, medical help’
India endures fifth day of violent protests as Modi doubles down on
religious citizenship law
India citizenship law protests: All the latest updates
Meet India's Jamia women who took on Delhi police in viral video:Bilal
Kuchay
* Compiled
and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 10:06 PM).*
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