Students of the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune on late Sunday night staged a protest condemning the attack on students of Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi.

They held a demonstration outside the gate of the premier film institute, holding banners with message "FTII stands with JNU, condemns the violence of ABVP Goons". 

Protests were also held at the Aligarh Muslim University in Uttar Pradesh against the violence at the JNU campus in Delhi.

   

A spokesperson of protesting students said that a march was held in the night to express solidarity with the students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University.

 

In a statement, the AMU Teachers' Association condemned the violence.

 

AMUTA secretary Najmul Islam urged the Chief Justice of India to take suo motu cognizance of the "unprecedented situation arising from Sunday's assault on JNU students and teachers".  -- PTI

Union human resource development minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' urged Jawaharlal Nehru University students to maintain dignity of the university and peace on the campus, as his ministry sought an immediate report from the registrar Pramod Kumar on the violence that erupted there on Sunday night.

"The violence on JNU campus is worrisome and unfortunate. I condemn it. I appeal students to maintain the dignity of university and peace on campus," Nishank tweeted.

Asserting that acts of violence and anarchy will not be tolerated, the ministry said a group of "masked" people had entered the campus and attacked students.

"We have sought an immediate report from JNU vice chancellor on the violence on campus. We have also spoken to JNU VC and Delhi police to ensure peace is maintained on campus," an HRD Ministry official told PTI.

The official said it has come to the ministry's notice that a group of masked people entered the JNU campus on Sunday, threw stones, damaged property and attacked students.

"This is very unfortunate and highly condemnable, such acts of violence and anarchy will not be tolerated," the official said.

"Police has been called by JNU administration to maintain law and order situation in JNU," the official added.

Violence broke out at Jawaharlal Nehru University on Sunday night as masked men armed with sticks attacked students and teachers and damaged property on the campus, prompting the administration to call in police.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi tweets after her AIIMS visit, "There is something deeply sickening about a government that allows and encourages such violence to be inflicted on their own children."

"Wounded students at AIIMS trauma centre told me that goons entered the campus and attacked them with sticks and other weapons. Many had broken limbs and injuries on their heads. One student said the police kicked him several times on his head," she tweeted. 

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Benerjee on Sunday condemned the "brutality" unleashed on the students and teachers of JNU and said that a team of her party men will reach the national capital to show solidarity with them.

   

"We strongly condemn the brutality unleashed against students/teachers in JNU. No words enough to describe such heinous acts.

 

"A shame on our democracy. Trinamool delegation led by Dinesh Trivedi with Sajda Ahmed, Manas Bhunia, Vivek Gupta are headed to Delhi to show solidarity with JNU students," she said in a statement. 

Violence broke out at JNU after masked men armed with sticks attacked students and teachers and damaged property on the campus, prompting the administration to call in police.

At least 18 people were injured and admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and external affairs minister S Jaishankar, who are the alumni of the Jawaharlal Nehru University, have condemned the violence on the campus.

Horrifying images from JNU the place I know & remember was one for fierce debates & opinions but never violence. I unequivocally condemn the events of today. This govt, regardless of what has been said the past few weeks, wants universities to be safe spaces for all students.

-- Nirmala Sitharaman

Have seen pictures of what is happening in #JNU. Condemn the violence unequivocally. This is completely against the tradition and culture of the university.

-- S Jaishankar

I'm outside JNU gate. Things are very tense here. All street lights for 1 km switched off. Crowd shouting desh ke gadarron ko goli marron salon ko. They smashed glass on ambulance and didn't allow them to enter. @DelhiPolice pl have street lights switched on.

Joint CP rank official to investigate the issue and will submit a report to the home ministry. 

Swaraj Abhiyan chief Yogendra Yadav was allegedly manhandled outside the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus where a clash broke out between members of the students' union and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad.

   

Yadav said no one was there to stop the "hooliganism" and he was not allowed to speak to the media.

 

He alleged that police personnel were standing but were not doing anything, saying "if the police is afraid, they can take out their uniform".

 

Members of JNU students' union and the clashed on the campus in the evening, sources said, adding it happened during a public meeting organised by the university's teachers' association.

Members of JNU Students' Union and ABVP clashed on the campus Sunday evening, sources said, adding it happened during a public meeting organised by the JNU Teachers' Association. 

The students' union claimed that its president Aishe Ghosh and many other students were injured in stone-pelting by ABVP members. 

