12 Feb. 2020: 17 Jamadi-2, 1441: Vol: 12, No: 130
*INDIA*
Bill to punish people with more than two children introduced in Rajya Sabha
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/bill-to-punish-people-with-more-than-two-children-introduced-in-rajya-sabha
A private member’s Bill introduced in the Rajya Sabha last week went un-noticed and undiscussed. The Bill seeks to punish families with more than two children by depriving them of social welfare benefits, tax exemptions etc.The two-child norm is already there in the Panchayati Raj Act and the Supreme Court has upheld the provision in several states that debars women with more than two children from contesting and holding panchayat posts.Tweeted Congress leader @vsirnate: “We have had an informal two-child policy for many years. But this one is basically saying that people with more than two kids will be punished through taxe concession withdrawals and extra taxation.”The introduction to the Bill states:"Today, there is also a need to encourage the people to keep small family by offering tax concessions, priority in social benefit schemes and school admissions etc. and at the same time discourage them from producing more children by withdrawing tax concessions, imposing heavy taxes and by making other punitive provisions for violations. Therefore, the Bill seeks to amend the Constitution with a view to make a provision by the State to discourage the people from increasing their family and encourage them to keep their family limited to two children.."Presently, six states including Haryana, Rajasthan, MP, Andhra Pradesh and Himachal have made the two-child norm mandatory for all panchayat members.The governments of all these states insist that those with more than two living children are debarred from contesting panchayat elections or remaining in office. With the minimum age for contesting elections having been lowered from 26 to 21 years, this immediately affects lakhs of younger men and women within the reproductive age-group.The passing of the 73rd constitutional amendment made it mandatory for 33% of all panchayat seats to be reserved for women. It also mandated quotas for socially marginalised sections including dalits and those belonging to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes (SC/STs).Nirmala Buch, who runs a Bhopal-based NGO, Mahila Chetna Manch (MCM), had pointed out in 2018 that 412 panchayat members in Rajasthan had been removed from their posts, over the past three years, because they failed to comply with the two-child norm. Buch was quoted as saying then, "In Madhya Pradesh, 350 panchayat members have been removed and in Haryana the number of those removed is 275. In Madhya Pradesh, all those who were removed from their posts were tribals. They are not conversant with the laws of the land, but instead of encouraging them to join this process they are being forced to turn away."nationalheraldindia
Private Member Bill Introduced In Rajya Sabha For Population Control Measures
https://www.livelaw.in/news-updates/private-member-bill-introduced-in-rajya-sabha-for-population-control-measures-152618
Shiv Sena MP floats Bill in Rajya Sabha promoting Two-Child Policy to tackle population control [Read the Bill]
https://www.barandbench.com/news/shiv-sena-mp-floats-bill-in-rajya-sabha-promoting-two-child-policy-to-tackle-population-control-read-the-bill
*anti-CAA,NRC-NPR stir*
Assam NRC Data Disappears From Cloud. Home Ministry Says Technical Issue
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/assam-nrc-final-list-vanishes-from-website-home-ministry-says-technical-issue-2178820?pfrom=home-topscroll
Guwahati: The data of the final citizens' list in Assam, published last August, has vanished from the website of the state NRC where the data was published as mandated by the Supreme Court. Union Home Ministry said the NRC data is safe and cited "some technical issue in visibility on cloud". The ministry said the problem is "being resolved soon".NRC authorities claim non-renewal of contract with IT firm Wipro as the reason for the data's disappearance.The complete detail of exclusion and inclusion of bonafide Indian citizens in the Assam NRC was uploaded on its official website ''www.nrcassam.nic.in'' after the final list was published on August 31, 2019."The cloud service for the huge set of data was provided by Wipro and their contract was till October 19 last year. However, this was not renewed by the earlier co-coordinator (Prateek Hajela). So, the data got offline from December 15 after it was suspended by Wipro. I assumed charge on December 24," NRC state co-ordinator Hitesh Dev Sarma told PTI.He said the state coordination committee had decided to do necessary formalities in its meeting