RIVANCH

New Delhi : Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief, Swati Maliwal, who has been on a hunger strike for over 10 days now protesting against rape incidents and demanding death penalty for convicts in rape cases within six months, was rushed to LNJP hospital on Sunday morning after she fell unconscious. On Saturday she wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating that she will not break her fast until Andhra Pradesh's 'Disha' law is enacted throughout the country. The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Friday passed the Disha Bill, 2019, which provides for awarding death sentence for the offences of rape and gang-rape and expediting trials of such cases within 21 days. Appealing for a similar law, Maliwal said, "I fervently appeal to you to immediately enact the Disha Bill for the entire country. I have lost more than eight kilograms in these 12 days and am in immense physical pain but I assure you that I will continue this indefinite fast until 'Dis

New Delhi : Jamia Millia Islamia students called off their university lockdown against the new Citizenship law on Saturday, a day after violent protests rocked the campus area, even as the varsity cancelled exams and announced vacation till 5 January in view of the tension. The university administration said those who indulged in violence and clashed with police on Friday were "outsiders" and not students. Jamia students, teachers and alumni, said they have formed a coordination panel to hold peaceful protests against the amended Citizenship Act. They say the law is discriminatory. The university had turned into a virtual battlefield on Friday when students and policemen clashed with each other as students tried to march to Parliament in protest against the legislation. The students had called for a lockdown of the university Saturday and planned to boycott exams. Police have registered a case of rioting and obstructing government servants from performing duty against uni

Muzaffarnagar : Thirteen farmers have been booked for burning crop residue at different places under the Thanabhawan and the Jhinjhana police station areas in Shamli district, officials said on Sunday. Shamli District Magistrate Rakhilesh Singh said nine farmers in Jhinjhana police station area and four in Thanabhawan police station area were booked for burning stubble in their fields on Saturday. In a drive against the burning of stubble, at least 31 cases have been registered in the district from 1 to 9 December, he said. The DM warned that gram pradhans, SHOs, and patwaris will be responsible for incidents of crop residue burning in their areas. from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/2Eietlt Press Trust of India

Kolkata : Sporadic incidents of violence were reported from Nadia, North 24 Parganas and Howrah districts of West Bengal which is witnessing protests against the amended Citizenship Act, police said on Sunday. Protesters blocked various important roads in Amdanga and Kalyani areas of North 24 Parganas and Nadia districts. They also blocked roads and railway tracks in various stations of the districts, the police said. In Domjur area of Howrah district, protesters organised road blockades and shouted slogans against the Narendra Modi government. A huge police contingent has been rushed to the spot to control the situation. Violent protests have rocked several parts of the state in the last two days with agitators torching railways stations and vandalising public property. Incidents of violence were reported from Murshidabad and North 24 Parganas districts, and rural Howrah on Saturday. from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/2Pm91El Press Trust of India

Assam is burning. And students from across the state are leading protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. So are the youths across North East India. For nearly a week, they have taken on rubber bullets, lathi charges and also police firing to stand against the CAA that could potentially, systematically dilute economic resources, living space and cultural identity of Assam; and of the tribal dominated, diverse North East region. All Assam Students Union (AASU) leads a collective of student bodies in Assam. For many witnessing scenes of protests, curfew and flag marches in Guwahati and across northeastern cities and towns, this situation has become confusing. Why are students, led by AASU, protesting so vehemently against an Act that naturally progresses from the NRC, which they have supported right from the start? The answer to this lies in haphazard implementation, and the postmodern history of the region, particularly Assam, as it shares a border with Bangladesh. Historian Ar

The death toll in the protests against the Citizenship Act in Assam has risen to six, with a protester succumbing to bullet injuries sustained during police firing on 12 December in Guwahati, in which two people had died on the day of the incident itself. Among the deceased was 17-year-old Sam Stafford, who died in the firing incident, when he was returning from Latasil playground, where noted singer Zubeen Garg performed in solidarity with protesters against the Citizenship Act, PTI reported. An oil tanker driver was killed and his vehicle set ablaze in Assam's Sonitpur district as protests became increasingly violent on Saturday amid a rail blockade, sit-ins and hunger strikes by different organisations across the state, officials said. The driver of the tanker, who was admitted to a hospital, succumbed to his injuries on Saturday morning. According to a report in India Today,  areas such as Tinsukia, Dibrugarh and Jorhat in the upper Assam region remained on edge with some ca