But the RSS-backed students' organisation alleged that its members were brutally attacked by Left-affiliated student outfits and 25 of them were injured. 

"Reports coming from JNU point to a collusion between the administration and goons of ABVP to inflict violence on students and teachers. It is a planned attack by those in power, which is afraid of the resistance provided by JNU to its Hindutva agenda. 

"Masked attackers entered JNU while law enforcers stood by. This video is what RSS/BJP want to convert India to. They will not be allowed to succeed," he tweeted tagging a video of the JNUSU president bleeding after allegedly being attacked. -- PTI 

The varsity administration called police to restore law and order in the campus, they said.

The Jawaharlal Nehru University administration said masked miscreants armed with sticks were roaming around on the campus, damaging property and attacking people, prompting it to call the police to maintain law and order.

   

After violence broke out on the campus, JNU registrar Pramod Kumar said in a statement, "This is an urgent message for the entire JNU community that there is a law and order situation on the campus. Masked miscreants armed with sticks are roaming around, damaging property and attacking people. The JNU Administration has called the police to maintain order."

 

"This is the moment to remain calm and be on the alert.... Efforts are already being made to tackle the miscreants," he added. 

"I am so shocked to know abt the violence at JNU. Students attacked brutally. Police shud immediately stop violence and restore peace. How will the country progress if our students will not be safe inside univ campus? "

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Sunday asked the Uttar Pradesh government to seek apology from the public for putting anti-citizenship law protesters behind bars without thorough investigation.

 

She dubbed it as "highly shameful and condemnable".

 

"In Uttar Pradesh, especially in Bijnor, Sambhal, Meerut, Muzzafarnagar, Firozabad and other districts, innocent people have been sent to jail for protesting against the CAA/NRC without an investigation. This issue has also been raised by the media and is highly shameful and condemnable," the BSP national president said in a tweet in Hindi.

 

Accusing the Yogi Adityanath led government of jailing anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protesters without any proper investigation, she asked them to seek an apology from the public.

 

Her statement comes in the backdrop of a local court granting bail on Saturday to social activist Sadaf Jafar and former IPS officer S R Darapuri, besides 13 others arrested in connection with anti-CAA protests in Lucknow.

 

Mayawati also demanded financial assistance to those killed in the protests.

 

Officials maintain that 19 persons died in clashes during the widespread protests across the state in December, though opposition parties claim a higher toll.

 

Mayawati also demanded immediate release of the innocent people and urged the state government to provide "justifiable" financial assistance to the kin of those who have died during the protests.

 

Around 1,200 people were arrested and 5,558 kept in preventive detention following clashes during the protests, officials said.

The party chief said a BSP delegation will meet UP Governor Anandiben Patel in Raj Bhawan here on Monday and submit a memorandum seeking a judicial inquiry into the clashes that took place in the state.

Asserting that the Centre would not repeal the amended citizenship act under any circumstance, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy on Sunday said the recent violence and vandalism at a gurdwara in Pakistan was a case in point which highlighted the necessity of the new law.

Lashing out at the opposition parties, the former Union minister, who was in Odisha to attend an awareness campaign in support of Citizenship (Amendment) Act, said those trying to mislead people on the law would never succeed.

Describing Nankana Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan as one of the holiest Sikh shrines, Rudy said the recent attack and vandalism near Lahore have raised serious concerns over the security of the community.

"All these (instances) amply show that the CAA is necessary in our country.

"There is no question of the Modi government budging even an inch from CAA implementation," the BJP MP contended, emphasising the need to ensure safety of minorities persecuted in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. 

Claiming that the Nehru-Liaquat pact (bilateral treaty between India and Pakistan) had sought to guarantee the rights of minorities after Partition, Rudy said Hindu population, which stood at 27 per cent in Pakistan during Independence, has now dipped to just three per cent. 

"Hindu women in Pakistan are forced to convert and marry Muslims," he insisted.

Referring to the 1971 Bangladesh war, Rudy said, "People who left that country and took shelter in India were then given citizenship. Even the ones that fled persecution in Uganda and moved to India were granted citizenship."

Coming down heavily on those opposing the amended law, the former Union minister said any attempt to introduce a proposal in the assembly against the new citizenship act was "unconstitutional".

