08 Feb. 2020: 13 Jamadi-2, 1441: Vol: 12, No: 126
*DELHI POLLS*
All exit polls show Kejriwal's hat-trick in Delhi
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/pollofpolls-at-6-32-pm-aap-set-to-retain-delhi-show-initial-exit-polls-2177189
New Delhi: All Delhi Assembly Election 2020 exit polls have predicted that AAP will retain power with a comfortable majority. BJP, however, will improve its 2015 Delhi election tally of 3, exit polls have said. This implies Arvind Kejriwal may get another term as Delhi CM. Union Minister Amit Shah has called a meeting of Delhi BJP members of parliament. Meanwhile, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari has said the exit polls will prove to be inaccurate. Delhi voted today to decide if Kejriwal's AAP will return to power or whether the BJP will make a comeback after 20 years out of power in the capital. The Congress, which had not won any seat in 70-strong assembly in 2015, is also hoping against all odds to stage a comeback. The results of the election will be declared on Tuesday. AAP is set for a hat-trick in Delhi with around 52 seats, predicted NDTV's poll of exit poll. An aggregate of six exit polls also said BJP will win 17 of Delhi's 70 seats and the Congress, just one. Health warning - exit polls often get it wrong. Times Now predicted 44 seats for AAP and 26 for the BJP. News X-Neta predicted 53-57 seats for AAP and 11-17 for BJP. Republic TV-Jan Ki Baat gives AAP between 48 and 61 seats and BJP, between nine and 21 seats.A party needs 36 in the Delhi assembly for a majority.AAP won 67 seats in 2015; since then the party has conceded one seat to BJP in a bypoll and six of its lawmakers have been disqualified after joining other parties.Most polls have given the Congress, which ruled Delhi for three straight terms before AAP came to power, between one and 3 seats.If exit polls prove correct, Kejriwal's party is set to lose around 16 seats since its 2015 sweep. This election is Delhi's first since massive protests erupted nearly 2 months ago over controversial CAA, which, critics say, violates India's secular constitution and discriminates against Muslims.ndtv
Delhi: Average of exit polls see AAP forming govt with comfortable majority, BJP a distant second
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/delhi-elections-average-of-exit-polls-see-aap-forming-govt-with-comfortable-majority-bjp-a-distant-second
Delhi Voting : Voting officially concludes, recording a voter turnout of over 57%
https://indianexpress.com/elections/delhi-election-2020-voting-live-updates-aap-bjp-congress-6256829/
New Delhi:Nearly 57% voter turnout has been recorded till 6 pm Saturday as people of Delhi queued up to cast their votes for Assembly polls. The turnout has been low considering an hour is left to conclude voting. The city recorded 14.75 per cent voter turnout in the first 3 hours of polling which began at 8 am. Voting will officially conclude at 6 pm. To ensure safe polling, Delhi Police has deployed at least 40,000 personnel, 19,000 home guards, and 190 companies of paramilitary forces across Delhi. Apart from this, Delhi Police have also set up checking drives and flying squads, along with patrolling on boats in Yamuna. Special security arrangements have been made at anti-CAA protest sites like Shaheen Bagh with the help of volunteers. On Friday, at least 3 SHOs of South East district were stationed at Shaheen Bagh, and the layers of barricades leading up to the site were guarded by the paramilitary force.indianexpress
Delhi Elections: AAP likely to win big but people fear EVM tampering
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/delhi-elections-2020-aap-likely-to-win-big-but-people-fear-evm-tampering?fbclid=IwAR0xvwCkDgFKcWPPD0NdCGJex7fmAT8uFQp4AS_vINEWcC8TmOauh3Nz5_8
Ahead of Delhi elections, Shiv Sena praises Kejriwal for AAP govt’s ‘ideal’ work
https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/ahead-of-delhi-elections-shiv-sena-praises-arvind-kejriwal-for-aap-Govts-ideal-work/1859670/?fbclid=IwAR1YJ64FCJg_pmmwUBt_ono-8cKHiGHq6SWBztDnnYIZ2HYgCWlc8lR5wjc
Mumbai:A day before the Delhi Assembly polls, the Shiv Sena on Friday heaped praises on CM Arvind Kejriwal for his Govt’s “ideal” work in the last 5 ears, and said the Centre should have replicated the ‘Delhi model’ of development in other states.Sena said PM Narendra Modi or Union Home Minister Amit Shah should have felicitated Kejriwal for fulfilling the promises in Delhi, but instead of doing that senior BJP leaders and ministers are raking up ‘Hindu vs Muslim’ issue in a bid to win the elections.PTI
Vote for BJP if Delhi has to be saved from becoming 'Islamic state': Giriraj Singh
https://www.aninews.in/news/national/politics/vote-for-bjp-if-delhi-has-to-be-saved-from-becoming-islamic-state-giriraj-singh20200208115449/
Union Minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh on Saturday urged people to vote for BJP to save Delhi from becoming an "Islamic state"."Shaheen Bagh supporters have come out to vote for Kejriwal. My appeal to people of Delhi is that if Shaheen Bagh has to be stopped... if Delhi has to be saved from becoming an Islamic state, then go out and vote for the BJP," Singh tweeted.ANI
Giriraj accused of distributing money on eve of polling
https://caravandaily.com/giriraj-singh-accused-of-distributing-money-on-eve-of-polling/
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh has alleged that Union Minister Giriraj Singh was distributing money ahead of polls in Rithala assembly seat of Delhi.In a tweet in Hindi, he said the BJP has decided to make its 240 MPs stay in different Constituencies to distribute money and alcohol.“Giriraj Singh has been caught distributing money in Budh Vihar Phase 1 in Rithala Vidhan Sabha. BJP has given the responsibility of distributing money and liquor to its MPs in different assemblies. Election Commission should take strict action,” Sanjay Singh tweeted in Hindi with photos.IANS
Delhi polls: Of 12,000 complaints, EC solved 11,000 within 100 minutes or less
https://indianexpress.com/elections/delhi-assembly-elections-ec-solved-complaints-6256794/
During the course of campaigning for Assembly polls, Delhi CEO office received over 12,000 complaints of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) violation on cVigil app, of which 11,000 were resolved within the stipulated 100 minutes. indianexpress
Delhi: 1 men on a bike fire 4 rounds in Jaffrabad area a day before polls
https://scroll.in/latest/952495/delhi-two-men-on-a-bike-fire-four-rounds-in-jaffrabad-area-a-day-before-polls-says-report
2 men on a motorbike fired 4 rounds in Delhi’s Jaffrabad area on Friday, just a day before the city-state goes to polls. No one was injured in incident.Police officers said that the men, both wearing helmets, shot twice at a garments shop and then fired two rounds in the open. The police claimed they suspected personal enmity was the reason for the violence.However, shop owner, Shabir Khan, 50, who lives in Babarpur, said he has no enmity with anyone. “My brother Murtaza Khan and I run this shop together. We don’t owe any money to anybody.” They said the incident took place just as residents of the area were about to offer their afternoon prayers.Scroll/HT
*anti-CAA,NRC-NPR stir*
'Voted to secure democracy': Shaheen Bagh's women go to polling booth in batches to keep protest alive
https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/india-news-voted-to-secure-democracy-shaheen-baghs-women-go-to-polling-booth-in-batches-to-keep-protest-alive/346982
On a sit-in for over a month against CAA, women protesters at Shaheen Bagh voted in batches on Saturday so that the agitation remains unaffected.While some of the women voted in the morning, others chose to get their fingers inked in the afternoon and the remaining in the evening.Mehzabeen Qureshi, who returned to the protest site after voting said, "I stayed at home to let other women in the house go out and vote. Now I have joined them here at Shaheen Bagh after voting. I voted today to secure democracy".Zaheeda Khan, another resident of Shaheen Bagh, said they decided to vote in batches."The women here had decided a day before voting that some of them would go out for voting in the morning, while others will stay back for chores. The others will go in the afternoon and then come back to the protest site."By the evening, we will be a full house again, all geared up to continue our protest," she said.Zahra Sheikh said they are determined to exercise their right to vote as it is crucial for a democracy.In the meantime, menfolk from Shaheen Bagh filled in at the protest site when the women protestors were away completing domestic chores.PTI
