Top news: Opposition admonishes Army chief Bipin Rawat for comments on CAA protests

Pune: Two Indian soldiers die during training exercise, say reports

Two Indian Army soldiers died and at least four were injured on Thursday in an accident during a bridge construction exercise at the College of Military Engineering in Maharashtra’s Pune city, PTI reported. The injured have been admitted to a hospital.

Opposition castigates Army chief for criticising CAA protestors, reminds him of his office’s limits

Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat’s criticism of people leading protests against the Citizenship Amendment did not go down well with Opposition parties on Thursday, PTI reported. The demonstrations saw some violence in parts of the country, especially Uttar Pradesh and Assam, with the police being accused of using excessive force.

German student expelled for protesting against CAA says political freedom needs support of millions

A German exchange student at Indian Institute of Technology-Madras sent back to his country for participating in protests against the Citizenship Act on Wednesday said the demonstration show that political freedom and rule of law need the support of millions of people. Jakob Lindenthal thanked his supporters and well-wishers for “all the huge solidarity...legal advice and shelter”.

Citizenship Act: After Rampur, seven UP districts start recovering damages from suspected protestors

Two days after it came to light that Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur district administration has asked 28 people to explain why they should not pay for damage worth Rs 14.86 lakh caused during anti-Citizenship Act protests, Hindustan Times reported that such notices had also been sent to people in six other districts.

CAA protests: NHRC sends notice to Uttar Pradesh police chief over alleged violation of human rights

The National Human Rights Commission on Thursday issued a notice to Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Om Prakash Singh, asking him to submit a report within four weeks on the alleged violation of human rights by security forces in the state, in the wake of protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. The commission issued the notice based on a complaint filed in the matter.

Former BJP MP Savitri Bai Phule resigns from Congress, says her voice is not being heard

Former Bharatiya Janata Party MP Savitri Bai Phule, who had joined Congress before the Lok Sabha elections, quit the party on Thursday saying that her voice was not being heard. The politician, who had joined the Congress in March, said she will form her own party.

‘Coward government’: Kanhaiya Kumar attacks Centre for arresting Akhil Gogoi, Chandrashekhar Azad

Former Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union President Kanhaiya Kumar on Thursday lashed out at the Centre over the arrests of prominent activists who organised protests against the amendments to the Citizenship Act. In a tweet, the Communist Party of India leader described the government as a “coward and liar”.

National Population Register of 2010 was based on residency, not citizenship, says P Chidambaram

Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday said that the United Progressive Alliance introduced the National Population Register in 2010 with an emphasis on “residency” and not “citizenship”. He was responding to a purported video by the Bharatiya Janata Party which showed the former Congress-led government launching the National Population Register.

Citizenship Act protests: Toll rises to 18 in UP as Firozabad businessman succumbs to bullet injury

A 30-year-old businessman from Firozabad district in Uttar Pradesh died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi on Thursday, taking the toll in protests against the Citizenship Act to 18 people from the state. With this, the overall toll across India rose to 25.

Delhi, other parts of North India continue to experience cold spell, severe cold likely for 5 days

Delhi and many other parts of North India continued to reel under a cold spell on Thursday, with a forecast of cold or severe cold day conditions for the next five days in many states.

Delhi protests: Congress, ‘tukde-tukde gang’ responsible, must be taught a lesson, claims Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday blamed the Congress for the protests against the amendments to the Citizenship Act. He also claimed that it was time for the people of Delhi to punish the Congress, in apparent reference to the upcoming Assembly elections in Delhi. The Election Commission might announce dates later today.

CAA: Mamata Banerjee accuses BJP of not keeping promises after Karnataka CM withdraws compensation

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of not keeping its promises, PTI reported. She was referring to Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa’s decision to withdraw Rs 10 lakh compensation announced for families of two victims killed in police firing in Mangaluru during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Citizenship Act has potential to deepen geopolitical divides, South Asian citizens warn India

Fourteen South Asian citizens on Thursday criticised the amendments to India’s Citizenship Act, saying it has the potential to “deepen geopolitical divides” in the region at a time when countries should strive for peace and mutual understanding.