Amid spiralling United States-Iran tensions over the killing of Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani, external affairs minister S Jaishankar on Sunday had a conversation with his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif and said India remained deeply concerned about the levels of tension in the region.

   

Jaishankar noted that developments have taken a very serious turn.

 

"Just concluded a conversation with FM @JZarif of Iran. Noted that developments have taken a very serious turn. India remains deeply concerned about the levels of tension. We agreed to remain in touch," the external affairs minister tweeted.

 

The conversation between the two leaders comes days after Iran's top military commander Soleimani was killed in a US strike.

 

US President Donald Trump has warned Iran that the US has identified 52 possible targets in the country and will hit it harder than ever before if Tehran, which has vowed "severe revenge", carries out any attack against America to avenge the killing of Soleimani.

 

Maj Gen Soleimani, 62, the head of Iran's elite al-Quds force and architect of its regional security apparatus, was killed when a US drone fired missiles into a convoy that was leaving the Baghdad International Airport early on Friday. The strike also killed the deputy chief of Iraq's powerful Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary force.

 

Soleimani's killing was the most dramatic escalation yet in spiralling tensions between Iran and the US. -- PTI 

Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah on Sunday led the party's door-to-door 10-day campaign to spread awareness about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act with top party leaders reaching out to people across the country, amid a wave of protests against the contentious law since it was passed in December.

   

Shah visited homes in Lajpat Nagar and talked to people about the benefits of the amended citizenship law. He also distributed literature on the subject and urged them to go through it.

 

The BJP has launched a 'Jan Jagran' (public awareness) campaign to contact three crore families to counter the opposition's campaign against the CAA and inform the masses about its features.

 

While Shah was in Delhi, other top party leaders like Rajnath Singh, J P Nadda and Nitin Gadkari were in different parts of the country as part of the campaign, which will end on January 15. 

Ahead of the assembly elections in the national capital, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said that full statehood of Delhi would be a part of the Aam Aadmi Party's election manifesto.

"Full statehood will be a part of AAP election manifesto and the people of Delhi will appeal to the central government that Delhi should be given the status of a state," he told media persons here.

"Delhi people want their city to be a state. They have chosen a fair government. We will appeal to the Centre for full statehood," he said.

The assembly polls in Delhi is likely to be held in February.

In the 2015 election, AAP had secured 67 seats in the 70-member assembly while the BJP had managed just three seats. 

The Congress drew a blank in the polls. -- ANI

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday claimed opposition parties are spreading confusion over a toll free number it has issued to seek people's support on the amended Citizenship Act, and asserted that it has undertaken a positive exercise to spread awareness about the law.

   

The BJP hit out at opposition parties after several memes and misleading posts emerged on social media about the number (8866288662).

 

Hours after BJP president Amit Shah said rumours were being spread about the number and noted that it belonged to his party and not to Netflix, as claimed in some posts, the party held a press conference to slam those spreading confusion over it.

Noting that vulgar claims are also being made, such as people can speak to lonely girls by dialling this number, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said the exercise should not be reduced to ridicule.

"Opposition leaders are doing politics over such a positive step," Patra said, adding that the BJP has worked to fix a decades-old issue like citizenship for persecuted minorities from neighbouring countries by enacting the CAA. 

The BJP leader also hit out at Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan over his tweets targeting the Modi government and the RSS.

Khan heads country called "terroristan", Patra said, adding that he has been ranting against India and misleading people due to his frustration after surgical strikes.

The BJP spokesperson also took objection to Congress leader Rashid Alvi's reported remarks that Modi and Khan have been promoting each other as part of a conspiracy and asked the Congress to explain if this was the party's official stand.  -- PTI

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray is "disappointed" with newly-inducted minister Abdul Sattar in connection with the Aurangabad Zilla Parishad polls where the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi managed to win the president's post after a rebellion and draw of lots, a senior Shiv Sena leader said on Sunday.

Sattar, who joined the Sena from the Congress ahead of the October assembly polls, has been accused of "sabotage" by a section of Sena leaders in Aurangabad who claimed his supporters did not throw their weight behind the MVA-backed Congress candidate in the poll for the ZP's vice president.

Since coming to power, the three parties have decided to fight such local elections in tandem to keep the BJP out of power.

"Sattar has some plans for his supporters so was considering an alternative in the ZP poll. However, Uddhavji has communicated clearly to him on the importance of the MVA remaining intact," a senior Sena leader said on condition of anonymity.

