*19 DEC. 2019: 21 Rabius Sani 1441:
Vol: 12, No: 87*
*india: anti-citizenship act stir*
3 dead in Mangaluru, Lucknow as Citizenship Act protests rage across
India
Two people died in Mangaluru and one in Lucknow due to bullet injuries
on Thursday as a fresh round of protests against the amended Citizenship Act
gripped various parts of India. Agitators defied prohibitory orders across
regions, prompting authorities to detain activists and politicians, including
noted historian Ramchandra Guha, Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav and Left
leader Sitaram Yechury, and suspend mobile Internet services in several areas
of Delhi.While the protests were largely peaceful in Delhi, Karnataka, Mumbai,
Bengal and Telangana, there were reports of violent clashes and arson in Uttar
Pradesh’s Lucknow and Bihar’s Patna and Jehanabad.In Mangaluru, protests turned
violent after demonstrators, defying prohibitory orders, resorted to hurling
stones at police personnel leading to lathicharge. Police opened fire in the
air and also lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the protesters, PTI reported.
Two people succumbed to bullet injuries later in the day, Mangaluru Police
Commissioner PS Harsha confirmed. The victims, Jaleel (49) and Nauseen (23),
suffered bullet injuries in afternoon.In Bengaluru, scores of people, including
historian Ramachandra Guha, were detained for staging a demonstration against
the amended Citizenship Act and NRC near Town Hall in defiance of the
prohibitory orders imposed in the city.In Delhi, Jantar Mantar became the
epicentre of the protests after thousands of activists were not allowed to hold
demonstrations near the Red Fort and Mandi House, where prohibitory orders were
imposed in the morning. Left party leaders Sitaram Yechury and D Raja, former
JNU leader Umar Khalid, Yogendra Yadav were among scores of protestors detained
by Delhi Police near Red Fort when they tried to take out a march in defiance
of prohibitory orders.“India today has the ignominy of being the largest
internet shutdown in the world. It is unacceptable. Metro stations were closed.
This is worse than what we saw during the Emergency. Today’s protests showed
the determination of youngsters to not let democracy be butchered,” CPI(M)
general secretary Sitaram Yechury said.At Jantar Mantar, slogans of ‘CAA Se
Azaadi and NRC Se Azaadi’, ‘Hum Honge Kamyaab’, ‘Inquilab Zindabad’ rent the
air even as the ruling BJP and the government maintained there won’t be any
rethink on implementation of the new law.Barricades by police in and around the
national capital and closing of Delhi Metro gates at 18 stations triggered
massive traffic snarls in large parts of the city. Moreover, 19 IndiGo flights
were cancelled and 16 others were delayed as crew members were stuck in traffic
jam on NH-8, a statement by Delhi International Airport Limited said. 4
airlines — Vistara, GoAir, Air India and IndiGo — announced that their
passengers, who are stuck in traffic due to the protests in various parts of
Delhi, would be adjusted in subsequent flights for no extra fees, PTI
reported.Barely 500 km away in Uttar Pradesh’s capital Lucknow, a person
succumbed to bullet wounds at Trauma Centre in the city as protesters pelted stones
and torched vehicles, prompting police to retaliate with tear gas shells.
However, it is not clear from whose gunshot he died. Uttar Pradesh DGP OP Singh
denied that any firing was done from police end.Scattered incidents of violence
were also reported from Sambhal and Mau districts. In Sambhal, a public bus was
set ablaze and another damaged while some protesters pelted stones at a police
station. DGP OP Singh said police had to fire tear gas shells to control the
situation in Madeyganj area, while nearly 20 people have been taken into
custody, PTI reported.Internet services remained suspended for at least part of
the day at various places, including Aligarh, Sambhal, Mau and Azamgarh
districts. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said those who damaged
public property would have to pay for it and the culprits have been identified
through video and CCTV footage.“There was violence in Lucknow and Sambhal and
we will deal with it strictly. All properties of those involved in damaging
public assets will be seized and auctioned to compensate for the losses,”
Adityanath said.Violence was also reported from Bihar, where hundreds of
activists of Pappu Yadav’s Jan Adhikar Party (JAP) burnt tyres on a road near
Rajendra Nagar Terminus. In the morning, members of Left-wing student
organisations — All India Students Federation and the All India Students
Association — squatted on railway tracks at the terminus before being chased
away by RPF personnel. In Jehanabad, CPI(ML) activists staged a roadblock on Kako
More, disrupting traffic on national highways NH 110 and 83.In Mumbai,
thousands of protesters descended to August Kranti Maidan, where Mahatma Gandhi
in 1942 told the British to quit India, with most slogans and placards directed
at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Bollywood
personalities, including actors Farhan Akhtar, Sushant Singh, Swara Bhaskar and
filmmakers Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and Saeed Mirza, were also present besides
politicians like Raj Babbar, Hussain Dalwai and Milind Deora.“As a citizen of
the country and as somebody who was born and has grown up with a certain idea
of India, it is important for me to raise my voice. If everything was ok, why
would so many people turn up?Not just in Mumbai, but Delhi, Assam, Bangalore,
Hyderabad,” said Farhan Akhtar.Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra said at the protest,
“There are many kinds of flowers in our garden. But if we insist there should
be only one kind and one colour of flower…” In his speech, Jaaved Jaffrey said,
“Stop this game. Tell us what’s going to happen next. Give us roti kapada
makaan. You said you’d give us health policy, education policy but you come to
power and the first thing you say is that you are going to build a
temple!”indianexpress
CAA protests: Protests turn violent across cities, 1 killed in Lucknow,
2 in Mangaluru;
Citizenship Act protests LIVE Updates: Two dead in Mangaluru, one in
Lucknow as protests turn violent
1 Dead In Lucknow From "Alleged Firearm Injury" Amid
Citizenship Act Protests
After Police Crackdown at Red Fort Protest, Thousands Throng to Jantar
Mantar
Hundreds detained as anti-CAA protests hit multiple cities; Violence in
UP, Bihar
Security Forces Foil Attempt of Anti-CAA Protesters From Reaching Red
Fort
Across India, Protests Against New Citizenship Act
CAA protest in Mumbai: Farhan Akhtar, Sushant Singh, Swara Bhasker and
others join in
Anti-CAA protests: 19 IndiGo flights cancelled, 16 others delayed
Left my car, walked back home: Travel chaos at Delhi-Gurugram highway
amid anti-CAA protests
Police Use Drone Cameras During Citizenship Act Protests In Delhi
Home Ministry Holds Security Meet Amid Protests Against Citizenship Act
New Delhi: Senior officials of the Union Home Ministry attended a meeting
to review the security situation in the country on Thursday evening amid
violent protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, sources said. Reports
had earlier said that Home Minister Amit Shah would chair the meeting. Massive
protests against the contentious new law that promises citizenship to
immigrants from neighbouring countries excluding Muslims have swept India
culminating into clashes with law enforcement and crackdowns.Police detained
hundreds of people in Delhi, Bengaluru and several parts of India on Thursday
and shut down the internet in some places as protests entered a second week
over the new citizenship law that critics say undermines the country's secular
constitution.
