*29 DEC. 2019: 2 Jamadi-1, 1441:
Vol: 12, No: 94
*AA-NRC
protests: UP CRACKDOWN*
Every assailant was policeman: Activists accuse UP Police of assaulting
Muslims during CAA stir,release videos; compare BJP rule India to Nazi regime
A team of human rights activists has accused the UP Police of targetting
Muslims in the aftermath of protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act
(CAA) that took place in Muzaffarnagar in UP. A civilian fact-finding team,
which includes prominent human rights activists like John Dayal, Kavita
Krishnan and Harsh Mander, has claimed to have proof that violence during the
agitation was incited by the state police and that the Muslims in the area were
tortured.A number of videos and pictures shared in a series of tweets and
Facebook posts by the activists purportedly show Muslims being targetted by UP
Police during protest over contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).In one
of tweets, Kavita Krishnan accused UP Police, RAF and PAC of acting as
"rioters" in uniform. She posted videos that shows ransacked homes of
several Muslims in the region and claimed that UP Police "targeted and
trashed their homes". She said "RAF was also involved in this
destruction of Muslim homes singled out for being prosperous." The police,
PAC and RAF, while doing their "jobs", were shouting: "Muslims
will be thrown out of India. Don't damage the floor or walls. After all, all
this will one day belong to us," she claimed.Another tweet shows pictures
of broken washbasins and vandalized scooter allegedly belonging to a Muslim
family. Describing the alleged atrocities, Krishnan claimed that a man was
dragged, arrested and then forced to accept that he possessed guns. The
activist said that a teenage boy was detained and tortured for two days. A
young girl's head was brutally injured when she tried to protect her uncle, she
added. Dayal and Kavita further said that UP Police, under the pretext of
carrying out flag march, broke anything and everything while barging into the
houses belonging to many Muslims. "Not a single plate or cup or shelf has
been left whole. There was only a woman with three children at night when the
forces stormed in," Krishnan said. Kavita even claimed that some men in
plainclothes possessed sharp weapons and vandalised a hostel first set up in
1929. CCTV cameras were smashed and their records were stolen by the
"marauding" police, she claimed.It is alleged that many children and
the school's principal were hiding inside Begum Naushaba Complex of Shia
educational institutions when the police broke open the gates and assaulted
them.There were several other schools and hostel which were allegedly attacked
by the police. The floor of Saadat hostel and school still had bloodstains,
according to activists. Dayal quoted another victim Hamid Hasan who said when
the police announced the flag march, streetlights were switched off. "The
police were in numbers, in perhaps 40 vehicles.""They smashed Muslim
shops before entering Hasan's house. They were brutal. They were abusive. They
were relentless. "Go to Pakistan", the men in uniform told the old
men with beards,"Dayal alleged. Another account involves the story of Mohd
Intessar who lives in Jaswantpuri, Muzaffarnagar. Intessar is a big farmer, a
social worker and a community leader. He was not home when over 40 cops raided
his house, upturned and smashed his 2 cars, and destroyed everything they
could. Dayal narrated an account of a postgraduate who "lies in a
shattered room of her grandfather Hasan's house in Jaswantpuri.""Her
forehead is bandaged, covering a deep gash caused by a steel rod. In the next
bed is her 14-year-old brother, his eyes still terrified, his body bruised.
Both were beaten up by the police on 20 Dec. 2019,"Dayal
wrote."72-year-old man,richest Muslim on the street with a lumber sawmill,
several shops and land in his native village, alleges every assailant was a
policeman, all in uniform," he said. Kavita claimed that "not a
single Hindu person, or shop, or home has been torched or attacked or
harmed". "Instead all we saw were "wanted" notices of poor
Muslim boys and men, with rewards announced for information about them or for
their capture! And police have themselves acted as the biggest rioters,
biggest," she tweeted.Slamming UP CM Yogi Adityanath, human activists
posted a picture of Adityanth's tweet where he is condemning
"rioters" and saying that they will pay the price of loss done during
protests.Kavita even juxtaposed Nazi regime in Germany to BJP rule in India and
said: "That's what Nazis and paramilitary did to German Jews. Next step
was the concentration camps."India Today
CAA stir: Muslim organisations slam CM Yogi for justifying excesses on
protestors
New Delhi: UP CM Yogi Adityanath’s justification of police crackdown on “violent protesters” has
not gone down well with Muslims, who said no “secular person” would speak like
Adityanath who, they said, was setting a bad example for India’s democractic
system. Mohammad Jafar, one of the vice-presidents of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind,
accused Yogi Adityanath of playing “communal politics” over the protests
against CAA and NRC. “Adiyanath’s actions are setting a bad example for the
country and is responsible for bringing bad name to the country globally. This
is a democracy and he cannot boast of silencing demonstrators. Under the name of maintaining law and order,
he is defending police firing and violation of human rights. This kind of
crackdown cannot be justified,” said Jafar.He said the UP CM “needs to learn
from other states” like Maharashtra which are allowing large- scale protests in
a peaceful manner.“Adityanath is living in denial if this is his idea of
democracy and governance. This is not a matter of Muslims. It is a matter of
saving India’s Constitution, but he is trying to convert the situation into a
communal riot situation. He will fail and he won’t be able to suppress people
from all religions and regions who are trying to save the Constitution.”
Jamiat-Ulama president Arshad Madani also condemned the police’s brutality and
subsequent justification of the same by CM. Navaid Hamid, head of All India
Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, an umbrella body of 18 Muslim organisations, said
Aditynath was doing a disservice to the nation with his militant acts and
subsequent justification of the same. “This is state terrorism and against the
established norms of governance...His brutality is bringing bad name to India
and has become a centre of negative reporting across globe,” said Hamid. newindianexpress
Naqvi demands ‘immediate action’ against Meerut SP who told protesters
to ‘go to Pakistan’
Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi demanded “immediate action” against
Meerut SP who was caught on camera asking local residents to “go to Pakistan”
during clashes against the new citizenship law. “If it is true that he made
that statement in the video, then it is condemnable. Immediate action must be
taken against him,” he said.Condemning Meerut incident, Naqvi also termed the
alleged police excesses on protesters as “unacceptable”“Violence at any level,
be it by police or by a mob, it is unacceptable. It can’t be a part of a
democratic country. Police should take care that those who are innocent should
not suffer,”he added.indianexpress
‘Not wrong’: UP Deputy CM Maurya
on Meerut cop’s ‘go to Pakistan’ remark
2 days after a video of Meerut (City) SP Akhilesh N Singh asking some
protesters against new citizenship law to “go to Pakistan” went viral, UP
Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya said the remark was “not wrong” as it was not
meant for “all Muslims”.Maurya told ANI, “He did not say it for all Muslims but
probably to those who were raising pro-Pakistan slogans while pelting stones.
