passengers as mob attempts to set train afire Kolkata, Dec 12 (PTI)

As thousands protested against the Citizenship Amendment Bill across Assam on Thursday, the Army said it rescued passengers of an express train from a mob trying to set the carriages on fire at Naharkatia railway station.

An Army spokesperson said the mob had surrounded the Silchar-Dibrugarh Brahmaputra Express at Naharkatia and were in the process of setting it on fire, when security forces intervened.

The railway authorities requested for urgent help to save the passengers, he said.

"Responding immediately, Army and Assam Rifles columns which were on standby rushed to the spot. They immediately took charge of the situation, drove out the mob, managed to rescue the passengers to safety and provided urgent medical attention," he said.

Two people were shot dead in police firing as Assam, the hotbed of anti-CAB protests, plunged into chaos on Thursday with thousands of agitators descending on streets defying curfew, thumbing their nose at Army contingents staging flag marches.

Several towns and cities were placed under indefinite curfew, including Guwahati, the epicentre of protests.  -- PTI

Operations at Delhi airport on Thursday were suspended for a brief period and 17 flights were diverted as heavy rains lashed the national capital, according to an official.

Air India and Vistara are among the carriers whose flights have been impacted.

The official said operations were suspended for little over 10 minutes late in the evening and 17 flights were diverted in the wake of bad weather.

In a tweet, Air India said it has diverted at least two flights to Jaipur, and few others have been held up at the Delhi airport due to 'heavy rains and consequent congestion'.

Five flights of Vistara have been diverted to Ahmedabad and one to Amristar due to bad weather in Delhi, according to a tweet.

The national capital, where the temperature is getting colder, received heavy rains late in the evening.  -- PTI

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday assured a delegation of the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), a Bharatiya Janata Party ally, that the Modi government would try to address their concerns over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

The home minister also had a separate meeting with Kirit Pradyot Deb Barman, the head of the royal family of Tripura, and Tripura People's Front (TPF) president Patal Kanya Jamatia on the matter.

'Met with delegations of IPFT and Joint Movement Against CAB from Tripura and discussed their concerns over CAB. Modi government will try to solve their issues in a positive way,' Shah tweeted.

The home minister also thanked the delegation 'for their appeal to maintain peace and call off the strike'.

The Joint Movement Against Citizenship Amendment Bill (JMCCAB) on Wednesday called off its indefinite strike against the legislation, following an assurance of a meeting with the Union home minister.

The decision to call of the stir was announced after a meeting between JMACAB representatives and Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb.

The Joint Movement Against Citizenship Amendment Bill or JMACAB is an umbrella body of tribal parties and indigenous organisations in the state.

The Bill, which proposes to give citizenship to non-Muslim migrants who have come to India from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh facing religious persecution there, was passed by Rajya Sabha on Wednesday and by Lok Sabha on Monday.  -- PTI

Bharatiya Janata Party MP Ganesh Singh on Thursday claimed that as per a research done by a United States-based academic institution, speaking Sanskrit language on a daily basis boosts the nervous system and keeps diabetes and cholesterol at bay.

Participating in a debate on the Sanskrit universities bill, he also claimed that according to a research by US space research organisation National Aeronautics Space Administration, if computer programming is done in Sanskrit, it will be flawless.

More than 97 per cent of the languages in the world, including few Islamic languages, are based on Sanskrit, Singh said.

Union Minister Pratap Chandra Sarangi, who spoke in Sanskrit on the bill, said the language is very flexible and a single sentence can be spoken in many ways.

He also said various English words such as brother and cow are derived from Sanskrit.

Sarangi said the promotion of this ancient language will not impact any other language.   -- PTI

Assam Assembly Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami on Thursday said doubts expressed over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill are not baseless, and there is a strong possibility of it creating division if implemented.

In a statement, Goswami appealed to the central government to take necessary steps to redress the anger and grievances of the people of Assam.

"After the passage of the bill by the Rajya Sabha yesterday, the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill has become an act. Though I should not comment on the Act as I am discharging Constitutional duties as Speaker, but as a person working for the nation and community through the Assam agitation, I feel that the doubt created by this act is not baseless," he said.

"There is a strong possibility of creating division among different castes, communities and languages if this act is implemented," he said.  -- PTI

As Assam reeled under violent protests over the Citizenship Amendment Bill, there was no clarity on whether the government will go ahead with the India-Japan annual summit in Guwahati from December 15-17 as planned.

"We don't have any update to share," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said at a weekly media briefing while replying to a volley of questions on the issue.

Last week, Kumar announced that the summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe will take place between December 15 and 17.

Though the government has not announced the venue for the summit, preparations were underway to host it in Guwahati.

Assam has been witnessing massive protests in the last two days with thousands of people hitting the streets defying prohibitory orders to demand scrapping of the bill.   -- PTI

The Meghalaya government on Thursday withdrew mobile Internet and messaging services across the state for the next 48 hours due to deteriorating law and order situation triggered by protests over contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, officials said.

