10 Feb. 2020:
15 Jamadi-2, 1441: Vol: 12, No: 128
*anti-CAA,NRC-NPR stir*
‘Cops hit us in our private parts, some choked’: Several Jamia students in
Al Shifa hospital after police forcefully stop anti-CAA Parliament march
More than 10 students of Jamia Millia University, who participated in an
anti-CAA march towards Parliament, have been admitted to Jamia Health Centre
for injuries in their private parts.The resident doctors at the health centre
said that some of the injuries were so severe that the students had to be
shifted to Al-Shifa hospital."More than 10 woman students have been hit on
their private parts. We have found blunt injuries and some have been hit in a
way that we had to shift them to Al Shifa because injuries are serious in
nature," the doctors said."Some students have also suffered internal
injuries as they have been hit on chest with lathis," they said. India
Today TV has spoken to 2 male students who said that they were also hit on hit
private parts by cops.He was also admitted to emergency for his injuries. A student,
who was being treated at the health centre said that a woman cop removed her
burqa and hit her in private parts with a lathi. "I have been hit on my
private parts by cops with boots. One of the woman cops took off my Burkha and
hit me on my private parts with a lathi," she said.Another student said
that the cops were beating them below the belt so that the camera could not
capture it. "They were pushing us so hard that we got stuck in stampede
four or five times," student said. She added, "There are women who
have been injured in their sensitive parts. I have been hit in the elbow and
abdomen. They are hitting us with lathi below the belt so that it didn`t come
in camera.""Police hit me at my private part with feet. They are
beating ladies, so I came in their rescue, they hit me with a stick at chest
and back and hit me with legs at private part. The doctor has put me in the
emergency," the injured male student said.Another male student admitted at
the Jamia health centre said that he was hit so badly that he fainted twice.
"I was telling them please let us protest, but they were pushing us. We
couldn`t escape as. They were hitting from the below at the private parts. I
fainted twice," he said. As many as 16 protesters were admitted to Al
Shifa Hospital, of which 8 have been sent home. Among these, 5 are women. One
of them is said to be in ICU for "chest and stomach injury and respiratory
problems", but is stated to be stable. Most of the others came in
semi-conscious state.Late on Monday, Jamia VC Najma Akhtar and other officials
visited Al Shifa Hospital to see the injured students.As per the ground
reports, the situation between students and the cops is at a standstill as the
security forces are not letting protesters move forward, and the people are not
going backing off. At least 200 protesters are still near the barricades,
trying to push their way to continue the protest march.The situation in Jamia
became tense after scores of Jamia Millia students and residents of Jamia Nagar
got into a scuffle with police after they were stopped from carrying an
anti-CAA march towards Parliament. The protest call was given by Jamia
Coordination Committee (JCC), an organisation of Jamia students and
alumni.indiatoday/ news18/
indiatomorrow
Delhi anti-CAA stir LIVE: Police push back Jamia protesters after they
breach barricades
Jamia Students injured as police Used Force To Stop Them From Marching
Towards Parliament
Anti-CAA protests in Delhi: Children, senior citizens, college students
among hundreds who marched from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar
New Delhi: Hundreds of protesters, including students and civil society
members, poured onto the streets in central Delhi on Monday protesting against
the CAA and NRC. Protesters, carrying placards and banners of all sizes and
colours, converged at Mandi House around 11 am and started marching towards
Jantar Mantar.A large number of police and paramilitary personnel walked along
with them. "The protesters do not have permission to take out a march, but
as long as they maintain peace, we do not have a problem," a police
official said.The protesters, however, claimed that they had permission and
would march till Jantar Mantar.Children as young as 10, senior citizens, civil
society members and university students filled the streets and ran the length
of central Delhi, shouting anti-CAA and anti-government slogans. They carried
the photographs of freedom fighters Bhagat Singh and Chandrasekhar Azad and
social reformer Savitribai Phule, and demanded that the government revoke the
"black law".The wife of Dr Kafeel Khan, who was in September
acquitted of all negligence and corruption charges in Gorakhpur BRD Hospital
tragedy, and brother of Sharjeel Imam, arrested on sedition charges, also
participated in the march taken out under the banner of Welfare Party of
India.Siraj Talib, national secretary of WPI, "We are protesting against
the CAA and NRC. We have permission, I have spoken to police and we are
marching towards Jantar Mantar."PTI
Thousands March Towards Parliament in Delhi against CAA-NRC-NPR
Shaheen Bagh closure: There cannot be indefinite protest in common area,
says SC, but refuses to pass any order
The Supreme Court on Monday gently drew the attention of citizens,
mothers and senior citizens agitating against the CAA and NRC)to the
inconvenience caused when protests were held on public thoroughfares for days.A
Bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and K.M. Joseph said protests could not be
carried on indefinitely in a common area. On Friday, Bench indicated that the
court would not be party to any sort of pre-election narrative to garner votes
a day before Assembly polls.The SC, however, refused to pass any interim
directions urgently in PIL filed by advocate Amit Sahni seeking the removal of
Shaheen Bagh protesters.“The protests have been going on for over 50 days, you
can wait. We like to hear the other side (Police),”Justice Kaul said. The court
issued a formal notice to the Delhi Police and listed the case for further
hearing on February 17.The court nudged the protesters about the bother created
for ordinary commuters when protests were held on public roads
indefinitely.“There cannot be an indefinite protest in a common area. You have
to find an area for protests. If protests are held everywhere, what will
happen?” Justice Kaul asked advocate Mehmood Pracha, appearing for Bhim Army
chief Chandrashekhar Azad.When Pracha submitted that there should be a
“balancing of rights”, Justice Kaul said “this is not about any balancing of
rights”. Justice Joseph asked, “Can you block a public road?”thehindu
Why have Delhi and UP police blocked alternative routes around Shaheen
Bagh?