on January 30 and wrote to Wipro during the first week of February. "Once Wipro makes the data live, it will be available for the public. We hope that people will be able to access it in the next two to three days," Sarma said on Tuesday.Prateek Hajela, who was NRC co-ordinator for Assam, was transferred last October. A delay in the appointment of his successor, Sarma, slowed down important work, including the renewal of the cloud service subscription with Wipro, sources told NDTV. Efforts are now being made to "fast-track" the renewal of the cloud service, sources said.Congress, which is the main opposition in Assam, letter has termed this development as mysterious and a "malafide act".This row of the 'missing' data comes at a time when the final NRC list in Assam is yet to be officially notified by the Registrar General of India.Leader of the opposition in the Assam assembly, Debabrata Saikia, wrote to Registrar General of India and requested him to look into the matter urgently. "It is a mystery as to why the online data should vanish all of a sudden, especially as the appeals process has not even started due to the go-slow attitude adopted by the NRC Authority.""There is, therefore, ample scope to suspect that the disappearance of online data is a malafide act. Indeed, the deletion of data from NRC website at a time when the appeals process is yet is start, is prima facie a deliberate violation of the directive issued by the Supreme Court," the Congress leader said in the letter.ndtv
Assam NRC data safe, says state coordinator as records go missing from site, experts question state capacity
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/nrc-data-safe-state-coordinator-records-missing-site-6264215/
Govt May Not Send Excluded Children to Detention Centres if Parents Are in Final Assam NRC
https://thewire.in/law/assam-nrc-children-reprieve
New Delhi: The government has decided not to send to the detention centre, pending a final decision, the children who got excluded from the NRC in Assam but whose parents are included in the list, Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday.The Union Minister of State for Home, Nityananda Rai, said the approved standard operating procedures for disposal of claims and objections had specific provision for children who got left out from the draft NRC, while their parents had been included.“Attorney General for India stated on January 6th 2020 before the Supreme Court, that the children of parents included in NRC, Assam, will not be separated from their parents and sent to detention centre in Assam pending decision on the application,” he said in a written reply to a question.The NRC exercise was carried out in Assam under the supervision of the Supreme Court and around 19 lakh people did not find themselves in the final list published in August 2019.PTI
Puducherry becomes first UT to pass resolution against Citizenship Act
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/puducherry-assembly-passes-resolution-against-caa-6264182/
Chennai :Puducherry Legislative Assembly Wednesday passed a resolution against the contentious CAA and urged the Centre to withdraw the legislation, which has set off nationwide protests and led to over 25 deaths.The resolution, which was passed during a special one-day Assembly session, saw MLAs from All India NR Congress (AINRC) and AIADMK boycotting the proceedings of the House.Puducherry is the first Union Territory to pass a resolution against the CAA. Five state governments – Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh – have also passed resolutions against the contentious Act. All the states, along with Puducherry, are ruled by non-BJP governments. Last week, Madhya Pradesh Cabinet passed the resolution, urging the Centre to roll-back the CAA and withdraw new columns in the NPR and to update the population register only after that.Telangana government has also announced that it would not implement the CAA that has seen widespread protests across the country.indianexpress
Bihar: Kanhaiya Kumar's Convoy Attacked for 7th Time in 2 Weeks
https://thewire.in/politics/kanhaiya-kumar-bihar-attacked
Gaya: CPI leader Kanhaiya Kumar’s convoy was attacked again in Bihar on Tuesday and a Congress MLA’s car, which was also in the cavalcade, was vandalised by suspected BJP workers.This is the seventh attack on the convoy in two weeks, claimed organisers of the Kumar’s state-wide “Jan Gan Man Yatra” which began last month and is scheduled to conclude a fortnight later with a rally in the state capital.Later sharing the stage with a host of leaders from the opposition Grand Alliance at a public meeting, Kumar flayed the Modi government for the “divisive” CAA.PTI
