*29 DEC. 2019: 2 Jamadi-1, 1441: Vol: 12, No: 94
*AA-NRC protests: UP CRACKDOWN*
Every assailant was policeman: Activists accuse UP Police of assaulting Muslims during CAA stir,release videos; compare BJP rule India to Nazi regime
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/every-assailant-was-policeman-activists-accuse-up-police-of-assaulting-muslims-caa-stir-release-videos-1632361-2019-12-29
A team of human rights activists has accused the UP Police of targetting Muslims in the aftermath of protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) that took place in Muzaffarnagar in UP. A civilian fact-finding team, which includes prominent human rights activists like John Dayal, Kavita Krishnan and Harsh Mander, has claimed to have proof that violence during the agitation was incited by the state police and that the Muslims in the area were tortured.A number of videos and pictures shared in a series of tweets and Facebook posts by the activists purportedly show Muslims being targetted by UP Police during protest over contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).In one of tweets, Kavita Krishnan accused UP Police, RAF and PAC of acting as "rioters" in uniform. She posted videos that shows ransacked homes of several Muslims in the region and claimed that UP Police "targeted and trashed their homes". She said "RAF was also involved in this destruction of Muslim homes singled out for being prosperous." The police, PAC and RAF, while doing their "jobs", were shouting: "Muslims will be thrown out of India. Don't damage the floor or walls. After all, all this will one day belong to us," she claimed.Another tweet shows pictures of broken washbasins and vandalized scooter allegedly belonging to a Muslim family. Describing the alleged atrocities, Krishnan claimed that a man was dragged, arrested and then forced to accept that he possessed guns. The activist said that a teenage boy was detained and tortured for two days. A young girl's head was brutally injured when she tried to protect her uncle, she added. Dayal and Kavita further said that UP Police, under the pretext of carrying out flag march, broke anything and everything while barging into the houses belonging to many Muslims. "Not a single plate or cup or shelf has been left whole. There was only a woman with three children at night when the forces stormed in," Krishnan said. Kavita even claimed that some men in plainclothes possessed sharp weapons and vandalised a hostel first set up in 1929. CCTV cameras were smashed and their records were stolen by the "marauding" police, she claimed.It is alleged that many children and the school's principal were hiding inside Begum Naushaba Complex of Shia educational institutions when the police broke open the gates and assaulted them.There were several other schools and hostel which were allegedly attacked by the police. The floor of Saadat hostel and school still had bloodstains, according to activists. Dayal quoted another victim Hamid Hasan who said when the police announced the flag march, streetlights were switched off. "The police were in numbers, in perhaps 40 vehicles.""They smashed Muslim shops before entering Hasan's house. They were brutal. They were abusive. They were relentless. "Go to Pakistan", the men in uniform told the old men with beards,"Dayal alleged. Another account involves the story of Mohd Intessar who lives in Jaswantpuri, Muzaffarnagar. Intessar is a big farmer, a social worker and a community leader. He was not home when over 40 cops raided his house, upturned and smashed his 2 cars, and destroyed everything they could. Dayal narrated an account of a postgraduate who "lies in a shattered room of her grandfather Hasan's house in Jaswantpuri.""Her forehead is bandaged, covering a deep gash caused by a steel rod. In the next bed is her 14-year-old brother, his eyes still terrified, his body bruised. Both were beaten up by the police on 20 Dec. 2019,"Dayal wrote."72-year-old man,richest Muslim on the street with a lumber sawmill, several shops and land in his native village, alleges every assailant was a policeman, all in uniform," he said. Kavita claimed that "not a single Hindu person, or shop, or home has been torched or attacked or harmed". "Instead all we saw were "wanted" notices of poor Muslim boys and men, with rewards announced for information about them or for their capture! And police have themselves acted as the biggest rioters, biggest," she tweeted.Slamming UP CM Yogi Adityanath, human activists posted a picture of Adityanth's tweet where he is condemning "rioters" and saying that they will pay the price of loss done during protests.Kavita even juxtaposed Nazi regime in Germany to BJP rule in India and said: "That's what Nazis and paramilitary did to German Jews. Next step was the concentration camps."India Today
CAA stir: Muslim organisations slam CM Yogi for justifying excesses on protestors
https://www.newindianexpress.com/thesundaystandard/2019/dec/29/caa-stir-cm-yogi-slammed-for-justifying-excesses-on-protestors-2082136.html
New Delhi: UP CM Yogi Adityanath’s justification of police crackdown on “violent protesters” has not gone down well with Muslims, who said no “secular person” would speak like Adityanath who, they said, was setting a bad example for India’s democractic system. Mohammad Jafar, one of the vice-presidents of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, accused Yogi Adityanath of playing “communal politics” over the protests against CAA and NRC. “Adiyanath’s actions are setting a bad example for the country and is responsible for bringing bad name to the country globally. This is a democracy and he cannot boast of silencing demonstrators. Under the name of maintaining law and order, he is defending police firing and violation of human rights. This kind of crackdown cannot be justified,” said Jafar.He said the UP CM “needs to learn from other states” like Maharashtra which are allowing large- scale protests in a peaceful manner.“Adityanath is living in denial if this is his idea of democracy and governance. This is not a matter of Muslims. It is a matter of saving India’s Constitution, but he is trying to convert the situation into a communal riot situation. He will fail and he won’t be able to suppress people from all religions and regions who are trying to save the Constitution.” Jamiat-Ulama president Arshad Madani also condemned the police’s brutality and subsequent justification of the same by CM. Navaid Hamid, head of All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, an umbrella body of 18 Muslim organisations, said Aditynath was doing a disservice to the nation with his militant acts and subsequent justification of the same. “This is state terrorism and against the established norms of governance...His brutality is bringing bad name to India and has become a centre of negative reporting across globe,” said Hamid. newindianexpress
Naqvi demands ‘immediate action’ against Meerut SP who told protesters to ‘go to Pakistan’
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/naqvi-demands-immediate-action-against-meerut-sp-who-told-protestors-to-go-to-pakistan-6189929/
Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi demanded “immediate action” against Meerut SP who was caught on camera asking local residents to “go to Pakistan” during clashes against the new citizenship law. “If it is true that he made that statement in the video, then it is condemnable. Immediate action must be taken against him,” he said.Condemning Meerut incident, Naqvi also termed the alleged police excesses on protesters as “unacceptable”“Violence at any level, be it by police or by a mob, it is unacceptable. It can’t be a part of a democratic country. Police should take care that those who are innocent should not suffer,”he added.indianexpress
‘Not wrong’: UP Deputy CM Maurya on Meerut cop’s ‘go to Pakistan’ remark
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/not-wrong-keshav-prasad-maurya-on-meerut-cops-go-to-pakistan-remark-6189992/
2 days after a video of Meerut (City) SP Akhilesh N Singh asking some protesters against new citizenship law to “go to Pakistan” went viral, UP Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya said the remark was “not wrong” as it was not meant for “all Muslims”.Maurya told ANI, “He did not say it for all Muslims but probably to those who were raising pro-Pakistan slogans while pelting stones. For anyone involved in such activities, SP city’s statement is not wrong.”indianexpress
Yogi Adityanath doing injustice to Muslims to save chair: Akhilesh Yadav
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/yogi-adityanath-doing-injustice-to-muslims-to-save-chair-akhilesh-yadav-2155987