After Jamia showdown, MHA’s stern message to Delhi Police on student
protests
Ahead of the high-level meeting called by Amit Shah to review the
security situation against the backdrop of protests over the citizenship law,
his deputy in the home ministry G Kishan Reddy on Thursday lashed out at
political parties for their misinformation campaign against the Citizenship
Amendment Act and asked students to first read up the law before hitting the
streets.Reddy also struck a conciliatory note over the police’s alleged
hard-handed approach in dealing with protests by students at Jamia Millia
University over the weekend.“Delhi Police is (now) not hitting anyone. Nobody
(among cops) should use any weapon or lathi against students or protestors,”
Kishan Reddy told reporters.HT
Court Refuses To Protect Jamia Students From Arrest, Lawyers Say
"Shame"
New Delhi: Protesting students of Jamia Millia Islamia will not get any
relief for now, the Delhi High Court said today in response to a clutch of
petitions filed regarding Sunday's violence. Many of the students were
allegedly injured during the police crackdown at the university late on Sunday
evening. At least six petitions had sought medical treatment and compensation
for them.A bench of Justice DN Patel, however, refused to provide any interim
relief to student protesters from any coercive action, including arrest. As the
order was read out, lawyers present in the court chanted "shame,
shame". The court, which was hearing
petitions requesting the formation of a judicial commission to
investigate the violence at the Jamia on
Sunday, has issued notice to the Centre, the Delhi government and the
police.One of the petitions, filed on behalf of the Imam of Jama Masjid, said
the students and teachers were holding a peaceful protest against the amended
Citizenship Act, but the police disrupted it and used "unjustified,
excessive, arbitrary and brute force" against them. ndtv
Watch: As Muslims Prayed At Jamia Protest, This Gesture Moved Twitter
New Delhi: People of different faiths today formed a human chain around
Muslims as they offered namaz in the national capital. The heartwarming scene
played out in the middle of a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act
(CAA) that took place outside the gates of Jamia Millia Islamia University in
southeast Delhi, reports ANI.A video shared by ANI on Twitter shows some people
standing shoulder to shoulder as others read namaz - an act of worship in Islam
that is observed five times every day at prescribed times.ndtv
Citizenship Amendment Act is a ‘bigoted law’, says Amnesty, criticises
crackdown on protestors
Human rights organisation Amnesty International India today criticised
the crackdown on people protesting against Citizenship Amendment Act. Various
state government had either arrested protestors or imposed prohibitory orders
to stop demonstrations, Amnesty pointed out.Amnesty India’s Executive Director
Avinash Kumar said the Citizenship Act was a “bigoted law” that legitimises discrimination
on the basis of religion. “The people of the country have the right to protest
against this law peacefully and express their views,” he added. “The right to
freedom of peaceful assembly does not only facilitate freedom of expression,
but also allows public debate. However, rather than respecting, protecting and
promoting this right, Central govt in Delhi and various state governments are
clamping down on protestors by using repressive laws.”The organisation cited
international law and underlined that peaceful assembly was a right and not a
privilege.scroll
'This Time You Will Not Stop Us': Arundhati Roy on Anti-Citizenship Law
Protests
New Delhi: On a day when protesters gathered in the thousands across the
country against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, despite the police’s efforts
to break the crowds, author and activist Arundhati Roy issued a statement
celebrating people’s resilience.“India is standing up. This govt stands exposed
and discredited. This is a day when love and solidarity face down bigotry and
facism,” Roy said in her statement.“Everybody has joined in to protest against unconstitutional
CAB and NRC.We are Dalits, Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Adivasis,
Marxists, Ambedkarites, farmers, workers, academics, writers, poets, painters
and most of all students who are the future of this country. This time you will
not stop us,” she said.thewire
New Videos Suggest Delhi Police May Have Fired At Jamia Protesters
Delhi Police are investigating videos that raise questions about the
police claim that guns were not used during the violence that broke out on
Sunday evening during the protest by the students of Jamia Millia Islamia
against the new citizenship law. In response to a few claims of bullet
injuries, senior police officers earlier said it was possible that the people
were hit by shards of tear gas shells, which on certain occasions have proved
fatal.In one of the videos now being investigated, shot near Mathura Road, a
policeman can be seen drawing out a gun and opening fire. After firing in the
air, he is seen running towards a bylane as more gunshots ring out. At least 4
gunshots are heard in the video. The video correlates with another cellphone
video, purportedly shot in the same area, which shows a protestor falling from
what appears to be a gunshot injury. The protestor, Ajaz, a student at Jamia,
has been admitted to Delhi's Safdarjung hospital for a bullet injury.Before he
falls, a police officer, presumably the same one from the first video who was
firing his weapons, emerges from behind a bus."That video is also part of
a probe and I would not like to say anything beyond that," a senior-level
officer in charge of the investigation told NDTV.ndtv
Delhi Police fired 450 tear gas shells during Citizenship Act protests,
‘ largest quantity in recent history’: Report
Delhi Police fired at least 450 tear gas shells over the past 5 days in
a bid to stop protests in Jamia Nagar and East Delhi, HT has reported.The
report cites the police admitting that it could be the largest quantity of
non-lethal ammunition having been used in a comparable time span in recent history
in the national capital.During a protest near the India Gate on Dec.22, 2012,
following the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case, about 180 tear gas shells
were fired. This was the previous highest.The report added that, as per early
details, south-east district police had fired at least 200 shells in and around
the Jamia Millia Islamia university campus on Dec.15 when the protest there
turned violent.On Dec.17, 247 tear gas shells were fired in East Delhi’s
Seelampur.Moneycontrol
‘Where are homes and jobs for refugees who will apply for citizenship?’