Scroll.in mapped the area and found the police had placed barricades at
5 places.Scroll.in mapped the roads in the area and found that the public
inconvenience was not merely because of the closure of GD Birla Marg. Two
alternative routes that could have been used by commuters have been barricaded
by Delhi and Uttar Pradesh police.Delhi police officials did not explain why
they had barricaded the entry to the alternative routes and said it was “just a
security measure”. Asked about the inconvenience this was causing commuters,
DCP for South East Delhi, Rajendra Prasad Meena, said: “Cordoning off is not
the issue, it is the protestors that are on the road [who are]. We are
facilitating vehicles coming from one point and directing them to alternate
routes.”Uttar Pradesh police, on the other hand, passed the buck on to the
Delhi police for erecting barricades blocking the entry of commuters from Noida
into Delhi.“Delhi Police on one side have blocked [the road] and that is why we
had to block [it] from our end to direct Noida commuters,” said Rajesh S, DCP
for traffic in Noida. “There is no point in us blocking it.”scroll
Shaheen Bagh infant death: ‘Was a 4-month-old there to protest?’ asks an
incensed Supreme Court
The Supreme Court on Monday took suo motu cognisance of the death of an
infant at Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh –epicentre of nationwide protests against CAA,
and NRC – and issued notices to Centre and Delhi government, reported Live Law.
The matter was heard by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde, and Justices BR Gavai
and Surya Kant. As the proceedings began, lawyer Shahrukh Alam sought to
intervene in the matter on behalf of some of the mothers at the Shaheen Bagh
demonstration, Bar and Bench reported. She said children were being bullied in
schools because of their religion, and pointed out that India had ratified the
United Nations convention on children’s right to protest. “A child has died!
Was a four-month-old child there to protest?” Bobde asked in response.scroll
Anti-CAA protests: NHRC notice to UP govt, police on Priyanka’s
complaint
New Delhi: NHRC has issued notices to the Uttar Pradesh government and
the police on Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s complaint of
police brutality during anti-CAA demonstrations.NHRC issued notices to the
Chief Secretary of UP government and the DGP on January 29, giving them six
weeks to respond to the complaint given by the Congress delegation, including
Ms. Vadra, who visited it on January 27. According to the proceedings, the
Congress delegation asked for an enquiry into the police action.“It is
mentioned in communication [Congress complaint] that state of Uttar Pradesh has
been at the centre of the movement against the alleged unconstitutional premise
and implementation of CAA and NRC,” NHRC observed.Citing media reports,
accounts of party workers and activists and interactions of the leaders with
victims’ families, the Congress delegation alleged police brutality in
addressing the law and order.“The Commission finds it appropriate to direct
issuance of notices to Chief Secretary and the DGP, Uttar Pradesh, calling for
a detailed and specific report within six weeks on the allegations mentioned in
the complaint. Looking into the gravity and sensitivity of the matter, the
Commission expects that the requisite report shall be sent by the authorities
within the stipulated time, without any delay,” NHRC observed.thehindu
Fraternity of Sikh-Muslim Will Be Remembered: Bindra Who Sold Flat for
Langer at Shaheen Bagh
NEW DELHI:“Waheguru has asked me to come in here and start the langar,”
says advocate DS Bindra who practises law at the Karkardooma court and is now a
prominent presence at Shaheen Bagh. His langar service on the lines of the free
food service by the Sikh community is continuing at the protest site for many
days now, and he is doing his best to help the sit-in protesters here.Initially
he didn’t think the sit-in protests would continue for very many days. Now, he
is short of funds to organize the langar on a daily basis for longer periods.
He would not leave this half-way, and decided to sell one of his flats to raise
money for continuation of the langarl’.About a hundred metres away from the
protest site, under the foot over-bridge at 13A Road, Bindra with his wife and
son runs the free food distribution programme. While anti-CAA protest in
Shaheen Bagh has received tremendous support from across the country and members
from different communities kept coming to the site to demonstrate their
solidarity with the protesters, the langar service is seeing many men and women
lining up under the over-bridge every day. Recently, a group of Sikh farmers
from Punjab came to participate in the ongoing protest sit-in.An
advocate-turned social worker, Bindra believes that a particular community is
being targeted by BJP govt at the Centre. “Muslims are being humiliated and
downgraded more, in comparison to the members of other communities,” said
Bindra, extending his support to the sit-in protest.Caravan Daily
At Deoband anti-CAA protest, women say no support from Darul Uloom,
political parties
At an Eidgah in Deoband, a few hundred metres from Darul Uloom seminary,
a group of women have come together to create their version of Shaheen Bagh
protest against the CAA and NRC. Local women, most of them Muslims, have been
gathering at Eidgah since January 27. They call this Deoband Satyagrah and say
the Shaheen Bagh protest is their “icon”. The venue has photographs of several
freedom fighters, but no religious symbol. The gathering of about 200 women
around noon swells to nearly a thousand as the evening approaches. The district
administration has sent notices to the protesters, accusing them of encouraging
seditious behaviour and disrupting peace, but they have not budged. The
protesters complain that neither local political forces nor Darul Uloom has
lent any support to citizen-driven protest. The women say two senior clerics of
Darul Uloom were part of a committee formed by the district administration to
