LIVE! Tight security for PM's rally in Delhi

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Sat, 21 December 2019

Tight security for PM's rally in Delhi

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21:52 Tight security for PM's rally in Delhi

Elaborate security arrangements have been made for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally on Sunday at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan, which is a little over a kilometre away from Old Delhi's Daryaganj that was hit by violence on Friday during the protest against the amended Citizenship Act.

According to sources, senior officials remained in huddle till 5 am on Saturday to discuss the security arrangements. In the meeting, among other things, it was decided that social media should be monitored to stop rumour-mongering, especially in the wake of ongoing protests against the contentious legislation.

Checking of vehicles has been stepped up on border areas to ensure that "unscrupulous" elements do not enter the national capital to disrupt the rally, sources said.

A multilevel security arrangement will be in place on Sunday, with CCTV surveillance of all the routes leading to the venue and snipers being positioned atop buildings to ensure security, they said.

The Delhi Police is in close touch with the SPG and the Bharatiya Janata Party for the security arrangements during the programme. The Delhi BJP has also deployed volunteers as part of its security arrangements for the rally.

In a statement, senior BJP leader Vijay Goel said preparations for the rally, which is being organised to thank PM Modi for giving ownership rights to 40 lakh residents of 1731 unauthorised colonies, are in full swing. -- PTI

Image: Security personnel inspect on the eve of BJP rally at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi. Photograph: PTI Photo

The Congress will hold a protest on Sunday against the Centre's new citizenship law.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi to be present at Raj Ghat tomorrow during Congress' dharna against the contentious law.

The protest meet will be held at Rajghat, the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi.

More than 20 people have died in the protests against the new law since it was signed off by President Ram Nath Kovind on December 11.

Fifteen of the deaths have taken place in Uttar Pradesh, five in Assam and two in Mangaluru.

19:55 Stay away from politics, Kakodkar to students

Noted nuclear scientist and former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission Dr Anil Kakodkar on Saturday asked students to stay away from politics, though he added that issues vexing them will give rise to agitations.

He was speaking at a function in Thane in Maharashtra on the occasion of the release of a book on his life.

He was answering a query from the media on the CAA and NRC protests.

Over the past few days, several campuses across the country have seen strong students' protests over Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens exercise.

"I feel students should not get into politics. However, if something is agitating them, then it is not that one has to keep quiet. All agitations are started by students and there is nothing unexpected about it," Dr Kakodkar said.

He advised students to prepare themselves for the competition they would face in the corporate world, adding that failure to do so would be akin to the defeat princely states endured in the 19th century when the East India Company began expanding its footprint in the sub-continent.

He said the education system in the country has to gear up to ensure students got the knowledge required to solve the problems facing the country, and emphasis must be on those coming from rural areas so that they can compete with their city counterparts.

"There are plenty of opportunities in the form of skilling and training, and if this is done, then sky is the limit. The education system must provide students a good atmosphere as their progress is based on it," he told the gathering.

He also paid tribute to Homi Bhabha, widely acclaimed as the principal architect of India's nuclear energy programme.

Kakodkar said Dr Bhabha thought up the 'three stage nuclear power programme', which sought the use of uranium and thorium reserves found in monazite sands of coastal regions of South India, when even five per cent of that technology had not been firmed up. -- PTI

A Delhi court on Saturday sent Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Aazad, who was arrested in connection with the violence in Old Delhi's Daryaganj area, to 14 day's judicial custody.

Aazad, who was arrested earlier in the day, sought bail from the court on the ground that there is no evidence that he instigated the Jama Masjid crowd to go to Delhi Gate where the protesters had turned violent.

The police opposed his bail plea on the ground that he may threaten witnesses and his judicial remand is necessary for the sake of law and order.

The court dismissed his bail plea and sent him to 14 days' judicial custody.

Earlier, a lawyer had requested the court to direct the investigating officer to give details of Aazad's whereabouts.

The court also sent 15 people arrested in connection with the violence in Daryaganj to two days' judicial custody.

Aazad's outfit had organised a march from Jama Masjid to Jantar Mantar on Friday against the new citizenship law, despite not having permission from police. -- PTI

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday expressed apprehension that India could carry out a "false flag operation" against it to divert attention from its domestic situation and warned that it will give a befitting response to any such action.

