13 JAN. 2020 FLASH NEWS
*INDIA*
Sabarimala temple hearing: CJI suggests meeting between opposing sides, grants parties 3-week time to file suggestions
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/sabarimala-temple-women-entry-ban-sc-hearing-women-discrimination-live-updates-6213793/
New Delhi : Suggesting that the opposing sides in the Sabarimala temple case should meet to fine tune the issues already suggested by the Sabarimala bench, the CJI S A Bobde on Monday granted three-week time to file their suggestions. He said Supreme Court’s Secretary General will coordinate with lawyers in reframing or adding issues to be dealt by it.The apex court began hearing the pleas relating to discrimination against women at religious places including Kerala’s Sabarimala Temple. 9-judge bench said that it will only hear the questions referred in the review order passed by court on November 14 in Sabarimala temple issue. “We are not hearing review pleas of Sabarimala case. We are considering issues referred to by a 5-judge bench earlier,” PTI quoted the bench as saying.An apex court bench, headed by then CJI Ranjan Gogoi, had on November 14 asked a larger bench to re-examine various religious issues, including the entry of women into the Sabarimala Temple and mosques and the practice of female genital mutilation in the Dawoodi Bohra community.A total of 60 petitions were in Supreme Court for hearing by a nine-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde. The other judges on the bench are Justices R Banumathi, Ashok Bhushan, L Nageswara Rao, B R Gavai, S A Nazeer, M M Shantanagoudar, R Subhash Reddy, and Surya Kant. The new bench has no judge from the previous bench.indianexpress
SC begins hearing on discrimination against women at religious places
https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/sc-begins-hearing-on-discrimination-against-women-at-religious-places/cid/1735395?ref=latest_home-template
Supreme Court Live : CJI says Council of Counsels will discuss issues of Muslim women, Sabarimala on Jan 17
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/supreme-court-pleas-sabarimala-verdict-ayodhya-faith-rights-news-live-updates-1636341-2020-01-13
Rohingya Deportation Case: UN Special Rapporteur Seeks to Aid SC
https://thewire.in/law/un-special-rapporteur-tendayi-achiume-supreme-court-application-rohingya-deportation
New Delhi: A UN-appointed expert has filed an application in the Supreme Court’s ongoing hearing challenging the deportation of Rohingyas from India, to seek permission to assist on the issue of states’ obligations under international law.The Supreme Court is currently hearing a petition filed in 2017 against the Indian government’s plan to deport all Rohingya Muslims, estimated to be around 40,000, back to Myanmar.On January 10, Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance E. Tendayi Achiume filed an application seeking to intervene in the ongoing case, which is being heard three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde.Special Rapporteurs are independent experts appointed by the UNHRC with specific thematic mandates.Achiume, who is also a professor at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law, said that the aim of her intervention was “to assist the Court by offering her expertise and experience on the issue of State parties’ obligations under international law with regard to the prevention of racial discrimination”.thewire
*anti-citizenship act stir*
Jamia students gherao VC''s office, demand registration of FIR against Delhi Police
https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/jamia-students-gherao-vcs-office-demand-registration-of-fir-against-delhi-police/1707015
New Delhi: Hundreds of Jamia Millia Islamia students gheraoed Vice Chancellor Najma Akhtar''s office on Monday, demanding registration of an FIR against Delhi Police in connection with last month''s violence on the campus.Among other demands, they also want the university to reschedule examinations and ensure security of students.The students barged into the office premises after breaking the lock on the main gate and raised slogans against the VC.They are staging a sit-in outside the office, asking the VC to interact with them over issue. PTI
Humans Rights Body Team To Visit Jamia On January 14: VC
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/jamia-violence-humans-rights-body-team-to-visit-jamia-on-january-14-vice-chancellor-nazma-akhtar-2162927
New Delhi:Jamia Millia Islamia V-C Najma Akhtar on Sunday said that a team of NHRC will visit the campus on January 14 to take statements from the injured students and witnesses in connection with December 15 incident of alleged police excesses.Ms Najma said: "A team of NHRC had already visited the campus and we have provided the required evidence to them. A team will again visit the university on Tuesday (Jan 14). The commission will take statements and proofs from injured students and witnesses (of December 15 incident)." V-C also alleged that the police have not filed an FIR in connection with the incident as of now."The police didn't say whether an FIR has been filed or not. We have not received any evidence stating that FIR has been filed in connection with the incident," Ms Akhtar said.She added that the university authorities had written a letter to Ministry of HRD immediately after the incident took place and requested to initiate a high-level inquiry into the matter.ANI
Collective resistance: How Jamia Millia became the new Jantar Mantar
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/collective-resistance-how-jamia-became-the-new-jantar-mantar/articleshow/73219313.cms
NEW DELHI: There are many faces of resistance outside Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI): a makeshift library along the road, a small cell symbolising detention centres, an art corner where students make posters against the Citizenship Amendment Act, and a stage that hosts different artistes, writers and politicians every day.Most recently, it was Man Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy. Earlier, actors Zeeshan Ayyub and Swara Bhasker, activist Harsh Mander, lyricist Hussain Haidry and academic Zoya Hasan have taken to the same stage to express solidarity with the students.“Jamia is the new Jantar Mantar,” said a girl who was sitting on a hunger strike outside Gate No. 3 of the university. Kumail Fatima, a second-year law student, was one of the five people who have been on “relay hunger” strike for the past nine days. The students fast for seven hours and, then, someone else takes their place.TOI