The services have been withdrawn since 5 pm Thursday.

The district administration in the state capital has also clamped curfew in areas under two police stations in view of the 'serious' deterioration of law and order.

The curfew will come into effect from 10 pm tonight till further orders, they said.

Additional Home Secretary C V D Diengdoh issued the order after receiving inputs from the police and the district administrations across the state, they said.

"Messaging platforms like SMS, WhatsApp and social media platforms like facebook, twitter and You Tube are likely to be used for transmission of information through pictures, videos and text that have the potential to cause civil unrest and exacerbate the law and order situation," Diengdoh said in the order.

Burning and vandalisation of vehicles this afternoon led to chaotic situation in the Police Bazaar area and Iew Duh area, resulting in imposition of curfew in all neighbourhoods that include areas under Sadar PS and Lumdiengjri PS, District deputy commissioner M W Nongbri told PTI.

She said at least 20 localities will be affected by the curfew which will be effective from 10 pm tonight until further orders.  -- PTI

A day after Opposition members in Lok Sabha raised the issue of lotus being printed on new passports, the Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said it was part of the enhanced security features to identify fake passports and involves using other national symbols as well on rotation.

Raising this issue of lotus being printed on new passports brought for distribution in Kozhikode in Kerala during the Zero Hour, M K Raghavan of the Congress said the matter has been highlighted by one of the newspapers and alleged that this was 'further saffronisation' of the government establishment with the lotus being the election symbol of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Asked about the issue, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, "This symbol is our national flower and is part of the enhanced security features to identify fake passports."

These security features have been introduced as part of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) guidelines, he said.

"Apart from the Lotus, other national symbols will be used on rotation. Right now it is lotus and then next month there will be something else. These are symbols connected with India such as national flower or national animal," he said.  -- PTI

At least two persons died due to bullet injuries on Thursday after police opened fire on protesters in Assam's Guwahati, officials said.

An official of the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital told PTI that one person was 'brought dead' and another succumbed to injuries while undergoing treatment.

The official, however, could not give their names, saying that 'they were brought unidentified'.

The state has been on edge as thousands of angry protesters came out on streets defying curfew, thumbing their nose at Army contingents staging flag marches, and clashing with police across cities.  -- PTI

Stones were thrown at Assam Police chief Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta's convoy on Thursday when he was touring Guwahati, ravaged by violent protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

The cavalcade of the director general of police was on the Guwahati-Shillong Road near Christian Basti where it was attacked.

Stones were thrown at several vehicles in the convoy that was on its way from the Secretariat.

The convoy had to stop several times as the entire stretch was blocked by protesters who put up wooden structures and iron barricades.

When the vehicles stopped in the Christian Basti area and security personnels were clearing the road, some protesters threw stones.

No one was hurt and no damage occurred.

Meanwhile, Governor Jagdish Mukhi on Thursday appealed to the people to maintain peace.

In a statement, Mukhi urged them to 'maintain restraint as they have always shown patience and political maturity in the past'.

'If the student community has any issues against the government they have every right to agitate but they should do it in a democratic and peaceful manner, without taking the law in their hands,' he said.

Mukhi said the approval of the Bill by Parliament has shown that the Centre is committed to taking remedial steps, including implementation of the Clause 6 of the Assam Accord to safeguard the culture, ethos, language, along with other rights of the indigenous people.

The Governor further appealed that no citizen should damage public property in the interest and development of the state.   -- PTI

Singer Papon on Thursday pulled out of a music show in Delhi, saying he would not be able to entertain fans when his home state Assam was 'burning, crying and under curfew' over the passage of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the Parliament.

The singer, best known for songs such as Moh moh ke dhaage and Jiyein kyun, was scheduled to perform in the capital on Friday.

Papon also apologised to his fans on Twitter for the last-minute cancellation, saying he would not be able to cater to the audience in this disturbed state of mind.

'Dear Delhi, I am very sorry but I have decided not to do the concert tomorrow at 'imperfectoshor' as planned! My home state Assam is burning, crying and under curfew! I won't be able to entertain you the way I should in my present state of mind!' the singer said.

Papon, whose real name is Angaraag Mahanta, said the state has been burdened with 'illegal immigration' for decades and the people of Assam need to heard properly.

'It's painful to see the way Assam is burning! Humanity is suffering! Assam has been burdened with illegal immigration for decades! We don't deserve this! The diverse, complex mix of the Assamese culture and people and their existence needs to be understood! We need to be heard properly,' he said.

The singer hoped the organisers of the event will honour the sales of the sold tickets at some other point of time.

'I know this is unfair on you as you had bought tickets and planned long ahead. I am sure the organisers will take care of that in someway and as promised I'll see you all on another day in future! I hope you will understand,' Papon said.