Khan in a series of tweets said that under the Modi government, India has been moving towards "Hindu Rashtra" with its "fascist ideology".

"...Now with the Citizens Amendment Act, all those Indians who want a pluralist India are beginning to protest & it is becoming a mass movement," Khan said on the massive protests in India against the new citizenship law.

Khan said that as the protests in India are increasing, "threat to Pakistan from India is also increasing" and the Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat's remarks on the situation along the Line of Control adds to Pakistan's "concerns of a false flag operation".

General Rawat on Wednesday said that the situation along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir can escalate any time and the Army is ready for any "escalatory matrix".

Gen Rawat's remarks came in the backdrop of spurt in ceasefire violation by Pakistan along the LoC since the abrogation of Article 370 in August.

Khan warned the international community that "Pakistan will have no option but to give a befitting response" to India if New Delhi undertakes any operation against it.

"I have been warning the int community of this for some time & am reiterating again: if India does such an operation to divert attention from its domestic chaos plus whip up war hysteria to mobilise Hindu nationalism, Pak will have no option but to give a befitting response," he tweeted.

Earlier, Pakistan Army spokesman Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor had termed Gen Rawat's remarks as a tactic to take the global attention away from domestic issues. -- PTI

18:35 CAA: Internet suspended in Lucknow till Mon

Internet services will remain suspended in Lucknow till Monday, a senior official said on Saturday.

Internet services in the city were suspended on Thursday night after violent protests against the amended Citizenship Bill.

"Internet services have been suspended till December 23 in Lucknow," District Magistrate Abhishek Prakash told PTI Saturday evening.

At least 15 people, including an eight-year-old boy, have lost their lives in Uttar Pradesh since protests broke out on Thursday against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, IG (Law and Order) Praveen Kumar said. -- PTI

18:29 BJP to launch info campaign on Citizenship Act

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday announced a mass contact programme to expose opposition parties' "lies" and apprise people of the details of the amended citizenship law to assure them that it is not against existing citizens.

The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by BJP working president J P Nadda and convened to formulate the party's strategy over the issue amid protests in various parts of the country against the new provision in the Citizenship Act and the proposed creation of a National Register of Citizens.

Party general secretary Bhupender Yadav told reporters that the BJP within next 10 days will contact more than 3 crore families, organise rally in every district and hold over 250 press conferences across the country to inform masses about the new law.

The new law seeks to give citizenship to minorities from three neighbouring countries, who arrived in India before December 2014 due to religious persecution.

He also accused opposition parties, especially the Congress, of spreading misinformation in a bid to disturb peace across the country during recent protests which have claimed several lives.

Yadav said the party will also involve beneficiaries of the amended law in its information campaign about the statute. -- PTI

The Maharashtra government on Saturday announced a loan waiver of upto Rs two lakh for farmers, with a cut off date of September 30, 2019.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray made the announcement in the Legislative Assembly in Nagpur on the last day of the winter session of the legislature.

"Crop loans outstanding till September 30, 2019, will be waived by my government. The upper ceiling for the amount is Rs two lakh. The scheme will be called Mahatma Jyotirao Phule loan waiver scheme," Thackeray said.

Besides, a special scheme would be offered for the farmers who repay their loans on time, he said.

Thackeray heads a coalition government of the Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress.

Finance Minister Jayant patil said the waiver would be unconditional, and details would be communicated by the chief minister's office in due course.

Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis alleged that the government had not fulfilled its original promise of full loan waiver.

He also said the Sena-led government failed to give assistance of Rs 25,000 per hectare to farmers who suffered losses due to unseasonal rain, a demand which Thackeray himself had made earlier before he became CM.

Fadnavis and other BJP MLAs then staged a walk out in protest. -- PTI

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday said the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens "do not deserve" to be implemented in the country as they will affect people of all communities.

He accused the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of "trying to polarise" the country and said they will not be allowed to do so.

The chief minister questioned that when the government "could not implement" NRC in Assam then how will it be successful in implementing the same in the entire country.

He said the violence in different parts of the country is unfortunate and demanded that the Centre repeal the CAA.

"Eleven people have died in violence. The situation is alarming. Demonstration is democratic right but violence cannot be tolerated," Gehlot said.