For anyone involved in such activities, SP city’s statement is not
wrong.”indianexpress
Yogi Adityanath doing injustice to Muslims to save chair: Akhilesh Yadav
SP President Akhilesh Yadav has accused UP CM Yogi Adityanath of trying
to save his chair by doing "injustice" to Muslims in the garb of
action taken against people protesting the contentious citizenship law and the
NRC.A number of BJP MLAs had staged a sit-in during the recent assembly session
after a ruling party lawmaker accused the present regime of harassing him. Yadav
said: "CM Yogi Adityanath knows that 200 BJP MLAs had staged a sit-in
against him inside the UP Assembly. To save his chair, he is doing injustice on
Muslims."PTI
CAA protest: UP police accused of stripping, torturing Maulana Asad Raza
in Muzaffarnagar
Muzaffarnagar:Abedridden Maulana Asad Raza Hussaini, 66, both arms and
both legs bandaged, “sobs in his sleep” and refuses to “show his face” to
visiting relatives because, his family says, he cannot get over his humiliation
by the police who stripped and tortured him in custody.The police also detained
and assaulted almost all the maulana’s 100-odd students from Saadat
hostel-cum-orphanage in Muzaffarnagar town, many of them minors and most of
them orphans, local people said.“The boys were denied access to the toilet at
times, and some of them suffered rectal bleeding from the torture,” said Salman
Saeed, local Congress politician and son of former MP Saiduzzaman Saeed, who
lives nearby.Maulana Asad, teacher at Saadat Madarsa and caretaker of the
orphanage, was beaten with a baton and dragged out of the hostel on Dec. 20
afternoon after violence at an anti-citizenship act protest nearby.He has told
his family he was kept for over 24 hours in a dark room at the Civil Lines
barracks, where he was stripped in the biting cold and beaten.In an adjoining
room, the students — aged 14 to 21 — were abused, thrashed with sticks through
the night and forced to kneel against the wall, neighbours who spoke to the
boys after their release said.Some of the students were forced to chant “Jai
Shri Ram”, Saeed said.Maulana Asad, widely respected in western UP, was
released on Dec. 21, under pressure from community leaders.“On Saturday night,
a cop called us to say the maulana would be released soon and asked us to bring
his clothes. We were shocked and could not understand why he needed clothes,” a
relative said, asking not to be named because he feared reprisal from police. Telegraphindia
Police will Act if It Receives Complaints, Says Muzaffarnagar SP on Cop
Excesses
The police force under Muzaffarnagar SP Satpal Antil's command has
unleashed unspeakable brutalities on Muslims in the guise of neutralizing the
violent protesters on Dec. 20. Despite a pile of pictorial and video evidence
to prove the police brutalities, he denies that the police even touched any
innocent after the anti-CAA protests. He claims that he has been shot by armed
agitators in the foot, but locals allege that he has shot himself to justify
the ruthless police action. When asked that locals say that the police action was
unprovoked and that it was brutal, SP said, " If such
evidence is available, people should come forward and file cases. I will repeat
that if people have evidence, they must resort to legal recourse. We have taken
action against all vandals, without discrimination on any
ground."caravandaily
Bystander Shot During Police Crackdown on CAA Protest in Rampur Was
Denied Medical Aid
Rampur: On the night of Dec. 20, Faiz Khan took his 14-year-old niece
Samia to the hospital for the doctor to look at her, as she had fallen ill. He
was with his sister in law, and had driven them there since he was the best
driver in the family. Soon, he would be leaving them to go to work in Dubai, in
Feb.in the coming year. The next morning, he left house to finish up some of
the paperwork remaining for his trip, between 10 and 12 pm. On that morning, a
large protest against the CAA was being held on the streets of Rampur. He had
not gone for the protest itself, his twin brother Faraz said, adding, “If he
was going to the protest, I would have been with him. I was at home at the
time.”thewire
Delhi hospitals not giving medical reports, say families of UP men
killed in ‘police firing’
New Delhi: Families of 3 men from UP’s Firozabad, who succumbed to
injuries in hospitals in Delhi, are yet to receive their medical and
post-mortem reports — amid allegations that they were killed in police firing.
All 3 men — Mohammed Shafiq, Mohammed Harun and Muqim — allegedly suffered
bullet injuries during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act in UP’s
Firozabad on 20 Dec. They had been
shifted to Safdarjung and AIIMS hospitals in Delhi. While Shafiq and Muqim died
at Safdarjung Hospital on 26 Dec. and 23 Dec., respectively, Harun passed away
in AIIMS on 25 Dec. Muqim’s uncle, Kallu, alleged that authorities at
Safdarjung Hospital delayed his post-mortem by a day-and-a-half. He added that
they were also not given any medical report when his body was finally handed
over. Showing an image of a “rough report” stored in his phone, he told
ThePrint, “All our papers are with the Safdarjung police outpost. I have
nothing in my possession.” Sharing a similar story, Harun’s family members
alleged that the AIIMS hospital administration delayed his post-mortem for
about 18 hours. theprint
In Yogi bastion Gorakhpur, residents say police strictly obeying CM’s
‘revenge’ statement
Gorakhpur: Noor Jehan hasn’t eaten properly in a week. Her son,
24-year-old Salahuddin, was arrested by the Gorakhpur police Sunday when he was
stepping out of Madina Masjid after afternoon prayers. Even though he was let
off Thursday, a sword continues to hang over his head and the 19 others
released by the police. They were all arrested.According to the police, men
released are still “being investigated” for their role in the anti-CAA protests
that took place last Friday.Salahuddin, however, said he had nothing to do with
the protest. theprint
‘Crossed all limits’: Priyanka Gandhi skewers UP govt over Congress
activist’s arrest
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi on Sunday criticised UP Govt for the
arrest of social activist Sadaf Jafar on several charges, including rioting,
attempted murder and assault on public servants, during the anti-citizenship
act protests in Lucknow.Jafar was the only woman among the more than 200 people
arrested in Lucknow for the violent protests against the new citizenship law on
Dec.19.43-year-old single mother’s bail petition was rejected last week by a
court, which said the offences under which she was booked were serious in
nature.“UP Govt has crossed all limits of inhumanity. Congress activist Sadaf
Jafar is clearly seen in the video asking the police to arrest those spreading
the violence. The police have put Sadaf in jail by making baseless
allegations,” Gandhi tweeted in Hindi.HT
I was heckled when I enquired where Priyanka Gandhi was heading: Woman
police officer
Lucknow : Woman police official who was fleet in-charge of Priyanka
Gandhi's convoy here on Saturday said that she was "heckled" when she
went to enquire where Priyanka Gandhi was heading as "she suddenly changed
her itinerary".She said that the allegations put forth by Priyanka Gandhi
that she was strangulated are "untrue"."I was her fleet
in-charge and this is not true. At 4.30 I got information that she will leave
the party office for Kaul house. Arrangements were made accordingly and she
came out of the party office and convoy proceeded towards the destination. The
portion of the front convoy took the turn while she moved straight," said
Archana Singh.ANI
Man who gave Priyanka lift on scooter slapped with fine of Rs 6100 by
Lucknow police
Congress party worker on whose 2-wheeler Priyanka Gandhi Vadra travelled
in Lukcnow on Saturday aftre hre car was blocked by police, has been slapped a
fine of Rs 6,100 by Lucknow police for both riders not wearing helmets. Gandhi
had travelled on two-wheeler for some distance while going to meet family
members of retired IPS officer S.R. Darapuri at Indiranagar in Lucknow.
