20 Jan 2020: 24
Jamadi-1, 1441: Vol: 12, No: 112
*INDIA*
Hundreds of huts of 'illegal Bangladeshi immigrants' razed in Bengaluru,
turns out all are Indians; civic officials "not informed"
Bengaluru:Days after BJP MLA Arvind Limbavalli tweeted a video of
shantytowns in North Bengaluru’s Kariyammana Agrahara area, claiming that
settlements belong to illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, the houses were razed to
the ground on Sunday and rendered thousands homeless. The electricity and water
supply to the location was cut off 3 days ago.After the demolition of the
shanties, the residents, mostly migrants from Assam, Tripura, some even from
North Karnataka, were allegedly asked to vacate land."The assistant
executive engineer of the area gave a letter to the police saying demolition
should take place. We were not aware of such a letter. No senior officials of
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) were informed about this, including
the commissioner," D Randeep, Special Commissioner for Mahadevapura, BBMP
said. Earlier, on Jan.11, Bengaluru police issued a notice to the owner of
survey no. 35/2 that said that the sheds were built on the land without proper
approval. The cops claimed that the sheds housed illegal Bangladeshi immigrants
and the notice asked owner to clear the encroachments and furnish details of
residents."We have not asked anyone to move. We have asked the owners to furnish
details of residents there. This is after 60 Bangladeshi illegal immigrants
were detained from North Bengaluru in Oct. 2018,"said MN Anucheth, DCP,
Whitefield, adding that he did not know of police asking them to vacate. However,
the action comes after a tweet from MLA of the constituency. The demolition
took place days after BJP MLA Arvind Limbavalli tweeted: "Few people have
taken shelter under illegally constructed sheds located in Kariyammana Agrahara
of Bellandur which is within jurisdiction of our Mahadevapura Assembly
constituency (sic)."He also shared a clip showing the shacks in the area. In
a series of tweets, he said "illegal activities were taking place in the
sheds". "Illegal activities were taking place in those Sheds and the
environment was spoiled without cleanliness, hence the area was a site of
illegal activity. This was brought to my notice through social media," he
wrote in one of the posts on Jan. 12. On Jan. 18, BBMP wrote a letter to the
police asking for protection during removal of encroachments in the said land. However,
“illegal Bangladeshi immigrants” had shown their valid identity cards, which
revealed most are from Northeast India and North Karnataka."The sheds were
demolished around 12 noon on Saturday. People in civilian clothes asked us to
clear the space. There was also a cop with them. We are not Bangladeshis. We
have proof that we are Indians. We have come here to work and earn a
living," said Ahadur Rahman, a migrant from Assam."We don't know what
happened. I work as a mason here. We can't find a place to live. We have been
asked to move from here," said Karanna, a native of Koppal in North
Karnataka's Gadag district. All the residents have valid identity cards,
including Aadhaar, pan and voter ID. Besides, those from Assam have also shown
their names in NRC.news18/NDTV
Bengaluru: Over 100 makesift houses razed, cops claim residents ‘illegal
Bangladeshis’
*anti-citizenship act stir*
Documents reveal that as far back as 2015, PMO said Aadhaar should be
linked to NPR
New Delhi:That Aadhaar numbers should be mandatorily collected during
the updating process for NPR was not merely recommended by Union home ministry
but has also been a longstanding direction of PMO. As far back as 2015, PMO had
said that NPR should surely be linked with Aadhaar, official documents, a copy
of which is with The Wire, reveal.At an April 16, 2015 meeting presided over by
PM’s principal secretary at the time, Nripendra Mishra, discussions regarding
Aadhaar, seeding and updating those numbers with NPR took place.The meeting was
also attended by the director-general of UIDAI, which authorises Aadhaar,
mission director of direct benefit transfer (DBT), then Registrar-General of
India (RGI) C. Chandramouli, additional principal secretary to the PM P.K.
Mishra and many other high-level officials.The minutes of the meeting, accessed
by The Wire, note that the following decision was taken after the discussion:
“For Non-NPR States, seeding of NPR with Aadhaar must be started by July, 2015.
For this purpose, a proposal may be prepared jointly by the Mission Director,
DBT, RGI, DG-UIDAI.”The minutes also show that PMO’s preferences were given
significant attention when the decision to update NPR in April 2020 was taken.
Ministry of Home Affairs was made a part
of this file on the basis of which the decision to link Aadhaar with NPR was
taken. The file has been marked as “very urgent”.thewire
Kerala decides to not implement NPR, will cooperate only with Census
2021
Kerala Govt on Monday said it will inform the Centre that it has decided
not to implement the proposed NPR in the state. It added that the state Govt
would not cooperate with any work related to updating NPR, but will fully
cooperate with Census 2021.The decision was taken at a special Cabinet meeting
chaired by CM Pinarayi Vijayan. Cabinet said that any move to implement NPR
against the backdrop of the NRC would cause deep insecurity in the state,The
Hindu reported. Therefore, the state has decided to inform the registrar
general, and census commissioner under Union Home Ministry that they could not
cooperate with the preparation of NPR. Govt added that district collectors had
reported that any move to link the Census process with NPR would trigger public
law and order problems.scroll.in/
*New caution to govt:
NRC fear will stalk Hindus too*
New Delhi: Much of the
resistance to CAA and its prequel, NRC, has advocated that it is Muslims who
will be marginalised and forced to prove they belong in India.Ahead of the
Supreme Court's review, NRC is now being deemed both discriminatory and
dangerous by even long-term supporters of BJP and its Govt. Publicly, they are
stating that NRC must be vetoed because it will allow a power surge through
those who have the authority to review whatever evidence you offer of your
citizenship; bribes will have free play; and it is not just minorities but the
majority of Hindus who will find themselves cornered - pay up or be declared
"doubtful". Mohandas Pai, a well-known BJP sympathiser - rightly or
wrongly often called a BJP troll - tweeted: "All will suffer in the hands
of corrupt lower level officials, who will demand large bribes, who can
threaten you, disqualify you: with a broken Justice system the pain is not
worth it".This new approach by analysts on the likely harassment of
India's majority community is making large numbers of Hindus worried. Popular
author Chetan Bhagat writes in TOI: "Sarkari babu will enjoy this extra
power boost. Oh, and there will still be a rate. It's just that the stricter
the criteria are, the higher the rate will be ... If you don't pay the rate, is
it that hard for the babu to reject your genuine birth certificate (good luck
proving its authenticity in court for next 20 years)". The message these
different analyses agree on: that Hindu majority will face serious and
widespread harassment too.India's Nobel Prize winner Abhijit Bannerjee strongly
points out that so much power given to officials is dangerous: "I'd be
petrified by that thought and even if I were - you know just the fact that
somebody will come and say 'Look, I'm in charge of making this list I could put
doubtful next to your name... or I could not. And maybe you could pay me Rs.10,000",
he said in a recent interview.ndtv
*NRC Secular, But A
Secular Harassment For All: Chetan Bhagat To NDTV*
New Delhi: There will
be abuse the moment NRC is executed,
author Chetan Bhagat told NDTV today, elaborating on an article he wrote for
TOI in which he argued it "would cause secular harassment to all" and
"must be shelved". Bhagat also pointed to the image problem faced by
BJP, a party seen by many as practicing "identity-based politics" and
one that "causes a lot of anxiety, especially in minority community",
as more reasons to reconsider NRC."I'm not saying the fear is rational...
the fear is real. BJP has always tried to polarise... that's what people
think," Bhagat said, noting that if NRC had been floated by another Govt,
"if there was trust", it may have been better received."All
kinds of documents will be missing... there will be huge anxiety. Even if you
have papers, bureaucrats could reject them. Then what will you do? Go to
court?" he asked, pointing out that Govt would also struggle to deal with
the crores who might be excluded.NDTV
*Can’t do terror
politics just because we have numbers: BJP’s Chandra Bose on CAA*
New Delhi: West Bengal
BJP vice-president and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s grandnephew Chandra Kumar
Bose has said that a law should not be thrust on the citizens in a democratic
country. He was speaking about CAA passed by Parliament.“Our job is to explain
to people that we are right and they are wrong. You cannot be abusive. Just
because we have numbers today we cannot do terror politics. Let us go to people
explaining benefits of CAA,” Bose said on Sunday, according to ANI.“Once a bill
has been passed as an act, it is binding on the state Govts, that is the legal
position but in a democratic country you cannot thrust any act on the citizens
of our country,” he added.Bose also said that he has suggested some
modifications to the bill which will puncture the entire Opposition campaign.