asks Kejriwal
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has wondered how the Centre would
provide jobs, housing and other facilities to refugees from Afghanistan,
Bangladesh and Pakistan seeking Indian citizenship under the Citizenship
Amendment Act’s provisions. “There are 3 to 4 crore non-Muslims in Afghanistan,
Bangladesh and Pakistan,” Kejriwal told News18. “If they come to the country,
who will give them jobs, where will you make them stay? Will you give them
housing in Delhi, Mumbai, Assam, Tripura? Today, there is unemployment
everywhere. Our first priority should be to provide employment to our youth. We
want to give it to Afghans, Bangladeshis and Pakistanis.” Kejriwal said most
refugees do not possess documents. scroll.in
Indian Students, Workers in London Protest Against CAA, NRC
London: Hundreds of Indian students and diaspora stood outside the High
Commission of India in London on Wednesday evening, in the cold and rain, to
protest against the Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) and NRC. They believe these
policies suppress the rights of the minorities in India including the Muslims,
Dalits and Adivasis.The protesters in London also expressed solidarity with the
students of Jamia Millia Islamia and AMU and others who encountered police
brutality, and with the many other protestors in India who are taking to the
streets on Thursday, raising their voice against CAA and NRC.At the protest,
songs of ‘azadi’ echoed, the preamble of the constitution was read and the national
anthem sung. Meena Kandasamy read a poem in Tamil and English called ‘We are
not the Citizens’, a Kashmiri speaker described what it was like being “caged”
in the Valley, and a group of Keralites joined the protest sloganeering in
Malayali. Some European students were seen punching the air and shouting ‘Halla
Bol’, expressing solidarity with their Indian friends. Many students travelled
from outside London to be a part of this protest.The London protest was
organised by South Asian Solidarity Group and SOAS India Society. They strongly
condemned the CAA and opposed plans to implement NRC.thewire
If Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship, then why was it linked to bank
accounts, voter IDs, Mamata asks Shah
Assailing Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his comment that Aadhaar was
not a proof of citizenship, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asked
him why was it then linked to bank accounts, voter IDs and mobile phones and
said it was his duty to "douse flames" rather than "set the
country afire"."I will appeal to the home minster, please consider.
You are the country's home minister, not a BJP leader. It is not your job to
set the country afire. It is your job to douse flames in the country. I appeal
to you with folded hands," the Trinamool Congress chief said at a meeting
opposing the new citizenship law.Banerjee said when Assam, Tripura, Delhi,
Punjab, UP, Rajasthan are burning, "Why are you saying hogaya hogaya (CAB
and NRC will be executed)." "Why is the home minister of the country
openly saying Aadhaar card will not do? Then why did you make the Aadhaar
cards, spent Rs 6,000 crore on it? Is the cat out of the bag now? I want
clarification from you. As a citizen of the country it is my prerogative, right
to ask you," she said at Dorina crossing in central Kolkata.Banerjee also
asked Shah why Aadhaar was linked to mobiles, bank accounts and passports.PTI
CAA-NRC: Jamaat-e-Islami, Telangana president Hamid Khan, Azeez Pasha detained; released
later
Hyderabad: Scores of protesters who had gathered for an all-party public
meeting to oppose the National Register of Citizens and the Citizenship
Amendment Act, 2019 were detained near Exhibition Grounds in Nampally. Jamaat-e-Islami,
Telangana and Odisha president Hamed Mohammed Khan and CPI leader Syed Azeez
Pasha, among others, who had arrived the venue too were detained. They were
taken to the Nampally Police Station. They were released later.Mr Khan sent a
message to the media informing him of his detention. Speaking to siasat.com, Mr
Khan said, “They picked me up as soon as I arrived at the Exhibition Grounds.