AMU students to continue peaceful anti-CAA agitation at campus
Aligarh:Students of AMU on Sunday said that they would continue holding
peaceful anti-CAA agitation at the campus.This was decided at a meeting of the
general body of students on Saturday and a “coordination committee” was formed
to decide the future course of the ongoing stir against the Citizenship
Amendment Act. In a statement, a coordination committee spokesperson said that
from Monday students would hold a dharna near Bab-e-Syed gate everyday between
10 am and 4 pm. Meanwhile, Aligarh Police has asked the university to take
action against those protesters who are not students but are still active in
the ongoing protest.AMU Teachers’ Association (AMUTA) has expressed concern
over the decision of RAF to “belatedly” file a FIR on Dec. 23 against 1,000
unidentified AMU students for the violent protest. PTI
*FIR against SHO, 5 other cops for Bijnor
death during protests*
Lucknow :An FIR has been lodged against 6 policemen, including the then
Station House Officer of Nahtaur police station, Rajesh Singh Solanki, over the
death of 20-year-old Mohammad Suleiman in UP’s Bijnor district during the
protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.Satya Prakash Singh, who
replaced Solanki as SHO, said that apart from Solanki, local outpost in-charge
Ashish Tomar, constable Mohit Kumar and three other “unidentified” policemen
have been named in the FIR filed by Suleiman’s brother Shoaib.Singh said
Solanki has now been transferred to DCRB. Bijnor Additional SP (Rural)
Vishwajeet Srivastava said Solanki has been transferred from the Nahtaur police
station “because he was injured and could not work”.In what was the first
admission of firing by the UP Police during the protests, Sanjeev Tyagi, SP,
Bijnor, had confirmed on Dec. 23 that Suleiman had died after he was shot by
constable Mohit Kumar in “self-defence”.Suleiman, a final-year under-graduate
student who was staying with his maternal uncle in Noida to prepare for UPSC
exams, had come to Nahtaur since he was down with fever, his family
said.indianexpress
*Retired IPS officer Darapuri, held over
anti-CAA protests, ‘works on rights issues’*
Lucknow: Retired IPS officer Sarwan Ram Darapuri, 77, who is among more
than 200 people arrested by Lucknow police following violence during protests
against the new citizenship law, has been working on rights issues since his
retirement from the force in 2003, according to his son and others who have
worked with him.He also unsuccessfully contested the last two Lok Sabha
elections.The police have booked Darapuri, 1972-batch IPS officer, along with
34 others.Darapuri, who is lodged in Lucknow district jail since Dec. 21, comes
from Punjab’s Jalandhar district. He retired as IG in UP Police, his last
posting being Police Training Centre, Sitapur. His son Ved Kumar, 50, a
businessman, said, “he participated in several protests and was detained by the
police earlier, but this is the first time he was arrested and sent to
jail.”Ved Kumar said the family is worried about his father’s health, as he was
not keeping well for the last one week. indianexpress
Immediate action…if party discipline broken: Mayawati suspends BSP MLA
for supporting CAA
Bhopal:BSP supremo Mayawati Sunday suspended party MLA from Madhya
Pradesh, Ramabai Parihar for supporting the new Citizenship Amendment Act.MLA
from Patharia assembly seat in Damoh district had lauded the amendment saying
it was long due and only a leader like PM Narendra Modi could have taken such a
decision. Her position was in stark contrast to the party’s stand on the
contentious act.In a tweet, Mayawati said Ramabai has been suspended for
supporting the CAA and she has been barred from taking part in party
activities. “BSP is a disciplined party and if it is broken, immediate action
is taken against MP / MLA etc. of the party. In the same order, BSP MLA Ramabai
Parihar from Patheria in MP has suspended her from the party for supporting
CAA.”indianexpress
OTHER: anti-citizenship act stir*
Law Minister Contradicts Amit Shah, Says NPR Data 'May or May Not be
Used' for NRC
Union law and justice minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, in an interview to
the Indian Express, said that “entire legal process” will be followed in
updating National Population Register (NPR) and the implementation of a
nationwide NRC. He also said that there will be consultations with state Govts
and feedback will be taken. On documents required for NRC, he said there would
be a public declaration after the process starts under Rule 3 and Rule 4 of
Citizenship Rules, 2003. He didn’t specify when the NRC process would
start.Prasad’s remarks are significant as many states, including BJP ally JDU
in Bihar, have also opposed a nation-wide NRC and at least two states have
paused the process of updating the NPR. After protests erupted against the
Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) across the country, PM Narendra Modi also
claimed that the nationwide NRC isn’t in the works at all.On the question of
NPR data being used for NRC, he said: “some may be used or some may not be
used”. This comes days after home minister Amit Shah claimed in an interview to
news agency ANI that there is no link between NPR and NRC. “There is no link
between NRC and NPR, I am clearly stating this today,” Shah had said. Prasad
answered many questions regarding CAA, NRC and NPR. He called the CAA
“perfectly constitutional and legal”, citing Article 246 of the Indian
Constitution which he says empowers the parliament to “make laws in any of the
matters enumerated in List 1 of the seventh schedule, and entry 17 of this list
talks about citizenship, naturalisation and aliens”.On being asked if it
doesn’t violate fundamental rights guaranteed by Article 14 of the
Constitution, he responded by saying that the CAA is not related to any Indian
at all as it doesn’t give or take away citizenship from anyone, including
Muslims. “…persons who have been persecuted because of faith, in 3 countries of
Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, are being given citizenship in
India….These persecuted groups because of the faith form a reasonable group by
themselves and this reasonable classification has a nexus with the object of
the law,” he said.thewire
*Will consult states before NRC… may or may
not use NPR data for it: Law Minister*
*CAA protests: Tourism worst hit, 7
countries issue travel warnings*
Mumbai : India's tourism industry has been hit by a wave of violent
anti-Govt protests against a new citizenship law that have rocked several
cities this month, with at least seven countries issuing travel warnings.
Officials estimate about 200,000 domestic and international tourists cancelled
or postponed their trip to Taj Mahal in the past two weeks, one of the world's
most popular tourist attractions."There has been a 60% decline in visitor
footfalls in Dec. this year," said Dinesh Kumar, a police inspector
overseeing a special tourist police station near Taj Mahal who has access to
visitor data. He said decline was compared to Dec. last year."Indian and
foreign tourists have been calling our control rooms to check security. We
assure them protection, but many still decide to stay away," said Kumar.
Taj Mahal, situated in the town of Agra, attracts over 6.5 million tourists
every year, generating nearly $14 million annually from entrance fees. Managers
in luxury hotels and guest houses around the Taj Mahal said last minute
cancellations during the festive season have further dampened business
sentiment at a time when the country's economic growth has slowed to 4.5%, its
slowest pace in more than six years.In a bid to clamp down on violence and
unrest, authorities have suspended mobile internet services in Agra.
"Blocking the internet has affected travel and tourism in Agra by about
50-60%," said Sandeep Arora, president of Agra Tourism Development
Foundation that groups over 250 tour operators, hotels and guides.US, Britain,
Russia, Israel, Singapore,Canada and Taiwan have issued travel advisories asking
their citizens to either refrain from visiting or to exercise caution when
visiting regions embroiled in India's protests.Reuters
Economic Slowdown, Thomas Cook Collapse, Post CAA Unrest: Why India's
Tourism Industry Has No Reason to Raise a Toast This New Year's Eve
*Only those who say Bharat Mata ki jai can
stay in India: Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan*
Pune:Amidst continuing protests over new citizenship law and a proposed
nationwide NRC, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday said
that only those who are ready to say “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” should be allowed to
live in India.Addressing the conference of ABVP, student wing of RSS, Pradhan said,
“What is challenge before this country today? On one side, this country’s
citizenship…to be counted or not? Would Udham Singh’s sacrifice go in vain?
Would Bhagat Singh’s sacrifice go in vain? Would Subhash Chandra Bose’s
sacrifice go in vain? Did the crores of people who fought for Independence do
so that 70 years after Independence, this country would discuss whether we should
count our citizens or not?Do we want to make this country to be an inn? Should
anyone who comes to this country be allowed to live here? We have to face this
challenge. This point has to be made clear. In India, one will have to say
Bharat Mata ki Jai. Only those people will be able to live here,”he said.indianexpress
Kerala church opens its doors to Muslims for namaz, while protesting
against CAA, NRC
Picture and short video of hundreds of Muslims offering namaz at a
church in Kerala has become a point of discussion online in light of the
protests against the CAA passed by the Union Govt. Muslims were taking part in
a protest march in Kothamangalam and needed a space to offer their prayers when
march ended. St Thomas Church, popularly known as Marthoma Cheriapally in
Kothamangalam, opened its doors to the Muslims, says Mathew Kuzhalnadan, state
president of All India Professionals Congress that conducted the march against
the CAA and NRC.“It was a secular march when thousands of people of all faiths
walked towards Kothamangalam. There were also hundreds of Muslims in the march.
