27 Jan 2020: 01
Jamadi-2, 1441: Vol: 12, No: 116
*anti-citizenship act stir*
Now 626 EU MPs move 6 resolutions slamming India over CAA, Kashmir
India is facing a major
diplomatic backlash from European Union (EU) parliament on the Citizenship
Amendment Act and the clampdown on Jammu and Kashmir ahead of Prime Minister
Narendra Modi’s visit to Brussels for India-EU summit in March.As many as 600
of 751 members of the European Union parliament have moved six resolutions on
both the issues, their greatest concern arising over the likelihood of the
controversial citizenship law creating the “largest statelessness crisis in the
world”.6 groups of European Union parliamentarians who moved the resolutions
are the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats with 154 members; the
European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) with 182 members; European United
Left and Nordic Green Left with 41 members; Greens/European Free Alliance with
75 members; Conservatives and Reformists with 66 members; and the Renew Europe
Group with 108 members.While the resolution moved by the Progressive Alliance
of Socialists and Democrats denounced “the fact that India has incorporated
religious criteria into its naturalisation and refugee policies”, the one by
the European People’s Party expressed concern over “the CAA and the wide range
of negative consequences that it might have for India’s international image and
internal stability”.Over 150 lawmakers had earlier demanded that the European
Union insist on a “strong human rights clause with an effective implementation
and suspension mechanism” during any trade agreement with India. The
resolutions — expected to be tabled during the plenary session of the European
Parliament starting in Brussels next week — come days after the Economist
Intelligence Unit ranked India 10 places lower in the Democracy Index over CAA
and J&K clampdown.caravandaily
"Largest Statelessness Crisis," Predicts Draft Anti-CAA
Resolution In European Union
CAA, Kashmir internal matters: Govt on EU resolutions
New Delhi: Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today hit back at EU parliamentarians
who sponsored six resolutions against citizenship law and the clampdown in
Jammu and Kashmir, saying the government considered both issues "internal
matters" and that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar would soon speak
to EU lawmakers to explain the country's position."The government has
already explained this is an internal matter... even Prime Minister has,"
Prasad said, adding, "However, since you have asked me this question, let
me ask a counter question... have my esteemed friends in EU parliament sought
to raise questions over victimisation of Hindu girls and Sikh granthis in
Pakistan? It is time they were objective".ndtv
Protests across World against CAA
Apart from a bad press on issues of citizenship and the economy, the
government of India is in the firing line of peoples demonstrations across
major cities of the world, including London, Washington, New York, Cape Town,
Munich, Warsaw..Campuses have joined in with the list including students from
Universities in Poland, US, UK, Finland to name just a few with the numbers
increasing from ones and twos to the hundreds.thecitizen
Indian-Americans including Jewish, Hindu groups protest in 30 US cities
against citizenship law on Republic Day
Washington: India's 71st Republic day celebrations in US were marred by
protests and marches, albeit peaceful ones, against recent changes in the
citizenship law by large number of Indian Americans in various cities of the
country. Among Indian-Americans, CAA,
however, also had a fair share of its supporters who sought to counter
protesters by asserting that "India cares for Neighbouring
Minorities" and "CAA Won't Impact Indian Citizens."Supporters,
however, appeared to be outnumbered by protesters, who held peaceful rallies
and marches in various US cities, carrying anti-CAA banners and raising slogans
against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanding CAA's repeal and revocation
of the proposed NRC. They raised the demand ruing that India's secular fabric
is under threat.In some of the cities, particularly New York, Chicago, Houston,
Atlanta and San Francisco having Indian consulates, and at the Indian Embassy
in Washington DC, the protestors shouted slogans like "Bharat Mata Ki
Jai" and "Hindu, Muslim Sikh, Isai: Aapas Mein Saab Bhai Bhai".
The protesters, however were countered by a number of Indian Americans who
supported the enactment and congratulated the Modi Government for taking such a
bold step. The largest gathering of anti-CAA protestors was reported from
Chicago where Indian Americans gathered in large numbers and formed several
mile-long human chain.In Washington DC, over 500 Indian Americans marched from
a park near White House to Gandhi Statue in front of Indian Embassy.Anti-CAA
protests in at least 30 US cities were organized by recently formed Coalition
to Stop Genocide, comprising several organizations like Indian American Muslim
Council (IAMC), Equality Labs, Black Lives Matter (BLM), Jewish Voice for Peace
(JVP) and Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR). "Brutal crackdown by government
in India on anti-CAA and anti-NRC protests has created a situation in which
women in large numbers have come out on streets to challenge the
divisive-communal-fascist agenda of govt," Magsaysay Award winner Sandeep
Pandey said, addressing a gathering in Washington DC.IAMC president Ahsan Khan
said from Bay Area in California, the rally of Indian Americans represents an
extension of the massive unrest in India against ruling BJP government for its
relentless attacks against the secular Constitution.ndtv
Protests at Republic Day events across U.S. call for repeal of
Citizenship Amendment Act
West Bengal becomes 4th state to pass resolution against CAA
New Delhi :West Bengal Monday became the fourth state to pass a
resolution against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act, with Chief Minister
Mamata Banerjee, who has vociferously protested against the law, demanding that
it be repealed immediately. Kerala, Rajasthan and Punjab have already passed
resolutions against the Citizenship law, which came into effect from January
10. Telangana government has also announced that it would not implement the
legislation that has seen widespread protests across the country.Tabled by
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee in the State Assembly, the
resolution asks the Centre to repeal the amended Citizenship law and revoke
plans to implement a nationwide NRC and update NPR, PTI reported.“CAA is
anti-people, law should be immediately repealed,” Chief Minister Mamata
Banerjee said in the Assembly, challenging NDA-led government to “dismiss my
government”.“Bengal had the guts to skip NPR meeting in Delhi. If BJP wants it
can dismiss my govt Time has come to put aside narrow differences and fight
together to save the country,” Mamata said during her address on the anti-CAA
resolution.indianexpress
‘With help from NGOs, BJP on Aadhaar data collection spree in Bengal’:
Mamata
West Bengal chief minister Mamata
Banerjee alleged on Monday that BJP is collecting population data using NGOs
and asked people to be careful about sharing personal information.“BJP is
asking people to submit their Aadhaar card numbers. It is happening in some
places at Jhargram. Some NGOs are doing this for the BJP in exchange for money.