With desks and books, sisters protest at Jamia
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/citizenship-amendment-act-caa-protests-jamia-delhi-6213325/
New Delhi : 6-year-old Hita cannot pronounce word ‘religion’. She struggles and lisps her way through her explanation for why people gather outside Jamia everyday: “CAA and NRC are very dangerous. They can be bad in the future. The country may be divided on the basis of religion”.She and her sister, Ahra (11), are at Jamia Millia Islamia every day in a unique protest. They sit on the pavement outside the varsity with a little desk and study while their father, Imran ul Hafiz, an engineer from Batla House, stands besides them. Sisters are students of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Andrews Ganj. Ahra’s exams will begin on the18th. On Friday, she sat on the pavement with her science notebook, preparing for her first paper. She said the chanting and sloganeering do not distract her from studies. “I only get disturbed when people start talking to me,” she said, giggling.The girls sit with their desk every afternoon, and stay till after 6 pm. Friday was the 27th day of their pavement study sessions.indianexpress
Biggest crowd at Shaheen Bagh since protest began 4 weeks ago
https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/biggest-crowd-at-shaheen-bagh-since-protest-began-4-weeks-ago/story-GamD6VlWuKa36kuxIWMLHI.html?fbclid=IwAR1-0XXKHXi4k6K70VSwST2T7eppOTlcEl2sgKhttB6B_LKucoGl-66XAxA
New Delhi:Roads and lanes leading to Shaheen Bagh were jam-packed on Sunday as thousands of people joined the ongoing protest against the amended citizenship law and NRC in what was one of the largest gatherings at the spot ever since the agitation began four weeks ago.While hundreds have been gathering at Shaheen Bagh everyday, protesters attributed the increase in numbers on Sunday to the weekend and the pleasant weather. “Everyday, I come here for two or three hours. But since it was a Sunday today, I am here since morning and so is my friend and his family,” said Tufail Ashraf, a resident of Batla House and medical transcripter.Unlike other days, both the carriageways of road 13A were full of protesters armed with posters and flags against CAA. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who visited Jamia Millia Islamia and Shaheen Bagh on Sunday, tweeted that he was stuck in severe traffic on the 3-km stretch from the varsity and Shaheen Bagh.“So thick were the crowds and so blocked the traffic that we had to walk the last fifteen minutes to reach the site (Jamia). But the audience’s enthusiasm made it all worthwhile,” he wrote on Twitter. From a replica of India Gate with names of those who died during anti-CAA protests, to a model detention centre to raise awareness, to graffiti and posters, the protesters have used unique methods to express their dissent.An interfaith prayer meeting to counter “divisive forces trying to polarise the country” was also held at the protest site.Participants said there have been attempts to describe the Shaheen Bagh protest as a ‘Muslim initiative’. “We are coming here everyday to save Constitution. This is not just about Muslims,” said Zahida Khanam, 50, whose children have studied in Jamia Millia Islamia.HT
Quran, Kirtan & Bible as thousands gather at Shaheen Bagh protest, Tharoor drops by to lend support
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/citizenship-amendment-act-caa-protests-shaheen-bagh-shashi-tharoor-6213331/
Shaheen soldiers on:This is the longest sit-in against the new citizenship act
https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/shaheen-bagh-protest-soldiers-on/cid/1735318
Massive Crowd, Multi-Faith Prayer At CAA Protest In Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/multi-faith-prayer-in-delhi-as-shaheen-baghs-caa-protest-nears-week-5-2162911
Women begin sit-in at Prayagraj park like Shaheen Bagh : If Delhi women can sit in cold, why can’t we?
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/citizenship-amendment-act-caa-protests-women-begin-sit-in-at-prayagraj-park-6213253/
Lucknow :Emulating the ongoing protest at Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh, a group of women began a sit-in against the new citizenship law (CAA) and proposed NRC at Prayagraj’s Mansoor Ali Park on Sunday afternoon. “We are against this unconstitutional (citizenship) law and NRC. We, mostly the women, are sitting here as Indians. There are people from all age groups and religions here. We will make this sit-in like the one at Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh. If women of Delhi can sit outside in the cold, why can’t we? We will sit here for 24 hours and continue our protest in the coming days. It will not stop,” said 26-year-old Sara Ahmed, who works at a private firm and is one of the organisers of the protest.“I feel it is women who suffer the most and, therefore, we will lead from the front in the fight for the rights of people,” she added.19-year-old Laiba Shamim, who is preparing for NEET, said people of all age groups are part of the protest. “Anyone who visits this protest can see that people ranging from 5 to 70 years old are here. Most are women and children. We are against CAA-NRC and are going to make our voices heard,” Shamim said. Another protester, 62-year-old Gayatri Ganguly (62), said, “I am here to show my solidarity with the protest. I will sit here all night because if these women can, so can I.”A mother of teenage children, 40-year-old Tarannum Khan, said that the protest is for the rights of people.Meanwhile, police said that they are urging the protesters to call off their dharna.indianexpress
In UP's Prayagraj, Anti-CAA Sit-In Tries To Emulate Delhi's Shaheen Bagh
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/in-ups-prayagraj-a-sit-in-against-citizenship-act-caa-tries-to-emulate-delhis-shaheen-bagh-2162996
Shaheen Bagh-like protests to oppose CAA now come up in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar
https://scroll.in/latest/949694/shaheen-bagh-like-protests-to-oppose-caa-now-come-up-in-uttar-pradesh-and-bihar
CAA-NRC stir: Shaheen Bagh inspired midnight flash protests takes place in Hyderabad
https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/hyderabad/2020/jan/13/caa-nrc-stir-shaheen-bagh-inspired-midnight-flash-protests-takes-place-in-hyderabad-2088978.html