By the time it concluded it was time for the Muslims to offer their prayers and
going to a mosque would have delayed it. So we requested the church authorities
to permit the Muslims to do the namaz. They not only permitted it, they also
facilitated the prayers,” Mathew says.That has been the practice of the church
for centuries, says church priest Father Jose Parathuvayalil. “March was held
to strengthen the idea of secularism. And what happened at its culmination sent
a great message of secularism,” says Mathew.thenewsminute
BJP to hold pro-CAA rallies across country in Jan
Even while many citizen groups, students and political parties are
holding agitations all across the country against CAA and NRC - the country’s
ruling party, the BJP, is planning on similar gatherings in support of the CAA.
BJP has been trying to quell the
widespread protests against the anti-CAA protests, not just by taking action
against protesters, but also by holding simultaneous gatherings and rallies
showing support to the Bill.BJP has planned more nationwide pro-CAA rallies
from January 5, to January 15, to 'bring about awareness over this Act'. Pro-CAA
campaign was decided upon at a meeting of senior leaders of BJP held earlier
this week. Union Home Minister Amit Shah will kick-off the public awareness
campaign and BJP Working President JP Nadda along, with 50 senior leaders of
the party, will take up the campaign in various cities of India.thenewsminute
Jamia's face of anti-CAA protests, Aysha Renna, heckled for criticising
Kerala govt
Aysha Renna, student of Jamia Millia Islamia who became the face of
anti-CAA protests for confronting the cops who were beating up her friend, was
heckled at a protest meet in Malappuram, Kerala, for criticising the Pinarayi
Vijayan Govt.22-year-old History student, while speaking at a protest meet in
her hometown Kondotty against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, first called for the release of Bhim Army
chief Chandrashekhar Azad who has been detained in New Delhi for anti-CAA
protests.She then went on to demand the release of the protesters who were
detained by Kerala Police during the statewide hartal against the CAA, on Dec.
17. The hartal was called by Welfare Party, SDPI and Dalit Human Rights
Movement (DHRM), among others. CPI(M), Congress and Indian Union Muslim League
had distanced themselves from the hartal, because of the involvement of SDPI,
which is known to have extremist links.“We view all those who try to suppress
us as people with the BJP. What we are going to witness is an emergence of
Bahujan Muslim politics. I demand the release of Chandrashekhar Azad. I oppose
the police action of arresting Chandrashekhar Azad. I also demand the release
of those who protested in solidarity with the students of Jamia Milla and were
arrested by the Pinarayi Govt” Renna said in her speech.The reference to CM
Pinarayi Vijayan, reportedly, irked the audience, some of whom demanded an
apology. Though Renna tried to placate them by saying it was her “personal
opinion” and that there should be no “internal conflict” among anti-CAA protesters,
members of the audience, believed to be DYFI activists, continued to heckle her
and shouted slogans against Renna and demanded her apology..theweek
Kerala : In Pinarayi's all-party meet, political parties decide to unite
against CAA, BJP boycotts
The opposing political fronts in Kerala will come together again to
oppose the CAA, decided a meeting of representatives of political, community
and social organisations convened by CM Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday. The meeting
entrusted CM Pinarayi Vijayan and Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala with the
task of planning the future course of action and to decide on the joint
protest. It would be decided upon on what all fronts joint protests can be
organised.This BJP however boycotted the meeting and called it an illegal
one.The meeting also recommended that the Govt move the court against CAA and
convene a special session of the Assembly. The CM informed the meeting that
this has been under consideration and the Govt has initiated steps for the
same.thenewsminute
Historian Irfan Habib says Indian History Congress did not invite Kerala
Governor Arif Khan
Kannur:Historian Irfan Habib said Indian History Congress (IHC) did not
invite Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan and it was the host institution,
Kannur University, which invited him and other political leaders.“It is the
right of the host institution to invite, however, we would not have thought of
him,” the historian said criticising the Governor. He was responding to event
that unfolded during the inauguration of 80th session of IHC at the
university.He said that delegates were provoked when he started to speak about
the Citizenship Amendment Act and denounced Muslims.“Governor was not invited
to speak on CAA and the time of IHC is not for wasting,” he said adding that
the Governor had the right to speak to an audience of his own.The historian
pointed out that the Governor was going into things that were no concern to the
IHC. He was asked to address the IHC and not to a political audience, he
asserted.Asked if there was a violation of Governor’s protocol, Habib said the
protocol did not govern IHC and they had their own constitution. The members of
IHC are governed by the Indian Constitution and the IHC’s, he said adding that
the Governor’s protocol was false.Habib pointed out that in the past the
President, the Vice-President and other eminent people attended the congress
without any protocol. Habib was also critical of the Kerala Govt for posting
the police at the IHC venue. Habib also accused the police of obstructing him,
when they had no business to be on the podium.thehindu
Kerala Governor Supports Citizenship Law At History Event, Kicks Up Row
Aligarh Society of History and Archaeology says force used on IHC
members opposing Guv speech
Have a meaningful debate on CAA, NRC, NPR: VP Venkaiah Naidu urges
citizens
Hyderabad:Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday urged the people of
the country to have an ‘enlightened, meaningful and constructive discussion and
not jump to hasty conclusions’ with regard to the CAA, NRC and NPR.“Citizens
should study the issues in depth, and fully understand the background before
reacting to any issue. Dissent or disagreement has to be expressed in a
constructive, democratic and peaceful manner,” he said here. Naidu said in a
mature democracy, there is no place for violence and recalled that Mahatma
Gandhi had eschewed violence in all its forms even in the face of most daunting
challenges. “While protesting against the British rule, he remained civil even
to his adversary. He called off the Non-cooperation Movement after Chauri
Chaura incident which had turned violent,” he pointed out.thehindu
‘We have no humanity for Muslims from other countries,’ says BJP’s
national secretary Deodhar
Anantapur: BJP national secretary Sunil Deodhar said there will be no
humanity shown towards Muslims coming illegally into India even if they are
persecuted in the three Islamic countries - Pakistan, Bangladesh and
Afghanistan. Deodhar said BJP does not want to turn India into a Dharamshala
(Hospice) as all Muslims coming into India from Muslim-majority nations for
whatever reasons, were not welcome, and no citizenship would be offered to
them. “It is the responsibility of those three nations to take care of their majority
population as ‘partition’ of the country happened on the basis of religion.