SP President Akhilesh Yadav has accused UP CM Yogi Adityanath of trying to save his chair by doing "injustice" to Muslims in the garb of action taken against people protesting the contentious citizenship law and the NRC.A number of BJP MLAs had staged a sit-in during the recent assembly session after a ruling party lawmaker accused the present regime of harassing him. Yadav said: "CM Yogi Adityanath knows that 200 BJP MLAs had staged a sit-in against him inside the UP Assembly. To save his chair, he is doing injustice on Muslims."PTI
CAA protest: UP police accused of stripping, torturing Maulana Asad Raza in Muzaffarnagar
https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/uttar-pradesh-police-accused-of-stripping-cleric/cid/1731127?ref=top-stories_home-template
Muzaffarnagar:Abedridden Maulana Asad Raza Hussaini, 66, both arms and both legs bandaged, “sobs in his sleep” and refuses to “show his face” to visiting relatives because, his family says, he cannot get over his humiliation by the police who stripped and tortured him in custody.The police also detained and assaulted almost all the maulana’s 100-odd students from Saadat hostel-cum-orphanage in Muzaffarnagar town, many of them minors and most of them orphans, local people said.“The boys were denied access to the toilet at times, and some of them suffered rectal bleeding from the torture,” said Salman Saeed, local Congress politician and son of former MP Saiduzzaman Saeed, who lives nearby.Maulana Asad, teacher at Saadat Madarsa and caretaker of the orphanage, was beaten with a baton and dragged out of the hostel on Dec. 20 afternoon after violence at an anti-citizenship act protest nearby.He has told his family he was kept for over 24 hours in a dark room at the Civil Lines barracks, where he was stripped in the biting cold and beaten.In an adjoining room, the students — aged 14 to 21 — were abused, thrashed with sticks through the night and forced to kneel against the wall, neighbours who spoke to the boys after their release said.Some of the students were forced to chant “Jai Shri Ram”, Saeed said.Maulana Asad, widely respected in western UP, was released on Dec. 21, under pressure from community leaders.“On Saturday night, a cop called us to say the maulana would be released soon and asked us to bring his clothes. We were shocked and could not understand why he needed clothes,” a relative said, asking not to be named because he feared reprisal from police. Telegraphindia
Police will Act if It Receives Complaints, Says Muzaffarnagar SP on Cop Excesses
https://caravandaily.com/police-will-act-if-it-receives-complaints-says-muzaffarnagar-sp-on-cop-excesses/
The police force under Muzaffarnagar SP Satpal Antil's command has unleashed unspeakable brutalities on Muslims in the guise of neutralizing the violent protesters on Dec. 20. Despite a pile of pictorial and video evidence to prove the police brutalities, he denies that the police even touched any innocent after the anti-CAA protests. He claims that he has been shot by armed agitators in the foot, but locals allege that he has shot himself to justify the ruthless police action. When asked that locals say that the police action was unprovoked and that it was brutal, SP said, " If such evidence is available, people should come forward and file cases. I will repeat that if people have evidence, they must resort to legal recourse. We have taken action against all vandals, without discrimination on any ground."caravandaily
Bystander Shot During Police Crackdown on CAA Protest in Rampur Was Denied Medical Aid
https://thewire.in/rights/rampur-up-police-firing-caa-protests
Rampur: On the night of Dec. 20, Faiz Khan took his 14-year-old niece Samia to the hospital for the doctor to look at her, as she had fallen ill. He was with his sister in law, and had driven them there since he was the best driver in the family. Soon, he would be leaving them to go to work in Dubai, in Feb.in the coming year. The next morning, he left house to finish up some of the paperwork remaining for his trip, between 10 and 12 pm. On that morning, a large protest against the CAA was being held on the streets of Rampur. He had not gone for the protest itself, his twin brother Faraz said, adding, “If he was going to the protest, I would have been with him. I was at home at the time.”thewire
Delhi hospitals not giving medical reports, say families of UP men killed in ‘police firing’
https://theprint.in/india/delhi-hospitals-not-giving-medical-reports-say-families-of-up-men-killed-in-police-firing/342207/
New Delhi: Families of 3 men from UP’s Firozabad, who succumbed to injuries in hospitals in Delhi, are yet to receive their medical and post-mortem reports — amid allegations that they were killed in police firing. All 3 men — Mohammed Shafiq, Mohammed Harun and Muqim — allegedly suffered bullet injuries during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act in UP’s Firozabad on 20 Dec. They had been shifted to Safdarjung and AIIMS hospitals in Delhi. While Shafiq and Muqim died at Safdarjung Hospital on 26 Dec. and 23 Dec., respectively, Harun passed away in AIIMS on 25 Dec. Muqim’s uncle, Kallu, alleged that authorities at Safdarjung Hospital delayed his post-mortem by a day-and-a-half. He added that they were also not given any medical report when his body was finally handed over. Showing an image of a “rough report” stored in his phone, he told ThePrint, “All our papers are with the Safdarjung police outpost. I have nothing in my possession.” Sharing a similar story, Harun’s family members alleged that the AIIMS hospital administration delayed his post-mortem for about 18 hours. theprint
In Yogi bastion Gorakhpur, residents say police strictly obeying CM’s ‘revenge’ statement
https://theprint.in/india/in-yogi-bastion-gorakhpur-residents-say-police-strictly-obeying-cms-revenge-statement/342216/
Gorakhpur: Noor Jehan hasn’t eaten properly in a week. Her son, 24-year-old Salahuddin, was arrested by the Gorakhpur police Sunday when he was stepping out of Madina Masjid after afternoon prayers. Even though he was let off Thursday, a sword continues to hang over his head and the 19 others released by the police. They were all arrested.According to the police, men released are still “being investigated” for their role in the anti-CAA protests that took place last Friday.Salahuddin, however, said he had nothing to do with the protest. theprint
‘Crossed all limits’: Priyanka Gandhi skewers UP govt over Congress activist’s arrest
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/priyanka-gandhi-attacks-inhuman-up-govt-tweets-in-support-of-arrested-social-activist/story-od2Sj2crL7OiHiQ2if5iDN.html
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi on Sunday criticised UP Govt for the arrest of social activist Sadaf Jafar on several charges, including rioting, attempted murder and assault on public servants, during the anti-citizenship act protests in Lucknow.Jafar was the only woman among the more than 200 people arrested in Lucknow for the violent protests against the new citizenship law on Dec.19.43-year-old single mother’s bail petition was rejected last week by a court, which said the offences under which she was booked were serious in nature.“UP Govt has crossed all limits of inhumanity. Congress activist Sadaf Jafar is clearly seen in the video asking the police to arrest those spreading the violence. The police have put Sadaf in jail by making baseless allegations,” Gandhi tweeted in Hindi.HT
I was heckled when I enquired where Priyanka Gandhi was heading: Woman police officer
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/i-was-heckled-when-i-inquired-where-priyanka-gandhi-was-heading-woman-police-officer/articleshow/73015907.cms
Lucknow : Woman police official who was fleet in-charge of Priyanka Gandhi's convoy here on Saturday said that she was "heckled" when she went to enquire where Priyanka Gandhi was heading as "she suddenly changed her itinerary".She said that the allegations put forth by Priyanka Gandhi that she was strangulated are "untrue"."I was her fleet in-charge and this is not true. At 4.30 I got information that she will leave the party office for Kaul house. Arrangements were made accordingly and she came out of the party office and convoy proceeded towards the destination. The portion of the front convoy took the turn while she moved straight," said Archana Singh.ANI
Man who gave Priyanka lift on scooter slapped with fine of Rs 6100 by Lucknow police
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/latest-news-and-breaking-today-news-live-updates-29th-Dec.-2019
Congress party worker on whose 2-wheeler Priyanka Gandhi Vadra travelled in Lukcnow on Saturday aftre hre car was blocked by police, has been slapped a fine of Rs 6,100 by Lucknow police for both riders not wearing helmets. Gandhi had travelled on two-wheeler for some distance while going to meet family members of retired IPS officer S.R. Darapuri at Indiranagar in Lucknow.