HYDERABAD: Inspired by the ongoing protests at Shaheen Bagh, tensions prevailed after almost 60 people were detained in Tolichowki and cases were registered against them by Hyderabad police, for holding a flash protest against the CAA and all India NRC on Sunday night.Sources said that the men who were detained were supposed to be released. However, when it came to light that a police constable was injured in a scuffle between the protesters and police, the persons detained were booked and served notices under Section 41a (public nuisance) of the IPC. newindianexpress
Ulemas gave sense of direction to fight social injustice: Kerala SIO Prez Salih
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kozhikode/ulemas-gave-sense-of-direction-to-fight-social-injustice-salih/articleshow/73218827.cms
Ponnani: Muslim ulemas were not confined to spiritual spheres alone but they gave sense of direction to fights against social injustice, said Salih Kottappalli, state president of Students Islamic Organisation (SIO).Speaking at Dignity Caravan organized by SIO and Solidarity Youth Movement against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) here on Sunday, he said scholars like Shaikh Zainuddin Makhdoom and Veliyankode Umar Quasi were the main sources of inspiration for anti-imperialist agitations in Kerala and it is time to recall the legendary figures. Salih said Ponnani was the centre of knowledge that provided intellectual and ideological base for the fight against the Portuguese and the British.“You will not find another community which is deeply rooted in history and tradition and the Sangh Parivar is asking the community to prove their citizenship,” Salih said.Campuses have become the centre of agitations against the CAA in the country. “It is the reenactment of the history because the Ponnani dars (religious school) founded by Makhdooms was the source of inspiration for the freedom fighters. The legendary Variankunnath Kunjahammed Haji who fought against British in 1921 was a continuation of this tradition,” he said.In his inaugural speech Jamaat-e-Islami Kerala Amir’s M I Abdul Aziz challenged the Sangh Parivar to name at least one their leader who took participated in the freedom struggle. He hailed the struggle waged by different sessions of the society sinking their differences.Solidarity Youth Movement state president Nahas Mala, Muthukoya Makhdoom Thangal, C V Jameela, Shihab Pookkotoor, Salim Mambad and others spoke.TOI
After Mamata, BSP, Shiv Sena and AAP too will skip Opposition meet on CAA
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/after-mamata-now-bsp-chief-mayawati-to-skip-cong-led-opposition-meet-6213624/
New Delhi :BSP, AAP and Shiv Sena on Monday said they would not attend the Congress-led Opposition meeting called in New Delhi to strategise a way forward for the CAA protests.While BSP chief Mayawati said the meeting would “demoralise” her party workers, AAP and Sena said they had not received an invitation.Taking to Twitter, Mayawati said her party workers were upset after the Congress in Rajasthan indulged in ‘horse trading’ by getting BSP MLAs to join their party, following the election results.She, however, made it clear that the BSP was opposed to the CAA and demanded that the government withdraw it.indianexpress
MP: 80 briefly detained for trying to wave black flags at Amit Shah in Jabalpur
https://scroll.in/latest/949697/madhya-pradesh-80-briefly-detained-for-trying-to-wave-black-flags-at-amit-shah-in-jabalpur
Madhya Pradesh Police on Sunday detained 80 people for trying to wave black flags at Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Jabalpur city, PTI reported.80 activists, mostly belonging to the Congress-affiliated NSUI, were released after legal formalities, Additional Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Kumar said. They were taken into custody from ten different areas of the city.Shah addressed a rally in Jabalpur on Sunday in support of the amended Citizenship Act. scroll
Modi should select 5 critics, hold televised Q&A session to clear doubts about CAA: Chidambaram
https://scroll.in/latest/949687/modi-should-select-five-critics-hold-televised-q-a-session-to-clear-doubts-on-caa-says-chidambaram
Congress leader P Chidambaram on Monday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to confront the critics of the Citizenship Amendment Act. In a series of tweets, the former Union minister claimed that the only way to clear the public’s doubts on the amended law was to televise a discussion between the prime minister and his critics.“[The] prime minister talks from high platforms to silent audiences and does not take questions,” Chidambaram said. “We talk through the media and are willing to take questions from media persons. [The] prime minister is not talking to his critics. The critics do not have an opportunity to talk to the prime minister.”scroll
CAA and NRC: 48 members of BJP’s minority cell quit in Bhopal, say people have to take a stand
https://scroll.in/latest/949688/caa-and-nrc-48-members-of-bjps-minority-cell-quit-in-bhopal-say-people-have-to-take-a-stand
As many as 48 members of BJP’s minority cell in Bhopal have quit the party over the Citizenship Amendment Act and the proposed nationwide National Register of Citizens, The Hindu reported on Sunday. The members who have quit include Bhopal district minority cell vice president Adil Khan and state media chief Javed Baig.“Have you ever seen a government passing a law in Parliament, and then going from door to door support for it?” asked Khan. “This shows the party is aware it has committed a wrong. The Act and NRC is a lethal combination. Only we know how we went to each Muslim home during elections to canvass for votes. Yet we have to take a stand now. People don’t have enough to eat, how can you expect them to produce documents to prove citizenship?” 48 members handed in a joint resignation letter on Saturday to the BJP’s state minority cell chief. scroll
Police move to invoke Goonda Act against six AMU students
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/police-move-to-invoke-goonda-act-against-six-amu-students-6213259/
