LIVE! Thrash Rahul in public: Savarkar's grandson

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Sun, 15 December 2019

Thrash Rahul in public: Savarkar's grandson

Timeline Refresh

22:10 Thrash Rahul in public: Savarkar's grandson

V D Savarkar's grandson Ranjit Savarkar on Sunday appealed to Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray to "thrash" Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in public for "insulting" the late Hindutva icon by his remarks.

Ranjit was referring to the comments made by Rahul Gandhi at a public rally in Delhi on Saturday.

Addressing the "Bharat Bachao Rally", Rahul Gandhi rejected the Bharatiya Janata Party's demand for apology for his "rape in India" barb, and added that his name was Rahul Gandhi, not "Rahul Savarkar", and he will never apologise for speaking the truth.

On Sunday evening, Ranjit Savarkar reminded Thackeray, who heads the Shiv Sena, of his past remarks that those who insult V D Savarkar should be thrashed at a public square.

The Sena heads the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government comprising the Congress and the NCP.

"Rahul Gandhi had repeatedly alleged that my grandfather had apologised to the British, which is not true. My grandfather had only agreed to the terms and conditions of the British to get freed from jail. He never swore allegiance to the British," Ranjit Savarkar said.

A political firestorm has erupted over Rahul Gandhi's remarks on the Hindutva icon. -- PTI

21:25 Police entered campus by force: Jamia Millia

Jamia Millia Islamia Chief Proctor Waseem Ahmed Khan claimed on Sunday that Delhi Police personnel entered the university by force without any permission and beat up staff members and students who were forced to leave the campus.

University vice chancellor Najma Akhtar said students who were inside the library have been taken out and are safe. Akhtar condemned the police action.

Soon after the violence in south Delhi during a protest against the amended Citizenship Act, police entered the Jamia Millia Islamia campus and blocked the university gates to nab some "outsiders" who had entered the premises to hide, sources said.

Both the Jamia Millia students' community as well as the Teachers' Association have disassociated themselves from the violence and arson that took place near the university Sunday afternoon.

Escorted by police, youths could be seen coming out of their hostels with their hands raised. Some of them claimed the police also entered the library and "harassed" the students. PTI

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said the new citizenship law is against the views of Hindutva icon V D Savarkar.

Addressing a press conference on the eve of the winter session of the state legislature, Thackeray said that issues like CAB were being raised to "divert attention" of people from real issues like security of women, unemployment and farm crisis.

"Is CAB based on ideology? What about violence which erupted over it?, he asked. -- PTI

20:07 Police enters Jamia campus to nab 'outsiders'

Soon after the violence in South Delhi during a protest against the amended Citizenship Act, police entered the Jamia Millia Islamia campus and blocked the university gates to nab some "outsiders" who had entered the premises to hide, sources said.

Both the Jamia Millia students' community as well as the Teachers' Association have disassociated themselves with the violence and arson that took place near the university Sunday afternoon.

Three public buses and a fire tender were set afire by the "miscreants" during the violence and arson in New Friends' Colony.

The students claimed that "certain" local elements had "disrupted" their protest and indulged in violence.

The sources said that as police tried to disperse the protesters by using baton change and firing teargas shells, some of the "outsiders" ran towards the campus and tried to hide there.

The police personnel entered the campus and blocked the gates to nab these miscreants, they said. -- PTI

In the wake of violent protest against the amended citizenship law in south Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said that no one should indulge in violence.

"No one shud indulge in violence. Any kind of violence is unacceptable. Protests shud remain peaceful," Kejriwal tweeted.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation closed the entry and exit gates of the Sukhdev Vihar Metro station on Sunday evening in view of the violent protest in southeast Delhi against the amended Citizenship Act.

"As advised by Delhi Police, entry & exit gates of Sukhdev Vihar and gate no. 3 of Ashram have been closed. Trains will not be halting at Sukhdev Vihar," the DMRC tweeted.