Assam has been witnessing unrest in the wake of protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which was passed by Parliament on Wednesday.  -- PTI

An expert panel set up by the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Karnataka to look into the issue of removing chapters on Tipu Sultan from textbooks has submitted its recommendation, saying the 18th century Mysuru ruler cannot be ignored from the school syllabus.

The Committee, comprising historians and academicians, submitted its report on December 9 to the then Karnataka Textbook Society chairman H N Gopalakrishna.

"We have recommended that Tipu Sultan cannot be ignored from Karnataka's history because it will lead to a missing link," a member of the committee told PTI on condition of anonymity.

Two reports were submitted by the committee one for textbooks of primary classes (classes 6 and 7) and another one for high school (Tenth) a KTBS official said.

In both the reports, the committee maintained that there could have been negative shades in historical characters, which could be found in all the rulers.

"If we highlight only Tipu Sultan then we will have to portray other rulers too in a similar manner," the committee member pointed out.

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had in October indicated his government's plans to remove lessons on Tipu Sultan from middle school history textbooks, saying he did not believe the controversial ruler of erstwhile Mysore kingdom was a freedom fighter.

"Tipu -- we are going to drop everything and even in text book also (lesson regarding him) ...we are thinking to cancel," he said, days after BJP MLA Appachu Rajan demanded removal of the lessons saying it carried 'wrong information'.

Ranjan alleged that Tipu had carried out large-scale genocide and conversion in Kodagu.

He even submitted a memorandum with 'documentary evidence' to prove his point, following which the expert committee was constituted.

The expert panel took note of Ranjan's allegations and examined them.

However, it did not find evidence sufficient to agree with the MLA's claims, the member said.

"Leaders and people of Kodagu district have been talking about the genocide but when we look at the demographic divide now, things have changed a lot. I won't call it genocide," another historian, who was part of the committee, said.

Soon after the BJP government came to power in Karnataka in July, it abolished the birth anniversary celebrations of Tipu Sultan, an annual government event the party had been opposing since November, 2015 when it was launched during the Congress rule, led by Siddaramaiah.

The BJP and right wing organisations have been strongly opposing Tipu, calling the erstwhile Mysore king a 'religious bigot'.

The saffron party has also alleged that the Congress party was celebrating the birthday of a religious bigot as part of its minority appeasement politics.

The Karnataka Textbook Society will submit the report to the State government which will take a call on it, according to a panel member. -- PTI

Portfolios in the Maharashtra government were announced on Thursday, two weeks after Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray becoming chief minister, with his party getting the important home ministry.

The Nationalist Congress Party has got finance, housing, public health, co- operation ministries, informed a release from the chief minister's office.

The Congress, third partner in the coalition, has got revenue, energy, education, PWD, textiles, women and child welfare ministries.

Balasaheb Thorat (Congress) will be ther minister of revenue, school education, animal husbandry and fisheries; Jayant Patil (NCP) to be the minister of finance and planning, housing, food supply and labour

Shiv Sena's Subhash Desai gets industry, higher and technical education, sports and youth, employment; Nitin Raut of Congress will head PWD, tribal development, OBC development, women and child development and relief and rehabilitation ministries.    -- PTI/ANI

Headquarters of the Asom Gana Parishad in Guwahati's Ambari area was attacked on Thursday by people protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, police said.

The protestors went inside the building, located on the Gopinath Bordoloi Road in the heart of the city, and smashed a few window panes and damaged the property, they said.

Several vehicles, including those of the police, parked outside the building were also vandalised, they added.

Officials said police then had to baton-charge the agitators.

Several teargas shells were also lobbed.  -- PTI

"There was a conspiracy to raise questions against me. I will not rebel. BJP is my party. My father brought it from zero to where it is today," Munde told reporters after addressing a gathering on the occasion of her late father Gopinath Munde's birth anniversary.

Earlier today, she held a rally in Bheed on the occasion, where she also alleged that people were led to speak against her by some members of the party. 

State BJP president Chandrakant Patil was also on the stage when she made the statement."I will not leave the party. It is my father's party. Our blood is not of betrayal," she added.

Munde also announced that she will hold a hunger strike in Aurangabad for the issues of Marathwada."I will hold a day-long hunger strike in Aurangabad on January 27, 2020. This will be not against any party or individual. It will be a symbolic hunger strike to attract the attention of the leadership towards the issue of Marathwada," she said.

Speculations of Munde leaving the party had arisen after wrote an emotional Facebook post after her defeat in the recently held Maharashtra Assembly polls and said that in view of the changed political scenario, the future course of action needs to be decided.The former minister Pankaja Munde had also removed the party's name from her Twitter bio. -- ANI

The Indian side will be represented by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. 

"We reached out to members of the US Congress and other stakeholders on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. Hope they will understand our position," Kumar said. On whether the India-Japan summit will take place in Guwahati from December 15-17 given the protests against the citizenship bill, he said there was no update to share. 

