Extinction Rebellion has defended its activists after police included the group on a list of extremist ideologies in a counter-terrorism report.

Guidance drawn up by Counter Terror Police South East listed the environmental protest group alongside organisations such as National Action, and Islamic extremists, according to documents seen by The Guardian.

The document says Extinction Rebellion is a threat due to its "anti-establishment philosophy".

It also warns that expressions of support could include "people speaking in strong or emotive terms about environmental issues like climate change, ecology, fracking, airport expansion or pollution".

Extinction Rebellion branded the label a "terrorism slur" and a "deliberate attempt to silence" its activists.

CTPSE admitted an "error of judgement" and is reviewing the guide.

Iran's admission that it accidently downed a Ukrainian passenger jet, killing all 176 people aboard, is an "important first step", British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Saturday.

 

"We will do everything we can to support the families of the four British victims and ensure they get the answers and closure they deserve," he said in a statement issued by his Downing Street office.

Johnson added that Britain would work closely with Canada, Ukraine and other international partners to ensure "a comprehensive, transparent and independent international investigation and the repatriation of those who died."

"This tragic accident only reinforces the importance of de-escalating tensions in the region," he said.

"It is vital that all leaders now pursue a diplomatic way forward."

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said a military probe into the tragedy had found "missiles fired due to human error" brought down the Boeing 737, calling it an "unforgivable mistake".

The acknowledgement came after officials in Iran had categorically denied Western claims that the Ukraine International Airlines airliner had been downed in a catastrophic error.

Hollywood veteran Martin Sheen participated in a climate change protest in Washington, DC and recited Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore's famous poem "Where the Mind Is Without Fear" while addressing the gathering. 

  

Sheen was part of "Fire Drill Fridays" the weekly protests against climate change, started by veteran actor Jane Fonda. 

Lauding Fonda for the campaign, Sheen said, "Clearly, the world will be saved by women. Thank God they outnumber us men." 

In the video of his speech, which is doing the rounds on social media, the "Departed" actor then referred to the verse from Tagore's collection of poems, "Gitanjali".

This is not the first time that Sheen has invoked "Where the Mind Is Without Fear". He previously recited the poem in 2016, in a video urging Americans to vote, and to take action in favour of the betterment of their country. 

The poem, titled "Chitto Jetha Bhoyshunno" in Bengali, was originally published in 1910 and represented Tagore's vision of a new and awakened India. 

The English version, also penned by Tagore, came out in 1912 as a part of "Gitanjali".

During the protest, Sheen along with "Joker" star Joaquin Phoenix, was arrested by the police.

Actors Maggie Gyllenhaal and Susan Sarandon were also present.

According to Variety, Capitol Police said it arrested 147 people who were charged with crowding, obstructing or incommoding. All the protestors were later released.

On a two-day visit to West Bengal, PM Modi is launching the interactive light and sound show at Howrah Bridge. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar are also present at the event.

Earlier in the day, Banerjee in a meeting with Modi at Raj Bhavan had urged that he reconsider the recent amendment to the Citizenship Act. "I told the PM that people in Bengal are not accepting the NRC (National Register of Citizens) and CAA. You should reconsider it. He has said I am here for other programmes so he asked me to come to Delhi for the meeting," Banerjee said after the meeting.

During his visit, the prime minister will dedicate to the nation four refurbished heritage buildings in Kolkata -- the Old Currency Building, the Belvedere House, the Metcalfe House and the Victoria Memorial Hall. The Culture Ministry has renovated these iconic galleries and refurbished them with new exhibitions while curating the old galleries. Modi will also participate in the sesquicentenary celebrations of the Kolkata Port Trust on Saturday and Sunday.

RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav's elder son Tej Pratap on Saturday came out in support of actor Deepika Padukone and her movie 'Chhapaak' in which she has essayed the role of an acid attack survivor.

The film is facing a boycott call from sympathisers of the BJP-led NDA government at Centre in the wake of Padukone's recent visit to the JNU following violence in the campus.

The RJD leader's tweet in favour of the actor and her film, however, drew instant ridicule from Bihar BJP which was quick to point out the alleged ill-treatment suffered by the mercurial leader's estranged wife, Aishwarya Roy.