Plea in Delhi HC challenges police requisition for temporary jail to detain anti-CAA protesters
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/plea-in-delhi-hc-challenges-police-requisition-for-temporary-jail-to-detain-anti-caa-protesters/articleshow/74012109.cms
A plea was moved in Delhi high court on Friday challenging the police's letter seeking permission from the Govt to turn Jangli Ram Pahalwan Stadium into a "temporary jail" for anti-CAA protestors on the assembly election day. Petition was mentioned before a bench of chief justice DN Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar and it agreed to list the matter for hearing on Feb. 10.The plea by a social activist apprehended that his voting right as well as that of other protestors will be curbed in the wake of Delhi Police's requisition given to the principal secretary (Home) for setting up a temporary jail at stadium in Kanjhawala for accommodating those who may be detained enmass without any reasonable basis.Petitioner Jafar Ahsan Karimi sought direction to the principal secretary (home) to recall the letter or the approval order, if any, for the requisition given by the police on Jan.29 as it is arbitrary.The petition, filed through advocates Rahul Yadav, Rashid N Azam and Mujeeb Ur Rehman, said setting up of a mass detention centre especially during the polls and on the voting day would adversely affect the conduct of free and fair elections.The plea claimed that the peaceful protests are being carried out for over 50 days and there has been no violence from the side of protestors except a few incidents where people have tried to attack the protestors using fire arms.PTI
Supreme Court defers pleas seeking removal of Shaheen Bagh protesters till Monday
https://www.dnaindia.com/delhi/report-supreme-court-defers-pleas-seeking-removal-of-shaheen-bagh-protesters-till-monday-2812617
The Supreme Court has deferred the pleas seeking removal of agitators from South East Delhi's Shaheen Bagh. The top court cited Delhi elections for the postponement and will now conduct the hearing on Feb. 10.“We understand there is a problem. We'll take it up on Monday. By then, we will be in a better position,” said a bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and KM Joseph. Reportedly, one of the lawyers requested the Bench that the matter should be heard urgently as Delhi elections were on Feb. 8, to which the bench responded, “this is exactly why we will hear it on Monday. Why should we hear it before the election?”The pleas were submitted by advocate and social activist Amit Sahni and BJP's Nand Kishore Garg. On Jan. 14, the Delhi High Court directed the traffic police to review the restrictions on the imposed along the Kalindi Kunj-Shaheen Bagh stretch.dnaindia
Shaheen Bagh to be clear post polls?
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/videos/shaheen-bagh-to-be-clear-post-polls
SC Suo Moto on Shaheen Bagh Infant's Death: Why SC Didn't Bother about Killing of 20 Peaceful Protesters in UP, Asks Prashant Bhushan
http://www.indiatomorrow.net/eng/sc-suo-moto-on-shaheen-bagh-infants-death-why-sc-didnt-bother-about-killing-of-20-peaceful-protesters-in-up-asks-prashant-bhushan
New Delhi:After the Supreme Court on Friday took suo moto cognizance of involvement of children in anti-CAA protests in the wake of death of an infant in Shaheen Bagh, senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan has asked why the top court did not bother about killing of over 20 peaceful protesters in police firing in UP and police battering of students at Jamia Millia Islamia and AMU. The SC has taken suo moto cognizance of the involvement of children and infants in demonstrations and agitations against CAA in view of the death of a four-month old infant on Jan. 30 at Shaheen Bagh in Delhi. The court took the cognizance following a letter written by a student to CJI SA Bobde, urging the apex court’s intervention on the issue. In her complaint, the seventh-grader urged the top court to frame guidelines to disallow children and infants from participating in protests and agitations, while directing police and appropriate authorities to investigate the death of the infant.The matter is listed before the bench on Feb 10. Commenting on it, Bhushan tweeted: “Amazing that SC does not bother about more than 20 people killed by police firing on peaceful protestors, masked goons beating up students at JNU, abetted by police, police battering students at Jamia & AMU, but takes suo moto notice of infant's death at Shaheen!”indiatomorrow
Anti-CAA protests: In Deoband, admin panel faces ‘go back’ chants from protesters
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/anti-caa-protests-in-deoband-admin-panel-faces-go-back-chants-from-protesters-6256764/
Lucknow:A Committee formed by district administration to convince women sitting on protest against CAA-NRC in Deoband area of Saharanpur to call off their sit-in faced chants of “go back”. A sit-in by women has been going on at Eidgah ground under the Deoband police station for past 11 days.One of the committee members, Jamal Ansari, son of Municipal Chairman Zia-ud-din Ansari, said the women did not listen to the committee members. “We had gone there on Thursday and were met with slogans of ‘go back’. The women threw their bangles at us and we had to retreat,” claimed Ansari. “The committee, which has 11 members, was formed by the district administration and police to speak to people about CAA-NRC. We had gone there on the directions of police and district administration. The committee has some clerics, political leaders and intellectuals,” Ansari added.Saharanpur DM AK Pandey said, “The committee is an informal one formed to convince the women to call off the protest. They had gone there but the women refused to speak to them and asked them to wear bangles that they gave the committee members.” The protestors have formed a panel called Murtahida Khawatin Committee for the purpose of coordination with media for disbursement of information. The committee is run by four women. “It is a matter of our children and their future. Women have come in large numbers and it is important we become a part of this resistance”, said one of the members.indianexpress
Deoband: Women at anti-CAA rally chant ‘go back’, throw bangles at dignitaries
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/city/lucknow/deoband-women-at-anti-caa-rally-chant-go-back-throw-bangles-at-dignitaries/videoshow/74024419.cms
Never issued any statement on calling off anti-CAA protest: Darul Uloom Deoband V-C
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/darul-uloom-deoband-caa-protest-statement-6256580/?fbclid=IwAR39H0P9lOoFnSw9p-2zivteusVekkW4iLosHpgJiXNG_9mblKINPOm6ACk
Darul Uloom Deoband V-C has denied making any statement asking women protesters to call off their protest against contentious CAA and NRC. Protest against CAA and NRC are currently being held at the Idgah ground in UP’s Deoband.“My statement on protest has been wrongly presented. It is being clarified that Deoband has not issued any statement on calling off the protests,” V-C Mufti Abul Kasim Nomani said.In a statement, Darul Uloom said that it is not satisfied with the Govt’s statement saying that no decision has been made yet regarding the implementation of NRC across the country.“We should continue our peaceful protest until the govt gives assurance on rolling back CAA and never implementing NRC. Darul Uloom has already sent a memorandum to president of India and CJI against the CAA,” it said.The clarification by Nomani comes after media reports stated that V-C had issued an appeal to protesting women to end their protest as the Govt had already said that no decision has been taken yet to implement nationwide NRC.indianexpress
Dec.20 violence in Bijnor: Looking into Cong leader’s role, says police
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/december-20-violence-in-bijnor-looking-into-cong-leaders-role-says-police-6256765/