mediate with the protesters, but they had not come to meet the women.Iram
Usmani, one of the leaders of the protest, says, “If Darul Uloom asks us to go
home and takes the responsibility of getting CAA, NPR and NRC repealed, we will
leave happily.”indianexpress
Allahabad HC Dismisses Plea Against Notices to Anti-CAA Protesters
Lucknow: Allahabad high court on Monday dismissed a petition challenging
recovery notices served on anti-CAA protesters for alleged damage to public property.The
Lucknow bench of the high court said such matters are already sub judice before
the Supreme Court so there was no occasion to file the instant petition
here.The order was given by a division bench of Justice Pankaj Kumar Jaiswal
and Justice Karunesh Singh Pawar on the writ petition filed by a protester,
Mohammad Kaleem. The petitioner had challenged a notice issued by UP government
for the recovery of damages allegedly caused to public property during a recent
protest in the city against the CAA.PTI
FIR lodged against 21 anti-CAA protesters at Lucknow
Lucknow: 21 persons, half of them women, have been booked for alleged
rioting and assault during a protest against CAA at Lucknow’s Hussainabad
Clocktower.A FIR was registered by the Uttar Pradesh Police against 21 persons
and hundreds of unidentified persons for allegedly raising “provocative”
slogans and holding up traffic during the ‘Lucknow chalo’ event at the protest
site on Sunday.Several activists had given the call for the ‘Lucknow chalo’
rally and asked people from outside to attend the protests, which have been
going on since January 17.Among those named in the FIR are advocate Mohammad
Shoaib, who heads the civil rights group Rihai Manch, Congress worker Sadaf
Jafar and Dalit leader P. C. Kureel.thehindu
Tension in Kanpur as police 'tries to remove' anti-CAA protesters from
park
Kanpur: Tension prevailed here after police allegedly tried to remove
anti-CAA protesters forcibly from Mohamed Ali Park in the Chamanganj area in
the wee hours on Monday.Continuing their stir, the protesters has accused
police of resorting to a lathicharge.ADM Vivek Srivastava said the protesters
had agreed to end their agitation on Saturday after assurance by the district
administration that cases against them will be withdrawn.However, many stayed
back despite ending their stir after reciting the national anthem with the DM, ADM
added.PTI
UP police crushing anti-CAA protest in Aligarh: Sumaiyaa
Lucknow:Noted Urdu poet Munnawar Rana's daughter Sumaiyaa has alleged
police high-handedness in "crushing the anti-CAA protest" at Eidgah
here. Addressing women protesters who have been agitating against the new
citizenship law since the past 22 days, she said on Saturday, "We are
holding all-women protest which is totally peaceful and is our democratic
right."But as we have seen in Lucknow, the Uttar Pradesh Police is using
coercive measures to crush our protest. Even women washrooms were blocked in
Lucknow where protestors were sitting, to break the protest," Sumaiyaa,
who was accompanied by student leaders from the Aligarh Muslim University,
said.indiatoday
BJP MP Satish Gautam Asks Social Activist Sumaiya Rana to 'Go to
Pakistan'
Aligarh: In a provocative remark, BJP MP Satish Gautam said social
activist Sumaiya Rana, daughter of leading Urdu poet Munawwar Rana, should “go
to Pakistan” since she is feeling suffocated in today’s India.The Aligarh MP
made the remark while talking to reporters on Sunday. Sumaiya, while addressing
a gathering of anti-CAA protesters in Aligarh on Saturday, accused the Uttar
Pradesh police of using “coercive measures” to crush protests against the
amended citizenship law and said such measures are “very suffocating” for the
people.“Sumaiya should go to Pakistan since she is feeling suffocated in
today’s India,” Gautam said.PTI
Madhu Kishwar, Giriraj circulate fake video claiming Muslim
impersonating Sikh during anti-CAA protests
A fake video of policemen apprehending a man and removing his turban has
been circulating on social media in the context of anti-CAA protests. Madhu
Purnima Kishwar and Union Minister Giriraj Singh and many right-wing social
media handles have shared it claiming the guy pictured is a Muslim in a Sikh
turban. They have claimed that the man was a Muslim impersonating as a member
of the Sikh community. “Muslim are wearing turbans during anti-CAA protest to
falsely portray that Sikhs are protesting. Be careful, some Muslim of our
country have stooped so low we have to stay careful. They can disguise
themselves and do anything wrong. Be careful,” reads the text.
Hyderabad: CAA Protesters Allege Ill-Treatment by Police, Journalist
Also Detained
Protesters detained by the Hyderabad police on Saturday night during a
flash demonstration against the CAA said that the police ill-treated, forcing
them to spend the night in cold.According to reports, 10 women, 18 men –
including two minors and a journalist, were detained near Mallepally area of
the city by the police. Those arrested, including the women, were kept at
Central Crime Station (CCS). They were made to spend the night in the cold on
the floor at the entrance of the building.On Twitter,Majlis Bachao Tehreek
(MBT) spokesperson Amjed Ullah Khan posted photos of the youth, sitting on the
stairs leading up to the building. He criticised Hyderabad police for their
‘inhumane treatment’ of the protesters. Protesters were released on Sunday,
after being kept in detention for 15 hours. Media reports said that they were
booked for rioting, wrongful restraint, assault or criminal force to deter
public servant from discharge of his duty and disobedience to order promulgated
by public servant.thewire
Bangla border to Lucknow via Gaya: CAA protests aren’t just about CAA
At precisely 5.17 pm on January
30, at a days-old dharna that calls itself “anishchitkaleen indefinite)” even
as it hugs, precariously, the edge of the Gaya-Sasaram highway in Bihar,
participants from village Sherghati Hamzapur lit candles and observed a