Aligarh police have started the process of invoking UP Control Of Goondas Act, against six students of AMU for their involvement in the December 15 protest held on the campus against alleged police excesses at Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia.Last week, the police sent its report to the Aligarh district magistrate along with the criminal history of four of the six students — Nadeem Ansari, Hamza Sufyan, Huzaifa Amir and Amir Minto. They had earlier been booked under various sections of IPC, including section 353 ( assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty). While Ansari and Huzaifa are former vice-presidents of AMU Students’ Union, Amit is a former secretary and Minto a student leader.“The district administration has issued notices to all the four students directing them to file replies,” said Anil Kumar, Circle Officer of Civil Lines. He added that these students would be externed from Aligarh for six months if the Goonda Act was invoked against them. The police are also preparing similar reports of two other student leaders — Sharjeel Usmani and Farhan Zubari.indianexpress
In Kolkata, protests against CAA, PM Modi continue overnight
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/in-kolkata-protests-against-caa-modi-continue-overnight-6213240/
Protests by students, mostly affiliated to Congress and Left Front parties, against the new citizenship law and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who came to Kolkata on Saturday on a two-day visit, continued overnight and went on through Sunday till he left for New Delhi.Several Youth Congress workers protested against Modi, shouting “go back” and showing black flags at Race Course helipad and Netaji Indoor Stadium, where Prime Minister attended the 150th anniversary celebrations of Kolkata Port Trust. Police rounded up the demonstrators and took them to the city police headquarters at Lalbazar.Protesters, who hit the streets on Saturday with placards that read ‘Modi go back’, continued their sit-in all night at Esplanade area of central Kolkata, protesting against the CAA, proposed NRC and NPR.They continued their dharna overnight with music and slogans, besides playing chess, football and badminton among other activities.On Sunday, several CPI(M) and Congress leaders also joined them.indianexpress
CMs opposing NRC should put NPR process on hold:CPM
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/cms-opposing-nrc-should-put-npr-process-on-hold-says-cpm-6213233/
New Delhi :A day after the Congress Working Committee asked the Central government to immediately stop the process of updating NPR, CPI (M) on Sunday asked chief ministers who have opposed NRC to put on hold the NPR process in their states. The CPM politburo also asked the Centre to withdraw the new citizenship law.CPI (M) politburo, which met here over the weekend, discussed the political and economic situation and continuing protests against the CAA.The party accused the Centre of having unleashed brutal repression against peaceful protests and demanded the withdrawal of all “false cases” against people and release of all those arrested.indianexpress
Gandhi shanti yatra led by former minister Yashwant Sinha reaches Surat: ‘CAA ploy to divert attention from economic slowdown’
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/gandhi-shanti-yatra-led-by-former-minister-yashwant-sinha-reaches-surat-caa-ploy-to-divert-attention-from-economic-slowdown-6213217/
Surat :A nationwide tour to protest against CAA and NRC — Gandhi Shanti Yatra — led by former Union minister Yashwant Sinha, reached Surat on Sunday. 3,000-km yatra, began from Mumbai on January 9.The campaign has been organised under the banner of Sinha’s organisation Rashtra Manch. Having already covered Maharashtra and part of Gujarat, the yatra will now traverse through Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana and finally culminate at Rajghat in New Delhi on January 30.indianexpress
'New Citizens Won't Be Allowed to Reside in State': Anti-CAA Protests Rage in Tripura
https://thewire.in/rights/anti-caa-protests-tripura-pradyot
Agartala: Former Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee president and royal scion, Pradyot Kishore Manikya Deb Burman, who has recently floated an apolitical organisation, TIPRA, on Saturday said, the illegal immigrants, who would be legitimised after implementation of CAA would not be allowed to stay in the state.The founder of Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (TIPRA) said this while addressing a large gathering at Khumulwng, the headquarters of Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), 20 km from here.PTI
Modi's 'Political' Comments on CAA at Belur Math Upset Ramakrishna Mission Members
https://thewire.in/politics/narendra-modi-belur-math-caa-statement-ramarishna-mission
New Delhi: Members of the Ramakrishna Mission, founded by Swami Vivekananda, expressed displeasure at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making “political statements” at the Belur Math, the mission’s headquarters – an accusation that was echoed by opposition parties.At Belur Math in Howrah district of West Bengal, Modi addressed people on the occasion of National Youth Day – hosted by the mission to celebrate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda – and reiterated his government’s refusal to back down on the controversial CAA. According to reports, he accused those opposing the amended law of “playing political games” and “fuelling misconceptions among the youth”.thewire
‘Our govts in UP, Assam shot them like dogs’: Dilip Ghosh warns anti-CAA protesters against vandalism
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/dilip-ghosh-caa-protesters-shot-like-dogs-remark-6213702/
New Delhi :In statement that could trigger a fresh controversy, West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh has threatened to shoot and kill those involved in damaging public property “like in Uttar Pradesh and Assam” during protests against the CAA.While addressing a public meeting in West Bengal’s Nadia district on Sunday, Ghosh lashed out at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for “not opening fire and ordering lathicharge” on those vandalizing railway property and public transport in December last year.“Properties have been damaged. Whose money is this? This is my money, this is your money. They have set trains on fire, whose money have they destroyed? Still, not one bullet has been fired. There was neither any lathicharge nor any FIR registered. Police did not even arrest anyone,” he told the crowd.Ghosh then referred to the police firing in Assam and Uttar Pradesh and said, “In Assam and Uttar Pradesh, our government has shot these protesters like dogs. They were arrested and cases were also filed against them.”indianexpress