Entry and exit gates of Jamia Millia Islamia, Okhla Vihar and Jasola Vihar Shaheen Bagh have also been closed with no trains halting at these stations.

Violence erupted on Mathura Road in southeast Delhi following a clash between police and Jamia Millia Islamia students who were protesting against the amended Citizenship Act.

The protesters torched Delhi Transport Corporation buses and a fire tender was damaged, police claimed.

Students claimed that the police baton charged them when they were holding a peaceful protest.

A Delhi Fire Services official said four fire tenders were rushed to the spot.

One fire tender was completely damaged and two personnel were injured, he said.

According to Saimon Farooqui, national secretary of Congress-affiliated National Students' Union of India, the protesters were peacefully sitting on Mathura Road when policemen tried to "trouble" a couple of protesters, who resisted.

Thereafter, police started lathicharging the protesters and using teargas, he alleged.

Another student claimed that after the policemen used force, some protesters torched buses and indulged in vandalism. -- PTI

Image: A Delhi Transport Corporation bus was set ablaze by protesters near Bharat Nagar anti-citizenship law protesters clashed with police. Photograph: ANI

17:47 Nirbhaya's parents seek time-bound justice

It has been seven years to that fateful day when their daughter -- who came to be known as 'Nirbhaya' -- was brutally gangraped and thrown off a bus, but her parents still await justice.

The tag of rape capital became all the more pronounced after the Nirbhaya incident but her parents say it is a pan-India problem and cannot bring themselves to hate the national capital, which snatched their child.

"Delhi snatched everything away. But we cannot hate Delhi since our state Uttar Pradesh has also been seeing such incidents.There is no place in the world where we can go where such incidents do not happen. You cannot hate the entire world," says Nirbhaya's mother.

But they hope and pray that things improve for the better.

In the last few days, they have seen a bit of hope, with reports saying the four accused in the case might be hanged soon.

As Nirbhaya's mother puts it, "We are hopeful. We have been waiting for it. It is not easy till the time we get their death warrant and the date."

The 23-year-old paramedic student's parents have not lost faith in God, despite facing so much.

"I have believed in karma for the last seven years. I have the support of God. But I didn't lose faith in him. Of course there are questions like 'Why did we have to face this? '"

Her father says they believe in doing good karma.

While they might be closer to getting justice, they said their fight for other 'Nirbhayas' will continue.

"With the hanging of the four accused, Nirbhaya will get justice. But there are many Nirbhayas in the country. We will fight for other daughters too," says her father.

The last seven years have given the couple a lot of experience and they now understand the loopholes of the criminal justice system and how to tackle them.

He said their fight ahead will centre around time-bound justice.

"There is no time-bound procedure for filing mercy or review petitions. There should be a fixed duration of cases," he says.

Underlining the need to curb the crime of rape with speedy investigation by police, vice president M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday said it's the duty of judiciary to ensure that justice is delivered without "constant delays" though there cannot be "instant justice".

He also said that the crime of rape should be curbed without any discrimination or giving it a political hue.

The vice president's comments came on the eve of the 7th anniversary of the December 16, 2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape case that shook the nation, though he didn't mention the incident in his speech.

Recently, Union home ministry had sent to President Ram Nath Kovind the recommendation of the Delhi government rejecting the mercy plea of one of the convicts in the gang-rape case.

Naidu was speaking at a ceremony where he awarded President's Colour and Standard, including special flag and emblem, to the Gujarat Police, at the state Police Academy in Karai village in Gandhinagar district of Gujarat.

The Gujarat Police became the seventh such police force to be conferred with the symbol of excellence and pride.

"The rise in the number of crimes against women and children, especially heinous crimes, troubles me deeply. We have been hearing incidents here and there across the country.

"I want political leadership of the country not to politicise this and give it a political colour," the vice president said.

He said rape is a crime against women which should be "curbed with all might without any discrimination".

