Sudheendra Kulkarni has black paint smeared on him
Days after threatening to hold a "Sena-style protest" against a discussion planned in Mumbai evening around a book written by former Pakistani foreign minister KM Kasuri, party activists on Monday morning smeared black ink over the face of Sudheendra Kulkarni, chairman of the Observer Research Foundation, which is organising the event. The attack occurred despite Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis promising to provide "total security" for the event. The Shiv Sena is a partner in the Maharashtra government along with the BJP. Last week, the Sena forced the cancellation of concerts in Mumbai and Pune by Pakistani singer Ghulam Ali.
1.35 crore voters to decide fate of 49 seats
Voting began at 7am on Monday in the first part of the five-phase Bihar assembly elections. A total of 583 candidates are contesting 49 seats in this phase, with 1.35 crore voters expected to participate. The election will see the Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies try to win the state away from the Maha Gathbandhan or Grand Alliance of the Janata Dal (United), the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress. On paper, the Nitish Kumar-led Grand Alliance looks the favourite, largely because Muslims, Yadavs and Kurmis ‒ the three communities that form their base ‒ together make up a significant 35% of the electorate. The three parties roped in 45% of votes in the state in the 2014 general elections, compared to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance's 38.8%, despite a Narendra Modi wave sweeping the country.
Article 370 is permanent, rules J&K High Court
Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, which grants special autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir, is permanent and cannot be amended or abrogated, the state’s high court ruled on Sunday. In a 60-page judgement, the division bench said that Jammu and Kashmir, while acceding to India, had always retained limited sovereignty. The ruling holds importance as a petition challenging Article 35a, which enshrines this autonomous status, had been challenged. The state assembly’s autumn session was also hit by protests demanding a discussion on Article 35a.
Modi confirms reservations policy will stay
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that his government supports the reservations policy for socially backward groups. Dismissing the allegation that the Bharatiya Janata Party is against reservations, Modi said at a rally in Mumbai that it was a “blatant lie and an attempt to mislead people”. The prime minister also said that the Emergency, imposed in 1975, was the biggest blow to democracy, adding that its memories should be kept alive to draw lessons to further fortify the democratic framework and values in the country.
BJP man among 9 more arrested in Mainpuri
Nine people, including the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Mainpuri unit president Rakesh Chandel, were arrested on Sunday for their alleged role in the riot that took place in the Karhal area on Friday over rumours of cow slaughter. BJP state president Laxmi Kant Bajpai said the party would protest against Chandel’s arrest and claimed the violence was triggered by public anger at “police failure to nab cow slaughterers”. A case has also been filed against Prashant Yadav, brother of Nagar Panchayat chairman Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, but he is yet to be nabbed. As many as 29 people have been arrested so far.
9 writers return awards, 1 quits Sahitya Akademi
Nine writers, including renowned literary critic Ganesh Devy, returned their Sahitya Akademi awards on Sunday in protest against the organisation’s silence on the Dadri lynching and the murder of author and rationalist MM Kalburgi. Kannada author Aravind Malagatti also announced his resignation from the Akademi’s General Council. The latest batch of protests took the number of people who have returned their awards to 15 since Hindi writer Uday Prakash first did so last month.
Days after threatening to hold a "Sena-style protest" against a discussion planned in Mumbai evening around a book written by former Pakistani foreign minister KM Kasuri, party activists on Monday morning smeared black ink over the face of Sudheendra Kulkarni, chairman of the Observer Research Foundation, which is organising the event. The attack occurred despite Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis promising to provide "total security" for the event. The Shiv Sena is a partner in the Maharashtra government along with the BJP. Last week, the Sena forced the cancellation of concerts in Mumbai and Pune by Pakistani singer Ghulam Ali.
1.35 crore voters to decide fate of 49 seats
Voting began at 7am on Monday in the first part of the five-phase Bihar assembly elections. A total of 583 candidates are contesting 49 seats in this phase, with 1.35 crore voters expected to participate. The election will see the Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies try to win the state away from the Maha Gathbandhan or Grand Alliance of the Janata Dal (United), the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress. On paper, the Nitish Kumar-led Grand Alliance looks the favourite, largely because Muslims, Yadavs and Kurmis ‒ the three communities that form their base ‒ together make up a significant 35% of the electorate. The three parties roped in 45% of votes in the state in the 2014 general elections, compared to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance's 38.8%, despite a Narendra Modi wave sweeping the country.
Article 370 is permanent, rules J&K High Court
Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, which grants special autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir, is permanent and cannot be amended or abrogated, the state’s high court ruled on Sunday. In a 60-page judgement, the division bench said that Jammu and Kashmir, while acceding to India, had always retained limited sovereignty. The ruling holds importance as a petition challenging Article 35a, which enshrines this autonomous status, had been challenged. The state assembly’s autumn session was also hit by protests demanding a discussion on Article 35a.
Modi confirms reservations policy will stay
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that his government supports the reservations policy for socially backward groups. Dismissing the allegation that the Bharatiya Janata Party is against reservations, Modi said at a rally in Mumbai that it was a “blatant lie and an attempt to mislead people”. The prime minister also said that the Emergency, imposed in 1975, was the biggest blow to democracy, adding that its memories should be kept alive to draw lessons to further fortify the democratic framework and values in the country.
BJP man among 9 more arrested in Mainpuri
Nine people, including the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Mainpuri unit president Rakesh Chandel, were arrested on Sunday for their alleged role in the riot that took place in the Karhal area on Friday over rumours of cow slaughter. BJP state president Laxmi Kant Bajpai said the party would protest against Chandel’s arrest and claimed the violence was triggered by public anger at “police failure to nab cow slaughterers”. A case has also been filed against Prashant Yadav, brother of Nagar Panchayat chairman Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, but he is yet to be nabbed. As many as 29 people have been arrested so far.
9 writers return awards, 1 quits Sahitya Akademi
Nine writers, including renowned literary critic Ganesh Devy, returned their Sahitya Akademi awards on Sunday in protest against the organisation’s silence on the Dadri lynching and the murder of author and rationalist MM Kalburgi. Kannada author Aravind Malagatti also announced his resignation from the Akademi’s General Council. The latest batch of protests took the number of people who have returned their awards to 15 since Hindi writer Uday Prakash first did so last month.
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