LIVE
Sat, 14 December 2019
Fury at Suu Kyi's genocide denial to world court
Timeline Refresh
21:06 Fury at Suu Kyi's genocide denial to world court
When Aung San Suu Kyi rose to denounce genocide charges against her country at the world court last week, three victims of Myanmars ethnic violence were sitting close behind the Nobel peace prize winner disbelieving and seething with anger.
Hamida Khatun, Yousuf Ali and Hasina Begum had travelled from the sprawling Kutupalong refugee camp outside Coxs Bazar in Bangladesh to sit on the legal delegation attending the International Court of Justices emergency hearing in The Hague, in the Netherlands.
Khatun, 50, and Ali, 46, voted for Aung San Suu Kyi in 2010 when, after 15 years of house arrest, she represented a figure of democratic hope defying the military dictatorship.
In the 2017 Myanmar military clearance operations targeting the Rohingya, however, Khatuns husband disappeared and her friends were murdered; Ali was tortured and sexually assaulted by police officers he knew.
Only outside the court could they reveal the extent of their disenchantment. Khatun said she had been tempted to launch a physical attack. Ali admitted it had been difficult to sit quietly. Begum, now 22 but too young to vote in 2010, declared she could have eaten the Myanmar leader. All three were convinced she was lying.
The claim that Myanmars military carried out mass murder, rape and destruction of Rohingya Muslim communities was brought by the Gambia, a west African state that belongs to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
20:37 Amul milk prices raised by Rs 2 per litre
The Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation which sells its products under `Amul' brand has increased the price of its milk by Rs 2 per litre from Sunday in Ahmedabad and Saurashtra in Gujarat, and across Delhi NCR, West Bengal, Mumbai and Maharashtra markets.
In all these markets, the price of Amul Gold milk will be Rs 28 per 500 ml, and Amul Taaza will be sold at Rs 22 per 500 ml, the GCMMF said in a release on Saturday.
In Ahmedabad market, there will be no change in the price of Amul Shakti milk, sold at Rs 25 per 500ml, it said.
Amul Shakti is not available in other markets.
The hike was made "with an aim to sustain remunerative milk price to our milk producers and to encourage them for higher milk production", the release added.
-- PTI
20:21 NET exam in Assam, Meghalaya postponed
The UGC National Eligibility Test for candidates scheduled to appear in Assam and Meghalaya was postponed on Saturday due to unrest in the region.
The National Testing Agency, which conducts the test, announced that the exam in other states will be held on Sunday as per the schedule.
-- PTI
20:07 Rahul Jinnah 'more apt name for Rahul: BJP
Hitting back at Rahul Gandhi for his Savarkar jibe at the BJP, the ruling party on Saturday said a "more appropriate" name for the Congress leader is "Rahul Jinnah" as his "Muslim appeasement" politics makes him a worthy legatee of the Pakistan's founder.
Addressing the Congress' mega "Bharat Bachao Rally" at Ramlila grounds, Gandhi had rejected the BJP's demand for an apology for his "rape in India" barb at the Modi government, saying his name was Rahul Gandhi not Rahul Savarkar, and that he will never apologise for speaking the truth.
Veer Savarkar is revered as Hindutva icon for the BJP but is accused by its rivals of tendering apologies to the British government to secure released from jail when India was under the colonial rule.
Targeting Gandhi, BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao said, "The more appropriate name for you Rahul Gandhi is RAHUL JINNAH. Your Muslim appeasement politics and mindset makes you a worthy legatee of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, not Savarkar."
Another party spokesperson Sambit Patra said Rahul Gandhi can never be 'Rahul Savarkar' as Savarkar stood for "patriotism, bravery and sacrifice" while the Congress leader is somebody who spoke what Pakistan said on issues like the citizenship bill, Article 370 and surgical strikes among others.
Amit Malviya, the BJP IT cell head, tweeted sarcastically that the former Congress president was right that he can never be Rahul Savarkar.