Will bury alive those raising anti-Modi slogans, says UP Minister Raghuraj Singh
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/politics/will-bury-alive-those-raising-anti-modi-slogans-says-up-minister-raghuraj-singh
Uttar Pradesh Minister Raghuraj Singh has courted a major controversy when he said that people who raise slogans against Prime Minster Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath "would be buried alive". The minister said this on Sunday while addressing a rally in Aligarh to muster support for the CAA."If you raise slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, I will bury you alive," he threatened.He was apparently referring to protests held by students of AMU against the CAA during which they allegedly raised slogans against the Prime Minister and the chief minister.IANS
Anti-CAA protest hits business across country
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/anti-caa-protest-hits-business-across-country
The massive protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act across the nation has started to affect several sectors, from restaurants to automobiles.In a regulatory filing, Titan Company Ltd has stated that sales across all divisions in December’s second half were “impacted to some extent due to forced store closures due to the protests in the North East and in many other parts of the country,” reported Indian Express. Titan controls nearly half the country’s ₹8,000 crore watch market.December has witnessed less footfalls ta showrooms across several location due to protests and its continues to be subdued as well, said top executives of two major car manufacturing companies told Express. Auto companies have reported curtailed shipments and disruption in supply have impacted inventory levels at dealerships at impacted locations.“There has been a decline in customers visiting the showrooms since the protests began in December. In times of social unrest there is a decline in purchase of cars and as 2020 has also started on the same note, I don’t see a quick revival in car sales amidst the tide of protest and social unrest,” said the India chief of a leading car manufacturer, reported Indian Express.nationalheraldindia
*JNU VIOLENCE*
Plea to retrieve JNU footage: HC notice to WhatsApp, Google, Apple, Delhi Police
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/plea-to-retrieve-jnu-footage-hc-issues-notice-to-whatsapp-google-apple-and-delhi-police-6214026/
Delhi High Court Monday issued notice to WhatsApp Inc, Google Inc and Apple Inc and the Delhi Police in connection with a petition filed by 3 JNU professors seeking to preserve and retrieve all CCTV footage in connection with the January 5 violence on campus. The next date of hearing is Tuesday, January 14.The Delhi Police told the court it had already approached the JNU administration to hand over the footage. 3 professors, Ameet Parameswaran, Atul Sood and Shukla Vinayak Sawant, had moved court on January 10. In their petition, they sought direction to the companies to hand over all evidence to the court or investigating agencies.Apart from the footage, the petitioners also sought relevant data of WhatsApp groups ‘Unity Against Left’ and ‘Friends of RSS’, including messages, pictures, videos and phone numbers of the members.More than a week since the violence, the Delhi Police has failed to make a single arrest.indianexpress
'Deteriorating Situation' in JNU Prompts Science Profs to Seek Refuge in IIT
https://thewire.in/education/deteriorating-situation-jnu-mamidala-jagadesh-kumar-science-faculty-refuge-iit-delhi-ramgopal-rao
Bangalore: In a major vote of no-confidence in the leadership of JNU vice chancellor M. Jagadesh Kumar, a number of top faculty members in the sciences have sent feelers to the Indian Institute of Technology across the road in Delhi and other top institutions seeking a quick cross-over.On December 19, IIT Delhi director V. Ramgopal Rao emailed his colleagues in different departments encouraging them to recruit the faculty members leaving JNU, especially if their work has been noteworthy.thewire
JNU Vice-Chancellor 'Mastermind' of January 5 Attack, Says Congress Fact-Finding Report
https://thewire.in/rights/jnu-vice-chancellor-mastermind-of-attack-on-january-5-says-fact-finding-report
New Delhi: A fact-finding team’s report on the violence at JNU on January 5 identified the attack as “targeted” violence intended to intimidate and one that was done with the support and encouragement of the institution’s vice-chancellor.Soon after the January 5 mob attack, Congress decided to form the fact finding committee under All India Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev. The committee comprised Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden, party leader Amrita Dhawan and Rajya Sabha MP Dr. Sayid Naseer Hussain, in addition to Dev.The evidence collated by the inquiry committee revealed that the armed attackers were systematically mobilised inside and the campus by the security company (Cyclops P. Ltd) on duty. It also found active involvement of a few faculty members in facilitating the violence. thewire
*OTHERS*
Parliament attack, Afzal Guru shadow back to haunt J&K Police officer
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/davinder-singh-2001-parliament-attack-afzal-guru-jammu-and-kashmir-police-6213441/
New Delhi: When J&K Police arrested DSP Davinder Singh, a decorated counter-insurgency officer who is currently posted with security and anti-hijacking unit of J&K Police at Srinagar airport, along with two “most wanted” militants in a car in South Kashmir on Saturday, it brought back questions about his alleged role in the 2001 Parliament attack case and other big cases in Jammu and Kashmir.In 2004, in a letter to his lawyer Sushil Kumar, Afzal Guru, then lodged in Tihar Jail for his involvement in the Parliament attack, had said that “DSP Davinder Singh”, then posted with J&K Police’s Special Operations Group at Humhama, had asked him to “take Mohammad”, a Pakistani national identified as one of those who carried out the Parliament attack, “to Delhi, rent a flat for his stay and purchase a car for him”.Afzal had also named another police officer, Shanty Singh, who, along with Davinder Singh, reportedly tortured him at Humhama STF camp. He had also mentioned “Altaf Hussain, who is brother-in-law of SSP Ashaq Hussain (Bukhari) of Budgam”, who first “brokered” his release with Davinder Singh, and later took him to DySP. Afzal was convicted and hanged on Feb.9, 2013. Davinder Singh’s alleged role in the Parliament attack case was not probed. Asked about this on Sunday, IGP (Kashmir) Vijay Kumar said: “There is nothing as such in our records nor do I know anything about it… We will question him on this.”A senior J&K Police officer said “his (Davinder Singh’s) deeds are finally catching up with him. This time, I don’t think anybody can save him”.