"Police should be people friendly and women friendly and deal with crimes against women with agility. Police should register every complaint without any distinction, complete investigation at the earliest and start prosecution at the earliest," the vice president said.

Appealing to judiciary, Naidu said judicial enquiry should be concluded at the earliest and punishment be handed to culprits at the earliest so as to "curb" such criminal tendency. -- PTI

16:48 Choose power or Savarkar: BJP to Sena

Bharatiya Janata Party spokesman Shahnawaz Hussain on Sunday said the country will never forgive Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for insulting Veer Savarkar and asked the Shiv Sena to choose between power and the freedom fighter.

Talking to reporters in Mumbai, Hussain, in a stinging attack on the Congress leader, said there can be no comparison between Savarkar and Gandhi, who has a "borrowed" surname.

"Just tweeting a protest against Gandhi's insult of Savarkar will not do. (Shiv Sena president) Uddhav Thackeray has to take a stand onwhether he wants to share power with the Congress which has insulted the national icon and freedom fighter," he said.

Addressing the Congress' mega 'Bharat Bachao Rally' in Delhi on Saturday, Rahul Gandhi rejected the BJP's demand for apology over his "rape in India" barb, and added that his name was Rahul Gandhi, not "Rahul Savarkar", and he will never apologise for speaking the truth.

Reacting to Rahul Gandhi's remark mentioning Savarkar, Shiv Sena's Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut on Saturday in a tweet said there could not be any "compromise" about reverence for the Hindutva ideologue.

Accusing the Congress of insulting nationalists and freedom fighters, Hussain said the people taught a lesson to the Sonia Gandhi-led party twice and it was not even able to claim the leader of opposition's post in the Lok Sabha.

"Veer Savarkar was given two terms of life sentence. To become Savarkar, you need to do lot of hard work. There can't be even one micron comparison between Savarkar and Rahul, who has a borrowed surname," he alleged.

Hussain said there is anger across the country against Rahul Gandhi over his insulting comments on the revolutionary freedom fighter.

"The Shiv Sena has to choose between the government and Savarkar. The party has to clarify," he said.

The former Union minister further criticised the Congress over its opposition to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, and accused the party of "misleading" the people, specially minorities.

"The bill, which has been passed by Parliament, seeks to give citizenship to religious minorities facing persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan and who had taken refuge here since they don't have religious freedom.

"Indian citizens need not fear. The new amended Act is not taking away the citizenship of Indians, including Muslims," he said. -- PTI

Veteran filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt on Sunday joined a protest meet in Mumbai against the amended Citizenship Act, and said it is time people unite to send across a message that the country belongs to everyone.

The protest meet was held at 'Rajgruha', the house of Dr B R Ambedkar in Mumbai, where Bhatt was joined by Congress leader Sanjay Jha, among others.

"It's time for people to stand up and say this country belongs to each one of us and it is the might and the will of each one of us that has finally found an expression...," Bhatt said, addressing a gathering.

"That curve has come, India has spoken this Sunday morning. All of you gathering here is an evidence that the core, soul of India is alive," he said.

"Today we dedicate ourselves to the core idea of India which has been spelt out by our predecessors in this sacred document which we all swear and live by," the filmmaker added.

The Preamble to the Constitution of India was read out by those present at the protest meet. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused the Congress and its allies of raising a storm over citizenship law and asserted that the opposition parties were behind the unrest and arson in parts of the country.

The prime minister, addressing an election rally in Jharkhand's Dumka, lashed out at the opposition alliance in Jharkhand saying the Congress does not have any roadmap for developing the country.

"The Congress and its allies are stoking fire over the citizenship act but people of the Northeast have rejected violence. Actions of the Congress prove that all decisions taken in Parliament are correct," he said.

Modi claimed that leaders of the opposition parties have only built palaces for themselves without being concerned about the problems faced by the people.

Listing the achievements of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led governments at the Centre and the state, he said, "I have come here to give an account of the development work done by our party in the state." -- PTI

A state Bharatiya Janata Party delegation met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday and apprised him of the law and order situation in West Bengal, amid violent protests against the amended Citizenship Act.