New Delhi : The Editors Guild of India on Saturday sought the withdrawal of a recent advisory issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting asking all private television channels to desist from showing content that could incite violence or promote "anti-national attitudes". The Guild said it believes that the media's overall commitment to responsible coverage of developments in the country should not be questioned through such an advisory. In the advisory issued this week, the ministry had asked all private satellite television channels to be particularly cautious about airing content that is likely to incite violence, promote "anti-national attitudes" and contains anything affecting the integrity of the nation. The advisory was issued after some television channels beamed footage of violent protests in the northeast against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill that was passed by Parliament on Wednesday. "It is the media's responsibility to rep

Patna : After a closed-door meeting with JD(U) chief and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday, party vice-president Prashant Kishor, who had publicly criticised the party's support to the new citizenship law, said he stood by the "views I have expressed". He, however, said the amended Citizenship Act was, per se, not a "major cause for worry" but it could be problematic in combination with the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC). The law allows for granting citizenship to non-Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, while the NRC exercise would compile the names of all genuine Indian citizens. On Wednesday, Kishor had tweeted the legislation "could turn into a lethal combo" (with NRC) to systematically discriminate and even prosecute people based on religion. On Saturday, he and Kumar discussed the contentious legislation in an hour-long meeting. Emerging from the chief minister's residence after the meetin

Guwahati : The curfew imposed in Guwahati and parts of Dibrugarh district following protests against the amended Citizenship Act was relaxed on Sunday, police said. Curfew was relaxed from 7 am to 4 pm in Guwahati. It was also relaxed from 7 am to 4 pm in Dibrugarh west, Naharkatia, Tenughat and some other places in the district from 7 am to 4 pm, officials said. Long queues were seen outside shops at several places, including Dispur, Uzan Bazar, Chandmari, Silpukhuri and Zoo Road in Guwahati town. Auto-rickshaws and cycle-rickshaws were plying across the city. Petrol pumps in the city have also opened with vehicles waiting in lines to refuel. Police are using loudspeakers to inform the public about the relaxation, an official added. After the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was cleared by Parliament, violent protests broke out in the city and other parts of the state with agitators engaging in pitched battles with the police, forcing the administration to impose curfew. The curfew,

The Jamia Millia Islamia university has postponed all semester exams scheduled on Saturday in view of the tense situation in the varsity over the ongoing protests against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).  Jamia students called for a university lockdown on Saturday and planned to boycott the exams to protest against contentious Act and also against Friday's violence following clashes with police during their march. The students are protesting against what they believe is Centre's propaganda to discriminate on the basis of religion. However, the undercurrent of anger cannot be ruled out after Friday's police action turned what was to be a peaceful march into a raging bloody protest. On Friday, the Jamia Teachers' Association, along with the students, tried to hold a peaceful protest march from the university to the Parliament House against the newly-amended Citizenship Act at 2 pm. However, they were caught unawares when they were about to take the pro

Assam CM to brief Modi, Amit Shah on Citizenship Act; UGC NET exams in Assam, Meghalaya postponed Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal will lead a team to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah very soon to discuss the ongoing protests in the state against the amended Citizenship Act. UGC NET examinations, to be held in Assam and Meghalaya on Sunday morning, were postponed even as protests spiraled in Assam, resulting in the death of an oil tanker driver in Sonitpur district. Additionally, protesters torched about five trains, three railway stations and tracks, and at least 25 buses on Saturday in West Bengal. Suspension of internet services across Assam was extended for 48 hours till 16 December, though curfew was relaxed in Dibrugarh and Guwahati and also parts of Meghalaya, while a six-hour shutdown was observed in Nagaland. The All Assam Students Union (AASU), which is spearheading the agitation in the northeastern state, kept up its protest meet