“We need to specifically state that it is meant for persecuted minorities, we
should not mention any religion. Our approach should be different,” he said.HT
*Impossible for Hindu
minorities to show proof of religious persecution: Assam Minister Biswa Sarma*
Guwahati: Amid
anti-CAA protest, Assam Finance Minister
Himanta Biswa Sarma said that it is impossible for the person to go back to
Bangladesh and collect a copy of police report to show the proof of religious
persecution.“If a person has to prove it then he has to go to Bangladesh and
collect a copy of the police report. Why would the police station in Bangladesh
give that proof? So, said that it is not possible to prove the concept of
religious persecution under CAA,” Sarma, who is also a BJP leader, said on
being asked about his recent statement on CAA over religious persecution. ANI
*50 lakh Muslim
infiltrators will be chased out of India if needed: Bengal chief BJP Dilip
Ghosh*
Raking up another
controversy, BJP West Bengal chief Dilip Ghosh has said that 50 lakh Muslim
infiltrators will be identified and "chased out of the country" if
needed. This comes as the Bengal BJP chief was attacking West Bengal CM Mamata
Bannerjee on the issue of appeasement. He said, "50 lakh Muslim
infiltrators will be identified, if needed they will be chased out of the
country. Firstly their names will be removed from voters' list then Didi can't
appease anyone.".India Today
*Modi pursuing
Jinnah’s dream, wants to deport Muslims to Pak or Bangladesh: Adhir Chowdhury*
Burdwan :Congress MP
Adhir Chowdhury today said PM Narendra Modi is trying to accomplish the dreams
of Mohammed Ali Jinnah and that’s why he is aiming to deport the entire
population of Indian Muslims to Pakistan or Bangladesh through CAA and NRC.He
was addressing a ‘No CAA, No NRC’ meeting organised by his party in front of
Burdwan town’s iconic Curzon Gate. “Indian Muslims had refused to respond to
Jinnah’s vehement provocations for their bulk migration to Pakistan; rather our
Muslims insisted that India alone was their country.thestatesman
*After Hasina, Hamid
Karzai Makes Negative Comment On New Citizenship Law*
New Delhi:After
Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina Wajed questioned the contentions CAA passed by the
Narendra Modi Govt, former Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai made negative
comment about the law on Sunday.Karzai, who was here to attend the Raisina
Dialogue, told The Hindu in an interview that “all Afghans have suffered over
years of conflict, irrespective of religion”.He categorically stated that
“Afghanistan has no persecuted minorities”. Karzai said in the interview,
“(CAA) was India’s decision, and they may have had reasons for it and the law
brought to Parliament. We don’t have persecuted minorities in Afghanistan…the
whole country is persecuted. We have been in war and conflict for a long time.
All religions in Afghanistan: Muslims and Hindus and Sikhs, which are our three
main religions, have suffered”.India Tomorrow
Students protest at Mandi House against CAA, NRC in Delhi
Hundreds of students marched from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar on Monday
to protest against CAA and NRC. Students, belonging to different universities,
raised slogans demanding "azaadi" from the new citizenship law and
carried posters which read "We stand united against CAA', ‘If you were
decent, you would have understood dissent’, 'Secularism up, Communalism down
down'.They marched through Lutyens Delhi escorted by police while raising
slogans. The students also lauded protesters at Shaheen Bagh and Jamia, who
have been on a sit-in against CAA for a month.PTI
Shaheen Bagh protesters look ahead for Jan 22 Supreme Court hearing on
CAA
With the protests against the contentious CAA entering 37th day at
Shaheen Bagh on Monday, the protesters seem to be rigid on their stand and are
not willing to quit without any concrete decision on the Act.However, no
serious efforts to convince the protesters have been seen yet from the
authorities except some low-rung police officers persuading them. Meanwhile,
protesters are looking ahead for Jan. 22 Supreme Court hearing on the
matter.Meanwhile, the protesters are looking ahead for Jan.22 Supreme Court
hearing on the matter.“We will not go back an inch. We are getting unprecedented
support and look towards the SC with hope,” Mohd Ehtesham, a protestor at
Shaheen Bagh was quoted saying by IANS.Expressing eagerness for the SC’s
decision on Jan. 22 on CAA, former Union Minister and a veteran lawyer Salman
Khurshid said, “One hopes the Supreme Court will be able to find a solution
that balances the competing aspirations within the federal structure and
constitutional morality, keeping in mind the conventions that need to be
respected.”thestatesman
Shaheen Bagh Sit-in: Cops Hold out Veiled Threats; Women Remain Resolute
Kashmiri Pandits Join Resistance Celebrations at Shaheen Bagh
New Delhi: Shaheen Bagh, a Muslim
majority locality in south Delhi, has become a symbol of the huge protests
across India against govt’s citizenship proposals. On Sunday evening despite a
harsh winter, thousands of people raising slogans of freedom gathered here to
celebrate Jashn-e Shaheen.Crying Hum kya chahtay: Azadi! and Bol ki lab azad
hain teray (What do we want: Freedom! and Speak for your lips are free / Say
that your lips are free) thousands showed up here to celebrate resistance with
artists like Kunal Kamra, Ankur Tewari, Maya Krishna Rao and many others who
performed in solidarity with the people of Shaheen Bagh .Some prominent Pandit
Kashmiris including MK Raina and Inder Salim were also invited to speak to the
people present.A woman protestor in her forties said, “We feel the pain of
Kashmiri Pandits who left everything back in Kashmir and ran. We the people of
Shaheen Bagh stand in solidarity with them in their agony.”thecitizen
Anti-CAA stir: Lawyers read Constitution preamble outside Bombay HC
Mumbai:Agroup of lawyers on
Monday read out the Preamble to the Constitution of India outside the Bombay
High Court gate here to protest CAA and "some action" being taken
against people across the country for opposing it. Over 50 lawyers, including
senior counsels Navroze Seervai, Gayatri Singh and Mihir Desai, read out the
preamble in unison, and later said no one can divide the country and its
citizens on the basis of religion. Lawers said CAA seeks to provide citizenship
to refugees belonging to six religious communities but leaves out one -Islam,
which is "constitutionally wrong". Advocate Mubin Solkar said the
objective behind reading the preamble was to "instill confidence among
crores of people across India that our Constitution says the country is secular
and a democratic republic".Another lawyer, Tahira Shaikh, said the
Constitution did not allow anyone, including the Govt, to divide or distinguish
its citizens on the basis of religions and hence what is being done is wrong.
PTI
Citizenship Act 'dharna': Two women arrested; Protests continue in
Aligarh town
After booking several women, who have been on an indefinite dharna
against the controversial CAA in Aligarh town, about 400 kms from here, two
protesters were arrested by the police on charges of violating prohibitory orders.According
to the police sources here, more arrests could be made if the protesters did
not call off their dharna.The protests by the women against the CAA in Lucknow,
however, continued for the fourth day despite all efforts by the officials to
force them to lift their dharna.Sources said that officials were contemplating
to book the protesters for violating section 144 and breach of peace. The venue
of the protest was flooded with security personnel and the protesters were
facing difficulties in getting food and water supplies.As the street lights had
been switched off by the officials, the protesters were burning candles at
nights. There was, however, no dearth of enthusiasm.''We are receiving support
from every section of the society.....our protests will continue,'' said a
woman protester.Similar dharnas continued at Rampur, Kanpur, Bareilly and
Aligarh towns also, according to the reports.deccanherald
Bareilly clerics to chalk out country-wide stir against CAA
Bareilly Muslim clerics from various religious outfits would be meeting
in New Delhi on Tuesday to chalk out a country-wide stir against the
citizenship law.“A delegation of Bareilly clerics led by Salman Miyan,
vice-president of Jamat-e-Raza Mustafa, has left for Delhi to take part in this
meeting,” said Samran Khan, media in-charge of the organisation. While the
All-India Muslim Personal Law Board and Jamait-e-Ulema Hind, the two largest
Muslim religious bodies, have yet not officially taken a decision on attending
the meeting, sources said several members of these two outfits would take part
in Tuesday’s meeting in their individual capacity.Shaher qazis from many cities
would be present at the meeting, according to Khan.“The delegation (of Bareilly
clerics) will also go and meet protestors of Shaheen Bagh, JNU and Jamia Millia
students,” said Khan, adding they had received invites from those leading the
anti- CAA protests.Maulana Tauqir Raza, chief of Ittehad-e-Millat Council, has
already announced that Muslim women will take part in the agitation planned by
him at Islamia College ground here on Jan. 25.HT
"Illogical, Immoral, Ill-Timed", Says Ramachandra Guha On CAA
New Delhi: Eminent historian Ramachandra Guha speaks to NDTV about the
contentious Citizenship Amendment Act, which he says is "illogical,
immoral and ill-Timed". Guha also spoke about protests against the act,
saying that it is heartening to see people come together. NDTV
Hasina's statement emboldens anti-CAA protesters in Assam
Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina's statement that CAA was not necessary led
the anti-CAA protesters in Assam allege that the Citizenship Act was amended
only to protect Hindu vote bank politics of the ruling BJP.Adviser of
influential All Assam Students' Union (AASU), Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharjya said
on Monday that even as BJP was claiming that CAA was required to provide
citizenship relief to the Hindu migrants, who faced religious persecution,
Hasina's statement made it clear that there was no such persecution in the
neighbouring country."Bangladesh is a friendly country and now PM Narendra
Modi should reply to Hasina's statement that the CAA is not necessary. Also
even as BJP had earlier said that the CAA was for the victims of religious
persecution, BJP leaders are now saying that the proof of persecution was not
necessary to apply for Indian citizenship in Assam. This proves that the CAA
was amended only to protect the Hindu vote bank of BJP," Bhattacharjya
said at an anti-CAA rally at Mangaldoi in Darrang district.deccanherald
Modi Govt didn't take states in confidence before passing CAA: Tarun
Gogoi
Guwahati:Former Assam CM and senior Congress leader Tarun Gogoi on
Monday said that before passing CAA, Modi Govt didn't take states in
confidence."India is a union of states and you (PM Narendra Modi and his Govt)
must respect the states. PM Modi is talking about 'Team India' and to follow
that you have to take everybody into confidence. Mere passing a law is not
enough," Tarun Gogoi said.indiatoday
‘Will stick to stand on CAA’, say Akalis after BJP dumps them for Delhi
polls
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has said its stand on CAA is what upset BJP
and it decided to not have an alliance for Delhi Assembly elections.“BJP was
upset with us for our opposition to citizenship amendment act passed by NDA Govt.