Only minorities in those countries subjected to persecution will be considered
for citizenship, which was proposed by the first PM Jawaharlal Nehru, but never
became a reality,” the party leader said.Later, speaking at a meeting of
intellectuals and party cadre in a function hall, Deodhar thanked UP CM Yogi
Adityanath for getting the details of arsonists and recovering money from the
people who destroyed public property. Taking a dig at the Congress for opposing
the CAA, he said ‘Khilafat’ movement was in the genes of Congress leaders and
they were resorting to similar agitations now, he observed.thehindu
Modi Govt Misleading People On CAA, NPR, NRC: Owaisi
New Delhi:AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi has accused Modi Govt of
misleading people on the issues of Citizenship Act, NPR and NRC. In an
exclusive interview with News Nation, Owaisi said that NPR and NRC are 2 sides
of the same coin. Asaduddin Owaisi explained his stand on various issues
including the violence during the anti-CAA protests and his reasons for
opposing NRC and NPR.When asked whether opposing a law passed by the Indian
Parliament was right, Owaisi gave the example of Emergency. He said everyone
came together to oppose Emergency. He said that CAA was a black law and there
was not anything anti-national in protesting against it. newsnation
CAA: Will organise 'massive agitation' if PM comes to inaugurate 'Khelo
India' games, Warns AASU
As the protests against Citizenship
Act continue unabated, All Assam Students' Union (AASU) today said a
"massive protest" will be organised if PM Narendra Modi comes to
inaugurate the 'Khelo India' games on January 10 in the state
capital.Addressing a press conference, AASU leadership said organisation is
keeping a "close watch" on the forthcoming T20 match between India
and Sri Lanka on January 5 in Guwahati and the 'Khelo India' games scheduled
from January 10 to 22. "After the CAA was passed, the PM is likely to
visit Assam for the first time. If he visits for the 'Khelo India', there will
be a massive protest," AASU President Dipanka Kumar Nath said. Demanding
immediate repeal of the contentious citizenship act, AASU chief adviser
Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharya said the organisation will observe all the actions
of the Govt to deviate peoples' attention from the movement.news18
Committed to keep Assam outside CAA: AGP
Guwahati: Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), ruling coalition partner in Assam, said
the party is with the indigenous people of Assam and is committed to keeping
the state outside the purview of the Citizenship Amendment Act.AGP working
president Keshab Mahanta asserted that the party also wants safeguards for the
local people in addition to clause 6 of Assam Accord that provides
constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards to protect, preserve
and promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of Assamese
people.AGP has been criticised across the state for its lone MP in the Rajya
Sabha Birendra Prasad Baishya voting in favour of the Citizenship Amendment
Bill after speaking against it in Parliament.PTI
Those opposing CAA are ‘anti-Dalits’: BJP’s JP Nadda'
BJP working president J P Nadda today said that opposition parties,
which are protesting against the amended citizenship law, are “anti-Dalits” as
70-80 % of the people to be benefited from the legislation are from the
community. Dalit leaders who are opposing the law should be exposed, he said,
asserting that PM Narendra Modi is the “biggest protector” of the community. Addressing
a programme organised by a Dalit group, Nadda accused Congress of spearheading campaign
to “mislead” minorities over CAA and stressed that the new law is all about
giving citizenship to minorities from three neighbouring countries and not
about taking away anyone’s citizenship.Nadda said that “majority of these
people are dalit and harijans” and lamented that dalit leaders are opposing the
new law.HT
Dalits Told: Don’t Fall for BJP’s Bait, Protest against Discriminatory
CAA-NRC
https://caravandaily.com/dalits-told-dont-fall-for-bjps-bait-protest-against-discriminatory-caa-nrc/
Both the PM and RSS have stated in their rallies and programmes, this
week, that Dalits are persecuted in countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan and
Bangladesh while the new citizenship law in India will provide a new relief to
them.The ruling BJP has instructed its Scheduled Caste (SC) functionaries and
Union ministers to spread awareness about the CAA among the Dalits, to explain
how it would help them, in ways as to mollify them. PM has addressed several rallies recently,
from Jharkhand to Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan. In all his speeches, he said CAA will
work to the advantage of the Dalit community. He declared at a public meeting
on Ramlila ground that most of the refugees from Pakistan seeking citizenship
in India are Dalits. But, even after Modi’s speech, Dalit organisations
continued their shrill protest against CAA.Grandson of Baba Bhimrao Ambedkar,
Prakash Ambedkar, who is also leader of socio-political outfit Banchit Bahujan
Aghadi (BBA), said that media painted a wrong picture about the ongoing
protests that this was a fight between Muslims and Hindus. “It is incorrect to
say that CAA will discriminate against Muslims alone. The CAA and NRC will
affect the Dalits, Adivasis and the Tribals the most. Together, they constitute
around 40% of India’s population. Most of these people don’t have documented
proof of their domicile. In fact, this is a fight between the citizenship
defined by RSS and the citizenship as enshrined in the Constitution,” he
said.Bhim Army, an organisation of Dalits (mostly Jatavs), has been at the
forefront of anti-CAA protests in the country, especially in UP. Delhi
coordinator of Bhim Army, Kush Ambedkar, says that the CAA and NRC will make life
hell for Dalits, as most of them are homeless, roaming labourers. Dr Ratan Lal,
Professor of History in Delhi University, is a Dalit and has been an active
anti-CAA campaigner. He says that the CAA is against the soul of the
Constitution and thus it is against Muslims and Dalits.“Prima facie, this law
seems to be against Muslims, but actually this is part of the larger BJP design
that aims to target Dalits and the tribals too. It’s a well-thought-out plan to
saffronise the Dalits and Tribals,” Dr Lal said.caravandaily
‘BJP won’t decide if we are Indians or not’: SP leader Akhilesh says
won’t fill NPR form
Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav said on Sunday he will not fill
the form to determine citizenship under NPR as he called out the Centre for overlooking
problems hurting the economy.“BJP won’t decide if we are Indians or not. We
don’t want NPR. What we want are employment and livelihood. The experts are
saying that the economy is in ICU,” Akhilesh said while speaking at an event to
welcome students’ union leaders.“Mahatma Gandhi had shown the way in South
Africa. He had burned some cards. Here, we will be the first who will not fill
the NPR forms. I will not fill any form, now you decide if you would fill nor
not,” he said.HT
Jamia admin, Delhi Police spar over CCTV footage of 15 Dec incident;
call on giving recording deferred amid request for judicial probe, says varsity
proctor
New Delhi: CCTV footage of the alleged barging-in of police personnel
inside the Jamia Millia Islamia campus on 15 Dec. has emerged as a fresh sore
point between the university administration and the police. CCTV recording of
the 15 Dec. incident is yet to be procured by the police, who said they need it
for investigation. A senior police officer claimed that they had asked the
university administration to hand over CCTV footage of 15 Dec. incident, and
SHO of Jamia Nagar went to the university to procure it.But the students
gathered on the university campus and they did not want that the footage be
given to police, he said, adding the administration was also unwilling to hand
over the recordings. Officer returned empty-handed, he said. Jamia Millia Chief
Proctor Waseem Ahmed Khan said, "When police detained the students of
Jamia on Dec. 15, they made us sign a letter wherein it was mentioned that CCTV
footage will be provided to police for the investigation. They have asked for
the footage and we said that we are thinking about it. A policeman, who was
sitting with me, had got up as soon as students arrived."A call on the
handing over the footage will be taken later since the university has requested
for a judicial probe in the matter from HRD Ministry and NHRC is also looking
into the matter, he said.PTI
One Eye ‘Bandaged’, Protesters Depict Police Brutality against Jamia
Students
https://caravandaily.com/one-eye-bandaged-protesters-depict-police-brutality-against-jamia-students/
New Delhi: Wearing bandages in one eye to express solidarity with a
fellow student who lost his eye in the police crackdown on Dec.15, Jamia Millia
students continued their protest, which entered the 17th day on Sunday,
supported by student organisations and local residents.Protestor Aslam said
this action of bandaging one eye is in solidarity with Mohammad Minhajudin who
has lost an eye but still no action has been taken against the police officers
responsible and the force which created havoc in campus.The anti-CAA protest
has now turned into an anti-NRC protest with students saying this is a step
towards NRC. The protest in Shaheen Bagh is continuing day and night with
scores of citizen coming to support it, despite the bitter cold.The protests,