"Uddhavji is disappointed with Sattar and has made it clear to the minister," the leader added.

Sattar, who met Uddhav on Sunday, on his part, claimed all was well.

"I have informed Uddhavji my side in this whole episode. I am very much part of Sena and am not leaving the party. I am meeting Uddhavji tomorrow (Monday) evening," the MLA from Sillod in Aurangabad district said.

There was intense speculation on Saturday that Sattar had resigned, with several Aurangabad Sena leaders, prime among them being former Lok Sabha MP Chandrakant Khaire, coming out openly against him. -- PTI

The Maharashtra Congress is facing discontent over allocation of portfolios, with a section of leaders blaming state unit chief Balasaheb Thorat for the party getting a "raw deal" as compared to the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party in the Uddhav Thackeray-led alliance government.

Their ire is also directed towards NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, who emerged as the key player in the alliance, with a Congress leader claiming that they need someone in the state unit who could stand up to the Maratha strongman.

Some Congress leaders say they demanded at least two ministries from the list comprising agriculture, rural development, industries, housing, transport and cooperation, but the allies Shiv Sena and NCP refused to pay heed.

Instead, ministries like culture, salt pan and port development, which were earlier with the Shiv Sena, have been handed over to the Congress.

"The Congress has got a raw deal in power-sharing among the three alliance partners. Thorat has not been able to put forth the Congress' interest during deliberations on power-sharing," a senior party leader told PTI on condition of anonymity.

According to sources, Congress leader Nitin Raut, who has been made the energy minister, is unhappy over the public works department being given to his senior colleague and former chief minister Ashok Chavan and Thorat being allocated the revenue department.

Citing how intense was the bitterness in the Congress rank and file, a leader said vandalising party office and burning effigy of a party general secretary never happened earlier, and added that "such acts of indiscipline need to be taken seriously".

Some alleged supporters of Congress MLA Sangram Thopte ransacked the party office in Pune on December 31 to protest against his exclusion from the state ministry.

Besides, some party workers in Solapur, who were unhappy over MLA Praniti Shinde not getting a ministerial berth, burnt an effigy of AICC general secretary in-charge of Maharashtra Mallikarjun Kharge.

When contacted, former Maharashtra Congress president Manikrao Thakre admitted that such outpouring of anger was earlier unheard of in the party.

He, however, said, "Both MLAs (Thopte and Shinde) have nothing to do with these incidents. They have said they are with the Congress and abide by the leadership's decisions."

Meanwhile, a senior party functionary has written to AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal, complaining about there being no discipline in the party.

"Several Congress leaders and workers are unhappy because most of the party decisions are being taken after discussion with NCP supremo Sharad Pawar. This is very dangerous," the functionary wrote. -- PTI

Union minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Rajnath Singh on Sunday said people should not have any misconception about the amended citizenship law.

   

On a day's visit to his Lok Sabha constituency, Singh visited the residence of Justice Khem Karan here to mobilise support for the Citizenship Amendment Act.

 

"Our party has decided to give a message to the people that they should not have any misconceptions about CAA. The Indian culture teaches us 'Sarvdharma Sambhav' and a Hindustani cannot discriminate on lines of caste and religion," he said.

 

His visit comes days after widespread violence during protests against the law, which officials said left 19 persons dead.

 

The message of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (the world is one family) had gone from India to the entire world, Singh said, adding "Indian cultural values cannot by violated by our party."

 

The defence minister also circulated pamphlets on the CAA and requested the media and party workers to go through them.

 

Asked by mediapersons about the National Register of Citizens, he said the exercise was on in Assam on the directives of the Supreme Court and not on the Centre's initiative.

 

"The NRC is going on only in Assam and work has been completed to some extent. It is going on there on SC directives. There is no order of government in this regard. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has clarified it," Singh said. -- PTI  

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday said the government's policy of "oppressing" dissent has reached a point of "cowardice" as she demanded that Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad be shifted to AIIMS.

   

Azad is lodged in the Tihar jail. 

He was arrested after he led a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act in Delhi.

 

"The government's policy of oppressing all expressions of dissent and protest has reached the point of cowardice. The lack of basic humanity in their actions is shameful. There are absolutely no grounds to keep Chandrashekhar in jail, let alone to deny him medical treatment if he is unwell. He should be sent to AIIMS to be treated immediately," Priyanka Gandhi said on Twitter.