But SAD has its own stand and we will stick to it. Senior leaders of our party
are meeting in Delhi to draw out a strategy,” said SAD spokesman Daljit Singh
Cheema. A senior BJP leader told HT that BJP will not be fighting the elections
in Delhi SAD, its long standing alliance partner.HT
*Muslim community
being cornered via legal route: DU professor Deshpande*
Hyderabad: An attempt to corner the Muslim community was
underway through a legal route, said Satish Deshpande, a sociology professor
from University of Delhi, while delivering the ninth SR Sankaran Memorial
Lecture on ‘Casteism and Communalism organised by CDS, on Sunday. "Today’s
communal agenda is to overthrow the existing reality — equality of all
religions. Our Constitution doesn’t recognise the difference between religions.
The communal agenda is to 'correct' personal law, so that due recognition will
be given to the Hindus, that is the communal agenda," he said.The
professor further said that an attempt to create a unifying national project of
othering Muslims was on its way, and all other sections of the society are
invited to participate in it.newindianexpress
A month after UP police made sweeping arrests, bail orders show that it
is unable to offer evidence
When protests over CAA erupted around the country on December 19, UP
Police decided to take pre-emptory action.It imposed prohibitory orders across
the entire state, arrested at least 1,200 protestors, detained thousands more –
including minors – and opened fire in a number of places across the state,
leading to over 20 deaths.But a month later, the police is struggling to
substantiate its decision to take such sweeping and in many cases brutal
action.An analysis of 13 court orders from Muzaffarnagar, Varanasi and Lucknow
by Scroll.in showed that judges are granting bail to many of those arrested
because the police have been unable to put forward evidence.“The specific role
of the accused has not been outlined,” said one bail order for 14 men who were
arrested in Muzaffarnagar, echoing orders from other parts of the state.scroll
Bihar's Subzibagh: ‘Not about religion, protest against bid to create
rift’
Patna : It is 10.30 pm. Subzibagh in Patna is abuzz. Traffic moves
unhindered on one half of the road. The other half has about 70 rows of plastic
chairs facing a stage. On the stage are teenagers chanting Azadi slogan on a
microphone. Residents of Subzibagh and nearby areas have been peacefully
protesting against CAA, NRP and NRC since Jan. 11. It is a round-the-clock
protest that is being attended by people of all age. Protesters include
businessmen, students, housewives and the elderly.“We have not created any
forum. It is a spontaneous protest that is gaining momentum. It has support
from all communities,” says Sameer, a post-graduate student. Another organiser
says, “We are not letting traffic be disrupted. This protest is not about
religion. It is against the Govt’s attempt to tamper with the Constitution and
create a rift among Hindus and Muslims.”Sakeena, a middle-aged woman at the
protest, says, “Some of us come after we complete domestic chores and eat
dinner.”indianexpress
BR Ambedkar's Grandson calls NPR 'evil design'. Akhilesh suggests method
to avoid caste-based discrimination
Lucknow/Nagpur: As Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi chief Prakash Ambedkar called
Centre's NPR exercise an 'eve design', chief of a regional giant in UP came up
with a suggestion to put off any caste or religion-based discrimination.While
BR Ambedkar's grandson in Nagpur said that NPR was aimed at ferreting out
information about the caste and ideology of people in the country, Samajwadi
Party president Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow pitched for conducting a caste
census.SP chief said Census is going to take place again. But again we are not
going to be counted. The reason is that the day the caste census takes place,
Hindu-Muslim conflict will come to an end, he said without elaborating. He
added that once this happens nobody will be upset with Yadav brothers. SP chief
claimed that the NRC and the recently enacted CAA are anti-poor. In an apparent
reference to the recent criticism of NRC and NPR, he said the poor will find it
difficult to get their date of birth certificates. "Earlier there were no
calendars and the birthdays of most people in villages were based on
festivals," he said.Meanwhile in Nagpur, Ambedkar said, "The motive
of the Govt is to get caste and ideology information of every family. This is
an evil design of the Narendra Modi Govt.
*Back in UP, Bhim Army
chief Chandrashekhar takes on state govt over CAA ‘killings’*
Meerut:Bhim Army chief
Chandrashekhar Azad on Sunday met with the family members of five people who
were killed during a protest against CAA and NRC in UP’s Meerut . Since the
leader was denied permission to visit their houses, he met them at a public
place.Azad alleged the family members narrated horrific tales of police
atrocities during the interaction and accused UP police of opening fire on
people during the protest.“Cops had killed people during protest against the
CAA and stern action should be taken against the guilty policemen,” he said.
Azad also said the Bhim Army has moved the high court over the matter, which
would hear it on Jan. 23.HT
FIR against
'unidentified' for controversial hoarding, calling 'Get rid of CAA, NRC by
returning to Hinduism' in UP
Varanasi: An FIR has
been lodged against unidentified persons for a controversial hoarding near
Varanasi railway station. The hoarding near the Englishiya Line crossing read,
"Hindu dharma mein ghar vapasi karo... CAA, NRC se chhutkara pao (Get rid
of CAA, NRC by returning to Hinduism)".Inspector Ashutosh Ojha said that the
FIR under section 295 A and 505 of IPC has been lodged."Investigation has
been launched in the case and those involved in putting up the hoarding would
be identified soon," he added.According to sources, a lesser known outfit,
Hindu Samaj Party, had placed the hoarding on the busy road.The outfit's state
Vice President Roshan Pandey,had made a video viral on social media with his
message in which he claimed to have put up the hoarding in response to the
protest being staged at Shaheen Bagh, New Delhi. Hoarding, which also has
photographs of some Muslim women wearing saffron pagdi, was removed by police late Saturday evening.It came up at a
time when CM Yogi Adityanath, Union Minister Smriti Irani and other leaders
were in Varanasi to address a rally in support of CAA at Sampurnanand Sanskrit
University. IANS
BJP workers cause mayhem in MP during violent pro-CAA rally, assault
female IAS officers
BJP workers physically assaulted female IAS officers after they decided
to stage a rally in favour of the CAA despite being denied permission to do so.
In a viral video clip, a BJP worker is seen pulling Deputy Collector Priya
Verma’s hair causing her hair band to fall off.In another video, Rajgarh
Collector Nidhi Nivedita is seen slapping a man as he showed aggression towards
her. Priya Verma later told news agency PTI that some men from the crowd
misbehaved with her and Nivedita. She denied that they resorted to high-handed
behaviour, as alleged by the BJP. Another IAS officer Shruti Agarwal too was
allegedly assaulted along with a few other police personnel by BJP
workers.“Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC are in place in the
district. While we were doing our duty, a crowd came from the other side and
misbehaved with us,” she said. Verma said a man pulled her hair from the back
while another kicked her in the waist. jantakareporter
Slaps, Hair Pulling -
In MP, Officials vs Pro-CAA Protesters
Hundreds March With
Candles Against CAA From Jamia To Shaheen Bagh
New Delhi: Hundreds,
including women and children, on Sunday evening took out a massive anti-CAA
march from the gates of Jamia Millia Islamia to Shaheen Bagh as the chorus to
demand repealing of the amended Citizenship Act grew louder in Delhi.The march
was high on symbolism with some locals dressed up as Mahatma Gandhi and
Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar. Three men assumed the identity of martyred
revolutionaries Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, one of them in prison
clothes and tied in chains.The protesters, chanting "Azadi" and
"CAA-NCR Par Halla Bol", and other slogans also paraded a mock
"detention camp" portrayed with a cell on wheels inside which sat little
children of multiple faiths and chanted slogans.ndtv
Bihar Police arrests
13 minors from Aurangabad during CAA protests, passes them off as 'adults' in
FIR
Bihar police have
arrested 13 minors and identified them as "adults" over anti-Citizenship
Amenment Act protests on 21 December 2019 in town of Aurangabad turned violent.