We were here to register our opposition peacefully. We urge the Chief Minister
to understand the issue. After all he has voted against the CAA in the
Parliament,” Khan said.The call for protest was given by the CPI and all its
affiliates. Telangana Jana Samithi, JIH, Students Islamic Organisation and
other groups also joined the protest. Student unions from the University of
Hyderabad, Osmania, EFLU and several other educational institutions had also
planned to converge at the exhibition grounds.The series of preventive
detentions continued on Thursday with approximately 100 University of Hyderabad
students being picked up from campus gates.“We were going towards Exhibition
Grounds. We were moving peacefully to protest against unconstitutional
legislations. But, police pushed us into a bus and took us to the Moinabad
Police Station. The CAA and NRC are unconstitutional,” a student leader who was
detained said. Meanwhile, South Zone police picked up around 40 people who had
gathered near Charminar. They too were preventively detained. The protesters
later raised slogans against Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.siasat
Anti-CAA protesters held in Hyderabad, rally foiled
Nagpur citizens protest against Citizenship Act, NRC
Thousands of people took out a massive procession here on Thursday
afternoon to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the proposed
National Register of Citizens.The procession included a large number of women,
youth, Dalits, Muslims, lawyers, social activists and rationalists who rented
slogans denouncing CAA-NRC.They carried black banners, flex posters and boards
with anti-CAA/NRC slogans, demanded the scrapping of the laws and condemned the
BJP government for forcing it on the people. The processionists marched through
several areas of the city peacefully amid tight police security as the
Maharashtra Legislature''s Winter Session is currently on here.-IANS
CAA needed as there is no Hindu nation: Gadkari
Justifying the Citizenship Amendment Act, BJP functionary Nitin Gadkari
on Wednesday said the legislation was needed as there was no country in the
world specifically for Hindus.Speaking at a media event, Gadkari said, “There
is no country in the world for Hindus. Earlier, Nepal was a Hindu nation but
now there is not a single Hindu nation... so where will Hindus, Sikhs go?For
Muslims, there are several Muslim nations where they can get citizenship... opposition
is trying to mislead people.”Gadkari also denied the charge that the BJP
government was biased against Muslims. “We are not against Muslim citizens of
our nation. Some parties are creating fear among minorities. I assure you that
our govt is against discrimination politics,” he added.TOI
Malegaon joins anti-Citizenship Act stir; all schools, colleges shut
Malegaon: Hundreds of Muslims, joined by a good number of Hindus, are
marching in Malegaon Thursday to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act
(CAA) and NRC.Ove 2 dozen organisations and rights bodies have given a call for
a nationwide protest against the controversial law today which coincides with
the martyrdom of Ram Prasad Bismil and Shaheed Ashfaqullah Khan."The
fascist Modi government is hell bent on stripping us of the Indian citizenship.
We won't allow this", a protester said while talking to ummid.com.
"Our anchestors had given blood for this country. The contribution of
Muslims for India is more than any other in the country. Strangely, the people
who have never contributed positevely for the country and stayed away from all
national movements are talking about desh bhakti and nationalism. It is high
time to expose them", another said. 'Azaadi solgan, became famous by
Kanhaiya Kumar and JNU students and which is now popular among the youngsters
has also made its way to Malegaon.ummid.com
"Paranoid, Insecure Regime": Ramachandra Guha, Detained During
Citizenship Act Protests
Historian Ramachandra Guha, detained during protests in Bengaluru today
over the citizenship law, said the enforcement of Section 144, a British-era ban
on large gatherings, is the mark of a "paranoid, fearful and
insecure" regime. He called it "fourth or fifth" crisis the
republic was going through since its independence. "Shutting internet in
Delhi? What signal will it send to the world? Is this a self-confident
India," Ram Guha questioned, speaking to NDTV after his release around
four hours later."The British viceroy did the same thing. Indira Gandhi
did the same thing. The police thought if they pick up 15 people in Bengaluru
they would be scared. There was absolutely no reason to impose Section 144
unless you are plain stupid." 61-year-old historian was at a protest at
the Town Hall in Bengaluru speaking to NDTV reporter when he was dragged
mid-sentence by a group of policemen, detained and hauled into a bus.NDTV
Bengaluru CAA protest: Police feed tomato rice to 120 detained
protesters
Modi govt reaches out to Muslim clerics to appeal for peace as India
protests citizenship law
New Delhi: As protests against the government’s Citizenship Amendment
Act (CAA) and the proposed NRC intensify across the country, the Ministry of
Minority Affairs and the National Commission for Minorities have asked
influential Muslim clerics to defuse the tense situation and appeal for
peace.The commission and the ministry have contacted Mufti Abdul Qasim Nomani,
vice-chancellor of Darul Uloom Deoband, Delhi-based cleric Mahmood Madani, imam
of Lucknow Idgah Maulana Khalid Rasheed Firangi, Dewan of Ajmer Sharif Dargah
Syed Zainul Abedin and Lucknow-based cleric Kalbe Sadiq.These leaders have been
asked to tell their community that the citizenship law is not anti-Muslim, that
the NRC is not on the government’s immediate agenda and that there’s nothing to
worry about, said Syed Ghayorul Hasan Rizvi, chairperson of the minority
commission.theprint
UP CM warns of strong action against vandals, says will ‘auction’ their
property
UP CM Yogi Adityanath said his government will take "revenge"
on those involved in the violence over the amended Citizenship Act by
auctioning their property to compensate for the losses"There is no place
for violence in a democracy. In the name of opposing the CAA, the Congress, SP
and Left parties have pushed the entire country to fire.PTI
Citizenship Act, NRC will be implemented: J P Nadda after meeting Afghan
refugees
New Delhi :As protests continued to rock different parts of the country
against the Citizenship Amendment Act, BJP working President J P Nadda Thursday
said that the new law and NRC will be implemented.“India is marching ahead
under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will continue to do so. CAA (Citizenship
Amendment Act) will be implemented, so will be NRC in future,” Nadda was quoted
as saying by PTI.indianexpress
"This Is An Egoistic, Uneducated, Scared Government": Anurag
Kashyap
New Delhi: Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap on Thursday came down heavily on
authorities trying to clamp down protests against the Citizenship (Amendment)
Act, saying that it showed a "scared, egoistic, uneducated"
government that wanted to cling on to power."You have shut down internet
in the capital. You have stopped the metro. This is a scared government whose
sole agenda is to win elections," Mr Kashyap, 47, told NDTV.