The delegation, led by party state general secretary Biswapriya Roy Chowdhury, met Modi at Andal airport in Paschim Bardhaman district where he had a stopover on his way to Jharkhand's Dumka for an election rally.

"We had a very short time. But we briefed him about the ongoing violence and arson in the state for the last three days. We have told PM Modi, how the state government is doing nothing to control the situation," Roy Chowdhury said.

Protests continued in various parts of the state for the third consecutive day as incidents of violence were reported from Nadia, Birbhum, North 24 Parganas and Howrah districts.

Three railway stations were set on fire on Saturday and at least 25 buses have been torched.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who resolutely opposed the amended Citizenship Act, has appealed for peace and warned of stern action against those indulging in violence. -- PTI

Former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said the state assembly's winter session, set to begin from Monday, is a "farce" as the Uddhav Thackeray-led government has not completed allocation of portfolios to minsters.

Fadnavis, who is leader of the opposition (LoP) in the Maharashtra assembly, alleged that the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government was spreading "misinformation" about the state's financial condition.

He also demanded that the state government disburse Rs 23,000 crore to farmers for waiving their outstanding loans.

Thackeray, who heads the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government, took oath as chief minister on November 28 along with six ministers -- two each from the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress.

On December 12, the Sena was allotted the home, industries and urban development portfolios. The NCP got finance and the Congress got charge of the revenue department.

The winter session of the state legislature will begin in Nagpur on Monday and conclude on December 21.

Talking to reporters in Nagpur on Sunday, Fadnavis said the new government came to power over two weeks back but "no official portfolio allocation has been done so far".

"The current allocation of ministerial portfolios is temporary. Therefore, this winter session is nothing but a farce. It seems the Thackeray-led government is not serious about this session," the BJP leader said.

He alleged that deliberate attempts were being made to spread "misinformation" about the state's financial condition.

"There were some loans obtained outside the budget, but it has been shown as part of the budget and the amount of outstanding loan has been inflated. I think this information is being spread to postpone some critical decisions in future," Fadnavis said.

The LoP also demanded that the government disburse Rs 23,000 crore to farmers for waiving their outstanding dues. -- PTI

Newly-appointed head coach Mark Boucher has said he may try to persuade a few recent retirees, including AB de Villiers, to return to the South Africa squad ahead of next year's T20 World Cup.

Boucher was on Saturday named the coach of South African team head coach until 2023 and one of his biggest assignments will be the T20 World Cup in Australia, which is 10 months away.

"When you go to a World Cup, you want your best players playing for you. If I feel he (De Villiers) is one of your best players, why wouldn't I want to have a conversation with him? I've only just got into the job, I might have conversations with quite a few players and see where they are," Boucher was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.

"You want your best players playing in the World Cup and if there's a couple of issues you need to iron out, with media, with teammates, and if it''s for the good of South Africa, why not, let's do it," he said.

Considered one of the greatest players that South Africa has ever produced, former skipper De Villiers quit international cricket in March last year and has been plying his trade in the franchise-based T20 tournaments around the world.

Boucher said South Africa will need their best players to compete at the T20 World Cup and he would welcome the availability of players through the Kolpak deal, which allows cricketers to play in any European Union country without being considered an overseas player.

"If I can answer from a coach''s perspective, absolutely. If you look at rugby, the way the Springboks won the World Cup, the experience they got from players playing overseas was invaluable," he said.

"From a coach's perspective, I'd love to have the opportunity to deepen and strengthen the squad. It will keep everyone on their toes and will bring more excellence into the game in this country." -- PTI

The curfew, imposed in parts of Shillong amid violent protests against the amended Citizenship Act, was relaxed from 6 am to 7 pm on Sunday, officials said.

The curfew was relaxed for 13 hours in areas under the jurisdictions of Sadar and Lumdiengiri police stations, the officials said.