All arrested are Muslim youths.Firstpost had earlier reported that Bihar Police
had altered the age of two minor boys and passed them off as adults in FIR. The
next hearing is on 28 Jan. when the Juvenile Justice Board will decide on their
age.Lawyer for the minors Meraj Khan said after the board's decision he would
move for their bail plea. Most of the minors are aged between 14 and 17, Khan
said and added that while one is 13, another one is as young as 12. 12 minors
have been lodged in adult prison for the past one month with hardened
criminals, Khan said. Only one was sent to a juvenile home after he sustained
serious injuries in both his hands during police lathicharge. "It is a
straightforward case. We have their birth certificates, documents and we have
presented them before the Juvenile Justice Board on 16 Jan.. On 28, the board
will declare them juveniles."When contacted, Aurangabad SP Dipak Baranwal
said that the case is an "old one now" and he "does not remember
the details". On 21 December, town of Aurangabad had observed a protest at
Ramesh Chowk, where most of the gatherings and speeches are usually held. RJD
and its allies had called for a bandh to rally against CAA and NRC. But the
peaceful protests turned violent near the end.The police in Aurangabad had
arrested 46 people the same day, and named more than 80 in its FIR. Among those
picked up by the police were four of Mohammad Enamul Rab's relatives, who were
taken from their homes, which included his younger brother Saddam,his uncle
Mukhtar, brother-in-law Rizwan, and another brother Imran.One of Rab’s
brothers, Saddam, is 12, as is recorded in his school certificate, which
Firstpost examined.firstpost
Punjab: Thousands of women take to streets against CAA, NRC in Ludhiana;
write an affidavit in blood
Thousands of women have been protesting the CAA every day in Punjab.
This has been going on for days now. Women from every community have been
coming together to take part in these demonstrations in several cities. In
Ludhiyana, women of all communities have written an affidavit in blood against
the new Citizenship Amendment Act. Such a thing is being witnessed in Punjab
for the first time.On Sunday too a large number of women took to streets in
Ludhiana to protest and took out a long march. Many well-known personalities
too joined the demonstration. The student leader of Punjab University
Chandigarh Kanupriya, Navdeep Kaur and Nasreen Sultana and Rahnuma Khatoon from
Fateh Channel led this agitation and handed over the affidavit written in blood
to the Shahi Imam of the historic Jama Masjid of Ludhiana.People of all
sections, community and religion took part in this demonstration.In this
affidavit in blood, women have written that they will continue to protest
unitedly till the last drop of their blood against this Act which has been
created as a part of the conspiracy to break the Constitution.
nationalheraldindia
Ahmedabad: BJP’s claim
that Muslims won’t be affected by CAA a jumla, says Jamia student Asif Iqbal
Ahmedabad :BJP’s
statement that Indian Muslims have no danger from CAA is like a poll “jumla”
(rhetoric) which is very similar to PM Narendra Modi’s promise made before the
general elections that citizens would get Rs 15 lakh in their bank accounts,
Jamia Millia Islamia student Asif Iqbal Tanha said here on Sunday.The
interaction with the mediapersons on police clampdown at Delhi’s Jamia Millia
in December was organised by Gujarat Alliance Against CAA, NPR & NRC, a
group formed by various civil rights activists of Gujarat. Tanha was
accompanied by another student of the university, Ayesha Renna, who has become
the face of the agitation against the new citizenship law at Jamia after a
video showing her stopping police from attacking fellow protesters went viral
on the social media last month.“Has the Central Govt been able to satisfy the
people of the country? Have the people received Rs 15 lakh in their bank
accounts? It is a jumla by the Govt to say that Indian Muslims have no danger
from CAA. It is a lie.”Lauding people of Gujarat for holding anti-CAA and
anti-NRC protests, Renna said that it is like striking at the heart of Modi and
Shah.Local leaders such as Mujahid Nafees, head of the Minority Coordination
Committee, also criticised CAA and NRC, calling them against the ethos of
India’s constitution.
NPR a procedural stage for NRC: apex court lawyer
Agra: Supreme Court lawyer Nizamuddin Pasha has said that NPR is nothing
more than a procedural stage in NRC for establishment of citizenship.While
delivering a lecture on CAA/NRC/NPR in AMU campus to educate its faculty
members about the new law, he addressed the queries raised by AMU teachers and
cleared their doubts. Pasha said that answer to the question whether it is
constitutional or not can be decided only at the end when everything is
done.TOI
West Bengal Assembly to pass resolution against CAA, says Mamata
Banerjee
After Kerala and Punjab, West Bengal may be the third state to pass a
resolution against CAA. CM Mamata Banerjee on Monday announced that her Govt
would pass a resolution against CAA in three to four days.Banerjee also
appealed to North-East states not to implement NPR.indianexpress
Leave country if you
can’t accept Vande Mataram, says BJP minister; Twiiter calls him ‘communal cow’
Union Minister of
State for MSME Pratap Chandra Sarangi attacked the Congress for spreading
misinformation about the CAA, saying
that those who do not accept India's freedom, unity, and Vande Mataram,
have no right to stay in the country."Those who set the country on fire
are not patriots. Those who do not accept India's freedom, unity, Vande
Mataram, have no right to stay in the country," said Sarangi in a press
conference in Surat.However, Sarangi's comments did not go down well with the
people on Twitter, who called him communal for the loose statement.indiatimes
Anti-CAA-NRC stir: From PhD scholar to homemaker, women lead big protest
in Ranchi
Ranchi :A homemaker left her ailing in-laws behind at home, a
businesswoman locked up her stationery shop, and a doctoral student missed her
class. All of them went to Ranchi’s Doranda Urs Maidan — along with 70,000
others — to protest against the new citizenship law, NPR, and the proposed
NRC.Jharkhand has seen several anti-CAA protests — ‘Samvidhan Bachao, Desh
Bachao’ gathering at the Maidan on Saturday was the largest in the state so
far. Professor Rizwan Ali, one of the coordinators of the event, said more than
30,000 of the protesters were women.A woman who identified herself as Rani
Parween held up a sign that said, “Let us live in peace, take back the black
law”. She said she had joined various protests against CAA earlier, but had
made extra effort to be present on Saturday.By the afternoon, the protest
ground was teeming with women from all strata of society. Nushi Begum, who came
with her husband and their daughter who studies in Class 7, said they had
decided to keep their shop closed to be able to attend the
protest.indianexpress
I-League Derby: East Bengal, Mohun Bagan Fans Protest CAA-NRC
Fans of both East Bengal and Mohun Bagan on Sunday, used the occasion of
Kolkata I-League derby at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata to voice their protest
against CAA and NRC.Some East Bengal fans displayed a giant tifo (a
choreographed display to form a large image or sign) to protest against NRC and
CAA. A massive turnout of 63,756 football fans watched the match on Sunday.Another
display showed Batul the Great, a popular superhero Bengali comic strip
character created by Narayan Debnath to protest against NRC and CAA.thequint
Over 100 lawyers agree to argue for woman holding 'Free Kashmir' poster
during anti-CAA stir in Mysuru
Bengaluru: As many as 129 lawyers from across the state have extended
support to argue for Nalini Balakumar, the woman who was booked on sedition
charges for holding a ‘Free Kashmir’ poster during an anti-CAA protest in Mysuru.
Last week, the Mysore Bar Association announced that its lawyers would not
represent Balakumar as she was involved in ‘anti-national activities’. The
association’s president Anand Kumar even requested lawyers from outside to not
take up her case.However, a Bengaluru-based lawyer Jagdish, who was accompanied
by several others from the profession, submitted Balakumar’s bail application
before Second Additional Metropolitan and District Court in Mysuru on
Monday.news18
Kannan Gopinathan questions Modi govt’s vision on CAA, NRC; compares it
to ‘crazed pack of dogs’
In a candid conversation with Telegraph, ex bureaucrat Kannan Gopinathan
spelt out some very unpleasant realities. Scathing in his critique of the BJP Govt
he has compared it to a crazed pack of dogs that will chase any car that enters
the mohalla. He said, “They don’t know what to do when they get closer to the
car. They start something and don’t know how to conclude or steer. They are so
short-sighted that they cannot think beyond elections.”“But CAA-NPR-NRC is
going to be the most thoughtless act and they can’t even imagine what will
happen to this exercise in hatred. It will also promote bribery and corruption
as it did during NRC process in Assam. Even if they identify, say, one crore of
so-called infiltrators, what will they do with them? They can’t push them back
to any other country nor can they build detention centres and feed them;
they’ll need a whole state to keep them confined.” he added.nationalheraldindia
* Rashid held in
Varanasi: Class-8 agreed to pass on 'sensitive info' including photos of
anti-CAA/NRC protests' to Pakistan*
New Delhi: On Sunday, UP
ATS arrested Mohd Rashid, an alleged ISI agent, who was working in Varanasi and
was passing on information to his handlers in Pakistan since March 2019.In the
month of July 2019, military intelligence agencies received inputs regarding a
youth from Varanasi passing on critical information to Pakistani Intelligence
agencies over WhatsApp. The agency worked on this input through months of
discreet surveillance and analysis with the support of other central
agencies.Rashid (23) was staying with his maternal grandfather and uncle in
Chandauli, in Varanasi district as his parents Mohd and Shehzadi Begum got
divorced and remarried. With education till Class 8, he had worked at a
tailoring unit and medicine store in Varanasi. Later he started fixing flex
signboards for a living. Rashid has relatives in Karachi and had visited them
twice in 2017 and 2018-19 to attend some marriage functions. He used to stay
with his aunt Hasina, her husband Shagir Ahmed and their son Shajeb in Orangi
Town in Karachi. He reportedly fell in love with one of his cousin during his
Karachi visit. He was also tasked to send information on sensitive places and
protests and rallies in India. They promised him money and assured to help him
marry his cousin in Karachi. He also sent videos and photos of recent protests
at BHU and anti-CAA/NRC protests in Lucknow on being asked by his Pakistani handlers.