 

The Bhim Army claimed on Saturday that Azad was unwell and needed immediate medical care.

 

Rejecting the claim, a senior jail official said Azad was "absolutely fine" and no such issue had come to their notice during routine medical check-ups by the official jail doctor. -- PTI

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president Asaduddin Owaisi has asked why losses were not recovered from those who indulged in damage to public property during the Jat agitation in Haryana, while money is proposed to be recovered by the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Uttar Pradesh in connection with the recent anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests.

Owaisi, who was addressing a protest meeting at Sangareddy town near Hyderabad late on Saturday night against the amended citizenship law, also said Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan need not worry about Indian Muslims.

The AIMIM president also announced that a protest meeting will be held at the historic Charminar in Hyderabad on January 25 against the CAA, adding "We will hoist the tricolour on January 25 midnight and recite the national anthem. The meeting would be to save the Constitution and the country."

On January 10, a peaceful march will also be taken out in Hyderabad against the CAA, he said.

Talking about the violent protests against CAA in UP, Owaisi said he condemned violence wherever it occurred but would like to ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi whether the Prevention of Destruction of Public Property Act, 1984 applied to them (UP incidents) or not.

He claimed destruction of properties worth Rs 2,000 crore occurred in the Jat agitation in Haryana in 2015.

"Destruction of Rs 2,000 crore. Modiji, you have taken money from how many? Have you taken money from those people? One paisa was not taken. Why? You did not take because they were not Muslims. Is this not a violation of Article 14 of our Constitution," he said.

How much money was recovered for the losses during the Patel agitation in Gujarat, he asked. More than 600 police vehicles were burnt and more than 1,800 government buildings were damaged during the Patel agitation, he claimed.

"Why are (you) doing this injustice that you will not take from Gujaratis, but recover money from Muslims," he said.

"...to recover that Rs 14.50 lakh, properties of Muslims were seized, (they were) locked (in UP). This law won't apply," he said.

Referring to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan posting a video, Owaisi said Khan has posted a wrong Bangladeshi video claiming it to be from India.

"Mr Khan, you worry about your own country. Mr Khan, we would like to tell you, don't ever remember us. We have rejected the message, the wrong theory of Jinnah. We are proud Indian Muslims and till the day of judgment, Inshallah, we will remain as proud Indian Muslims."

"No power on earth can take away my Indianness. No power on earth can take away my religious identity. Why because, the Constitution of India guarantees me that," he said.

The Pakistan Prime Minister should safeguard the Sikhs and stop those who attacked a Sikh gurdwara in Pakistan, Owaisi said.

According to Owaisi, the CAA was only made towards making India a Hindu Rashtra.

"We are not against granting citizenship to persecuted Hindus, Christians, Sikhs from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh...but why are you doing in the name of religion (by excluding Muslims)," he said.

A Sikh organisation here has condemned the attack on Nankana Sahib Gurudwara in Pakistan and demanded an immediate probe to fix responsibility.

   

"Some elements in Pakistan want to give trouble to minorities including Sikhs. An immediate probe would fix the responsibility following which action can be taken against the culprits," All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee chairman Jagmohan Singh Raina said in a statement on Sunday. 

He said the timing of the attack was suspicious and aimed at undoing the good work like opening of the Kartarpur corridor. 

"At a time when some bonhomie had been established between India and Pakistan, the attack on the Gurudwara is somewhat suspicious. It has been carried out to wane away from the good work done by Pakistani establishment like the opening of Kartarpur corridor," Raina said.

The Sikh leader asked members of his community not to take any step in haste and urged them to wait for the response from the Pakistan government. He asked members of his community to be vigilant against divisive elements.

Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, also known as Gurdwara Janam Asthan, is a site near Lahore in Pakistan where the first Guru of Sikhs, Guru Nanak, was born.

A violent mob had attacked the Gurdwara and pelted it with stones on Friday. -- PTI 

Two suspected Islamic State terrorists have entered Uttar Pradesh, following which an alert has been sounded along the India-Nepal border in Maharajganj, Kushinagar and Siddharth Nagar districts, a top police official said on Sunday.

 

"It has come to the fore that two wanted terrorists Abdul Samad and Iliyas can try to enter Nepal from Uttar Pradesh," IG (Basti range) Ashutosh Kumar said on Sunday.