AMU students to continue peaceful anti-CAA agitation at campus
https://www.hindustantimes.com/education/amu-students-to-continue-peaceful-anti-caa-agitation-at-campus/story-EpDFr7vfMiSiVgved378vN.html
Aligarh:Students of AMU on Sunday said that they would continue holding peaceful anti-CAA agitation at the campus.This was decided at a meeting of the general body of students on Saturday and a “coordination committee” was formed to decide the future course of the ongoing stir against the Citizenship Amendment Act. In a statement, a coordination committee spokesperson said that from Monday students would hold a dharna near Bab-e-Syed gate everyday between 10 am and 4 pm. Meanwhile, Aligarh Police has asked the university to take action against those protesters who are not students but are still active in the ongoing protest.AMU Teachers’ Association (AMUTA) has expressed concern over the decision of RAF to “belatedly” file a FIR on Dec. 23 against 1,000 unidentified AMU students for the violent protest. PTI
*FIR against SHO, 5 other cops for Bijnor death during protests*
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/fir-against-sho-five-other-cops-for-bijnor-death-during-protests-6189436/
Lucknow :An FIR has been lodged against 6 policemen, including the then Station House Officer of Nahtaur police station, Rajesh Singh Solanki, over the death of 20-year-old Mohammad Suleiman in UP’s Bijnor district during the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.Satya Prakash Singh, who replaced Solanki as SHO, said that apart from Solanki, local outpost in-charge Ashish Tomar, constable Mohit Kumar and three other “unidentified” policemen have been named in the FIR filed by Suleiman’s brother Shoaib.Singh said Solanki has now been transferred to DCRB. Bijnor Additional SP (Rural) Vishwajeet Srivastava said Solanki has been transferred from the Nahtaur police station “because he was injured and could not work”.In what was the first admission of firing by the UP Police during the protests, Sanjeev Tyagi, SP, Bijnor, had confirmed on Dec. 23 that Suleiman had died after he was shot by constable Mohit Kumar in “self-defence”.Suleiman, a final-year under-graduate student who was staying with his maternal uncle in Noida to prepare for UPSC exams, had come to Nahtaur since he was down with fever, his family said.indianexpress
*Retired IPS officer Darapuri, held over anti-CAA protests, ‘works on rights issues’*
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/retired-ips-officer-held-over-anti-caa-protests-works-on-rights-issues-6189445/
Lucknow: Retired IPS officer Sarwan Ram Darapuri, 77, who is among more than 200 people arrested by Lucknow police following violence during protests against the new citizenship law, has been working on rights issues since his retirement from the force in 2003, according to his son and others who have worked with him.He also unsuccessfully contested the last two Lok Sabha elections.The police have booked Darapuri, 1972-batch IPS officer, along with 34 others.Darapuri, who is lodged in Lucknow district jail since Dec. 21, comes from Punjab’s Jalandhar district. He retired as IG in UP Police, his last posting being Police Training Centre, Sitapur. His son Ved Kumar, 50, a businessman, said, “he participated in several protests and was detained by the police earlier, but this is the first time he was arrested and sent to jail.”Ved Kumar said the family is worried about his father’s health, as he was not keeping well for the last one week. indianexpress
Immediate action…if party discipline broken: Mayawati suspends BSP MLA for supporting CAA
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/immediate-action-taken-if-party-discipline-broken-mayawati-suspends-bsp-mla-for-supporting-caa-6189838/
Bhopal:BSP supremo Mayawati Sunday suspended party MLA from Madhya Pradesh, Ramabai Parihar for supporting the new Citizenship Amendment Act.MLA from Patharia assembly seat in Damoh district had lauded the amendment saying it was long due and only a leader like PM Narendra Modi could have taken such a decision. Her position was in stark contrast to the party’s stand on the contentious act.In a tweet, Mayawati said Ramabai has been suspended for supporting the CAA and she has been barred from taking part in party activities. “BSP is a disciplined party and if it is broken, immediate action is taken against MP / MLA etc. of the party. In the same order, BSP MLA Ramabai Parihar from Patheria in MP has suspended her from the party for supporting CAA.”indianexpress
OTHER: anti-citizenship act stir*
Law Minister Contradicts Amit Shah, Says NPR Data 'May or May Not be Used' for NRC
https://thewire.in/Govt/ravi-shankar-prasad-npr-nrc-data-caa
Union law and justice minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, in an interview to the Indian Express, said that “entire legal process” will be followed in updating National Population Register (NPR) and the implementation of a nationwide NRC. He also said that there will be consultations with state Govts and feedback will be taken. On documents required for NRC, he said there would be a public declaration after the process starts under Rule 3 and Rule 4 of Citizenship Rules, 2003. He didn’t specify when the NRC process would start.Prasad’s remarks are significant as many states, including BJP ally JDU in Bihar, have also opposed a nation-wide NRC and at least two states have paused the process of updating the NPR. After protests erupted against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) across the country, PM Narendra Modi also claimed that the nationwide NRC isn’t in the works at all.On the question of NPR data being used for NRC, he said: “some may be used or some may not be used”. This comes days after home minister Amit Shah claimed in an interview to news agency ANI that there is no link between NPR and NRC. “There is no link between NRC and NPR, I am clearly stating this today,” Shah had said. Prasad answered many questions regarding CAA, NRC and NPR. He called the CAA “perfectly constitutional and legal”, citing Article 246 of the Indian Constitution which he says empowers the parliament to “make laws in any of the matters enumerated in List 1 of the seventh schedule, and entry 17 of this list talks about citizenship, naturalisation and aliens”.On being asked if it doesn’t violate fundamental rights guaranteed by Article 14 of the Constitution, he responded by saying that the CAA is not related to any Indian at all as it doesn’t give or take away citizenship from anyone, including Muslims. “…persons who have been persecuted because of faith, in 3 countries of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, are being given citizenship in India….These persecuted groups because of the faith form a reasonable group by themselves and this reasonable classification has a nexus with the object of the law,” he said.thewire
*Will consult states before NRC… may or may not use NPR data for it: Law Minister*
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/ravi-shankar-prasad-nrc-npr-consult-states-6189428/
*CAA protests: Tourism worst hit, 7 countries issue travel warnings*
https://www.livemint.com/news/india/caa-protests-tourism-worst-hit-by-protests-7-countries-issue-travel-warnings-11577602257782.html
Mumbai : India's tourism industry has been hit by a wave of violent anti-Govt protests against a new citizenship law that have rocked several cities this month, with at least seven countries issuing travel warnings. Officials estimate about 200,000 domestic and international tourists cancelled or postponed their trip to Taj Mahal in the past two weeks, one of the world's most popular tourist attractions."There has been a 60% decline in visitor footfalls in Dec. this year," said Dinesh Kumar, a police inspector overseeing a special tourist police station near Taj Mahal who has access to visitor data. He said decline was compared to Dec. last year."Indian and foreign tourists have been calling our control rooms to check security. We assure them protection, but many still decide to stay away," said Kumar. Taj Mahal, situated in the town of Agra, attracts over 6.5 million tourists every year, generating nearly $14 million annually from entrance fees. Managers in luxury hotels and guest houses around the Taj Mahal said last minute cancellations during the festive season have further dampened business sentiment at a time when the country's economic growth has slowed to 4.5%, its slowest pace in more than six years.In a bid to clamp down on violence and unrest, authorities have suspended mobile internet services in Agra. "Blocking the internet has affected travel and tourism in Agra by about 50-60%," said Sandeep Arora, president of Agra Tourism Development Foundation that groups over 250 tour operators, hotels and guides.US, Britain, Russia, Israel, Singapore,Canada and Taiwan have issued travel advisories asking their citizens to either refrain from visiting or to exercise caution when visiting regions embroiled in India's protests.Reuters
Economic Slowdown, Thomas Cook Collapse, Post CAA Unrest: Why India's Tourism Industry Has No Reason to Raise a Toast This New Year's Eve
https://www.news18.com/news/india/slowdown-post-caa-unrest-why-tourism-industry-has-no-reason-to-raise-a-toast-this-new-years-eve-2439251.html
*Only those who say Bharat Mata ki jai can stay in India: Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan*
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/only-those-who-say-bharat-mata-ki-jai-can-stay-in-india-dharmendra-pradhan-6189437/
Pune:Amidst continuing protests over new citizenship law and a proposed nationwide NRC, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday said that only those who are ready to say “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” should be allowed to live in India.Addressing the conference of ABVP, student wing of RSS, Pradhan said, “What is challenge before this country today? On one side, this country’s citizenship…to be counted or not? Would Udham Singh’s sacrifice go in vain? Would Bhagat Singh’s sacrifice go in vain? Would Subhash Chandra Bose’s sacrifice go in vain? Did the crores of people who fought for Independence do so that 70 years after Independence, this country would discuss whether we should count our citizens or not?Do we want to make this country to be an inn? Should anyone who comes to this country be allowed to live here? We have to face this challenge. This point has to be made clear. In India, one will have to say Bharat Mata ki Jai. Only those people will be able to live here,”he said.indianexpress