"For once Rahul Gandhi is right. He can never be 'Rahul Savarkar'. Veer Savarkar is a national icon, who has had a civilisational impact on India's polity and will continue to be revered for generations to come. 5 generation of Nehru-Gandhi family can't measure up to his legacy," he said.
-- PTI
19:35 JNU VC says students tried to attack him on campus
JNU Vice-Chancellor Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar on Saturday claimed a group of 15-20 students tried to attack him on the campus but university security staff saved him.
"I had gone to School of Arts and Aesthetics to see how the exams were going on. When I was returning to the administration block, 15-20 students surrounded me, abused me and tried to attack me. However, I was rescued by university security personnel and policemen in plain clothes," Kumar said.
-- PTI
19:19 Campaigning for penultimate phase of polling ends in Jharkhand
Campaigning for the 15 Assembly constituencies of Jharkhand that are going to polls in the fourth of the five phases on December 16 ended on Saturday, EC officials said.
A total of 221 candidates, including 23 women nominees, are in the fray in the elections, Jharkhand Chief Electoral Officer Vinay Kumar Choubey said.
The highest number of 25 candidates will lock horns in the Bokaro seat while the least number of eight nominees will
contest the Nirsa constituency, he said.
A total of 47,85,009 electorate, including 22,44,134 women and 81 third gender voters, are eligible to cast their franchise in the fourth round of the assembly elections.
The voting will commence at 7 am and end at 3 pm at Jamua, Bagodar, Giridih, Dumri and Tundi seats while polling
will continue till 5 pm in the remaining constituencies, he said.
Polling in the first three phases of polling to 13, 20 and 17 seats ended on November 30, 7 and 12 respectively.
The fifth and final phase of polling for 16 seats will be held on December 20.
The votes will be counted on December 23.
-- PTI
19:04 Centre grants 'special status' to J-K, Ladakh
A new dispensation is afoot in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh with the Centre approving to grant 'special status on the lines of Article 371 as compensation for the abrogation of Article 370.
Under Article 371, the Constitution provides special provisions for all the hill states with domicile rights, similar to that enjoyed under Article 35A in J&K.
Most of the states that have been accorded special provisions under Article 371 are in the Northeast and the special status aims to preserve their tribal culture.
This marks a major step forward by the Centre which is trying to work out the future politics and policies for the UT following the abrogation of Article 370.
18:34 Savarkar is nation's idol, no compromise on that: Sena
The Shiv Sena on Saturday reacted sharply to Rahul Gandhi's jibe `My name is not Rahul Savarkar', saying that there could not be any "compromise" about reverence for the Hindutva ideologue.
"Veer Savarkar is an idol of whole country and not just Maharashtra. The name Savarkar denotes pride about nation and self. Like Nehru and Gandhi, Savarkar too sacrificed his life for the country. Every such idol must be revered. There is no compromise on this," Raut, a Rajya Sabha member, tweeted.
Addressing the Congress's mega "Bharat Bachao Rally" in Delhi earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi rejected the BJP's demand for apology for his "rape in India" barb, and added that his name was Rahul Gandhi, not "Rahul Savarkar" and he will never apologise for speaking the truth.
The Congress is part of the Shiv Sena-led government in Maharashtra.
-- PTI
18:14 Cong stoking violence over Citizenship Act: Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday hit out at the Congress, accusing it of stoking violence over the amended Citizenship Act.
Shah, addressing election rallies at Giridih and Baghmara Assembly seats, said the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill has caused a "stomach ache" to the opposition party.
"We have brought the amended Citizenship Act and the Congress got a stomach ache and is fanning violence against it," he said.
The BJP president assured the people of the Northeast that their culture, language, social identity and political rights will be not be affected by the Act.
"I assure the people of Assam and other northeastern states that your culture, social identity, language and political rights will not be touched and the Narendra Modi government will protect them," he said.
Shah said Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and his cabinet ministers met him on Friday to discuss the issue.
"They said there is a problem in Meghalaya. I tried to make them understand that there is no issue. Yet, they asked me to change something (of the Act).