Asked to comment on the cancellation of Bangladesh Foreign Minister A K Abdul Momen's visit and if it was a fallout of criticism of that country's treatment of minorities, he said, "We never said there was religious persecution in Bangladesh during the current government's tenure." Referring to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's critical comments on the citizenship bill, the spokesperson said Pakistan should focus on its treatment of minorities rather than comment on India's internal matter. PTI

"There are no hangmen with the Tihar Jail administration for those who were awarded capital punishment and are not left with any constitutional and legal remedy," Kumar said. "As they were aware that we have two hangmen in UP, they asked us to provide them whenever needed on short notice," the ADG (Prisons) added. 

The prisons department had received a request in this regard from the Tihar administration through fax on December 9. The letter, however, makes no mention of the convicts to be hanged but states there may be requirements. The letter, according to sources, mentioned that some convicts in the jail were awarded capital punishment and their legal and constitutional remedies had been exhausted. 

The four convicts in the Nirbhaya case -- Pawan Gupta, Akshay Thakur, Mukesh Singh and Vinay Sharma -- are on death row for two years. The UP prison administration has two hangmen on its rolls, one in Lucknow and another in Meerut. Six people were convicted for brutally raping and murdering a 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus while she was on her way back home on December 16, 2012. She died from her injuries but the brutal gang rape sparked a nationwide fury that led to a new legislation to deal with such heinous crimes. 

Of the six people convicted in the case, one was a minor, who was sent to a rehabilitation centre, and another, Ram Singh, committed suicide in the Tihar Jail. -- PTI

A total of 309 candidates, including 32 women, are contesting from 17 assembly seats. The constituencies, including two reserved for SC candidates and one ST candidate, in which voting is being held are spread over eight districts in the state.

Addressing a poll rally in Dhanbad, he charged the Congress with spreading misinformation in the region over the legislation, which has been passed by Parliament. "I want to assure every state, every tribal society in the northeast and the eastern part of the country including Assam that preserving their culture is our priority. 

"Today, I appeal to my brothers and sisters of Assam to have faith in Modi. No harm will come to them and their tradition, culture and way of living," he asserted. Protests have erupted across northeast, especially Assam and Tripura, over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, with several civil society groups, students' unions and political parties seeking immediate withdrawal of the legislation, contending that it would threaten the interests of indigenous people. 

According to the bill, non-Muslim minorities, who fled religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan and moved to the country before December 31, 2014, will be accorded Indian citizenship. 

The legislation has, however, exempted from its purview tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram or Tripura as included in the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution and areas covered under The Inner Line, notified under Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873.

The PM asserted that the bill would have no impact on the country's citizens and those saying otherwise are lying to mislead common people. "When Taliban attacks were on the rise in Afghanistan, dozens of Christian families came to India, fearing for their lives. But the Congress government did not support them. 

"Today, when the BJP is trying to bring a law to grant citizenship to millions of such oppressed and exploited, Dalit, Sikh, Christian families, the Congress is opposing the move," he said.

Slamming the erstwhile Congress governments, Modi said the party had always avoided taking tough decisions on matters of national interest. "If the Congress and its allies gave anything to Dhanbad, Deoghar and Jharkhand, it is dust, smoke and deception. People were deprived of basic facilities," he said.  

According to an earlier advisory issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, Momen was scheduled to arrive here at 5:20 pm on Thursday. The Bangladesh Foreign Minister has cancelled his trip to India over prevailing situation following passage of the Bill, sources said. 

Dr Momen, had reacted to CAB saying, "They (India) have many problems within their country. Let them fight among themselves. That does not bother us. As a friendly country, we hope that India will not do something that affects our friendly relationship. "There are a very few countries where communal harmony is as good as in Bangladesh. If he (Home Min Amit Shah) stayed in Bangladesh for few months, he would see exemplary communal harmony in our country."

There have been massive protests in Assam and several northeastern states against the proposed legislation which seeks to provide citizenship to non-Muslim persecuted religious minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. PTI 

From students to working professionals and old men to young women, people were seen squatting inside or outside of the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International airport at Borjhar area, about 30 km from the main city. Security forces kept a tight vigil at the airport as Assam police personnel and commandos were deployed to guard the area. 

Services were closed at prepaid taxi counters inside the airport premises in lieu of the curfew, a staff on duty said. 

Two IIT-Guwahati students -- Pooja Sharma (25), a civil engineering MTech student; and Harshal Kawale, a PhD student -- were among the stranded passengers. 

"I don't know how I am going to reach my campus in Amingaon. I tried to reach out to IIT-Guwahati authorities too, but vehicles are not being allowed to ply on the streets, so I am stuck here," she said. Kawale said he would try to take a private cab till the point it was allowed and then contact one of his friends for onward journey. Kanchan Pareekh, who travelled alone from Jaipur to Guwahati in morning flight, was left to fend for herself at the airport. "My parents live in Guwahati. After my marriage two years ago, I have shifted to Jaipur," she told PTI. "I had booked my flight a few days ago and my mother had asked me to cancel the flight because of the situation in the city, but I did not as flight operations are still on," she said. "I had no idea that the situation was this bad here. I have contacted my father and he came in a two-wheeler."