Acting on this, the alert was sounded in Maharajganj, Kushinagar and Siddharth Nagar districts along the border, he said. -- PTI 

Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah on Sunday accused Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of misleading the people over the amended Citizenship Act and instigating riots.

 

Shah assured members of minority communities that none of them will lose citizenship due to the CAA, saying the law is about giving citizenship to persecuted minorities from three neighbouring countries and not taking it away from anybody.

 

Taking a swipe at chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, the BJP president said he came to power fives years back by misleading people with a host of promises.

 

Somebody can mislead people once but not all the time, he said, adding the BJP will come to power in Delhi under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. -- PTI 

Further escalation in the tension between the United States and Iran will have implications on India's exports to the Persian Gulf nation, apex exporters body, Federation of Indian Export Organisations, said on Sunday.

   

FIEO director General Ajay Sahai said so far exporters have not flagged any concerns related with exports to Iran.

 

"However, if the tensions will continue, it may have affect on India's exports to Iran," he said.

 

He added that due to existing trade sanctions on Iran, Iranian shipping lines are only taking Indian consignments to that country.

 

Tensions between Iran and the US increased after an American drone strike killed top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani last week.

 

Iran is a key trading partner of India. Its major exports to India are oil, fertilisers and chemicals, while it imports cereals, tea, coffee, basmati rice, spices and organic chemicals, among others.

 

India's exports to the Persian Gulf nation in 2018-19 were worth USD 3.51 billion (about Rs 24,920 crore), while imports were valued at USD 13.52 billion (about Rs 96,000 crore).

 

The trade imbalance is mainly because of India's import of oil from Iran.

 

Both the countries are holding negotiations for a bilateral preferential trade agreement to increase trade.

 

Unlike a free trade pact, where two trading partners significantly reduce or eliminate duties on maximum number of goods traded between them, PTA involves removal of duties on certain identified products.

FIEO had earlier said that Iran holds huge export opportunities in sectors such as agriculture, chemicals, machinery, pharmaceuticals, paper and paper products, man-made fibre and filament yarn and essential oils. -- PTI 

Earlier, Modi greeted the BJP veteran saying Joshi has been unwavering when it comes to safeguarding national interests and furthering national progress. 

Joshi, a former Union minister and a veteran parliamentarian, was born on this day in 1934 in Nainital, now in Uttarakhand.

"Joshi ji has made an indelible contribution to our country during his long years in politics, Parliament and as a Minister. He is unwavering when it comes to safeguarding national interests and furthering national progress," the prime minister wrote on Twitter.

Modi said he is fortunate to have got the opportunity to work with Joshi for many years.

"Like me, several karyakartas (workers) learnt so much from him. His role in strengthening the party is extremely valuable," Modi said. 

He prayed for Joshi's long and healthy life.  

The government is unlikely to announce capital infusion for the public sector banks in the upcoming budget and will rather encourage them to expedite recovery of bad loans and raise funds from the market.

 

Besides, sources said, banks may also look for divesting or selling their non-core business as part of fund raising exercise during 2020-21.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to present the second budget of the Modi 2.0 government on February 1.

According to sources, banks have robust pipeline of recovery from the resolution of both NCLT and non-NCLT cases during this calender year and also headroom for raising capital from the market.

The provision coverage ratio of public sector banks is at a 7-year high of 76.6 per cent.

 

In some of the non-performing assets, banks have done provisions up to 100 per cent, sources said, adding that recovery from those account will straightaway form part of the bottomline. 

 

Share price of some of the banks are firming up which provide them opportunity to dilute government holding, sources said.

 

Country's largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) has already initiated the process of diluting its stake in its subsidiaries SBI Cards and Payment Services Ltd and UTI Mutual Fund.

 

It is looking to sell 50 lakh shares representing 1.01 per cent stake in the National Stock Exchange.

Similar exercise is being undertaken by other state-owned lenders as well in an effort to raise capital. 

In addition, the government has already front loaded Rs 68,855 crore, out of Rs 70,000 crore earmarked for capital infusion for the current fiscal, to take care of the mega-merger plan announced in August, 2019.

Among all four anchor banks -- Punjab National Bank was given Rs 16,091 crore, Union Bank of India Rs 11,768 crore, Canara Bank Rs 6,571 crore and Indian Bank Rs 2,534 crore.

