*26 DEC. 2019: 28 Rabius Sani 1441:
Vol: 12, No: 93
*india: anti-citizenship
act stir*
Opposition castigates Army chief for criticising CAA protestors, reminds
him of his office’s limits
Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat’s criticism of people leading
protests against the Citizenship Amendment did not go down well with Opposition
parties today, PTI reported. The demonstrations saw some violence in parts of
the country, especially UP and Assam, with the police being accused of using
excessive force.“As we are witnessing in large number of universities and
colleges, students the way they are leading masses and crowds to carry out
arson and violence in cities and towns,”Rawat said at an event in Delhi earlier
in the day. “This is not leadership...leaders are those who lead people in
right direction.” Congress spokesperson Brijesh Kalappa lashed out at Rawat.
“Army chief speaking against CAA protests is wholly against constitutional
democracy,” he tweeted. “If Army chief is allowed to speak on political issues
today, it also permits him to attempt an Army takeover tomorrow!!” Congress
leader Digvijaya Singh said he agreed with Rawat, but added that “leaders are
not those who allow their followers to indulge in genocide of communal violence”.
“Do you agree with me General saheb?” he asked.MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said
leadership was about knowing limits of one’s office. “It is about understanding
idea of civilian supremacy and preserving the integrity of the institution that
you head,” he added.CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury accused Rawat of breaching
the limits of his role. Yechury tweeted the formal statement of the party, and
said: “Army chief’s statement underlines as to how the situation has
degenerated under Modi Govt where the highest officer in uniform can so
brazenly breach the limits of his institutional role.”He wondered whether India
was going the Pakistan way of politicising the military.scroll
Controversy over Army Chief's "political" view on Citizenship
Law protest
Rawat accuses universities of stoking anti-CAA tensions, but reports
indicate most violence occurred off-campus
Former Navy chief Ramdas says Gen. Rawat wrong in making political
comments
Former Navy Chief Admiral L
Ramdas on Thursday termed as "wrong" Army chief Gen. Bipin Rawat's
remarks against the nationwide protests over the new citizenship law, saying
people in the armed forces must follow the decades-old principle of serving the
country and not any political forces.Ramdas said all the three services have an
internal code prescribing that they must be neutral and not partisan, adding
that these rules have been bedrock of armed forces for decades."The rule
is very clear that we are serving the country and not the political forces and
to express any political views as we have heard today are quite a wrong thing
for any serving personnel whether he is the top gun or at the bottom rank. It
is not proper," Ramdas told PTI.PTI
BJP misread mood on citizenship
law, union minister admits:Report
Mumbai: The government did not anticipate the protests against a new
citizenship law that have raged across the country and is now scrambling to
control the damage, members of the ruling BJP have said.In Prime Minister
Narendra Modi's biggest challenge since taking office in 2014, hundreds of
thousands have protested against the law offering citizenship to immigrants
from non-Muslim minorities who have fled Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
BJP leaders were taken aback by the backlash, some party members told Reuters.
They said they had been prepared for some anger from Muslims, but not
widespread protests that have convulsed most major cities for two weeks.Now the
party and the government are reaching out for help in defusing the crisis to
allies and opponents sidelined when bill passed earlier this month, the
sources said."I really did not see the protests coming... not just me,
other BJP lawmakers were also unable to predict this kind of anger," Union
Minister Sanjeev Balyan told Reuters.While there is no threat to his big
parliamentary majority, PM Modi's reputation as a master strategist with his
finger on the pulse of the people has taken a hit.Three other BJP lawmakers and
two Union Ministers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they were
mobilising party supporters from all walks of life to start community dialogues
and dispel discontent over the law and the register."I believe that the
political math behind the clearance of this law was not taken into
account," said one of Union Ministers, an apparent reference to lack of
consultation with allies and opposition parties."We are all in damage
control mode," said the other Union Minister, adding that BJP and allies
have launched a campaign to explain that the law is not discriminatory.RSS,
which is the ideological parent of the BJP, has also launched a movement across
urban slums to counter opposition to the bill.Analysts say various reasons for
discontent were coalescing."It's evident that people are protesting
against the law and also venting against Modi's autocratic style of
leadership," said Sanjay Kumar, director of research institute the Centre
for Study of Developing Societies. "The economic crisis gives further
incentive... I don't see these protests fading very soon."When PM Modi, a
veteran politician, came to power 5-and-a-half years ago, he promised growth,
jobs and development. But he was criticised for haphazard tax reform and shock
demonetisation of high value currency notes in his first term - which
contributed to an economic slowdown - as well as intolerance for dissent and
ignoring anti-Muslim hate crimes."I feel they can't create jobs and hence
they are passing such a disturbing law," said Ghanshyam Tiwari, a student
protesting in the city of Lucknow this month."For the first time in
India's history a law has been framed on the basis of religion,"
Prithviraj Chavan, a senior Congress leader, told Reuters. "The ruling
party's strategy to make India a Hindu-first nation has backfired."Reuters
Either repeal Citizenship Act or bring Muslims under it: AIMPLB chief
Maulana Rabey Nadwi
All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) chief Maulana Rabey Hasani
Nadwi has demanded that the Modi Govt either repeal or bring Muslims under the
ambit of the Citizenship Act. The law was amended earlier this month to grant
Indian citizenship to non-Muslims coming to India from Pakistan, Afghanistan
and Bangladesh due to religious persecution there.Nadwi said in a statement
that CAA is not right for the country and for the community. He said the
country is witnessing disturbances due to the law.“Keeping meeping Muslims out
of its ambit amounts to damaging the secular nature of India. It is also
adversely affecting the respect that our country enjoys across the world,” he
said. AIMPLB chief also made an appeal to the people to not indulge in
violence, damage public property and protest in a democratic manner.“Our
democracy gives everyone the right to protest, but people should refrain from
acting in a violent or aggressive manner,” Maulana Nadwi who also is the rector
of Nadwa, said.financialexpress
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind writes to all CMs, urges them to stop NPR
New Delhi:Prominent Muslim organisation Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) has
written to all CMs, urging them to stop stop the process of NPR until the
Centre announces rollback of the proposed NRC and repeals the Citizenship
Amendment Act. Stating that NPR should not be seen in isolation, JIH said, “The
combination of three creates a situation in which Muslims of India will be
stripped of their citizenship and sent to detention centres as has been played
out in the state of Assam.” The letter
addressed to CMs by JIH president Syed Sadatullah Hussaini states, “We urge you
to disallow the implementation of the proposed NRC in your state. As “law and
order” is a state subject, you are quite within your constitutional rights to
ensure the non-implementation of NRC. We also urge you to stop the process of
NPR until the Centre assures the nation that it will not implement NRC and
shall roll back CAA.”The letter says the states can play a crucial role in
upholding the idea of India as a constitutional, secular and plural democracy.