These are religious fundamentalist organizations. Be careful. Spread the
message in every locality,”she said while addressing a gathering of her party’s
students’ wing, Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad, at Netaji Indoor Stadium
in Kolkata.“I have seen the leaflet myself. It has BJP’s name on it and it asks
people to submit their Aadhaar document at the BJP office. Why should people
submit their Aadhaar document to them?”she questioned.HT
SC seeks Centre, Assam’s response on plea alleging exclusion of
transgenders in NRC
The Supreme Court today sought response of the Centre and Assam govt on
a plea alleging exclusion of around 2000 transgenders in the final NRC in
Assam.A bench comprising CJI S A Bobde and justices BR Gavai and Surya Kant
issued notice to govt on the PIL filed by one Swati Bidhan Baruah.Baruah, first
transgender judge from Assam, has moved the SC, citing exclusion of
transgenders during NRC process and at stages subsequent to publication of the
final draft.PTI
SC issues notice to Centre on fresh petitions challenging CAA, NPR
The Supreme Court today issued a notice to the Central government on
fresh petitions filed before it challenging the CAA, and NPR process.A Bench of
CJI SA Bobde refused to pass an order to stay the process and tagged the pleas
along with other petitions scheduled to be heard by court. Fresh petitions were
filed before the SC against the amended citizenship law and population register
by All India United Democratic Front, Ason Jana Morcha, and others.One of petitions
said that the collection of such data may lead to possible unsanctioned state
surveillance of private citizens who have not engaged in unlawful activity. No
provision or responsibilities have been fixed in case of unauthorised access to
the data by third parties, the petition said.ANI
Proofs of religious beliefs to be required for applying citizenship
under CAA
Non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan will have
to provide proofs of their religious beliefs while applying for Indian
citizenship under the controversial CAA, officials said today.The applicants
belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist, Jain or Parsi faiths will also
have to furnish documents to prove that they entered India on or before Dec.31,
2014. Those who will seek Indian citizenship under the CAA will have to provide
proofs of their religious beliefs and this will be mentioned in the rules to be
issued under the CAA, a government official said.The central government is also
likely to give a relatively smaller window of just three months to those who
want to apply for Indian citizenship in Assam under CAA, another official
said.Some Assam-specific provisions are expected to be incorporated in rules to
be issued for the implementation of the CAA.PTI
‘Totally baseless’: PFI rejects charges of funding anti-CAA protests in
Uttar Pradesh
New Delhi :Kerala-based organisation Popular Front of India has denied
allegations of funding anti-CAA protests in Uttar Pradesh.On Monday, reports
had emerged quoting unnamed Enforcement Directorate (ED) sources as saying that
the recent violent protests in UP against CAA had a “financial link” with PFI.A
PTI report said the ED “has found that at least Rs 120 crore were deposited in
bank accounts in western Uttar Pradesh after the Act was passed by Parliament
late last year.”“It is suspected and alleged that these funds were used by PFI
affiliates to fuel anti-CAA protests in various parts of UP, sources said,
citing the findings of the ED probe report,” PTI report said.PFI has rejected
the charge as “totally baseless”, pointing out that the ED has not released any
official statement making such claims.A statement released by the body read:
“The news attributes around 73 bank accounts to PFI and states that Rs 120
crore was transferred through these “alleged” Popular Front accounts to fund
the anti-CAA protest. PFI had stated it multiple times that we fully comply
with the law of land and the allegation of Rs.120Cr transferred from PFI’s accounts
just before CAA protest is totally baseless and the people who are leveling
these allegations should prove these claims.”The statement also said that there
had been claims about PFI giving money to lawyers Kapil Sibal, Dushyant Dave and Indira Jaising, but these
were payments made in 2017 for Hadiya case. Regarding allegations that PFI sent
money to its Kashmir wing, the organisation said: “It is a open fact that PFI
does not have any wing or branch in Jammu and Kashmir.”indianexpress
Lawyers Kapil Sibal, Indira Jaising reject claims PFI paid them for
anti-CAA protests
After Assam, UP, 3 more states charge JNU student Sharjeel Imam with
sedition
New Delhi:A day after sedition cases were filed in Assam and UP against
Sharjeel Imam, a PhD student in JNU, for an anti-CAA speech he made at AMU on
January 16, charges under the same offence were slapped against him in
Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Delhi.Police in Delhi and UP, meanwhile, have
started conducting searches to trace Imam. Aligarh SSP Akash Kulhary said two
teams are conducting searches in different areas of Delhi. “We are working
closely with Delhi Police and should be able to find him soon,” said Kulhary.
Delhi Police have sent a team to Bihar to look for Imam. Jehanabad SP Maneesh
said local police assisted a team from Delhi in conducting searches Sunday
morning at Iman’s village Kako. Imam’s three relatives were detained for about
four hours and released, said sources. In videos of his speech, Imam can be heard
calling for stepping up the protests in Assam through road blocks to force the
Centre to listen. Imam, who is pursuing PhD in Modern Indian History, did his
graduation from IIT-Bombay in computer science. He was briefly associated with
the Shaheen Bagh protests in Delhi as a volunteer but left that on January 2.Speaking
to Indian Express Saturday, Imam had said: “I was saying we should try to
peacefully block roads wherever possible. In that context, I said you have to
block roads going to Assam. It was basically a call for chakka
jam.”indianexpress
Central agencies raid activist Sharjeel Imam's house in Patna, detain
relatives
'My son is not capable of instigating secession,' says mother of missing
anti-CAA activist Sharjeel Imam after police raids at his Bihar home
Imam's speech misinterpreted, say jurists, academicians denouncing
sedition charges against him
Former judge at the Supreme Court of India, Markandey Katju has
criticised Police charges against JNU student Sharjeel Imam for his allegedly
inflammatory speech regarding anti-CAA protest and Assam at Aligarh. Besides
Justice Katju, several individuals including academicians, journalists, jurists
and activists have also come openly against the Police charges.In a statement signed
by around 500 people including Jenny Rovena (Delhi University), Ravichandran
Bathran (Dalit Camera), K Ashraf (University of Johannesburg), Aditya Menon
(Journalist), they said: “his speech has been misinterpreted by Sangh media and
BJP spokespersons and they are targeting Sharjeel Imam with false propaganda
and intimidation.”“We, concerned activists, students and academicians, stand in
solidarity with Sharjeel Imam and demand the revocation of all the cases
against him immediately. We condemn in strongest terms Islamophobic behaviour
of media and police against Anti-CAA protesters,” the statement reads.India
Tomorrow
AMU students block highway demanding release of student held for
heckling V-C on R-day
There seems to be no end to the unrest in AMU as hundreds of students
blocked the main Aligarh-Moradabad Highway overnight till Monday morning
demanding the release of a student who was held for allegedly heckling V-C Prof
Tariq Mansoor during his Republic Day speech on Sunday. As per the official
sources of AMU, the blockade, which started on Sunday evening, continued till 2
am. However, it finally ended at 11 am following the assurance of police
administration that the arrested student A Mujtaba Faraz would be released
soon. AMU V-C was heckled by a group of students during his Republic Day speech
soon after he termed as "unfortunate" the recent happenings on the
campus and said peaceful protests would be allowed on any issue within the
ambit of the law. As V-C was giving his concluding remarks, a group of students
raised slogans – V-C go back-- demanding his removal and a minor tussle ensued
between two groups of students in the audience before security staff chipped
in, according to eyewitnesses. 4 students--Tahir Azmi, Rafiuddin, Sudhir Gulati
and A Mujtaba Faraz-- were whisked away by the security staff and taken to
Proctor's office. They were then handed over to police by the university
authorities.In afternoon, a group of protesters gathered at AMU Proctor's
office demanding their release. Three students were later freed by the police. AMU
Proctor, Prof Afifullah Khan, said 3 students were released whereas Faraz was
sent to jail. newindianexpress
HC asks UP for report on police action during violence over CAA protests
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh government has been asked by the Allahabad High
Court for a report on police action during the large-scale violence that took
place in the state in December over
CAA.The court was hearing seven petitions filed over violence during
protests against the citizenship law last month and the crackdown by the police
in the state.Uttar Pradesh saw over 20 deaths after violent protests related to
the citizen law broke out across many districts of the state last month. Most
of these deaths are due to bullet injuries but the police have owned up to
firing in only one instance."How many complaints have been filed against
police or government officials over the crackdown on protesters?" the high
court asked the UP government, seeking a detailed report on police action,
according to Mehmood Pracha, the lawyer for one of the petitioners.The court
also asked the government if the autopsy reports of those who died during
protests have been given to their relatives. The case will be taken up again on
Feb17.ndtv
Cong says it made 31-page representation to NHRC on UP police
'atrocities' on anti-CAA protesters, provided proofs of rights violations.