"Why is Chhapaak coming like a 'dhapaak' (blow) to those who are occupying seats of power? These are the same people who swear by women's empowerment and safety and coin slogans like 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao'. You are an inspiration, @deepikapadukone ji," Tej Pratap tweeted.

Padukone is being trolled ever since she visited the JNU campus and stood beside students protesting the recent assault by masked attackers allegedly supporting RSS-affiliate ABVP.

Three terrorists were arrested on Saturday in Anantnag district of south Kashmir, police said. 

  

The ultras were arrested from Bijbehara area during an anti-militant operation, a police official said.

He said the identity and group affiliation of the arrested militants was being ascertained.

Further details are awaited, the official said.

The JNU Students' Union on Saturday alleged that the police were informed about a mob's presence on the campus much before the violence on January 5 but they ignored the messages. 

  

"They were informed at 3 pm and the messages were read at 3.07 pm but the messages were ignored," the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union claimed at a press conference.

It also alleged that the RSS-affiliated ABVP was involved in attacking women students and JNUSU office-bearers last week.

The students' union said the ABVP members hit women students even on January 4 and when JNUSU general secretary Satish Chandra Yadav intervened, they attacked him as well.

"Attackers targeted specific rooms in Sabarmati Hostel and even threw students from balcony, but did not touch the room of an ABVP activist," it added. 

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday termed the Citizenship (Amendment) Act a "discriminatory and divisive" law whose "sinister" purpose was to divide people on religious lines, and asserted that the NPR in form and content was "disguised NRC".

  

Addressing the Congress Working Committee meeting, she said thousands of young men and women, especially students have realised the "grave harm" that implementation of the new Citizenship law will cause. 

They have taken to the streets braving the cold as well as police brutalities, Gandhi said.

"We demand that a comprehensive high-powered commission be constituted to enquire into the incidents connected with the anti-CAA protests and give justice to the affected persons," she said.

As the students' protest gains momentum, it is clear that the government is digging in its heels. Not a day passes without the home minister and on some days the prime minister himself making provocative statements, the Congress president said.

"The situation in some states is alarming, turning the states into police states, notably in Uttar Pradesh and the Union Territory of Delhi," she said.

Coming down hard on the National Population Register, Gandhi told Congress top brass not to be under any illusion that it was a "benign exercise".

"In form and content, NPR 2020 is a disguised NRC," she said.

Gandhi also hit out at the government over the state of the economy and the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

"It is a matter of anguish and concern that the people in Jammu and Kashmir continue to be denied their fundamental rights while the Government makes farcical  claims of normalcy and arranges guided tours of diplomats," she said.

Apart from Sonia Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, top party leaders P Chidambaram, Anand Sharma, A K Antony, K C Venugopal, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jyotiraditya Scindia were among those present at the meeting.

On a two-day visit to West Bengal, PM Narendra Modi met Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at Raj Bhavan in Kolkata even as protests continue against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

"I told the PM that people in Bengal are not accepting NRC and CAA. You should reconsider it. He has said I am here for other programmes so he asked me to come to Delhi for meeting," she said after the meeting.

After the meeting with PM Modi in which Mamata Banerjee urged a rollback on the amendment to the citizenship law, the West Bengal CM said, "We are against the CAA and NRC and NPR. It should be ensured that no one leaves the country. There should not be atrocities on anyone. The government should re-consider the NRC and the CAA." Banerjee said that during the meeting she also asked for the Rs 28,000 crore flood package that the state is yet to receive from the Centre following Cyclone Bulbul. 

"He has assured that he would look into the papers and take the necessary steps," she said.

Following the meeting, Mamata Banerjee reached a protest that is being staged by the Trinamool Congress's student wing, the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad, merely 500 metres from Raj Bhavan, to express solidarity with the demonstrators.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday after arriving in Kolkata on a two day-visit. The meeting at the Raj Bhavan came amid a bitter face-off between the PM Modi's BJP and Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress over the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act that has triggered massive protests across India.