“We are confident that you will not disappoint the people...Jamaat is
mobilising the peace and justice-loving citizens and submitting memorandums to
various ministries and district collectors against CAA and NRC.newindianexpress
New NPR questions related to NRC, Govt conspiracy: Congress
New Delhi: Congress today claimed that details collected from the fresh
questions included in National Population Register are linked to NRC, and are
part of a conspiracy by the Govt to push citizens' list in "garb of
NPR".NPR - a data base linked to population census- announced by the Govt
on Tuesday, requires people to declare the "date and place of birth of
both parents" for the first time. In the last NPR, data was collected on
15 criteria. This time data on 21 points will be collected. These include last
place of residence, passport number, Aadhaar ID, Voter ID card number, drivers'
license number and mobile phone number, which were not asked before."In
this (NPR), a person like me might have a problem- if a person like me is asked
where your father and mother were born, my parents were born in Pakistan. Where
will I get their details," Congress leader Akay Maken said at a press
conference today."Then there is another provision that infringes upon our
right to privacy.They ask, 'if available', provide Aadhaar number, mobile
number, voter id number, driving licence number. What is the need for licence
number, Aadhaar number and my phone number in (proving) usual residence,"
he added."Many BJP leaders are saying that people would be asked to
provide these details 'voluntarily'. I would like to draw your attention- it is
written 'if available'. So if you say no, it means you don't have your Aadhaar
number. Can I say I don't have my mobile number? Nowhere it is written that it
is voluntary. So those who don't give these details will be marked, and they
would be omitted from NRC which will be prepared on NPR's basis."The
questions they have added now, all these questions are related to NRC, and in
no way the questions they have added are required for usual residence
definition."This is a conspiracy of the Govt to present NRC in the garb of
NPR," he added.ndtv
Neither CAA, nor NPR linked to NRC; opposition carrying out false
propaganda: Ram Madhav
Srinagar:BJP general secretary Ram Madhav on Thursday said neither the
CAA nor the NPR has any link with the NRC and alleged that the Opposition is
carrying out a false propaganda to malign the PM Modi-led Govt. Seeking to
dispel fears that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is against Muslims, he
said in the past too India has granted citizenship to those fleeing persecution
in their native countries.PTI
Chidambaram says Congress' NPR form had different context from BJP's;
terms Centre's population log part of 'sinister agenda'
Days after BJP replugged a video of Sonia Gandhi enumerating for NPR,
Congress leader P Chidambaram lashed out at the ruling party for conflating
Congress-era exercise with what BJP has planned to undertake in the shadows of
nationwide protests against NRC— a so-called log of 'true' Indian citizens to
weed out 'illegal immigrants' from the country. BJP had also earlier released a
video of former PM Manmohan Singh batting for granting of citizenship to
persecuted minorities in neighbouring countries, under CAA. Chidambaram said
that under the UPA, the stress was on residency and not citizenship, as under
the BJP's version of the exercise. He alleged that NPR approved by BJP Govt was
different and dangerous in terms of the "text and context" of the
data collection done in 2010.firstpost
'NDA allies not consulted,no respect given': Akali leader slams BJP for exclusion
of Muslims in CAA
New Delhi:Fissures in BJP-led NDA have begun to surface after the
passage of the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act, in the Parliament as
allies open up about their dissatisfaction with Union Govt. Recently, NDA ally
Shiromani Akali Dal urged the Modi Govt to make the “necessary amends” in the
Act to include Muslims in its ambit.SAD leader Naresh Gujral said that BJP must
learn from late former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee how to respect the allies and
urged the Govt to reconsider the changes proposed by NDA supporters. “Otherwise
we may rethink our support if amends were not made,” he said.Urging the Govt to
include Muslims in the list of refugees in the newly amended Citizenship Act,
Gujral warned BJP that his party was "against NRC" and are thus
unhappy with the way the allies are being treated in NDA. Besides, referring to
key legislations like the Citizenship Act, SAD leader criticised BJP-led NDA
for not encouraging debates over bills and said that discussion and
consultations with allies “unfortunately do not take place”. “This is why bulk
of NDA allies are unhappy," he said.“As I've said, I've talked to many
other allies and nobody is really happy. Nobody is happy with the fact meetings
don't happen from time to time and I think some amends needs to be made,"
he said with regard to withdrawing support from the Union Govt.Gujral clarified
that even though SAD voted for the CAA in the Parliament, party chief Sukhbir
Badal had said that Muslims must be included.MP categorically stated that SAD
opposes the nationwide implementation of NRC over creation of "insecurity
in minds of minority communities."News18
Sambhaji Bhide claims Hindu society is '100% impotent' when it comes to
nationalism, while praising new CAA
Controversial right-wing leader Sambhaji Bhide has said the Hindu
society is "napunsak" (impotent) when it comes to nationalism even as
he praised the new citizenship law.He also said that expecting nationalism from
Muslims in India is "stupidity"."When it comes to nationalism,
Hindu society is 100 % 'napunsak'. Like an infertile person is of no use for
reproduction, similar traits are shown by Hindu society when it comes to the
national interest. We lack the understanding about the national interest,"
Bhide told reporters in Sangli in western Maharashtra.Bhide, who heads Shiv
Pratishthan Hindustan and an accused in the 2018 Koregaon Bhima violence case,
said the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) binds Indians, contrary to the false
perception being created by some people. "This new Citizenship Act is very
good for our country," he said. He also lauded PM Narendra Modi for
abrogating the special status of J&K and the practice of triple Talaq among
Muslims.PTI
Police launched unprovoked & brutal attack on students and staff in
Jamia: PUDR report
A fact-finding team of People's Union on Democratic Rights (PUDR) on the
violence in Jamia Millia Islamia said its report has found that there were two
attacks by the police on the protesters in the university campus, with the
first one on Dec. 13. The second incident happened on Dec. 15.The report said,
"that ahead of Dec. 15 the police stopped the protesters on 13th and
lathi-charged and tear-gassed them while they were trying to march towards
Parliament."It said Delhi Police barged into the campus and used brute
force against the students. The police on Dec. 15 also used brute force
strategically and in a planned manner and this was like a force against the
enemy, not against the protesters.The report said that students were protesting
since Dec. 12. The fact finding team met the student eyewitnesses and other
individuals.It said that the use of police force was unwarranted as the police
say that this was to only stop stone pelting, but the use of force and firing
of 400 teargas shells and people being beaten on the head and abdomen shows
otherwise.nationalheraldindia
In absence of union, Jamia panel leads protests against NRC, citizenship
law
New Delhi: As students of Jamia Millia Islamia continued to demonstrate
against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the absence of an official
students’ union stood out. Jamia’s last students’ union was disbanded in 2006
and the matter is currently sub-judice.“Having an elected body means that the
collective voice can be known through union,” said Professor Rizwan Qaiser, who
was the secretary of Jamia Teachers’ Association when the last students’ union
was disbanded. A senior official of the varsity said the administration had no
role in the matter. “Many among those who were leading the movement till Dec.
15 were injured or scared or had lost their phones. Everything was scattered,
campus was closed, and spontaneous protests continued. So, we set up Jamia
coordination committee (JCC) which has representatives from around 15 students’
outfits on campus,” said Safoora Zargar, an independent member of the committee
and an Mphil student.JCC has been involved in organising peaceful protests
since.In order to take decisions on modes of protest and innovative ideas of
demonstration, JCC conducts general body meetings with over 45 students
‘representatives from different outfits, including AISA, SFI, DISC, CYSS, and
Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO). The students also arrange for
talks by academicians and carry out awareness campaigns on CAA in the locality.
HT
‘Spineless’: In open letter, Jadavpur University students ‘rusticate’
Chancellor
Kolkata :In an open letter, Jadavpur University (JU) students have
announced their decision to rusticate West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar as
the university Chancellor. The letter, which was written on Tuesday, also had a
report card that described the Governor as “spineless”.The letter was published
after the Governor had tried to enter the campus to attend a court meeting on
Monday and JU convocation on Tuesday, but faced back-to-back resistance from
university students and staff on both the days.In their letter, the students’
body wrote “You (Dhankhar) are being informed of your rustication from the
position of Chancellor of Jadavpur University. The students’ body of Jadavpur
University has also decided to disown you from the position of the West Bengal
Governor.”In the report card published in the letter, students wrote that the
Governor’s general knowledge was less than satisfactory, arguing capability was
poor, sense of history was nil and strength was unwavering dedication to
ignoring violence against students, activists and Muslims. They also wrote that
his overall character was spineless.indianexpress
‘Don’t fear anybody’: Mamata asks students to carry on with CAA protests
Leading yet another protest march over the amended Citizenship Act, West
Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee today asked students to carry on with their protests
and “not fear anybody”.Warning BJP against “playing with fire”, CM Mamata also
asserted that peaceful protests will continue as long as the new citizenship
law is not withdrawn. “Do not fear anybody. I warn BJP not to play with fire,”
Banerjee told protesting students, adding that she would always be by their
side. CM, who was leading a protest march from Rajabazar to Mullick Bazar in
central Kolkata, also alleged that BJP was threatening students, PTI
reported.“We express our solidarity with the students of Jamia Millia, IIT
Kanpur and other universities who are protesting against CAA and NRC,” she
said.indianexpress
How young lawyers are working ‘like a tsunami’ to help detained CAA
protesters
New Delhi: “Protestors have been detained, lawyers needed at Kalkaji
PS”. This was one of the first messages that started doing the rounds on social
media on 15 Dec., after at least 40 students were detained following protests
at Jamia Millia Islamia. Within an hour, several dozen lawyers reached the
police station, demanding to meet those detained.Since then, as protests
against the Citizenship Amendment Act have spread across the country, such SOS
messages have become a routine affair.Hundreds of lawyers have joined forces to
help the detainees, pooling in resources, running from pillar to post to meet
them, consulting with the family members, and issuing advisories and explainers
to inform protesters about their rights.For 29-year-old Mishika Singh, it began
with a message circulated over WhatsApp, stating that a legal team working
under the supervision of senior advocate Prashant Bhushan would be present
during the protests around Mandi House and ITO in Delhi.A few lawyers finally
managed to get an order from a magistrate, who not only allowed advocates to
meet the detainees, but also noted that detention of minors in a police station
was a “flagrant violation of law”.theprint
CAA:Prakash Ambedkar demands resignation of Amit Shah
Mumbai:Accusing BJP and RSS for trying to divide the country, Bahujan
Vanchit Aghadi President Prakash Ambedkar demanded the resignation of Union
Home Minister Amit Shah.Ambedkar accused Shah of creating a mass unrest in the
country by bringing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).Accusing the Govt for
spreading 'misinformation' on the detention camps, Ambedkar claimed that these
detention camps have been existing in places like Assam, but nobody knew how
many people were kept there, and even in Navi Mumbai one detention camp exist.