Bijnor police are probing the role of district Congress president Sherbaaz Khan for allegedly inciting people that led to violence during a CAA-NRC protest on December 20 in which two persons had died and 26 others, including 20 policemen, were injured.Police said Sherbaaz is suspected to have instigated people involved in the violence. His alleged role cropped up during questioning of those arrested after the violence, claimed police.Police had picked up Sherbaaz on Wednesday and questioned him on the basis of the inputs. He was later let off with an instruction that he should appear before the SIT investigating violence cases when called.“We are probing role of Sherbaaz…It is suspected that he instigated the protesters,”said Bijnor SP Sanjeev Tyagi.Sherbaaz Khan, who has nine criminal cases against him, had unsuccessfully contested the 2017 Assembly elections on Congress ticket from Chandpur seat in Bijnor.indianexpress
'15-yr' boy spends 42 days in Lucknow jail for anti-CAA stir, cops ask him to add years to actual age
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/minor-spends-42-days-in-jail-for-anti-caa-stir/articleshow/74018151.cms
Lucknow: A 15-year-old boy spent 42 days in jail in connection with December 19 anti-CAA violence in Lucknow after police told him “ umar badha ke batao (add years to your actual age)”, forcing him to say he was 18 “out of fear”,his lawyer alleged.The minor’s advocate, Yashab Husain Rizvi, said when he was assembling documents to prepare a reply to a recovery notice served to the minor by the Govt seeking compensation for damages allegedly caused by him, his Aadhaar card revealed his age as 15 years.Advocate Yashab Husain Rizvi filed a complaint with the Lucknow police commissioner, seeking to know why the teenager had not been tried under the Juvenile Justice Act and was kept in a jail instead of a juvenile home. It also sought that Hazratganj police be tried for “illegal action”. The minor, a resident of Malda district in West Bengal, had 15 charges slapped on him, including attempt to murder and rioting with deadly weapon. He told TOI on Friday,“They took me to the police station and told me ‘umar bada ke batao.’ So, out of fear, I told them I was 18.”“It is not our prerogative to enquire about the person’s age . It is for the court to determine the age ,” said inspector of Hazratganj police station,Dhirendra Kushwaha.TOI
'Missing': Cong questions Akhilesh's silence over police action against anti-CAA protesters in Azamgarh
https://www.news18.com/news/politics/missing-cong-questions-akhileshs-silence-over-police-action-against-anti-caa-protesters-in-azamgarh-2492813.html
Lucknow: After the recent crackdown by Azamgarh district administration against anti-CAA protesters, the district unit of Congress minority cell has put up ‘missing’ posters of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, who is also the member of Parliament from Azamgarh. Posters have dotted the localities from Musafirkhana to Collectrate area, questioning the silence of SP chief on action against protesters, including women.The missing posters show a picture of Yadav with a black tape on his mouth questioning his silence over the action against those protesting the amended Citizenship Law and the proposed NRC. “Why is Akhilesh Yadav silent on action against Muslim women? He is missing from Azamgarh since the 2019 Lok Sabha Polls,” posters read.news18
FIR against 25 in Moradabad; Notices in Aligarh
https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/fir-against-25-people-in-moradabad/article30766751.ece
A volatile situation was defused in time in Moradabad on Thursday when a team of the district information department faced the ire of protesters holding a sit-in against CAA. DD (Information) Jahanagir Alam along with three members of his team had gone to the Idgah ground in Galshaheed area of Moradabad to distribute pro-CAA pamphlets among the protesters.According to Amit Anand, SO(City), some protesters stopped the team from doing its work and Mukul Kumar, the driver, was confined and beaten up. They allegedly questioned him in a threatening tone and snatched his cell phone. “The team was rescued by the police and the phone recovered. Extra force had to be rushed to the protest site. An FIR has been registered on Friday against two named and around 25 unnamed persons,” he told The Hindu.“The protest is being run by common people. There is no single leader. It has been more than a week, and they are showing great maturity,” said Masood Hashmi, a leader of the Samajwadi Party’s youth wing.In Aligarh, the administration has begun issuing notices against around 1,000 persons under 107/116 of the CrPC for inciting people to indulge in violence. Hundreds of women are sitting on a dharna at the Idgah ground in the city’s Shahjamal area against the CAA-NRC.Salman Imtiaz, former AMU Students’ Union president, who lives in the city area, said it was a way to create fear in the minds of protesters.thehindu
Rampur court grants bail to 15 anti-CAA protesters
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bareilly/rampur-court-grants-bail-to-15-anti-caa-protesters/articleshow/74015346.cms
Rampur: A court in Rampur has given bail to 15 anti-CAA protesters on Friday. The district and sessions judge Alka Srivastava accepted the bail pleas and directed that they be released after furnishing two bail bonds of Rs 1 lakh each. The protesters were arrested by police for their alleged involvement in the December 21 anti-CAA violence in Rampur.District Govt counsel Dalwinder Singh told TOI, “We had vehemently opposed the bail pleas of the protesters. The court granted bail after investigating officer dropped heinous charges against them.”Kotwali police had arrested more than 30 persons and sent them to jail. Defence counsel Syed Amir Mian said, “They[protesters] had been arrested after violence broke out at Hatikhana square last December. The charges of heinous crimes — such as murder, attempt to murder and dacoity — were dropped after courts accepted the investigating officer’s applications. After dropping the charges, we had moved their bail applications which the court accepted. They [15 people] have now been granted bail in the matter.”TOI
Allahabad HC dismisses petition seeking permission to hold anti-CAA protest
https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/allahabad-hc-dismisses-petition-seeking-permission-to-hold-anti-caa-protest-120020701560_1.html
Allahabad High Court on Friday dismissed a petition seeking a direction from it to Firozabad district authorities to allow a protest against the CAA.The petitioner, Firozabad-resident Mohammad Furqan, had approached the court saying some students want to protest against CAA but the district authorities are not giving them permission. Dismissing the petition, a two-judge bench comprising Justice Bharti Sapru and Justice Piyush Agrawal said, "It is not in the national interest to give any relief to the petitioner at all. If the petitioner is a citizen of India, he must maintain peace at any cost. We are not inclined to interfere in the matter".PTI
CAA: Protestors Forced Into Hiding, As UP Police Puts Bounty On Their Heads
https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/caa-varanasi-up-bjp_in_5e3cbb9ac5b6b70886fd0a2f?utm_hp_ref=in-homepage
“I don’t regret anything that I did,” said Srishti Kashyap, an aspiring politician and businesswoman who lives in Varanasi. “I had to come out and protest because everyone else was too scared to do it.” “We have become a country where an alleged rapist is given bail, but a peaceful protester is denied bail,” she said, referring to Chinmayanand, a former Union Minister, who is accused of sexually exploiting a law student. Kashyap, who joined the Congress party in November, was denied bail by the district court in Varanasi on 4 Feb., eleven days after she had organised a demonstration against CAA in PM Narendra Modi’s constituency in eastern UP. 24-year-old and her mother Neeti Kashyap have been on the run since 23 Jan., when the UP Police forcefully broke up the women-led protest in a park called Beniya Bagh in the city. UP Police booked 32 people including Kashyap and her mother for crimes such as rioting, criminal conspiracy and assaulting a public official. After she evaded arrest, the police released a poster with her headshot, along with that of 19 other people, offering Rs 5,000 to anyone who could provide information about their whereabouts.huffingtonpost
Ex Judges must probe UP police atrocities: Women fact-finding team
https://caravandaily.com/form-retired-judges-team-to-investigate-police-atrocities-in-up-women-fact-finding-team/