"It was a courtesy call since he has come to Bengal. I told the prime minister that people of the state are not accepting the National Population Register, National Register of Citizens and CAA. I asked him to rethink these steps," Banerjee said.

The CM said PM Modi requested her to come for a meeting in Delhi on the issues since he had come to Bengal for other programmes.

PM Modi, who will be in Kolkata on Saturday and Sunday, is scheduled to attend the function marking the 150th anniversary of Kolkata Port Trust on Sunday and other programmes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a two-day visit to Kolkata in West Bengal, during which he will take part in the 150th-anniversary celebrations of the Kolkata Port Trust.

PM Narendra Modi will also hold a meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the Raj Bhavan. The meeting with Mamata Banerjee assumes significance in view of the chief minister's recent protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Ahead of PM Narendra Modi's visit to Kolkata, hundreds of protesters staged a protest outside the Kolkata airport and various parts of the state against the prime minister's scheduled visit to the city. 

Every year, around 1.5 lakh people are killed in five lakh accidents that take place across the country, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said, and expressed remorse that his ministry could not reduce these numbers despite taking several measures.

The Union minister for road transport and highways was speaking in Nagpur at a Road Safety Week function, which began across the country on Saturday and will culminate on January 17.

"Five lakh accidents take place in the country every year and around 1.5 lakh people are killed, and between 2.5-3 lakh people are injured. The GDP loss to the country is two per cent. Besides, 62 per cent of those killed in road accidents are in the 18-35 age group," Gadkari said.

He lamented that his ministry could not reduce the number of accidents despite putting in a lot of effort.

The minister praised Tamil Nadu for bringing down the number of road accidents by 29 per cent and fatalities by 30

per cent.

He said awareness and adherence to traffic rules among people, and united efforts by police, RTOs, NGOs among others were key to reducing road accidents.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday arrived in the city on a two day-visit amidst protests against Citizenship Amendment Act outisde the airport.

Modi was greeted by Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, state municipal affairs minister Firhad Hakim, West Bengal BJP

president Dilip Ghosh and other senior BJP leaders.

Modi, who will be in Kolkata on Saturday and Sunday, is scheduled to attend the function marking the 150th

anniversary of Kolkata Port Trust on January 12 and other programmes.

From the airport he is likely to take a helicopter to Royal Calcutta Turf Club and from there go to the Raj Bhawan.

Hundreds of protesters staged demonstrations at the crossing outside airport gate number one despite strict

security.

Demonstrations were also held in various other parts of the state against Modi's visit to the city during the day.

Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone's film 'Chhapaak' has been declared tax-free in Rajasthan.

 

The film has been facing the wrath of a certain section of people after Padukone visited the Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi to express solidarity with the students who were attacked by a masked mob on January 5. 

The decision to declare the film tax-free in Rajasthan was taken on Friday night.

"The move of exempting the film from tax has been welcomed by people. The film will educate people," Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot told reporters on Saturday.

'Chhapaak', directed by Meghna Gulzar, presents the story of acid attack survivor and activist Laxmi Agarwal.

BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav claimed normalcy was returning to the union territory, with internet being restored "to a great extent" and local leaders in detention being released.

He claimed that only "20-25" leaders are yet to be released and this would happen in a phased manner.

"People are living a normal life in Jammu and Kashmir. There were two major restrictions there, one being internet

which is about to be removed. To a great extent, mobile services have been restored. Most of the leaders under

detention are out. And I believe government will release the remaining 20-25 leaders in phases," he claimed.

He said there was no need to have a special discussion on J-K as it was not like "any other territory" in the

country.

The BJP leader said that allowing foreign delegations in the restive region was part of an effort to remove

"misunderstanding being spread" across the world about J-K.

"Everybody will be allowed to visit there as per the situation," he said when asked about the opposition leaders

not being allowed to visit the UT.

Praising the Narendra Modi government, Madhav claimed that "90 per cent people" were supporting the decisions of the

Centre, like removal of Article 370 in J-K, the Ram Mandir issue and the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

He asserted that the CAA, which is at the centre of protests across the nation, was not discriminatory.