New Delhi:Congress on Monday moved National Human Rights Commission
demanding action against alleged police atrocities on anti-CAA protesters in
Uttar Pradesh, alleging that victims have been made accused in case-related
FIRs and no police officer has been named.Congress delegation, led by senior
party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, met top NHRC officials
here and made a detailed 31-page representation which included videos and
photographs as "evidence" of alleged atrocities and human rights
violations.After the meeting, Rahul Gandhi alleged UP government has "gone
to war against its own people" and urged NHRC to act decisively to protect
the "Constitutional rights of our citizens"."A delegation of
Congress leaders presented NHRC with evidence of the atrocities against the
citizens of UP by the State Govt., which has gone to war against its own
people. NHRC must act decisively to protect the idea of India & the
Constitutional rights of our citizens," he said in a tweet. The party also
submitted a memorandum to NHRC in which it has alleged that BJP government in
the state "treats its own citizens like criminals".After the meeting,
Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said, "In Uttar Pradesh, there has been
gross human rights violations. We have submitted videos and photos to the
NHRC."PTI
CAA protests: Mayawati demands withdrawal of cases lodged against women
in UP
BSP on Monday demanded withdrawal of cases lodged by UP government
against women protesting against CAA and NRC in the state. Women have been
staging protests in different parts of Uttar Pradesh, including at the historic
Clock Tower here, demanding scrapping of CAA and NRC.In a tweet, BSP supremo
Mayawati said, “Wrong cases filed against women and others protesting against
CAA/NRC by BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government should be immediately withdrawn,
and those who lost their lives during this time should also be extended proper
help, this is the demand of BSP.” PTI
In UP, 1,000 women booked in 8 FIRs as Lucknow, Prayagraj host their own
Shaheen Bagh
Lucknow: Several cities across Uttar Pradesh have become sites of
women-led Shaheen Bagh-like protests against the CAA, but unlike the national
capital, they have been booked by police for charges such as rioting. At least
eight FIRs have been filed by police in different cities, including Lucknow and
Varanasi, against over 1,000 women. These FIRs, which also name men, only
concern the protests led by women and are apart from those filed against other
demonstrations. While around three dozen people are identified by name in the
FIRs, others are unnamed.theprint
Firozabad: Anti-CAA protests Of 34 FIRs, most filed in days after
violence
Firozabad :Of 34 FIRs registered in Firozabad over anti-CAA protests on
December 20 that turned violent, apart from the eight filed under Arms Act,
only six were registered the same day, while the remaining were filed over the
next four days.Nearly half (13) were filed by journalists, camerapersons or
other private individuals, all of them on days following December 20. One of them
said he didn’t mean to name the 3 accused in FIR, one said he had registered
the case after police called him, while several said they were awaiting police
action.21 of FIRs were filed by police or other government departments. Based
on 34 FIRs, 28 people have been sent notices for damages, over destruction of
public and private properties. Only 5 of FIRs contain names, mentioning 29
people. The others are against “unknown” persons or “crowds of
thousands”.indianexpress
Sea of Tricolour as Shaheen Bagh celebrates R-Day
New Delhi :Amid chants of “samvidhan ki raksha, desh ki raksha”, the
national flag was hoisted at Shaheen Bagh by the mothers of Rohith Vemula and
Junaid Khan and the ‘dadis of Shaheen Bagh’, Asma Khatoon (90), Bilkis Bano
(82) and Sarwari (75) on Sunday.Radhika Vemula is the mother of Dalit research
scholar Rohith Vemula, who had committed suicide at the University of Hyderabad
in 2016.Saira Bano’s son, 16-year-old Junaid Khan, had been lynched in a train
in 2017.Hundreds thronged the protest site in a sea of tricolour — in the
artwork at the site, on sashes, ribbons, caps and clothes worn by people, and
the paint on their faces — and sang national anthem in unison.“We usually do
flag hoisting ceremonies every year in our own galis, schools and madrasas.
This is the first time we’re all getting together and doing it because ‘hum sab
ek hai’. There’s a serious attack on the Constitution and now we all have to
save it,” said Anisa Parveen (52).The celebrations had begun at midnight, with
thousands reading the Preamble and singing the national anthem. Soon after the
songs, speeches and slogans subsided, which included an address by
journalist-activist Teesta Setalvad, the crowd thinned and women took some time
to stretch their backs. But around 3 am, over a hundred students, youngsters
and locals from the area gathered to listen to Professor Nivedita Menon. She
was the inaugural lecturer of the series “Shaheen ki Taleem”, night classes
initiated by a few students where professors from JNU and DU will give lectures
on citizenship.Both Radhika Vemula and Saira Bano also spoke at the venue the
next morning, with Vemula emphasising on Dalit-Muslim unity. “This is not just
a fight of Muslims but also of Dalits, Adivasis and OBCs who will all suffer
greatly … All those mothers who have lost their sons, all those women who are
fighting today — come join me in my struggle, I will join you all in your
struggle until this government is removed… I wish to start a new Dalit and
Muslim movement,” she said, ending her address with, “Dalit-Muslim – behen
behen, bhai bhai.”indianexpress
Republic Day at Shaheen Bagh: Dadis, Rohith Vemula’s mother hoist Flag
amid chants of azaadi
Flag Hoisting, Human Chains, Preamble Readings Mark Anti-CAA Protests on
Republic Day
Shaheen Bagh offering platform to ‘tukde tukde’ gang: Union Minister attacks protesters, Kejriwal,
Rahul
New Delhi: Accusing protesters at Delhi's Shaheen Bagh of trying to
suppress the views of a "peaceful majority" over controversial CAA,
Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today hit out at Congress leader Rahul
Gandhi and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal for "standing with Tukde Tukde
Gang"."Shaheen Bagh is emerging as a textbook case of a few hundred
people seeking to suppress the peaceful majority. This is the true face of
Shaheen Bagh and uncovering it in front of the country is very important. Rahul
and Kejriwal are both silent on this issue," he said.Responding to
charges, Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi, "Many people are facing difficulties
because of Shaheen Bagh protest.BJP does not want the road to open, it is
indulging in dirty politics instead. BJP leaders should immediately go to
Shaheen Bagh to hold discussions and the get the road opened."ndtv
Jamia protests: ‘Write for Revolution’ — a new corner to agitate
peacefully
New Delhi :It has been over 45
days since violence rocked the Jamia Milia Islamia University with the Delhi Police
entering the campus, attacking students and hurling tear gas shells. In the
last month-and-a-half, students have been continuously protesting over the
controversial CAA, with the movement spreading nationwide as the university and
Shaheen Bagh emerge at the forefront.As days pass, several innovative ideas of
dissent have taken shape across the university — one among them being ‘Write
For Revolution’, a corner outside Jamia’s gate number 7, where the peaceful
protesters can express themselves by writing their thoughts over the
developments in the form they want — poetry, proses or essays.The small corner,
giving life to knowledge, is filled up with posters, paintings, quotes, and
essays written by students, faculties, and individuals taking part in the
agitation — those who cannot get a chance to go up to the dais and speak their
heart out. Started on January 20, the ‘Write for Revolution’ corner, which now
has at least 10 volunteers apart from Nehal, sees a lot of protesters daily,
penning down their thoughts and participating in the university’s peaceful
protests.The thoughts or quotes that the protesters pen down at this corner are
shared on the Instagram and Facebook handles of ‘Write for Revolution’
page.indianexpress
CAA protest:With 621-km human chain, Kerala pledges to protect
Constitution
Standing shoulder-to-shoulder in a human chain from the northern end of
Kerala to the southern end, lakhs of people observed the Republic Day on Sunday
with a pledge to protect the Constitution. 621-km-long human chain along the
national highway was organised by the ruling Left Democratic Front as part of
ongoing protests against the new citizenship law.For the first time, several
mosques joined the Republic Day celebrations by hoisting the tricolour and
reading out the Preamble of the Constitution following a direction by the
Kerala State Wakf Board to observe Republic Day.Latin Catholic Church, whose
followers mainly comprise people from the fishermen community in Kerala, too,
joined the celebrations. The flag was hoisted, the Preamble was read out and
people pledged to protect the Constitution at several churches, Also, priests
spoke about importance of upholding Constitutional values. According to LDF
convener A Vijayaraghavan, 70 lakh people cutting across political lines joined
the human chain. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his cabinet colleagues,
leaders of LDF, cultural activists, social workers, Muslim scholars, clerics,
priests and nuns and lakhs of common people joined chain. Around 250 meetings
were held before the people dispersed.indianexpress
Churches, mosques in Kerala read out Preamble to protest CAA
Latin churches and mosques under Wakf board in Kerala hoisted the
national flag and read out the preamble to the Constitution on Sunday on the
occasion of Republic Day, in protest against the controversial CAA.Priests of
all Latin churches read out a pastoral letter against the law, saying it was
“unconstitutional” and affects not just the Muslim community but the whole of
the country.Observing January 26 as the day to protect the Constitution, the
letter said the biggest crime was to divide the people.“Dividing people is the
biggest crime. It’s happening here. CAA is unconstitutional. It’s also against
the secular democratic values of the country… This is not just against Muslims.