"If Any Decision..." Curious Phrasing Of Govt Ad On NRC Amid
Protests
New Delhi: As protests against a new citizenship law and NRC escalate,
government ads in newspapers today said no nationwide NRC has been announced,
and "if there is any such decision", the rules would be formed in a
way that no Indian citizen is impacted.The ads, taken out mainly in Hindi and
Urdu newspapers said: "No nationwide NRC has been announced. If there is
any such decision, rules and regulations will be formed in a way that no Indian
citizen is impacted."The wording and the use of "if" was
interpreted by some as the early signs of a rollback on the citizenship drive
that Home Minister Amit Shah had announced in Parliament, under the shadow of
relentless protests.ndtv
This is undeclared emergency, not BJP rule: Congress's Abhishek Singhvi
New Delhi:Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said on Thursday that
the situation in Delhi is nothing but an undeclared emergency. As Section 144
was imposed in many parts of Delhi-NCR and 18 Metro stations were shut in view
of protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, Abhishek Manu Singhvi said
it is not BJP rule in the country but an undeclared emergency. Abhishek Manu
Singhvi said, "Delhi is the capital. Section 144 has been put around the
Red Fort, obstructions on roads, 18 Delhi Metro stations shut and the internet
has been shut as per the directions. Section 144 imposed in Karnataka, arrests
in Uttar Pradesh and Assam has similar clampdown."indiatoday
In Assam, the BJP Govt is Looking to Quell Protests in Inventive Ways
Street protests, processions and
rallies have continued to rock different parts of Assam — all with the common
demand that the Narendra Modi government scrap the Citizenship (Amendment) Act
as it would violate the terms of Assam Accord and as good as declare the state
open to undocumented migrants from Bangladesh. However, the BJP-led state
government is out to quell public unrest, with what comes across as a
multi-layered calibrated method.On Dec 16 and 17, the Sarbananda Sonowal
government made two announcements which are widely being received in the state
as ‘sops’ to placate agitators.The December 16 announcement, reportedly made at
a meeting of the chief minister with top officials, was that “the government of
Assam would soon start the process for filling up 55,000 posts of different
categories, including teachers, which are lying vacant in various departments
in the state”.thewire
Mamata dares BJP: ‘If you have guts, hold UN-monitored referendum on
CAA, NRC’
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee today dared BJP to go for a UN-monitored
referendum on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and NRC. “If BJP has guts, it
should go for a UN-monitored referendum on the amended Citizenship Act and
NRC,” Banerjee said at a rally in Kolkata.Banerjee, who has been leading
mammoth rallies against the CAA for 4 days in a row now, also said BJP was
buying skullcaps for its cadre, who were then wearing them while vandalising
public property.indianexpress
Citizenship Act Protests: Priyanka Chopra Breaks Silence Over Crackdown
On Jamia, Aligarh Students
Mumbai: Priyanka Chopra broke her silence today on the police crackdown
against the students of Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University,
saying in a thriving democracy, violence against peaceful protesters is
"wrong".37-year-old actor is the latest celebrity to react to the
violence against the students for protesting against the amended Citizenship
Act on Sunday evening. PTI
Union HRD Minister ‘Nishank’ skips minority rights day function
Amidst the ongoing turmoil over Citizens Amendment Act and the proposed
NRC in the country, Union Minister of HRD Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ gave a miss
to an event organized by the state Minority Commission on the Minorities Rights
Day in Dehradun on Wednesday. Union HRD Minister was supposed to address the
function as a chief guest but decided to skip the moment at the last minute
putting the organizers in an embarrassing situation.nationalheraldindia
AIIMS Bans Protests on Campus on Same Day as Countrywide Anti-CAA
Demonstrations
New Delhi: Amidst the nationwide protests against the Citizenship
(Amendment) Act (CAA) and NRC on Thursdat, administration of AIIMS, New Delhi,
has issued a notice barring sit-ins and protest meetings inside and around
campus.thewire
Tamil Nadu: As Protests Against CAA Continue, AIADMK Says it Voted
'Under Pressure'
Chennai: While students from across Tamil Nadu were hitting streets
protesting the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, AIADMK Rajya Sabha MP S.R.