"Citizenship is not a separate Act. Everybody has the right to acquire citizenship after fulfilling certain requirements. An amendment has made it possible for particular sections to get citizenship at the earliest. But people are being misled by false propaganda," he added.

Meghan Markle, wife of Britain's Prince Harry, has signed a voiceover deal with Disney.

  

The former actor, who quit the profession when she got engaged to Harry in 2017, inked a deal to work with the studio in return for a donation to an elephant charity, according to The Times.

The charity is Elephants Without Borders, a conservationist group that focuses on protecting elephants from poachers.

Meghan recorded her voiceover in November, before she and Harry left the UK for a six-week break in Canada with their son Archie.

The news comes after she and Harry announced on Wednesday their intention to step back as senior royals.

The couple indicated in their statement that they want to be free to work on their own terms while continuing to support the work of Queen Elizabeth II, Harry's grandmother.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vijay Goel on Saturday condemned the violence that took place in Jawaharlal Nehru University recently and accused the "Left" of spreading violence.

"JNU is being made into a political playground. Leftist groups are involved in spreading violence in the campus," said Goel. 

"They have vandalised the server room so that students cannot fill their examination forms," he added.

"I condemn this and a thorough investigation into the matter is underway," the BJP leader added.

The Delhi Police Crime Branch investigating the case of violence in Jawaharlal Nehru University has identified and released photographs of nine suspects, including JNU Students Union president Aishe Ghosh.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the curative petition of two death row convicts in 2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape case on January 14.

A five-judge Bench of Justices N V Ramana, Arun Mishra, R F Nariman, R Banumathi and Ashok Bhushan will hear the petition filed by Vinay Sharma and Mukesh. 

The duo had moved a curative petition in the top court after a Delhi court issued a death warrant in their name and announced January 22 as the date of their execution.

Besides them, two other convicts named Pawan and Akshay are also slated to be executed on the same day at 7 am in Delhi's Tihar Jail premises.

They were convicted and sentenced to death for raping a 23-year-old woman on a moving bus in the national capital on the night of December 16, 2012.

The victim, who was later given the name Nirbhaya, died at a hospital in Singapore where she had been airlifted for medical treatment.

A curative petition is the last judicial resort available for redressal of grievances. It is decided by the judges in-chamber.

If it is rejected, they are legally bound to move a mercy petition. It is filed before the President who has the power to commute it to life imprisonment.

The court after issuing a black warrant in their name gave them two weeks' time to file both the curative and mercy petition. 

Maharashtras newly-appointed environment, tourism and protocol minister Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday questioned the BJPs campaign in schools to teach students about the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act.

The young Shiv Sena leader tweeted a day after a few BJP leaders visited schools in Mumbais Matunga area to spread awareness and correct misinformation about the law, which has sparked protests across the country.

Aaditya Thackeray also suggested what the Bharatiya Janata Party or any other political leader should do to contribute towards students education.

To campaign abt an Act in schools is ridiculous. What is the need for such political campaigning justification, if there is no ill intent? Politicisation of schools mustnt be tolerated. If politicians want to speak in schools, speak on gender equality, helmets, cleanliness! the Shiv Sena leader tweeted.

The BJP is pulling out all stops to dispel doubts about the provisions of CAA and has started a door-to-door campaign that will reach out to three crore families to clear perceptions about the act.

The Shiv Sena had supported the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha but took a sharp U-turn in the Rajya Sabha by abstaining from voting for the new law when it was presented in Parliament in December last year.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan meets JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh. 

On Friday, the Delhi Police said it had identified nine people, including JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh, as suspects in the JNU violence case. Most of the other people identified so far by the police are members of Left-wing students organisations.

Responding to the development, JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh said, "Delhi Police can do their inquiry. I also have evidence to show how I was attacked."

In the violence that took in the evening, Aishe Ghosh suffered head injuries. Nearly 30 students and teachers were injured in the violence that marred the Jawaharlal Nehru University when a mob of several masked people stormed into hostels in JNU and attacked students and teachers with rods, sticks and stones.

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Saturday closure and accountability were needed after Iran said it had unintentionally shot down a Ukranian plane, killing 176 people.