But against the whole population of the country,” the pastoral letter
said.National flag was also hoisted on the premises of the churches.All mosques
registered under the Wakf Board also unfurled the tricolour as part of the
Republic Day celebrations and read out the preamble to the Constitution in
protest against the CAA.PTI
CAA will Destroy Secular India; Not Just Issue for Muslims but for All:
Kerala Church
From children to elderly, thousands gather to form 11-km human chain in
Kolkata
Kolkata :Waving the Indian national flag, thousands — from children to
octogenarians — gathered in Kolkata to form a human chain on Republic Day, to
oppose the CAA, NPR and NRC.People from different communities held hands to
form an 11-km chain, stretching from the north to south of the city. Reading
aloud the Preamble, participants pledged to protect the Constitution of the
country and uphold the nation’s plurality.Starting from Shyam Bazaar in the
north to Golpark in the southern part of the city, people came out to form the
chain around noon, raising slogans of ‘Saare Jahan Se Achha, Hindustan Hamara’
and ‘Vande Mataram’.People assembled around 15 major junctions in the city,
such as Park Circus seven-point crossing, Mullick Bazar, Ripon Street-AJC Bose
Road crossing, Nonapukur, Raja Bazar and Maniktala, and wearing badges and
cards ‘saying no to NRC and CAA’.Organised by United Interfaith Foundation
India (UIFI), comprising leaders of different religious communities in the
state, the event saw an “overwhelming response”.Indian Express
CAA discriminatory, against principal of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: Gujarat
Roman Catholic Diocese
Vadodara:Terming the new citizenship law as “discriminatory”, Gujarat
Roman Catholic Diocese on Monday urged the government to follow the tenets of
‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (The world is one family)’ on which the Constitution of
India is based. The church also asked the government to reconsider its stand on
the the proposed NRC and NPR.Expressing its concern over the proposed NPR and
NRC being implemented along with CAA, the statement says, “We welcome the
decision of the government of India to grant citizenship to the minorites from
neighbouring countries like Pakistan Afghanistan and Bangladesh, who are facing
religious persecution. However, it is a matter of concern that a particular
community has been left out of this decision only because of its religious
identity.”indianexpress
Chandrashekhar Azad arrives in Delhi after Hyderabad Police ‘forcibly
sent’ him back over anti-CAA protest
New Delhi :Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad arrived in Delhi on
Monday morning after he was “forcibly sent” to the airport by the police in
Hyderabad, where he was detained ahead of a protest against CAA. He also
claimed that his supporters were thrashed by cops before he was detained on
Sunday.In a tweet in Hindi, Azad wrote, “Dictatorship is at its peak in
Telangana. Peoples’ right to protest is being snatched. First, we were thrashed
with sticks, then I was arrested and now I have been brought to the airport and
being sent back to Delhi.” In tweet, he also tagged the office of Telangana
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and said ” Bahujan society will never forget
this insult. Will be back soon.” Read in MalayalamMd Rasheed, Bhim Army
coordinator in Telangana, said, “Azad was taken to the airport by police and
sent back to Delhi on a 7 am flight.” Aazad is unwell and will be taken to the
All India Institute of Medical Sciences, his aides said. If he’s okay, the
Dalit leader will go to Karnataka on Tuesday to address two rallies in Gulbarga
and Bidar, PTI reported.Azad was in the city to address an anti-CAA rally
organised by All India India Dalit-Muslim-Adivasi Progressive Front.
Lungerhouse police said the protesters did not have permission for the
agitation and Azad was taken into preventive detention to prevent him from
going ahead with it.indianexpress
Malegaon marks Republic Day with Preamble readings, rallies
Malegaon :Malegaon woke up early on Sunday with its streets swamped by
young men holding a bike rally, with the tricolour in their hands.According to
local residents, AIMIM MLA Mufti Mohammad Ismail Qasmi had three weeks ago
called for launching a civil disobedience movement from January 26. While his
call to empty bank accounts and refrain from filling fuel at pumps on Sunday
did not find takers, Malegaon marked 70 years of Republic with readings of
Preamble of the Constitution at 70 places.In the weeks leading up to Sunday,
Dastoor Bachao Committee, which organised a women’s protest earlier this month,
selected spots significant to the town’s history.indianexpress
Anti-CAA Resolutions By States Is Constitutional Crisis: Yashwant Sinha
Lucknow: Former Union minister Yashwant Sinha on Monday termed the
passing of anti-CAA resolutions by non-BJP states a constitutional crisis,
saying this can't be ignored.He stressed that there was no need to bring the
legislation as it was "anti-democratic" and "divided people on
the basis of religion"."There is a constitutional crisis. You cannot
ignore state governments.PTI
‘Won’t back off until CAA is withdrawn’: Mumbai women launch Shaheen
Bagh-like protest
Mumbai: A group of Muslim women, including household helps and students,
in Mumbai have started an indefinite protest against the CAA, drawing
inspiration from the agitation in New Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh.Those who have
gathered on a road in Madanpura said that they won’t leave until central
government withdraws the contentious act. The group, which has around 60-70
people, started gathering on the road on Sunday evening.“The government is just
doing what it feels like. They have detained Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar
Azad when he was protesting against the act. The women in Uttar Pradesh are not
being allowed to protest, this is completely unconstitutional,” Fatima Khan, a
law student who is leading the protesters, said.HT
CPM leader who immolated himself dies 'over CAA', family demands
judicial probe
Bhopal :A CPM activist who allegedly immolated himself at Geeta Bhavan
Square in Indore 3 days ago succumbed to his injuries late on Sunday.Tukoganj
Police Station in-charge Nirmal Kumar Shrivas said it was not clear why the
72-year-old took the extreme step because police could not record his
statement. Rameshchandra Prajapat, a tailor, sustained nearly 90 per cent burns
and was being treated at M Y Hospital.A bag carrying anti-CAA pamphlets was
found lying near him which has led many to speculate that septuagenarian
immolated himself to register his protest against the CAA.While CPM leaders
claimed Prajapat was disturbed by the new law and the countrywide protests and
could have taken the extreme step due to that, his son Deepak Prajapat, 30,
however, insisted that his father’s action had nothing to do with CAA. Other
family members and Prajapat community demanded a judicial inquiry into the
incident.indianexpress
Hyderabad: Scrap Articles 14, 15 to enforce CAA, say intellectuals
Hyderabad: Poets, writers and intellectuals who assembled in the city on
Sunday demanded that the Centre abolish Articles 14 and 15 before implementing
CAA. The implementation of the controversial law will grossly violate the
fundamental rights of citizens which are guaranteed under the
Constitution.Among those who had assembled at the event were Mr J.B. Hamed
Mohammed Khan, president of the Jamaat-e- Islami Hind, TS, AP and Odisha,
Telangana Press Academy chairman Allam Narayana, Sahitya Acad-emi award winner
Kath-yayani Vidmahe. They were speaking at a one-day workshop organised by the