Bidar Anti-CAA Play: Plea Filed in HC Against Interrogation of Minor Students
https://thewire.in/law/bidar-caa-play-karnataka-high-court-pil
New Delhi: A PIL has been filed in the Karnataka high court seeking action against Bidar police for ‘illegally examining and questioning’ minor school students who participated in a play against the CAA.The petition, filed by Nayana Jyothi Jawar and others, says the state police blatantly violated rule of law and various provisions under the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Juvenile Justice Act. “[The police] have interrogated the students aged merely 9 years to 12 years of Shaheen School in Bidar, creating mental trauma and fear in the children’s state of mind,” the petition reads, according to Bar & Bench.The petition also urges the court to direct the Karnataka Police to examine minors in accordance with the provisions of law.It may be recollected that students as young as nine years old were repeatedly interrogated by the Bidar police for participating in an anti-CAA play in their school. The Police had filed an FIR against the management of the school after Nilesh Rakshala, activist of ABVP, had filed a complaint on January 26. The “interrogation” only stopped after Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights criticised the Bidar district police for violating rules.Fareeda Begum, the headmistress of the school, and Najumunnisa, the mother of a student, were arrested by the police. The women are set to be in jail until at least February 14, after a district court judge adjourned the bail ordered.thewire
Deoband is Gangotri of terrorists, produced Hafiz Saeed, says Giriraj Singh
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/deoband-is-gangotri-of-terrorists-produced-hafiz-saeed-says-giriraj-singh-1645666-2020-02-12
Saharanpur:Union minister Giriraj Singh has said Uttar Pradesh's Deoband is a factory producing terrorists and termed it "aatankvaad ki Gangotri". Talking to the media in Saharanpur, where the Darul Uloom Deoband is situated, Giriraj said Deoband produces terrorists like Hafiz Saeed."I had once said earlier that Deoband is the Gangotri of terrorists. All most wanted terrorists of the world came from Deoband, including Hafiz Saeed or any of the others," said Giriraj Singh. Deoband has seen fierce anti-CAA protests by Muslim women over the past months and has faced attack from BJP leaders. Deoband is also home to the Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband."These people are not against CAA, they are against India. This is a kind of a khilafat movement," said Giriraj Singh, attacking the ongoing anti-CAA protests in Deoband.indiatoday
*J&K AND S. ASIA*
SC to hear plea against detention of Omar Abdullah under PSA tomorrow after judge recuses
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/supreme-court-petition-against-detention-of-omar-abdullah-under-psa-6263889/
New Delhi :The Supreme Court on Wednesday adjourned the hearing on a petition by Sara Abdullah Pilot challenging the detention of her brother and former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah under the PSA. The top court will hear the matter on Thursday after one of the three judges — Justice Mohan Shantanagoudar — recused from the hearing. The other two judges are Justices NV Ramana and Sanjiv Khanna.Abdullah and former CM Mehbooba Mufti were slapped with the PSA last week, six months after the J&K administration placed them under preventive detention following the scrapping of Article 370.In her petition, Sara Pilot termed Omar Abdullah’s detention under PSA “ex-facie mala fide for entirely political considerations”. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Sarah, had mentioned the Habeas Corpus plea for urgent listing.indianexpress
In PDP leader’s PSA file: Referred to Geelani book, criticised Amit Shah
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/pdp-leader-naeem-akhtar-syed-ali-geelani-psa-dossier-6263606/
Srinagar :ADVISING PEOPLE to read Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani’s autobiography to inspire them to “never give up the dream of education” and criticising the then BJP president Amit Shah’s speech are among the reasons cited by the J&K administration for invoking the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) against senior PDP leader Naeem Akhtar.In September 2016, when schools in the Valley had been shut for almost three months because of curfews and calls for shutdown by separatists, Akhtar, who was then the state education minister, had said at a teachers’ conference: “Everyone should read his (Geelani’s) book (Wular Kinaray), wherein he has documented his struggle right from early childhood. Despite immense hardship, he never gave up his dream of education, and his best days were spent as a teacher… Similarly, Mirwaiz (Umar Farooq) too overcame his personal struggle and completed his Ph.D. as an accomplished scholar. He never stopped the journey of education, come what may.”His statement has now been cited by the J&K Police in its PSA dossier. “His (Akhtar’s) leaning towards radical elements can be gathered from this statement dated 27/09/2016 in which he, as an education minister, advised people to read Geelani’s book, Wular Kinaray,” it says.indianexpress