"CAA and NRC don't deserve to be implemented in the country. This will affect people of all communities. They want to process both CAA and NRC together. They should say they will move ahead by taking all communities together," Gehlot said while targeting the BJP, PM Modi and Home Minister Shah.

"It is the trick of the BJP, Modi and Shah for polarisation. They want to keep polarising the country so that they can get its advantage in elections. They want to push the country in (an atmosphere of) hatred but we will not let this happen," he said at a press conference in Jaipur.

Fifteen people arrested in connection with the violence in Old Delhi's Daryaganj area were sent to two days' judicial custody by a Delhi court on Saturday.

The police had sought 14 days' judicial custody of the arrested people.

One of those arrested claimed he was a juvenile. However, the police said he told them he is aged 23. -- PTI

17:53 India objects to Malaysian PM's remark on CAA

India on Saturday lodged a strong protest with Malaysia over its Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's criticism of the new citizenship law, saying such comments are not in sync with established diplomatic practice of non-interference in any country's internal affairs.

The Charge d'Affairs of Malaysian embassy was summoned to the external affairs ministry and he was conveyed India's anguish over Mohamad's comments, official sources said.

It was also conveyed that such remarks are both ill-informed and insensitive, the sources said, adding Malaysia was asked to take a long-term and strategic view of the relations between the two countries.

Mohamad made some adverse comments against the citizenship law at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur. -- PTI

17:47 BJP govt using dictatorial measures: Priyanka

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party government of using dictatorial measures to suppress the voice of people as she condemned arrest of students, intellectuals, journalists and social workers protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and a possible NRC.

The NRC and the new citizenship law were against the Constitution of India, she said in a statement.

The people of the country would not allow any such attack on the Constitution but the government was bent upon using force and violence against protesters, she added.

She also appealed to people to follow the path of non-violence and truth as propagated by Mahatma Gandhi to protect the Constitution and not allow any attack on it. -- PTI

The Uttar Pradesh Police chief on Saturday maintained that police did not open fire during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, suggesting that those who died were caught in cross-firing between protesters.

At least 11 people, including an 8-year-old boy, died as protests against the contentious law in the state turned violent on Friday.

According to officials, four deaths were reported from Meerut district and two from Kanpur and the boy was killed in a stampede in Varanasi when a violent mob was being chased by policemen.

Two people lost their lives in Bijnor and one each in Sambhal and Firozabad, they said.

"All the deaths took place in cross-firing and this will become clear in the post-mortem examination," said Director General of Police (DGP), Uttar Pradesh, O P Singh.

"We are clear and transparent on this. If anyone died due to our firing, we will conduct a judicial inquiry and take action. But nothing happened from our side," he asserted.

On Friday, protesters clashed with police at several places in the state, hurling stones at them and torching vehicles. Fifty policemen were seriously injured in the violence, the officials said.

Of the 75 districts in the state, one-fourth have been affected. Thousands gathered after Friday prayers and defied the law, Singh said.

He said "outsiders" were involved in the violence and members of political parties and NGOs could also have been present.

According to the DGP, police had reached out to religious leaders and they had assured that there would be peace.

"But still protesters gathered and indulged in violence and at some places they also fired with illegal weapons," he said.

Police had no option but to resort to lathi-charge to chase them away, he said, adding that tear gas shells were also fired. -- PTI

16:36 Clashes in UP's Rampur against citizenship law

Clashes broke out between anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protesters and police in which several people, including policemen, were injured in Uttar Pradesh's Rampur on Saturday, officials said.

Around 400 to 500 people gathered here to protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act amid a bandh call, they said.

Five protesters were hospitalised and the condition of one of them was stated to be critical, District Magistrate Aunjaneya Singh said.

"Over a dozen policemen also suffered minor injuries during stone pelting by protesters that included children between the ages of 12 and 18 years," Singh said.

Another dozen protesters also suffered minor injuries in tear gas shelling by the police, he said.

A call for a bandh was given in Rampur on Saturday by anti-CAA protesters even as CrPc Section 144, which bars assembly of people, was in force in the region. -- PTI

16:29 India is not dharmshala: Raj Thackeray on CAA

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj Thackeray on Saturday virtually dubbed the new citizenship law and proposed National Register of Citizens as ploys by the Centre to divert the attention of people from the "economic crisis".