Democratic Women Writers Association on equal rights. The participants have
pointed out the need for people to understand what CAA stands for and rise up
against it. Deccan Chronicle
JLF statement on anti-CAA protests: ‘Our duty is to ensure visitors can
enjoy fest’
Jaipur :Following Sunday’s protest against CAA at Jaipur Literature Festival,
event organisers issued a statement on Monday, saying they had to ask the
protestors to leave to ensure visitors could enjoy the festival
seamlessly.“Yesterday, while the venue was at full capacity, a few protesters
who were not our speakers or invitees had to be asked to leave after they
started sloganeering that was impairing the literary sessions, and for which we
received complaints from our partners. On Sunday, 5 people were detained for
raising anti-CAA slogans after a session, the police said. They were released
following a warning to not repeat such acts, the police added. PTI
NRC-NPR apprehensions: Researchers prevented from conducting survey in
Darbhanga village
Patna :Amid apprehensions surrounding NRC and NPR, residents of a remote
village in Bihar’s Darbhanga district on Sunday prevented a group of 13
researchers from carrying out a survey on behalf of Yale University. According
to Biraul Sub-divisional police officer Dilip Kumar Jha, Lucknow-based research
team had come to conduct the survey to aid research on political and social
issues.Jha said: “13 Lucknow-based scholars, including four women, visited
Jhagarua village in Jamalpur police station area on Thursday. They were from a
team run by Lucknow’s Dr Shekhar Singh.They asking people about government
scheme benefits and they were carrying a questionnaire on rating various
political parties. Some villagers became suspicious.”A senior police officer
said nobody had misbehaved with researchers.indianexpress
UP proposes pro-CAA lectures in colleges from next month
Uttar Pradesh Government plans to introduce a class on CAA in colleges
as early as next month. The emphasis will be on the ‘positive’ and beneficial
aspects of the law and to counter the ‘misleading narrative’ being propagated
by anti-CAA protestors.nationalheraldindia
Folk singer named for Padma Shri at protest against CAA
Ranchi :Madhu Mansuri, a folk singer from Jharkhand who will be
conferred with Padma Shri this year, on Sunday put his weight behind the
protests against the new citizenship law.At a large gathering to protest
against the new law and the proposed NRC in Ranchi, 71-year-old Mansuri sung
his popular song, “Gaon chhodab nahi, jungle chhodab nahi, mai-maati chhodab
nahi, ladai chhodab nahi (We will not leave our village, nor our forests, Not
even our mother earth. We will not give up our fight.”He later told the
gathering that he was with them in their struggle.indianexpress
NCP targets Centre over Padma Shri for Adnan Sami, calls it an insult to
130 crore Indians
Mumbai: Amid a row over Pakistani-origin singer Adnan Sami, who became
an Indian citizen in 2016, being chosen for Padma Shri award, the NCP on Monday
termed it as an “insult” to 130 crore Indians and a “damage control” act by NDA
govt “facing questions” over CAA, NRC and NPR.In a dig, Maharashtra Minorities
Development Minister and NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik also said that any
Pakistani citizen can now avail Indian citizenship by chanting ‘Jai Modi’.Sami,
born in London to a Pakistani Air force veteran, applied for Indian citizenship
in 2015 and became a citizen of the country in January 2016.He was one of the
118 people whose names were announced on Saturday for the Padma Shri awards,
with the Ministry of Home Affairs list showing his home state as Maharashtra.PTI
*J&K AND S. ASIA*
Republic Day gifts to Kashmir: security clampdown, Internet shutdown,
suspension of phone services
Internet shutdown, suspension of mobile connectivity, phones and
curfew-like lockdown marked Republic Day in Srinagar and other parts of
Kashmir. While most people remained indoors, mobile connectivity was partially
restored to a few places by evening.Most observers from Kashmir felt
disappointed and said that Government had lost a major opportunity to salvage
the situation. There were expectations in some quarter that on Republic Day,
the Government would release political leaders under detention since August
last year and restore access to the Internet. Instead, security was further
tightened and the Internet access withdrawn. Government also suspended mobile
services.What difference would it have made if mobile services had not been
suspended, wondered Executive Editor of Kashmir Times, Anuradha Bhasin.Srinagar
always witnessed partial strikes and bandhs on Independence Day and Republic
Day, recalls Dr Ghulam Md Malik, a prominent doctor in the city. “ But today it
was far more complete and severe with security clampdown, suspension of phone,
not just mobile services, and there was a curfew-like silence on the roads. We
were cut off from the world,” said the doctor over the phone after services
were restored in the evening.nationalheraldindia
Stalin ‘deeply troubled’ over Omar Abdullah’s viral photo
New Delhi : 2 days after an unverified picture of former chief minister
of J&K Omar Abdullah went viral on social media, DMK chief MK Stalin Monday
said he was “troubled” to see the photograph. Calling upon the government to
release all political prisoners in J&K, Stalin said that he was “equally
concerned about Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti and other Kashmiri leaders who
are incarcerated without trial or due process.”On January 25, a picture of Omar
Abdullah sporting a greyish-white long beard emerged on social media. West
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also shared the picture calling it
‘unfortunate.’“I could not recognize Omar in this picture. I am feeling sad.
Unfortunate that this is happening in our democratic country. When will this
end?” Banerjee had written.indianexpress
*ECONOMY & POLITICS*
Govt to sell 100% stake in Air India, issues bid document
The government on Monday
announced sale of 100% stake in debt-laden Air India as it issued the
preliminary bid document for the strategic disinvestment with the deadline for
submitting expression of interest set as March 17.As part of the strategic
disinvestment, Air India would also sell 100% stake in low-cost airline Air
India Express and 50% shareholding in joint venture AISATS, as per bid document
issued on Monday.Management control of the airline would also be transferred to
the successful bidder.This is the second time in less than two years that
government has come out with proposal for selling stake in Air India, which has
been in the red for long.The government has set March 17 as the deadline for
submitting the expression of interest (EoI). AISATS is an equal joint venture
between Air India and Singapore Airlines.It offers ground handling services.PTI
Air India sale: Swamy threatens to move court, Congress says BJP selling
valuable assets
BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on
Monday castigated the Modi government to sell its entire stake in Air India.
Congress leaders Kapil Sibal and Sandeep Dixit also slammed the move, saying it
shows that India was on the “brink of bankruptcy”, ANI reported.“This deal is
wholly anti-national and I will be forced to go to court,” Swamy tweeted. “We
cannot sell our family silver.”Kapil Sibal said this shows that the government
does not have money. “The government of India has no money, growth is less than
5% and millions of rupees are outstanding under MNREGA [Mahatma Gandhi National
Rural Employment Guarantee Act],” he told ANI. “This is what they will do, sell
all valuable assets we have.”scroll
MGNREGA Is Running Out of Funds. Will Budget 2020 Fix That?