Indiatoday
50% jump in people
held for illegally entering Bangladesh
The number of people
caught while trying to cross over to Bangladesh from India increased by over
50% with a total of 2,971 people arrested by BSF in 2018 as compared to 1,800
in 2017, according to latest data from NCRB. A large number of those who were
caught trying to illegally emigrate were women and children. NCRB “Crime in
India 2018” report says that out of 2,971 people arrested in 2018 while making
an “outward movement” to Bangladesh, 1,532 were men, 749 women and 690
children. This corresponding numbers was 1,477, 268 and 55 in 2017.On the other
hand, “inward movement” from Bangladesh came down marginally to 1,118 in 2018
in comparison to 1,180 in 2017. NCRB data does not explain the motives of those
arrested by BSF, which manages the international borders in West Bengal, Assam,
Tripura, Mizoram and Assam.HT
*OTHERS*
*SC declines stay on
electoral bonds scheme, asks Modi govt and EC to respond in 2 weeks*
New Delhi: The Supreme
Court on Monday sought response of the Centre and the Election Commission on a
plea seeking stay on the electoral bond scheme meant for funding political
parties.The top court, however, refused to grant an interim stay on the
electoral bond scheme.A bench comprising Chief Justice S A Bobde and justices B
R Gavai and Surya Kant asked Centre and the Election Commission to file their
responses within two weeks to the interim application filed by NGO ‘Association
for Democratic Reforms’ for staying the scheme.Lawyer Prashant Bhushan,
appearing for the NGO, alleged that the scheme is a means for channelising
unaccounted black money in favour of the ruing party.Bhushan also referred to a
document of RBI while seeking stay of the scheme.“We will see that. We are
listing it after two weeks, the bench said.PTI
Transparency Activists Lament SC's Refusal to Grant Interim Stay on
Electoral Bonds
The Supreme Court’s decision to not grant an interim stay on the
electoral bonds scheme has not gone down well with transparency activists, who
said the move would prevent voters from knowing who is funding the political
parties in elections that are scheduled soon and are expected later this
year.Meanwhile, an immediate impact of the court order would be felt on the
Delhi assembly elections, for which the Centre has begun the sale of electoral
bonds for ten days. Responding to the latest Supreme Court ruling, Anjali
Bhardwaj of National Campaign for People’s Right to Information said it was
“disappointing” that the Supreme Court has refused to stay the “opaque”
electoral bonds scheme.She said, “Information obtained under RTI Act had
revealed that the Govt pushed through the scheme despite serious objections
raised by Election Commission of India (ECI) and RBI.”Former CIC and
transparency activist Shailesh Gandhi termed the SC’s disinclination to staying
the scheme as an “unfortunate development”. “It is a scheme which even the
layman understands is flawed. So ideally the court should stop it because not
staying it means you allow it to continue.”thewire
SC declines stay on electoral bonds scheme; BJP earned ₹14.50 billion
through bonds in 2019
‘Not in name of religion’: Plea in SC wants minorities commission
scrapped
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday sought the response of central Govt
on a petition challenging the constitutional validity of the National
Commission for Minorities set up under a 1992 law.The plea filed by six
petitioners, who claimed to be followers of Sanatan Vedic Dharam, alleged that
Hindu community is being discriminated against on the grounds of religion as a
number of beneficiary schemes carrying a budget of Rs 4,700 crores have been initiated
in favour of some religious minorities even though the Constitution does not
conceive special provisions in the name of any religion.Attorney General KK
Venugopal who was asked to give his views on the matter told the court today
that the issue involves constitutional questions and should be heard by a
five-judge constitution bench.The court gave the Centre four weeks to respond
to the petition and listed the next hearing in March.HT
SC seeks Centre’s
response on plea challenging NIA Act
The Supreme Court on
Monday asked the Govt’s response on a petition challenging the NIC (Amendment)
Act of 2019, saying the law concentrated police powers in one centralised
agency which would act on the “whims and fancies” of Central Govt.A Bench led
by Justice Rohinton F. Nariman issued notice to the Govt on a writ petition
filed by Umar M., secretary of the Solidarity Youth Movement based at Kozhikode
in Kerala.thehindu
Delhi gangrape case: SC rejects convict’s plea claiming he was juvenile
in 2012
New Delhi :The Supreme Court on Monday rejected the petition of Pawan
Gupta, one of the death row convicts in the 2012 Delhi gangrape case, who
claimed that he was a juvenile at the time of the offence.While upholding the
Delhi High Court verdict, an SC bench of Justices R Banumathi, Ashok Bushan and
AS Bopanna said there was no ground to interfere with the HC order that
rejected Pawan’s plea and his claim was rightly rejected by the trial court
too. Gupta moved top court on Friday challenging the HC’s order dismissing his
claim of being a juvenile in Dec.2012. 4 convicts — Mukesh (31), Pawan Gupta
(24), Vinay Sharma (25) and Akshay Kumar Singh (33) — are scheduled to be
hanged on Feb.1.indianexpress
Muzaffarpur shelter home case: Brajesh Thakur, 18 others convicted by
POCSO court
New Delhi :A POCSO court has convicted 19 persons, including the main
accused Brajesh Thakur in Muzzafarpur shelter home case Jan. Additional
Sessions Judge Saurabh Kulshreshtha convicted the Thakur under multiple counts
of aggravated penetrative sexual assault and gangrape.The shelter home was run
by Thakur, ex MLA of Bihar People’s Party (BPP). Accused included 12 men and
eight women.The accused people broke down before the judge right after the
verdict was announced. They told the judge that they did not touch anyone
inside the shelter home, some women buried their heads and sobbed.Additional
Sessions Judge Saurabh Kulshreshtha has set Jan.28 to hear arguments on quantum
of sentence.indianexpress
RTI Reveals Glaring Loopholes in JNU Admin's Claims on Campus Violence
New Delhi: A RTI query filed under the ‘life and liberty’ clause by an
activist has now revealed 5 discrepancies in claims of JNU administration and
Delhi police regarding the recording and storage of footage through CCTV
cameras during the violence on campus on Jan. 5.According to RTI activist
Saurav Das, who asked a number of questions, replies furnished by CIS office of
JNU have cast doubts on the claims made by the university and the police.A
member of National Campaign for People’s Right to Information, Das said the
replies have proved several assumptions. Most importantly, he said, RTI
registered by Delhi police on the complaint of JNU administration had stated
that there was vandalism at JNU on the first and fourth of this month. Students
of Left-affiliated parties were blamed for this. Replies show that on Jan. 1,
at least, there was no violence, said Das.“RTI also reveals that JNU does not
have CCTV footage of the main gate for Jan. 5. It also says that the footage
was not uploaded to the cloud computing system,” he said.thewire
SC issues notice to UP
govt over PIL against name change of Allahabad to Prayagraj
The Supreme Court has issued a notice to UP Govt
after hearing a plea filed by a petitioner challenging the validity of
Allahabad's name being changed to Prayagraj.The petitioner has said that the
state Govt cannot change the names of railway stations, central universities
and other institutes as they are controlled by central govt.UP Govt changed the
name of the historic city of Allahabad to Prayagraj in a move which BJP
justified was to correct the wrongs made by Mughal emperor Akbar 500 years
ago.The move came under heavy criticism from the Opposition, scholars and
historians who said govt is tampering with history.indiatoday
Dalit-only schools on
table:150 Ambedkar Navodaya Vidyalayas set up in Dalit dominated districts
New Delhi:Modi Govt is
considering a chain of exclusive residential schools for Dalit children to try
and thwart criticism of its record on social justice, but some activists have drawn
a parallel with America’s former racial segregation policy.The proposal before
the social justice and empowerment ministry is to start 150 Ambedkar Navodaya
Vidyalayas on the pattern of the countrywide Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, which
teach talented children from poor families.Like the Jawahar Vidyalayas,
Ambedkar Vidyalayas will conduct classes from VI to XII and hold entrance
tests, but all their pupils will be from the Scheduled Castes. These schools
will be set up in districts with high Dalit populations.Ashok Bharati,
president of the All India Ambedkar Mahasabha, a Dalit rights advocacy group,
rejected the idea of exclusive schools for Dalits, saying it would perpetuate
inequality.He cited the erstwhile “Equal but Separate” doctrine in America that
allowed, among other things, separate schools with equal facilities for African
American and White children. He said this policy was legally challenged on the
ground that it perpetuated racial discrimination.“By setting up exclusive
schools for Dalits, Govt would be perpetuating the caste system. There are
already so many misconceptions among people about the reservations for the
deprived sections in education,” Bharati said.telegraphindia
Students have exam, PM Modi wasting their time with Pariksha Pe Charcha,
says Kapil Sibal
New Delhi:PM Narendra Modi addressed a gathering of school students and
teachers in New Delhi today ahead of the upcoming board and entrance
examinations. Congress leader Kapil Sibal taunted PM Modi saying he is wasting
the time of these students ahead of the examinations. Sibal said that PM is
wasting the time of the students instead of letting them prepare for their
crucial examinations.Sibal said that "if there have exams, then the PM is
wasting their time. They should be allowed to prepare for their exam".