Balasubramaniam on Monday gave an interview to The Hindu saying that his party
was “under pressure to vote for the Citizenship Amendment Bill in the
Parliament”. The leader claimed AIADMK was not against Muslims and the
Bharatiya Janata Party was “attempting to create a Hindu Rashtra though they
may not openly use the term and may not say it in so many words”.thewire
CAA threat to very foundation of secularism, democratic nations need to
speak out: Foreign Media
Amid huge nationwide protests against the controversial citizenship law,
foreign media has urged all democratic nations to speak out against India’s
discriminatory Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), stressing that this is a threat
to the very foundation of secularism and pluralism.“Mr. Modi’s hold on power
remains firm, but the protests at home and abroad have demonstrated limits to
how far Indians will allow him to go in pursuit of his Hindu-nationalist
agenda. The citizenship bill might still be blocked in the Indian Supreme
Court, which begins hearings on it in January. But if it is not, all democratic
nations need to speak out against a law, and a national policy, that is
patently discriminatory and a threat to India’s democracy,” said the leading US
daily New York Times in its editorial.caravandaily
*OTHERS*
NIA to SC: No Need to Entertain Plea That Wants Pragya Thakur's Bail
Cancelled
New Delhi: NIA, in an affidavit before the Supreme Court, has said that
a plea from the family members of a victim seeking the cancellation of Pragya
Thakur’s bail “need not be entertained”, according to a report in the Indian
Express.Pragya Thakur, who was elected as a Member of Parliament from Bhopal is
an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast and is currently undergoing trial along
with six others in the case. Thakur has spent nine years in jail.After the NIA
gave her a “clean chit”, a senior law officer, Rohini Salian, who was the
special public prosecutor in the case, issued a public statement that since the
BJP government took over in 2014, she was under pressure to “go soft” on the
case.thewire
Nirbhaya rape case: Delhi HC dismisses convict Pawan Gupta's plea
claiming he was juvenile
Delhi High Court has dismissed a
plea from one of Nirbhaya's rapists claiming he was a juvenile when he and five
others gangraped the paramedic student in Dec. 2012.The petition had been
rejected by the trial court and wasn't raised before the Supreme Court.A fine
of Rs 25,000 was imposed on the convict's lawyer, AP Singh, for failing to
appear despite repeated calls.4 of Nirbhaya's rapists are on death row.Another
killed himself in jail and sixth, a juvenile, was released from a reformation
home after serving a 3-year term.indiatoday
Kin of 4 killed in Hyderabad ‘encounter’ move SC
The relatives of the four accused in the rape and murder of a Hyderabad
veterinarian, who were killed in a police ‘encounter’, moved the Supreme Court
in Thursday seeking a CBI probe into the deaths.The relatives also sought a
compensation of ₹50 lakh each for the families of the accused.The petition
asked the court to call for all the police records prior to and after the ‘encounter’
that occurred in the early hours of December 6.The petition also sought the CBI
investigation to cover the conduct of Cyberabad Police Commissioner V.C.
Sajjanar.thehindu
UP journalist Pawan Jaiswal gets clean chit in ‘salt-roti’ midday meal
video case
Mirzapur: Uttar Pradesh police has given a clean chit to a journalist
who was booked for allegedly maligning the image of the state government after
he shot a video showing just salt and rotis being served to students of a
primary school here.However, a representative of the village head who was also
booked under same charges in connection with the case, has not been cleared,
police said.The video, shot by journalist Pawan Jaiswal, of Shiur Primary
School under Aharaura police station had gone viral on August 22, sparking an
Opposition backlash against the BJP government in the state.PTI
Why stock market is going up and economy is going down: ex-CEA Arvind
Subramanian
Ex Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian today said that it was a
“puzzle” for him that stock markets are buoyant while the economy is sinking. Subramanian,
the first CEA under the Modi government, was at the IIMA for inauguration of
‘NSE Centre for Behavioral Science in Finance, Economics and Marketing’.“I hope
that the first behavioural economics project of this Centre would be to explain
to me why as the economy is going down and down and down, the stock market is
going up, up and up”, said Subramanian, an alumnus of IIMA.“If you can crack this
puzzle for me, I would fly down here all the way from the US to understand
it….There are lots of other things I do not understand, (such as) financial
markets in India,” said the economist who had recently said that India was
facing a “great slowdown”.PTI
Niti Aayog to hold meet on population ‘stabilisation’; family size next
target
Niti Aayog is organising a national consultation programme titled
‘Realising the vision of population stabilisation: leaving no one behind’ on
Friday, at NITI Bhavan, New Delhi in
partnership with Population Foundation of India (PFI), leading to speculation
as to whether this is the first step in the Narendra Modi government’s attempt
to dictate terms of family planning and numbers of children that an Indian
family can have. Till now, there is no clarity if the government’s ultimate aim
is in fixing family size.The meet will bring together senior officials, experts
and subject matter specialists to discuss “ways and means of strengthening
India’s population policy and family planning programmes”, a Press Information
Bureau press release said. “The recommendations from the consultation will
contribute to a NITI Aayog working paper to help achieve India’s vision of
attaining population stabilization, as voiced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
on 15 August 2019,” it added.nationalheraldindia
JNU bars protesting students to register for next semester
JNU has warned the protesting students who have boycotted examinations
that they will not be eligible to register in the next semester if they fall
short of the academic requirements of the institution. The varsity conducted evaluation
in different modes- home assignments, quizzes, term papers, presentations,
sessional examinations etc.,it said.Since bona fide students are prevented from
writing the end-semester examinations by some protesting students, the deans of
Schools and chairpersons of Special Centres have decided to give ‘take-home
exams’ to the students, the university said.PTI
*WORLD*
Trump impeachment: What happens next?