In view of the prevailing law and order situation in the curfew-bound areas, the District Magistrate of East Khasi Hills, M W Nongbri, has relaxed the curfew till 7 pm, they said.

Curfew will be reimposed in these areas from 7 pm on Sunday till further orders, a statement issued by the district administration said.

SMS and mobile internet services have been withdrawn for 48 hours since 5pm on Saturday, an official said.

Banks and educational institutions have been shut since December 11 and the North Eastern Hill University has also postponed all examinations to February 2020.

Traffic was negligible on the roads during the relaxed hours of curfew and markets were shut for most parts of the days.

The assembly will be holding a special one-day session on December 19 to allow the government to pass a resolution to demand the implementation of Inner Line Permit in the state. -- PTI

14:38 Internet suspended in 5 districts of Bengal

Internet services were on Sunday suspended in five districts of West Bengal, amid violent protests against the amended Citizenship Act across the state, a senior government official said.

According to the official, the government has decided to shutdown Internet services in Malda, Murshidabad, Howrah, North 24 Parganas and parts of South 24 Parganas districts to prevent rumour-mongering and circulation of fake news, especially on social media.

"Despite several requests, a few communal outfits have been carrying out violent protests. In view of the situation, the administration has decided to temporarily suspend Internet services in five districts of the state," the official told PTI.

13:43 CAA protest: Death toll touches 3 in Assam

Three people have died so far while 27 suffered injuries in the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 in Assam.

The information was provided by the government-run Guwahati Medical College Hospital where injured were given treatment.

Protests broke out in many parts of Assam and North-East following the passage of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 in Parliament.

Later, it became an Act after Presidential assent on December 12.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, seeks to grant Indian citizenship to refugees from Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Parsi communities fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and who entered India on or before December 31, 2014. -- ANI

Jamaica's Toni-Ann Singh has bagged the Miss World 2019 at an annual beauty pageant held in London, with India's Suman Rao becoming second runners-up.

The 23-year-old Jamaican was declared the winner at a televised event, hosted by British television personality Piers Morgan, held at ExceL London on Saturday.

Born to her Indo-Caribbean father Bradshaw Singh and African-Caribbean mother Jahrine Bailey, Singh is a student of women's studies and psychology at Florida State University and she aspires to be a medical doctor.

During the competition, she earned a resounding applause from audiences for singing Whitney Houston's hit "I Have Nothing". The Jamaican was crowned by last year's winner, Vanessa Ponce de Leon of Mexico.

Singh celebrated her win on Instagram, expressing gratitude to her fellow Jamaican's for "believing in me".

"My heart is filled with love and gratitude. Thank you so much for believing in me. You pushed me to believe in myself. I am not only honoured but humbled to be the 69th Miss World.

"Thank you to my family and to my friends. The love and support you poured into me now allows me to pour into the world. My mother @jahrinebailey, I love you I love you I love you. I wish to become even half the woman you are. You are my strength, my number one supporter/cheerleader/fan and my absolute best friend," she said.

Singh also urged girls all around the world to believe in themselves and their dreams.

"Please know that you are worthy and capable of achieving your dreams. This crown is not mine but yours. It's for you to truly understand that no matter where you're from and the cards you're dealt in life - your dreams are valid. You have a PURPOSE," she added.

Singh is the fourth Jamaican to win the coveted pageant. The country has previously won Miss World titles in 1963, 1976 and 1993.

Photograph: Kind courtesy @MissWorldLtd/Twitter

Filmmaker Aribam Syam Sharma has welcomed the Central government's decision to extend Inner Line Permit to Manipur but reiterated his stand on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 and said that all states of Northeast must fight against the Act as the region cannot be "dumping ground" for foreigners.

"Citizenship (Amendment) Bill has now become an Act. It has now become a reality in northeast India. In Manipur, the government has announced that there will be ILP (Inner Line Permit) and so CAB in Manipur. Everyone should welcome the order of the government. It is clearly written in the order that there will be no CAB in the ILP areas," Sharma told reporters in Imphal.