IANS
MIT Students, Teachers express solidarity protests against Citizenship
Law, NRC
New Delhi: The "enormity" of the new citizenship law and the
citizens' list NRC combined will "irrevocably redefine Indian
citizenship", wrote over 130 students, faculty, staff and alumni of
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as they expressed solidarity with
the student protests that have erupted across India.They said the democratic
and secular foundation of the country is "under imminent
threat".Condemning the police action on the students of Delhi's Jamia
Milia Isliamia and AMU, as well as the crackdown on protests in other parts of
the country, 135 students, faculty, staff and alumni of the prestigious
university praised those who hit the streets in protest.Students across the
world, including those from Oxford University and Harvard University, have
expressed concern over the use of police force during the protests.ndtv
Ground Report: In Mangaluru, a Police Which 'Fires, Storms Hospitals,
Shouts Anti-Muslim Slurs'
Mangaluru:“It is tiring,” says 10-year-old Sabil.“People keep asking me
what I saw that evening. What did I see? Nothing…just my father drop dead in
front of my eyes,” he adds. Anger and sadness rush in at once.“Finished him
right in front of my eyes’.” Sabil’s
father Abdul Jaleel was one of the two victims of police atrocity in Mangaluru,
in the Dakshina Kannada district, on Dec. 19. Jaleel, according to his younger
son Sabil had just stepped out of their house to offer Asr namaz, at around 4
pm, when he was hit by a stray bullet fired by the police, on his left eye.The
bullet had passed through and Jaleel had died instantly. The police have
maintained they had resorted to firing only to disperse the “unruly crowd” that
had allegedly turned violent. The protesters had gathered against Citizenship
Amendment Act (CAA). But, Sabil says, they were neither unruly, nor
violent.Jaleel, a 49- year-old worker at the fish market nearby was a resident
of the Bandar area in Mangaluru city. On that fateful evening, he had decided to
get home earlier than usual.“‘Police have acted so cruelly. There is no
guarantee that they won’t repeat it again’,” says Sakina, Jaleel’s sister-in-
law. Sakina, lecturer at Badriya College in Mangaluru, tells The Wire that
Jaleel was never particularly interested in political news. “I am sure he
hadn’t even heard of CAA. He has never participated in any protest and I am
certain, he had no role here too,” Sakina adds. Mangaluru police, after killing
two persons and injuring several more in the violence, have also booked them in
cases of rioting and attempt to murder, among others. The police’s claims do
not match the several video clips that have been released in the past week. 78
people have been named and another 1,145 “unknown persons” are mentioned in
FIRs across different police stations of Mangaluru city. Chilling CCTV footage
of the police entering the hospital and kicking at the door of the ICU door
have since gone viral. thewire
Anti-CAA protests: 1,000 lawyers distance themselves from Bar Council of
India stand
New Delhi :Close to 1,000 lawyers from across the country have distanced
themselves from the statements made by Bar Council of India (BCI) on the
Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the protests against it.The lawyers
disassociated themselves from BCI’s resolution dated Dec. 22, stating that it
did not represent the views of the Bar. “While the individual office-bearers of
BCI are free to express their opinions in their personal capacity, the use of
the BCI’s platform to express the personal views of some is a disservice to the
principles that the BCI stands for,” said a statement released by them on
Thursday.The lawyers said the resolution did not speak for all advocates as
several of them had condemned the disparate impact of the CAA on minorities and
the excesses of police forces.thehindu
Anti-CAA protests continue unabated in Assam
https://www.livemint.com/news/india/anti-caa-protests-continue-unabated-in-assam-11577211707708.html
Protests against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act continued
unabated across Assam on Thursday, primarily under the aegis of student bodies
AASU and AJYCP, with agitators vowing not to relent till the law is scrapped.
Opposition Congress, which has kickstarted an 800-km 'padyatra' from Sadiya in
eastern Assam to Dhubri in the western end of the state, reached Demow in
Sivasagar district with thousands of participants.The largest anti-CAA
gathering took place at Tangla in Udalguri district under the banner of the All
Assam Students' Union (AASU).PTI
No NIA custody for Assam activist Akhil Gogoi arrested over protest,
sent to jail
Guwahati: Assam activist Akhil Gogoi, arrested under the stringent UAPA
earlier this month amid protests over the new citizenship law, has been sent to
judicial custody till Jan.10. NIA, which had raided his home in Guwahati this
morning, had asked for further custody in court today, but it was rejected.
Akhil Gogoi has been accused of having links with a banned Maoist group. The
activist tried to use the anti-citizenship law movement in Assam to help the
Maoists establish base in the state, the probe agency officials have claimed.
In today's raids, NIA seized Akhil Gogoi's old laptop and several documents,
including RTIs filed by him,his wife Geetashree Tamuly said. "They also
took a diary that he wrote when he was jailed the last time. He wanted to write
a book on his experiences in the jail. We requested the officials to let us
keep a copy but they didn't allow," she said. Akhil Gogoi was arrested on Dec.
12 amid widespread protests against the amended Citizenship Act across the
state. 5 days later, he was sent to NIA custody by a special court in Guwahati.
ndtv
Over 60 student outfits join hands to fight CAA, NRC, NPR
Over 60 student unions and youth organisations have come together to
form Young India National Coordination Committee (YINCC) in order to
consolidate student-led protests against Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the
proposed nationwide NRC, and updating of the NPR.Launching their campaign, the
students said the protests had started at various campuses across India and
they would now be able to take the movement further in a planned
manner.“Indians are resisting the dangerous design of the divisive amended
Citizenship Act and the NRC with heroic grit and braving all repression. The
students and youth of the country are leading the fight against the threat that
CAA-NRC poses to the democratic and inclusive character of India enshrined in
our Constitution,” the students said.They added that an pan-India NRC would
disenfranchise crores of Indians, including Muslims, poor and underprivileged.
On the other hand, NPR was not a simple population-counting exercise but a
first step towards declaring citizens as “doubtful” or illegal citizens, the
students said. Rahul Chettri, from the Dibrugarh Students’ Union, said that the
fight against CAA-NRC in Assam was to protect the State’s unique culture, but
the agitation at AMU and Jamia Millia got nationwide importance. The students
have planned to observe Jan. 1 as the beginning of a year of struggles for the
rights and dignity of the people.thehindu
CAA protests LIVE: Left parties call for week-long protests from Jan 1-7
Left parties, including CPI(M), CPI, CPI(M-L)-Liberation, All India
Forward Bloc, Revolutionary Socialist Party, have called for week-long protests
from Jan. 1 to Jan. 7, against the CAA, NRC, NPR, mounting miseries of people
due to economic slowdown, and in solidarity with the all India General Strike
on Jan. 8.
Daryaganj violence: Court to pronounce order on bail plea of 15 accused
on Dec. 28
A Delhi court reserved till Dec. 28 the verdict on a bail petition moved
by 15 accused who were arrested after a protest in Delhi's Daryaganj area
against CAA turned violent last week. Sessions Judge Satish Kumar heard the
bail plea of 9 accused today and later reserved the verdict. Delhi Police had
arrested 15 people and detained 40 on Dec. 20 after police and protestors
clashed in the area. All 15 accused were then sent to 14-days judicial
custody.Initially, 6 accused moved the court seeking bail. On their petition,
the court had issued a notice to the Delhi Police and slated the matter for
hearing to Dec. 28. Other 9 approached the court seeking bail later.ANI
German student expelled for protesting against CAA says political
freedom needs support of millions
A German exchange student at IIT-Madras sent back to his country for
participating in protests against the Citizenship Act on Wednesday said the
demonstration show that political freedom and rule of law need the support of
millions of people. Jakob Lindenthal thanked his supporters and well-wishers
for “all the huge solidarity...legal advice and shelter”.“These events [the
protests against the Act and NRC] show that political freedom and rule of law
need support of millions of open eyes and loud voices,” Lindenthal, who landed
in the Dutch city of Amsterdam wrote on Facebook. Scroll
Media images of ‘NPR 2020 forms’
spark confusion
NEW DELHI:Confusion prevailed after images of forms of ‘National
Population Register (NPR) 2020’ seeking details on “place of birth of father
and mother” started doing the rounds on social media, even though Home Minister
Amit Shah clarified a day ago that there was “no link between NPR and NRC.”A
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) spokesperson told The Hindu that the form or the
schedule to collect data for the NPR has not been finalised yet.Congress leader
Manish Tewari tweeted an image of ‘NPR-2020’ saying that “NPR will be raw Data
of NRC.” “HM @AmitShah says NPR is register of population, NRC is register of
citizens. if that is so how is it relevant to ask whether my parents were born
in India or abroad? See encircled red box. Nothing but elements of NRC being
smuggled into NPR. NPR will be raw Data of NRC,” Mr. Tewari said.