-- PTI
17:49 Oil India Limited appeals to people in Assam to allow it to carry out day-to-day operations
Amid fervent protests in Assam over the Citizenship Amendment Act, PSU major Oil India Limited (OIL) issued an appeal to the people of the state on Saturday to allow it to carry out day-to-day operations, which the firm said have been "severely impacted".
The appeal issued in leading English daily of the state, the Assam Tribune, cautioned that the "total disruption of OIL's operational activities will adversely impact the economy of the State and the lives of the common people".
Besides loss of production of crude oil and natural gas, the stoppage of OIL's operations has badly hit production of LPG and supply of crude oil to refineries and consumers of natural gas like BVFCL, BCPL, NEEPCO, AGCL and APL among others, it said.
Assam has been facing a shortage of fuel supply due to the ongoing protests which have also affected the daily lives of people in Guwahati and several other districts of the state.
On Friday, long queues were seen at the petrol pumps that were functioning, while others remained shut.
"I saw many petrol pumps that were operating today did not have enough fuel to sell. I purchased 1L for my bike, while many others had queued up with bottles to buy fuel," said Tutu Ali, a resident of Hatigaon area here.
The situation may worsen if the fuel stock is not replenished.
"The ongoing agitation in the state has severely impacted day-to-day operations of Oil India Limited," the crude oil major said.
-- PTI
17:37 SC likely to hear CAB pleas on December 18
After a string of violent protests and subsequent disconnection of internet services in several parts of the Northeast including Assam, broadband services resumed in Guwahati on Saturday. However, mobile internet remains suspended.
The petition filed by the Indian Union Muslim League is likely to be heard by the Supreme Court on December 18.
The court may also hear around a dozen petitions related to CAB on the day.
17:09 Janpath Metro station shut due to protests
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation on Saturday closed entry and exit gates at Janpath metro station. "As advised by Delhi Police, entry and exit at Janpath has been closed. Trains will not be halting at this station," the DMRC tweeted.
Violent protests against the new citizenship law spread to more areas in West Bengal as mobs torched buses, set afire railway property and blockaded road and rail disrupting train and vehicular movement.
In Murshidabad district, railway equipment kept at Eastern Railway's Beldanga station, which had also faced mob fury on Friday, was burnt by protestors, who also damaged a fire brigade engine and set it afire.
16:56 Maha CM rejigs some portfolios of NCP's Patil and Bhujbal
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday rearranged some portfolios which were allotted to NCP ministers Jayant Patil and Chhagan Bhujbal on Thursday.
On December 12, Patil was allocated Finance and Planning, Housing, Public Health, Co-operation, Food & Civil Supplies, Labour and Minority Welfare ministries.
Bhujbal was entrusted with Irrigation, Rural Development, Social Justice, Excise, Skill Development, Food and Drug Administration portfolios.
As per new arrangement, the irrigation department was shifted to Patil while Bhujbal got Food, Civil supplies and Consumer Protection and Minority Welfare ministries, a statement from the Chief Minister's Office said.
Thackeray, who heads the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government, had taken oath as chief minister on November 28 alongside six ministers -- two each from the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress.
On December 12, the Sena was allotted crucial portfolios of Home, Industries, Urban Development. The NCP landed Finance and the Congress the Revenue.
-- PTI
16:38 Farooq Abdullah's detention extended by 3 months
The detention of Farooq Abdullah, a three-term chief minister of erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, was extended on Saturday by three months and he would continue to remain at his residence that has been declared a sub-jail, officials said here.
Abdullah, a five-time Parliamentarian, has been under detention since August 5 when the Centre abrogated special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the state.
The stringent Public Safety Act was first slapped against him on September 17, hours before the Supreme Court was to hear a petition by MDMK leader Vaiko who claimed that the NC leader was detained illegally.
The National Conference chairman has been booked under the 'public order' provision of the PSA which allows that a person can be kept inside jail from three to six months without a trial, the officials said.
-- PTI
16:38 Akhilesh Yadav visits Unnao rape victim's house
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav paid a visit to the family of the Unnao victim on Saturday and assured all support to them.