Thackeray also raised questions over the proposed "influx" of immigrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh to India under the recently-passed Citizenship Amendment Act.

"There is a riot-like situation in the country due to the violence over CAA and NRC. I wonder how many people have understood these two decisions. There are different aspects to these two issues," he told reporters.

For the first time, I would like to congratulate (Union Home Minister and BJP chief) Amit Shah for the "political game" he has played for successfully diverting the attention of people from recession and economic crisis, Thackeray said.

The CAA proposes to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees escaping religions persecution from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, which has triggered massive protests across the country.

"If you can cast your vote showing Aadhaar card as proof then why can't that document prove your citizenship? Why were people made to undergo biometric screening?" he asked.

Referring to CAA provisions, the MNS chief said India with a "135 crore population" do not need more people.

There is no need to paint it as an issue between Hindu and Muslims, he said.

Thackeray also said India is not a "dharmshala" or a charity shelter where illegal immigrants can come and settle down.

"It is important to check how many Bangladeshis, Pakistanis have entered India from the Nepal border," the MNS chief said even as he appealed to Muslims in India to not feel insecure.

He demanded an inter-state migration act to enable government authorities to identify illegal migrants.

Thackeray also criticised the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena for joining hands with the Congress and the NCP to form a new government.

He said that that decision was not gone down well with the common people, who will express it in the next elections. -- PTI

15:48 PM reviews govt performance in last 6 months

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday reviewed the progress made by various ministries in the last six months after the BJP returned to power for the second consecutive term.

In the meeting that is likely to continue till the evening, brief presentations are being made by ministries on various decisions taken by them, sources in the government said.

The sources said the focus would be on agriculture, rural development and the social sector.

The meeting comes in the backdrop of protests in various cities against the amended citizenship law and the proposed nation-wide National Register of Citizens exercise. But it is not known whether the issue came up in the meeting.

Usually, the Council of Ministers meets after the Cabinet meeting every month. But this time, the meeting is being held independently. The regular weekly Cabinet meeting will be held on December 24, the sources said.

In the past few weeks, the prime minister has reviewed progress made by various ministries in implementing the government's policies during Cabinet meetings.

The BJP-led NDA returned to power with a greater mandate in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

It completed six months in power in November. -- PTI

15:46 Gambhir says receiving death threats on phone

Bharatiya Janata Party MP Gautam Gambhir has approached the Delhi Police, alleging he has received death threats from a caller using an international number.

The East Delhi MP has written to the deputy commissioners of Shahdara and Central districts about the threats received by him on Friday.

He urged police to ensure the safety and security of his family. -- PTI

Mangaluru city which is under a curfew remained calm under heavy police security on Saturday while prohibitory orders were lifted for two hours from 6 a.m to enable people to purchase essential items.

City police Commissioner P S Harsha said the curfew will continue till Sunday night in the commissionerate limits as a precautionary measure after the violent clashes between protesters agitating against Citizenship Amendment Act and the police on Thursday.

Owners of some shops who had only a little stock left on Saturday, sold their items within the two hours.

Many people complained that they were not aware of the relaxation of the curfew as it was announced only on local television channels.

Mobile internet services which were suspended are expected to be restored by Saturday night.

Vehicles barring city buses, autorickshaws were seen plying.

District in-charge Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary, who held meetings with the district Deputy Commissioner and senior police officers on Friday, said the situation here is stable and briefed the Chief Minister on the developments.

Meanwhile, a case has been booked by the Mangaluru South police against former state minister and Mangaluru MLA U T Khader for allegedly delivering a provocative speech and stirring communal disharmony and inciting violence. -- PTI

At least two Pakistani soldiers were reported to have been killed on Saturday in an exchange of fire with the Indian Army along the Line of Control in Akhnoor sector of Jammu and Kashmir, defence sources said.

They said the Pakistani troops violated ceasefire and fired on forward posts in Pallanwalla area of Akhnoor which was effectively retaliated.

In the morning, the Indian Army spotted two bodies near the LoC.

However, a physical verification could not be carried out because of tense situation along the border, the sources said.