PSA dossier on Mehbooba only slander; no solid argument: daughter Iltija
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/mehbooba-mufti-public-safety-act-psa-dossier-jammu-and-kashmir-6263509/
Srinagar :Terming PSA dossier against former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti as “slander”, her daughter Iltija Mufti said that the BJP “tasted power for a second time in Kashmir” — after the death of Mehbooba’s father Mufti Mohammed Sayeed — only because her mother was “daddy’s girl”, one of the terms used in the dossier against the PDP chief.Iltija said the police dossier and the “grounds of detention” under the stringent PSA should be objective, with solid arguments. Even if the administration had to accuse her mother of “something serious”, they should have been at least dignified, she said.“As a daughter, it is very painful for me to see such slander against my mother. It is appalling,” Iltija told The Indian Express. “They accuse my mother of being a ‘daddy’s girl’ — they used it to slander her — but had she not been a ‘daddy’s girl’ BJP would not have come to power again after Mufti-sahib’s death. My mother was unabashedly and unapologetically a ‘daddy’s girl’, and that is why BJP tasted power for the second time. We all know she honoured Mufti-sahib’s commitment. Otherwise, she was dithering for a good three months — she didn’t want to part of this (PDP-BJP) alliance”.indianexpress
*DELHI POLL RESULT*
Kejriwal To Take Oath On Sunday. "Delhi Is Invited," Says AAP
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/arvind-kejriwal-to-take-oath-as-delhi-chief-minister-on-sunday-at-delhis-ramlila-maidan-2178870?pfrom=home-topscroll
Arvind Kejriwal, who returned to power in Delhi with his stunning election victory, will take oath as the Chief Minister of Delhi for the third consecutive term on Sunday, February 16. The oath-taking ceremony will take place at Ramlila Maidan. Mr Kejriwal will be sworn in along with his team of ministers."We will be holding the oath-taking ceremony on Sunday at 10 am... Everyone in Delhi is invited to come and bless their son, their brother, Arvind Kejriwal and take an oath for a better Delhi," stop AAP leader Manish Sisodia said during a press conference along with Mr Kejriwal. Kejriwal, 51, met Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal this morning. The meeting at Lieutenant Governor's residence lasted for around 15 minutes. Sources said the two discussed the oath-taking ceremony which could take place over the weekend.While cabinet portfolios have not been announcement, there is a buzz that Raghav Chadha will be made Finance Minister and Atishi, Education Minister, in Mr Kejriwal's new cabinet.Mr Kejriwal's AAP had a landslide victory, winning 62 of 70 seats in the Delhi assembly in the face of a high-voltage campaign by the BJP, which fielded a battery of Union Ministers and Chief Ministers in its campaign, spearheaded by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. BJP was confined to a single-digit score, 8 seats, but an improvement on its 2015 tally of three.ndtv
Time for Kejriwal to incorporate ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ recitation in schools, madrasas in Delhi: BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/bjp-kailash-vijayvargiya-arvind-kjriwal-hanuman-chalisa-delhi-schools-madrasa-6264012/
New Delhi :A day after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP won the assembly elections with a huge majority, BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya Wednesday congratulated him and suggested him to incorporate recitation of ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ in schools, madrasas and other educational institutions.Vijaywargiya took to Twitter to say whoever comes to Lord Hanuman, they get his blessings. “Arvind Kejriwal ji ko jeet kee badhai! Nishchit hi jo hanumanaji ki sharan mein aata hai use aashirvaad milta hai. Ab samay aa gaya hai ki hanuman chaalisa ka paath Delhi ke sabhi vidyaalayon, madraso sahit sabhi shaikshanik sansthaanon mein bhi jaroori ho. Bajarangabali ki kripa se ab Delhi vaasi bachche kyon vanchit rahein? (Kejriwal ji, congratulations on winning! Surely who comes to Hanumanji, they get his blessings. Now the time has come that Hanuman Chalisa must be recited in all schools, madrasas and other educational institutions in Delhi. Why should Delhi children be deprived of the blessings of Bajrangbali?)” he tweeted.indianexpress