The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister met the deceased's family for 30 long minutes in the afternoon and condemned the incident and also assured all support to the family of the victim, who died on December 6. After meeting with the family, Yadav targeted the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the state and said, " The way in which the crime against our daughter happened is very sad. Crime is at a peak during the BJP government."
After battling for life at New Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital, the Unnao rape victim, who was set ablaze while on her way to a court hearing on the morning of December 5, died at 11:40 pm on December 6.
On Thursday, the 23-year-old was airlifted from Lucknow to New Delhi for treatment. The woman had filed a rape case in March this year, which is under trial at a local court in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao.
-- ANI
15:42 Amid violence in Bengal, Mamata appeals for calm
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday warned of strict action amid violent agitations and vandalism in several places across the state by people protesting against the amended Citizenship Act.
She appealed to people to maintain calm and protest democratically.
"Do not take up law in your hand. Do not put up road blockades and rail blockades and create trouble for the common people on the roads," Banerjee said in a statement released from the chief minister's office.
"Do not cause damage to government properties. Strict action would be taken against those who are found guilty in
creating disturbances," the statement quoted her as saying.
She also reiterated that the amended Citizenship Act and the proposed country-wide NRC will not take effect in the
state.
"It is my request, don't create confusion among people," she said.
Protests over the amended Citizenship Act have reached the shores of West Bengal with agitators resorting to violence and arson at railway stations and thoroughfares across the state, seeking immediate revocation of the law.
The legislation has put the Northeast on boil as people fear that it may exacerbate the problem of illegal immigration, while Muslims across the country apprehend that the move could be a precursor to the country-wide implementation of the National Register of Citizens.
-- PTI
15:21 Asaduddin Owaisi challenges Citizenship Amendment Act in SC
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday moved the Supreme Court against the validity of the Citizenship Amendment Act that was given the final assent by President Ram Nath Kovind earlier this week.
Other than Owaisi, Assam Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia, lawmakers from Assam Abdul Khaleque and Rupjyoti Kurmi have also knocked on the doors of the apex court challenging the legality of the act. Earlier today, Prathapan, who is an MP from Thrissur constituency, sought a direction to apply the provisions of the Act and certain other sections to all the victims of persecution who are in the territory of India.
The act provides citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who faced religious persecution from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan and arrived in India before December 31, 2014.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill became law after receiving the President's assent earlier this week following a debate in the Parliament.
More than a dozen petitions challenging the legality of Act have already been filed in the apex court. The petitioners include Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh, two NGOs, Uttar Pradesh's Peace Party, among others.
-- ANI
15:04 Jamia goes on holiday till Jan 5, cancels exams
The Jamia Millia Islamia on Saturday declared vacation till January 5 and cancelled all exams in view of the tense situation in the university due to students' protest against the amended citizenship act.
"All exams postponed. New dates to be announced in due course of time. Vacation declared from December 16 to January 5. University will reopen on January 6, 2020," a senior university official said.
The university turned into a virtual battlefield on Friday when students and policemen clashed with each other as students tried to march to Parliament in protest against the legislation.
-- PTI
14:41 Congress challenges citizenship act in Supreme Court
Congress leader T N Prathapan on Saturday knocked on the doors of the Supreme Court challenging the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.
The act provides citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who faced religious persecution from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan and arrived in India before December 31, 2014.
Prathapan, who is a lawmaker from Thrissur constituency, sought a direction to apply the provisions of the Act and certain other sections to all the victims of persecution who are in the territory of India.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill became law after receiving the President's assent earlier this week following a debate in the Parliament.
More than a dozen petitions challenging the legality of Act have already been filed in the apex court. The petitioners include Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh, two NGOs, Uttar Pradesh's Peace Party, among others.
-- ANI
14:23 Time has come for struggle to save India: Sonia
Hitting out at the Modi government over issues of unemployment and economic crisis, Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday said that time for "struggle" has come if the country is to be "saved".
"For a long time, the country situation has become serious. It is our responsibility to come out of our homes and do something. A time comes in the life of everyone when you have to choose one among two sides to make a decision. Today the time has come. If we want to save the country then we have to struggle. The country is facing unemployment crisis like people have not seen in past decades," Gandhi said at her party's 'Bharat Bachao' rally.