‘RSS PM lies to Bharat Mata’: Rahul Gandhi hits out at Modi over ‘no
detention centres’ claim
New Delhi :Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday for his
claim that there were no detention centres in India, former Congress president
Rahul Gandhi alleged that “RSS’s Prime Minister lies to Bharat Mata”. Gandhi
attached a video, which purportedly shows an under-construction detention
centre in Assam. “RSS’s Prime Minister lies to Bharat Mata,” Gandhi said in the
tweet in Hindi with the hashtag ‘Jhoot Jhoot Jhoot (lies, lies,
lies).indianexpress
PM’s ‘no-talks-on-NRC’ remark a tactical retreat: JD(U)’s Prashant
Kishor
JD(U) vice-president Prashant Kishor, who has been critical of the
proposed implementation of nationwide NRC, dubbed PM’s rhetoric of “Abhi toh
NRC ki koi charcha hi nahi hui hai“, as a “pause and not a full stop”.“The
claim of “Abhi toh NRC ki koi charcha hi nahi hui hain” is nothing but a
tactical retreat in the face of the nationwide protest against #CAA_NRC. It is
a pause and not full stop,” Kishor wrote on Twitter.indianexpress
Kuwaiti MPs urge help for Uighurs, Indian Muslims
Kuwaiti lawmakers have called on their government to intervene to stop
persecution of Muslims in East Turkistan and India. A group of 27 MPs signed a
statement in which they underlined solidarity with Uighur Muslims against
China's systematic campaign against their community. Kuwaiti lawmakers voiced
concern over recent restrictions against Muslims in India.Protests have erupted
in India against a new law granting citizenship to Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs,
Buddhists, Jains and Christians -- but not Muslims -- who migrated from
Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.Activists have called the law
discriminatory, fearing that it was aimed at disenfranchising Indian Muslims.
However, PM Narendra Modi has rejected such claims.Anadolu Agency
Won’t pursue NRC in Bengal, says State BJP chief in a U-turn
After repeatedly campaigning for NRC in West Bengal, State BJP president
Dilip Ghosh said NRC is “a matter of future”, indicating that the party would
not pursue it in Bengal. Exactly a year ago, Mr. Ghosh told The Hindu that NRC
is inevitable in Bengal and the party has publicly advocated for it. Asked
about its implementation, Mr. Ghosh said, “When would it take place and what
would happen is a matter of future.” “NRC was implemented in Assam owing to a
Supreme Court order. Rajiv Gandhi made the agreement saying they will do the
NRC. BJP did not make the agreement [and] it went to court. On the basis of the
court order, it was implemented [in Assam], this has to be made clear,” Mr.
Ghosh told journalists in Jalpaiguri. While connecting the NRC with Rajiv
Gandhi, BJP is now trying to “distance itself from it and shift the onus on the
Congress,” say observers. He clarified that the Central government will take a
call, if need be.“If there is a need for countrywide NRC, the Central
government will think about it,” said BJP MP. Ghosh, a senior member of the
RSS, always advocated the NRC in Bengal. Even after last November’s defeat in
three Assembly bypolls, he said it is ‘premature’ to hold the NRC responsible
for the defeat.thehindu
Parties, activists question Mumbai Police chief remarks defending CAA,
NRC
Mumbai:Mumbai police chief Sanjay Barve has raised eyebrows after he
came out in support of the Citizen (Amendment) Act (CAA) and NRC while
addressing preachers from the Muslim community on Wednesday. MAHA Vikas Aaghadi
(MVA) partner NCP, asked him to refrain from making political comments and
focus on law and order. Congress and NCP are completely against the law. Shiv
Sena had voted in favour of the bill in Lok Sabha and walked out of the Rajya
Sabha when it was tabled. CM Uddhav Thackeray has also assured Muslims that the
law will not be implemented in the state and no one has to worry about their
citizenship. According to sources, Mumbai police's intelligence department has
shared inputs about unrest in the Muslim community over CAA and NRC. Following
the inputs, Barve called a meeting with community and religious leaders, during
which he said, "I was born at home and I don't have a birth certificate.
This doesn't mean I will be thrown out of the country. I will prove my
citizenship whenever required. Indians living here legally won't be impacted by
CAA and NRC. If I have nothing to worry about, then how are Muslims going to
lose their citizenship? Misinformation is being spread among Muslims and they
have been misguided about the law."When asked about his remarks blaming
the leftist ideology, he said, "Misconceptions and rumours are there, we
know they are being spread through social media. There are some people trying
to disturb peace and harmony; we know who are they but we are keeping the city
safe." "Barve's job is to maintain law and order in the city. He
should refrain from making political comments. If he said something like this,
it is serious. Our stand is clear that we will not support any law which is
biased towards any religion," said NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik.Reacting
sharply to Barve's comments, former chief minister Ashok Chavan said,
"This is a mass movement by the people of India, the entire country is
protesting against the law; the commissioner's statement is wrong. I want to
know if this is the government's stand."Officers at such high position
should be guarded about what they are saying publicly," said retired IPS
officer, P K Jain. mid-day
Gujarat scribe Desai, fasting against CAA, thrown out of Sabarmati
Ashram, picked up by police
Sabarmati Ashram is a natural venue for a person moulded in Mahatma
Gandhi’s ideals to sit on a protest against state repression and draconian
laws. It was from here that Gandhi had launched famous Salt Satyagrah. Therefore,
it was natural for journalist, activist and Gandhian Nachiketa Desai to sit
down in a corner of Bapu’s ashram when he decided to lodge a peaceful protest
against the CAA and the police brutality unleashed on the protesters in
BJP-ruled states including Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Delhi. Bapu had done
innumerable peaceful protests like this. But what even the colonial British
spared Gandhi, the Constitutionally elected government of Gujarat did not to
Nachiketa Desai.On Wednesda, Desai reached the Sabarmati Ashram and sat on a
protest fast. As the word spread, the Ashram management came rushing and
bundled Desai out of the Ashram in no time, not ready to listen to any
reasoning from Desai.nationalheraldindia
Won’t protest:Ahmedabad's Nirma University students made to give
undertaking
Ahmedabad :Nirma University’s Institute of Law has sought an undertaking
from a few of its students who took part in a recent protest against the
Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) that they would refrain from participating in
any protest in the future.The university also sent an advisory to their parents,
asking them to “counsel” their wards.A few students of Institute of Law from Ahmedabad-based
private university participated in a protest outside Gandhi Ashram on December
17. Out of more than a dozen students who participated in the protest, around
five were asked to give the undertaking. They were identified by the university
from pictures published by local newspapers.indianexpress
*CAA-NRC
protests:CRACKDOWN IN UP*
Anti-CAA protests: 1,113 arrests, 5,558 preventive detentions, 19 dead
in UP
Over 1,100 people are under arrest and 5,558 kept in preventive
detention following violence related to the anti-citizenship amendment act
protests, officials said on Thursday, putting the death toll in police clashes
across the State at 19. Giving details of the protests that have rocked the
country’s most populous state since last week, police officials said 5 people
were killed in Firozabad, 4 in Meerut, 3 in Kanpur, 2 each in Sambhal and
Bijnor and one each in Muzaffarnagar, Rampur and Lucknow.The tally does not
take into account 8-year-old killed in Varanasi on Dec. 20. “8-year-old was not
killed in police action but in a stampede when protesters were retreating,” a
senior police official said.The state police cracked down on possible
troublemakers and kept 5,558 people in preventive detention. As many as 351
policemen were also injured in the anti-CAA protests, he said.1,113 arrested
include social activist and Congress worker Sadaf Jafar and noted theatre
artist Deepak Kabir who are being kept in a Lucknow jail.PTI
Citizenship Act:Now 295 people of 8 UP districts get notices to pay
damages of Rs 1.9 crore during protests
2 days after it came to light that UP’s Rampur district administration
has asked 28 people to explain why they should not pay for damage worth Rs
14.86 lakh caused during anti-Citizenship Act protests, HT eported that such
notices had also been sent to people in 6 other districts.According to senior
officials, 295 people in districts of Lucknow, Kanpur, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar,
Sambhal, Rampur, Bijnor and Bulandshahr have received notices in connection
with property damage worth at least Rs 1.9 crore. Sambhal's ADM Kamlesh Awasthi
told PTI that the notices had been sent to 26 people involved in the protests.
Till now, the police have arrested 48 people and identified 55 for their
alleged involvement in violence protests. The police have put out a series of
reward posters and videos across the state to identify suspected protestors.