New Delhi: Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Saturday said the Citizenship Amendment Act would "shred the soul" of India as she launched a scathing attack on 'Modi-Shah government' over the law, alleging their sole agenda was to make people fight to serve their politics, and vowed that her party would not retreat in its struggle against injustice. Addressing the party's mega "Bharat Bachao Rally" (Save India) at Ramlila Maidan here, she also targeted the government over the economic situation and exhorted people to raise their voice to protect the country and its Constitution. "The Congress and only Congress has always fought for people's rights. And today too, the Congress party is not going to retreat. Till our last breath, we will fulfil our duty towards protecting the country, democracy and the Constitution" she said. " Andher nagri chaupat raja wala mahaul hai (confused leader, chaotic State)... kahaan hai sabka saath sabka

The war of words over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remarks on Damodar Savarkar seems to have intensified with Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut issuing a veiled threat to its Maharashtra ally to not 'insult' the Hindutva icon. Earlier  Saturday Rahul refused to apologise for his 'Rape In India' remark, saying he "will die but never apologise" for speaking the truth as his name is Gandhi and not Savarkar. Savarkar is revered as Hindutva icon for the BJP but is accused by its rivals of tendering apologies to the British government to secure his release from jail when India was under colonial rule.   In a series of tweets in Marathi, Raut said that there will be "no compromises on Savarkar". "Veer Savarkar is the god of not only Maharashtra but also the country. The name Savarkar is the pride of nation. Like Nehru and Gandhi, Savarkar sacrificed his life for independence. Every such god should be honoured. There are no compromises. Jai Hind&q

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has booked ace Bharatnatyam dancer and former Chairperson of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Leela Samson for alleged “unfruitful expenditure” in a Rs 7.02-crore renovation project of the Koothambalam auditorium of Kalakshetra Foundation, Chennai, officials said on 14 December. Samson, a Padma Shri awardee and also a former chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification, has been booked along with the then officers of the Foundation: Chief Accounts Officer TS Murthi, Accounts Officer S Ramachandran, Engineering Officer V Srinivasan and proprietor of CARD and Chennai Engineers, the officials said. The CBI also conducted searches on the residential premises of the accused. In a complaint to the CBI, the Chief Vigilance Officer of the Culture Ministry has alleged that the officials of the Foundation awarded the contract for the renovation work to consultant architect CARD in violation of General Finance Rules (GFR), they said. After conduct

Kanpur : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday chaired the first meeting of the National Ganga Council and reviewed the ambitious Namami Gange project. The prime minister was received by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and other dignitaries at the Chakeri airport. Modi chaired the meeting of the council at Chandra Shekhar Azad Agriculture University. He reviewed the works completed under the project so far and exchanged notes on cleaning the Ganga with dignitaries, officials said. The meeting chaired by Modi was attended by Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand chief ministers Yogi Adityanath and Trivendra Singh Rawat, respectively. Union ministers Prakash Javadekar, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Dr Harshvardhan, RK Singh, Prahlad Patel, Mansukh Mandavia and Hardeep Singh Puri attended the meeting along with several officers from the Centre and the states. Modi also visited a Namami Gange Mission exhibition, showcasing the works done for the cleanliness of the river. Later, acc

Kolkata : West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday requested people in the state to not create any disturbance or get involved in any kind of violence with respect to protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019. In a video message tweeted by West Bengal police, Banerjee said, "I request everyone to not create any disturbance or involve in any kind of violence. Be sure that the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) will not be implemented in Bengal as we would not allow it." "Please do not block roads and take law in hands," she said. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, provides for citizenship to non-Muslim refugees of Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who arrived in India before 31 December 2014. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was passed from Parliament earlier this week and became an Act with President Ram Nath Kovind giving his assent on 12 November. from Firstpost India Latest News https://if