Kerala church opens its doors to Muslims for namaz, while protesting against CAA, NRC
https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/kerala-church-opens-its-doors-muslims-namaz-sends-message-secularism-114953
Picture and short video of hundreds of Muslims offering namaz at a church in Kerala has become a point of discussion online in light of the protests against the CAA passed by the Union Govt. Muslims were taking part in a protest march in Kothamangalam and needed a space to offer their prayers when march ended. St Thomas Church, popularly known as Marthoma Cheriapally in Kothamangalam, opened its doors to the Muslims, says Mathew Kuzhalnadan, state president of All India Professionals Congress that conducted the march against the CAA and NRC.“It was a secular march when thousands of people of all faiths walked towards Kothamangalam. There were also hundreds of Muslims in the march. By the time it concluded it was time for the Muslims to offer their prayers and going to a mosque would have delayed it. So we requested the church authorities to permit the Muslims to do the namaz. They not only permitted it, they also facilitated the prayers,” Mathew says.That has been the practice of the church for centuries, says church priest Father Jose Parathuvayalil. “March was held to strengthen the idea of secularism. And what happened at its culmination sent a great message of secularism,” says Mathew.thenewsminute
BJP to hold pro-CAA rallies across country in Jan
https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/bjp-hold-pro-caa-rallies-across-country-january-114972
Even while many citizen groups, students and political parties are holding agitations all across the country against CAA and NRC - the country’s ruling party, the BJP, is planning on similar gatherings in support of the CAA. BJP has been trying to quell the widespread protests against the anti-CAA protests, not just by taking action against protesters, but also by holding simultaneous gatherings and rallies showing support to the Bill.BJP has planned more nationwide pro-CAA rallies from January 5, to January 15, to 'bring about awareness over this Act'. Pro-CAA campaign was decided upon at a meeting of senior leaders of BJP held earlier this week. Union Home Minister Amit Shah will kick-off the public awareness campaign and BJP Working President JP Nadda along, with 50 senior leaders of the party, will take up the campaign in various cities of India.thenewsminute
Jamia's face of anti-CAA protests, Aysha Renna, heckled for criticising Kerala govt
https://www.theweek.in/news/india/2019/12/29/Jamia-face-of-anti-CAA-protests-Aysha-Renna-heckled-for-criticising-Kerala-govt.html
Aysha Renna, student of Jamia Millia Islamia who became the face of anti-CAA protests for confronting the cops who were beating up her friend, was heckled at a protest meet in Malappuram, Kerala, for criticising the Pinarayi Vijayan Govt.22-year-old History student, while speaking at a protest meet in her hometown Kondotty against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, first called for the release of Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad who has been detained in New Delhi for anti-CAA protests.She then went on to demand the release of the protesters who were detained by Kerala Police during the statewide hartal against the CAA, on Dec. 17. The hartal was called by Welfare Party, SDPI and Dalit Human Rights Movement (DHRM), among others. CPI(M), Congress and Indian Union Muslim League had distanced themselves from the hartal, because of the involvement of SDPI, which is known to have extremist links.“We view all those who try to suppress us as people with the BJP. What we are going to witness is an emergence of Bahujan Muslim politics. I demand the release of Chandrashekhar Azad. I oppose the police action of arresting Chandrashekhar Azad. I also demand the release of those who protested in solidarity with the students of Jamia Milla and were arrested by the Pinarayi Govt” Renna said in her speech.The reference to CM Pinarayi Vijayan, reportedly, irked the audience, some of whom demanded an apology. Though Renna tried to placate them by saying it was her “personal opinion” and that there should be no “internal conflict” among anti-CAA protesters, members of the audience, believed to be DYFI activists, continued to heckle her and shouted slogans against Renna and demanded her apology..theweek
Kerala : In Pinarayi's all-party meet, political parties decide to unite against CAA, BJP boycotts
https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/pinarayis-all-party-meet-political-parties-decide-unite-against-caa-bjp-boycotts-114974
The opposing political fronts in Kerala will come together again to oppose the CAA, decided a meeting of representatives of political, community and social organisations convened by CM Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday. The meeting entrusted CM Pinarayi Vijayan and Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala with the task of planning the future course of action and to decide on the joint protest. It would be decided upon on what all fronts joint protests can be organised.This BJP however boycotted the meeting and called it an illegal one.The meeting also recommended that the Govt move the court against CAA and convene a special session of the Assembly. The CM informed the meeting that this has been under consideration and the Govt has initiated steps for the same.thenewsminute
Historian Irfan Habib says Indian History Congress did not invite Kerala Governor Arif Khan
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/indian-history-congress-did-not-invite-governor-irfan-habib/article30425605.ece?homepage=true
Kannur:Historian Irfan Habib said Indian History Congress (IHC) did not invite Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan and it was the host institution, Kannur University, which invited him and other political leaders.“It is the right of the host institution to invite, however, we would not have thought of him,” the historian said criticising the Governor. He was responding to event that unfolded during the inauguration of 80th session of IHC at the university.He said that delegates were provoked when he started to speak about the Citizenship Amendment Act and denounced Muslims.“Governor was not invited to speak on CAA and the time of IHC is not for wasting,” he said adding that the Governor had the right to speak to an audience of his own.The historian pointed out that the Governor was going into things that were no concern to the IHC. He was asked to address the IHC and not to a political audience, he asserted.Asked if there was a violation of Governor’s protocol, Habib said the protocol did not govern IHC and they had their own constitution. The members of IHC are governed by the Indian Constitution and the IHC’s, he said adding that the Governor’s protocol was false.Habib pointed out that in the past the President, the Vice-President and other eminent people attended the congress without any protocol. Habib was also critical of the Kerala Govt for posting the police at the IHC venue. Habib also accused the police of obstructing him, when they had no business to be on the podium.thehindu
Kerala Governor Supports Citizenship Law At History Event, Kicks Up Row
https://www.ndtv.com/kerala-news/kerala-governor-supports-citizenship-law-at-history-event-kicks-up-row-2155754
Aligarh Society of History and Archaeology says force used on IHC members opposing Guv speech
https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/asha-says-force-used-on-ihc-members-opposing-kerala-guv-speech/1696211
Have a meaningful debate on CAA, NRC, NPR: VP Venkaiah Naidu urges citizens
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/have-a-meaning-debate-on-caa-nrc-npr-vice-president-venkaiah-naidu-urges-citizens/article30425404.ece?homepage=true
Hyderabad:Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday urged the people of the country to have an ‘enlightened, meaningful and constructive discussion and not jump to hasty conclusions’ with regard to the CAA, NRC and NPR.“Citizens should study the issues in depth, and fully understand the background before reacting to any issue. Dissent or disagreement has to be expressed in a constructive, democratic and peaceful manner,” he said here. Naidu said in a mature democracy, there is no place for violence and recalled that Mahatma Gandhi had eschewed violence in all its forms even in the face of most daunting challenges. “While protesting against the British rule, he remained civil even to his adversary. He called off the Non-cooperation Movement after Chauri Chaura incident which had turned violent,” he pointed out.thehindu
‘We have no humanity for Muslims from other countries,’ says BJP’s national secretary Deodhar
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/we-have-no-humanity-for-muslims-from-other-countries-says-bjp-leader/article30425913.ece?homepage=true
Anantapur: BJP national secretary Sunil Deodhar said there will be no humanity shown towards Muslims coming illegally into India even if they are persecuted in the three Islamic countries - Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Deodhar said BJP does not want to turn India into a Dharamshala (Hospice) as all Muslims coming into India from Muslim-majority nations for whatever reasons, were not welcome, and no citizenship would be offered to them. “It is the responsibility of those three nations to take care of their majority population as ‘partition’ of the country happened on the basis of religion. Only minorities in those countries subjected to persecution will be considered for citizenship, which was proposed by the first PM Jawaharlal Nehru, but never became a reality,” the party leader said.Later, speaking at a meeting of intellectuals and party cadre in a function hall, Deodhar thanked UP CM Yogi Adityanath for getting the details of arsonists and recovering money from the people who destroyed public property. Taking a dig at the Congress for opposing the CAA, he said ‘Khilafat’ movement was in the genes of Congress leaders and they were resorting to similar agitations now, he observed.thehindu
Modi Govt Misleading People On CAA, NPR, NRC: Owaisi