Police in Sambhal have released posters of 150 such people. The highest claim
of damages – Rs 56.7 lakh – was reported from Muzaffarnagar district, but
ADMAmit Singh told HT that the claims assessment process would go on till Dec.
30.At least 100 people in Lucknow district received the notices. In Kanpur, 15
people were asked to explain why they should not pay for damage worth Rs 10.97
lakh, said SP Anant Deo Tiwari. 50 people were served the notices in
Muzaffarnagar, according to DM Selva Kumari J.Show-cause notices were issued to
43 people in Bijnor district for damage worth Rs 19.70 lakh, while Bulandshahr administration
is looking to recover Rs 6 lakh from suspected protestors. In Meerut, 12
notices were issued while 33 were issued in Gorakhpur.Districts such as
Varanasi, Agra, Gorakhpur, Aligarh, and Hapur are still carrying out
assessments and may send the notices to more than 200 people today.scroll
UP anti-CAA stir: Sambhal admin.issues notice to 26 people for damaging
property during protests
Over 200 Detained During Protest Outside UP Bhawan against 'Police
Atrocities'
New Delhi: Over 200 people were detained on Thursday after they staged a
demonstration outside UP Bhawan in Delhi against the alleged police atrocities
in the state during protests against the amended Citizenship Act, officials
said.Scores of people from all walks of life had gathered outside UP Bhawan to
protest against the alleged "undemocratic onslaught on organisations and
activists in the state".The protesters who came from Jamia Nagar, Nangaloi
and Seelampur were detained and taken to nearby police stations, a senior
police officer said."A total of 213 people detained from outside UP Bhawan
for protesting without permission. They were detained and taken to the Mandir
Marg police station and Connaught Place police station," the officer
said.The protesters also demanded release of Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar
Azad who was arrested in connection with the violence in Old Delhi's Daryaganj
recently.PTI
Magsaysay awardee Sandeep Pandey writes to CM, deplores UP govt’s
vengeance against protesters
Lucknow:Failing to get an appointment with UP CM Yogi Adityanath,
Magsaysay awardee Sandeep Pandey on Thursday wrote an open letter to him
stating that the "vengeance" with which the UP Govt was acting
against protesting activists is condemnable and called for "more maturity
and restraint". Pandey, an academic and a social activist, has also
alleged in his letter that "anarchist elements" were responsible for
violence though action is being taken against people who have adopted peaceful
means of protests and have faith in the country's Constitution. "If you
(CM) will send social activists, who have faith in the Constitution, to jail
because your police in unable to identify the anarchist elements, then peaceful
means of expressing dissent against Govt in a democracy will be eliminated and
anarchist elements will easily be able to mislead common people," he said.
He pointed out that in FIRs registered over violence during protests in
Lucknow, most of the accused are Muslims.PTI
UP police shot and killed Muslims who weren't even protesting: activist Kavita
Krishnan
As protests continue across the country against the Citizenship
Amendment Act (CAA), UP has emerged as the state which is not permitting even
a modicum of dissent. Under CM Yogi
Adityanath, UP Police is detaining thousands of people, raiding Muslim homes,
and using unrest as a licence to shoot people in contravention of the law. This
week, HuffPost Indiareported that children between the ages of 13 and 17 were
picked up in a raid and tortured by the police in Bijnor. Women protestors in
Lucknow said the police beat them with their batons and hurled abuses at
peaceful protestors.HuffPost India spoke with women’s rights activist Kavita
Krishnan, who has returned from a fact-finding mission in Meerut, along with
political activist Yogendra Yadav and Nadeem Khan, the founder of United
Against Hate.Krishnan says policemen in Meerut chased people into narrow lanes
and shot them from the back. “Many of them were not protestors at all,” she
said. “The people who have died are largely labourers and very very poor
workers.”huffingtonpost
'Reign of terror in UP': Police framing false charges against anti-CAA
protesters, govt spreading lies about NPR, NRC, claim activists
New Delhi: Rights activists on Thursday alleged that there was a
"reign of terror" prevailing in UP and the police was framing false
charges against people to crack down on protests against the Citizenship
Amendment Act and the NRC.Rights activist Harsh Mander, at a press conference
here, said according to law the Govt could use the details gathered in NPR to
identify people as "doubtful citizens" and then use it for NRC.He
alleged that the central Govt was spreading "blatant lies" on NRC and
NPR to forward their divisive agenda.Citing "police brutality"
against AMU students, he alleged that it seems the entire state is at "an
open war with a segment if its citizens". "A reign of terror is
prevailing in UP," Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav said.firstpost
Anti-CAA protests: Anurag Kashyap, Aparna Sen, other film artistes for
judicial probe into UP violence
Declaring that they don't support any form of vandalism, a group of film
industry insiders, including Anurag Kashyap and Aparna Sen, today asked for an
independent judicial probe into the violence against anti-CAA protesters in UP.The
appeal to courts was read out at a press conference here by actors Swara
Bhasker and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub. Stating that they "do not endorse or
support any form of violence or vandalism", the group said the
"sacred right" of citizens to protest peacefully had been violated in
the state.The letter -- signed by filmmakers Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya
Motwane, Aparna Sen and Alankrita Shrivastava as well as actors Kubbra Sait,
Mallika Dua, Konkona Sen-Sharma, Ayyub and Bhasker -- urged Indian courts
"to take suo motu cognizance of what has ensued in UP and request that a
judicial inquiry be instituted into the loss of life and limb and damage to
property". PTI
Actors Condemn 'Excesses' of UP Govt in Responding to CAA Protests
UP Minister refuses to visit family of 2 Muslims killed in violence
during anti-CAA protests
An UP minister has created a major controversy by refusing to visit the
families of the two Muslim men who died during anti-CAA violence in
Bijnor.Minister Kapil Dev Agarwal went to meet Om Raj Saini, who was injured in
the violence that took place in the Nehtaur area last week, and met his family.
He did not bother to look up the families of Anas and Suleiman who had died in violence
and lived in the same area. Later, when asked why he did not visit the families
of Anas and Suleiman, the minister replied, "Why should I go to the homes
of rioters? Those who are rioting and want to inflame passions -- how are they
part of society? Why should I go there? This is not about Hindu-Muslim. Why
should I go to rioters?"IANS
In Lucknow hospital, two teenagers with gunshot wounds, neither of them
a protester
Lucknow : Among the 3 people who suffered gunshot injuries during the Dec.