two-minute silence.The flickering lights and the sudden hush in the winter dusk
were a mark of respect for the Father of the Nation, assassinated by Nathuram
Godse 72 years ago.The banner behind a small table that doubled as a stage bore
portraits of Gandhi, Ambedkar and Maulana Azad. Miniature Tricolour flags
fluttered overhead, and posters said No CAA, No NRC, No NPR. Another poster
bore a more fundamental assertion: “we will be buried in the land we were born
in.” And a touch of the apocalyptic: “if we win we win our homeland, if we lose
we lose everything.”Yet, more insistently than apocalypse or Shaheen Bagh, the
protesters of Sherghati Hamzapur invoked India’s Constitution.“We believe that
Articles 14, 15 and 21 are violated by the (citizenship amendment) law. If you are
giving someone citizenship, we have no problem, but you are playing with
Article 15,” said Masroor Alam, referring to the constitutional right against
discrimination on grounds of religion.At Kolkata’s Park Circus, many emphasise
that the maidan hosts both the namaz and the pooja pandal. Posters and banners
frame signs and symbols of the Constitution and the founding fathers, not any
political party or religion. A banner spells it out at Park Circus politely:
“Kindly leave your party affiliation and banner outside the gate. Thank
you.”Across dharnas, there is a notable presence of women, many with children
who run around and play or read their schoolbooks — some recite a poem in the
break between speeches. Many women say they have not stepped out of home to
participate in a public protest before this.But most of all, similarity across anti-CAA-NRC-NPR
protests is that they are not simply about CAA, NRC or NPR.indianexpress
Assam plans survey to identify indigenous Muslim population
Assam is likely to conduct an exercise to identify the state's
indigenous Muslim population and segregate them from Bangladeshi origin people,
even as doubts over the accuracy of NRC are yet to be addressed.As per the
plans, the survey will be conducted to identify people of four communities --
Goria, Moria, Desi and Jolah of the tea tribes, considered as indigenous.Assam
Welfare of Minorities Minister Ranjit Dutta has convened a meeting on Tuesday
with various organisations of the four communities and other stakeholders to
finalise the plan."Assam has about 1.3 crore Muslims population, of which
around 90 lakh are of Bangladeshi origin. The remaining 40 lakh are from
different tribes and they need to be identified," Assam Minority
Development Board Chairman Muminul Aowal told PTI.PTI
To respect unity, integrity of country key fundamental duty: Ex-CJI
Ranjan Gogoi on CAA protests
Gandhinagar:Underlining that respecting the unity and integrity of the
country is perhaps the "most important fundamental duty", former CJI
Ranjan Gogoi on Monday said enough protests have been held on new citizenship
law and that people should not create "2 parallel forums" when the
Supreme Court has already seized the matter.Addressing students of GNLU, Ranjan
Gogoi also said that everybody has the right to express views on the CAA, but
"the resolution of the issue must be through Constitutional
means".indiatoday
Why CAA is good? National Commission for Minorities begins drive to
convince Christians
National Commission for Minorities (NCM) has started a massive outreach
programme to convince Christians in India that CAA is a good move that should
be appreciated by community.While protests were raging across the country
against the amended citizenship law, the minorities panel has travelled to
seven states and a Union Territory and met around 100 church leaders over the
past two months, this newspaper has learnt.Sources say the panel has faced
“tough” questions from church leaders, many of whom have already issued
statements against CAA. From ‘equating’ CAA with US President Donald Trump’s
travel ban on people of certain countries (mostly Muslim) entering the US to
‘reminding’ Christians that India is yet to ratify 1951 Refugee Convention, NCM
representative cited several conventions to priests.newindianexpress
Women protest against CAA, NRC, NPR in Bengaluru
A group of women on Monday
started a protest against CAA, NRC, and NPR here near Bilal Masjid.Members of
the transgender community on Sunday had also taken out a march here to express
solidarity with those protesting against CAA, NRC, and NPR.ANI
Mumbai: Cab driver says cop threatened to book him ‘under CAA-NRC’ for
wrong parking
MUMBAI: An Ola cab driver has, in a tweet to the Mumbai police,
complained that a traffic cop had threatened to “book him under CAA-NRC and
throw him out of India” following an argument over halting his vehicle at a
stand earmarked for kaali-peeli (blackyellow) cabs. The traffic police have
rubbished his claim.This comes days after an Uber driver took a poet,
Bappaditya Sarkar, to Santacruz police station, suspecting he was a “communist
and a danger to the country”. Ola driver Shanawaz Hussain said that he had
halted his cab near Phoenix Mills at Lower Parel last Thursday. Around 4.30pm,
a traffic cop asked him why he had parked his vehicle at a stand meant for
kaali-peeli taxis. “The stand, which can accommodate seven or eight taxis, was
nearly vacant at the time. Also, my cab was not blocking traffic movement,
leaving enough space for other vehicles to move,” said Hussain.TOI
CAA supporters involved in 'molestation' of students at Gargi College:
AIDWA
Left-group AIDWA on Monday alleged that CAA supporters were involved in
the "molestation" of students at the all-women Gargi College during a
cultural festival last week.AIDWA condemned the incident and demanded that the
police take cognisance of the alleged incident and immediately book the
culprits."A group of pro-CAA protestors passed by and broke into the
premises. They scaled the walls of the college to enter it. They were drunk and
shouted Jai Shri Ram slogans. They molested and manhandled the girls," it
said in a statement.It also demanded that the university look into the
"insensitive and irresponsible behaviour" of the college authorities.