"When I look at farmers' condition, I feel pain. They are not getting seeds, fertilizers and do not get the right price for their produce. Small businessmen who had taken loans for business are destroyed by the policies of the Modi government. There are news of them committing suicide as they are unable to pay their loans," she said.
Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, former PM Dr Manmohan Singh were amongst party leaders who addressed the rally at Ramlila Maidan.
-- ANI
14:11 Citizenship law divisive, against spirit of Constitution: Kamal Nath
In an indication that he will not implement the new citizenship law in Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Kamal Nath has said the new legislation is "divisive" in nature and "against the spirit of the Constitution".
He also sought to know why Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not hold talks with chief ministers before the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was drafted.
"I am deeply hurt that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the central government did not even call the chief ministers for a talk on such an important issue before drafting the CAB," Nath said in a statement.
"The Congress party has been of the view from the beginning that any move aimed at dividing the Indian culture and society is against the spirit of the Constitution and is unacceptable to it. The Congress party's stand would be our stand in Madhya Pradesh," he added.
Earlier, Congress MLA Arif Masood demanded that the chief minister reject the amended Citizenship Act as well as proposed country-wide National Register of Citizens.
Masood, the MLA from Bhopal Central consituency, told reporters on Thursday night he would resign as legislator if the demand was not fulfilled.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday and by Lok Sabha on Monday. President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to the Bill on Thursday, turning it into an Act.
As per the Act, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014 and facing religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants, but given Indian citizenship.
-- PTI
13:25 'I'm Rahul Gandhi not Rahul Savarkar'
At the mega Congress rally titled 'Bharat Bachao', Congress leaders are attacking the BJP for its "divisive and disruptive" policies.
In a vehement reaction to BJP's demand for apology on "Rape in India" remark, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi says he would not apologise. "My name is Rahul Gandhi not Rahul Savarkar. I stand with the truth." Rahul says it is PM Modi and Home minister of the country who need to apologise to the country.
"It is Narendra Modi and his assistant Amit Shah who have to apologise to the country for destroying India's economy. Today, the GDP growth is at 4%, that too even after the BJP changed the way to measure GDP. If GDP is measured using the previous method, it will be just 2.5%," he added.
12:43 Priyanka mocks 'Modi Hai Toh Mumkin Hai' slogan
Congress leaders led by interim party chief Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh are holding a 'Bharat Bachao' rally at Ramlila grounds to highlight the "divisive and disruptive" policies of the Narendra Modi government. The protest rally comes amid a crippling economic slowdown and raging protests across the Northeast and in West Bengal over the Citizenship Amendment Act.
Stepping up the attack on PM Modi, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said in six years of Modi government, the economy has tanked. "Modi hai to unemployment hai," she said at the rally at Ramlila grounds. "Our economy was developing at a rate that the world turned their attention to us, but in six years of Modi government, our economy has tanked, people are losing jobs, factories are shutting down."
Taking a swipe at PM Modi, Priyanka says that laws are being passed which are unconstitutional, referring to the recent Citizenship Amendment Act which has triggered violent clashes in Northeast and West Bengal.
Evoking her father's memory while talking about Unnao rape victim, who was burnt alive by the rape accused, Priyanka said that she was reminded of her father Rajeev Gandhi's "bloodied body" when she met the victim. "The blood of the farmer's daughter has mixed with the country, much like my father's blood," she says.
12:30 CBI books Leela Samson over irregularities
The CBI has booked ace Bharatnatyam dancer and former Chairperson of Sangeet Natak Akademi Leela Samson for alleged "unfruitful expenditure" of Rs 7.02 crore on the renovation of Koothambalam auditorium of Kalakshetra Foundation, Chennai, officials said Saturday.
Samson, a Padma Shree awardee and also a former chairperson of Central Board of Film Certification, has been booked along with the then officers of the Foundation: Chief Accounts Officer TS Murthi, Accounts Officer S Ramachandran, Engineering officer V Srinivasan and proprietor of CARD and Chennai Engineers, they said.