19 protest against the new citizenship law in Lucknow are two teenaged students
recuperating at a hospital here. While both were shot in the abdomen, neither
of the two — 15-year-old Mohammad Jeelani and 17-year-old Mohammad Shameem —
have been identified by police as injured protesters. The third person
succumbed to his injuries a day after the violence.indianexpress
UP sees most deaths and violence in anti-CAA protests: The stories we
know so far:indianexpress
Rethink about long term implications of NRC and CAA: BHU professors urge
Centre
Varanasi: 51 professors of Banaras Hindu University carried out a
signature drive on Wednesday against NRC and the CAA and appealed to the Govt
to rethink about long term implications of these exercises. Prof RP Pathak,
Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, BHU, who participated in the signature drive,
linked the CAA to NRC and said they were against the idea of India.“This is
completely against the spirit of freedom struggle and the idea of a pluralist
democracy. This is not acceptable in the land of Gandhi and Tagore,” Pathak
said.Pathak further alleged that an attempt to divide the society on communal
lines was being made to make the real issues of the day affecting the common
man take a backseat, against Indian tradition and philosophy of inclusiveness. Another
Professor, who didn’t wish to be named, urged the Govt to rethink about the
implications.“We request the Govt to rethink about the long term implications
of this act and hope national interest would prevail over partisan politics,”
he said.HT
Human Rights Commission Issues Notice To
UP Cop Over Police Action On Protesters, destroying their property, sealing
shops
New Delhi: National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice
to the police chief of Uttar Pradesh after receiving various complaints that
allege "violation of human rights" in police action during the
ongoing anti-Citizenship Act protests in the state, officials said.A complaint
was received by NHRC recently, seeking intervention in the alleged incidents of
violation of human rights by the state police."Other complaints were also
received in connection with the matter, which has been taken on record. The
complaint was registered on December 23 and subsequently, a notice was issued
by NHRC to the director-general of police of Uttar Pradesh, seeking a report in
four weeks," a senior official of the rights panel said.The complainant
has alleged that subsequent to the passage of CAA, "There have been many
incidents of human rights violations by the state authorities in Uttar
Pradesh"."Youth have been killed, internet has been suspended, and
the police themselves are destroying public property. The right to peaceful assembly
has also been violated," according to the complaint submitted to the
NHRC.In the complaint, it is also alleged that "police officials have been
destroying property of many individuals and have targeted Muslim population by
sealing their shops".PTI
Anti CAA protests: “Muslims have only two places, Pakistan or
Kabristan”, says UP police to 72 year old man
Around nearly 30 police officials barged into two-storey house of Haji
Hamid Hasan, a 72-year-old timber trader in Muzaffarnagar town in western Uttar
Pradesh around 11 pm on Friday and went on the rampage. Some officials were in
plainclothes.According to a report in Telegraph, Hassan alleged that he was
assaulted with a rifle butt when he protested and beaten with sticks. Police
official vandalised the house, breaking washbasins, bathroom fittings, bed,
furniture, fridge, washing machine and utensils, he said.“I cried and begged
for mercy but they were very brutal. They told me Muslims have only two places,
Pakistan or Kabristan,” he narrated the ordeal while showing the scene of
destruction inside his house and the injury on his leg.Hasan said that the
rampage continued for 30 to 40 minutes. “After destroying everything, they looted
at gunpoint jewellery and cash of Rs 5 lakh kept in the almirah. I recently
bought the jewellery for the weddings of my two grand-daughters.” Hasan said as
reported by Telegraph.Fatima, Hasan’s wife had hid up in a room with their two
granddaughters, Ruqaiya Parveen, a postgraduate in science, and Mubashira
Parveen, a graduate.Telegraph
Meerut police crackdown: Relatives aghast as FIR names 3 dead
“I was offering namaaz at around 3 p.m. on Friday when incessant firing
in the vicinity interrupted me. I immediately rushed downstairs to enquire
whether my son Mohsin had returned home,” recalls Nafeesa Parveen of the
fateful Friday.An hour later Mohammad Mohsin, 28, was found lying outside a
local restaurant barely 300 metres away from home, bleeding profusely in
Meerut’s Lisari Gate area. He had allegedly sustained a bullet injury in the
police crackdown on protesters against CAA.According to eyewitnesses and residents
of Lisari Gate, a large crowd had gathered outside the Baghwali mosque in the
area after Friday prayers to demonstrate against CAA, when policemen
lathi-charged them. The protesters retaliated by throwing stones at the police,
who responded with rubber bullets, tear gas shells and subsequently live rounds
of fire. the wire
Citizenship Act protests: UP Police release reward posters, videos of
suspects involved in violence
Uttar Pradesh Police have put out a series of reward posters and videos
to identify those allegedly involved in the protests against the Citizenship
Amendment Act last week, NDTV reported.In one of the videos taken in Meerut, a
man in a blue jacket is seen walking around with a gun. The police said they retailated
because of the attacks they faced from “violent mobs” between December 19 and
21. They have also announced a reward of Rs 25,000 each for information on 3
wanted persons in Kanpur, Firozabad and Mau, according to Indian Express.In Mau
district, police have released a poster carrying photographs of 110 people.
These people were allegedly involved in the violence when vehicles were set on
fire and stones were thrown at police. “3 FIRs were lodged in connection with
the incident in which 21 people have been arrested so far,” Mau SP Anurag Arya
told the newspaper. “We identified 110 other miscreants involved in the
violence. Since we have no information about these 110 people, we released
posters carrying their photographs.”scroll
College teacher suspended, varsity student expelled for anti-CAA
protests
Lucknow: A PG college teacher was suspended for allegedly mobilising
people for a protest against the CAA on the campus. Confirming the news, Shia
PG College manager S Abbas Murtaza Samshi said on Wednesday the action was
taken against contractual teacher Robin Verma on basis of media reports that
Verma was arrested by Lucknow police and sent to jail. Verma was among 285
protesters who took part in the anti-CAA protest on Dec19.HT
AMU appoints student seriously
injured in 15 Dec violence as assistant professor on compassionate grounds
AMU has decided to appoint research scholar Mohammad Tariq, who suffered
severe hand injury during 15 December violence on the campus, as an ad-hoc
assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry on "compassionate
grounds".According to his friends, who are now looking after him at trauma
centre, Tariq is the future breadwinner of his family as he has an aged father,
unwell mother and six other siblings to look after. Tariq belongs to a nearby
city of Firozabad from a family of daily wage earners.Asked to get a photograph
of him clicked, Tariq refused, saying "I don't want my mother, who is a
heart patient, to know the extent of my injuries".Recalling the sequence
of events, which took place on that fateful night, Tariq said, "I do not
want to say anything beyond the fact that I was not part of the protest but all
that I remember is that I was running at the road near the university
guesthouse when I fell down and the rest is blank."According to doctors,
Tariq's injury was caused due to an explosion. AMU spokesperson Prof Shafey
Kidwai said Tariq is eligible for the post to which he has been appointed as he
fulfils all the requirements and the vice chancellor has special powers to
appoint him on compassionate grounds.firstpost
Activist Parents Jailed For Citizenship Protest in UP's Varanasi, Baby
Ayra At Home
A 14-month-old in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi has been without her activist
parents for a week after they were arrested and jailed last Thursday by Uttar
Pradesh Police for attending a protest against the citizenship law. There has
been controversy over arrests in Varanasi last week over the protests against
the citizenship law.Over 60 people have been arrested in Varanasi for
protesting despite a ban on large gatherings. Among them are well-known
activists Ekta and Ravi Shekhar. They run an NGO called Climate Agenda that
focuses on air pollution.The couple was picked up by the police during a
protest organised by Left groups in the city on December 19. Ayra, their
14-month-old daughter, is now being taken care of by her relatives at their
home.ndtv
*OTHERS*
Ayodhya Verdict: Babri Masjid Action Committee to file curative
petition, seek debris from mosque
After Supreme Court dismissed a batch of review petitions filed against
its judgment in the Ayodhya Ram Temple case, Babri Masjid Action Committee
(BMAC) mulls over filing a curative petition against the top court's verdict.
Along with this, BMAC in a meeting, which was held on Wednesday at Islamia
Degree College in UP's Lucknow, decided to file a seprate petition seeking the
debris of the Babri Masjid to be given to them.A curative petition is the last
judicial corrective measure that can be pleaded for in any judgment passed by
the top court.The Govt has started working on setting up a trust within the
next few week as mandated by the SC while delivering Ayodhya verdict, PTI
quoted a Govt official as saying. newsnation
Babri panel to move SC over Babri mosque debris
SC grants interim bail to 'misguided' youth convicted of Karnataka church
blast
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has released on interim bail a Karnataka
church blast case convict, who was dubbed by the high court as a misguided
Muslim youth indulging in anti-national activity.Izher Baig, along with seven
others, was handed out life term by the Karnataka High Court under charge of
waging a war against India and creating religious disharmony after being held
guilty of carrying out serial blasts in the state between June and July
2000.While the HC maintained that life imprisonment to such accused should be
an eye-opener to misguided elements in the society, the Supreme Court bench led
by Justice Deepak Gupta has granted bail to Baig for one month after noting
that “a balance has to be struck between the seriousness of the crime and the
rights of the accused”.It further took into account the fact that Baig has
already been behind bars for more than 19 years. “He has a mother who is more
than 70 years old and according to the medical record, the mother is suffering
from various ailments… The appeal cannot be heard now. We, therefore, grant
interim bail to the applicant, Izher Baig, for one month only,” stated the
court order.The apex court’s order releasing one of the convicts in this case
appears lenient in the backdrop of the strong words used by the Karnataka High
Court in its 2014 judgment.News18
Hindu-Muslim divide won’t happen: RSS chief
Hyderabad: Asserting that Hinduism believes in the principles of unity
in diversity and harmony, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Wednesday said efforts
being made to divide Hindus and Muslims would never materialise. Invoking
Tagore, Bhagwat said though British wanted to divide the people, they failed.
“This is not possible in this country.” He recalled Tagore had criticised the
British while observing that Hindus and Muslims won’t just finish each other by
fighting among themselves but will rather find a way-out and that path will be
of a ‘Hindu rashtra.’He said politicians alone cannot change the destiny of the
country. “RSS believes in a vision where everyone is happy and everyone works
in this direction.” Recalling Swami Vivekananda’s words, Bhagwat said, “ People
may worship many gods and goddesses, but they they should workship ‘Bharat
mata’ first.” He said they were of the firm belief that Hindu rashtra should be
the guiding force to the world as a ‘vishwa guru.’TOI
RSS ideologue backs transfer of Muslim academic from BHU religious
department
Once again indicating that only Hindus are qualified enough to teach at
Sanskrit Vidya Dharma Vigyan department of Banaras Hindu University (BHU), RSS
functionary has backed the transfer of Muslim professor from the department.RSS
ideologue and joint general secretary Krishna Gopal has said that the
department is about the teaching of Hindu rituals. "When BHU was set up in
1916, before that an Act was passed in the Parliament in 1915. There were 2
clauses in it -- one, the religious education of the Hindu students will be
compulsory, and second, no non-Hindu would be the member of the court of the
university. Later both the clauses were removed," Gopal said at an event
in New Delhi celebrating 158 birth anniversary of Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya.He
added that only those students come to the university who are interested in
Hindu rituals and religion."Till 1952, religious education was compulsory
in every department of BHU for Hindu children, but later on it became optional.