AAP MLA Naresh Yadav shot at, Delhi Police detain one person
https://scroll.in/latest/952872/one-volunteer-dead-after-shots-fired-at-aap-mla-naresh-yadav-says-party
Delhi Police detained a 38-year-old man on Wednesday in connection with the shooting at MLA-elect Naresh Yadav’s convoy in the city’s Kishangarh area the night before, PTI reported. An AAP volunteer, identified as Ashok Mann, was killed in the incident. The incident occurred hours after the party swept the Delhi elections, winning 62 of the Capital’s 70 seats. Yadav was elected from Mehrauli.Initial investigation by the police has revealed that three people were involved in the shooting, Indian Express reported. The person detained had a personal enmity with Mann and the firing had nothing do with politics, the police added. The police are looking for the other two accused.“The accused and the deceased had an old personal dispute,” said an unidentified police official. “The accused’s nephew had received bullet injuries in 2019 after he was shot at. The accused suspected the deceased to be behind the 2019 incident. He had also threatened the deceased 15 days back.”scroll
‘BJP Ko Current Laga’: Amanatullah Silences Haters With Huge Win
https://www.thequint.com/news/india/bjp-current-aap-amanatullah-khan-wins-okhla-seat-by-highest-margin-delhi-elections-2020-shaheen-bagh-jamia-millia-islamia?fbclid=IwAR1DiQRtlpKFM54Sk1nPfptJoqPXdodbYSSjr5BcxCrGifBjQL12sVJ-xfw
“BJP left no stone unturned to spread hate. This is a win for the two crore people of Delhi. The people have given current to Amit Shah and his party,” said AAP’s Amanatullah Khan, who won from the Okhla seat.Khan’s win from Okhla, where two epicentres of anti-CAA protests — Shaheen Bagh and Jamia Millia Islamia are located — comes as a sore defeat for BJP.Khan defeated BJP’s Brahm Singh and won Okhla with a margin of over 88,497 votes on Tuesday, 11 February — one of the highest margins by which any candidate has won in this election.While talking about his lead in the initial trends, Khan said that the people have voted for politics of development.“The votes have gone towards development. AAP worked with everyone together. We practised the politics of love, and not hate. Today, development has won over politics, ”Amanatullah Khan.For Khan, winning the seat is a strong comeback, particularly against the backdrop of hate speech by BJP ministers and two shooting incidents in the area.thequint
After Congress scores zero in Assembly polls, PC Chako resigns as Delhi in-charge
https://indianexpress.com/elections/p-c-chako-delhi-congress-chief-resigns-6264278/
New Delhi :A day after his party suffered a humiliating defeat in the Assembly elections, Delhi Congress in-charge P C Chako on Wednesday tendered his resignation to the top leadership. Congress failed to get even a single seat in the 70-member House and saw its vote share drop from 9 per cent in the 2015 Assembly elections to 4.26 per cent this time. In fact, this was their lowest vote share since the first state election in 1993.In all 70 seats, the party did not even manage to place second. Prior to AAP’s victory in 2013, Congress had governed the state for 15 years.indianexpress
*OTHERS*
Over 430 Dalits convert to Islam in Coimbatore's Mettupalayam citing injustice, more conversions underway
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/dalits-convert-islam-coimbatore-hindu-discrimination-injustice-1645564-2020-02-12
Chennai:Post the tragic incident in Mettupalayam, Coimbatore, where a wall collapsed and led to the death of 17 Dalits, close to 3,000 people from Dalit community announced that they were to convert to Islam.Illavenil, the state secretary of the Tamil Puligal Katchi, told India Today that legally 430 people have converted to Islam and many more are in the process of the conversion. On December 2, after heavy rains lashed Mettupalayam and the surrounding regions, a wall which was claimed by protesters in the region to be the "wall of discrimination" collapsed on three houses and killed 17 people. This was the breaking point for many Dalits in the region who claimed that they have been regularly discriminated. Mohammed Abubaker, originally known as Marx, converted to Islam soon after December 2 event. "We converted to Islam all because of the prevailing caste injustice and untouchability. For example, any dalit who is underprivileged could not enter into Mariamman [Durga] temple. Tea shops have discrimination here. We can't sit with