Merging entities like Allahabad Bank was provided Rs 2,153 crore, United Bank of India 1,666 crore and Andhra Bank Rs 200 crore.

 

Besides, Bank of Baroda got a capital infusion of Rs 7,000 crore, Indian Overseas Bank Rs 4,360 crore, UCO Bank Rs 2142 crore, Punjab & Sind Bank 787 crore and Central Bank of India Rs 3,353 crore.

 

LIC-controlled IDBI Bank too received additional capital of Rs 4,557 crore through the first supplementary demands for grants approved by Parliament last month.

 

With the deadline of March 31 to complete other regulatory requirements, the merged entity will come into existence beginning next fiscal. -- PTI

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said on Saturday that center would be pushed back on the issue of Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

"The government has said that it will not move an inch. Well, you might not move but we will push you out. This much power we have," said Raut while addressing an event in Mumbai.

In an apparent reference to the Maharashtra state assembly results following which the Shiv Sena had cut ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party, Raut said that it was a lesson for the whole country.

"Maharashtra's lesson to the country is to not to fear anyone. We have shown the way to the country", he said.

Earlier on Friday, Union home minister and BJP national president Amit Shah had reiterated his party's firm stand on the Citizenship Amendment Act asserting that they will not move even an inch away on the issue, no matter how many parties join hands against it.

"Even if all these parties come together, the BJP will not move back even an inch on this issue of the Citizenship Amendment Act. You can spread as much misinformation as you want", Shah said while addressing a public rally in Jodhpur.

Shah also accused the Congress of spreading misinformation over the issue.

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

Former Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa has said that after demonetisation in 2016, the Indian Air Force transported 625 tonnes of new currency notes to various parts of the country.

The move to scrap the old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8, 2016.

Speaking at the Techfest event organised by the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay in Mumbai on Saturday, Dhanoa said, "When demonetisation took place, we (IAF) took the currency and brought it to you. If one crore comes in a bag of 20 kg, I do not know how many crores we moved."

One of the slides of Dhanoa's presentation showed that as part of internal services, the IAF carried out 33 missions transporting 625 tonnes of treasury consignment after the demonetisation was announced.

Dhanoa was the IAF chief from December 31, 2016 to September 30, 2019.

During the Techfest event, he also referred to the row over the Rafale purchase deal, saying such controversies slow down defence acquisitions, affecting capabilities of the armed forces.

The Bofors deal too got mired in controversy (during the Rajiv Gandhi government) despite the Bofors guns "being good", he noted.

He also said that had Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman been flying a Rafale instead of a MiG 21 during the India-Pakistan stand-off after the Balakot strike last year, the outcome would have been different. -- PTI 

Braving sub-zero temperature, more than 300 Indian-Americans held a rally in support of the recently enacted Citizenship Amendment Act or CAA in downtown Chicago on Saturday.

According to the CAA, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014 following religious persecution there will get Indian citizenship.

"A freezing temp of -1C was not able to dampen the gathering of more than 300 Indian diaspora. They came with colourful and meaningful placards, slogans, banners and flags of USA and India. Their message was loud and clear," said Indian American Dr Bharat Barai, one of the organisers of the rally.

The participants signed a memorandum supporting the CAA and thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian government for the humanitarian help to religiously persecuted minorities in three neighbouring countries. The memorandum was forwarded to the Government of India through the Consul General of India in Chicago.

Several other community leaders also spoke on the occasion, including Amitabh Mittal, Nirav Patel, Hemant Patel, Amar Upadhyay, Rohit Joshi, Shailesh Rajput, Vandana Jhingan, Kalpesh Desai and Devesh Pandit. -- PTI  

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi has said the updation process of the National Population Register (NPR) will be carried out in the state from May 15 to May 28 this year, notwithstanding the West Bengal and Kerala governments' decision to put the exercise on hold in their respective states.

Bihar's senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader also said administrative and punitive action would be taken against officials if they refuse to carry out the NPR.

"The NPR process in 2020 will be carried out between April 1 to September 30 in the country. In Bihar it will be done between May 15 and May 28, 2020," Sushil Modi told reporters on Saturday.

The process of preparing NPR began in 2010 during the United Progressive Alliance regime which was completed between April 1 to September 30 that year, he said.

The Centre is 'updating' the NPR 2010 in 2020 just before the 2021 census, Bihar Deputy chief minister said.