https://www.newsnation.in/india/news/modi-govt-misleading-people-on-caa-npr-and-nrc-says-asaduddin-owaisi-249055.html
New Delhi:AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi has accused Modi Govt of misleading people on the issues of Citizenship Act, NPR and NRC. In an exclusive interview with News Nation, Owaisi said that NPR and NRC are 2 sides of the same coin. Asaduddin Owaisi explained his stand on various issues including the violence during the anti-CAA protests and his reasons for opposing NRC and NPR.When asked whether opposing a law passed by the Indian Parliament was right, Owaisi gave the example of Emergency. He said everyone came together to oppose Emergency. He said that CAA was a black law and there was not anything anti-national in protesting against it. newsnation
CAA: Will organise 'massive agitation' if PM comes to inaugurate 'Khelo India' games, Warns AASU
https://www.news18.com/news/india/citizenship-act-protests-live-will-organise-massive-agitation-if-pm-comes-to-inaugurate-khelo-india-games-warns-aasu-2439211.html
As the protests against Citizenship Act continue unabated, All Assam Students' Union (AASU) today said a "massive protest" will be organised if PM Narendra Modi comes to inaugurate the 'Khelo India' games on January 10 in the state capital.Addressing a press conference, AASU leadership said organisation is keeping a "close watch" on the forthcoming T20 match between India and Sri Lanka on January 5 in Guwahati and the 'Khelo India' games scheduled from January 10 to 22. "After the CAA was passed, the PM is likely to visit Assam for the first time. If he visits for the 'Khelo India', there will be a massive protest," AASU President Dipanka Kumar Nath said. Demanding immediate repeal of the contentious citizenship act, AASU chief adviser Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharya said the organisation will observe all the actions of the Govt to deviate peoples' attention from the movement.news18
Committed to keep Assam outside CAA: AGP
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/with-indigenous-people-committed-to-keep-assam-outside-citizenship-act-asom-gana-parishad-2155768
Guwahati: Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), ruling coalition partner in Assam, said the party is with the indigenous people of Assam and is committed to keeping the state outside the purview of the Citizenship Amendment Act.AGP working president Keshab Mahanta asserted that the party also wants safeguards for the local people in addition to clause 6 of Assam Accord that provides constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of Assamese people.AGP has been criticised across the state for its lone MP in the Rajya Sabha Birendra Prasad Baishya voting in favour of the Citizenship Amendment Bill after speaking against it in Parliament.PTI
Those opposing CAA are ‘anti-Dalits’: BJP’s JP Nadda'
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/those-opposing-caa-are-anti-dalits-cong-misleading-minorities-nadda/story-fAGxlsTZhwrbLPZNUeteAO.html
BJP working president J P Nadda today said that opposition parties, which are protesting against the amended citizenship law, are “anti-Dalits” as 70-80 % of the people to be benefited from the legislation are from the community. Dalit leaders who are opposing the law should be exposed, he said, asserting that PM Narendra Modi is the “biggest protector” of the community. Addressing a programme organised by a Dalit group, Nadda accused Congress of spearheading campaign to “mislead” minorities over CAA and stressed that the new law is all about giving citizenship to minorities from three neighbouring countries and not about taking away anyone’s citizenship.Nadda said that “majority of these people are dalit and harijans” and lamented that dalit leaders are opposing the new law.HT
Dalits Told: Don’t Fall for BJP’s Bait, Protest against Discriminatory CAA-NRC
https://caravandaily.com/dalits-told-dont-fall-for-bjps-bait-protest-against-discriminatory-caa-nrc/
Both the PM and RSS have stated in their rallies and programmes, this week, that Dalits are persecuted in countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh while the new citizenship law in India will provide a new relief to them.The ruling BJP has instructed its Scheduled Caste (SC) functionaries and Union ministers to spread awareness about the CAA among the Dalits, to explain how it would help them, in ways as to mollify them. PM has addressed several rallies recently, from Jharkhand to Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan. In all his speeches, he said CAA will work to the advantage of the Dalit community. He declared at a public meeting on Ramlila ground that most of the refugees from Pakistan seeking citizenship in India are Dalits. But, even after Modi’s speech, Dalit organisations continued their shrill protest against CAA.Grandson of Baba Bhimrao Ambedkar, Prakash Ambedkar, who is also leader of socio-political outfit Banchit Bahujan Aghadi (BBA), said that media painted a wrong picture about the ongoing protests that this was a fight between Muslims and Hindus. “It is incorrect to say that CAA will discriminate against Muslims alone. The CAA and NRC will affect the Dalits, Adivasis and the Tribals the most. Together, they constitute around 40% of India’s population. Most of these people don’t have documented proof of their domicile. In fact, this is a fight between the citizenship defined by RSS and the citizenship as enshrined in the Constitution,” he said.Bhim Army, an organisation of Dalits (mostly Jatavs), has been at the forefront of anti-CAA protests in the country, especially in UP. Delhi coordinator of Bhim Army, Kush Ambedkar, says that the CAA and NRC will make life hell for Dalits, as most of them are homeless, roaming labourers. Dr Ratan Lal, Professor of History in Delhi University, is a Dalit and has been an active anti-CAA campaigner. He says that the CAA is against the soul of the Constitution and thus it is against Muslims and Dalits.“Prima facie, this law seems to be against Muslims, but actually this is part of the larger BJP design that aims to target Dalits and the tribals too. It’s a well-thought-out plan to saffronise the Dalits and Tribals,” Dr Lal said.caravandaily
‘BJP won’t decide if we are Indians or not’: SP leader Akhilesh says won’t fill NPR form
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/bjp-won-t-decide-if-we-are-indians-or-not-sp-leader-akhilesh-yadav-says-won-t-fill-npr-form/story-ofPYWz1wnZQidCyXbEesuI.html
Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav said on Sunday he will not fill the form to determine citizenship under NPR as he called out the Centre for overlooking problems hurting the economy.“BJP won’t decide if we are Indians or not. We don’t want NPR. What we want are employment and livelihood. The experts are saying that the economy is in ICU,” Akhilesh said while speaking at an event to welcome students’ union leaders.“Mahatma Gandhi had shown the way in South Africa. He had burned some cards. Here, we will be the first who will not fill the NPR forms. I will not fill any form, now you decide if you would fill nor not,” he said.HT
Jamia admin, Delhi Police spar over CCTV footage of 15 Dec incident; call on giving recording deferred amid request for judicial probe, says varsity proctor
https://www.firstpost.com/india/jamia-administration-delhi-police-spar-over-cctv-footage-of-15-dec-incident-call-on-giving-recording-deferred-amid-request-for-judicial-probe-says-varsity-proctor-7836711.html
New Delhi: CCTV footage of the alleged barging-in of police personnel inside the Jamia Millia Islamia campus on 15 Dec. has emerged as a fresh sore point between the university administration and the police. CCTV recording of the 15 Dec. incident is yet to be procured by the police, who said they need it for investigation. A senior police officer claimed that they had asked the university administration to hand over CCTV footage of 15 Dec. incident, and SHO of Jamia Nagar went to the university to procure it.But the students gathered on the university campus and they did not want that the footage be given to police, he said, adding the administration was also unwilling to hand over the recordings. Officer returned empty-handed, he said. Jamia Millia Chief Proctor Waseem Ahmed Khan said, "When police detained the students of Jamia on Dec. 15, they made us sign a letter wherein it was mentioned that CCTV footage will be provided to police for the investigation. They have asked for the footage and we said that we are thinking about it. A policeman, who was sitting with me, had got up as soon as students arrived."A call on the handing over the footage will be taken later since the university has requested for a judicial probe in the matter from HRD Ministry and NHRC is also looking into the matter, he said.PTI
One Eye ‘Bandaged’, Protesters Depict Police Brutality against Jamia Students
https://caravandaily.com/one-eye-bandaged-protesters-depict-police-brutality-against-jamia-students/
New Delhi: Wearing bandages in one eye to express solidarity with a fellow student who lost his eye in the police crackdown on Dec.15, Jamia Millia students continued their protest, which entered the 17th day on Sunday, supported by student organisations and local residents.Protestor Aslam said this action of bandaging one eye is in solidarity with Mohammad Minhajudin who has lost an eye but still no action has been taken against the police officers responsible and the force which created havoc in campus.The anti-CAA protest has now turned into an anti-NRC protest with students saying this is a step towards NRC. The protest in Shaheen Bagh is continuing day and night with scores of citizen coming to support it, despite the bitter cold.The protests, which start in the morning and end by the evening, have gained momentum since the crackdown in Jamia.IANS
A mini Jantar Mantar? Many prefer to call it ‘Jamia Square’
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/a-mini-jantar-mantar-many-prefer-to-call-it-jamia-square/story-S4Xfc3oJSEE5MBCkbF0tsO.html
Jamia Women Narrate What Happened During Police Crackdown on Students
https://thewire.in/rights/jamia-women-police-crackdown-testimony-report
Delhi Waqf Board sets up helpdesks for people booked during anti-CAA stir
https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/delhi-waqf-board-sets-up-helpdesks-for-people-booked-during-anticaa-stir/1695854