Democratic-led House of Representatives voted largely along party lines
to impeach US President Donald Trump for obstruction of Congress and abuse of
power over his dealings with Ukraine. Trump is only the third United States
president to be impeached. No president has ever been removed from office via
the impeachment process. The landmark votes on Wednesday set up a likely
January trial in the Republican-controlled Senate, where Trump is expected to
be acquitted. As politicians move to the trial phase, here's what to expect
next.The articles of impeachment are now expected to be sent to the Senate, where
senators will consider evidence, hear witnesses and vote to acquit or convict
the president. The chief justice of the US Supreme Court presides over the
trial. A two-thirds majority vote is required in the 100-member Senate to
convict and remove a president from office. A conviction appears unlikely in
the case of Trump. The Senate is made up of 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats and
two independents who caucus with the Democrats. At least 20 Republicans would
have to vote with all Democrats and the two independents to remove the
president from office.Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has indicated that
he would like swift proceedings, but the president has said he would not mind a
robust trial, with testimony from a number of witnesses, including Biden and
the whistle-blower whose complaint led to the impeachment inquiry. In the
unlikely event that the Senate convicts and removes Trump from office, Vice
President Mike Pence would become president and complete Trump's term, which
ends on January 20, 2021.aljazeera
US-Taliban Afghan peace talks at 'important stage': US envoy Khalilzad
Zalmay Khalilzad,US envoy for reconciliation in Afghanistan, has said
the peace talks have reached an "important stage" amid a renewed push
to reach an agreement with Taliban to end 18-year-old war in the country. In a
series of tweets on Wednesday, Khalilzad said he has wrapped up his 2-day trip
to Kabul, calling it a "productive trip", where he met President
Ashraf Ghani, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, ex President Hamid Karzai, women's
rights activists and other political leaders."We discussed efforts to
achieve reduced violence and pave the way to intra-Afghan negotiations,"
he tweeted.In a statement released by the president's office, Ghani said
Khalilzad briefed him on the recent talks with the Taliban in the Qatari
capital of Doha and with various Pakistani officials. "Both Khalilzad and
the president discussed the ceasefire and the Taliban's 'safe havens outside
Afghanistan'," Afghan local media TOLOnews reported, citing the statement.Ghani's
spokesman Sediq Seddiqi said Khalilzad and Ghani discussed several topics,
including the need for a ceasefire."The president also expressed his
concerns about the continued violence by the Taliban," Sediqqi said.A
Taliban official in Doha, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Al Jazeera
that a ceasefire in Afghanistan will come in place when an agreement is signed,
referring to the deal being discussed between the US and Taliban."How can
we implement ceasefire when US is still bombarding and conduction operations in
several areas of Afghanistan? A ceasefire in the country will only be possible
when both sides sign the agreement," he said.aljazeera
Israel advances 22,000 housing units in illegal settlements over three
years
Israeli authorities have approved or otherwise advanced plans for more
than 22,000 housing units in occupied West Bank settlements over the last three
years, according to a senior UN official.As reported by AP, UN Middle East
peace process envoy Nickolay Mladenov presented the figures in a periodic
update to the Security Council, as mandated in a resolution adopted in December
2016.In addition, the envoy told diplomats, in the three years since the
passage of the resolution, which reaffirmed the illegality of Israeli
settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, “Israel issued
tenders for some 8,000 housing units”.MEMO
Defying pressure, Canada backs UN resolution on Palestinian
self-determination
Canada voted in favour of a UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution
supporting the Palestinian right to self-determination yesterday, in a defeat
for pro-Israel groups. General Assembly adopted the resolution by 167 votes to 5,
with 11 abstentions, with only Israel, US, in addition to US-dependent Pacific
island states Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Nauru, voting against the
text.The resolution reaffirms “the right of the Palestinian people to
self-determination, including to their independent State of Palestine”, urging
states and UN agencies “to continue to support and assist Palestinians in the
early realization of their right to self-determination”, stated UN press
release.MEMO
Thousands of Russia immigrants to Israel left again after getting
passports
Thousands of immigrants to Israel from former Soviet Union “may have
come only to receive an Israeli passport before moving back abroad”, reported
JTA, with the total such cases amounting to up to a quarter of all Russian
immigrants.The article, citing reporting done by Israeli weekly newspaper Makor
Rishon, described how “a cottage industry of companies promising expedited Israeli
citizenship, and the passport that comes with it” emerged in Russia, “since the
passage of a law allowing new immigrants to receive the travel document within
the first 3 months of [moving to Israel]”.According to report, “for many in the
post-Soviet world, an Israeli passport is considered as desirable as a European
Union passport is to Israelis.”MEMO
Report: Palestine Archbishop Atallah Hanna poisoned in Jerusalem
Head of Sebastia Diocese of the Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem
Archbishop Atallah Hanna was reportedly hospitalised yesterday after being
poisoned by chemical substances, according to Quds TV.Reports said Archbishop
was rushed to hospital after an Israeli gas canister was fired into his church
in Jerusalem. He is expected to make a full recovery.The outspoken Palestinian
Christian leader has been a staunch critic of Israel’s treatment of
Palestinians and its acts of aggression in neighbouring Lebanon and Syria.MEMO
Israel targets Gaza after rocket attack, no casualties reported
Israeli warplanes attacked an area in the Gaza Strip early today after
Palestinian fighters in the enclave fired a rocket towards southern Israel. Successive
air attacks targeted sites in Gaza City that the Israeli military said was
"a Hamas weapons manufacturing site".According to the Palestinian
Maan News Agency, the air raids struck the previous site of a Palestinian
intelligence building, known as Safeena, with five missiles. aljazeera
Israel cuts electricity supply to West Bank over debts
Several cities in the occupied West Bank, including Ramallah and
Bethlehem, are suffering from power cuts as a result of Israel’s state-owned
electric company cutting supplies.Israel Electric Corp (IEC) has put in place
daily power cuts which last three hours since Sunday, according to Reuters, and
affect an estimated 130,000 people. Tens of thousands of Palestinian
households, medical centres, businesses and educational institutions in