Adding to the passengers' woes, many local taxi drivers who agreed to ferry passengers charged exorbitant fares due to the situation in Guwahati. Many of the passengers were bound for outstation areas like Itanagar, Dimapur and Aizwal, and were left with no option but to wait endlessly at airport premises. 

Many were squatting on sidewalks or resting on chairs hoping to get some mode of transportation for their onward journey. Remi Hnamte and Zoram Muani, both in their twenties, came to Guwahati from Bengaluru. 

"We were both travelling alone and struck up a friendship on the flight. Both of us have to go to Aizwal," Hnamte said. "But there is no way out. We contacted Mizoram Hous here and plan to spend tonight there only." Usman Sab, an army personnel, was travelling with his wife and his three-and-a-half-year-old son from Bengaluru.

"I live in Dimapur, but I have no idea how to reach Guwahati railway station," he said. Ajeet Jain, a chartered accountant from Jaipur, had booked a train for his hometown Dimapur, which he said got cancelled. 

"I had gone to Jaipur for a marriage, the train got cancelled, so I booked a flight to Guwahati. Now, I am trying to find a way out to reach Dimapur," he said. Thousands of people defied curfew in Guwahati on Thursday and took to the streets, prompting police to open fire as protests against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill intensified in Assam. 

Police said they had to open fire in Lalung Gaon area in Guwahati after stones were hurled by protesters. The agitators claimed that at least four people were wounded in the shooting.

Other transfers include: Assam's additional general of police (Law and Order) Mukesh Agarwal has been transferred as ADGP (CID) and GP Singh appointed in his place.

Meanwhile, internet services in Assam have been suspended for another 48 hours, beginning from 12 noon today: Additional Chief Secretary (Home and Political) Kumar Sanjay Krishna said. 

IN a blistering attack on the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the party had always avoided taking decisions on matters of national interest. 

He also assured every state of the East and Northeast that the traditions, culture, language etc of Assam and other states will not be affected at all. "The Central Govt will work with state governments for your development. Don't be misled by the Congress's statements. There are attempts to fuel tensions in the northeast region. Most of the region is out of the ambit of this bill but politics of Congress and its allies depends on illegal immigrants.

"Congress in the past had promised relief to persecuted minority refugees but never did anything for them. The condition in which they were living in Pakistan, similar treatment was given by Congress governments to them," the PM said.

Meanwhile, Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma will be meeting Amit Shah at 8 pm today in Delhi, ostensibly on CAB, though the state has been left out of the bill.  

It also said that the Shiv Sena's decision to stage a walkout from the Rajya Sabha after supporting the bill in the Lok Sabha indicated its "change of heart".

The Shiv Sena supported the contentious bill in the Lok Sabha on Monday, but staged a walk out when it was discussed in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. The bill, which seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, was passed by the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. The Lok Sabha passed it on Monday. The Congress central leadership was reportedly unhappy with the Shiv Sena's position on the issue. -- PTI

On the BSE, the scrip after opening on a positive note further rose to an intra-day high of Rs 48.15, up 12.5 per cent. 

Later, the stock was quoting at Rs 46.20 in the afternoon trading session, up 7.83 per cent from the previous close. Similar movements were seen on the NSE, where the scrip jumped 14 per cent to Rs 48.80. In the afternoon trade, the stock was trading at Rs 46.30, up 8.18 per cent from the previous close. 

The uptrend in the counter comes following a fall in the bank's shares for five consecutive trading sessions due to uncertainty over its USD 2-billion fundraising plan. Market experts attributed the surge in the share price of the bank to value buying. -- PTI

The advisory was issued after some TV channels beamed footage of violent protests in the Northeast against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill that was passed by Parliament on Wednesday. On various occasions in the past, the ministry has issued advisories for private satellite TV channels to broadcast content strictly in adherence to the programme and advertising codes as prescribed in the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, and the rules framed thereafter, it said.

The advisory reiterated that all TV channels are advised to be particularly cautious with regard to any content that is likely to encourage or incite violence, contains anything against maintenance of law and order or promotes "anti-national attitudes". -- PTI

"Anybody can approach the judiciary but we are confident that this bill has nothing in it for any legal scrutiny or legal challenge," Madhav told ANI on Thursday.

The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) filed a petition in the Supreme Court today questioning the legality the Bill which has been passed by both houses of Parliament.CAB got the Parliament's nod after Rajya Sabha passed it on Wednesday. 

As many as 125 members of the Upper House voted in favour of the Bill while 105 MPs voted against the Bill. The Shiv Sena did not participate in the voting. 

The Lok Sabha had passed it earlier this week.The Bill seeks to grant Indian citizenship to refugees from Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Zoroastrian communities fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who entered India on or before December 31, 2014. -- ANI

He said that the CAB is a national-level bill and the people of Assam don't need to be afraid of it.