Delhi Waqf Board has set up helpdesks to extend free legal aid to people booked in the city and other states during protests against the amended citizenship law. 3 helpdesks at Waqf Board head office in Daryaganj, Okhla and Jafrabad have been set up at the direction of chairman of the panel Amanatullah Khan.Board member Himal Akhtar will supervise the helpdesks where team of lawyers will be available to provide legal services."These helpdesks will provide free legal aid to innocent people who were tortured and framed in fake cases by the police in different parts of the country,"Akhtar said. He said besides legal aid, Waqf Board will also provide monetary support to people who themselves or their kins are facing "fake" cases and fighting legal battle.PTI
EFLU students in Hyd accuse varsity of stifling protests against CAA quoting a 'no protest rule'
https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/eflu-students-hyd-accuse-varsity-stifling-protests-against-caa-quoting-no-protest-rule
Nandu Parvathy, a PhD scholar at English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) in Hyderabad, held a silent protest against CAA on Dec. 23, in solidarity with thousands of other students across the country who have been protesting against the contentious Act. She held a placard that read “No to NRC,CAA #Civil disobedience”, and stood silently in front of University library. However, in no time, university proctor informed her that she isn’t allowed to carry out any form of protest inside the campus and she was also told by her department to refrain from such activities.thenewsminute
*Amid CAA, NRC fears, rush to apply for birth certificates in Malegaon, other towns*
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/amid-caa-nrc-fears-rush-to-apply-for-birth-certificates-in-malegaon-other-towns-6189442/
Mumbai:Amidst large-scale protests over the CAA and fears of a nationwide NRC, at least four municipalities — Malegaon in Maharashtra, Kolkata, and Surat and Modasa in Gujarat — have reported a rise in applications for birth certificates.Soon after Assam published the final NRC, excluding 19,06,657 people, hundreds of kms away, in Maharashtra town of Malegaon, several prominent mosques circulated a list of 23 essential identity documents and urged locals to ensure that have their papers in place and that they bore no errors.From 2,000 applications for birth certificates received by the Malegaon Municipal Corporation in Aug., figure rose to 12,000 in Sept., 12,500 in Oct.and 12,800 in Nov, records obtained from health department showed. This month alone, as of Dec. 26, Corporation had received 13,000 applications. Malegaon Municipal Commissioner Kishor Borde said that while he could not comment on the reasons for the rise in applications, he admitted that the town’s Muslim residents were putting identification documents together fearing effects of CAA and a nationwide NRC.indianexpress
*Maharashtra: Peaceful dharna against CAA, NRC in Dhule*
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/maharashtra-peaceful-dharna-against-caa-nrc-in-dhule-6189563/
Mumbai :Over 20,000 people cutting across all religions Saturday gathered in Dhule town to hold a peaceful protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and NRC.The demonstration, organised by Jamiat Ulema Dhule, was attended by members of all major political parties. “Protesters carried out a peaceful dharna. We received great cooperation from the organisers and nothing untoward took place,” Dhule SP Vishwas Pandharesaid.Shawwal Ansari, vice-president of Jamiat in Dhule, said protesters handed over a memorandum, addressed to President Ram Nath Kovind, to the tehsildar at the end of the protest.The Jamiat claimed that more than 50,000 people gathered at a 2-km stretch during the protest.indianexpress
*7 detained in Chennai for drawing anti-CAA rangoli on streets, released later*
https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/7-detained-in-chennai-for-drawing-anti-caa-rangoli-on-streets-released-later
Chennai police have detained 5 individuals from the Besant Nagar area on Sunday for drawing rangolis or kolams on the streets to protest against the CAA, NRC and the NPR.The police detained the protesters and took them to the station citing ‘unlawful assembly’. They were kept in a community hall next to the J5 Shastri Nagar police station. According to The News Minute, those detained include four women and one man -Gayathri, Arthi, Kalyani,Pragathi and Madan. Police also detained two advocates who later went to the police station.freepressjournal
*CAA, NRC Part Of Their Agenda For Hindu Rashtra: P. Chidambaram*
https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/india-news-caa-nrc-part-of-their-agenda-for-hindu-rashtra-p-chidambaram/302560
Former home minister P. Chidambaram speaking on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, said, "CAA violates the Constitution of India, specifically Article 14. It is under-inclusive, unequal, discriminatory and opposed to constitutional morality. Hence the opposition from all sections of people. We have posed some questions to those who supported the amendment. I did so in my speech in the Rajya Sabha. We have not got satisfactory answers. Unless those questions are answered to people’s satisfaction, we have to assume Govt does not have good answers. Many eminent scholars and lawyers believe the law will be struck down by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional. That is also my view." He continued, "We are not inciting the Muslims, or any other section, to revolt against the law. The overwhelming majority of protestors are not Muslims; they are Hindus or belong to other non-Islamic faiths. Some are agnostics or atheists. To call the protestors Muslims and accuse others of inciting Muslims reveals BJP’s narrow and closed mind. When CAA is implemented, you will realise it was a carefully designed plan to discriminate against Muslims. The burden will fall heavily on Muslims. The impact of NRC and CAA will be to identify and exclude Muslims. The evil consequences will also fall on others like Tamil Hindus migrating from Sri Lanka and Christians migrating from Bhutan. This is part of agenda of pushing the idea of a Hindu Rashtra."outlookindia
*We the People: Voices from across country on ‘being Indian’*
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/we-the-people-70th-year-of-the-republic-6189759/
New Delhi :Resident, usual resident; citizen, non-citizen; immigrant, illegal immigrant; Muslim, non-Muslim; Kashmiri, non-Kashmiri. In the year 2019, ascendant nationalism made way for narrowing the definitions of who is a national. From Kashmir to Assam, the complex matrix of identities woven over hundred of years of history and geography disintegrated into a jumble of numbers (370, 1971, 19 lakh), while old identities proved strong despite the passage of centuries from Sabarimala to Ayodhya. The contesting figures took the form of protests against the Govt towards the end of the year. This seemed to have a common identity defined by the following characteristics: young, articulate, seeking its rights under the Constitution, and rallying around the Preamble, beginning with the words, ‘We, the people of India’.The Sunday Express reached out to men and women across the Republic, from the uneasy calm of the Kashmir Valley to the angry disquiet of a campus, the desolation of Bastar to the solitude of a rape victim, and the hope for a job next to Millennium City Gurgaon to the longing for a temple in Ayodhya — to find out, in their own words and their own photographs or sketches, what they talk about when they talk about ‘being India’ and ‘being Indian’. What does the Constitution mean in their lives, in letter and spirit? Which rights matter to them the most, at home and beyond, as they enter 2020, 70th year of the Republic.indianexpress
*Married 2 years ago, Pak Muslim woman can’t live with Indian husband due to pending long-term visa; with CAA, her fears multiply*
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/married-2-yrs-ago-pak-woman-cant-live-with-indian-husband-due-to-pending-long-term-visa-6189695/
Ludhiana: 2 YEARS ago, in the winter of 2017, Sidra Rafique (32), a Pashto-speaking woman from Mansehra district in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, had crossed over to India via Wagah. For newly-wed bride and her husband Ramish Aman (28) from Haldwani of Nainital, India’s ex external affairs minister late Sushma Swaraj had played cupid. Responding to Sidra’s request for visa on Twitter in no time, Swaraj wrote, ‘’Sidra –India doesn’t reject visas of its daughters and daughters-in-law. You will surely get a visa…”Married 2 yrs ago, Pak woman can’t live with Indian husband due to pending long-term visa Swaraj’s reply to her tweet in 2017.Sidra and Ramish’s story dates back to 2008. Immediately after Swaraj’s reply to Twitter, the Indian embassy in Pakistan contacted Sidra and her visa was ready within hours.Despite all this, today, Sidra’s life is far from a happy one. Nearly 2 years after her 3-month short term visa granted by Swaraj expired and she applied for a Long Term Visa in Feb.2018, application still remains pending. As a result, Sibra and Ramish cannot live together. The couple says that the amended citizenship law has made them even more wary.indianexpress
*OTHERS*
At Hemant Soren's Oath Ceremony In Jharkhand, A Show Of Opposition Unity
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/hemant-sorens-oath-today-in-jharkhand-at-opposition-unity-event-2155798
Ranchi: Once Jharkhand's youngest CM, Hemant Soren took oath for a second time today at the head of alliance with the Congress and Lalu Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal. The oath ceremony of 11th CM of Jharkhand turned out an opportunity to showcase opposition unity - much like the oath of HD Kumaraswamy in Karnataka in May last year - following the huge majority won by the alliance. Sankalp Diwas (day of resolution) as the event was dubbed, was attended by most opposition leaders.Mr Soren shared stage with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, CPM's Sitaram Yechury, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, DMK's MK Stalin and other opposition leaders as Governor Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office at Ranchi's Morabadi Ground. Congress leaders Alamgir Alam , Rameshwar Oraon and RJD legislator Satyanand Bhokta took oath as ministers."I attended the swearing in ceremony of CM Hemant Soren Ji & ministers from the Congress party in Ranchi today. I'm confident that the new Govt in Jharkhand will work for the benefit of all citizens & usher in an era of peace & prosperity in the state (sic)," Rahul Gandhi tweeted after the event.NCP chief Sharad Pawar, former President Pranab Mukherjee and Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan tweeted congratulatory messages to Mr Soren.ndtv