"NPR and NRC are two different things", he said.

He also dared West Bengal and Kerala Chief Ministers, Mamata Banerjee and Pinnarayi Vijayan respectively not to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the NPR if they can.

"No state including West Bengal, Kerala, Rajasthan can refuse to implement the CAA or NPR as the Centre has the power to bring legislation over citizenship. Preparing NPR is a statutory provision which no state can refuse to implement," Sushil Modi added.   -- PTI

10 madrassa students held in connection with the violence that took place during anti-citizenship law protests in Muzaffarnagar on December 20 have been granted bail.

The students of the Madrassa Hoja Ilmiya were granted bail by a court on Saturday on the basis of a special investigation team (SIT) report that found no evidence against them.

The SIT found the students not involved in any serious offence and withdrew all charges against them except that of violation of prohibitory orders, the prosecution said.

It has been learnt that 18 people were released after being found innocent in the SIT investigation.

Over 70 people had been arrested for violence during the protests against the amended Citizenship Act in Muzaffarnagar.   -- PTI

One of the two persons injured when a portion of the Bardhaman Railway Station building in West Bengal collapsed, died on Sunday, an official said.

A portion of the two-storeyed station building of Bardhaman collapsed on Saturday evening.

"One of the two injured persons who were taken to the Bardhaman Medical College and Hospital, succumbed to his injuries," state minister Swapan Debnath said.

"The person who was critically injured died at the hospital at around 2.35 am," Bardhaman Medical College and Hospital deputy super Dr Amitava Saha told PTI.

The identity of the deceased person has not been ascertained, Saha said.

According to officials, construction and repair work was underway at the century-old station building, nearly 100 km from Kolkata.  -- PTI

Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has approved the allocation of portfolios as proposed by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, a Raj Bhavan spokesperson said on Sunday.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has been given the finance ministry, while Nationalist Congress Party's Anil Dehmukh will be the new home minister.

Aaditya Thackeray to handle tourism, environment and protocol.

Congress's Balasaheb Thorat has been given revenue ministry.

Sharad Pawar-led NCP has got most of 'plum' portfolios.

The list of portfolios to be allocated to ministers was sent to the governor on Saturday evening, state NCP chief Jayant Patil earlier said.

The governor has approved the allocation of portfolios, a spokesperson of the Raj Bhavan said.

The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government is facing criticism from the opposition BJP for delay in the allocation of portfolios despite being in power for over a month now.

Chief Minister Thackeray and six of his council members - two each from the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress - took oath on November 28.

Thackeray expanded his month-old ministry on December 30 by inducting 36 ministers.  -- PTI

Kataib Hezbollah, Iraqi Shia militias within the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces, have threatened to launch attacks on military bases used by the United States forces in Iraq starting Sunday evening, according to a statement by the group's command.

'The employees of the Iraqi security forces should stay at least one kilometre [3,280 feet] away from the military bases of the US enemy starting Sunday evening,' the statement read.

On Saturday, the Iraqi capital already witnessed several rocket attacks, including in the residential area of Al-Jadriya and the Balad military base that houses US forces some 50 miles north of Baghdad.

The escalation comes after a US drone strike killed on Friday Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani near Baghdad International Airport.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has warned that Tehran will take revenge for what it views to be a heinous crime. -- ANI

President Donald Trump on Sunday has warned Iran saying if it strikes any Americans or American assets, the United States has 'targeted 52 Iranian sites' and it 'will be hit very fast and very hard'.

'Let this serve as a warning that if Iran strikes any Americans or American assets, we have targeted 52 Iranian sites (representing 52 American hostages taken by Iran many yrs ago), some at a very high level and important to Iran and Iranian culture, will be hit very fast and hard,' Trump wrote on Twitter.

He further said that Iran is talking 'very boldly' about targeting certain US assets to seek revenge for Qasem Soleimani, who the US claimed had killed an American, and badly wounded many others.

'Iran is talking very boldly about targeting certain USA assets as revenge for our ridding the world of their terrorist leader who had just killed an American, and badly wounded many others, not to mention all of the people he had killed over his lifetime...,' he wrote in another tweet.

Trump on Saturday had said that the killing of Soleimani by US military was aimed 'to stop a war, not to start a war'.

He also said that Qassem was plotting attacks on US diplomats and military personnel before he was killed.   -- ANI