Congress leader also said that PM should hold an event where people freely talk
about their degrees and accomplishments with each other.".indiatoday
First Army head , General Cariappa in 1971: Scrap Constitution, need
military rule
New Delhi :Weeks after Indira Gandhi won a landslide victory in the Lok
Sabha elections of 1971, first Indian to head Indian Army, General K M
Cariappa, who was later made Field Marshal, underlined in a clarificatory note
that he was in favour of “a military rule, only as a temporary measure to put
things right in the country”. Exhorting Indians to “wake up” and “SPEAK”, he asserted
that 90 %would “vote for a President’s cum Military Rule to save Democracy”.The
signed note of April 7, 1971 was recently discovered in Karnataka’s state
archives. It was written as a clarification for the public after Cariappa had
met then PM, Home Minister and Speaker of Lok Sabha following a Parliamentary
debate about his comments advocating these measures while informally speaking
to the press in Dhanbad in March 1970.Cariappa was heavily criticised for those
remarks, including in Parliament. It was then reported that he had met these
leaders to apologise for his remarks, which he denied, asserting that he had
“not gone back one inch”.indianexpress
JP Nadda elected unopposed as BJP president
New Delhi :Jagat Prakash Nadda was elected unopposed as the national
president of BJP on Monday, taking over the reins from Amit Shah. Nadda had
been appointed the BJP working president last year, after Amit Shah’s elevation
to the Cabinet as Home Minister.The announcement was made by senior BJP leader
Radha Mohan Singh, who is in charge of
BJP’s organisational election process, at the party headquarters in New
Delhi. PM Narendra Modi will also arrive at the headquarters to felicitate him
in the evening.indianexpress
Azam Khan declared absconder for third time in a month
Lucknow :In more trouble for Samajwadi Party MP Azam Khan, a local court
of Rampur has declared him an absconder after he failed to appear before it
despite summons issued against him for allegedly violating the model code of
conduct during Lok Sabha polls last year — a third such case against him in a
month.The other two cases in which Rampur MP has been declared an absconder are
related to alleged fraudulent birth documents of his son Abdullah, an MLA, and
an alleged threat case filed by Azam’s neighbour.indianexpress
Why was Kaseem not
held for 14 yrs: HC to Telangana govt.
Hyderabad :Observing
that case of arrested associate professor of Osmania University Chinthakindi
Kaseem ‘acquired unique colour’, Telangana High Court on Sunday directed
Advocate General to explain why the police failed to act against the professor
in cases registered against him in 2012 and 2019.A Bench of Chief Justice
Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice A. Abhishek Reddy passed direction, after
hearing contentions of counsels of Govt and the professor for over 2 hours at
CJ’s residence here at Banjara Hills. Following Bench’s order in Kaseem’s
habeas corpus petition which was heard the previous day, Mulugu Police of
Siddipet Commissionerate brought him to CJ’s residence amidst tight security.
After recording the arrested professor’s statement, the Bench noted that it was
‘rather surprising that police had never moved against Kaseem for past 14 years
despite accusing him of involvement in 5 criminal cases’. Thehindu
*J&K AND S. ASIA*
PM Wants Ministers to 'Make Up for Lost Time' in J&K, Says No
Political Comments
New Delhi: A day before members of the Union council of ministers
reached J&K as a part of the Centre’s outreach programme, PM Narendra Modi
directed them to refrain from making any political statements during their
visit and focus only on connecting with the people to “make up for lost time”,
according to a report in the Indian Express.Ministers are scheduled to visit
several districts of J&K to spread awareness about Govt policies
“particularly in the last five months after the abrogation of Article 370″.In a
letter sent to the J&K chief secretary B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, minister of
state for Home Affairs G. Krishan Reddy wrote that minister would visit the
Union territory for “disseminating information about the importance of the Govt
policies with regard to the overall development of the Union Territory of J&K”.As
per the outreach programme, ministers will visit different districts in both
the divisions of UT between Jan. 18 and Jan. 24.According to sources quoted by
the Indian Express, the PM has also asked ministers to stay overnight in the
villages they are visiting instead of returning to Jammu or Srinagar.thewire
'Difficult to Predict But We're Prepared': CDS Bipin Rawat on War
Scenario with Pakistan
Thanjavur: Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat on Monday said it was
very difficult to predict if a scenario of a war with Pakistan would emerge or
not but all the defence services were prepared to take on any challenge. Top
general, who inducted the Sukhoi-30 MKI squadron here, was responding to a
question about any possibility of a war emerging between India and Pakistan.
"All the defence services are tasked to be prepared for any option that
may emerge.PTI
‘De-radicalisation camps will be good’: J-K Police chief backs General
Bipin Rawat’s proposal
New Delhi:J&K’s DGP Dilbagh Singh has backed Chief of Defence Staff
(CDS), General Bipin Rawat’s idea of starting a programme for
counter-radicalisation of youth in the union territory.Asked if there is a need
for de-radicalisation centres in Kashmir, Singh said such camps would help
“those who have gone astray.”“If any such facility comes up in Kashmir that
will be a good sign, it should happen. It’ll definitely help people, especially
those who have gone astray,” Singh said according to ANI.“If some sensible kind
of arrangement is made where good people from the civil society and experts who
deal with the subject and relevant aspects of religion and other things... I
think that will be a good development. That kind of things should be welcomed,”
the police chief said.HT
30 years in exile,
Kashmiri pandits demand one place for their settlement in Kashmir
Jammu:Despite the
social media having been deluged by displaced Kashmiri pandits’ video clippings
vowing to “return and die” in the Valley, the community on Sunday appeared to
be plagued by self doubts over the prospects of their return.They demanded that
PM Narendra Modi should settle the community living as “refugees in their own
country” for the past 30 years at one place in the Valley.In the backdrop of
Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s film Shikara on exodus of Kashmiri pandits, to be released
in February, several Kashmiri pandits have taken to social media to express their
love and willingness to return to their homeland in the Valley to “live and
die” there.“Haji Sahib, we will come back. We will live and die in Kashmir. Our
ashes will be immersed in river Vitasta in Kashmir,” is one such video clipping
among many similar ones doing the rounds on social media.PTI
Gandhi wanted to spend
15 Aug, 1947 in Pak:M J Akbar's Book
New Delhi: Mahatma
Gandhi wanted to spend August 15, 1947, first day of freedom, in breakaway
Pakistan rather than in India, says a new book by former Union minister M J
Akbar.This was, however, neither tokenism nor a gesture of support for a
country carved out of multifaith India in the name of one religion, Islam, the
author writes in "Gandhi's Hinduism: The Struggle Against Jinnah's Islam"."It
was a promise of defiance. Gandhi simply did not believe in the partition of
India, and the creation of new, 'unnatural' borders by an arbitrary scalpel in
a fit of what he described as momentary madness," he says.The book
analyses both the ideology and the personality of those who shaped the fate of
the region, and spells out the blunders, lapses and conscious chicanery that
permeated the politics of seven explosive years between 1940 and 1947.Gandhi, a
devout Hindu, believed faith could nurture the civilisational harmony of India,
a land where every religion had flourished, it says.TOI
“Ban was Better Than This”: People Miff at Restoration of 2G Internet in
Kashmir
Srinagar:While 2G internet on postpaid mobile phones has been restored
in 10 districts of Jammu division and 2 districts of Kashmir division – Kupwara
and Bandipora respectively, common people and students here feel that
administration has amused them by restoring 2G services with certain kind of
restrictions.“There is no point of restoring 2G services with certain kind of
restrictions; we are not able to access anything we need. It is the same as it
was before when there was no internet. I think the ban was better than this. At
least the issue was being reported before, now it won’t be,” said Rehaan, a Govt
servant. caravandaily
Dubai declared ‘reciprocating territory’ by India
New Delhi :Last week, Ministry of Law and Justice issued an
Extraordinary Gazette Notification, declaring UAE to be a “reciprocating
territory” under Section 44A of the Civil Procedure Code, 1908.The notification
also declared a list of courts in UAE to be “superior Courts” under the same
section.Apart from Dubai, the other countries declared to be “reciprocating
territories” are:UK, Singapore, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Trinidad & Tobago,
New Zealand, the Cook Islands (including Niue) and Trust Territories of Western
Samoa, Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea,Fiji, Aden.Essentially, orders passed by
certain designated courts from a ‘reciprocating territory’ can be implemented
in India, by filing a copy of the decree concerned in a District Court here.The
courts so designated are called ‘superior Courts’.The decision is believed to
help bring down the time required for executing decrees between two
countries.indianexpress
India moves to seek
closer military ties with Sri Lanka: aljazeera
Sri Lanka and India
have pledged to strengthen military ties and widen maritime links with
neighbours after security talks, the president's office said on Sunday, as New
Delhi moves to counter Chinese influence in the region.China, a longtime
regional rival of India, has been widening its footprint in the region,
including building ports and expressways and upgrading airports in Sri Lanka
and the Maldives.India's NSA Ajit Doval met on Saturday with recently elected
Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and discussed setting up a maritime
research coordination centre, Rajapaksa's office said in a statement.It did not
give details of the proposed centre but said other nations in the region should
be included as observers.It said the two countries also discussed closer
military and coastguard cooperation."Sri Lanka-India military ties go back
a long way so it's nothing new, but what is important is clearly a greater
incentive for these ties because of China factor," said Jabin Thomas
Jacob, Associate Professor at Shiv Nadar University in Noida, India.The meeting
followed Gotabaya's visit to New Delhi last November for talks with PM Narendra
Modi, who offered $450m in aid to Sri Lanka after his landslide victory in the
presidential election.aljazeera
*ECONOMY & POLITICS*
India's richest 1%
hold 4-times more wealth than poorest 70%: Oxfam study