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme
is facing an acute fund crunch. According to a report in The Hindu, more than
96% of the allocated money has already been spent or is needed to pay pending
dues. Less than Rs 2,500 crore is left to sustain the scheme for the next two
months, the report says.MGNREGA’s financial statement as of January 26 has
shown as many as 15 states in the red. The Hindu report says Rajasthan has the
highest negative net balance of Rs 620 crore and Uttar Pradesh has a negative
of Rs 323 crore. This year’s budget allocation for the scheme was only Rs
60,000 crore, lower than amount spent in the previous year. According to The
Hindu, in Rajasthan, workers’ wages have not been paid since the end of
October. Early this month, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot had written to
PM Narendra Modi, demanding that the Centre immediately releases pending dues
of Rs 1,950 crore.thewire
HRD Ministry flags graft in key scheme: Handwritten cab bills for Rs 1.2
crore
New Delhi : HRD Ministry has approached PMO to flag alleged corruption
by an ex-joint secretary and a professor of TISS in the implementation of
Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), a central higher education scheme
for states.An audit by TISS last year uncovered that Rs 23 lakh was allegedly
spent out of RUSA funds on the personal trips of Ishita Roy and her children
within India and abroad. Roy, a 1991-batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre, was
RUSA’s national mission director during her stint as joint secretary at HRD
Ministry. She left the Ministry seven months ago and is currently posted as
Principal Secretary, Fisheries, in Kerala. The audit also discovered that
RUSA’s national coordinator B Venkatesh Kumar allegedly misappropriated Rs 2.02
crore of the funds. He had submitted handwritten taxi bills of Rs 1.26 crore to
justify some of the expenditure.indianexpress
1,000 frauds worth over ₹220 cr reported by urban cooperative banks
nearly in past five fiscals: RBI
Urban cooperative banks (UCBs) have reported nearly 1,000 cases of fraud
worth more than ₹220 crore in the last five fiscals, according to
RBI.Responding to an RTI query, the central bank said a total of 181 fraud
cases involving ₹127.7 crore were noticed during 2018-19.A total of 99 and 27
such cases involving ₹46.9 crore and ₹9.3 crore were reported during 2017-18
and 2016-16 respectively, it said.PTI
Reality of govt’s promises is that 3.64 crore people became unemployed,
says Priyanka Gandhi
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi on Monday slammed the government over
3.64 crore people reportedly becoming unemployed in the last five years, saying
this is the reason why the Modi dispensation shies away from talking about
jobs.Her attack on the government came over a media report which claimed that
in the last five years, 3.64 crore people became unemployed in the top seven
sectors."This is the reality of all the big promises about giving jobs.
Around three and a half crore people have become unemployed in seven major
sectors of the country," Priyanka said in a tweet.PTI
BJP, ally-ruled state govts ranked among least-performing
BJP, which has been riding high on last year's Lok Sabha election
victory, may have something to worry about in the states. According to
IANS-CVoter's 'State of Nation' Republic Day survey, four of the five most
under-performing state governments are ruled by the BJP and its allies.Goa
government, led by BJP, has been the worst-performing among all. As many as
62.8 per cent respondents from the state said that they were not at all
satisfied with the performance of their government and only four per cent
thought the government performance was "very much
satisfactory".Following in terms of under-performing were states of the
northeast where none of the respondents were fully satisfied with their
respective governments' work and only 41.2 per cent of respondents claimed
government work was "satisfactory to some extent". As many as 58.8
per cent of respondents said they were not satisfied at all with the
government's work.Among other most under-performing states, Haryana and Tamil
Nadu, led by BJP and ally AIADMK, respectively.IANS
*OTHERS*
Delhi rape convict Mukesh Singh’s petition against rejection of mercy
plea in SC tomorrow
3 judges of the Supreme Court will on Tuesday hear death row convict
Mukesh Singh’s petition challenging the presidential order rejecting his mercy
plea filed this month. The hearing will begin at 12.30 pm.Mukesh Singh’s lawyer
had mentioned his petition filed last week before a bench led by CJI SA Bobde
earlier in the day. Chief Justice Bobde promptly told the lawyer to mention it
before the top court official mandated for this purpose, underscoring that the
court would take it up on top priority.“If somebody is going to be hanged, then
nothing can be more urgent than this,” CJI Bobde said.In the list of cases put
out by the top court later in the day, Mukesh Singh’s petition was listed to be
taken up by a bench comprising justices R Banumathi, Ashok Bhushan and AS
Bopanna at 12.30 pm.Mukesh Singh is one of the four men ordered to be executed
on February 1 for the rape and murder of a 23-year-old paramedic on a cold
December night in 2012.HT
'Goes to Both Sides': CJI’s Retort on Opposition After Kapil Sibal's
Poser on Political PILs
New Delhi: Chief Justice of India SA Bobde on Monday remarked that he is
conscious that opposition parties are also using the forum of the apex
court.Asked to consider whether those from political parties should be allowed
to file PILs, the CJI remarked: "We are quite conscious that opposition
parties are also using the forum of this court. It goes to both sides."The
comment was directed at senior lawyer Kapil Sibal, who was appearing for the
West Bengal government in a petition moved against 'political killings' in the
state.The petition was filed by BJP leader and senior advocate Gaurav Bhatia,
who was subsequently appearing for the family members of BJP worker Dulal Kumar.news18
Delhi Election: BJP's New Plan To Turn Shaheen Bagh Protest Into Delhi
Poll Weapon
New Delhi: BJP, facing unrelenting anger against the citizenship law,
has decided to make the most of the difficult situation and hinge its Delhi
election campaign on the Shaheen Bagh protest, sources said today. Shaheen
Bagh, where hundreds of women and children have spent freezing nights in a show
of protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act, may just turn out to be what
BJP was looking for.Union Home Minister Amit Shah is in charge of the BJP's
campaign to oust AAP in Delhi.Sources say top BJP leaders feel the party can
succeed in isolating AAP and also cutting down Congress with a new
"Shaheen Bagh" blitz."With the Shaheen Bagh Mein Kaun Kidhar
(who stands where on Shaheen Bagh) campaign, we will corner AAP and Congress
and urge them to spell out their stand," said a BJP leader.ndtv
Using Shaheen Bagh Protest for Politics, They'll Clear the Road Day
After Polls: Kejriwal Slams BJP
New Delhi: Accusing the BJP of playing "dirty politics" over
the issue of road blockades, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said saffron
party does not want to open Shaheen Bagh at Kalindi Kunj where protests against
CAA are taking place.Kejriwal said that law and order in the national capital
entirely lies with the Centre and "if they are saying that they need
permission from me, I am giving them permission, open the road in one
hour"."I can give you this in writing, the BJP does not want to open
the route in Shaheen Bagh. Shaheen Bagh route will remain closed till February
8 (election day) and it will open on February 9," he said.Kejriwal alleged
that the BJP just knows how to do "dirty politics over everything". "BJP
leaders should immediately visit Shaheen Bagh, talk and get the road
re-opened," he said.Meanwhile, campaigning for BJP candidate in Babarpur
constituency, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said voting for the saffron party
in Delhi polls will prevent "thousands of incidents like Shaheen
Bagh."Shah attacked the opposition leaders including AAP supremo Arvind
Kejriwal and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on various issues and asserted that
only Prime Minister Narendra Modi can ensure safety and security of the
country."Your vote to BJP candidate will make Delhi and the country safe
and prevent thousands of incidents like Shaheen Bagh."news18
Delhi Elections: ‘Please don’t backtrack later’, says Kejriwal on Amit
Shah’s development promise
On Feb 8, EVM buttons will be pressed 'with love' in Delhi, Prashant
Kishor tells Amit Shah
In a light-hearted jibe at
political leaders in Delhi, JDU leader Prashant
Kishor on Monday urged the public to vote 'with love' in the upcoming Delhi
elections."On February 8, the buttons of the EVM will be pressed with
love. Big shocks should be given in small doses, so that brotherhood and
solidarity are not endangered. Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity,"
Kishor's tweet, roughly translated in English from Hindi, reads.Kishor's tweet
can be seen as a response to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's comment, on
Sunday, in which he called upon the people to vote in favour of BJP during the
Delhi elections with such force that protesters at Shaheen Bagh "feel the
current".Earlier yesterday, Kishor hit out at BJP without mentioning its
name by saying, "Some people are thinking the CAA and NRC will create a
mood in their favour in the country. It will become clear after the results of
the Delhi assembly polls."ANI
First RSS ‘Army’ school to begin from April in UP
The first 'Army' school run by RSS will begin classes in April this year
in Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh.'Army' school, known as Rajju Bhaiya Sainik
Vidya Mandir (RBSVM), is a first of its kind school to be run by RSS. Rajju
Bhaiyya was a former RSS chief.According to a senior RSS functionary, school
building is almost ready and school has started inviting applications for the
first batch of 160 students for Class 6."We will prepare students for
NDA,Naval Academy and technical examination of Indian Army. Registration will
continue till Feb. 23. Entrance test will be held on March 1. We will examine
students' abilities in reasoning, general knowledge, Mathematics and English.