New Delhi: One who doesn't fight against injustice in the country will be judged as a coward in the history, said Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday while speaking on crimes against women. The party general secretary spoke about her meeting with the kin of a rape victim from Unnao who had died after being set ablaze by the accused, while she was on her way to court for hearing in the rape case. "Some days back I went to a farmer's house in Awadh. He had five daughters and one son... One of the daughters was raped and the accused was the son of the village headman and the police refused to register a report. But she did not lose courage... One day, she was going to court when the accused set her on fire. She ran for one kilometre but fell on the ground later," Priyanka said while speaking at the 'Bharat Bachao' rally. "That farmer started crying when I went to his house. He reminded me of my father (Rajiv Gandhi) who lost his life when

Amaravati : The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Friday passed a Bill to further amend the Indian Penal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure that will enable expeditious investigation and trial of offences against women and children, especially sexual offences, and award of the death penalty. The proposed new law has been named the Andhra Pradesh Disha Act Criminal Law (AP Amendment) Act, 2019, as a tribute to the veterinary doctor raped and murdered recently in neighbouring Telangana. State Home Minister M Sucharita moved the Bill in the Assembly, which the ruling YSR Congress called "revolutionary." The new law mandates completion of the investigation into cases of sexual offences within seven working days from the time of record and the trial within 14 working days from the date of filing the charge sheet. The appeal against the sentence passed under the new law has to be disposed off within six months. Three new sections 354E, 354F and 354G will be added to t

Guwahati : Internet services across Assam will remain suspended till 16 December to prevent alleged misuse of social media in disturbing the peace and to maintain law and order in the state, officials said on Saturday. Suspension of internet services has been extended for another 48 hours keeping in view the prevailing law and order situation in the state, additional chief secretary (home and political department) Sanjay Krishna told PTI . These services have been suspended as "social media platforms like Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter and YouTube, etc are likely to be used for spreading of rumours and also for transmission of information like pictures, videos, and texts that have the potential to inflame passions and does exacerbate the law and order situation". Internet services were suspended on Wednesday initially for 24 hours in ten districts of the state and then extended for another 48 hours across the state, scheduled to expire this afternoon. As the Citizenship (Am

Srinagar:  The detention of Farooq Abdullah, a three-term chief minister of erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, was extended on Saturday by three months and he would continue to remain at his residence that has been declared a sub-jail, officials said. The case of Abdullah, also a five-term parliamentarian, was reviewed by the advisory board of the Home Department of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir which recommended extension of his detention under the PSA, they said. His house, located at Gupkar Road, has been declared a sub-jail by the the Union Territory's Home Department. The 82-year-old Abdullah, who became the first chief minister against whom the stringent public safety law was invoked, has a heart pacemaker implanted and had undergone a kidney transplant a few years ago. Abdullah was among a host of leaders and activists who were detained on 5 August when the Centre abrogated Article 370 and divided the ertwhile state into two union territories:  Ladakh, and

Amid protests in the North East against the Citizenship Amendment Act, the US, UK, France, Canada and Israel have issued travel advisories asking their citizens to "exercise caution" while travelling to the region. "Demonstrations against the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) are taking place in some parts of the country. There have been reports of violent protests in North East India, especially in Assam and Tripura. An indefinite curfew has been imposed in Guwahati (Assam) and mobile internet services have been suspended in 10 districts of Assam. Transport may be affected in various parts of the region. You should exercise caution if you are planning to travel in North East India, monitor local media for the latest information, follow instructions of the local authorities and allow more time for travel," said the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in a statement. Likewise, the US Embassy has also listed out precautions for its citizens currently staying in

The massive win that Boris Johnson-led Conservative Party scored in UK’s most consequential general election, among other things, augurs well for ties between India and Britain. New Delhi would be considerably comfortable in dealing with Johnson — whom leftist British newspaper The Guardian has called a “sociopathic, narcissistic, glutton for power” — than leftist Jeremy Corbyn whose extreme anti-India posturing alienated most British-Indian voters who have traditionally voted Labour. This isn’t to say that desertion by the British-Indians, a 1.5 lakh-strong influential community, had caused the Opposition Labour to slump to its worst performance since 1935, but the activism shown by Britons of Indian origin against Corbyn’s clique of rancid Left was certainly notable. This British election was remarkable for more ways than one. The Tories (colloquial for Conservatives) made unprecedented inroads into erstwhile Labour bastions and managed to snatch away working class votes in seats