The cross-border firing in the area was still on and further details are awaited, the sources said. -- PTI

Eminent historian and writer Ramachandra Guha on Saturday termed the Citizenship Amendment Act as "immoral" and "against the spirit of the Constitution" and said a wise and just government would withdraw it.

He also noted that immediate withdrawal of the NRC was a necessary first step to restore trust and heal the nation.

"To make two things absolutely clear. 1. The immediate withdrawal of the NRC is a necessary first step to restore trust and heal the nation. 2. The CAA is immoral and against the spirit of the Constitution. A wise and just Government would withdraw it too," Guha tweeted.

Guha was among many others who were detained on Thursday for staging a demonstration against the Citizenship Amendment Act and NRC near the Town Hall here, in defiance of the prohibitory orders imposed in Bengaluru.

Reacting to his detention, Guha had said it was "absolutely undemocratic" that police were not allowing even a peaceful protest, which is the democratic right of the citizens. -- PTI

More than 1,000 academicians from various universities across India on Saturday released a statement in support of the Citizenship Amendment Act.

In the statement, they congratulated the Parliament for "standing up for forgotten minorities and upholding the civilizational ethos of India" and "providing a haven for those fleeing religious persecution". -- PTI

Image: Citizenship Amendment Act supporters hold the national flag during a demonstration at Connaught Place in New Delhi on Friday, Dec. 20, 2019. Photograph: Kamal Singh/PTI Photo

Students of Jamia Millia Islamia on Saturday staged a protest outside the university campus against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

The protest at the main gate of the university was started by women students and later men also joined them.

They raised slogans such as "Ladke lenge azadi" and "Inquilab Zindabad". PTI

13:55 Doval, Chinese FM hold boundary talks

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks on decades-old Sino-India boundary issue on Saturday under the framework of Special Representatives dialogue.

Wang arrived in New Delhi on Saturday night for the talks.

Officials said various dimensions of the boundary issue were discussed at the talks while both sides resolved to maintain peace and tranquility along the around 3,500-km border.

It is the first high-level visit from China to India after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held the second informal summit in Mamallapuram in October as well as after New Delhi pulled out of the proposed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

Doval and Wang are the designated Special Representatives of the two countries for the boundary talks.

Wang was to visit India for the SR talks in September but the trip was postponed then.

The two sides have already held 21 rounds of talks under the framework of SR dialogue which was set up to find an early solution to the border dispute.

The India-China border dispute covers 3,488-km-long Line of Actual Control. China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet while India contests it.

Both sides have been asserting that pending the final resolution of the boundary issue, it is necessary to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas. -- PTI

13:16 CAA, NRC ploys to divert attention: Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar slammed the National Democratic Alliance government on Saturday, saying the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens were "ploys to divert" attention from serious issues plaguing the country.

"CAA and NRC are ploys to divert people's attention from serious issues that the country is facing," he told reporters in Pune.

"Not just minorities, but those who care for the country's unity and progress are opposing CAA and NRC. The new citizenship law will disturb and hurt religious and social unity and harmony of the country," he said.

He questioned why only migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan will be given citizenship under the amended law and not the Sri Lankan Tamils.

Eight states, including Bihar, ruled by an NDA ally, have refused to implement the law and Maharashtra should also take a similar stand, Pawar said in response to a query.

"The CAA may be a central act, but the implementation will be done by the state agencies. But do the states have resources and machinery to do so," he asked.

The former Union minister also sought an SIT probe, headed by a retired judge, into Pune police's action against activists in the Elgar Parishad case. -- PTI

12:15 Mobile internet services resume in Meghalaya

Mobile internet services have resumed in Meghalaya, eight days after they were snapped in the wake of violent protests over the new citizenship law, officials said on Saturday.

The ban on mobile internet and mass messaging services, imposed on December 12, was lifted at around 7 pm on Friday due to improvement in law and order situation, a senior home department official told PTI.

Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma reviewed the law and order situation in the state with senior home department officials and issued instructions for restoring mobile internet and messaging services in the state, he said.

The official said the decision towards restoring the mobile internet and messaging services was taken after the state assembly on Thursday unanimously adopted a resolutionurging the Centre to implement the Inner Line Permit in Meghalaya.