After the written examination, there will be interview and then a medical test.
We will start the session from April 6," said RBSVM director Colonel Shiv
Pratap Singh.Eight seats will be reserved for the children of personnel killed
in battle. The wards of the martyrs will also get some age relaxation. There
would be no other reservation in the school and it would follow CBSE
pattern.IANS
Muslim personal law board moves SC against PIL seeking ban on polygamy,
halala
All India Muslim Personal Law Board on Monday filed a petition in the
Supreme Court opposing a public interest litigation plea challenging the
validity of the practices of nikah halala and polygamy in the Muslim community,
reported Live Law. The board urged the court to include it as a party in the
matter. PIL plea was filed by BJP leader Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay.The board said
the Supreme Court had dismissed similar petitions in 1997. It added that
petitions challenging a religious practice cannot be filed by a person who is
not a part of that particular religion. “That personal laws do not derive their
validity on the ground that they have been passed or made by a legislature or
by other competent authority,” read the board’s petition. “The fundamental
source of personal laws are their respective scriptural texts.”The board argued
that validity of Muslim laws cannot be tested as “the Mohammedan law is founded
essentially on the holy Quran and the Hadith of the Prophet Mohammed and thus
it cannot fall within purview of expression ‘laws in force’ as mentioned in
Article 13 of the Constitution”.scroll
Centre Signs Tripartite Peace Accord with Bodo Militants; Anxiety among
Non-Bodos
Guwahati:Amid 12-hour shutdown call in BTAD (Bodoland Territorial Area
District) area by five non-Bodo organizations demanding their rights in
Bodoland area, the central government signed Bodo Peace accord with Bodo
representatives on Monday to end the arms struggles in BTAD.A tripartite
agreement has been signed between central government, state government and Bodo
representatives. Besides Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Assam Chief Minister
Sarbananda Sonowal, Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, BTAD Chief
Hagrama Mahilary, All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) president Pramod Boro and on
behalf of NDFB (National Democratic Front of Bodoland) Gobinda Basumatary
signed the accord.After signing the accord, Home Minister Amit Shah said, this
accord will solve the long standing Bodo problems.It is to be noted here that a
specially constituted division bench of the Gauhati High Court on Friday
granted interim bail to NDFB chief Ranjan Daimary to facilitate in signing the
Bodo peace accord. A special CBI court on 30 January 2019 had awarded life
imprisonment to him and nine other NDFB militants for their involvement in the
serial blasts in Guwahati, Bongaigaon and Kokrajhar in Assam on 30 October 2008
that claimed the lives of 88 people and left 540 people injured.NDFB (S)
chairman B. Saoraigra, general secretary B.R. Ferenga and senior members B.
Batha and G. Bidai had been camping in Delhi to finalize the peace talk on
proposed memorandum of settlement (MoS) which was inked today. To pave the way
for forwarding peace process with governments, a few hundred of NDFB militants
surrendered in Guwahati on Thursday along with 644 militants of several other
militant outfits of the state.indiatomorrow
Govt signs peace accord with Bodo militant group, Amit Shah says golden
future awaits Assam
Non-Bodo
organisations hold 12-hour bandh in Assam to protest signing of peace accord
4 blasts rock Assam on Republic Day
Four blasts rocked Assam on Sunday as the nation was celebrating its
71st Republic Day, officials said, adding there were no injuries.3 of the
explosions took place in Dibrugarh district and one in Charaideo.Chief Minister
Sarbananda Sonowal described the incident as a "cowardly attempt to create
terror on a sacred day".IANS
Sharad Pawar backs tribals for UN recognition as indigenous Indian
people
Indore :NCP chief Sharad Pawar has supported the tribal community’s
demand for a UN declaration recognising them as indigenous people of India. Addressing
first conference on the Constitutional rights of indigenous people of Central
India in Indore, the former Union minister said tribals are “original residents
as well as masters” of the country.“Tribals are original natives of India.
There is a need for the official recognition from UN in this regard. We support
the demand of the tribal community on this issue. We are duty-bound to make a
bid for it (such declaration from UN),” Pawar said.Calling tribals as the “real
masters”, Pawar said they have the strength to lead the country to right
path.Stating that problems of tribals from Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra are
common, he called for a joint programme for their education, employment and
farming welfare.indianexpress
Coimbatore mosque authorities mull community hall to promote religious
harmony
Taking a cue from a recent heart
whelming incident on communal harmony in Kerala, where a Hindu wedding was held
in a masjid, authorities of a mosque in Coimbatore have planned to build a
community hall on its premises to allow people from other religions to conduct
events there.Hall shall soon be built at the newly inaugurated mosque named
Masjidhul Muhaajireen at Vellalore in Coimbatore. The motive behind such an
initiative was to bring people together, irrespective of their religion, said
those in know.While the construction of the community hall is in the pipeline,
the authorities of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH)-Coimbatore chapter have begun to offer
various community services to people living at the housing unit in
Vellalore.Free tailoring classes for women and tuition classes for school
students are among those services. By roping in a doctor, residents shall be
provided health checkups at affordable costs, they said."The housing unit
in Vellalore has over 2,800 families, of which around 800 are those of Muslims.
Unlike other mosques where women are not permitted inside, we have allocated a
place for women to perform prayers in our mosque which is situated near the
housing unit. Also, people from any religion are free to enter Masjidhul
Muhaajireen," said District Secretary of JIH, MS Sabeer
Ali.newindianexpress
3 Congress-ruled states make Preamble to the Constitution part of school
curriculum
Congress ruled states have taken a step ahead to instill the values of
the constitution in young minds by making it a part of compulsory
education.After Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan have also decided to
make preamble a part of school curriculum.nationalheraldindia
No end to 3 capitals row, Andhra assembly passes resolution to abolish
legislative council
Hyderabad:Andhra Pradesh assembly has passed a resolution to dissolve
the state Legislative Council. The resolution was passed in the state assembly
on Monday. The main opposition party in Andhra Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu's TDP
stayed away from the Monday session of the Andhra assembly.The resolution will
now be sent to the Centre for necessary follow-up action.The assembly
resolution came after the Andhra Pradesh Cabinet passed a resolution on Monday
setting in motion the process for abolishing the state Legislative
Council.indiatoday
*WORLD*
Plane crashes in Afghanistan's Ghazni province: Officials
Senior Afghan officials say a plane has crashed in eastern Ghazni
province, but details remained unclear as authorities sought to locate the
aircraft's wreckage in mountainous province. 3 government officials said the
plane was operated by Afghanistan's state-owned airline Ariana Afghan Airlines,
but its acting CEO Mirwais Mirzakwal denied those reports on Monday.