"But my protest against CAB is not only for Manipur but for the whole of the Northeast. My point said that the Northeast cannot be dumping ground for foreigners. Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura are protesting against the Act. All states of Northeast must fight against this Act," he added.

The 83-year-old Manipuri filmmaker, who was honoured with Padma Shri in 2006 had earlier returned his award in protest against the Citizenship Amendment Bill, which has now become the Act after the Presidential assent.

Sharma, throughout his career, bagged several national film awards for his invaluable contribution to the Indian film industry.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act seeks to grant Indian citizenship to refugees from Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian communities fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and who entered India on or before December 31, 2014.

However, the Act will not apply to areas covered under "The Inner Line" notified under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873.

"Nothing in this section shall apply to the tribal area of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram or Tripura as included in the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution and the area covered under "The Inner Line" notified under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873," read a Gazette notification.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has recently extended the ILP system to Manipur and some other parts of the northeast. -- ANI

Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday called upon all sections of the society to thwart the elements, who are 'misleading people' on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.

"We are committed to protect all genuine Indian citizens and the rights of the people of Assam. I call upon all sections of the society to thwart the elements who are misleading the people on #CAA and indulging in violence and together continue the growth journey of Assam," Sonowal tweeted.

Sonowal had on Saturday also appealed to the people of the state to maintain peace and harmony with regard to protest against the Act.

"I appeal to the people of the state to maintain peace and harmony, and work towards the same," Sonowal said.

He said that he has discussed the present situation in Assam in a meeting with cabinet colleagues, Union minister Rameshwar Teli, MPs, MLAs and BJP state president Ranjeet Kumar Dass in Guwahati.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 seeks to grant Indian citizenship to refugees from Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Zoroastrian communities fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and who entered India on or before December 31, 2014. -- ANI

12:04 Intl shooter wants to hang Nirbhaya rapists

International shooter Vartika Singh has written a letter in blood to Union home minister Amit Shah stating that the four men convicted in Nirbhaya gang-rape case should be executed by a woman.

"I should be allowed to hang the four men convicted in the Nirbhaya gang-rape case. This will send a message throughout the country that a woman can also conduct execution," Singh said.

"Rapists should learn lessons that a woman can execute their death sentence. I want the women actors, MPs to support me. I hope this will bring a change in society. Women should not live in fear," she added.

The 23-year-old paramedical student was gang-raped in a moving bus on December 16, 2012.

A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court will hear a review plea filed by one of the four convicts in 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case, on Tuesday.

Out of six persons, one was a minor and appeared before a juvenile justice court, while another accused committed suicide in Tihar jail.

The four convicts -- Mukesh, Akshay, Pawan and Vinay -- had knocked the doors of the apex court against a Delhi High Court order which confirmed the capital punishment awarded to them by the trial court in September 2013. -- ANI

A Goa-based right wing organisation on Sunday urged the state government not to allow 'Sunburn Klassique' festival to be held in the coastal state, alleging that drugs were consumed at such events.

The electronic dance music festival is scheduled to be held at the Vagator beach in North Goa district from December 27 to 29.

Hindu Janajagruti Samiti's Goa convener Manoj Solanki said the state government should immediately withdraw the permission granted to organisers of the Sunburn Klassique festival.

"The culture promoted at the festival is not ours. A wrong culture is promoted during the event, which attracts thousands of youth every year," he said.

Solanki alleged that drugs were consumed by people at such events.

"At least two women participants died of drug overdose at the festival held in last few years," he claimed.

He also said that some participants while dancing at the EDM festival drape themselves in the national flag, which is "an insult of the tri-colour".

Goa Forward Party MLA and former state minister Vinod Palyekar last week also opposed such festivals in the state, claiming that they do not promote Indian music.