AIDWA, along with the Students' Federation of India and Democratic Youth
Federation of India, will protest against the "rampant goondaism by
saffron forces in college and university campuses", it said .Scores of
students of the college on Monday held a protest against the alleged
molestation of students by a group of men who had gatecrashed the cultural
festival on Feb. 6.Delhi Police said it has launched a probe into the incident
and is scanning CCTV footage to gather evidence.PTI
PFI planning to hold anti-CAA, NRC protests at 5000 places, claims intel
report
PFI which has been in news over its alleged involvement in the violence
during the recent protests against CAA has again planned massive protests
though its political wing SDPI, an intelligence report has said. According to
the report that was sent to Ministry of Home Affairs, PFI has chalked out
strategies to organise massive protests against CAA, NRC and NPR at more than
5000 places, along with a door-to-door campaign.Named 'Kaagaz nahi dikhayenge'
(Won't show papers), the campaign is aimed at instigating people and asking
them not to show any papers for the upcoming government exercise for updating
NPR, the report said.Muslim organisations have staged protests at over 2300
places in the past few days. Of these, Kerala so far witnessed 587 incidents,
followed by 221 in West Bengal, 202 in Uttar Pradesh, 221 in Tamil Nadu, 201 in
Maharashtra, 118 in Andhra Pradesh, 105 in Telangana, 100 in Karnataka, 87 in
Rajasthan, 77 in Delhi, 71 in Madhya Pradesh, 48 in Gujarat and 45 in Bihar,
the report added.dnaindia
Goli khaenge par kagaz nahi dikhaenge: Asaduddin Owaisi roars at
anti-CAA rally in Kurnool
Kurnool:AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi once again went on an offensive
against PM Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah over CAA and
NRC.Speaking at an anti-CAA rally in Andhra Pradesh's Kurnool, Asaduddin Owaisi
repeated a popular chant made by critics of NRC exercise-- Kagaz Nahi Dikhaenge
(We will not show papers).However, Owaisi made an addition to the slogan and
said if asked to show papers, he will show his chest to oncoming
bullets.indiatoday
*J&K AND S. ASIA*
Omar Abdullah’s sister moves Supreme Court challenging his detention
under PSA
New Delhi:Days after former J&K CM Omar Abdullah was charged under Public
Safety Act (PSA), his sister Sara Abdullah Pilot on Monday moved the Supreme
Court. The writ petition was mentioned before a Bench led by Justice N.V.
Ramana, which agreed to list it for urgent hearing.In the petition, the
plaintiff invoked Article 32 of the Constitution, as ‘ there is a threat to
life and liberty of Mr. Abdullah’, who was detained without charges from August
5, 2019, the day the Union government announced amendments to Article 370. In a
dossier supporting the slapping of the PSA on him, dated February 3, the
government claimed that he was a “threat to public security because he was
planning activities against Union government” and cited “his popularity and
potential to draw voters to polling booths”.The petition challenged the
government order, saying it conflated the ‘governmental policy’ with the
‘Indian State’, suggesting that any opposition to the former constituted a
threat to the latter.” “This is wholly antithetical to a democratic polity and
undermines the Indian Constitution,” it said. It appealed to the court to
“secure the release” of Abdullah from his “illegal detention”.thehindu
PSA file indicts Omar Abdullah for getting people to vote, refers to
Mehbooba Mufti as ‘Daddy’s girl’
Srinagar :Omar Abdullah’s ability to “convince his electorate to vote in
huge numbers” and Mehbooba Mufti being “referred (to) as ‘Daddy’s girl’ and
‘Kota Rani’” for “her dangerous and insidious machinations and usurping profile
and nature” are among the reasons cited by J&K administration for invoking
the stringent PSA against the two former chief ministers. PSA dossier prepared
by the police on NC leader Omar Abdullah says that “the capacity of the subject
to influence people for any cause can be gauged from the fact that he was able
to convince his electorate to come out and vote in huge numbers even during the
peak of militancy and poll boycotts”.While hailing Centre’s decision to revoke
J&K’s special status under Article 370 as a “historic decision”, the
dossier has accused Abdullah of trying to stoke public anger to trigger violent
protests.indianexpress
J&K HC distances itself from PSA arrests, says not right forum
New Delhi :Dismissing a petition against preventive custody under the
stringent PSA, a single judge bench of the J&K High Court on Friday made
two remarks that are likely to hold implications for the 300-odd such petitions
pending in court — that preventive detention under PSA is “based on suspicion
or anticipation and not on proof” and that “subjective satisfaction” of
detaining authority to detain a person or not “is not open to objective
assessment by a court”.Justice Tashi Rabastan, while dismissing a petition
filed by J&K High Court Bar Association president Mian Qayoom, who is in
custody under PSA, also said that a “court is not a proper forum to scrutinise
the merits of administrative decision to detain a person” and that this matter
“lies within the competence of the Advisory Board”.indianexpress
Hilal Lone latest Jammu & Kashmir politician to be booked under PSA
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir administration Monday booked Hilal Lone, son
of National Conference Lok Sabha member Mohammad Akbar Lone, under PSA, the
latest to be charged under the controversial law in the region.Officials said
Lone, who was put under preventive custody in August last year, was booked
after his case review yielded adverse results.The politician and over 40 other
leaders were booked under section 107, which requires a review every six months
to determine whether a detainee is to remain in custody or be released.theprint
‘Physical attacks, threats, summons’: Kashmir Press Club accuses J&K
Police of harassment
New Delhi :2 days after the J&K police summoned for questioning two
journalists for publishing and circulating a statement of JKLF, Kashmir Press
Club Monday said the “harassment of journalists” is a “damning verdict on the
appalling condition in which media is operating” in the union territory.In a
statement, KPC alleged “physical attacks, threats and summons to journalists”
since August 5 when the former state of Jammu and Kashmir was stripped of its
special status under Article 370 of the Constitution and made into a union territory.