New Delhi:After visiting UP, a fact-finding team of prominent women activists and organizations on Friday strongly demanded the constitution of a team of retired judges to investigate cases of police atrocities and excesses committed during the anti-CAA protests in the state.Woman activists demanded an immediate end to arrests and detentions of Muslim youths and a stop to the reign of terror prevailing in the region.A 5-member team from Women Against Sexual Violence and State Repression (WSS) conducted a fact-finding visit in four districts of Western UP – -Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli and Bijnor– on Feb. 1 and 2 to document the situation 40 days after the police brutalities on Dec18, 19h and 20 last in light of protests against CAA.Sharing the findings of the visit at a press conference here, WSS functionary Mamata Dash said the team met the people who lost their family members to police firing and also those who were arrested and detained in the days following the incidents. Coming down heavily on the UP cops, she said police claimed that the protesters killed the protesters but how was this possible?Caravan Daily
"Keep Documents Safe": BJP Tweets Delhi Polls Video with 'Advice' On NPR
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/karnataka-bjps-advice-on-population-register-keep-documents-safe-2177181?pfrom=home-topscroll
Even as thousands came out to vote in Delhi elections, Karnataka unit of BJP today tweeted out a video clip of a long queue of Muslim women voters along with a suggestion that they keep their identification cards "safe" for impending NPR exercise."Kaagaz Nahi Dikhayenge Hum!!" the tweet said tauntingly. "Keep the documents safe, you will need to show them again during NPR exercise." Hindi portion of the tweet is a reference to a popular slogan of defiance raised by those opposed to the CAA and NPR, which many believe will lead up to the implementation of a nationwide NRC. Critics believe that CAA, when implemented in tandem with NRC, may put millions of genuine Muslim residents at risk of persecution. Although the centre now claims that there is no immediate plan to implement the national register on a countrywide scale, critics have cited speeches made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah before the Lok Sabha elections to claim that such an exercise may actually be in the offing.ndtv
Furnish proof of father's origin, residence or leave India: UP BJP MLA
https://www.deccanherald.com/national/furnish-proof-of-fathers-origin-residence-or-leave-india-says-bjp-lawmaker-802485.html
Barely a few days after a senior UP police officials asked the anti-CAA protesters to go to Pakistan, a senior BJP lawmaker said that those failing to furnish the proof of their father's origin and residence would have to leave the country."Where do you come from?.....What is your father's original residence?..You (read Muslims) will have to leave the country if you fail to show the proof,"BJP MLA Rajkumar Sahyogi said. Addressing party workers in Aligarh, MLA also said that possession of Aadhar card would not be considered to be proof of origin.MLA said that NRC would soon be launched in the country.deccanherald
Bidar school sedition case: Panel tells cops to stop questioning kids
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/bangalore/bidar-school-sedition-case-panel-tells-cops-to-stop-questioning-kids-6256818/
Bengaluru :Following an inquiry into questioning of children by police and the arrest of the widowed mother of a nine-year-old student in a sedition case against a school in Bidar over an anti-CAA play, Karnataka’s child rights commission has pulled up the district police for a number of violations, including of norms under the Juvenile Justice Act.Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSPCR) chairman Dr Antony Sebastian has sent a letter to Bidar officials, the SP and the deputy commissioner, with copies marked to the Karnataka DGP, stating that an “atmosphere of fear” was created at the Shaheen Primary School by police probe. It has asked police to stop questioning the schoolchildren. KSPCR found that officials violated norms by sending the nine-year-old to be looked after by a neighbour without informing local child welfare committee after the child’s single mother was arrested along with the school’s headmistress on Jan. 30. KSPCR chairman’s communique, sent Thursday, followed an inquiry by a two-member panel of the commission led by child rights expert Dr Jayashree. “After interactions with parents, school officials, children and the police, and after studying photographs and CCTV footage, it is clear that the police violated the rights of children at the school,’’ said Sebastian, a juvenile justice advocate.indianexpress
Sedition Charges Being Distributed Like 'Prasad', But...: Kanhaiya Kumar at Anti-CAA Rally
https://www.news18.com/news/politics/sedition-charges-being-distributed-freely-like-prasad-says-kanhaiya-kumar-at-anti-caa-rally-2492049.html
Katihar: CPI leader Kanhaiya Kumar on Friday rued that while sedition charges were being "distributed freely like prasad", a police officer arrested along with terrorists was not deemed fit to be booked for treason.The former JNU student leader said,"Sedition charges are being distributed freely like prasad. Social workers are being booked...In Karnataka, school children have been booked for merely staging a play. And this is when a police official arrested along with terrorists is yet to be charged with the same."While addressing a rally here as part of his state-wide "Jan Gan Man Yatra" against CAA-NPR-NRC issue.Kumar termed the saffron party as 'Godsewadi', followers of Gandhi's assassin Godse.PTI
Mumbai BJP chief felicitates Uber driver who took poet to cops over anti-CAA talk
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/uber-mumbai-driver-takes-jaipur-poet-to-police-station-bjp-mp-felicitates-6257625/
Mumbai BJP president M P Lodha on Saturday felicitated the Uber driver who took a Jaipur-based poet to Santacruz police station after he overheard a conversation on the ongoing protests against the CAA. The driver was garlanded near Santacruz police station in the presence of several local BJP leaders and workers.“He performed the duty of an alert citizen. Uber did wrong by barring him,” Lodha said. Earlier in the day, the cab aggregator temporarily suspended the driver Rohit Singh.“Your safety is something we take seriously and we would not want you to pay for the inconvenience caused,” Uber informed poet Bappattiya Sarkar, who returned to Rajasthan from Mumbai on Friday.“We want to inform you that we have temporarily restricted the driver’s access to Uber app while the investigation is underway,” cab aggregator added.Confirming the same, Sarkar said, “They (Uber) called me today and said the driver partner’s account has been temporarily barred. They are also waiving off the charge that was levied for the trip.” indianexpress
I assure you CAA won’t lead to outsider influx: PM in Assam
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/i-assure-you-caa-wont-lead-to-outsider-influx-pm-in-assam-6256840/
Guwahati : Assuring the people of Assam that CAA will not lead to outsiders settling in the state, PM Narendra Modi said that “certain forces” were spreading misinformation on CAA and that the country will “neither tolerate nor forgive” them.PM was in Assam for the first time after the violent protests in December against the new citizenship law that left 6 people dead. Amidst loud cheers, and fluttering Tricolours and All Bodo Students Union flags, Modi asked gathering in Kokrajhar in Bodoland Territorial Region —he called it the largest rally in independent India — to celebrate the govt’s accord with Bodo groups signed last month. Following the signing, over 1,600 members of the Bodo militant outfit NDFB laid down their weapons.indianexpress
Pinarayi Vijayan: Modi govt stated NPR, CAA and NRC are inter-linked… futile to de-link them now
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/pinarayi-vijayan-express-interview-caa-npr-nrc-6256734/
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan said, "as Govt of India itself many a time stated that the whole process of NPR, CAA and NRC are inter-linked, it would be a futile attempt to de-link them now. The intent of the ruling party has been very clear. In fact, it is their attempts that are going to create unrest and anarchy in this country.We earnestly wish that Modi govt should walk the talk…let them get the economy on track and think about the livelihood and well-being of the people. Slogan of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’ has to be adhered to, instead of dividing the country and the people."indian express