“There will be many questions asked. Where was he taking these two wanted militants? They were leaving the Valley, as they were nabbed on the way to Jammu. What plan did they have,’’ said the officer. “Almost every operation where he (Davinder Singh) or his associates were involved has become suspect”.Officer said Singh was posted across Kashmir on counter-insurgency duty. “He was DySP DR in Pulwama too,’’ the officer said. “He can open a can of worms once he starts talking”.Meanwhile, while Shanty Singh’s alleged role in the Afzal Guru case could not be ascertained, he was jailed in 2003, after an investigation by J&K Police’s Crime Branch found him involved in “torturing a civilian Mohammad Ayoub Dar of Sholipora, Pakharpore to death” in “police custody” and then “firing at his body”, dubbing him as a “militant who was killed in an encounter”. Crime Branch investigation had been initiated after instructions from the State Human Rights Commission. indianexpress
Police cordon and search ops targeting Muslim localities in Hyderabad see normalisation of military tactic in India's most liveable city
https://www.firstpost.com/india/police-cordon-and-search-ops-targeting-muslim-localities-in-hyderabad-see-normalisation-of-military-tactic-in-indias-most-liveable-city-7896941.html
Salma (name changed), 45, had a perfectly normal afternoon. She cooked for herself and her son, had lunch and offered prayers. At 4 pm, she went to a nearby store to pick up groceries. By the time Salma returned, there were around 100 members of police personnel in her area. Residents of the locality recalled that there were at least five police vehicles stationed in the area, every approach road had at least two police personnel manning it and a couple of roads had barricades placed to restrict movement.The police had split into smaller teams and were demanding to see Aadhaar cards, vehicle registration documents and asking other questions such as whether it was an owned house or rented. At Salma's doorstep were seven cops — four men and three women.This was not in a village rife with frequent unrest along India's International Border. Nor was there a terror attack or a spike in crime. This was in Hyderabad, voted the top Indian city on Mercer's Quality of Living rankings for the fifth consecutive year in March 2019. This incident from 6 January was part of a "cordon and search operation" by Telangana Police that was conducting a search in Salma's locality, Shakkar Gunj, a 15-minute drive from the Charminar.The incident was met with outcry on social media as a video went viral. However, this is not a one-off instance of such an operation."It's a military tactic that has been in use by the state police," Lateef Mohammed Khan, general secretary of city-based Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee, said.firstpost
Private property is a human right: Supreme Court
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/private-property-is-a-human-right-says-sc/article30551819.ece?homepage=true
NEW DELHI:A citizen’s right to own private property is a human right. The state cannot take possession of it without following due procedure and authority of law, the Supreme Court has held in a judgment.The state cannot trespass into the private property of a citizen and then claim ownership of the land in the name of ‘adverse possession’, the court said. Grabbing private land and then claiming it as its own makes the state an encroacher.In a welfare state, right to property is a human right, a Bench of Justices Indu Malhotra and Ajay Rastogi declared in their January 8 verdict.thehindu
Delhi elections: BJP seeks Rs 500 crore in damages after AAP video spoofs Manoj Tiwari
https://scroll.in/latest/949671/delhi-elections-bjp-seeks-rs-500-crore-in-damages-after-aap-video-spoofs-manoj-tiwari
Delhi unit of BJP on Sunday filed a complaint to the Election Commission and sent a defamation notice to AAP after it tweeted an edited video of BJP leader Manoj Tiwari dancing to AAP campaign song. Tiwari has sought Rs 500 crore in damages, PTI reported. In the video, Tiwari’s Bhojpuri albums appear to have been edited with the soundtrack of AAP’s Lage Raho Kejriwal.“Who gave AAP the right to use my videos for its theme song for the polls?” Tiwari asked. Delhi BJP’s media relations chief Neelkant Bakshi claimed that the AAP was using Tiwari’s face in its election campaign because he was more popular than Kejriwal.scroll.in
After Rs 500cr Suit, AAP Counter-threatens BJP I-T Cell Over Kejriwal 'Khalnayak' Parody
https://www.republicworld.com/election-news/delhi-assembly-elections/parody-video-aap-ka-khalnayak-tweeted-by-bjp-aap-says-it-will-take.html
Chhatrapati Shivaji’s descendants should clarify if they like Modi being compared to him: Sanjay Raut
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/chhatrapati-shivajis-descendants-should-clarify-if-they-like-modi-being-compared-to-him-sanjay-raut-6213822/
Mumbai :Amid the row over a book comparing Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Monday said the warrior king’s descendants should clarify if they like the PM being likened to him. Talking to reporters here, Raut said BJP should declare that it has no link with the book comparing Modi with Chhatrapati Shivaji.The book, titled “Aaj ke Shivaji: Narendra Modi”, has been written by BJP leader Jay Bhagwan Goyal. Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress, which are part of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government, have criticised the book.“Chhatrapati Shivaji’s descendants should clarify if they like Modi being compared to him. Chhatrapati Shivaji’s descendants should quit BJP over the book,” Raut said targeting BJP’s Rajya Sabha member Sambhaji Raje, who is a descendant of the warrior king. Sambhaji Raje on Sunday demanded that BJP chief Amit Shah immediately ban the book, which was published in the BJP’s Delhi office.PTI
India is creating fewer jobs for world’s biggest workforce
https://indianexpress.com/article/business/india-is-creating-fewer-jobs-for-worlds-biggest-workforce-6213918/