"I appeal to the people to maintain peace and not get misled", the chief minister said.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave an assurance to the people of Assam that no one can take away their rights, unique identity and beautiful culture, amid protests in parts of the state against the CAB.

Assam's largest city Guwahati and district Dibrugarh have been placed under indefinite curfew till further orders in the wake of protests after the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB) in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

The administration has also suspended mobile Internet services for 24 hours from 7 pm on Wednesday in ten districts of the state-Lakhimpur, Tinsukia, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Kamrup (metro) and Kamrup.According to Indian Army officials, five Army Columns have been requisitioned and deployed in Assam while three Assam Rifles columns requisitioned and deployed in Tripura.

The CAB smoothly sailed through Parliament after the Rajya Sabha passed it on Wednesday. As many as 125 members of the Upper House voted in favour while 105 MPs voted against the Bill, which was passed by Lok Sabha earlier this week.

The Bill seeks to grant Indian citizenship to refugees from Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Zoroastrian communities fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and who entered India on or before December 31, 2014.  -- PTI

He said a meeting with all deans of schools and chairpersons of special centres had also been scheduled to discuss matters related to holding of end-semester examinations. Students boycotted exams on the first day on Thursday in protest against the hike in hostel fees.

According to Indian Army officials, three Assam Rifles columns have also been requisitioned and deployed in Tripura.

The strength of one column is about 70 personnel of all ranks.Assam's Guwahati and Dibrugarh have been placed under indefinite curfew till further orders in the wake of protests after the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB) in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

The administration has also suspended mobile Internet services for 24 hours from 7 pm on Wednesday in ten districts of the state - Lakhimpur, Tinsukia, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Kamrup (metro), and Kamrup.The CAB smoothly sailed through Parliament after Rajya Sabha passed it on Wednesday. 

As many as 125 members of the Upper House voted in favour while 105 MPs voted against the Bill, which was passed by Lok Sabha earlier this week.

The Bill seeks to grant Indian citizenship to refugees from Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Zoroastrian communities fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and who entered India on or before December 31, 2014. -- PTI

The chief minister was accompanied by wife Rashmi Thackeray and son Aaditya Thackeray. The family offered prayers to the deity at the Ekvira Devi temple located at Karla near Lonavla hill town in Pune. 

The chief minister is also scheduled to visit Shivneri Fort, the birth place of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, in Junnar tehsil of the district. Uddhav Thackeray had in 2014 visited the temple along with 63 MLAs of his party Shiv Sena before joining the BJP-led government.

After the state Assembly polls were held in October this year, the Thackeray-led Shiv Sena snapped ties with the BJP over the issue of sharing the chief minister's post. The Sena later forged an alliance with the NCP and Congress to form the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government. PTI

Tagging her mother Congress President Sonia Gandhi's strongly worded statement against the bill, which was passed in Rajya Sabha last night, Priyanka Gandhi said it is "hurting the soul of the Indian Constitution". 

"At a time when the BJP is celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi with such fanfare, they are also bringing a discriminatory bill that is hurting the soul of the Constitution. The Congress will fight the divisive agenda of the BJP with all its strength," she said on Twitter. -- PTI

Defying curfew, protesters came out on the streets of Guwahati on Thursday to protest the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill that was passed in Parliament even as the Army conducted flag marches in Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Jorhat and Tinsukia. 

Five columns of the Army have been requistioned and deployed in Assam, an Army statement said. Influential students' body AASU and peasants organisation KMSS have asked the people to defy the curfew imposed in Guwahati since Wednesday evening and come out of their homes to protest against the bill.

Protesters burnt the effigy of senior Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in the Ambori while students of the Cotton University and Handique Girls college were also seen protesting against the CAB. One of the protesters said "It is a fight for our existence." PTI

In a series of tweets, in both Assamese and English, the prime minister said he personally and the Central government are "totally committed to constitutionally safeguard the political, linguistic, cultural and land rights of the Assamese people as per the spirit of Clause 6." 

The Clause 6 of the Assam Accord guaranteed safeguarding local rights, language and culture. "I want to assure my brothers and sisters of Assam that they have nothing to worry after the passing of #CAB," Modi tweeted. 

Taking a dig at the prime minister's message, the Congress, from its official Twitter handle, said, "Our brothers and sisters in Assam cannot read your 'reassuring' message Modiji, in case you've forgotten, their internet has been cut off." Several incidents of violence have been reported from the northeastern state following the passage of the bill in Parliament on Wednesday night. The law seeks to grant citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan facing persecution there. PTI

An apex court bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde was hearing two public interest litigations seeking an independent probe into the deaths last week. 

The Telangana government justified the encounter, saying the accused snatched two firearms and shot at a police party. "We are of the considered view that there should be impartial inquiry into the encounter deaths of the four people accused in the gangrape and murder of a veterinarian in Telangana," the bench, also comprising Justices S A Nazeer and Sanjiv Khanna, said. There are "aspects of your (Telangana) version which needed an inquiry", it observed. 