“Viewing media as part of the problem in Kashmir and blaming journalists for
everything wrong is quite misplaced,” the statement read.It further urged the
government to “ensure freedom of speech and expression as guaranteed in the
constitution instead of muzzling the press.” Citing the prolonged Internet
shutdown in the region, the press body said the restrictions put in place and
“forcibly seeking undertakings from news organizations to gain constant
surveillance by police are all tools to ensure only government-promoted version
is heard outside.”On Saturday, Naseer Ahmad Ganai, who works for Outlook
magazine and Haroon Nabi, who works for local news gathering agency CNS, were
called for questioning by J&K police for publishing a statement by the JKLF
which called for a shutdown in the Valley on February 9 and 11.indianexpress
J&K administration offers investors ‘uninterrupted’ Internet, WiFi
access
J&K government is highlighting good quality air and low crime rate
in the newly created Union Territory to attract investors.As per J&K IT
Policy 2020, the administration is offering an incentive to IT companies to
operate in three-shifts and to facilitate women working during the night by
provided transportation and security. At least 15% of “plug and play” premises
in designated IT parks will be reserved for women entrepreneurs, the policy
says. The policy document says J&K contributes only 0.1% of the total
cognisable crimes under the Indian Penal Code.The policy document shared with
investors says that two IT parks with an area of five lakh square feet are
being developed in Jammu and Srinagar which will have “dedicated and
uninterrupted broad band connectivity and wi-fi access.”thehindu
Second batch of foreign diplomats to visit J&K this week
New Delhi :The second batch of foreign delegates will visit Jammu and
Kashmir this week to review the situation following the revocation of the
state’s special status last year, government announced on Monday.In January, a
group of 15 foreign envoys from the US,South Korea, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Fiji,
Maldives, Norway, Philippines, Morocco, Argentina, Peru, Niger, Nigeria, Guyana
and Togo had visited Union Territory.After a security review briefing by 15
Corps commander Lieutenant General KJS Dhillon, the delegation went to a hotel
where they held a series of meetings, MEA had said.indianexpress
‘Glad that India was partitioned… Muslim League wouldn’t have allowed
country to function’: Natwar Singh
New Delhi :“I am glad that India was partitioned” or else the Muslim
League would not have allowed the country to function and there would have been
more “Direct Action Days”, veteran politician K Natwar Singh said on Sunday.The
former foreign minister was speaking at the launch of Rajya Sabha MP MJ Akbar’s
new book “Gandhi’s Hinduism:Struggle Against Jinnah’s Islam”. It was released
by former president Pranab Mukherjee at his residence.“In my view I am glad
India was partitioned. Because if India had not been partitioned we would have
had Direct Action Days — the first we had during Jinnah’s lifetime was on
August 16 (1946) when thousands of Hindus were killed in Kolkata (then
Calcutta), and of course then the retaliation took place in Bihar where
thousands of Muslims were killed.“Also, it could have been impossible for the
simple reason that the Muslim League wouldn’t have allowed the country to
function,” he said.PTI
*OTHERS*
Supreme Court upholds amendments made to nullify own judgment diluting
provisions of SC/ST Act
The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled
Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act of 2018, which nullified its
own controversial March 20, 2018 judgment diluting the stringent provisions of Dalit
protection law.The Supreme Court had itself earlier recalled the March 20
judgment on October 1, 2019 in a review petition filed by the government. It
had said it was wrong on the part of the March 20 judgment to treat all SC/ST
community members as “a liar or crook”. It was against “basic human dignity”.
The March 20 judgment had diluted the original 1989 legislation, saying they
were using its provisions to file false criminal complaints against innocent
persons. Even while reserving the case for judgment, the Bench of Justices Arun
Mishra, Vineet Saran and S. Ravindra Bhat had made it clear that it would
neither upset the October 1 judgment nor dilute the provisions of the
statute.thehindu
Supreme Court upholds constitutional validity of SC & ST Amendment
Act, 2018
Rahul Gandhi: It’s in DNA of BJP-RSS to try and erase reservations
Hitting out at the government over the Supreme Court’s ruling on
reservations in jobs and promotions, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that it
is in “DNA of the BJP and the RSS” to try and erase reservations.“We will not
allow reservation to be done away with, no matter how much Modi Ji or Mohan
Bhagwat dream of it,” Gandhi said while speaking to reporters outside Parliament.“You
have seen that they are arguing (in court) that it (reservation) is not a
fundamental right. So it is their DNA to try and erase it,” Gandhi
said.indianexpress
Sabarimala case: SC upholds referring religious questions to larger
Bench, frames 7 questions of law
A 9-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on Monday upheld the decision
of Sabarimala Review Bench to refer to a larger Bench questions on the ambit
and scope of religious freedom practised by multiple faiths across the
country.9-judge Bench, led by CJI S.A. Bobde, said a Bench engaged in the
review of a particular judgment could indeed refer other questions of law to a
larger Bench. Arguments on merits would be heard from Feb.17.The Bench also
framed seven questions of law which the nine-judge Bench would decide now.