The curfew imposed in Sadar and Lumdiengjri police station limits in the hill town was also relaxed for 16 hours from 5 pm on Saturday and no untoward incident was reported in these areas in the past 24 hours, East Khasi Hills District Magistrate M W Nongbri said.

Meanwhile, the chief minister was seen shopping for Christmas at Police Bazaar area of the town on Friday night.

He visited a state-run hospital on Saturday morning to meet the people who were injured during protests against the new citizenship law.

The Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisation, an umbrella body of several organisations and pressure groups, has welcomed the state government's decision to pass a resolution demanding implementation of ILP in the state.

11:57 Thick fog in Delhi; air quality severe

A thick layer of fog enveloped the national capital Saturday morning as the minimum temperature settled at 9.5 degrees Celsius, a notch above the season's average.

The air quality in Delhi was recorded in the severe category at 429 at 10.40 am.

An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.

The visibility in Safdarjung and Palam areas were 300 metres and 350 metres at 5.30 am. However by 8.30 am, visibility in Safdarjung dropped to 200 metres and to 100 metres in Palam.

Humidity was recorded at 100 per cent in Safdarjung and 95 per cent in Palam.

The weatherman has forecast partly cloudy skies with a possibility of moderate to dense fog on Sunday.

Several trains were running late.

The maximum temperature is likely to hover around 17 degrees Celsius on Saturday while the minimum is likely to settle around 7 degrees Celsius on Sunday.

The maximum temperature on Friday was 17.5 degrees Celsius while the minimum settled at 6.4 degrees Celsius. -- PTI

10:58 10 held for Delhi's Daryaganj violence

Ten people have been arrested in connection with the violence in Daryaganj in Old Delhi during a protest against the new citizenship law, police said on Saturday.

They have been charged with rioting and using force to deter policemen from doing duty, they said.

According to police, the protesters had set ablaze a private car parked at Subhash Marg area on Friday evening. The fire was immediately doused.

-- PTI

One of the leading Democratic Party candidates for US president thinks it's "deeply troubling" that India backed out of a meeting with a group of American lawmakers that included a critic of its Kashmir policy.

Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, currently third in the polls in the Democratic primary race, described the move as an effort to "silence" her party colleague Pramila Jayapal.

Jayapal recently introduced a Congressional resolution urging India to lift restrictions on communications in Jammu and Kashmir, among other things. She said the cancellation of the meeting -- between India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and members of the US Congress, the national lawmaking body -- was "deeply disturbing".

She said it "furthers the idea that the Indian government isnt willing to listen to any dissent at all".

Elizabeth Warren said the US and India "have an important partnership -- but our partnership can only succeed if it is rooted in honest dialogue and shared respect for religious pluralism, democracy, and human rights".

10:06 Anti-CAA protests: UP death toll climbs to 11

Death toll in Uttar Pradesh in Friday's violence over Citizenship (Amendment) Act rises to 11.

Earlier on Friday, six people died as anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protesters clashed with police after Friday prayers at several places in Uttar Pradesh, hurling stones and torching vehicles, officials said.

Internet services were suspended across major cities in Uttar Pradesh, following state government orders.These included Lucknow, Kanpur, Allahabad, Agra, Aligarh, Ghaziabad, Varanasi, Mathura, Meerut, Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, Bareli, Firozadad, Pilibhit, Rampur, Saharanpur, Shamli, Sambhal, Amroha, Mau, Azamgarh and Sultanpur.

Twiterrati heavily trolled senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor for sharing a 'distorted' map of India, which portrayed the nation without its northern-most territory, following which the Thiruvananthapuram MP deleted his Tweet and rectified it.

Tharoor, on Friday, had tweeted about his participation in a rally at Kozhikode on Saturday against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and National Register of Citizens. "My first event tomorrow morning leading an @inckerala #IndiaAgainstCAA_NRC protest rally in Kozhikode. All welcome!" tweeted Shashi Tharoor with a distorted map of India.

"Not the first time, Not last Time. It was CONgress who had given POK to Pakistan. They consider it as achievement," wrote a person on a Twitter handle.

After being slammed on social media, Tharoor deleted his tweet and clarified that he had sought to depict not the territory but the people of India.