India will create at least 1.6 million fewer formal jobs across government and low-paying sectors, State Bank of India estimates, a segment that typically absorbs some of the millions of youth entering the world’s biggest workforce each year.There’s also evidence that people who migrate within the country for employment are sending less money home to some of the poorest states, Soumya Kanti Ghosh, chief economic adviser for the nation’s biggest bank, wrote in a report on Monday. The data indicate that India’s consumption and tax collections could stay weak for longer, he said.Poor job creation risks worsening the highest unemployment rate in 45 years and build pressure on Modi’s government, which is already battling the weakest economic growth in more than a decade and student-led street protests. Asia’s third-largest economy is officially forecast to expand 5% this financial year, stronger than SBI’s prediction of 4.6%. Bloomberg
From cars to watches, protests hit India Inc: ‘Decline in customers visiting showrooms’
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/citizenship-amendment-act-caa-protests-india-inc-decline-in-customers-6213438/
New Delhi :The impact of nationwide protests against the CAA is beginning to show up on corporate numbers — from automobiles to restaurants and even watches.Titan Company Ltd, India’s largest watchmaker that controls nearly half the country’s Rs 8,000 crore watch market, disclosed in a regulatory filing that sales “in all divisions” in the second half of December were “impacted to some extent due to forced store closures due to the protests in the North East and in many other parts of the country”.Top executives with at least two major car manufacturing companies told The Indian Express that December witnessed lower footfalls at showrooms across multiple locations due to the protests, and that January 2020 continues to be subdued as well.Alongside, auto companies have reported truncated shipments and supply disruptions that have impacted inventory levels at dealerships at impacted locations, although stocking numbers were not available.indianexpress
India’s about to hand people data Americans can only dream of:Bloomberg
https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/indias-about-to-hand-people-data-americans-can-only-dream-of-6213860/
India has over 560 million internet users, all generating data by the terabyte. Soon they’ll have an unprecedented amount of control over their digital financial footprints, with the ability to decide what to share, with whom, and for how long.India’s top banks are getting ready to roll out a system that gives consumers access to a wide swath of their financial data and allows them to share it instantly. Backed by RBI, it’s an ambitious approach that combines privacy protection with credit reporting: if it works, it could unlock the credit market for millions of Indians while offering new levels of data security and consumer control.India’s effort is one of a handful of initiatives around the globe to return control of data to consumers, notably with the “open banking” movement in Europe and Australia. India’s approach is unique — it relies on third parties to mediate the often complicated process of information sharing — and so is its target population, which is predominantly poor and, as of now, excluded from the formal banking system.“Only India has a solution for such a scale,” said Infosys chairman Nandan Nilekani, who’s been an adviser to this initiative and other major tech reforms. “This is the future.”The “account aggregator” system will be offered by banks and licensed by India’s central bank, which will also regulate the data collection and sharing. By logging into authorized apps, users will be able to pull together all kinds of financial data — spending patterns, bill repayment, tax returns, business transactions — that they can then choose to share instantly and temporarily in pursuit of loans, investment products or even insurance.Bloomberg
Milk prices could increase by Rs 8-10 in summer due to fall in production, fodder shortage
https://theprint.in/india/milk-prices-could-increase-by-rs-8-10-in-summer-due-to-fall-in-production-fodder-shortage/347866/
New Delhi: A shortage of fodder and a resultant decline in milk production and procurement has meant that prices of the essential item could increase by Rs 8-10 in the summer.Citing this dairy shortage, multiple milk federations and Indian Ice-Cream Manufacturers’ Association (IICMA) have written to the Modi government to import milk and milk products, in order to create a buffer stock of about 65,000 tonnes of skimmed milk powder and keep the prices in check. India’s annual consumption is about one lakh tonnes, so they said this should be the minimum buffer stock. This, in turn, could make India a net importer after almost a decade — in 2011-12, the value of dairy imports stood at Rs 22.5 crore. An official from the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries said milk cooperatives as well as private dairies have reported 10-15 per cent lower procurement over the “flush” season of October to March, when milk production goes up 50 per cent. “So, the situation will be even more grim in the lean period of April-Sept,” official said.This shortage in milk supply could also result in an increase in the price of dairy products like skimmed milk powder well beyond Rs 400 per kg. Skimmed milk powder prices have already hit Rs 300-350 per kg compared to Rs 150-200 per kg last year.the print
Una case: Victim asks president to deport them to country where they will not face discrimination
https://scroll.in/latest/949695/una-case-victim-asks-president-to-deport-them-to-country-where-they-will-not-face-discrimination
One of the 7 victims of the 2016 Una Dalit flogging incident has requested President Ram Nath Kovind to deport him and his brothers to a country where they will not face discrimination, TOI reported. Vashram Sarvaiya alleged that they have not been treated like citizens of India.On July 11, 2016, more than 40 men from the upper caste Darbar community had assaulted seven members of the Sarvaiya family for skinning a dead cow in Gir Somnath district’s Una town. Sarvaiyas were leather tanners and skinning dead cattle was part of their traditional occupation. But the assailants accused them of cow slaughter. During the attack, four of the Sarvaiya brothers were stripped, tied to the back of a car and beaten with sticks and iron rods, while some of the attackers filmed the assault.scroll