In first major decision, Soren withdraws all cases against Pathalgarhi activists & CNT-SPT Act protesters
https://www.news18.com/news/politics/hemant-soren-govt-withdraws-all-cases-against-pathalgarhi-activists-those-booked-during-cnt-spt-act-protests-2439371.html
Ranchi: In its first cabinet decision, the Jharkhand Govt on Sunday withdrew all cases registered against tribals involved in Pathalgarhi movement and those who took part in protests after Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act and Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act were amended.The Raghubar Das Govt had hit on the sentiments of the tribals when it amended two land acts — Santhal Pargana Tenancy (SPT) and Chotanagpur Tenancy Act (CNT) — in 2016.The amendments were passed in Assembly apparently without discussion amid uproar by the opposition parties, following which several memorandums were submitted to the governor to not sign the amendments.Jharkhand witnessed large scale protests over the issue as the amendments proposed to acquire land for development projects, which claimed to "protect the land of the tribal people of the state".news18
TV Serial on Sikh Religion: After Delhi Minority Commission's Intervention, Channel Removes Objectionable Parts
http://www.indiatomorrow.net/eng/tv-serial-on-sikh-religion-after-delhi-minority-commissions-intervention-channel-removes-objectionable-parts
New Delhi:Delhi Minorities Commission (DMC) has settled a dispute of the Sikh community with Reliance-owned “Colors TV” over “Choti Sardarni” TV serial which had blasphemous references to the Sikh faith’s Five Kakaars, use of 'Shabads' and misuse of Gurudwara Sahibs in the serial.Under an arbitration settlement arranged by DMC, the Colors TV channel has agreed to remove all these objectionable parts and to insert a disclaimer that the serial is imaginary and it does not depict Sikh faith or life.“Adv. Neena Singh, in her personal capacity and on behalf of Virasat Sikhism Trust and Sikh Sangat, had filed a complaint against the said serial before the Delhi Minority Commission on 17 July 2019. After hearing the arguments of both sides, DMC arranged arbitration of the dispute overseen by Shri Rajinder Singh, head granthi of Gurudwara Rakab Ganj. The two sides finally gave their affidavits and statements accepting the terms of the settlement on 26 Dec,” minority panel head Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan said in a statement on Saturday.Prior to airing the controversial TV serial on Colors TV, the channel’s owners, Viacom18, had telecast promos of the serial on TV and their website last June, wherein an actress playing the role of "Choti Sardarni" was shown as forming her new Five Rules/"Five Kakaars" (Five words beginning with letter "K"), thereby distorting the Sacred Five Kakaars of Shri Guru Gobind Singh Sahib. She was shown as a pregnant bride standing in front of a gurudwara and Guru Nanakji's Mul Mantar "Ik Oankar" playing in the background.India Tomorrow
Powerful Indian lobby in America strengthening narrative against Pakistan: Imran Khan
https://www.theweek.in/news/world/2019/12/29/powerful-indian-lobby-america-strengthening-narrative-against-pakistan-imran-khan.html
Pakistan PM Imran Khan on Saturday said the "powerful" Indian lobby in America was playing a key role in strengthening India's narrative against Pakistan, which was affecting the US policies for his country. Speaking at a meeting of the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA), Khan said, "India's lobby in America right now is far more powerful than Pakistan's. India's point of view always overshadows that of Pakistan and American policies for Pakistan are affected by that viewpoint."The premier asked the APPNA to make efforts to counter the Indian lobby in US.Khan criticised the Indian Govt's stringent curbs on people's movement and communication systems in J&K.Khan further said the international community and human rights organisations were criticising India for its citizenship law.PTI
*J&K to observe Accession Day as public holiday, parties slam new calendar*
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/jk-to-observe-accession-day-as-public-holiday-parties-slam-new-calendar-6189465/
Jammu, Srinagar :In a first, J&K will observe a public holiday on October 26 to mark Accession Day. Maharaja Hari Singh, the last Dogra ruler of the erstwhile princely state of J&K, had signed the Instrument of Accession on this date in 1947. This comes after J&K and Ladakh authorities dropped Martyrs’ Day and birth anniversary of National Conference founder Sheikh Abdullah, on July 13 and Dec. 5, respectively, from its list of gazetted holidays.July 13 and Dec. 5 were public holidays in the state of J&K which has now been made a Union Territory. Martyrs’ Day was observed in the memory of protesters killed in firing by soldiers of Hari Singh on July 13, 1931. Govt’s move has triggered anger in the Valley, with mainstream political parties lashing out at BJP and demanding a review. NC MP Hasnain Masoodi said the decision is “not acceptable”. “Whosoever has taken this decision has done no good to the country and the people of the country. These are two most important events, but if you downplay… and delete the holidays, the message they want to give is that we don’t care for these events,” he said.PDP spokesperson Tahir Sayeed said the “decision reveals the communal and fascist mindset of BJP”.J&K Pradesh Congress Committee demanded a review. “Sheikh sahib has a huge contribution in politics and the aim of BJP is to disregard it…” J&K PCC chief Ghulam Ahmad Mir said.indianexpress
*There are no magic short-term bullets, to fix economy… Budget shouldn’t aim for surprises:Ex-CEA Subramanian*
https://indianexpress.com/article/business/economy/idea-exchange-arvind-subramanian-indian-economy-economic-slowdown-budget-6189262/
In a latest paper published by Harvard University, Subramanian, former chief economic advisor, and Josh Felman, ex IMF resident representative to India, have argued that the economy is facing a “twin balance sheet” problem from bank loans to real estate routed via non-banking financial companies in the post-demonetisation period. This, they warn, would make it difficult to arrest the current slowdown. Earlier, he had concluded that India’s growth had been overestimated by 2.5 percentage points (2011-12 to 2016-17). While official estimates pegged growth at 7%, actual GDP is likely to have been 4.5%, he had said. Subramanian said, "The only way to get a good reading is to look at the indicators. If you just look at the basic numbers, say, on consumption, investment, trade and taxes, they are all either in negative growth territory or barely positive this year. If you look at these numbers from a comparative perspective, it does not resemble even 2002 slowdown. During that slowdown, GDP growth was 4.5, but all the above numbers were actually in the positive to fairly positive growth territory. The current slowdown has greater resemblance to that of 1991. It may not really be so in terms of macro (stability) numbers — foreign exchange is sound, current account is sound and inflation is sound — but in terms of real growth indicators, it (the situation now) resembles much more 1991-92, when we had a growth of 1.1%."
Cold wave: Code red warning issued in Delhi and neighbouring states by Met department
https://scroll.in/latest/948193/cold-wave-code-red-warning-issued-in-delhi-and-neighbouring-states-by-met-department
IMD today issued a red-colour warning for Delhi, and the states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, UP and Bihar, a day after the temperature in the national capital plunged to 2.4 degrees Celsius, Hindustan Times reported. Red is the highest level of warning. The intense cold forced Haryana Govt to order schools to remain closed closed on Monday and Tuesday, PTI reported.On Sunday, the minimum temperature recorded in Delhi was 3.2 degrees Celsius. The weather department has warned of a severe cold wave in many pockets in Delhi, Haryana and Chandigarh, and in some areas in Punjab, UP, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. scroll.in
*WORLD*
Libya: Pro-gov't forces target Haftar's LNA near Tripoli airport
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/12/libyan-army-targets-haftar-forces-tripoli-airport-191229063503666.html
Forces affiliated with UN-recognised Libyan Govt of National Accord (GNA) have launched a new attack on the Libyan National Army (LNA) south of Tripoli.The Libya Observer reported that the forces carried out the offensive on renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar's forces in the vicinity of Tripoli airport on Saturday.The media office of Volcano of Rage Operation said the forces seized several buildings and destroyed tanks and a military vehicle."We made progress today ... the enemy [LNA] has been defeated, they have fled," Ashraf al-Mahjoubi, a fighter for the GNA, said in a video shared by the media office.aljazeera
*Protesters in Turkey denounce Russia over Idlib assault as over 235,000 flee in 2 weeks*
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/12/protesters-turkey-denounce-russia-idlib-assault-191228192355168.html