"My first event this morning: leading an @inckerala #IndiaAgainstCAA_NRC protest rally in Kozhikode. All welcome! (Replaces an earlier post which sought to depict not the territory but the people of India, in whose name we would be speaking. No wish2feed BJP trolls more fodder)," said his subsequent tweet.

-- ANI

09:15 Assam govt forms SIT to probe CAA violence

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said that a Special Investigation Team has been constituted to probe the acts of violence during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, and those who were involved in the violence will not be spared.

"Whoever was involved will not be spared. A Special Investigation Team has been constituted," Sonowal said. Sonowal further stated that "Assam will remain with the Assamese people."

"For this, whatever legislation is required, we will bring those. Prime Minister and home minister have assured people of Assam that all adequate measures will be taken to get the Clause 6 of Assam Accord implemented," he said.

On Friday, Assam Police said that mobile internet services had been restored in the state and requested citizens to be cautious while posting or sharing unverified or provocative information on social media.

"Mobile Internet services have been restored in the state. We request citizens to be cautious while posting or sharing unverified/provocative information on social media. We are looking forward to your continued support in ensuring peace and harmony in the state," Assam Police tweeted.

Internet services were suspended on December 11 after major protests had erupted across the state over the Citizenship Act.

On December 16, the suspension was extended for another 24 hours in 10 districts namely -- Lakhimpur, Tinsukia, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Kamrup (Metro) and Kamrup.

On the same day, Sonowal said that Indian Muslims and people living in the state should not worry as no one can steal their rights.

-- ANI

BJP working president JP Nadda will lead a march to congratulate Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government at the Centre for implementing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in Kolkata on Monday.

The march is an attempt to counter Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's anti-CAA narrative even as part of the state is witnessing violent protests. The march will see the participation of over 50,000 people in the programme.

Nadda will address a gathering at Dharmatala Rani Rashmoni Road from where the march will begin. The march will culminate at Swami Vivekanand's residence.

Thousands of BJP workers and supporters will line up on both sides of the road and facilitate Nadda for the new citizenship law.

By ensuring mass participation in the programme, the BJP will seek to counter the Chief Minister's assertion that the whole state was in opposition to the CAA, which grants citizenship to non-Muslim refugees of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who arrived in India until December 31, 2014.

The march also holds significance as this will be Nadda's first visit to the state after the new citizenship law was passed by Parliament.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has vowed not to let the CAA and the proposed National Register of Citizens to be implemented in the state, maintaining that the whole state is against the new law.

-- ANI

08:31 Bhim Army's Azad taken into police custody

Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad was taken into police custody from outside the Jama Masjid in the early hours on Saturday morning.

He was inside the mosque in protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

"We have to make sacrifice so that the legislation is taken back. We do not support violence. We were sitting inside the mosque since Friday morning and our people were not involved in violence," he said.

Azad had given the Delhi Police a slip to reach the Jama Masjid on Friday.

-- PTI

Edward Snowden is not entitled to the profits from his memoir Permanent Record, and any money made must go to the US government, a judge has ruled.

Permanent Record, in which Snowden recounts how he came to the decision to leak the top secret documents revealing government plans for mass surveillance, was published in September.

Shortly afterwards, the US government filed a civil lawsuit contending that publication was in violation of the non-disclosure agreements he signed with both the CIA and the National Security Agency, and that the release of the book without pre-publication review by the agencies was in violation of his express obligations.

Snowdens lawyers had argued that if the author had believed that the government would review his book in good faith, he would have submitted it for review.

Earlier this week, district judge Liam OGrady ruled that the government is entitled to Snowdens proceeds from the book.

In response, Snowden wrote on Twitter: The government may steal a dollar, but it cannot erase the idea that earned it I wrote this book for you, and I hope the governments ruthless desperation to prevent its publication only inspires you read it and then gift it to another.

Asked by one fan if it was possible to buy the book and donate the same amount to Snowden, as an easy way to stick it to the US government, Snowden recommended that readers donate money to the families who had helped shelter him in Hong Kong after the story broke in 2013, providing a link to the charity that supports them.

Snowden said the book would continue to be sold. The courts ruling is a hack intended to circumvent first amendment limits on what the government can censor, he told his followers. They cant (yet) ban the book, so they ban profit to try and prevent such books from being written in the first place.

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