  

He also demanded "transparency, and justice for the families and loved ones of the victims," of whom many were Canadian dual nationals.

"This is a national tragedy, and all Canadians are mourning together," Trudeau's office said in a statement.

Army Chief Gen M M Naravane on Saturday termed the creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff a "very big step" towards integration of the three forces and said the Army will ensure its success.

 

He also asserted that allegiance to Constitution should guide "us in all times". "Justice, liberty, equality and fraternity as enshrined in Constitution must guide us," he said.

Addressing a press conference, Gen Naravane said the focus of training will be on preparing the army for future wars which will be network-centric and complex.

"We are prepared to deal with challenges along northern border," the Army chief said when asked about China enhancing military infrastructure.

"We are initiating rebalancing of preparedness along northern border, including moving advanced weapon systems," he said.

He said the focus will be on integration within the Army and among the three services.

"The formation of the CDS and the creation of a department of military affairs is a very big step towards integration. We on our part will make sure that this is a success," the Army chief said.

"Integration will also be within the army and the integrated battle group is just one example of that. But I also want to assure everyone that in this process of integration we will take everyone along. Nobody will be left behind," he said.

The army chief's remarks come days after Gen Bipin Rawat took over as India's first Chief of Defence Staff with a mandate to bring in convergence in functioning of the Army, the Navy and the Indian Air Force and bolster the country's military prowess.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said he was excited to be in West Bengal for two days as there was something special about the place.

I am excited to be in West Bengal today and tomorrow. I am delighted to be spending time at the Ramakrishna Mission and that too when we mark Swami Vivekanandas Jayanti. There is something special about that place, he tweeted.

There is heightened security in Kolkata, where he is scheduled to arrive at 4 pm.  The state government has planned a foolproof security arrangements to counter any untoward incident during Modis visit.  

The administration has planned to sanitise the route, which will be taken by the prime ministers convoy to reach the city from the airport. According to a state government officer, the roadmap was planned considering the fact that the PM is scheduled to arrive at a time when the light will not be favourable to fly him to the city in a helicopter from the airport.

During his two-day visit, PM Modi will attend sesquicentenary celebrations of Kolkata Port Trust and is expected to hold a meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The visit comes at a time when West Bengal has been witnessing protests against the amended Citizenship Act.

Jawaharlal Nehru University Vice-Chancellor Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar appealed to all students who went home following violence in the varsity, to return to their hostels asserting that normalcy has been restored.

"We have strengthened the security on campus and I appeal all students who have gone home to come back. Academic activities have been resumed and JNU is back on its foot," said Jagadesh Kumar. "I request all students to return to campus and get their registration for the winter semester done as classes will be starting from January 13," he said.

"Our internal security is manned by ex-servicemen and I have also requested police to be at gates and come inside if any law and order situation arises," said Kumar.

Kumar met Human Resource Development Secretary Amit Khare on Friday to discuss the existing situation. 

On Thursday, Khare met with a delegation of JNU comprising members of the students' union led by president Aishe Ghosh and teachers association (JNUTA) led by Prof D K Lobiyal and faculty members.

On January 5, more than 30 students of the university, including JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh, were injured and taken to the AIIMS Trauma Centre after a masked mob entered the varsity and attacked them and professors with sticks and rods.

The Delhi high court on Saturday directed the makers of Deepika Padukone-starrer 'Chhapaak' to give credit to a lawyer, who represented acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal on whose life the movie is based, for inputs she shared with them.

 

Justice Prathiba M Singh said the changes be made in the movie slides in multiplexes by January 15.

The court pronounced the order on a plea by Fox Star Studio, producer of the movie, challenging a trial court's Thursday order asking them to acknowledge the contribution of advocate Aparna Bhat.

The film was released in theatres on Friday.

Iran's president Hassan Rouhani offered his apologies and condolences over 'unintentional' shooting down of Ukrainian passenger jet on Wednesday, killing all 176 people aboard.