In a complaint, the Chief Vigilance Officer of the culture ministry has alleged that the contract for the renovation work was awarded by the officials of the Foundation to consultant architect CARD in violation of General Finance Rules, they said.
-- PTI
12:05 Mamata won't be able to stop citizenship act: BJP's Dilip Ghosh
West Bengal will be the first state where the Citizenship Amendment Act will be implemented, the BJP has said, as chief minister Mamata Banerjee went on a collision course with the Centre over the newly-passed legislation.
Mamata Banerjee is one of the five chief ministers who is campaigning against changes in the citizenship law and declared that they may not implement it.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was among the first to declare that his state would not implement the new citizenship law which it considers to be unconstitutional. Punjab and West Bengal soon followed.
On Friday, chief ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Kamal Nath and Bhupesh Baghel also issued similar statements against the law, which will grant Indian citizenship to immigrants of faiths other than Islam from the three neighbouring countries on the ground that they came to India due to religious persecution because they are minorities.
The chief of the Bharatiya Janata Partys Bengal unit, Dilip Ghosh warned Mamata Banerjee that neither she nor her Trinamool Congress party will be able to stop it.
Ghoshs comments came after Banerjee, one of the most vocal opponents of the amended citizenship act, said at a press conference that she will not allow the new law to be implemented in her state under any circumstances.
Banerjee also said the BJP will not be able to bulldoze the states into enacting the new law.
11:46 Curfew relaxed in Shillong from 10 am to 7 pm
The curfew, imposed in parts of the city of Shillong amid violent protests against the amended Citizenship Act, was relaxed on Saturday from 10 am to 7 pm as the law and order situation improved, officials said.
Offices and a few shops have opened in the state capital, said East Khasi Hills district deputy commissioner M W Nongbri.
"The curfew has been relaxed due to the improved law and order situation," Nongbri said.
She said traffic has been normal since morning in the city and there was no report of any untoward incident in the past 12 hours.
The curfew was relaxed on Friday for 12 hours, beginning 10 am.
Meanwhile, the state government has decided to convene a special one-day session of the Meghalaya assembly to bring in a resolution to implement the Inner Line Permit regime.
"We have decided to convene a special session of the state legislative assembly with the sole aim to bring in a resolution to implement the ILP regime," said Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong.
Led by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, a delegation from the state also met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and apprised him of the shortage of essential commodities here following the situation in neighboring Assam.
-- PTI
11:26 AAP ropes in Prashant Kishor for Delhi polls
In the run up to the Delhi assembly elections early next year, Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday announced that Prashant Kishor-led political consultancy firm I-PAC has come on board with the party.
'Happy to share that IndianPAC is coming on-board with us. Welcome aboard!' the chief minister said in a tweet.
The Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) is currently working on the Trinamool Congress' re-election campaign for the 2021 West Bengal assembly polls to aid Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's bid for a third consecutive term. -- PTI
10:44 Road, rail blockade continues in Bengal
Road and rail blockades continued in different parts of West Bengal on Saturday by people protesting against the amended Citizenship Act.
Incidents of violence were reported from Murshidabad and North 24 Paraganas districts, and rural Howrah, police said.
The National Highway 34, one of the arterial roads that connect north and south Bengal, was blocked in Murshidabad.
Several other roads in the district were also blocked, they said.
In Howarh district's Domjur area, the National Highway 6 was blocked as protester set tyers ablazed and ransacked several vehicles, the police said.
Huge police contingent has been rushed to the spot to control the situation, they said.
Train movements were also blocked in the Sealdah- Hasnabad section of the Eastern Railway.
The agitators are staging sit-ins on the tracks at Shondaliya and Kakra Mirzapur stations of the section since 6.25 am, a railway spokesperson said.
Protests over the amended Citizenship Act reached the shores of West Bengal on Friday, with agitators resorting to violence and arson at railway stations and thoroughfares across the state, seeking immediate revocation of the law. -- PTI
09:57 Shutdown in Nagaland against citizenship law
Schools and colleges were closed, markets were shut and vehicles remained largely off roads in parts of Nagaland on Saturday amid a six-hour shutdown call given by the Naga Students' Federation (NSF), protesting against the amended Citizenship Act, officials said.