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Telangana government, said no policemen received bullet injuries but got injured in the attack by the accused who were using stone and sticks. -- PTI

The Indian Union Muslim League moved the Supreme Court on Thursday challenging the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, a day after it was passed in the Rajya Sabha completing the legislative process for giving Indian citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

 

The IUML alleged that the bill violates the fundamental Right to Equality of the Constitution.

The bill which was cleared in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday saw 125 MPs voting in its favour and 99 against it. It was passed in the Lok Sabha on Monday.  

After changing the spelling of his name just ahead of his swearing-in, Yediyurappa went on to win the floor test, and now BJP under his leadership has won 12 out 15 seats that went for bypolls on December 5, providing the much needed stability to his government with majority on its side.

"It may have been luck for him electorally in a way or it may be just a coincidence... it depends on how one perceives such things," a BJP functionary said, pointing out things have not been so smooth for Yediyurappa after becoming Chief Minister. -- PTI

The decision was taken Thursday night in view of the security situation in the region, Northeast Frontier Railway spokesperson Subhanan Chanda said, adding many passengers are stranded in Kamakhya and Guwahati. 

After a railway station in Dibrugarh's Chabua, the hometown of the Assam chief minister, was set on fire by protestors late Thursday night and the Panitola railway station in Tinsukia district torched, 12 companies of the Railway Protection Special Force (RPSF) have been dispatched to the region, DG of RPF Arun Kumar told PTI.

An atmosphere is being created for granting citizenship to refugees, an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana' said, and asked whether the government will open its eyes over the issue of intrusion from Pakistan. 

It said the government's claim that the situation in Kashmir after the revocation of Article 370 is fine has proved wrong, as there have been "84 infiltration attempts" from Pakistan and "59 terrorists" entered India since the scrapping of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in August.

The Shiv Sena, which backed the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha on Monday, staged a walkout ahead of voting on it in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, citing unsatisfactory response to the queries raised by the party.

The bill, which seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, was passed by the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. 

Image: A Pakistani Hindu refugee living at Majnu ka Tila today named her two-day old daughter 'Nagarikta'. The woman said, "It is my earnest wish that the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019 passes in Parliament". 

The voting will begin from 7:00 am, reported Al Jazeera.The ballot will mark the end of a six-week campaign during which Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn, his main challenger, have battled for support.More than 45 million voters are registered to take part. 

The winning candidate must have a majority in the 650-seat House of Commons in order to activate their plans.55-year-old Johnson has promised that a right-wing Conservative government would "get Brexit done" and take the UK out of the EU by the end of January 2020. 

He also warned of more "dither and delay" in the event of a Labour victory.Leader of the left-wing Labour Party, Corbyn, 70, has said he would broker a softer divorce deal than Johnson's. -- ANI

"We have been advised by the state association not to go ahead with the game. Players have been asked to remain in the hotel. The players' safety is paramount," BCCI GM Cricket Operations Saba Karim told PTI. "Whether the game will be replayed or the points will be shared. We will take a call on that later," he added. PTI

The 30-share index was trading 149.75 points or 0.37 per cent higher at 40,562.32 in morning trade. The broader Nifty was trading 47.60 points or 0.40 per cent up at 11,957.75. 

Yes Bank was the top gainer in the Sensex pack rallying up to 4.32 per cent, followed by ICICI Bank Tata Motors, Tata Steel, Vedanta, IndusInd Bank, Hero MotoCorp, SBI and Sun Pharma.  -- PTI

"I want to assure them -- no one can take away your rights, unique identity and beautiful culture. It will continue to flourish and grow. The Central Government and I are totally committed to constitutionally safeguard the political, linguistic, cultural and land rights of the Assamese people as per the spirit of Clause 6."

Image: Empty streets in Guwahati after curfew was imposed last evening. 

Minister for Employment, Development in the Delhi government Gopal Rai told ANI that the directions to hold fundraising tea, lunch or dinner parties beginning from December end, were given by Kejriwal in a meeting held to discuss the preparations for the elections, on Tuesday.

Apart from Kejriwal, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, MP Sanjay Singh and state cabinet ministers among other AAP leaders can attend the fundraising meeting.

The AAP is currently running a public relations campaign, which began in November and will continue till December 24, under the directions of its MLAs.Under this mega campaign, AAP is holding public outreach programs at all the polling booths in Assembly constituencies across Delhi.

The party has also appointed 2,700 divisional in-charges across Delhi to the booth committees in the state to oversee the smooth functioning of the outreach programs in their region. -- PTI

The people defied curfew in Guwahati on Thursday morning to protest against the Citizen (Amendment) Bill as the situation remained tense throughout Assam, with the army conducting flag march in Guwahati.

 

Guwahati, the epicentre of anti-CAB protests, was placed under indefinite curfew last night while the army was called in at four places and Assam Rifles personnel were deployed in Tripura on Wednesday as the two northeastern states plunged into chaos over the hugely emotive Citizenship (Amendment) Bill or CAB.