“Withdraw NPR till March or.....”: Kannan Gopinathan to PM Modi
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/withdraw-npr-till-march-or-kannan-gopinathan-to-pm-modi?fbclid=IwAR1t6iWzE6PNanImPPkemT7fHWCpJq9WWF0y6R-hGuVKESanhb0HS-aUGDc
Ex IAS officer Kannan Gopinathan has given a deadline to PM Narendra Modi to withdraw National Population Register. He also gave a call for a march to Delhi- 'Dilli Chalo' through his tweet."Dear PM Narendra Modi, you have time till March to withdraw this NPR notification. After that, we people, from every single state, are coming to Delhi and are going to stay put until it is withdrawn. Don't take it otherwise. We don't have an option," tweeted Kannan Gopinathan.nationalheraldindia
Amritsar: Muslim group seeking support against CAA submits memorandum to Akal Takht
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/amritsar-muslim-group-seeking-support-against-caa-submits-memorandum-to-akal-takht-6256825/
Amritsar :A group of Muslims, seeking support of Sikh community in their protest against CAA, Friday submitted a memorandum to Akal Takht secretariat on Friday.As Akal Takht Jathedar was not in Amritsar, his staff received the memorandum from Anti-CAA Joint Action Committee from Ahmedgarh in state’s Sangrur district.The group also paid obeisance at the sanctum sanctorum of the Golden Temple and offered Friday prayers outside the main entrance of the Sikh shrine.Mohammad Zia Islam, a member of the panel, said, “We know that every Sikh in the world listens to what is said from the Akal Takht. We have come here to ask the Akal Takht Jathedar to express his views on CAA, which is a step towards the saffronisation of India and is needed to be opposed. We had a dream for the country where everyone can live with liberty and all should have equal rights. We need to get freedom from unemployment, poverty and illiteracy.”.indianexpress
RSS Activist Deepak Madan Speaks Up for Anti-CAA Protesters at Shaheen Bagh, Urges PM for Intervention
https://caravandaily.com/rss-activist-speaks-up-for-anti-caa-protesters-urges-pm-for-intervention/
NEW DELHI; A RSS activist, Deepak Madan Deepu, came to address the gathering at Shaheen Bagh on the eve of Delhi Legislative Assembly polls. In his speech, Madan appealed to PM Modi to come to Shaheen Bagh and listen to the mothers and daughters of the country. He urged the PM..“You talk about mothers and daughters, so you must come to Shaheen Bagh and talk to them”.Deepu is a volunteer with the BJP and claims to be a member of the Bajrang Dal and the RSS. He gained popularity when an advertisement of “Desh maange Narendra Modi, Dilli maange Kejriwal (Country wants Narendra Modi, Delhi wants Kejriwal) surfaced on the roads of the National Capital in the context of the state assembly elections.Talking about the safety of the people associated with the Govt and allied organisations, Madaan did not feel unsafe. “I have come here twice and received the same kind of treatment I get at my relatives home.”, he added. Taking a different stand on Shaheen Bagh, Madan believes that the public of Delhi in particular and the country in general have been misinformed by the Hindu forces and shooting incidents are the outcome of misinformation being spread.“Modi ji must not divide Indians on the basis of religion, and should treat all religions equally”, said Madan, while speaking about the divisive nature of the citizenship amendment act. “It is creating a rift among the various communities.”caravandaily
MP: Indore BJP councillor resigns over CAA, accuses party of practising politics of hatred
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/bjp-councillor-usman-patel-indore-resigns-over-caa-politics-of-hatred-6257684/
Bhopal :Indore BJP councillor Usman Patel on Saturday resigned from the party over the new citizenship law saying it discriminates against one community. He also accused the BJP of practising politics of hatred.Talking to Indian Express, municipal councillor from Khajrana locality said it took him some time to quit because he wanted to understand legalities and finer points of law from advocates. However, he is now convinced that law is against Muslims, he added.indianexpress
"India's Goodwill Destroyed By Malicious Act": P Chidambaram On CAA
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/citizenship-amendment-act-p-chidambaram-says-indias-goodwill-destroyed-by-malicious-act-2176854
Pune: Terming CAA a "malicious and mischievous" law, Congress leader P Chidambaram has said that people across world are questioning India's commitment towards being a democratic nation. He also described NPR and NRC as "mischievous and dangerous"."We are opposing the Act on the basis of constitutional morality and constitutional legality. Right now, the ball is in the Supreme Court and we are confident that it will strike down the law and redeem the honour of the people of India," Chidambaram said during a lecture in Pune.ndtv
CAA is a result of hatred: Ramchandra Guha
https://www.livemint.com/politics/news/caa-is-a-result-of-hatred-says-historian-ramchandra-guha-11581093425908.html
Bengaluru:Historian Ramchandra Guha has launched a scathing attack on the contentious CAA, calling it a result of hatred.“This Govt in Delhi is animated, above all, not by love of Hindus, not by pride in Hinduism, but by hatred and fear of Muslims," Guha said in a panel discussion-'Citizenship, identity & migration' in Bengaluru.Guha’s comments come amid relentless, nationwide protests against CAA, cutting across society lines. Other panelists included feminist activist Madhu Bhushan, Malini Bhattcharjee, senior advocate Ravi Verma Kumar among others.Noted author Shashi Deshpande said the unique feature about the protests was that politicians have been kept away. “The Constitution has become a rallying point for the protests."livemint
Shaheen Bagh shooter, Kapil Gujjar sent to judicial custody till Feb 20
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/national/delhi-court-on-saturday-sent-shaheen-bagh-shooter-kapil-baisala-gujjar-to-judicial-custody-till-Feb.-20
A Delhi court on Saturday sent Shaheen Bagh shooter, Kapil Baisala (Gujjar), to judicial custody till Feb. 20. Kapil, who belongs to east Delhi's Dallu Pura area, had on Feb.1 fired 3 bullets in the air after warning anti-CAA protesters to disperse. He also shouted communal slogans.After his arrest, Kapil was sent to police custody thrice and was produced before Delhi's Saket Court on Saturday at the end of his remand period.IANS
Karnataka BJP video warns Muslim voters to keep citizenship papers handy for NPR survey
https://scroll.in/latest/952540/karnataka-bjp-video-warns-muslim-voters-to-keep-citizenship-papers-handy-for-npr-survey
Karnataka unit of BJP on Saturday tweeted a video of Muslim women holding up their voter identity cards outside a polling booth in Delhi, and told them to “keep the documents safe” for NPR exercise. The warning came despite repeated assurances by Modi Govt that documents would not be required during NPR process.The population register will be a list of “usual residents” – those who have stayed at a place for 6 months or intend to stay there for the next six months. The exercise to update the register will be carried out across the country along with the house-listing phase of Census 2021 from April 1 to September 30, 2020.scroll
‘Mumbai Bagh’: 300 anti-CAA protestors booked after BMC accuses them of obstructing road work
https://scroll.in/latest/952529/mumbai-bagh-protest-300-protestors-booked-after-bmc-accuses-them-of-obstructing-construction-work
Mumbai Police on Friday filed a case against 300 unnamed persons – mostly women protestors – in Nagpada for protesting against CAA and NRC since Jan. 26, PTI reported. FIR was registered on a complaint by Assistant Municipal Commissioner Alka Sasane of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, according to ANI.The civic body said they were unable to carry out construction work on the Morland Road because of the demonstrations. Sasane claimed the roads are blocked illegally and protestors also obstructed traffic movement in the area.