Davos:India's richest
1 %hold more than four-times the wealth held by 953 million people who make up
for the bottom 70 %of the country's population, while total wealth of all
Indian billionaires is more than full-year budget, a new study said today.Releasing
the study 'Time to Care' in Davos ahead of the 50th Annual Meeting of World
Economic Forum (WEF), rights group Oxfam also said the world's 2,153
billionaires have more wealth than 4.6 billion people who make up 60 %of the
planet's population.The report flagged that global inequality is shockingly
entrenched and vast and the number of billionaires has doubled in the last
decade, despite their combined wealth having declined in the last
year."The gap between rich and poor can't be resolved without deliberate
inequality-busting policies, and too few Govts are committed to these,"
said Oxfam India CEO Amitabh Behar, who is here to represent the Oxfam
confederation this year.The issues of income and gender inequality are expected
to figure prominently in discussions at the five-day summit of WEF, starting
Monday. WEF's annual Global Risks Report has also warned that the downward
pressure on the global economy from macroeconomic fragilities and financial
inequality continued to intensify in 2019.Concern about inequality underlies
recent social unrest in almost every continent, although it may be sparked by
different tipping points such as corruption, constitutional breaches, or the
rise in prices for basic goods and services, as per the WEF report.Regarding
India, Oxfam said the combined total wealth of 63 Indian billionaires is higher
than the total Union Budget of India for the fiscal year 2018-19 which was at
Rs 24,42,200 crore.indiatoday
63 Indian Billionaires
Have More Money Than Union Budget For 2018-19: Oxfam
Inflation will push
Indian bond yields higher: Aditya Birla fund
Mumbai: Even as RBI
takes a page out of US Federal Reserve’s playbook to push down borrowing costs,
yields in the nation are headed higher as price pressures are unlikely to abate
soon, according to Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC Ltd.Inflation is expected to
remain elevated over the next 6-12 months, said Maneesh Dangi, who oversees $23
billion of debt assets. That view is at odds with most economists who say last
month’s spike in consumer prices will start to cool once new harvests come
in.An increase in inflation and fears of a wider fiscal deficit led to yields
jumping in early December, prompting RBI to resort to a Fed-style Operation
Twist to cheapen long-term borrowings. Yields have eased since the first
tranche was announced, but data last week showing a spurt in inflation to more
than a 5-year high has put authority’s accomodative stance at risk.theprint
India ranks 7th lowest on countries providing equal opportunity to all:
WEF report
Davos :India has been ranked very low at 76th place out of 82 countries
on a new Social Mobility Index compiled by the World Economic Forum, while
Denmark has topped the charts.The report, released ahead of the 50th Annual
Meeting of WEF, also lists India among the five countries that stand to gain
the most from a better social mobility score that seeks to measure parameters
necessary for creating societies where every person has same opportunity to
fulfil his potential in life irrespective of socioeconomic
background.Increasing social mobility, a key driver of income inequality, by 10
%would benefit social cohesion and boost the world’s economies by nearly 5 %by
2030, WEF said.PTI
Social Mobility Index: India ranks low at 76th place; Denmark tops
Malaysian PM rules out
trade action over Indian palm oil boycott, again criticises CAA
Malaysia will not take
retaliatory trade action against India over its boycott of palm oil purchases
amid a political row between the two countries, PM Mahathir Mohamad said on
Monday.India, the world’s largest edible oil buyer, this month effectively
halted imports from its largest supplier and the world’s second-biggest
producer in response to comments from Mahathir attacking India’s domestic
policies.“We are too small to take retaliatory action,” Mahathir told reporters
in Langkawi, a resort island off the western coast of Malaysia. “We have to
find ways and means to overcome that,” he added. Premier of Malaysia has
criticised New Delhi’s new religion-based citizenship law and also accused
India of invading the disputed region of Kashmir.Mahathir again criticised
India’s citizenship law on Monday, saying he believed it was “grossly
unfair”.Reuters
No meeting planned on
palm oil with India in Davos:Malaysian
minister
Kuala Lumpur:
International Trade and Industry Minister Darell Leiking today said no meeting
has been scheduled between him and his Indian counterpart during World Economic
Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week amid the palm oil spat between the two
countries.However, he said, “along the way, we may bump into each other and a
hello always leads to something good”.Leiking said he had not established any
contact with Indian officials in Davos or received any invitation for a
discussion with them.“The only invitation to Davos is through Malaysian Govt.
There are no plans to meet anyone in particular but we may bump into them,” he
said.freemalaysiatoday
Piyush Goyal not to
meet Malaysian counterpart in Davos amid palm oil row
India’s growth premium to hit 0.1 %mark, 7-years low, according to IMF
reports
India’s growth premium over the emerging economies (EMs) is likely to
touch a 7-year low mark in 2019-20 (FY20), an 18-year low, according to data
released by IMF. It will drop to 0.1 per cent, expected to be the lowest since
2012-13.On the other hand, GDP in India is expected to grow by 5 %in FY20,
against 3.9 %growth in EMs in the calendar year (CY) 2019.The growth rate of
India is lowest compared to other growing economies like Europe, US,
Japan.nationalheraldindia
India may fall short of FY20 tax revenue target by ₹2.5 lakh cr, says ex
finance secretary Garg
Govt's tax collection is likely to fall short of its estimate by ₹2.5
lakh crore or 1.2% of GDP in 2019-20, former finance secretary Subhash Chandra
Garg said on Sunday while calling for the scrapping of dividend distribution
tax.Garg in a blog said that from the tax revenues' perspective, 2019-20 is
proving to be a dysfunctional year."Tax revenues to see a shortfall of
₹2.5 trillion (1.2 %of GDP). Time to junk DDT and reform personal income
tax," he said.The govt had budgeted gross tax revenues of Rs 24.59 lakh
crore.PTI
In Kolhapur, citizen groups battle price rise with own mutton shop,
trigger shutdown by retailers
Kolhapur :SURGE in food inflation across the country has played out in a
peculiar manner in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur, where citizens’ groups have opened a
shop to sell mutton at lower prices as part of their agitation against the
price rise.In November, when retail price rose to Rs 580 per kg, Kolhapur
Mutton Darvadh Virodhi Kruti Samiti, an umbrella body, set up Samyukta
Rajarampuri Mutton Shop that sold the meat at Rs 480 — and continues to do so.
“Initial plan was to open 4-5 shops on our own, converting commercial spaces
into mutton shops, as the sellers were on a strike for 2 weeks against the
agitation. We did not want to cause inconvenience to the public,” said Dilip
Desai, a member of Samiti, which set up the shop on Nov.24. Shashikant Shetke,
who manages Rajarampuri shop, says business has been brisk with sales of over
10 goats on weekends and 2-3 on weekdays. “We want to keep the shop open to
provide residents access to mutton priced lower than other retailers,” he
said.Over 150 shops remained shut across the city for two weeks, opening only
last Thursday at a price agreed upon by the administration and sellers — Rs 520
per kg with assurance of quality control and adherence to civic and FDA
guidelines.Kamble of Kolhapur Khatik Samaj says most sellers — a majority from
SC communities and over 20 %from Muslim OBCs — remain socio-economically poor,
without access to basic facilities including health and education, and are
solely dependent on their mutton shops.indianexpress
*WORLD*
*No more arms: World
powers pledge to halt Libya weapon transfers*
Berlin: Several
foreign powers signed a landmark agreement to limit external interference in
the war in Libya and to push the country's warring factions towards a peaceful
end to the fighting.Speaking to journalists after a much-anticipated summit in
Berlin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and UN Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres said Sunday's agreement advances a political process and rules out a
military solution to the conflict, which escalated. "We reached an
agreement on a comprehensive plan to support a ceasefire in Libya," said
Merkel, acknowledging the road to peace in Libya would be long and
arduous."We all agree that we should respect the arms embargo and that the
arms embargo should be controlled more strongly than it has been in past,"
added German leader, though she confirmed potential sanctions for violators
were not discussed. Sunday's deal marks a new stage in diplomatic attempts
towards ending the country's most recent bout of fighting, which began when
renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar's eastern-based forces began an
assault on the capital, Tripoli last April, leading to more than nine months of
fighting in which more than 2,000 people have been killed, according to
UN.aljazeera
UNICEF: Haftar’s attacks have displaced 90,000 children
Children in Libya are still suffering greatly amid the violence and
chaos resulting from the country’s long civil war, a senior UNICEF official has
warned. Executive Director Henrietta H. Fore made her comments in a statement
issued a day before the start of the Berlin Conference on the situation in the
North African state.“Since last April,” she added, “with the eruption of
hostilities in Tripoli and western Libya, the conditions of thousands of
children and civilians have deteriorated, and random attacks in populated areas
have killed hundreds of people.”middleeastmonitor
Iraq protesters block roads as they step up calls for reform
Baghdad:Protesters closed large roads in cities across Iraq on Sunday
night, escalating their campaign for political change, as the clock ticked down
the final hours to their deadline for the Govt to meet their demands for
reform. In Najaf, demonstrators burned pictures of Iranian General Qassem
Soleimani and tore down posters of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis the former leader of Iraq's
Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), or Hashd al-Shaabi, the umbrella grouping of
Iraq's mostly Shia militias.On Baghdad's Palestine Street, young men hurled
Molotov cocktails onto the Mohammed al-Qassem highway overpass, as they
attempted to block the road late into the night. For several hours the
demonstrators goaded police, banging railings with sticks and metal poles,
retreating only temporarily when security forces fired tear gas canisters
towards them.aljazeera
Iraq's Shia armed groups meet over 'US aggression': Spokesman
The leaders of major Shia armed groups in Iraq gathered in Iran's city
of Qom earlier this month to coordinate efforts to expel US' troops in Iraq.