These are:What is the scope and ambit of religious freedom under Article 25 of
the Constitution? What is the interplay between religious freedom and rights of
religious denominations under Article 26 of the Constitution? Whether religious
denominations are subject to fundamental rights? What is the definition of
‘morality’ used in Articles 25 and 26? What is the ambit and scope of judicial
review of Article 25? What is the meaning of the phrase “sections of Hindus
under Article 25 (2)(b)? Whether a person not belonging to a religious group
can question the practices, beliefs of that group in a PIL petition?thehindu
Surveil campuses, monitor their WhatsApp groups, police officials told
after DGP meet
Mumbai :From keeping a watch on universities where people may indulge in
“activities threatening the country’s integrity” to infiltrating their WhatsApp
groups — these are among the many initiatives listed in a note circulated to
top police officers in states after the annual conference of DGPs and IGPs held
in December in Pune and addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Police
officers who attended the conference and who later reviewed the set of
directives said that the objective is to be aware of activities taking place on
university campuses. “Emphasis has been laid at the conference on being in
touch with the student community, to have prior knowledge of any potentially
sensitive situation and prepare for it. We should not be caught in a situation
where someone springs a surprise on us,” said a DGP who attended the
conference, but did not want to be named.Another senior IPS officer said
maintaining a watch on WhatsApp conversations is standard policing
practice.indianexpress
Economy being treated by incompetent doctors, waiting outside ICU:
Chidambaram
New Delhi:Former Union minister P Chidambaram has launched an all-out
attack on the Narendra Modi-led government over the state of the economy,
saying the “patient, which is being treated by incompetent doctors, is waiting
to be pushed into ICU”.The senior Congress leader, who was speaking in the
Rajya Sabha during the Budget Session of Parliament, said, “I say the economy
is not in ICU, but it is waiting to be pushed into the ICU. It is being kept
outside and looked after by incompetent doctors.”Referring to former RBI chief
Raghuram Rajan and former chief economic advisor Arvind Subramanian’s warning
on the economy, he said, “You made sure Raghuram Rajan and Arvind Subramanian
left. Even Arvind Panagariya couldn’t stay longer. You need to get rid of your
doctors but who are your doctors?”indianexpress
2 CRPF personnel killed in gunfight with Maoists in Chhattisgarh, two
injured, say reports
Two personnel of CRPF were killed and two injured in a gunfight with
suspected Maoists in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh on Monday morning, PTI
reported, quoting officials. A Maoist was also killed.The gunfight began around
10.30 am inside a forest in Irapalli village when security forces were out on a
counter-insurgency operation, a senior CRPF official told the news agency. The
personnel belonged to the 204th Commando Battalion for Resolute Action, or
CoBRA.scroll
Bombay HC rejects bail plea of 32-year-old man accused of being IS
recruit
Mumbai :Bombay High Court, in a recent order, rejected the bail
application of a 32-year-old scrap dealer, accused of conspiracy involving IS,
a banned terror organisation. The high court observed that images of firearms
found on his mobile phone formed part of incriminating evidence against him.The
accused, Allah Rakha Mansoori, is a scrap dealer of cars and motorcycles. He
was arrested by the Maharashtra ATS in 2018 for allegedly carrying weapons from
Surat to Mumbai and providing them to a co-accused.According to the police,
Mansoori was also roped in by another accused on the run to provide a vehicle
for terror activities.Mansoori, in his bail plea before the HC, stated that
such images are regularly circulated on messaging applications and search
engines, and can be automatically saved on any device without explicit
permission of the receiver. He added that there is no proof that he has posted
or circulated such images with the intention to instigate or commit any illegal
act or to join the IS.The HC, however, stated that this is incriminating
evidence along with other material as claimed to be found by the
NIA.indianexpress
1993 Mumbai blasts accused nabbed by Gujarat ATS in drug case
Ahmedabad:A prime accused in 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, who is a close
associate of the terror attack’s key conspirator Tiger Memon, was arrested from
the airport in Maharashtra’s capital by Gujarat ATS in a drug seizure case, a
senior official said on Monday.Munaf Halari was arrested from Mumbai
international airport on late Sunday night by a team of Gujarat ATS, he
said.55-year-old, travelling on a Pakistani passport, had arrived from Nairobi
and was supposed to catch a Dubai- bound flight from Mumbai, said ACP(ATS) K.K.
Patel.PTI
UP BJP leader seeks ban on burqa, says Ravana’s sister Surpanakha used
it to hide her face
New Delhi:A BJP leader Monday demanded a ban on burqa, calling it a
security threat and provocatively linking it to demon king Ravana’s sister
Surpanakha. “Burqa should be banned in the country as has been done in several
other countries,” Raghuraj Singh, who holds a rank equivalent to a minister of
state in the Uttar Pradesh government, told reporters.Singh claimed burqa is
not worn in countries like Sri Lanka, China, the US and Canada and said it
should be banned in India as terrorists can take advantage of it. BJP leader
said people are sporting burqas in Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh protest against the new
citizenship law, and added, “The burqa helps terrorists, thieves and anti-socials
elements to hide behind it.” “Burqa is a threat to national security and has to
be banned to crush terrorism,” Singh said.HT
UP: Mosque organises blood donation camp to promote religious equality
A blood donation camp was organised today at the Jama Masjid at Khurram
Nagar Chowki in Lucknow, in a bid to promote religious equality.The masjid
council claimed it was the first time a blood donation camp was held in a
mosque, in Lucknow. Around 100 units of blood were collected and distributed to
government blood banks in the state capital. People from all religions and
faiths turned up in good numbers to donate blood. Several civic groups and
organisations—Aligarh Muslim University Old Boys Association, Adam's Mall,
Association of Muslim Professionals, Insaniyat and Ahsan Foundation, to name a
few—took part in the drive.theweek
*WORLD*
Coronavirus: Over 900 killed in China
WHO has declared a global health emergency over outbreak of a new
coronavirus, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan.At least 908 people
have died in mainland China and 2 deaths have been reported elsewhere - one in
Hong Kong and one in the Philippines. Over 40,600 people have been infected
worldwide, vast majority of them in China.Coronaviruses are a large family of
viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe
diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East
respiratory syndrome (MERS), according to WHO. They circulate in animals and
some can be transmitted between animals and humans. Several known coronaviruses
are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans. Philippines and