But the department kept working," he said.Khan had resigned from his post
at the SVDV Department and joined the Arts Faculty where he will teach
Sanskrit, BHU sources said. India TV
Bangladesh denies visa to Mamata Banerjee's minister Siddiqullah
Chowdhury
Bangladesh Govt has denied visa to West Bengal minister and influential
Muslim leader Siddiqullah Chowdhury. According to Chowdhury, despite following
due procedure for visa application, he was denied visa by Bangladeshi
authorities.However, no reason has been cited for the denial, claims the
minister. Sources in the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata said the
visa was denied on 'technical' grounds. Chowdhury was scheduled to travel to
Bangladesh today."I have got a NoC from the Ministry of Home Affairs for
my tour. Even the CM is aware of it. But now I have to cancel it at the last
moment," the minister said.He was scheduled to attend the centenary
celebrations of a madrassa in Bangladesh's Sylhet apart from attending to some
personal commitments. Jamiat-E-Ulma Bengal has termed the development as
extremely unfortunate and unprecedented.indiatoday
Modi govt gives ₹1 lakh crore less to the military forces in year
2019-2020
India Army, Air Force and Navy were forced to prioritise their
requirements again after Modi Govt failed to provide more than Rs one lakh
crore to the three services in 2019-20, reported Deccan Herald. According to a
report by team of lawmakers who scrutinised defence budget for the current
financial years, reveals that the slash in budget was ₹53,035 crore for Indian
Air Force, followed by Indian Army of ₹30,687 crore and Navy of ₹23,048
crore.nationalheraldindia
Delhi Election 2020: Election Commission holds meeting to review poll
preparedness, election due by Feb.22
A meeting of the top officials of the Election Commission of India (ECI)
led by Sandeep Saxena, senior deputy Election Commissioner, and Chief Electoral
Officer of Delhi is underway to discuss upcoming Delhi Assembly Election 2020
dates, reports said. The meeting was also attended by DGs of Expenditure and
Media, senior officers of Delhi Police, civic bodies, and other departments.
The election in Delhi is due by Feb.22, 2020. The ruling AAP, BJP and Congress
have already started their campaigns for the election to the 70-member assembly
in Delhi. The election in Delhi is expected to be fought on local issues.newsx
‘My voice not being heard’: Savitri Bai Phule quits Congress less than a
year after joining it
New Delhi :Savitri Bai Phule, who had switched from BJP to Congress
earlier this year, resigned from the grand old party Thursday and announced
that she will form her own outfit, ANI reported. Stating that her “voice is not
being heard” in Congress, Phule tendered her resignation. Congress, which
welcomed Phule in May this year, had hoped that her strong Dalit connection
would help the party in East UP in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Phule, however,
failed to garner enough votes from Bahraich — a seat where she was the sitting
MP.Phule had quit the saffron party in Dec. last year, alleging that BJP was
playing “divisive politics” and was “misusing money to construct temples and
statues.”indianexpress
And then they came for me — IAS, IPS officers share fears under Modi
govt in WhatsApp groups
New Delhi: Hounding of senior officers, protests across the country and
attempts — perceived and real — to change the constitutional ethos of the
country have sparked a kind of unrest among civil servants, who have taken to
WhatsApp groups to share their concerns and grievances.Several IAS, IPS and IRS
officers who ThePrint spoke to said there is a palpable sense of vulnerability,
insecurity and concern among officers, which they are wary of expressing
publicly, but do so in the safety of closed WhatsApp groups with their peers
from the services.While several officers who support Govt policies have started
taking to Twitter and Facebook to throw their weight behind the Govt, those
critical or skeptical are taking to closed WhatsApp groups to express their fears.theprint
Panel works on how to split assets between J&K and Ladakh UTs
New Delhi :Although the committee for division of assets between the
newly formed Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh submitted its preliminary
assessment two months ago, many contentious issues remain. These pertain to
division of immovable assets owned by the erstwhile state in Delhi, Amritsar,
Chandigarh and Mumbai, besides allocation of Govt officials of various state
departments to the two UTs.3-member committee for division of assets between
the two UTs, headed by former Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra, submitted an
interim assessment report in October where it recommended certain guidelines
for division of assets. The final report of the Committee is expected by the
end of the current financial year.The committee, sources said, created an index
which measured the backwardness, area, remoteness along with the historical
deprivation suffered by Ladakh.indianexpress
3 soldiers killed in exchange of fire with Pak troops at LoC
Pakistan Army on Thursday said that two of its soldiers were killed in
unprovoked firing by the Indian troops along the Line of Control (LOC).The army
also claimed that three Indian soldiers were killed in the exchange of
fire.“Responding to committed ceasefire violations (CFVs), in Haji Pir Sector
Pakistan Army troops damaged Indian post, killing 3 Indian soldiers including a
Subedar, few injured too,” the army’s media wing, ISPR said.On Wednesday, a
junior commissioned officer of Indian Army was killed in unprovoked ceasefire violation
by the Pakistani troops along the LoC in Rampur sector of J&K, the official
sources said.PTI
China says it helped India and Pakistan defuse tensions during conflict
this year
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the state-run People’s Daily on Tuesday
that Beijing supported the efforts of both India and Pakistan to defuse
tensions and manage differences through dialogue, during a particular conflict
between the two countries this year, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs
reported. However, Wang did not expressly clarify which conflict he was talking
about.“During India-Pakistan conflict, China supported the efforts of the two
sides to defuse tensions and manage differences through dialogue,” Wang said,
perhaps referring to the Pulwama attack in February and India’s subsequent
strike in Balakot. scroll
Terror attacks in Punjab being planned by pro-Khalistan outfits with
Pak's support: Intelligence sources
Khalistani terrorists are planning to carry out terror attacks in
Punjab, sources in the Intelligence agency claimed.Intelligence agencies'
sources told Zee News that the Khalistani terrorists have escalated their
efforts to smuggle weapons from Pakistan to Punjab to carry out terror attacks
in the latter.The Sources reveal that terror groups like Babbar Khalsa and
Khalistan Zindabad Force are in contact with their Pakistani handlers to
smuggle weapons across India-Pakistan border. Based on the intelligence input,
the Govt has ordered BSF, NIA, RAW and IB to monitor the activities of these
Khalistan-backed terrorists and surveil the bordering areas of Punjab to
prevent the smuggling of weapons in the state.Meanwhile, intelligence sources
on Wednesday revealed that JeM is planning a major attack on the sacred city of
Ayodhya. dnaindia/ZEEnews
"Alliance Talks In Mall, We Never Knew": BJP's Haryana Ally
Faces Revolt
Trouble has erupted for the ruling BJP's Haryana ally Dushyant Chautala,
with a senior leader of his Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) quitting his party post
in a huff. Ram Kumar Gautam, an MLA, resigned on Wednesday as the party's vice
president after going public with his criticism of Dushyant Chautala.Dushyant
Chautala "should not forget that he became Deputy Chief Minister with the
support of his party legislators," said Ram Kumar Gautam, 73, in a rant
against JJP chief whose support helped BJP form government in Haryana after
elections in October delivered a hung verdict.Dushyant Chautala was called out
for joining hands with a party he had campaigned aggressively against in the
election. Videos of him targeting the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi also
circulated on social media.Mr Gautam said the JJP-BJP alliance was sealed
without the knowledge of most leaders of the party.ndtv
Economic slowdown puts a question mark on 14 per cent GST compensation
New Delhi :As Centre grapples with lower GST collections, a fresh
tension now engulfs the Union Finance Minister-chaired GST Council with a
certain section questioning the assumption of a 14 per cent “high” revenue
growth rate covered by a compensation mechanism mentioned in GST(Compensation
to States) Act.“With inflation hovering around 4-5 per cent and India’s growth
expected to be 5-6 per cent, it will be difficult for Union government to
provide compensation to states at 14 per cent annualised rate,” a Finance
Minister of a BJP-ruled state said.With an increase in GST rate ruled out for
now, the focus has shifted to the actual growth rate of taxes collected by
states, but subsumed under GST since July 2017. In the three years preceding
2015-16, the growth rate in taxes for non-special category states was just 8.9
per cent. This is significantly lower than the 14 per cent growth rate assumed
over the 2015-16 base year while committing compensation.Including the special
category states, all-India average tax growth had worked out to 10.6 per cent
in 3 years preceding 2015-16.indianexpress
NSUI workers shout ‘terrorist go back’ to Pragya Thakur in Bhopal, BJP
MP to take legal action