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered near the Russian consulate in the Turkish city of Istanbul on Saturday to protest the intensifying Russian and Syrian Govt attacks on Syria's last rebel-held province of Idlib.The demonstrators, mostly Syrians living in Turkey, gathered close to the Russian consulate in downtown Istanbul to "show the world that Russia is complicit" in the killing of civilians in Syria's northern Idlib region, according to Mohammed Kreimesh, a protest organiser. "We wanted to also highlight the regime's brutality against civilians and shed light on the humanitarian situation unfolding in Idlib," Kreimesh told Al Jazeera.Protesters in Istanbul, including women with their children, held pictures of victims of the attacks, while some brandished a banner that read: "Russia is killing our people and children and the world is not doing anything.""What does Russia want from us? Kids, wives are dying. People are dying," Syrian demonstrator Ahmed Marwan, 24, told AFP."We aren't terrorists, we are humans. We came to this country to live. Leaving your homeland isn't easy but we live in this pain. Enough already.""We are here to protest this massacre going on in Syria," Turkish protester Gulden Sonmez said.While Turkish police blocked the group from walking to the consulate, located in the busy Istiklal Street, they allowed a small number of demonstrators to unfurl a banner that read: "More than 30,000 children killed by Russia and Assad regime."The latest violence has displaced more than 235,000 people, according to the United Nations, while many civilians have been killed despite international calls for a de-escalation.International Rescue Committee warned on Saturday that conditions in the region are at a "breaking point", adding that the continued violence could displace as many as 400,000 in the coming weeks.aljazeera
Missile attack kills 9 at military parade in Yemen
https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/missile-attack-kills-9-at-military-parade-in-yemens-south/article30426074.ece?homepage=true
Sanaa:A ballistic missile attack ripped through a military parade for a Yemeni southern separatist group that’s backed by UAE, killing at least 6 troops and three children, a spokesman said today.The explosion took place while the separatists, known as Resistance Forces, were wrapping up a parade for new recruits at a soccer field in the capital of Dhale province, said Maged al-Shoebi, a spokesman for the group.The southern separatists are allied with Saudi-led coalition that’s been fighting Yemen’s Houthi rebels. But UAE-backed southerners are currently at odds with Yemen’s internationally recognised Govt, which is more closely allied with Saudi. AP
Saudi sentences Riyadh concert stabber to death
https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/saudi-arabia-sentences-riyadh-concert-stabber-to-death-state-tv/article30426156.ece?homepage=true
A Saudi Arabian court on Sunday sentenced to death a man accused of stabbing three performers at a live show in the capital Riyadh in November, State TV said. Another man on trial for the same incident was sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison, al-Ekhbariya television said. Nov.11 attack occurred at King Abdullah Park, one of several venues hosting a months-long entertainment festival as part of Govt efforts to open up Saudi society and diversify its economy away from oil. The assailant had previously been identified as a 33-year-old Yemeni resident in reports of Ekhbariya.Reuters
Taliban attack kills 17 local fighters in northern Afghanistan
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/12/taliban-attack-kills-17-local-fighters-northern-afghanistan-191229100215464.html
An overnight Taliban attack has killed at least 17 local fighters in Afghanistan's northern Takhar province, local officials said, even as a temporary nationwide ceasefire may be in the works.The attack on Sunday apparently targeted a local militia commander who escaped unharmed, said Jawad Hajri, a spokesman for the governor of Takhar province.Four others were also injured when Taliban fighters attacked the militia base in Lalah Gozar area of Khwaja Bahauddin district, Hajri and a provincial councillor, Rohullah Raufi, told DPA .Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the group's fighters killed 21 gunmen and seized their weapons.aljazeera
Egypt road accidents kill 28 including tourists
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/12/egypt-road-accidents-kill-28-including-tourists-191228195947771.html
At least 28 people have been killed in two separate road crashes in Egypt, according to medical and security sources.The death toll in a collision between a minibus carrying workers and a truck rose to 22 after four people died of injuries sustained in the accident.The collision took place on Saturday in the Suez Canal city of Port Said. The cause of the crash was not immediately clear.Private Egyptian newspaper al-Shorouk reported online that the truck hit the minibus, causing it to flip over. At the time of the crash. the bus was carrying garment factory workers on their way home. A medical source said two Malaysian women and an Indian man were killed along with three Egyptians - a bus driver, a tour guide and a security guard. aljazeera
Nearly 19,000 Children Were Sexually 'Groomed' in UK in the Last Year, New Data Reveals
https://www.news18.com/news/buzz/nearly-19000-children-were-sexually-groomed-in-uk-in-the-last-year-new-data-reveals-2439175.html
As per new official data revealed by authorities in the United Kingdom, nearly 19,000 children were "groomed" for sexual exploitation in the past year in the country. The data has urged the experts to issue warnings for an "epidemic".Between 2018-19, authorities identified 18,700 suspected victims of child sexual exploitation. The number was 3,300 just five years ago. According to anti-sexual exploitation campaigners, the number is far from being the correct figure.The revelation comes in the wake of investigations into several high-profile child sexual harassment cases in England. Rotherham Labour MP Sarah Champion attacked the Govt, accusing it of failing to contain the problem.news18
Cold wave sweeps through Bangladesh, kills 50
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/12/cold-wave-sweeps-bangladesh-kills-50-191229105025585.html
At least 50 people have died in Bangladesh as cold weather continues to sweep across the country, officials have said.The country's lowest temperature this year was recorded at 4.5 degrees Celsius early on Sunday in Tetulia, a border town in Bangladesh's north, weather office said.aljazeera
*views, Articles, FEATURES*
Thank you PM Modi for uniting us against CAA:Waman Meshram, president BAMCEF
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/pm-modi-for-uniting-us-caa-protests-6189303/
The CAA is meant to polarise India as part of the Hindutva enterprise:Kapil Sibal
https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/the-caa-is-meant-to-polarise-india-as-part-of-the-hindutva-enterprise/story-FzyFu7xevUayb2ZlFCULCP.html
The CAA and NRC together will reopen wounds of Partition and turn India into a majoritarian state:Niraja Gopal Jayal, The India Forum
https://scroll.in/article/947458/the-caa-and-nrc-together-will-reopen-wounds-of-partition-and-turn-india-into-a-majoritarian-state
Shayara Bano wouldn’t have to move Supreme Court if she consulted this Rampur madrasa:excerpt from Ziya Us Salam, M. Aslam Parvaiz’s book Madrasas in the Age of Islamophobia
https://theprint.in/pageturner/excerpt/shayara-bano-wouldnt-have-to-move-supreme-court-if-she-consulted-this-rampur-madrasa/341981/
Pushback against bullying:P Chidambaram
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/bjp-cms-assembly-elections-narendra-modi-amit-shah-6189263/
Crack in the hard shell of singly-party majority Govt? Meghnad Desai
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/out-of-my-mind-caa-protests-majority-govt-6189322/
May the coming decade bring real change:Tavleen Singh
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/coming-decade-real-change-pm-modi-promises-indian-economy-6189299/
At the heart of CAA protests, Jama Masjid: Mosque from where one can see the world:Sohail Hashmi
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/jama-masjid-mosque-shah-jahan-caa-protests-6189282/
Explained: How to get a birth certificate made in India
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-how-to-get-a-birth-certificate-made-in-india-6190283/
Criminals and anti-social, eh?
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/criminals-and-anti-social-eh
The power of two: Makers and breakers of India have often worked in pairs:Sujata Anandan
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/opinion/the-power-of-two-makers-and-breakers-of-india-have-often-worked-in-pairs
Uncanny similarities between 1947 and 2019, but we haven’t learnt any lesson:Aakar Patel
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/opinion/uncanny-similarities-between-1947-and-2019-but-we-havent-learnt-any-lesson
Anti-CAA protests: The long nights of terror in Muzaffarnagar
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/anti-caa-protest-the-long-nights-of-terror-in-muzaffarnagar
Why Jamia and AMU matter for Muslims, and for India:Neyaz Farooquee
https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/why-jamia-and-amu-matter-for-muslims-and-for-india/story-iOORRB7zvYw7cVGodlsS1M.html
CAA: The Peaceful Protests by Muslims That No One Is Talking About:Mahtab Alam
https://thewire.in/rights/caa-peaceful-protests-muslims
How My Maiden Reporting Assignment Ended Up in Delhi Police Custody:Mohd Aasif | Caravan Daily
https://caravandaily.com/how-my-maiden-reporting-assignment-ended-up-in-delhi-police-custody/
By Listing Religions, Modi's CAA Broke Atal-Manmohan-Left Concord on Persecuted Minorities:M.K. Venu
https://thewire.in/politics/by-listing-religions-modis-caa-broke-atal-manmohan-left-concord-on-persecuted-minorities
'Pakistan, Tukde Tukde Gang': BJP Leaders Refuse to Engage With Anti-CAA Protestors
https://thewire.in/politics/bjp-leaders-caa-nrc
Partition was a historic swindle that India, Pakistan and Bangladesh must see through; steps to undo British wrongdoing necessary:Markandey Katju
https://www.firstpost.com/india/partition-was-a-historic-swindle-that-india-pakistan-and-bangladesh-must-see-through-and-effect-steps-to-redress-british-wrongdoing-7837221.html
Israel, UAE and the hypocritical manipulation of religion:Abdelwahab El-Affendi
https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/israel-uae-hypocritical-manipulation-religion-191226090446952.html
I was fighting for a fair trial and against the system, not Mary Kom: Nikhat Zareen
https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/other-sports/story/nikhat-zareen-mary-kom-controversy-national-boxing-trials-bfi-olympic-qualifiers-1632401-2019-12-29
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:29 PM).*
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