'The agitation won't stop': As police action looms, Mumbai Bagh stays firm in protest
https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/agitation-wont-stop-police-action-looms-mumbai-bagh-stays-firm-protest-117776
Greater Hyderabad becomes first civic body to pass resolution against CAA
https://telanganatoday.com/ghmc-becomes-first-civic-body-to-pass-resolution-against-caa
Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) on Saturday became the first civic body in the country to pass a resolution against the implementation of CAA, NRC and NPR.The resolution was passed by the council during the General Body meeting held here to approve the budget presented by the corporation. Deputy Mayor Baba Fasiuddin said the Central Govt’s plans to implement CAA, NRC and NPR were against Constitution of India and that democracy was at stake due to BJP-led Union govt’s plans.telanganatoday
*J&K AND S. ASIA*
Mehbooba Mufti was working with separatists: PSA dossier
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/omar-mehboobas-speeches-on-article-370-cited-as-grounds-for-psa/article30764981.ece?homepage=true
Srinagar:PSA dossier, based on which ex CM and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti has been booked include public remarks allegedly made by her against the Army, pro-militant tweets and attempts “to collaborate with separatists”.The Hindu has learnt that the dossier against Ms. Mufti underlines that there were “confidential reports” suggesting she was “collaborating with the separatists”.It also mentions tweets, where she called for “dignity to militants after death” and accused “the Army of using chemical weapons against them”. The dossier also mentions her tweets opposing the triple talaq law passed by BJP-led Govt and critical remarks over the lynching of Muslims in the country.Terming Ms. Mufti “a vocal voice” against the Centre’s move reading down Article 370, the dossier accessed by The Hindu listed a number of speeches made by her and specifically mentioned two controversial speeches.thehindu
J&K Leader's Ability to Convince People to Vote During Boycotts Cited as Reason for PSA Charge
https://thewire.in/rights/ali-mohammed-sagar-jk-psa-2
Mehbooba, Omar detained for questioning Centre’s ‘illegal actions’ in J&K: Iltija Mufti
https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/mehbooba-omar-detained-for-questioning-centres-illegal-actions-in-jk-iltija-mufti/1728675
Srinagar :PDP president Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter Iltija Mufti Friday said her mother and another former CM Omar Abdullah have not been detained for making provocative statements but for questioning the Centre’s “illegal actions” in J&K.PTI
PDP’s Naeem Akhtar sixth mainstream leader to be booked under PSA in Kashmir
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/pdps-naeem-akhtar-sixth-mainstream-leader-to-be-booked-under-psa-in-kashmir/article30770360.ece?homepage=true
J&K administration has slapped stringent PSA on PDP leader Naeem Akhtar, officials said on Saturday.Akhtar became the sixth mainstream leader in Kashmir to be booked under the controversial PSA, which was enacted in 1978 to deal with rampant timber smuggling.PTI
17-yr-old from Kashmir dies in Jaipur after assault by co-worker
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/17-yr-old-from-kashmir-dies-in-jaipur-after-assault-by-co-worker-6256751/
Jaipur :A 17-year-old boy from Kashmir succumbed to injuries after he was assaulted by a co-worker in the early hours of Feb. 5, police said on Friday. Basit alias Gulam Mohideen Khan, a resident of Kupwara, had finished work as part of a catering team at a wedding venue when he was assaulted. The son of an Armyman, he is survived by his mother, four sisters and a brother.ACP Ashok Gupta said one Aditya Kumar, a resident of Mau in UP,was arrested, while 2 others are being interrogated. However, police have ruled out any lynching angle. “It is not as if the accused had planned the assault beforehand, nor was it motivated by religion or because he hailed from a particular state,” Gupta said.Basit’s colleague and eyewitness Sufiyan, 19, who hails from Baramulla in J&K and on whose complaint an FIR was lodged at Harmara police station, said, “We work in catering with Faisal Khan, who is our contractor. On the days he has no work, he sends us to his friend Maslukh who gives us work. So that day, the two of us [Basit and Suifyan] went to work for Maslukh, who already had 8 other people… Once it was done, we had our meal and proceeded to the vehicle outside [which was to drop us home].”Kavita Srivastava, Rajasthan president of PUCL, said PUCL will institute a fact-finding committee “as the hospitality and food business in Jaipur has over a thousand Kashmiri people and they are vulnerable.”indianexpress
HC dismisses J&K Bar Association president’s plea against detention
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/hc-dismisses-jk-bar-association-presidents-plea-against-detention/
Srinagar :J&K High Court in Srinagar has dismissed a petition filed by J&K High Court Bar Association president Mian Qayoom, presently detained under PSA and lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail, challenging his detention. “A Court is not a proper forum to scrutinise the merits of administrative decision to detain a person. The Court cannot substitute its own satisfaction for that of authority concerned and decide whether its satisfaction was reasonable or proper, or whether in the circumstances of matter, the person concerned should have been detained or not… this Court does not sit in appeal over decision of detaining authority and cannot substitute its own opinion over that of detaining authority when grounds of detention are precise, pertinent, proximate and relevant,” Justice Tashi Rabastan said while dismissing the petition in the judgment released on Friday.indianexpress
Hurriyat calls for J&K shutdown on Feb. 9, 11
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/hurriyat-conference-calls-for-jk-shutdown-on-Feb.-9-11/
Srinagar :Hurriyat Conference on Friday called for a shutdown across J&K on Feb. 9 and 11 — first such call the group has made since the state’s special status was revoked on August 5. Yasin Malik-led JKLF, which was banned by the Centre last year, also called for a shutdown in valley on the same days. While Feb. 9 marks the anniversary of the hanging of 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, Feb. 11 is the anniversary of the hanging of JKLF founder Maqbool Bhat — hanged on Feb. 11, 1984. A statement issued by the All Party Hurriyat Conference on Friday also called upon the “international community to take note of the happenings in and the clampdown unleashed by Govt of India (GOI)”.indianexpress
Kashmir: 'Militant' Injured in Shootout Was a Civilian, Say Family and Neighbours
https://thewire.in/rights/kashmir-militant-injured-in-shootout-was-a-civilian-say-family-and-neighbours
Srinagar: Ayesha Begum kept repeating “my son is innocent” before she fainted inside a room, packed with women, at her residence in a locality on the Srinagar-Baramulla highway.Her son Umar Fayaz Bhat was critically injured on Wednesday morning during a brief shootout between security forces and militants on the highway. The gunfight ended with the killing of two militants and a CRPF person.At a press conference later, the J&K police identified Umar as the “third militant involved in the attack”. This charge is refuted by his family, relatives and neighbours. They say the young man was at his shop outside his house – barely half-a-kilometre from the site of the gunfight – when a bullet ripped through his chest and exited his back.The family lives in the Lawaypora locality on the highway, in the outskirts of Srinagar. Fareeda, a neighbour of the Bhat family, said 25-year-old Umar was sitting on a chair outside his shop when the bullet hit him.thewire
J&K: Social media ban to continue; 481 websites on whitelist
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/jk-internet-restoration-social-media-whitlisted-websites-6256586/
Jammu :Ban on social media will continue in J&K for some time more as Govt on Friday allowed the continuation of only the voice calls, SMS and 2G internet connectivity to white-listed sites on pre-paid and post-paid cellphones across Union Territory till Feb. 15.However, administration increased the number of white-listed sites to 481 from 329 listed on Jan. 31. indianexpress
Kathua rape-murder case: SC stays proceedings before Juvenile Justice Board on appeal by state
https://scroll.in/latest/952498/kathua-rape-murder-case-sc-stays-proceedings-before-juvenile-justice-board-on-appeal-by-state
