Delhi Police used water cannons on protestors near Delhi Gate during protests against the Citizenship Act. A car was also set on fire, while reports of police violence against the crowd did the rounds on social media. Five people have died across Uttar Pradesh during the protests today.
Voting for the fifth of Jharkhand Assembly elections began on Friday morning. Over 40 lakh people from 16 constituencies were eligible to cast their votes in the final phase. Polling will continue from 7 am to 5 pm in 11 constituencies while five seats – Borio, Barhait, Litipara, Maheshpur and Sikaripara – will vote till 3 pm.
Citizenship Act protests: Five people dead in Uttar Pradesh
Violent protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act spread to eight more districts of Uttar Pradesh on Friday, a day after a protestor in Lucknow succumbed to injuries from a firearm. Five more people died on Friday, ANI reported.
Delhi: These are the metro stations closed amid massive protests against Citizenship Act
The Delhi Metro on Friday closed 16 stations after a massive crowd gathered in and around the Jama Masjid to protest against the amended citizenship law. Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad led the demonstrations at Jama Masjid and was detained before he managed to escape.
Tremors felt in Delhi-NCR after earthquake in Afghanistan
Tremors were felt in parts of northern India including Delhi and the National Capital Region on Friday evening following an earthquake in the Hindukush region of Afghanistan, and in Pakistan.
Citizenship Act protests: Violence spreads in Uttar Pradesh, police van torched in Bulandshahr
Violent protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act spread to eight more districts of Uttar Pradesh on Friday, a day after a protestor in Lucknow succumbed to injuries from a firearm, ANI reported.
West Bengal: Suspected BJP worker and aides arrested for wearing skullcaps, pelting stones at train
The police in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district have arrested a young man in Radhamadhabtala village, known locally as a Bharatiya Janata Party worker, and five of his associates for wearing skullcaps and throwing stones at a Sealdah-bound trial engine travelling on the Sealdah-Lalgola line, The Telegraph reported on Friday.
Anand Mahindra to step down as Mahindra & Mahindra’s executive chairperson
Indian multinational car manufacturer Mahindra & Mahindra on Friday announced that its Executive Chairperson Anand Mahindra would step down on April 1, 2020.
Citizenship Act: Detained Kerala journalists in Mangaluru been released, say police
The Mangaluru Police on Friday said they have released the journalists from Malayalam news outlets who were detained earlier in the day, ANI reported. “Six or seven Kerala journalists were detained today in the morning,” they said.
Nizam of Hyderabad case: UK court orders Pakistan to pay India and two princes millions of pounds
The High Court of England and Wales on Thursday ordered Pakistan to pay India and two princes 65% of their legal costs in connection with a case pertaining to its claim to £1 million (now valued around £35 million or Rs 324 crore) that the seventh Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan, sent to a London bank in 1948. The legal costs for Pakistan, whose case the court had rejected in October, run into millions of pounds, Hindustan Times reported.
Unnao rape case: MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar sentenced to life imprisonment
A court in Delhi on Friday sentenced former Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar to life imprisonment for raping a minor in 2017, ANI reported. The court also ordered him to pay Rs 25-lakh compensation to the complainant.
Jamia violence: After cries of ‘shame’ in court, Delhi High Court says panel will probe incident
The Delhi High Court on Friday said it would refer to a committee the matter of chants of “Shame! Shame!” erupting in Chief Justice DN Patel’s court the day before after a hearing on the recent violence at Jamia Millia Islamia University, Bar and Bench reported.
Citizenship Act protests: Actor Siddharth, musician TM Krishna among around 600 booked in Chennai
Around 600 people were booked by the Chennai Police for protesting against the amendments to the Citizenship Act on Thursday, ANI reported. Actor Siddharth, musician TM Krishna, Lok Sabha MP Thol Thirumavalavan and former MLA MH Jawahirullah were among those booked.
Citizenship Act: Indian diaspora organises protests at several universities in US, UK, France
Protests against the new citizenship law reached overseas this week as the Indian diaspora, including students and teachers, organised demonstrations across major universities in various countries. Protests were organised between Tuesday and Thursday in London, New York, Paris, Washington DC, Berlin, Geneva, The Hague, Barcelona, San Francisco, Tokyo, Amsterdam and Melbourne, a students’ group said.
J&K curbs: Jaishankar doesn’t meet US lawmakers’ group with India critic on it, says not interested
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday criticised a resolution introduced in the United States House of Representatives against India’s actions in Kashmir, and said he was “not interested” in meeting the Congresswoman who had introduced it, PTI reported.