other people equally in the government bus," said Mohammed.Illavenil, who has converted to Islam, said, "We decided to leave Hinduism according to what Ambedkar said. I need to lose my identity, which means I need to get rid of the caste remarks such as Pallar, Parayar, Sakkriyar. I can live with self-dignity only when I shed this cast-based identity. While following Hinduism because of our caste, we aren't even treated like humans."Another youngster named Sarath Kumar who converted to Islam and changed his name to Abdhuallah said, "While 17 of our people were dead, no Hindu voiced for us. Only the Muslim brothers stood with us and protested for us. Where is Arjun Sampath who said that he would voice for the Hindus who are persecuted? Where is that leader? Our Muslim brothers invite us to their houses. Hindus never called us. Would you make me enter the common temple? We could enter any mosque though. I have visited four to five mosques after converting. I worship god there with all levels of people. But would you permit me to enter Mariamman temple and seek god?"In regions like Coimbatore where these mass conversions are underway, there has been several reported cases of discrimination right from entry into temples to discrimination at the burial ground to discrimination towards Dalits at tea shops and public space.They are still called by their caste names. Though many have shied away from raising their voices against this, the younger generation seems to be more vocal.Most of these youngsters have repeatedly spoken about how their complaints to officials have gone unheard and as the struggle for living with a little self-respect has become a herculean task, religious conversion seems like an easy option for a new beginning.indiatoday
CBI bribery case: Why bigger accused roaming free, says Delhi court after clean chit to Rakesh Asthana
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/cbi-bribery-case-rakesh-asthana-devender-kumar-clean-chit-6264015/
A Delhi court Wednesday expressed displeasure over CBI’s investigation into a bribery and extortion case against its former Special Director Rakesh Asthana and others, asking why the accused with a bigger role in the case were roaming free while the agency arrested its own DSP.Special CBI Judge Sanjeev Aggarwal said, “Why are certain accused who seem to have a bigger role in the case were roaming free while the CBI arrested its own DSP?”CBI gave a clean chit to Rakesh Asthana and DSP Devender Kumar on Tuesday. Filing a chargesheet in the case, which was registered on directions of former CBI director Alok Verma, who was then locked in a turf war with Asthana, the CBI has dropped both as accused. DSP Devender Kumar is on bail in the matter.In its chargesheet filed before Special CBI Judge Sanjeev Kumar, the agency has, however, arraigned alleged middleman Manoj Prasad as an accused in the case and said that the probe against his brother — Somesh Prasad – and one Sunil Mittal is yet to be concluded.indianexpress
Pay More For LPG Cylinder From Today As Rates Hiked For 6th Straight Time
https://www.ndtv.com/business/lpg-cylinder-rate-today-feb-12-non-subsidised-lpg-rate-hiked-by-rs-144-5-149-per-cylinder-in-metros-2178857?pfrom=home-topscroll
Non-subsidised LPG or cooking gas prices were increased from Wednesday. That marked a sixth straight raise in the prices of cooking gas. In Delhi and Mumbai, the hike was to the tune of Rs 144.5 and Rs 145 per cylinder respectively, according to Indian Oil Corporation, which supplies LPG under brand Indane. With effect from February 12, the non-subsidised LPG rates were revised to Rs 858.5 per cylinder in Delhi and Rs 829.5 per cylinder in Mumbai.ndtv
"5 To 7 Million People From Airport To Stadium": Trump On Ahmedabad Visit
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/donald-trump-ahead-of-india-visit-look-forward-to-going-to-india-2178772?pfrom=home-topstories
Washington: US President Donald Trump has said that he is looking forward to his first visit to India later this month and indicated that the two countries may sign a trade deal.At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Donald Trump is slated to travel to India on February 24 and 25. In addition to New Delhi, he will stop in Ahmedabad in Gujarat to address a joint public meeting with PM Modi at a stadium."He (Modi) is a great gentleman and I look forward to going to India. So, we'll be going at the end of the month," President Trump told reporters in his Oval Office, a day after the White House announced dates of his anticipated India trip.Responding to a question, the president indicated that he is willing to sign a trade deal with India if it is the right one."They (Indians) want to do something and we'll see... if we can make the right deal, (we) will do it," said President Trump, a fortnight ahead of his visit to the country as the 45th US president.India's new Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu told news agency Press Trust of India that Trump's forthcoming visit is a "reflection of the strong personal rapport" between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi.PTI