Ramallah were left without power after IEC – in a step supported by the Israeli
government – cut power to main power supply points serving the
Palestinian-owned Jerusalem District Electricity Company (JDECO), reported the
official Palestinian news agency Wafa.middleeastmonitor
10 women begin open-ended hunger strike in Egypt’s Qanater prison
10 women detained in Qanater women’s prison in Egypt have started a
hunger strike to protest their ill-treatment and inhumane conditions.The women
have said they resorted to the open-ended strike as a last resort after finding
no legal recourse to express their suffering. Among the women are 25-year-old
Radwa Mohamed, who was arrested in September shortly after she released a video
criticising Intisar Al-Sisi, the wife of the president, for not standing up to
her husband over his repressive policies.After she disappeared, the Arabic
hashtag “where is Radwa” was trending in Egypt.Also on strike is
Egyptian-American teacher Reem Mohamed Desouky who was arrested at Cairo
airport in August after criticising the regime on Facebook.Since July 2013 some
2,762 women have been arrested in Egypt and 125 are currently imprisoned,
according to the human rights organisation We Record.middleeastmonitor
Libya's GNA accepts Turkish offer for military support: Sources
Libya's United Nations-recognised government has accepted an offer from
Turkey for military and logistical support as it seeks to repel an offensive
led by forces loyal to renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar, sources
say.The Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) on Thursday moved to
put in action a security accord brokered with Ankara in November, Al Jazeera's
Mahmoud Abdelwahed reported from the Libyan capital, citing sources within the
GNA.aljazeera
Mahathir: Muslim world 'in a state of crisis'
Malaysian pm Mahathir Mohamad said the Muslim world is in a "state
of crisis" and called for "implementable" solutions as he hosted
a summit of Muslim-majority countries.Mahathir made the call to action on
Thursday as Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan,
and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani highlighted in their speeches
the plight of Palestinians under decades-long Israeli occupation."We all
know that the Muslims, their religion and their countries are in a state of
crisis. Everywhere we see Muslim countries being destroyed, their citizens
forced to flee their countries, forced to seek refuge in non-Muslim
countries," Mahathir told a packed crowd gathered in Malaysia's biggest
city. aljazeera
Erdogan says 50,000 Syrians fleeing Idlib to Turkey
About 50,000 people are fleeing Syria's northwest region of Idlib to
Turkey, its president has said, denouncing Muslim nations for not supporting
his plan to resettle refugees in other parts of northern Syria.Turkey currently
hosts some 3.7 million Syrian refugees, the largest refugee population in the
world, and fears another influx from the Idlib region, where up to three
million Syrians live in last significant opposition-held swathe of
territory."Look, 50,000 people are once again coming from Idlib to our
lands," Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told a meeting of Muslim leaders
in Malaysia on Thursday.aljazeera
12,000 Syrian civilians forcibly displaced by regime and Russia’s
bombing in 24 hours
In the past 24 hours, approximately 12,000 civilians have been forcibly
displaced from the “de-escalation zone” in northern Syria, to areas near the
Turkish borders, to escape the bombings of the regime and Russia.With the
recent statistics, the number of IDPs from the region as of Wednesday has
reached a total of 110,000 civilians during the past month, and a half stated
local sources to Anadolu Agency.Mohammed Al-Hallaj, the coordinator of the
Civil Response Coordinators in Northern Syria (local), told Anadolu Agency that
110,000 civilians, making up 20,000 families, have fled the de-escalation zone
within a month and a half.middleeastmonitor
Former Lebanese minister Diab set to be named PM: Sources
Former Minister of Education and Higher Education Hassan Diab looks set
to be named Lebanon's new prime minister on Thursday, senior political sources
have said, a move that would thrust a little-known engineer to the forefront of
efforts to tackle an acute economic crisis.President Michel Aoun will hold
formal consultations with Lebanon's 128 legislators on their choice for prime
minister throughout the day and must designate the candidate with the greatest
support. Reuters reported that Diab emerged as a candidate for the position at
the last minute when outgoing Prime Minister Saad Hariri withdrew his candidacy
for a job that must be filled by a Sunni Muslim in Lebanon's sectarian
system.Hariri said on Wednesday he would still participate in process of
selecting a new prime minister so there were no further delays in the
process.aljazeera
‘If Musharraf dies before execution, his body to be hanged in Islamabad
for 3 days’, says verdict
:The detailed judgment in the high treason case against former Pakistan
President General Pervez Musharraf was released Thursday. 167-page verdict
directs law enforcement agencies to hang Musharraf’s “corpse in Islamabad’s
D-chowk for three days if he passes away before execution”.“As a necessary
corollary to what has been observed we find the accused guilty as per charge.
The convict be hanged by his neck till he dies on each count as per charge,”
says the verdict.“We direct the law enforcement agencies to strive their level
best to apprehend the fugitive/convict and to ensure that the punishment is
inflicted as per law and if found dead, his corpse be dragged to D-Chowk,
Islamabad, Pakistan and be hanged for 03 days,” it adds.The bench that passed judgment
against Musharraf was headed by Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad
Seth and included Justice Nazar Akbar of Sindh High Court and Justice Shahid
Karim of the Lahore High Court.While the verdict includes a dissenting note
from Justice Akbar, Justices Seth and Karim agreed that Musharraf had committed
a crime. Justice Karim, however, took exception to paragraph 66 of the judgment,
authored by Justice Seth, which spoke of dragging Musharraf’s corpse and
hanging it.Musharraf was sentenced to death on Tuesday by an anti-terrorism
court, which found him guilty of high treason and subverting the constitution
in 2007.indianexpress
*views, Articles, FEATURES*
With Internet Shutdowns Rising, Use These Apps To Chat Offline
CAA Protests Live: Protesters Detained Across Country, Mobile Services
Suspended in Delhi
BJP under-estimated CAA effect in Northeast. It has opened up multiple
battle fronts:Kham Khan Suan
Students who protest against discriminatory laws are real patriots. They
offer hope for future:Alankrita Shrivastava
Citizens Defy State to Protest CAA
Read what people said on the protests on Thursday: Is CAB what India needs right now?
Chetan Bhagat, Modi supporter, explains why the Citizenship Act is
flawed
Explained: The Nuts and Bolts of Indian Citizenship:Shruti Jain
Kashmir: Hell Out Here, Say Harried Residents of Kupwara:Arjumand
Andrabi
Modi government claims no all-India NRC announced. Here’s why this is
false:Shoaib Daniyal
* Compiled
and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 9:22 PM).*
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