The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the proceedings before the Juvenile Justice Board in the Kathua rape and murder case, after J&K Govt claimed that Union Territory’s High Court had erroneously affirmed the order of a trial court holding the main accused to be a minor.A bench of Justices N V Ramana, Ajay Rastogi and V Ramasubramanian said it had heard senior advocate PS Patwalia, appearing for the petitioners, and would order a stay on the proceedings. The bench said the matter will be heard next on March 16.scroll/PTI
Pak considering proposal for passport-free entry of Indian pilgrims to Kartarpur corridor: Minister
https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/pakistan-considering-proposal-for-passport-free-entry-of-indian-pilgrims-to-kartarpur-corridor-interior-minister/article30769863.ece?homepage=true
Pakistan is considering a proposal for allowing Indian pilgrims to enter Kartarpur corridor without passport in order to attract more visitors to the revered Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Interior Minister Ijaz Shah informed the country’s Parliament.In Nov last year, Pakistan and India separately inaugurated the historic corridor on their sides of the border. The corridor provides the shortest route to Indian Sikh pilgrims to the revered Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur area of Pakistan’s Narowal district, where Guru Nanak spent last 18 years of his life.Interior Minister Shah told National Assembly during on Friday that at present, passport-free entry of Indian pilgrims to Kartarpur corridor was not allowed in accordance with a memorandum of understanding signed between Pakistan and India, Express Tribune reported.PTI
Rajapaksa in Delhi: Modi, Sri Lankan PM hold talks; India calls on island nation to fulfil Tamil community's aspirations
https://www.firstpost.com/india/mahinda-rajapaksa-in-delhi-narendra-modi-sri-lankan-pm-hold-talks-india-calls-on-island-nation-to-fulfil-tamil-communitys-aspirations-8019431.html
India on Saturday hoped that the Sri Lankan Govt will realise the aspirations of the Tamil community in the island nation as the issue figured prominently in wide-ranging talks between PM Narendra Modi and his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa.In their talks, the two PMs deliberated on the entire expanse of bilateral ties and resolved to further deepen anti-terror cooperation and boost trade and investment ties.PTI
*OTHERS*
BJP MP’s Private Bill on Uniform Civil Code Derailed in Rajya Sabha
https://thewire.in/politics/rajya-sabha-uniform-civil-code
New Delhi: The opposition managed to stall a private member Bill called ‘The Uniform Civil Code in India Bill, 2020’ by BJP’s Kirodi Lal Meena in the Rajya Sabha.At least 3 members of the upper house of the parliament – including MDMK’s Vaiko, DMK’s Tiruchi Siva and CPI(M)’s Elamaram Kareem – raised objections to the introduction of the Bill and said that it would incite communal sentiments against the backdrop of protests against CAA.To become a law, a private member’s Bill needs to be endorsed by the Govt and cleared by both the houses of parliament. However, a private member’s Bill becomes a law very rarely.In the session after lunch, when Kirodi Lal Meena’s name was called out, he was absent.Meena then reappeared in the house to move his second private member’s Bill to provide special financial assistance to Rajasthan for welfare of persons belonging to ST, ST and OBC for development. Meena’s Bill sought to impose a uniform civil code that would subsume all personal laws. The statement for the objects and reasons of the Bill says:“Under the Uniform Civil Code a collection of laws will be prepared which will protect the personal rights of all citizens without considering the religion, which seems to be the need of the hour. In reality this is the foundation stone of secularism.”In a letter of chairman, CPI(M)’s Elamaram Kareem said that the Bill, “violates the fundamental aspects of the Constitution and there is a chance to affect the communal harmony”. Kareem argued that the Bill could adversely affect the ongoing country-wide protests against CAA. Sources said that Meena was asked to remain absent as BJP and the Govt did not want to draw attention towards Uniform Civil Code, as it could trigger further unrest among the Muslim community which is already agitated over CAA and NPR, and NRC.thewire
No Fundamental Right to Reservation, Rules SC, Says Courts Too Can't Order State to Provide Quota
https://www.news18.com/news/india/no-fundamental-right-to-reservation-rules-sc-says-courts-too-cant-order-state-to-provide-quota-2492221.html
New Delhi: There is no fundamental right to claim reservation in public jobs and no court can order a state Govt to provide for reservation to SC/STs, the Supreme Court has ruled.In a significant judgment, the top court has ruled that it is within absolute discretion of a state govt to decide whether or not to provide for reservation or reservation in promotions, and that there is no obligation on the states to mandatorily do so.It clarified that a state Govt is bound to collect data regarding inadequacy of representation of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Govt services when it wants to provide reservation but otherwise.News18
Muslim leaders unhappy with alternative land for Babri Masjid, say site too far from Ayodhya city, demand mosque within 67 acres acquired by Centre
https://www.firstpost.com/india/muslim-leaders-unhappy-with-alternative-land-for-babri-masjid-say-site-too-far-from-ayodhya-city-demand-mosque-within-67-acres-acquired-by-centre-8011681.html
PM Narendra Modi has announced in the Parliament that UP Govt has allotted five acres of land in Ayodhya district to the Sunni Central Waqf Board, however, the announcement has been met with disappointment with a section of Muslim leaders and litigants pressurising Sunni Waqf Board to move the Supreme Court. Jamiat Ulema president Maulana Arshad Madani said the Babri Masjid was a mosque in view of law and justice, and in light of the Shariah. AIMPLB went a step ahead and said that the Sunni Central Waqf Board is not the "representative of the entire Muslim community", and if it accepts the Centre's offer, it should not be "considered a decision of all Muslims of the country". AIMPLB executive member Maulana Yasin Usmani said that AIMPLB and those associated with it have decided that they "will not take any land in Ayodhya". Muslim litigants in Babri Masjid case are disappointed the alternative land is located outside Ayodhya city. Senior AIMPLB member Zafaryab Jilani also echoed the demand to build the masjid in Ayodhya town on Wednesday. AIMPLB member and advocate MR Shamshad claimed that Babri Masjid was surrounded by a Muslim graveyard on 3 sides and that the Centre shouldn't have transferred at least that portion of the land (about 4 acres) to Ram Mandir trust, which was announced on Wednesday.firstpost
Dhannipur near Ayodhya already has 15 mosques, local Muslims want hospital and college too
https://theprint.in/india/dhannipur-near-ayodhya-already-has-15-mosques-local-muslims-want-hospital-and-college-too/361492/
Ayodhya: VHP may demand memorial for karsevaks
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/ayodhya-vhp-may-demand-memorial-for-karsevaks-6256749/
New Delhi: VHP may push for a memorial in Ayodhya naming all karsevaks who died during Ram Temple movement. VHP was at the forefront of the movement, and its national vice president, Champat Rai, is facing charges in the Babri mosque demolition case. “Hundreds of karsevaks died during the movement and their contribution must be recognised. It would be a good idea to build a memorial for them in Ayodhya,” VHP joint general secretary Surendra Jain said, when asked whether the outfit had any plans to build a memorial for those who died during the movement.indianexpress
Defamation Case: Ramani jumping on #MeToo bandwagon, Akbar tells court
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/m-j-akbar-priya-ramani-defamation-case-metoo-6256763/
New Delhi :Former Union Minister M J Akbar told a Delhi court Friday that journalist Priya Ramani — against whom he has filed a defamation case — did not bring up sexual harassment allegations so far and was now “jumping onto the #MeToo bandwagon”.Ramani had levelled allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment against Akbar, who subsequently resigned as Minister of State for External Affairs and filed a defamation case against her.Senior advocate Geeta Luthra, appearing for Akbar, was making her final arguments before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vishal Paruja. The arguments could not be concluded and will be taken up on Feb. 28. So far, the prosecution and defence have both produced their evidence in court. Lawyers from both sides will be submitting their final arguments before the court reserves its judgment.