which start in the morning and end by the evening, have gained momentum since
the crackdown in Jamia.IANS
A mini Jantar Mantar? Many prefer to call it ‘Jamia Square’
Jamia Women Narrate What Happened During Police Crackdown on Students
Delhi Waqf Board sets up helpdesks for people booked during anti-CAA
stir
Delhi Waqf Board has set up helpdesks to extend free legal aid to people
booked in the city and other states during protests against the amended
citizenship law. 3 helpdesks at Waqf Board head office in Daryaganj, Okhla and
Jafrabad have been set up at the direction of chairman of the panel Amanatullah
Khan.Board member Himal Akhtar will supervise the helpdesks where team of
lawyers will be available to provide legal services."These helpdesks will
provide free legal aid to innocent people who were tortured and framed in fake
cases by the police in different parts of the country,"Akhtar said. He
said besides legal aid, Waqf Board will also provide monetary support to people
who themselves or their kins are facing "fake" cases and fighting
legal battle.PTI
EFLU students in Hyd accuse varsity of stifling protests against CAA
quoting a 'no protest rule'
Nandu Parvathy, a PhD scholar at English and Foreign Languages
University (EFLU) in Hyderabad, held a silent protest against CAA on Dec. 23,
in solidarity with thousands of other students across the country who have been
protesting against the contentious Act. She held a placard that read “No to
NRC,CAA #Civil disobedience”, and stood silently in front of University
library. However, in no time, university proctor informed her that she isn’t
allowed to carry out any form of protest inside the campus and she was also
told by her department to refrain from such activities.thenewsminute
*Amid CAA, NRC fears, rush to apply for
birth certificates in Malegaon, other towns*
Mumbai:Amidst large-scale protests over the CAA and fears of a
nationwide NRC, at least four municipalities — Malegaon in Maharashtra,
Kolkata, and Surat and Modasa in Gujarat — have reported a rise in applications
for birth certificates.Soon after Assam published the final NRC, excluding
19,06,657 people, hundreds of kms away, in Maharashtra town of Malegaon,
several prominent mosques circulated a list of 23 essential identity documents
and urged locals to ensure that have their papers in place and that they bore
no errors.From 2,000 applications for birth certificates received by the
Malegaon Municipal Corporation in Aug., figure rose to 12,000 in Sept., 12,500
in Oct.and 12,800 in Nov, records obtained from health department showed. This
month alone, as of Dec. 26, Corporation had received 13,000 applications. Malegaon
Municipal Commissioner Kishor Borde said that while he could not comment on the
reasons for the rise in applications, he admitted that the town’s Muslim
residents were putting identification documents together fearing effects of CAA
and a nationwide NRC.indianexpress
*Maharashtra: Peaceful dharna against CAA,
NRC in Dhule*
Mumbai :Over 20,000 people cutting across all religions Saturday
gathered in Dhule town to hold a peaceful protest against the Citizenship
(Amendment) Act (CAA) and NRC.The demonstration, organised by Jamiat Ulema
Dhule, was attended by members of all major political parties. “Protesters
carried out a peaceful dharna. We received great cooperation from the
organisers and nothing untoward took place,” Dhule SP Vishwas Pandharesaid.Shawwal
Ansari, vice-president of Jamiat in Dhule, said protesters handed over a
memorandum, addressed to President Ram Nath Kovind, to the tehsildar at the end
of the protest.The Jamiat claimed that more than 50,000 people gathered at a
2-km stretch during the protest.indianexpress
*7 detained in Chennai for drawing anti-CAA
rangoli on streets, released later*
Chennai police have detained 5 individuals from the Besant Nagar area on
Sunday for drawing rangolis or kolams on the streets to protest against the CAA,
NRC and the NPR.The police detained the protesters and took them to the station
citing ‘unlawful assembly’. They were kept in a community hall next to the J5
Shastri Nagar police station. According to The News Minute, those detained
include four women and one man -Gayathri, Arthi, Kalyani,Pragathi and Madan. Police
also detained two advocates who later went to the police
station.freepressjournal
*CAA, NRC Part Of Their Agenda For Hindu
Rashtra: P. Chidambaram*
Former home minister P. Chidambaram speaking on the Citizenship
(Amendment) Act, said, "CAA violates the Constitution of India,
specifically Article 14. It is under-inclusive, unequal, discriminatory and
opposed to constitutional morality. Hence the opposition from all sections of
people. We have posed some questions to those who supported the amendment. I
did so in my speech in the Rajya Sabha. We have not got satisfactory answers.
Unless those questions are answered to people’s satisfaction, we have to assume
Govt does not have good answers. Many eminent scholars and lawyers believe the
law will be struck down by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional. That is also
my view." He continued, "We are not inciting the Muslims, or any
other section, to revolt against the law. The overwhelming majority of
protestors are not Muslims; they are Hindus or belong to other non-Islamic
faiths. Some are agnostics or atheists. To call the protestors Muslims and
accuse others of inciting Muslims reveals BJP’s narrow and closed mind. When
CAA is implemented, you will realise it was a carefully designed plan to
discriminate against Muslims. The burden will fall heavily on Muslims. The
impact of NRC and CAA will be to identify and exclude Muslims. The evil
consequences will also fall on others like Tamil Hindus migrating from Sri
Lanka and Christians migrating from Bhutan. This is part of agenda of pushing
the idea of a Hindu Rashtra."outlookindia
*We the People: Voices from across country
on ‘being Indian’*
New Delhi :Resident, usual resident; citizen, non-citizen; immigrant,
illegal immigrant; Muslim, non-Muslim; Kashmiri, non-Kashmiri. In the year 2019,
ascendant nationalism made way for narrowing the definitions of who is a
national. From Kashmir to Assam, the complex matrix of identities woven over
hundred of years of history and geography disintegrated into a jumble of
numbers (370, 1971, 19 lakh), while old identities proved strong despite the
passage of centuries from Sabarimala to Ayodhya. The contesting figures took
the form of protests against the Govt towards the end of the year. This seemed
to have a common identity defined by the following characteristics: young,
articulate, seeking its rights under the Constitution, and rallying around the
Preamble, beginning with the words, ‘We, the people of India’.The Sunday
Express reached out to men and women across the Republic, from the uneasy calm
of the Kashmir Valley to the angry disquiet of a campus, the desolation of
Bastar to the solitude of a rape victim, and the hope for a job next to
Millennium City Gurgaon to the longing for a temple in Ayodhya — to find out,
in their own words and their own photographs or sketches, what they talk about
when they talk about ‘being India’ and ‘being Indian’. What does the
Constitution mean in their lives, in letter and spirit? Which rights matter to
them the most, at home and beyond, as they enter 2020, 70th year of the
Republic.indianexpress
*Married 2 years ago, Pak Muslim woman
can’t live with Indian husband due to pending long-term visa; with CAA, her
fears multiply*
Ludhiana: 2 YEARS ago, in the winter of 2017, Sidra Rafique (32), a
Pashto-speaking woman from Mansehra district in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
province, had crossed over to India via Wagah. For newly-wed bride and her
husband Ramish Aman (28) from Haldwani of Nainital, India’s ex external affairs
minister late Sushma Swaraj had played cupid. Responding to Sidra’s request for
visa on Twitter in no time, Swaraj wrote, ‘’Sidra –India doesn’t reject visas
of its daughters and daughters-in-law. You will surely get a visa…”Married 2
yrs ago, Pak woman can’t live with Indian husband due to pending long-term visa
Swaraj’s reply to her tweet in 2017.Sidra and Ramish’s story dates back to
2008. Immediately after Swaraj’s reply to Twitter, the Indian embassy in
Pakistan contacted Sidra and her visa was ready within hours.Despite all this,
today, Sidra’s life is far from a happy one. Nearly 2 years after her 3-month
short term visa granted by Swaraj expired and she applied for a Long Term Visa in
Feb.2018, application still remains pending. As a result, Sibra and Ramish
cannot live together. The couple says that the amended citizenship law has made
them even more wary.indianexpress
*OTHERS*
At Hemant Soren's Oath Ceremony In Jharkhand, A Show Of Opposition Unity
Ranchi: Once Jharkhand's youngest CM, Hemant Soren took oath for a
second time today at the head of alliance with the Congress and Lalu Yadav's
Rashtriya Janata Dal. The oath ceremony of 11th CM of Jharkhand turned out an
opportunity to showcase opposition unity - much like the oath of HD Kumaraswamy
in Karnataka in May last year - following the huge majority won by the
alliance. Sankalp Diwas (day of resolution) as the event was dubbed, was
attended by most opposition leaders.Mr Soren shared stage with Congress leader
Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, CPM's Sitaram Yechury, RJD leader
Tejashwi Yadav, DMK's MK Stalin and other opposition leaders as Governor
Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office at Ranchi's Morabadi Ground.