All Assam Student's Union has called for a protest at 11 am in Guwahati.

Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti appealed to the people to come out on the road for peaceful protest.

The people were on the road in the night despite curfew. 

Army conducted a flag march in the city on Thursday morning. 

Vehicles were stranded in various cities of Assam due to heavy blockade. Half-a dozen vehicles were burnt. 

The houses of Bharatiya Janata Party and Asom Gana Parishad leaders were attacked in various parts of the state. -- PTI

Israelis will head back to polls for the third general election in less than a year after the two largest parties of the Jewish country failed to make a power-sharing deal before a Wednesday deadline.

Incumbent prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who heads the right-wing Likud party, and his main rival Benny Gantz, former army chief and leader of the centrist Blue and White alliance, were unable to build a governing coalition following an indecisive September general election. 

It is the second time this year that the leading parties failed to form a government after a national vote .

The Knesset had until midnight on Wednesday failed to agree on a politician who could command the support of 61 out of the 120 members of Israel's parliament. 

When no one was able to garner the minimum backing, an election in March 2020 was automatically triggered.

The move indicates that Netanyahu remains the country's Prime Minister, even though he has presided over a transition government for nearly a year and failed to assemble a functioning coalition after elections in April and September.

This time Netanyahu will conduct his campaign while facing criminal indictment on charges of bribery and fraud and breach of trust in three separate criminal investigations.

The 70-year-old politician also faces a serious challenge within his own Likud party -- a leadership contest is tentatively scheduled for December 26. -- ANI

The house of Union minister Rameswar Teli in Assam's Duliajan was attacked by anti-Citizenship Bill protesters on Wednesday night, officials said.

   

They said properties were damaged at the minister's house at Duliajan in Dibrugarh district, without giving further details.

 

The Union minister of state for food processing industries represents Dibrugarh in Lok Sabha.  

 

Earlier, stones were pelted at the house of Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in Dibrugarh. The anti-CAB protesters also vandalised the houses of BJP MLA Prasanta Phukan and party leader Subhash Dutta in the district, officials said.

 

The army has been deployed in Guwahati, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh and Jorhat districts in Assam as the protests spread.

 

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, was passed by Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. Lok Sabha cleared the Bill on Monday. -- PTI 

Voting began for the third of the five-phase polling in 17 assembly constituencies of Jharkhand on Thursday.

   

The voting began at 7 am in all the 17 constituencies, amidst a tight security arrangement.

While polling at Ranchi, Hatia, Kanke, Barkatha and Ramgarh seats will end at 5 pm, voters in rest of the constituencies can exercise their franchise till 3 pm. 

"A total of 56,18,267 voters are eligible to cast votes in the 17 constituencies across eight districts. The voters include a total of 26,80,205 women and 86 third gender voters," Vinay Kumar Choubey, the Chief Electoral Officer of Jharkhand, said.

The fate of 309 candidates, including 32 women nominees, will be decided in the third leg of the elections.

The assembly elections to the 81-member House began on November 30 and will end on December 20.

CEO Choubey said that about 40,000 polling personnel have been deputed to conduct smooth and peaceful voting.

He said the polling personnel were apart from the deployment of security forces across the 17 constituencies, which have left-wing extremism pockets.

Out of the total 7,016 polling stations set up for the third-phase, 1,008 are marked as critical' and 543 sensitive' in Naxal-affected areas.

A total of 1,119 polling stations are critical' and 2,672 polling stations are sensitive' in non-Naxal affected areas.  

There are 13,504 ballot units, 8,772 controlling units and 9,123 VVPAT in the 17 seats, with double ballot units set up in nine of the constituencies as there are sixteen or more candidates in the fray. -- PTI

Bangladesh's Foreign Minister A K Abdul Momen on Wednesday said the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill could weaken India's historic character as a secular nation and rejected the allegations that the minorities are facing religious persecution in his country.

According to the proposed legislation, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, till December 31, 2014 facing religious persecution there, will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill or CAB was passed in the Lok Sabha on Monday is now tabled in the Rajya Sabha for its nod.

"India is historically a tolerant country which believes in secularism (but) their historic position will be weakened if they deviate from that," Momen told reporters.

He said that Bangladesh and India are currently enjoying close friendly relations that is termed as 'golden chapter' of bilateral ties and 'so, naturally our people (Bangladeshis) expect that India won't do anything that could create anxiety among them'.

Momen termed as 'untrue' the allegations of minority repression in Bangladesh by India's Home Minister Amit Shah, saying 'whoever gave them the information, it is not correct'.

"Many important decisions of our country are taken by persons belonging to different religions...we never judge anybody by their religion," he said, expecting the minority community representatives in the country to echo his remarks.

Momen said Bangladesh maintains strong religion harmony and ensures that followers of all faiths enjoy same rights in every area.  -- PTI