"Armed Forces' internal investigation has concluded that regrettably missiles fired due to human error caused the horrific crash of the Ukrainian plane & death of 176 innocent people. Investigations continue to identify & prosecute this great tragedy & unforgivable mistake," he said on Twitter.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran deeply regrets this disastrous mistake," he added. "My thoughts and prayers go to all the mourning families. I offer my sincerest condolences."

Iran on Saturday announced that its military 'unintentionally' shot down a Ukrainian jetliner, killing all 176 aboard.

Iran Foreign Minister Javad Zarif on Twitter said: "Human error at time of crisis caused by US adventurism led to disaster."

"Our profound regrets, apologies and condolences to our people, to the families of all victims, and to other affected nations," he added.

Evacuation of people residing around the two illegal apartment complexes in Kochi, was completed hours before the demolition of the structures began on Saturday morning.

     

The prohibitory order declared by the Ernakulam District Collector using his authority as District Magistrate came into force at 8 am in the evacuation zone of the two residential complexes -- H2O Holyfaith and Alfa Serene -- being demolished at Maradu municipality, officials said.

     

Evacuation of people residing in the 200 meter radius is completed and traffic has been regulated through the roads around the structures, they said.

     

Two of the high rises would be demolished at 11 am and 11.05 am on Saturday and the rest on Sunday, complying with the orders of the Apex Court which held the structures to be illegal as they had been built in violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone norms.

     

The complexes housing a total of 343 flats would be brought down using the implosion method and the companies engaged for it have completed the filling of explosives in the structures on Wednesday.

     

They have said the demolition would be carried out safely without causing any damage to buildings in the neighbourhood. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee will hold a meeting at the Raj Bhavan on Saturday, a state secretariat official said on Friday.

 

They are also likely to share the stage during a programme in Kolkata on Sunday, a source in the Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress said.  

Modi will be on a two-day visit to Kolkata from January 11, amid ongoing protest at various places in the state against the amended citizenship law.

"As far as we know, she (Banerjee) will attend a programme of the Kolkata Port Trust on January 12, where the prime minister would also be present," a senior TMC leader told PTI.

Both the leaders are also scheduled to hold a meeting at the Raj Bhavan on Saturday evening, according to a highly-placed official at the state secretariat, who added that Modi will reach Kolkata at around 4pm as per the schedule.

However, the agenda of the meeting between Modi and Banerjee was not disclosed.

Minister of state for shipping Mansukh Mandaviya had gone to the state secretariat on Friday to invite Banerjee to the 150th anniversary programme of the KoPT.

The significant political development comes a day after Banerjee had said in the state assembly that she would boycott an opposition meeting called by Congress president Sonia Gandhi on January 13 over the JNU violence, the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and other "anti-people" policies of the Centre.

Ever since the BJP emerged the main contender of the TMC in West Bengal following the Lok Sabha poll results, Modi and Banerjee have not shared the dais at any government programme.

The chief minister had gone to New Delhi in September last year and met Modi in a "courtesy call" visit.

The new citizenship law has emerged as the latest flashpoint in the state, with the TMC opposing the contentious legislation tooth and nail, and the BJP pressing for its implementation. -- PTI

Bharatiya Janata Party's Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy said on Friday that the country's economy was in "dire times", and "tax terrorism" should be ended to encourage investors.

     

He also said that every university should have police personnel on the campus, and Jawharlal Nehru University, which is in news for a recent incident of violence, should be "closed for two years".

    

"The economy is in dire times, everything is going downwards, if the trend continues banks will close down, NBFCs will close down and (it will) lead to disaster," Swamy said, speaking to reporters in  Ahmedabad.

    

He was speaking on the sidelines of a programme at Indus University.

     

"The measures that can be taken are...first Income Tax needs to be abolished. The tax terrorism in our country needs to be reined in so that people start investing and do not fear taxman," he said.

    

"The problem we are facing at present is lack of demand, we have good supply. So the government needs to print notes and put it in the hands of people to boost demand. Government needs to build roads, big six-lane, eight-lane roads," he added.

    

Asked about the recent violence at JNU in Delhi, Swamy said for the safety of students, every university should have police presence on the campus as in the United States.     

"In universities like JNU we should have not only police but CRPF and BSF too," he said. -- PTI