Congress leaders Alamgir Alam , Rameshwar Oraon and RJD legislator Satyanand
Bhokta took oath as ministers."I attended the swearing in ceremony of CM
Hemant Soren Ji & ministers from the Congress party in Ranchi today. I'm
confident that the new Govt in Jharkhand will work for the benefit of all
citizens & usher in an era of peace & prosperity in the state
(sic)," Rahul Gandhi tweeted after the event.NCP chief Sharad Pawar,
former President Pranab Mukherjee and Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan tweeted
congratulatory messages to Mr Soren.ndtv
In first major decision, Soren withdraws all cases against Pathalgarhi activists
& CNT-SPT Act protesters
Ranchi: In its first cabinet decision, the Jharkhand Govt on Sunday
withdrew all cases registered against tribals involved in Pathalgarhi movement
and those who took part in protests after Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act and Santhal
Pargana Tenancy Act were amended.The Raghubar Das Govt had hit on the
sentiments of the tribals when it amended two land acts — Santhal Pargana
Tenancy (SPT) and Chotanagpur Tenancy Act (CNT) — in 2016.The amendments were
passed in Assembly apparently without discussion amid uproar by the opposition
parties, following which several memorandums were submitted to the governor to
not sign the amendments.Jharkhand witnessed large scale protests over the issue
as the amendments proposed to acquire land for development projects, which
claimed to "protect the land of the tribal people of the
state".news18
TV Serial on Sikh Religion: After Delhi Minority Commission's
Intervention, Channel Removes Objectionable Parts
New Delhi:Delhi Minorities Commission (DMC) has settled a dispute of the
Sikh community with Reliance-owned “Colors TV” over “Choti Sardarni” TV serial
which had blasphemous references to the Sikh faith’s Five Kakaars, use of
'Shabads' and misuse of Gurudwara Sahibs in the serial.Under an arbitration
settlement arranged by DMC, the Colors TV channel has agreed to remove all
these objectionable parts and to insert a disclaimer that the serial is
imaginary and it does not depict Sikh faith or life.“Adv. Neena Singh, in her
personal capacity and on behalf of Virasat Sikhism Trust and Sikh Sangat, had
filed a complaint against the said serial before the Delhi Minority Commission
on 17 July 2019. After hearing the arguments of both sides, DMC arranged
arbitration of the dispute overseen by Shri Rajinder Singh, head granthi of
Gurudwara Rakab Ganj. The two sides finally gave their affidavits and statements
accepting the terms of the settlement on 26 Dec,” minority panel head Dr.
Zafarul Islam Khan said in a statement on Saturday.Prior to airing the
controversial TV serial on Colors TV, the channel’s owners, Viacom18, had
telecast promos of the serial on TV and their website last June, wherein an
actress playing the role of "Choti Sardarni" was shown as forming her
new Five Rules/"Five Kakaars" (Five words beginning with letter
"K"), thereby distorting the Sacred Five Kakaars of Shri Guru Gobind
Singh Sahib. She was shown as a pregnant bride standing in front of a gurudwara
and Guru Nanakji's Mul Mantar "Ik Oankar" playing in the
background.India Tomorrow
Powerful Indian lobby in America strengthening narrative against
Pakistan: Imran Khan
Pakistan PM Imran Khan on Saturday said the "powerful" Indian
lobby in America was playing a key role in strengthening India's narrative
against Pakistan, which was affecting the US policies for his country. Speaking
at a meeting of the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North
America (APPNA), Khan said, "India's lobby in America right now is far
more powerful than Pakistan's. India's point of view always overshadows that of
Pakistan and American policies for Pakistan are affected by that
viewpoint."The premier asked the APPNA to make efforts to counter the
Indian lobby in US.Khan criticised the Indian Govt's stringent curbs on
people's movement and communication systems in J&K.Khan further said the
international community and human rights organisations were criticising India
for its citizenship law.PTI
*J&K to observe Accession Day as public
holiday, parties slam new calendar*
Jammu, Srinagar :In a first, J&K will observe a public holiday on October 26 to mark
Accession Day. Maharaja Hari Singh, the last Dogra ruler of the erstwhile
princely state of J&K, had signed the Instrument of Accession on this date
in 1947. This comes after J&K and Ladakh authorities dropped Martyrs’ Day
and birth anniversary of National Conference founder Sheikh Abdullah, on July
13 and Dec. 5, respectively, from its list of gazetted holidays.July 13 and Dec.
5 were public holidays in the state of J&K which has now been made a Union
Territory. Martyrs’ Day was observed in the memory of protesters killed in
firing by soldiers of Hari Singh on July 13, 1931. Govt’s move has triggered
anger in the Valley, with mainstream political parties lashing out at BJP and
demanding a review. NC MP Hasnain Masoodi said the decision is “not acceptable”. “Whosoever
has taken this decision has done no good to the country and the people of the
country. These are two most important events, but if you downplay… and delete
the holidays, the message they want to give is that we don’t care for these
events,” he said.PDP spokesperson Tahir Sayeed said the “decision reveals the
communal and fascist mindset of BJP”.J&K Pradesh Congress Committee
demanded a review. “Sheikh sahib has a huge contribution in politics and the
aim of BJP is to disregard it…” J&K PCC chief Ghulam Ahmad Mir
said.indianexpress
*There are no magic short-term bullets, to
fix economy… Budget shouldn’t aim for surprises:Ex-CEA Subramanian*
In a latest paper published by Harvard University, Subramanian, former
chief economic advisor, and Josh Felman, ex IMF resident representative to
India, have argued that the economy is facing a “twin balance sheet” problem
from bank loans to real estate routed via non-banking financial companies in
the post-demonetisation period. This, they warn, would make it difficult to
arrest the current slowdown. Earlier, he had concluded that India’s growth had
been overestimated by 2.5 percentage points (2011-12 to 2016-17). While
official estimates pegged growth at 7%, actual GDP is likely to have been 4.5%,
he had said. Subramanian said, "The only way to get a good reading is to
look at the indicators. If you just look at the basic numbers, say, on
consumption, investment, trade and taxes, they are all either in negative
growth territory or barely positive this year. If you look at these numbers from a
comparative perspective, it does not resemble even 2002 slowdown. During that
slowdown, GDP growth was 4.5, but all the above numbers were actually in the
positive to fairly positive growth territory. The current slowdown has greater
resemblance to that of 1991. It may not really be so in terms of macro
(stability) numbers — foreign exchange is sound, current account is sound and
inflation is sound — but in terms of real growth indicators, it (the situation
now) resembles much more 1991-92, when we had a growth of 1.1%."