He demanded that the Indian classical music be promoted through these events. -- PTI

11:11 Protests in Bengal: 15 trains cancelled

JUST IN: 15 trains cancelled and 10 trains have been partially cancelled, in view of public agitation at different railway stations in Howrah-Kharagpur railway section of South Eastern Railway, says East Coast Railway PRO. -- ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday paid tributes to Vallabhbhai Patel on his 69th death anniversary, saying the country remains inspired by his exceptional services.

India's first home minister died in 1950 in Mumbai.

'Tributes to the great Sardar Patel on his punya tithi (death anniversary). We remain eternally inspired by his exceptional service to our nation,' Modi wrote on Twitter.

The Statue of Unity, a 182-meter tall statue of Patel, was unveiled by prime minister Modi in Gujarat last year. -- PTI

Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) administration has clarified that a large number of locals participated in the protest and it was not held on the varsity campus.

It is pertinent to mention that students of JMI protested against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 and National Register of Citizens (NRC) following which the scores of protesters and policemen were injured in the fray that has literally besieged the university.

JMI on Saturday announced that it has postponed all examinations.

"Demonstration was not held in University campus nor was it protest of Jamia. A large number of locals participated in it. We held talks with students, now they are protesting peacefully," said Ahmad Azeem, Jamia Millia Islamia PRO.

'All examinations have been postponed. New dates to be announced in due course of time. Winter vacation declared from December 16, 2019, to January 5, 2020. University to open on 6th January 2020,' read a release from the university on Saturday.

Scores of students from the city's Jamia Millia Islamia staged a protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) in New Delhi on Saturday.

A day earlier, students staged a protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, leaving as many as 12 cops injured.

According to police, the protestors pelted stones at policemen who were deployed to control the situation. -- ANI

10:25 Road blockades at several places in Bengal

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. -- PTI

09:46 Problem of plenty for BJP in Bihar

And if the BJPs Tamil Nadu unit is headless, the Congress seems to have many generals and no soldiers.

The partys Bihar unit, for instance, not only has a president but four working presidents.

The Chhattisgarh unit has a president and a working president (which begs the question as to what the president actually does, if it is the working president who does all the work).

The Delhi unit has a president and three working presidents.

The Gujarat unit has a president and two working presidents. And the Jharkhand unit has a president and five working presidents. Amazing! -- Business Standard

09:44 Position vacant in TN BJP

Is the Tamil Nadu unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party going to get a chief anytime soon? Or is the state so unimportant to the party that it really doesnt matter whether there is a chief in place or not?

The position has been vacant since Tamilisai Soundararajan was appointed governor of Telangana in September.

Former Union minister and the BJPs former chief of the Tamil Nadu unit, Pon Radhakrishnan and BJP state units vice president and former state minister Nainar Nagenthiran flew to Delhi last week to hold consultations after they were summoned.

From reports in local media, it seems that instead of having one president, the party might decide to have four working presidents who will be responsible for four regions in the state to beef up the BJPs prospects.

The partys vice-president, B T Arasakumar, (one of many vice presidents) who earned the wrath of the leadership for praising M K Stalins leadership skills earlier this month, joined the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam last week. -- Business Standard

IMAGE: Tamilisai Soundararajan, former BJP's Tamil Nadu unit president and currently the youngest governor (Telangana) in the Republic, offers prayers at the Kamakshi Amman temple in Kanchipuram. Photograph: Kind courtesy, Tamilisai Soundararajan/Twitter

09:32 Curfew relaxed in Guwahati, parts of Dibrugarh

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, he 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. -- PTI

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 6 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 8 kg in these 12 days and am in immense physical pain but I assure you that I will continue this indefinite fast until 'Disha' law is enacted in the country."

She also said that parliamentarians wasted crucial time during the Winter Session by not taking any constructive decisions to ensure the safety of women and girls.

"If the Andhra government can take this historic decision, why can't the Central government show the same urgency and concern," Maliwal asked Prime Minister Modi. -- ANI

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