"Kem Chho, Trump": Mega Ahmedabad Welcome Planned For US President
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/kem-chho-trump-mega-ahmedabad-welcome-planned-for-us-president-2178971
Mumbai police chief’s family firm got digital project just before Maharashtra elections
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/mumbai-police-chief-sanjay-barve-maharashtra-elections-devendra-fadnavis-government-6263574/
Mumbai :Days before the Maharashtra polls, the state Home department, led by the then Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, issued an order allotting work of digitisation of Mumbai police’s official records to a private company owned by the son and wife of Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Barve.According to official documents, the department, informed Barve’s office on October 7, 2019 that proposal to allot the digitisation work to CrispQ Information Technologies Pvt Ltd (CITPL) for 5 years had been accorded the government’s approval. CrispQ had offered its services pro bono. The letter further directed the Police Commissioner’s office to finalise the number of units and files that could be covered under the work.Police officials confirmed the government’s communication had been processed, but said the project had not been initiated owing to “technical issues”.indianexpress
India among 120 countries that CIA spied on for decades using Swiss encryption firm: Report
https://scroll.in/latest/952902/india-among-120-countries-that-cia-spied-on-for-decades-using-swiss-encryption-firm-report
American and German intelligence agencies secretly bought a Swiss company that sold encryption devices to governments across the world, and added weaknesses in these devices to eavesdrop on other countries for decades, a report by Washington Post and German broadcaster ZDF has revealed.Since World War II, the company Crypto AG sold encrypted devices to more than 120 countries, including India, the report published on Tuesday said. Iran, military juntas in Latin America, Pakistan, and the Vatican were among at least 62 clients identified in the files. It is not exactly clear what India sent to its missions overseas and how much of it was spied on by US and erstwhile West Germany.China and the Soviet Union, which did not trust the company, did not use these devices. But the CIA still learnt many things by using the communication between these two and other countries that had bought Crypto’s devices.scroll
Can't Keep Rohingya in Jail After Completion of Sentence, Calcutta HC Tells WB Govt
https://thewire.in/law/rohingya-foreigners-act-jail
Kolkata: The Calcutta high court on Tuesday told the West Bengal government that it cannot keep four Rohingya nationals, who had entered India illegally, in correctional homes after the completion of their jail term.A division bench comprising Chief Justice T.B.N. Radhakrishnan and Justice Arijit Banerjee directed that they may be kept in open places, under surveillance if required, till their repatriation to Myanmar.The bench directed the West Bengal and Union governments to file a report on February 26 on the progress in repatriation of the four Rohingya.During the hearing, the bench verbally observed that the court may think of formulating a plan for the stay of the four persons till they are repatriated, if the process takes time.PTI
Andhra man hangs himself fearing he contracted coronavirus
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/hyderabad/andhra-pradesh-man-kills-himself-coronavirus-fear-6264383/
Hyderabad :A 50-year-old man from Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh killed himself after he suspected that had contracted coronavirus, which has killed more than 1,000 people in China, the epicentre of the outbreak. The man, identified as K Balakrishna, was found hanging from a tree on Tuesday morning.Balakrishna’s family members said he had fever for the last few days and believed that he had contracted coronavirus. They said Balakrishna took the extreme step to prevent his family members from contracting the virus. Balakrishna, who hailed from Seshamnaidu Kandriga village in Chittoor, had visited Sri Venkateswara Ramnarain Ruia Government General Hospital (SVRRGGH) in Tirupati last week. Doctors there said he was suffering from a viral infection and advised medication.indianexpress