114-ft Christ statue planned in Shivakumar bastion sparks BJP, RSS protest
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/christ-statue-shivakumar-bjp-rss-protest-1636375-2020-01-13
BJP and RSS on Monday staged a protest against the proposal to construct a 114-ft tall statue of Jesus Christ at Kapalibetta in Kanakapura. Terming it the Kanakapura Chalo’ protest, BJP is expecting hundreds to converge at Kapalibetta.The statue is the pet project of Congress strongman DK Shivakumar. Shivakumar cautioned his supporters, saying, I urge everyone not to be instigated or provoked.’’The local administration has pressed into service over 1,000 policemen, including armed police units, to ensure peace.Harobele, where the statue is to come up, is a village dominated by Christians in Shivakumar’s constituency. The community has been living for about 400 years.indiatoday
Chennai journalist who displayed anti-government book at fair held; press club calls it vendetta
https://scroll.in/latest/949707/chennai-journalist-who-displayed-anti-government-book-at-fair-held-press-club-calls-it-vendetta
Chennai Police arrested a journalist on Sunday morning for allegedly intimidating and attacking book fair organisers after he was asked to vacate his stall, reported New Indian Express. V Anbazhagan has been remanded to judicial custody till January 24. Anbazhagan was asked to stop displaying his book on the government’s alleged corrupt activities at the ongoing Chennai book fair. In his book “Corruption Book of Chennai Corporation”, Anbazhagan had put together RTI replies to highlight the alleged misappropriation of funds by the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government.The police have booked Anbazhagan under non-bailable charges.The Chennai Press Council has condemned the arrest and demanded his release.scroll
*WORLD*
Emir of Qatar and Rouhani: Dialogue and de-escalation are only solutions to crises
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200113-emir-of-qatar-and-rouhani-dialogue-and-de-escalation-are-only-solutions-to-crises/
Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani agreed on Sunday that the only solution to the region’s crises lies in de-escalation and dialogue.Sheikh Tamim said during a joint press conference with the Iranian President in the capital, Tehran, that the visit comes at a very delicate time in the region, stressing that they agreed on de-escalation and dialogue as the only way for resolving crises.In the past few months, the region has witnessed a series of events that reached their climax at the end of last year and the beginning of the new year, most notably Washington’s assassination of the commander of Quds Force of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, and Tehran’s counterattack with bombing two military bases in Iraq that include American soldiers.middleeastmonitor
‘Our enemy is here’: Iran protesters demand that leaders quit after plane downed
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200113-our-enemy-is-here-iran-protesters-demand-that-leaders-quit-after-plane-downed/
Protests erupted across Iran for a second day on Sunday, increasing pressure on the Islamic Republic’s leadership after it admitted its military shot down a Ukrainian airliner by accident, despite days of denials that Iranian forces were to blame, Reuters reports.“They are lying that our enemy is America, our enemy is right here,” one group of protesters chanted outside a university in Tehran, according to a video posted on Twitter.Other posts showed demonstrators outside a second university and a group of protesters marching to Tehran’s Azadi (Freedom) Square, as well as protests in other cities.Some state-affiliated media carried reports of the university protests, which followed demonstrations on Saturday sparked by Iran’s admission that its military mistakenly shot down the plane on Wednesday, killing all 176 aboard, at a time when Tehran feared US air strikes.
Hamas movement’s Haniyeh arrives Oman to offer condolences over Sultan Qaboos’ death
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200113-hamas-movements-haniyeh-arrives-oman-to-offer-condolences-over-sultan-qaboos-death/
Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, the new sultan of Oman, received Ismail Haniyeh, chief of Hamas’s Political Bureau, at Al Alam Palace to offer condolences for the death of Sultan Qaboos, Oman News Agency (ONA) reported.Hamas movement said that Haniyeh arrived at the head of a large delegation from the movement to offer condolences for the death of Sultan Qaboos.Haniyeh had telephoned Omani Foreign Minister Youssef bin Alawi on Saturday evening, comforting him over the death of sultan Qaboos.
*views, Articles, FEATURES*
There's deliberate ambiguity regarding citizenship laws & policies, their implementation:Prashant Bhushan
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/citizenship-amendment-act-protests-protests-violence-nrc-modi-govt-6213319/
Ferment that we witness in Indian universities bears striking resemblance to events of 1968:P Chidambaram
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/across-the-aisle-new-normal-angers-youth-6211994/
Slogans like ‘La Ilaha IlAllah’ narrow the scope of anti-CAA protests:Hayaat Fatemah, AMU , indian express
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/citizenship-amendment-act-caa-protests-muslims-6213298/
Modi-Shah’s BJP govt has failed India’s youth and is now stuck fighting them:SHEKHAR GUPTA
https://theprint.in/national-interest/modi-shahs-bjp-govt-has-failed-indias-youth-and-is-now-stuck-fighting-them/348010/
A Sense of Humour:Viral on social media, Nazma aapi has been registering her protest one video at a time.
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/a-sense-of-humour-nazma-aapi-citizenship-amendment-act-caa-protest-nrc-jnu-jamia-6213178/
India's Ties With Saudi Hangs in Balance Over CAA-NRC, Investment Opportunities:Vaishali Basu Sharma
https://thewire.in/external-affairs/india-saudi-arabia-ties-caa-nrc
A Muslim affair: Anti-CAA protests are against Islamophobia, can't be turned into BJP vs Opposition slugfest:Sharjeel Usmani
https://www.firstpost.com/india/a-muslim-affair-anti-caa-protests-are-against-states-islamophobia-cant-be-appropriated-into-bjp-opposition-or-hindu-india-vs-secular-india-match-7895191.html
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 12:05 PM).
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