Hong Kong have each reported one death. Elsewhere, cases have been confirmed in
Australia, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong,
India, Italy, Japan, Macau Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Russia, Singapore,
South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Taiwan,Thailand, UAE, UK, US and
Vietnam.aljazeera
India’s first coronavirus positive patient is recovering
Kochi :India’s first coronavirus positive patient, currently admitted to
the isolation ward at Thrissur Medical College in Kerala, is on her way to
recovery, a top source within the state health department confirmed Monday.A
swab sample of the patient, sent for testing at the virology institute in
Alappuzha, had come back negative, indicating that the viral infection has worn off. However, the source added that the
same sample has been sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune for a
double-check. This is done in conjunction with the established health
department protocol. For the patient to be discharged, a third swab sample has
to turn up negative, he said. indianexpress
Novel Coronavirus set to close China to the world; In India,
$100-Billion plus China products market tumbles
Novel Coronavirus from China may not have yet impacted life in India,
but it threatens to ruin the livelihood of the country’s tens of thousands of
traders and businessmen, importing products and components to service a
$100-billion plus Indian market for goods made in China. The outbreak of
pandemic coronavirus in China, if continues unabated for long, may severely hit
India’s industry and trade in the coming months as China has become the
country’s single largest import source. China accounts for over 20 per cent of
India’s total non-oil, non-gold imports.Notably, India’s ₹ 1.75 lakh-crore drug
industry is critically dependent on the import of active pharmaceutical
ingredients (APIs) for antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medicines. China’s
coronavirus scare has already hit imports of APIs. As a result, several drug
prices in India’s domestic market have skyrocketed. Paracetamol prices have
gone up from Rs 260 to Rs. 360 per kg. Nimesulide price has more than doubled
to ₹1,100 from ₹ 450. Azithromycin, used for bacterial infections, and
montelukast, for treatment of respiratory infections, have increased by some 30
per cent.nationalheraldindia
Oman stamp declares Jerusalem the capital of Palestine
Oman is honouring Palestine and its capital Jerusalem by issuing
commemorative stamps that read “Al Quds – the Capital of Palestine” as part of
a collaboration with the Arab Permanent Postal Commission.The initiative was
established by the Arab League in 1954 to represents the Arab world’s support
for the Palestinian cause.The stamps launched by Oman Post yesterday feature an
image of the Dome of the Rock Mosque which sits in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound
in Jerusalem and the flag of Palestine, along with a white dove symbolising
peace.Abdulmalik Al Balushi, CEO of Oman Post, said: “Oman has always been a
supporter of the Palestinian cause, and this new stamp not only very
beautifully depicts Dome of the Rock, but also delivers a united message to the
entire world.”middleeastmonitor
Ex-Qatar PM: Non-aggression agreement between GCC and Israel is coming
A non-aggression agreement will be signed between Israel the Gulf
countries in the near future, former Qatar prime minister said in tweets.Sheikh
Hamad Bin Jassim wrote: “Today, not the deal of the century has been announced,
as those who compiled it call it, I must repeat as I have said previously that I
am not against a just peace, and I am not against signing a non-aggression
agreement after reaching clear results in the peace process.”“However, I
followed up on the rejection of the deal in the Arab League, although there are
Arab countries that promised the American side that they would take a positive
position on the deal, but they did not, and justified their actions saying that
they were unable to because of the media.”middleeastmonitor
South Africa: Trump’s ‘peace deal’ resembles the notorious Bantustan
system
South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, compared US President Donald
Trump’s so-called “peace plan” for Palestine to apartheid South Africa’s
Bantustan system.33rd African Union Summit was launched yesterday in the
African body’s headquarters in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, under the
slogan “silencing guns and creating conditions for development in
Africa.”Ramaphosa said: “It brought to mind the chronicled history that we as
South Africans went through. The apartheid regime once imposed the Bantustan
system on the people of South Africa without consulting them and with all the
oppressive elements which that plan had.”middleeastmonitor
Israel sentences Islamic Movement leader Raed Salah to 28 months
An Israeli court on Monday sentenced the head of the outlawed northern
branch of the Islamic Movement, Sheikh Raed Salah, to 28 months in prison for
"inciting to terror" in a series of speeches he made after a
Palestinian attack in July 2017 killed two Israeli policemen at Al-Aqsa Mosque
compound in occupied East Jerusalem.Salah has denounced the charges against him
as false and said following his sentencing that all the proceedings in the case
were "far from the truth."aljazeera
US forces ‘to start withdrawing from 15 bases in Iraq’
US forces have started to withdraw from 15 bases across Iraq according
to a report by Sky News Arabia. France, Germany and Australia have also
submitted requests to the joint special operations command to set up the
withdrawal of their own forces from the country, the chair of the Iraqi
parliamentary defence committee, Badr Al-Ziyadi, is reported to have said by
Bloomberg.“The next government is responsible for setting a timetable, whether
for the exit of foreign forces or presence of military bases in some areas,
especially in Kurdistan region,” added Al-Ziyadi. “There is no movement or
sorties of the coalition forces at the moment.”middleeastmonitor
5 Turkish troops killed in 'intense' Syrian army attack in Idlib
5 Turkish soldiers have been killed in an attack carried out by Syrian
government forces in Syria's northwest, according to the Turkish defence
ministry.A further five troops were wounded in Monday's shelling on a military
base in Idlib province, the last rebel-held stronghold in the war-torn
country.The "regime's intense artillery fire targeted our elements sent as
reinforcement to the region with an aim to prevent clashes in Idlib, ensure our
border security and stop migration and human tragedy", the ministry
said.aljazeera
*views, Articles, FEATURES*
What Shaheen Bagh's anti-CAA protest has achieved:Prabhash K Dutta
Gandhi’s martyrdom was his final sacrifice in his yajna for Hindu-Muslim
amity:Ashish Mehta
How the Constituent Assembly Debated (and Rejected) Citizenship by
Religion:Aditya Chatterjee
Peoples' Unity Will Force Central Govt. To Withdraw Hostile CAA, Asserts
Jamaat Vice-President Engineer Mohammed Salim
India's BJP slammed for 'offensive' tweet on anti-CAA protesters:Bilal
Kuchay
Protest poetry defies conventional barriers, leaves lasting impact in
digital age:Shayoni Mitra
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released
at: 9:33 PM).
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