"There has been an airline crash but it does not belong to Ariana because
the two flights managed by Ariana today from Herat to Kabul and Herat to Delhi
are safe," the airline's acting CEO Mirwais Mirzakwal told Reuters news
agency.A senior official in Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's office in Kabul
said that a plane had crashed near Ghazni province and authorities were still
seeking details.Official sources in the province said the plane was en route to
Ghazni from Herat when it crashed.The plane crashed in a territory under
Taliban control, Tolo news reported. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said
they were investigating the crash claims but were unable to comment further.Al
Jazeera's Zein Basravi, reporting from the capital, Kabul, said: "The
spokesman for the governor of Ghazni province has said that according to his
people on the ground, this is was not an Afghan aircraft, so that would suggest
that this is not an Ariana Airlines aircraft as previously was suspected by
many people." "We know that Afghan security forces are at the scene
and reports we are hearing from those eyewitnesses is that all passengers on
board are deceased," he added. "There are no survivors and only the
pilots' bodies are recognisable at this stage and those Afghan soldiers are
saying as far as they are concerned from the wreckage and the bodies of the
pilots that they do not appear to be Afghan."Social media was rife with
suggestions that plane was from state-owned Ariana Afghan Airlines - however
the company said the rumours were "not true".Civil Aviation Authority
of Afghanistan also denied reports that the plane was a commercial flight.aljazeera
3 rockets hit US embassy in Baghdad, America holds Iran-backed militias
responsible
US embassy in Iraq’s capital Baghdad was hit by at least three rockets
late on Sunday night, BBC reported. According to Reuters, at least three people
were injured in attack in the fortified Green Zone. One rocket hit the embassy
cafeteria while two others landed near it. Though no group claimed
responsibility for the attack, the US blamed Iran-backed militias. “We call on
the Government of Iraq to fulfil its obligations to protect our diplomatic
facilities,” CNN quoted US State Department as saying. “The security situation
remains tense and Iranian-backed armed groups remain a threat. So, we remain
vigilant.”Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said such attacks could “drag
Iraq into becoming a battlefield”.scroll
China virus death toll now at 81, oevr 2,700 cases confirmed
China said on Monday that the death toll from a deadly coronavirus
outbreak jumped to 81 as the hard-hit province of Hubei announced 24 new
fatalities and expanded measures to keep people at home during what is usually
the country's biggest holiday season.The total number of confirmed cases
nationwide rose sharply to 2,744, officials said as state media reported the
first death in Hainan province; an 80-year-old woman.A national tally of
verified infections rose by 769, about half of them in Hubei, the National
Health Commission said. It said 461 of those infected were in a serious
condition. China has sealed off Hubei in the country's centre, an unprecedented
operation affecting tens of millions of people which is intended to slow the
transmission of the respiratory virus.aljazeera
Air India keeps Boeing 747 on standby, awaits govt’s decision on
evacuating Indians from Wuhan
New Delhi: An Air India Boeing 747 has been kept on standby for the
evacuation of Indian citizens from Wuhan city of China, the epicentre of novel
coronavirus outbreak, according to the official of the national carrier.The
aircraft is waiting for the Centre's decision regarding the evacuation.
"Air India Boeing 747 is on standby for the evacuation of Indians from
Wuhan (China) due to scare of Coronavirus. Carrier is waiting for the
government the decision," an Air Indian official told ANI on Monday.ANI
Coronavirus: Kerala CM urges Modi to arrange special flight to airlift
stranded Indians from Wuhan
Street children arbitrarily detained, abused in Rwanda: HRW
Street children in Rwanda's capital, Kigali, are being arbitrarily
detained and abused at a holding centre, according to HRW.New York-based rights
group said in a report today that vulnerable minors held in the facility, known
as the Gikondo Transit Centre, were regularly beaten and exposed to overcrowded
and unhygienic conditions. Johnston Busingye, Rwanda's minister of justice,
denied the accusations made in HRW report, describing Gikondo as a
"rehabilitation" centre set up to provide children with skills and
"protection".aljazeera
Syria regime captures 10 Idlib towns in 48 hours, Erdogan opens temp
shelters
Syrian regime has reportedly captured 10 towns and villages in less than
two days in the embattled province of Idlib in the north-west of the country,
marking its most rapid advance in its campaign to recapture the last major opposition
stronghold.The troop and militias belonging to the regime of Syrian dictator
Bashar Al-Assad made the progress after gaining control of M5 highway
connecting the key cities of Damascus and Aleppo over the weekend. They then
blocked the highway, cutting off the supply routes of the opposition forces in
primary town of Khan Al-Sabil and city of Maarat Al-Nu’man.MEMO
Yemen’s Houthis make ‘biggest gains’ against Hadi forces
Forces of National Salvation Govt, which consists of the majority of
Yemen’s armed forces allied with the Houthi movement, have made significant
gains against loyalist forces of Saudi-backed, exiled President Abd Rabbuh
Mansur Hadi. Progress has been made within the triangle consisting of Sanaa,
Marib and Jawf governorates. Following heavy fighting on Friday, Houthi forces
seized the Nehm district, which lies east of the capital Sanaa after fighters
supported by Saudi coalition made a “tactical withdrawal” according to Hadi’s
Defence Minister General M. Ali Al-Maqdishi. International Crisis Group
described the developments as Houthis “making the biggest gains on the
battlefield”. middleeastmonitor
Israel police ban Al-Aqsa Mosque imam for 4 months
Israeli occupation police interrogated Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, Imam of
Al-Aqsa Mosque, for at least four hours, Anadolu reported .Prior to the
interrogation, Sheikh Sabri said: “I have been praying at Al-Aqsa Mosque for 70
years and have been giving sermons for 47 years. It is not acceptable that I am
prevented from entering it.”Sheikh Sabri is the head of Islamic Supreme
Commission in
Jerusalem.middleeastmonitor
Hamas ready to take joint steps with Fatah against deal of the century
Hamas Chief Ismail Haniyeh reiterated his movement’s stance against the
US peace initiative dubbed the “deal of the century”.In a statement, Haniyeh
said: “Palestine is our land and our country and it is the precious jewel of
the Ummah [Islamic nation],” stressing: “It is not subject for bargaining or
sale and purchase.”“Today, we announce clearly our rejection of the conspiracy
known as the deal of the century and we consider it a battle where we will
never be defeated.”middleeastmonitor
Slovenian PM Sarec resigns and seeks early election
Slovenian PM Marjan Sarec said he was sending his resignation to
parliament on Monday and called for an early election, saying his minority
government could not push through important legislation.aljazeera
*views, Articles, FEATURES*
CAA does not carry out the Mahatma’s wishes, it brazenly defies
them:Rajmohan Gandhi
Sharjeel Imam’s Speech Was Wild and Irresponsible, But Was It
‘Sedition’?Apoorvanand
Speeches land Muslim students in trouble, politicians get away:Tariq
Hasan
How would Mahatma Gandhi have reacted to Shaheen Bagh?Harshvardhan
Why India Is Source Of Most Elite Group Of Immigrants In US:Noah Smith,
Bloomberg
Video of Traffic Scuffle Misrepresented to Claim It's CAA Protesters
Squabbling Over Money
SC Employee Reinstated, But Will Gogoi's Confidant Be Held Responsible
for Her Sacking?Prabhjit Singh
BJP Has Done Immense Damage to India, But Also Led to Some Unexpected
Miracles:Avay Shukla
Why Sageer Ahmad’s death should make us rethink our fractured world
order:Shalini Langer
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released
at: 4:58 PM).
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