Mohammad Mohie, spokesman of the Iran-backed Shia paramilitary group Kataib
Hezbollah, told Al Jazeera on Sunday that the meeting held on Jan. 13 aimed to
coordinate future action among the armed groups."That meeting was very
important to coordinate our actions, activities and the resistance for the next
step," Mohie said.Al Jazeera
Jordan parliament bans import gas from Israel
After days of anger towards the gas deal with Israel, on Sunday
Jordanian parliament approved a draft motion stipulating a ban on importing gas
from Israeli occupation, Al Jazeera reported.The motion was sent to Govt to approve as a law.
Parliament Speaker Atef Tarawneh announced that the majority of MPs approved
the motion, and sent it to the Govt to be made law, as a matter of urgency.This
measure came amidst wide-scale popular protests in the Jordanian streets
against the gas deal, which, Jordanians argue, renders their energy sector
under the mercy of the Israeli “enemy” and allows the kingdom to be subjected
to Israeli “extortion”.middleeastmonitor
Israel bans Imam of Al-Aqsa Mosque from entering
Israeli occupation authorities handed over a deportation order on Sunday
to Sheikh Ekrema Sabri, banning him from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque for one week,
Palestinian media reported.Sabri announced that Israeli occupation police
detained him and investigated him at Al-Qashleh Police Station in the centre of
occupied Jerusalem, over claims of “inciting violence during the Friday
sermon.” Sabri added: “The Israeli police handed me a one-week deportation
order and asked me to be present at police station for investigation next
Saturday.” He disclosed that they informed him the deportation order could be
renewed.Early on Sunday, Israeli occupation forces raided the house of Sabri
and handed him an order to attend the police station for investigation.MEMO
Head of Israeli party: ‘We will ostracise Hamas and negotiate with PA’
Amir Peretz, head of Israeli Labor-Gesher (now merged with Meretz
party), announced on Sunday that he will ostracise Hamas and only negotiate
with Palestinian Authority (PA), if his party wins the Knesset elections slated
for 2 March, Quds Press reported.During a cultural event held in the settlement
of Holon, Peretz declared: “Hamas will never get any money from Israel. We will
isolate it and start political dialogue with the PA.”He added: “We will reform
the policy of the coming Govt and head for peace talks at the same time, we
will not ignore the issues of welfare and social justice.”Regarding elections
and Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu, Peretz asserted: We will replace him and
his policy. We will represent the social conscience and political compass.”MEMO
Hamas denies rift with Egypt over Haniyeh’s Iran visit
The tour of Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, is going ahead according to
the plans and objectives set by the Palestinian resistance movement, Taher
Al-Nono, Haniyeh’s media advisor, revealed.In a press release, Al-Nono
announced: “This tour is aimed at mobilising political support for the
Palestinian cause, particularly the status quo in Jerusalem, amid the Israeli
aggression on the city and the ‘deal of the century’.”MEMO
One-third of Israeli youths do not enlist in army citing ‘mental’ issues
Israeli army has expressed its concerns that one-third of eligible
Israeli youths have not enlisted so far this year for reasons related to
“mental health”, Yedioth Ahronoth reported .The data published by Israeli paper
showed that 32.9% of young men will receive an exemption from compulsory
national service in the Israel Defence Forces. The figure for young women
stands at 44.3 per cent. Furthermore, an average of 15 %of young Israelis drop
out during their military service. According to Jerusalem Post, nearly half of
male soldiers — 47.9 %— do not complete their military service.MEMO
Tunisian President meets 3 candidates for PM
Tunisian President Kais Saied met three candidates for the position of PM
at Carthage Palace on Saturday. The meetings were part of the ongoing
consultation process to select a candidate to form the new Govt.Those who met
President on Saturday were former Minister of Finance Hakim Ben Hammouda;
former Minister of Development, Investment and International Cooperation
Mohammed Fadhel Abdelkefi; and former Minister of Finance Elyes Fakhfakh. Other
candidates who have been seen by the President include three women.In
mid-November, Saied asked Habib Jemli to form a Govt, after his name was
proposed by Ennahda Movement, which was the biggest parliamentary party after
the legislative elections on 6 October. However, on 10 Jan. MPs said that they
had no confidence in the Govt that Jemli put together.middleeastmonitor
*'One missile targeted
the mosque': Over 100 Yemeni soldiers killed in attack on camp*
Over 100 Yemeni
soldiers have been killed in missile and drone attacks blamed on Houthi rebels,
on a mosque in a military camp in the central province of Marib, medical and
military sources said on Sunday."We strongly condemn the terrorist attack
on a mosque by the Houthi militias... which left more than 100 dead and dozens
injured," Yemeni foreign ministry said on Twitter.An army spokesman said
that the dead included soldiers and civilians, and that the Houthis would face
a "ruthless" retaliation to the strike.Missiles struck the mosque at
the al-Nasr camp, located about 170km east of the capital Sanaa, during evening
prayers.Medical source at a Marib city hospital, where the casualties were
transported, told AFP that at least 83 soldiers were killed and 148 injured in
the strike.Islah party (Muslim Brotherhood) controls most of Marib so there is
little opposition to Hadi and his forces in the province.Qahtan, a pro-Hadi
soldier in Marib, told Middle East Eye that Marib had become the stronghold for
pro-Hadi forces as it was safe for them and they did not face any opposition.“I
was a soldier in Aden and then in Shabwa and we used to face opposition not
only from UAE-backed forces but also from residents who support UAE," he
said.“We withdrew to Marib where people supported Hadi and his Govt but it
seems that now there is another kind of danger in Marib,” referencing attack on
Saturday.Mohammed Taher, a fighter in Marib said, “pro-Hadi forces have two
enemies nowadays, Houthis and UAE-backed forces and it is difficult to face
them both.”Middle East Eye
Myanmar Govt-appointed panel finds no 'genocide' against Rohingya
A Govt-appointed panel established in Myanmar to probe allegations of
abuses in Rakhine state in 2017 that drew global outrage said on Monday they
had found no evidence of genocide against the Rohingya Muslim minority.More
than 730,000 Rohingya fled Rakhine state during weeks of brutal violence,
during which the United Nations says gang rapes and mass killings were carried
out with “genocidal intent”. Hundreds of villages were burned to the ground and
later razed and scraped.The commission of inquiry said there were “reasonable
grounds” to conclude members of the security forces among “multiple actors”
were responsible for possible war crimes and serious human rights violations
during a military-led crackdown against the group in 2017.These included the
“killing of innocent villagers and destruction of their homes”, it said.Reuters
*views, Articles, FEATURES*
Extraordinary horrors inflicted on Muslims of UP:Deb Mukharji,
Ex-ambassadorm,telegraphindia
CAA stir: From Shaheen Bagh to Bhopal, sounds like Satyagraha across
India
Women battle dirty tricks of ‘cheapest people on earth’:Piyush
Srivastava, telegraphindia
India needs to stand guard as US leaves Afghanistan:Shishir Gupta, HT
Married women, labourers saw ‘extremely poor’ listing during ID pilot in
2000s:HT
‘Do You Hate Me as I Am a Muslim?’: RJ Sayema’s Video Warms
Hearts:thequint
How will military generals solve economic issues? Why Pakistan is stuck
in a broken carousel:Husain Haqqani, theprint
Amit Shah’s unwitting attack on BJP-RSS hypocrisy was his biggest
contribution as party chief:D.K. Singh, theprint
Muslims are protesting not because their religion is in danger, but for
the imperilled Constitution:Javed Anand ,indianexpress
Students are protesting because of our education, not despite it:Noumaan
Anwer, indianexpress
CAA: States have an obligation:Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal,
indianexpress
EsmaiI Qaani: New 'shadow commander' of Iran's Quds Force:Arwa Ibrahim ,
aljazeera
Nitish’s human-chain proved counter-productive in current political
environment:Soroor Ahmed, nationalheraldindia
Modi govt has unleashed the might and breadth of its fascist vision on
India:Ranjona Banerji, nationalheraldindia
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released
at: 6:17 PM).
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