CAA protests: Lucknow lawyer Mohammad Shoaib detained by police at unknown location, say colleagues
The Lucknow Police detained senior lawyer and president of human rights group Rihai Manch, Mohammad Shoaib, on Thursday night, a day after he was put under house arrest. The 76-year-old advocate was put under house arrest on Wednesday, ahead of a scheduled demonstration against the amendments to the Citizenship Act in Lucknow’s Parivartan Chowk.
Citizenship Act: Dakshina Kannada has no mobile internet for 48 hours after violence in Mangaluru
The Home Department of Karnataka on Thursday night suspended mobile internet services in Dakshina Kannada district, including Mangaluru city commissionerate, for 48 hours, in the wake of violent protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, The News Minute reported. Additional Chief Secretary to the Home Department Rajneesh Goel said that internet services were being banned on Friday and Saturday due to the “possibility of fake news spreading” in Mangaluru.
Citizenship Act, NRC will affect poor people the most, says JD(U) leader Prashant Kishor
Janata Dal (United) leader and political strategist Prashant Kishor told NDTV on Thursday that though the intent of the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens may be good, it will the poor who will suffer the most when these laws are implemented. The Janata Dal (United) is an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party, and the party had voted in favour of the Citizenship Amendment Bill in both House of Parliament.
Kishor said that most poor Indians will not have the documents to prove their citizenship. “It will be a huge logistical nightmare,” he added. “This will result in loss of wages, harassment, bribery.”
Citizenship Act protests: Internet services restored in Assam but suspended in UP, Karnataka
Mobile internet services were restored across Assam on Friday morning, several days after it was snapped due to the ongoing protests against the amendments to the CItizenship Act. The Gauhati High Court had on Thursday directed that they be restored by 5 pm that day itself.
Meanwhile, internet services were snapped in parts of Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka as the state governments tried to bring the law and order situation under control. At least two people died in Mangaluru in Karnataka, and one in Lucknow on Thursday as the police and protestors clashed. However, Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police OP Singh claimed it was unlikely that the person who died in Lucknow died due to a bullet injury.
CAA protests: UP will take revenge against those who vandalised public property, says Adityanath
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath on Thursday vowed to “take revenge” against people who had damaged public property during the protests against the amendments to the Citizenship Act.
“There is no place for violence in a democracy,” said Adityanath, according to PTI. “In the name of opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act, the Congress, SP [Samajwadi Party] and Left parties have pushed the entire country into fire. There was violence in Lucknow and Sambhal and we will deal with it strictly. All property of those involved in damaging public assets will be seized and auctioned to compensate for the losses.”
Citizenship Act protests: BJP MLAs meet Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal, urge him to allay fears
A group of Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs called on Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday to allay the fears and concerns of protestors. This came on a day massive demonstrations were held across the country against the Citizenship Amendment Act.
“We urged him to take steps for the protection of the land, language and culture of the Assamese,” the MLA from Sootea in Assam, Padma Hazarika, told journalists after the group of about 12 leaders met Sonowal, The New Indian Express reported. “The CAA is now sub-judice. We said whatever order the Supreme Court passes, we will welcome it. The Assamese people are worried due to propaganda on the CAA.”
Jharkhand Assembly elections: Voting underway for the final phase of polls
Voting for the fifth of Jharkhand Assembly elections began on Friday morning. Over 40 lakh people from 16 constituencies will cast their votes in the final phase.
Polling will continue from 7 am to 5 pm in 11 constituencies while five seats – Borio, Barhait, Litipara, Maheshpur and Sikaripara – will vote till 3 pm.
Citizenship Act protests: At least three dead, thousands detained as demonstrations engulf country
Demonstrations were held across India on Thursday against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act, with police and protestors clashing in multiple places. At least two deaths were reported from Mangaluru in Karnataka, and one from Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh.
However, Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police OP Singh claimed it was unlikely that the person who died in Lucknow died due to a bullet injury.
As India erupts in rage over Citizenship Act, PM Modi and key ministers maintain silence
Prime Minister Narendra Modi maintained silence on Thursday’s nationwide demonstrations against the Citizenship Amendment Act, which culminated in three deaths and the detention of thousands of protestors across multiple Indian cities.
As protests raged in the country, Modi met Portugal Prime Minister Antonio Costa and held talks on deepening bilateral cooperation. He also attended the meeting of the National Committee for Commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.