Cold wave: Code red warning issued in Delhi and neighbouring states by
Met department
IMD today issued a red-colour warning for Delhi, and the states of
Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, UP and Bihar, a day after the temperature in the
national capital plunged to 2.4 degrees Celsius, Hindustan Times reported. Red
is the highest level of warning. The intense cold forced Haryana Govt to order
schools to remain closed closed on Monday and Tuesday, PTI reported.On Sunday,
the minimum temperature recorded in Delhi was 3.2 degrees Celsius. The weather
department has warned of a severe cold wave in many pockets in Delhi, Haryana
and Chandigarh, and in some areas in Punjab, UP, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh.
scroll.in
*WORLD*
Libya: Pro-gov't forces target Haftar's LNA near Tripoli airport
Forces affiliated with UN-recognised Libyan Govt of National Accord
(GNA) have launched a new attack on the Libyan National Army (LNA) south of
Tripoli.The Libya Observer reported that the forces carried out the offensive
on renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar's forces in the vicinity of
Tripoli airport on Saturday.The media office of Volcano of Rage Operation said
the forces seized several buildings and destroyed tanks and a military
vehicle."We made progress today ... the enemy [LNA] has been defeated,
they have fled," Ashraf al-Mahjoubi, a fighter for the GNA, said in a
video shared by the media office.aljazeera
*Protesters in Turkey denounce Russia over
Idlib assault as over 235,000 flee in 2 weeks*
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered near the Russian consulate in the
Turkish city of Istanbul on Saturday to protest the intensifying Russian and
Syrian Govt attacks on Syria's last rebel-held province of Idlib.The
demonstrators, mostly Syrians living in Turkey, gathered close to the Russian
consulate in downtown Istanbul to "show the world that Russia is
complicit" in the killing of civilians in Syria's northern Idlib region,
according to Mohammed Kreimesh, a protest organiser. "We wanted to also
highlight the regime's brutality against civilians and shed light on the
humanitarian situation unfolding in Idlib," Kreimesh told Al
Jazeera.Protesters in Istanbul, including women with their children, held
pictures of victims of the attacks, while some brandished a banner that read:
"Russia is killing our people and children and the world is not doing
anything.""What does Russia want from us? Kids, wives are dying.
People are dying," Syrian demonstrator Ahmed Marwan, 24, told AFP."We
aren't terrorists, we are humans. We came to this country to live. Leaving your
homeland isn't easy but we live in this pain. Enough already.""We are
here to protest this massacre going on in Syria," Turkish protester Gulden
Sonmez said.While Turkish police blocked the group from walking to the
consulate, located in the busy Istiklal Street, they allowed a small number of
demonstrators to unfurl a banner that read: "More than 30,000 children
killed by Russia and Assad regime."The latest violence has displaced more
than 235,000 people, according to the United Nations, while many civilians have
been killed despite international calls for a de-escalation.International
Rescue Committee warned on Saturday that conditions in the region are at a
"breaking point", adding that the continued violence could displace
as many as 400,000 in the coming weeks.aljazeera
Missile attack kills 9 at military parade in Yemen
Sanaa:A ballistic missile attack ripped through a military parade for a
Yemeni southern separatist group that’s backed by UAE, killing at least 6
troops and three children, a spokesman said today.The explosion took place
while the separatists, known as Resistance Forces, were wrapping up a parade
for new recruits at a soccer field in the capital of Dhale province, said Maged
al-Shoebi, a spokesman for the group.The southern separatists are allied with Saudi-led
coalition that’s been fighting Yemen’s Houthi rebels. But UAE-backed
southerners are currently at odds with Yemen’s internationally recognised Govt,
which is more closely allied with Saudi. AP
Saudi sentences Riyadh concert stabber to death
A Saudi Arabian court on Sunday sentenced to death a man accused of
stabbing three performers at a live show in the capital Riyadh in November,
State TV said. Another man on trial for the same incident was sentenced to 12
and a half years in prison, al-Ekhbariya television said. Nov.11 attack
occurred at King Abdullah Park, one of several venues hosting a months-long
entertainment festival as part of Govt efforts to open up Saudi society and
diversify its economy away from oil. The assailant had previously been
identified as a 33-year-old Yemeni resident in reports of Ekhbariya.Reuters
Taliban attack kills 17 local fighters in northern Afghanistan
An overnight Taliban attack has killed at least 17 local fighters in
Afghanistan's northern Takhar province, local officials said, even as a
temporary nationwide ceasefire may be in the works.The attack on Sunday
apparently targeted a local militia commander who escaped unharmed, said Jawad
Hajri, a spokesman for the governor of Takhar province.Four others were also
injured when Taliban fighters attacked the militia base in Lalah Gozar area of
Khwaja Bahauddin district, Hajri and a provincial councillor, Rohullah Raufi,
told DPA .Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the group's fighters killed
21 gunmen and seized their weapons.aljazeera
Egypt road accidents kill 28 including tourists
At least 28 people have been killed in two separate road crashes in
Egypt, according to medical and security sources.The death toll in a collision
between a minibus carrying workers and a truck rose to 22 after four people
died of injuries sustained in the accident.The collision took place on Saturday
in the Suez Canal city of Port Said. The cause of the crash was not immediately
clear.Private Egyptian newspaper al-Shorouk reported online that the truck hit
the minibus, causing it to flip over. At the time of the crash. the bus was
carrying garment factory workers on their way home. A medical source said two
Malaysian women and an Indian man were killed along with three Egyptians - a
bus driver, a tour guide and a security guard.
aljazeera
Nearly 19,000 Children Were Sexually 'Groomed' in UK in the Last Year,
New Data Reveals
As per new official data revealed by authorities in the United Kingdom,
nearly 19,000 children were "groomed" for sexual exploitation in the
past year in the country. The data has urged the experts to issue warnings for
an "epidemic".Between 2018-19, authorities identified 18,700
suspected victims of child sexual exploitation. The number was 3,300 just five years
ago. According to anti-sexual exploitation campaigners, the number is far from
being the correct figure.The revelation comes in the wake of investigations
into several high-profile child sexual harassment cases in England. Rotherham
Labour MP Sarah Champion attacked the Govt, accusing it of failing to contain
the problem.news18
Cold wave sweeps through Bangladesh, kills 50
At least 50 people have died in Bangladesh as cold weather continues to
sweep across the country, officials have said.The country's lowest temperature
this year was recorded at 4.5 degrees Celsius
early on Sunday in Tetulia, a border town in Bangladesh's north, weather
office said.aljazeera
*views, Articles, FEATURES*
Thank you PM Modi for uniting us against CAA:Waman Meshram, president
BAMCEF
The CAA is meant to polarise India as part of the Hindutva
enterprise:Kapil Sibal
The CAA and NRC together will reopen wounds of Partition and turn India
into a majoritarian state:Niraja Gopal Jayal, The India Forum
Shayara Bano wouldn’t have to move Supreme Court if she consulted this
Rampur madrasa:excerpt from Ziya Us Salam, M. Aslam Parvaiz’s book Madrasas in
the Age of Islamophobia
Pushback against bullying:P Chidambaram
Crack in the hard shell of singly-party majority Govt? Meghnad Desai
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/out-of-my-mind-caa-protests-majority-govt-6189322/
May the coming decade bring real change:Tavleen Singh
At the heart of CAA protests, Jama Masjid: Mosque from where one can see
the world:Sohail Hashmi
Explained: How to get a birth certificate made in India
Criminals and anti-social, eh?
The power of two: Makers and breakers of India have often worked in
pairs:Sujata Anandan
Uncanny similarities between 1947 and 2019, but we haven’t learnt any
lesson:Aakar Patel
Anti-CAA protests: The long nights of terror in Muzaffarnagar
Why Jamia and AMU matter for Muslims, and for India:Neyaz Farooquee
CAA: The Peaceful Protests by Muslims That No One Is Talking
About:Mahtab Alam
How My Maiden Reporting Assignment Ended Up in Delhi Police Custody:Mohd
Aasif | Caravan Daily
By Listing Religions, Modi's CAA Broke Atal-Manmohan-Left Concord on
Persecuted Minorities:M.K. Venu
'Pakistan, Tukde Tukde Gang': BJP Leaders Refuse to Engage With Anti-CAA
Protestors
Partition was a historic swindle that India, Pakistan and Bangladesh
must see through; steps to undo British wrongdoing necessary:Markandey Katju
Israel, UAE and the hypocritical manipulation of religion:Abdelwahab
El-Affendi
I was fighting for a fair trial and against the system, not Mary Kom:
Nikhat Zareen
Compiled
and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:29 PM).*
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