Workers of the National Students’ Union of India, the student wing of
Congress, on Wednesday shouted “terrorist go back” to BJP MP Pragya Singh
Thakur, ANI reported.Thakur went to meet students of Makhanlal Chaturvedi
National University of Journalism and Communication in Bhopal when the incident
took place. Two female students were protesting against the university
administration’s decision to not allow them to take their examinations and
staged a sit-in protest at the college gate from Tuesday, according to HT. The
students said they did not have the required attendance to give their exams due
to an illness.scroll
As world witnessed the last eclipse of 2019, Netizens flood social media
with hilarious memes
New Delhi :As several people observed the last solar eclipse of the year
2019, pictures of the annular eclipse, which happens when the moon is farthest
from the Earth, poured in on social media.Seen in Saudi Arabia, India, Sumatra,
Borneo Asia, netizens were able to capture the “dark disk”, which forms when
the moon does not completely block the sun. In India, while the eclipse started
roughly at around 8:00 am, it wasn’t easily visible in many parts of the
country.While some of the best views were seen from south India, the clouds in
the capital reduced visibility. Soon, several memes surfaced on social media,
making the most of the celestial phenomenon.indianexpress
*WORLD*
Erdogan announces plan to send troops to Libya
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/12/erdogan-announces-plan-send-troops-libya-191226090214331.html
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has announced military backing for
Libya's internationally recognised Govt of National Accord (GNA), now that
north African country requested it.In a speech in Ankara today, Erdogan said on
Jan. 7 he will present a bill to the Turkish Parliament on deployment
legislation."Since there is an invitation [from Libya] right now, we will
accept it," Erdogan told members of his AK Party. "We will present
the motion to send troops [to Libya] as soon as Parliament
resumes.""God willing, we will pass it in Parliament on Jan. 8-9 and
thus respond to an invitation" from Tripoli-based GNA, he said. ollwoing
Erdogan's announcement, interior minister Fathi Bashagha told reporters in
Tunis that Libya's internationally recognised Govt will officially request
military support from Turkey if the war over the capital escalates. Turkey and
Qatar support the GNA, while Russia, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and France,
support Haftar.Regarding Haftar's backers, Erdogan said on Thursday: "They
are helping a warlord. We are responding to an invitation from the legitimate Govt
of Libya...That is our difference."aljazeera
WHO voices concern over humanitarian situation in Idlib
Nearly 130,000 civilians have been displaced in Syria’s northwestern
province of Idlib, World Health Organization said. Some 12 million
people are in need of medical assistance in Syria as regime and Russian jets
pound civilian settlements, according to a statement.So far, 14 dispensaries
and two hospitals have been closed down and 42 other healthcare facilities risk
closure if attacks continue in the region, it added.Richard Brennan, acting
regional emergency director for WHO in the Eastern Mediterranean, said: “recent
military tensions in the region have led to civilian casualties, injuries and
intensification of human suffering.”As the regime and Russian forces intensify
attacks, more than 2,000 civilians have fled Idlib in the past 24 hours,
according to sources on the ground who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals.middleeastmonitor
Syria missile attack kills pro-Iran fighters: Monitor
5 pro-Iran fighters were killed by unidentified missiles on Wednesday
evening in Syria's eastern province of Deir Az Zor, a war monitor
said."Missiles of unidentified origin targeted the headquarters of 47th
Brigade of pro-Iranian militias in the town of al-Bukamal, in the east of Deir
Az Zor province, killing 5 fighters," the Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights (SOHR) said.SOHR chief Rami Abdul Rahman said drones may have been
responsible for raids,which caused "loud blasts".aljazeera
Israel: Netanyahu faces party leadership challenge
Polls have opened across Israel in the ruling Likud Party's primary
vote, in which a veteran lawmaker will try to unseat Benjamin Netanyahu - the PM's
first serious internal challenge in over a decade in power. Former Minister of
Education Gideon Saar, who officially launched his bid to unseat Netanyahu
earlier this month, argues that he will be better placed to form a Govt in
national elections in March after Netanyahu failed to do so twice in two repeat
elections this year.aljazeera
Israel to reinstitute ‘assassinations policy’
Israel’s foreign minister on Thursday said Tel Aviv would return to “the
policy of assassinations” against Palestinian resistance figures in the Gaza
Strip, Reuters reports. In statements he made to Israel’s army radio, Yisrael
Katz indicated that there was “an intelligence effort to identify the rockets’
launchers and work to eliminate them.” He stressed: “Intelligence efforts are
currently focused on determining who is responsible for ordering missile launch
instructions in order to work to eliminate him.”On Wednesday evening, Israel’s
iron dome anti-missile system intercepted a missile reportedly fired from Gaza
Strip towards the country’s south while PM Benjamin Netanyahu was attending an
election rally in Ashkelon province.MEMO
Second deadly attack in Burkina Faso as global condemnation grows
At least 11 soldiers were killed in Burkina Faso on Wednesday as
Burkinabes were mourning dozens of victims who had died in double attacks
targeting the country's north a day earlier.There was worldwide condemnation
after Tuesday's attacks, the worst assault in the country for five years, in
which at least 35 civilians, mostly women, and seven soldiers were killed in
Arbinda town and at a military base in the volatile Soum province. According to
the army, 80 assailants also died in gunfire exchanges.Early on Wednesday, an
army patrol near Hallale in Sahel region - in Soum province as well - was
ambushed, according to Radio Omega. As well as the 11 soldiers, at least 5
fighters were killed in the assault some 60km from the first attacks.aljazeera
Suu Kyi party official killed in Myanmar's Rakhine
An official from Aung San Suu Kyi's political party has been killed in
Rakhine state after planning a show of support for the leader's recent defence
of Myanmar against genocide allegations at The Hague, according to a party
spokesman.National League for Democracy's (NLD) Ye Thein, party chairman in
Buthidaung township, had been held for weeks by the Arakan Army, an armed group
fighting for more autonomy for ethnic Rakhine Buddhists, the spokesman said on
Thursday. Rebels in Myanmar's Rakhine region said Thein died on Monday, two
weeks after being taken for organising protests against the accusations of
committing genocide faced by Myanmar at the International Court of
Justice.aljazeera
All is well with Muslims in Xinjiang, Beijing tells Muslim countries
Beijing :Faced with international pressure over alleged persecution of
Uyghur Muslims, China told a gathering of selected journalists from Islamic
countries to not believe in the “fabricated” western narrative of detention
camps and religious repression in troubled Xinjiang, saying the anti-terrorism
policies in the province “do not target Muslims” and their “normal” religious
rights are fully protected.“Our anti-extremism and anti-terrorism efforts are
not against any particular religion or ethnic group,” Xu Guixiang, the deputy
director of the publicity department of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region
(XUAR) said.Xi’s press interaction with journalists from Islamic countries
including Pakistan, Turkey and Indonesia apart from India-- which has more
Muslim population than several Muslim-majority countries-- was more of an
appeal to discard what Xu and his colleagues called “false and fabricated
western propaganda”.HT
*views, Articles, FEATURES*
Media images of ‘National Population Register 2020 forms’ spark
confusion
India's Foreign Minister Refused To Meet Me:Pramila Jayapal
Nationwide NRC, NPR won’t provide accurate listing of Indian citizens or
weed out illegals; govt knows this all too well:Praveen Swami
Seizure of properties in UP : Who paid for the destruction of properties
in Gujarat riots?By Dr. Javed Jamil
'CAA & NRC Force Democracy To Give Way To Majoritarianism': Law
Teachers Across Globe Express Solidarity With Student Protestors
'Muslims living in India for generations will become Stateless': MIT
students, faculty, alumni condemn CAA, NRC; full text
Image from 2016 shared as Muslim man hurling stones in recent spate of
CAA protests
WATCH- NPR: The backdoor for NRC
CAA-NRC protests: Looking ahead:Salman Khurshid
CAA gives no parameters to measure religious persecution; political will
needed to mitigate fear among Assamese:Tonmoyee Rani Neog, Rimpi Borah, Chinmoyee
Das
Congress’ CAA-NRC strategy — vocal protests but no communal
overtones:DEEKSHA BHARDWAJ
Indian military isn’t politicised like China, Pakistan but the seeds
have been sown in 2019:LT GEN H S PANAG
CAA Will Un-Make India By Poisoning Relationships of Trust, Affinity Across
Religions:Malini Sur
Why Modi ‘Retreated’ From the NRC and Why it Will Remain on BJP’s
Agenda:Sushil Aaron
In UP, Modi Follows Up on Yogi Govt's Attempts to Shift Focus to
Destruction of Property
Existing Govt infrastructure is not conducive to launch NRC:Mudit Kapoor
*Compiled
and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:02 PM).*
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