No untoward incident has been reported so far from the Naga inhabited areas where the shutdown began at 6 am, they said.
The sudden shutdown, announced by the NSF on Friday to express resentment of the Naga population against the law, will continue till 12 pm.
Students appearing examination, medical staff on duty, media personnel, and those having weddings are being allowed on roads by the protestors.
State capital Kohima also wore a deserted look with most of the commercial establishments not opening due to the shutdown.
NSF vice president Dievi Yano condemned the amended Citizenship Act, saying it did not take into account the sentiments of the indigenous people of the Northeast.
"The NSF totally resents the injustice done by the central government and we will never support the amended Citizenship Act, which is the latest weapon of the Centre to divide the Northeastern people on concessional lines," he said.
"The NSF does not believe in classification of illegal immigrants on religious lines as the NSF regards all illegal immigrants as criminals and they must be treated accordingly," he said.
Further, the NSF condemned the three Naga MPs -- Tokheho Yepthomi (Lok Sabha) and K G Kenye (Rajya Sabha) from Nagaland and Lorho S Pfoze (Lok Sabha) from Manipur -- for voting in favour of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.
The NSF said that along with the North East Students Organisation (NESO) it would take all necessary measures to ensure that the law does not take effect in the region.
On Friday, Dimapur Naga Students' Union along with the Joint Committee on Prevention of Illegal Immigrants organised a candlelight vigil in Dimapur which saw hundreds of people taking part. -- PTI
08:51 Shardul replaces Bhuvi for ODI series with WI
All-India Senior Selection Committee has named Shardul Thakur as replacement for the injured Bhuvneshwar Kumar for the upcoming ODI series against West Indies.
The squad for three ODIs is: Virat Kohli (C), Rohit Sharma (VC), Mayank Agarwal, K L Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant (WK), Shivam Dube, Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Deepak Chahar, Mohammed Shami, Shardul Thakur. -- ANI
08:28 Curfew relaxed in Guwahati till 4 pm
JUST IN: Curfew relaxed from 9 am to 4 pm in Guwahati today. -- ANI
08:02 Special trains for those stranded in Guwahati
Special passenger trains are being run to help stranded passengers at Guwahati to reach their destinations in Upper Assam, said Northeast Frontier Railway, Chief Public Relation Officer.
On Thursday, one train was operated to Dimapur and one each to Furkating and Dibrugarh on Friday.
On Thursday, nine trains to and from Dibrugarh in Assam were cancelled and partially cancelled due to agitations against the amended Citizenship Act.
According to a press release, three trains, including the Rajdhani Express travelling from Dibrugarh to New Delhi, were cancelled, while six trains, including the Brahmaputra Mail from Delhi to Dibrugarh, were partially cancelled. -- ANI
01:14 Impeachment vote a desperate charade: WH
The White House on Friday called the impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump a 'desperate charade' by the Democratic leadership in the House of Representatives, as a key House committee approved two articles of impeachment against the president.
The House Judiciary Committee on Friday voted -- 23 to 17 -- on the two articles of impeachment against Trump that charged him with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
It now goes to the House of Representatives for a formal approval where the Democrats enjoy a complete majority.
"This desperate charade of an impeachment inquiry in the House Judiciary Committee has reached its shameful end," White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said in a statement.
"The President looks forward to receiving in the Senate the fair treatment and due process which continues to be disgracefully denied to him by the House," Grisham said soon after the voting on impeachment by the House Judiciary Committee ended.
In the Senate, the ruling Republican party enjoys majority.
Except in the case of some Republcian Senators switching sides, the impeachment proceedings are unlikely to go through the Senate.
If Trump is impeached, he will be only the third such president in American history.
"This committee vote is just another act in the Democrats' political theatre. The baseless, sham impeachment is just out-of-control, partisan politics and the American people are rejecting it," said Brad Parscale, Trump 2020 campaign manager. -- PTI
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