Punjab: At least 14 killed in explosion at religious procession in Tarn Taran district, say police
https://scroll.in/latest/952559/punjab-at-least-14-killed-in-explosion-at-religious-procession-in-tarn-taran-district-say-police
More than a dozen people were killed in an explosion in Punjab’s Tarn Taran district on Saturday, reports said. Senior Superintendent of Police Dhruv Dahiya told ANI that according to eyewitnesses “14-15 individuals died on spot” and three were admitted to hospital in critical condition.A tractor-trailer exploded around 4.30 pm during a religious procession near Daleke village, 10 km from the town of Tarn Taran, HT reported. According to the police, the tractor exploded after firecrackers on it were burnt using explosive material. The procession was on its way from Gurdwara Baba Deep Singh in Pahuwind village to Gurdwara Tahla Sahib at Chabba village on the Tarn Taran-Amritsar road.“The procession had just reached Daleke when the blast took place in a trailer of a tractor in which a chemical was stored,” a villager identified as Manjinder Singh said.scroll
Nalasopara arms case: Lankesh murder accused in Maharashtra ATS custody
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/nalasopara-arms-case-lankesh-murder-accused-in-maharashtra-ats-custody/
Bengaluru :A key accused in 2017 murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh, who was recently arrested by the Karnataka SIT from Jharkhand, has been taken into custody by Maharashtra ATS for investigations in the Nalasopara arms case — a terrorism case filed in 2019.In Nalasopara case, 18 country-made guns and dozens of crude bombs were found in the possession of persons affiliated to radical Hindutva groups.Rushikesh Deodikar (44), a former co-ordinator of Sanatan Sanstha-affiliated Hindu Janajagruti Samiti for Aurangabad region, was taken into custody on the basis of a body warrant issued by a Mumbai sessions court, police sources said.The former HJS activist is likely to be added to the list of 12 persons already named in Maharashtra ATS case. The list includes nine of 18 accused in the Lankesh murder case.indianexpress
*WORLD*
Tunisia fires UN envoy, reportedly over Trump's Middle East plan
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/tunisia-fires-envoy-reportedly-trump-middle-east-plan-200208062341807.html
Tunisia has fired its ambassador to UN after accusing him of failing to consult the foreign ministry on key issues, which diplomatic sources said included US President Donal Trump's controversial Middle East peace plan."Tunisia's ambassador to UN has been dismissed for purely professional reasons concerning his weak performance and lack of coordination with the ministry on important matters under discussion at UN," a foreign ministry statement said.Diplomatic sources believe that Ambassador Moncef Baati, who has occupied a seat at UNSC since the start of the year, had gone further than President Kais Saied wanted in his criticism of Trump's long-delayed peace plan.Saied, a political outsider who took office in November after a surprise election victory, was concerned that Baati's expressions of support for Palestinians risked damaging Tunisia's relations with US, sources said.aljazeera
Israel bans Palestinian agricultural exports via Jordan
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200208-israel-bans-palestinian-agricultural-exports-via-jordan/
Israel has escalated a trade war with the Palestinians by stopping their agricultural exports through Jordan, Palestinian Agriculture Minister Riyal al-Attari said.Israel and PA opened a new front in their decades-long conflict with a trade dispute that began in October and has escalated over the past week."Yesterday, director of Israeli crossings informed all exporters and all relevant parties that all Palestinian agriculture products would be banned from export to world markets through the Jordanian crossing starting Sunday." middleeastmonitor
Israeli blockade sours revenue for Gaza strawberry farmers
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/israeli-blockade-sours-income-gaza-strawberry-farmers-200208122444367.html
It is strawberry harvest time for farmers in Gaza with most of the berries heading to consumers in the occupied West Bank.But Israel’s blockade means getting them there is a challenge and Israel has also banned the use of certain fertilisers.aljazeera
Confusion, violence in Iraq as al-Sadr pulls support for protests
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/confusion-violence-iraq-al-sadr-pulls-support-protests-200205141402874.html
Baghdad:On a recent morning, at the foot of a towering building known as Turkish restaurant in Baghdad's Tahrir Square, a man dressed in black rallied a small audience, calling for an end to US presence in Iraq."Blue caps against American interference," the crowd clamoured, wielding batons and metal rods underneath a clear, blue sky. The men - nicknamed the blue caps after their signature headgear - are die-hard supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr, a prominent Iraqi Shia leader known for his mercurial temper and large, cult-like following which includes a well-armed militia.aljazeera
Thai soldier goes on shooting rampage, police say many dead
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/killed-wounded-thailand-mass-shooting-200208122332771.html
A Thai soldier has killed several people in a mass shooting across several locations in Nakhon Ratchasima in northeastern Thailand, police said."The gunman used a machinegun and shot innocent victims resulting in many injured and dead," a police spokesperson told AFP, with local media reporting as many as 12 deaths."I cannot confirm the death toll right now, police sealed off the area."The gunman, identified by police as Sergeant Major Jakapanth Thomma, stole an army vehicle and also posted photos and video of himself in full tactical gear as the attack in Korat was carried out.aljazeera
8 die, dozens wounded in Kazakhstan clashes
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/die-dozens-wounded-southern-kazakhstan-clashes-200208082514800.html
A brawl and a series of clashes in several villages in Kazakhstan's southern Zhambyl province have left 8 people dead, officials said.Interior Minister Yerlan Turgumbayev said several dozen people were injured in the clashes on Friday in the Jambyl region, about three hours drive from Kazakhstan's largest city Almaty and close to the border with Kyrgyzstan.aljazeera
Coronavirus: death toll in China soars to 722
https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/coronavirus-death-toll-in-china-soars-to-722/article30768603.ece?homepage=true
The number of deaths from China’s new coronavirus epidemic jumped to 722 today, surpassing the toll from the SARS outbreak on the mainland and Hong Kong almost two decades ago.Another 86 people died from the virus, according to the national health commission, with all but five in hard-hit Hubei province, where the disease emerged in Dec. In its daily update, the commission also confirmed another 3,399 new cases. There are now over 34,500 confirmed infections across the country. Friday’s death of a 34-year-old Wuhan doctor who was punished for raising the alarm about the virus in December sparked an outpouring of grief and anger over the Govt’s handling of the crisis.The virus has spread to 2 dozen countries, prompting several Govts to ban arrivals from China and urge their citizens to avoid travelling to the country. At least 61 people aboard a cruise ship off Japan have tested positive for the new coronavirus, with thousands of passengers and crew facing a two-week quarantine.AFP
China coronavirus outbreak: All the latest updates
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/cloneofcloneofchina-coronavirus-outbreak-latest--200207231158175.html
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Leaderless Anti-CAA Protests Underscore Muslim Political Orphanhood:Salik Ahmad
https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/india-news-the-leaderless-face-of-anti-caa-agitation-is-it-political-orphanhood-of-muslims/302752
My Sister Brought A Muslim To Dinner With My Modi Friendly Family:SUMIT GARG
https://www.thequint.com/voices/blogs/muslim-modi-family-shaheen-bagh-caa-nrc-protests
It’s unfortunate EC didn’t punish hate speech in Delhi campaign:S Y Quraishi
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/a-weak-rebuke-delhi-assembly-elections-ec-notice-campaigning-6256658/
How the UK has been laboratory for a brand of Islam:Khaled Ahmed
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/the-radical-expat-islamic-state-pakistan-terrorism-london-bridge-attack-6256654/
If there is a Nobel Prize for jokes, the citizenship law is India’s entry:Partha S Ghosh
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/numbers-dont-lie-citizenship-amendment-act-caa-protests-6254951/
2 Historic Deeds. The Common Muslim Has Done What Even Gandhi, Nehru, Ambedkar Or Azad Couldn't: Akeel Bilgrami, outlookindia
https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/india-news-caa-agitation-muslim-voices-resorting-to-poetry-creativity-and-practices-of-a-centuries-long-indian-islam/302750
‘Why are you silent?’ What the poetry of Kedarnath Singh (and Ageya) means in the times of CAA-NRC:Ian Woolford
https://scroll.in/article/952321/why-are-you-silent-what-the-poetry-of-kedarnath-singh-and-ageya-means-in-the-times-of-caa-nrc
Why I Will Never 'Go to Pakistan':Laila Tyabji
https://thewire.in/communalism/go-to-pakistan-indian-muslims
'Feed them bullets not biryani': BJP uses Delhi elections to stoke religious hatred:theguardian
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/06/feed-them-bullets-not-biriyani-bjp-uses-delhi-elections-to-stoke-religious-hatred?fbclid=IwAR0XjB_BWB3-9bweHm6oOJJiopbRWxUwug_UVp8t-Qspx-U09h7BumRwYYY
Backstory: Kashmir Model of Humiliating Journalists for Media Control:Pamela Philipose
https://thewire.in/media/backstory-special-column-kashmir-media
In Kashmir, VPNs Allow Residents to Slip Past the Region's Firewall
https://thewire.in/tech/kashmir-internet-vpn-firewall
Why is Mohan Bhagwat Paying so much attention to MP? Decoding his message of harmony to youth:LS Herdenia
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/opinion/why-is-mohan-bhagwat-paying-so-much-attention-to-madhya-pradesh-decoding-his-message-of-harmony-to-youth
Lessons from Shaheen Bagh: Road blockades as a form of protest are here to stay:Juhi Tyagi
https://scroll.in/article/952219/lessons-from-shaheen-bagh-road-blockades-as-a-form-of-protest-are-here-to-stay
Walking on Thin Ice on CAA, Savarkar, Maharashtra Alliance's Latest Headache is Reservation for Muslims:Dhaval Kulkarni
https://www.news18.com/news/opinion/walking-on-thin-ice-on-caa-savarkar-maharashtra-alliances-latest-headache-is-reservation-for-muslims-2492383.html
CAA-NRC-NPR: How Doubtful Citizens Can be ‘Foreigners’:Dr Madabhushi Sridhar
https://caravandaily.com/caa-nrc-npr-how-doubtful-citizens-can-be-foreigners/
No 'Specific Instructions' to Assam Govt to Release Detention Centre Inmates: Minister
https://thewire.in/Govt/assam-detention-centre-caa
Compiled and edited by Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:5PM).
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