*WORLD*
Afghan president says Pompeo reports progress in US-Taliban talks
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/afghan-president-pompeo-reports-progress-taliban-talks-200212033459051.html
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said on Tuesday he was told by the US Secretary of State that "notable progress" had been made during continuing talks between the United States and the Taliban.In a post on Twitter, Ghani wrote that Mike Pompeo had informed him in a telephone call that the Taliban had made a proposal "with regards to bringing a significant and enduring reduction in violence," as US aims to strike a deal to withdraw its troops from the war-torn country.Ghani's tweet indicated a possible breakthrough in US-Taliban talks in Qatar, which have been deadlocked in part over a US demand that the armed group agree to significantly reduce violence as part of any American troop withdrawal accord.US President Donald Trump has made a withdrawal of the 13,000 US service members from Afghanistan a significant foreign policy objective. An agreement with the Taliban could boost Trump's re-election prospects this November."US talks with the Taliban in Doha continue around the specifics of a reduction in violence," a State Department spokesperson said on Tuesday.Taliban officials were not immediately available to comment.In his tweet, Ghani wrote that Pompeo told him "of the notable progress made in the ongoing peace talks with the Taliban."The Secretary informed me about the Taliban's proposal with regards to bringing a significant and enduring reduction in violence," he continued, adding in another tweet, "This is a welcoming development."Ghani, who did not disclose details of the proposal, appeared to take credit for the development, writing that "our principal position on peace thus far has begun to yield fruitful results."aljazeera
Sanders wins in New Hampshire, narrowly beating Buttigieg
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/polls-close-hampshire-key-state-awaits-results-200211233057787.html
Concord, New Hampshire - United States Senator Bernie Sanders declared victory in New Hampshire on Tuesday night after he narrowly beat Pete Buttigieg in the state's Democratic primary. Sanders, who led the polls going into the vote, had 26 percent with nearly all the precincts reporting. Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Buttigieg followed with 24.4 percent and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar had 19.7 percent."Let me thank the people of New Hampshire for the great victory tonight," Sanders, a progressive, told supporters. "This victory here is the beginning of the end for Donald Trump," the 78-year-old self-described democratic socialist said as the crowd roared in support. Despite a modest turnout, Sanders generated enough voter excitement to emerge as the new Democratic frontrunner - with former Vice President Joe Biden leaving the state early to South Carolina.aljazeera
*views, Articles, FEATURES*
New winner, same game:AAP win provides relief, hope. But by ignoring ideological questions, party remains within BJP’s framework:Suhas Palshikar
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/delhi-election-results-aap-arvind-kejriwal-bjp-6263301/
Why RSS would be smiling at Kejriwal's sweep even if Delhi election is setback for BJP | Mukesh Rawat
https://www.indiatoday.in/news-analysis/story/rss-arvind-kejriwal-hanuman-bhakt-aap-2020-delhi-election-result-bjp-hindutva-1645711-2020-02-12
Why Delhi poll results are to be seen as polarised despite AAP's huge win:Apoorvanand
https://www.business-standard.com/article/elections/why-delhi-poll-results-are-to-be-seen-as-polarised-despite-aap-s-huge-win-120021101180_1.html
A Decade After His Murder, No Convictions in Shahid Azmi Case Yet:Mahtab Alam
https://thewire.in/law/shahid-azmi-murder-case-trial
Explained: For AAP 2.0, what is the challenge ahead?
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/delhi-election-result-aam-aadmi-party-arvind-kejriwal-6263313/
Modi-Shah duo proving recipe for disaster for BJP in states:Soroor Ahmed
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/modi-shah-duo-proving-recipe-for-disaster-for-bjp-in-states
‘AAP proves it’s bullet-proof’: What newspapers said about Kejriwal’s massive win in Delhi elections
https://scroll.in/latest/952883/aap-proves-its-bullet-proof-what-newspapers-said-about-kejriwals-massive-win-in-delhi-elections
National Population Register Has No Proper Legal Backing and May Be Ultra Vires:P.D.T. Achary
https://thewire.in/law/national-population-register-nrc-citizenship-act
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 2:31 PM).
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