Mukherjee Nagar coaching centres, PGs claim Delhi Police met them and told them to shut down

The owners of coaching centres and paying guest rooms in North Delhi’s Mukherjee Nagar area have claimed that Delhi Police personnel met them and asked them to remain shut from December 24 to January 2, The Indian Express reported on Thursday. This came despite the police’s denial of issuing such an order.

CAA protests: Army chief Bipin Rawat says true leader never leads crowd in ‘inappropriate direction’

Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Thursday said a true leader never leads the crowd in an “inappropriate direction” even as protests against the amended citizenship law continue. Commenting on the violence during anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests across the country, Rawat said, “This is not leadership.” “As we are witnessing in large number of universities and colleges, students the way they are leading masses and crowds to carry out arson and violence in cities and towns. This is not leadership.”

CAA protests: Muzaffarnagar’s Muslim families accuse police of looting cash, vandalising houses

A septuagenarian timber trader in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar town has accused policemen of vandalising his house, looting cash and jewellery at gunpoint and assaulting him and his family members, The Telegraph reported on Thursday. The alleged incident took place on Friday at 11 pm, hours after Haji Hamid Hasan and his son took part in a protest against the amended citizenship law.

NSUI workers shout ‘terrorist go back’ to Pragya Thakur in Bhopal, BJP MP to take legal action

Workers of the National Students’ Union of India, the student wing of the Congress, on Wednesday shouted “terrorist go back” to Bharatiya Janata Party MP Pragya Singh Thakur. Thakur went to meet students of Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication in Bhopal when the incident took place.

Akhil Gogoi’s home and Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti office in Guwahati raided by NIA

The National Investigation Agency on Thursday conducted searches at the home of Assam peasant leader and Right to Information activist Akhil Gogoi. He was arrested by the agency earlier this month for his alleged role in the recent protests in Assam against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Tamil Nadu: 3,000 Dalits to convert to Islam over alleged injustice after Coimbatore wall collapse

Around 3,000 Dalits in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore, who are part of the Tamil Puligal outfit, have said that they will convert to Islam in multiple phases from January 5. The decision to convert was taken at a meeting the outfit held in Mettupalayam on Sunday and the reason cited was the alleged injustice meted out to the Dalit residents of Nadur village where on December 2, 17 people were killed in a wall collapse incident.

Ahmedabad: Students of Nirma University made to give undertaking to not participate in CAA protests

A private university in Ahmedabad has sought an undertaking from students that they will refrain from participating in protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. Nirma University’s Institute of Law also advised parents to “counsel” their children.

Bengal BJP chief backtracks on NRC in state, says ‘what will happen is matter of future’

Bharatiya Janata Party’s West Bengal unit president Dilip Ghosh on Wednesday backtracked on implementing the National Register of Citizens in the state. “When would it take place and what would happen is a matter of future,” he told The Hindu.

Assam government warns employees against taking part in ‘political activities’ on social media

The Assam government has warned its employees of disciplinary action against those “indulging and participating in political activities” on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and Instagram, The Telegraph reported.

This came amid nationwide protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act.Five people have died in Assam, which was the initial epicentre of the protests, when the police opened fire on protestors on December 17.

Citizenship Act: College teacher suspended, student expelled in Lucknow for protests

A post-graduate college teacher in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow was suspended for allegedly mobilising people to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act on campus, Hindustan Times reported on Thursday. This came after a student was expelled for calling for protests in another Lucknow university.

Citizenship Act protests: UP Police release reward posters, videos of suspects involved in violence

The Uttar Pradesh Police have put out a series of reward posters and videos to identify those allegedly involved in the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act last week, NDTV reported on Wednesday.

At least 17 people were killed in Uttar Pradesh, and 24 in the country, over the past two weeks during clashes between police and anti-Citizenship Act protestors. A media report said on Wednesday that the police in Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnor had detained at least five minors last week, and tortured them for 48 hours.

West Bengal minister says Bangladesh has denied him visa

West Bengal minister Siddiqullah Chowdhury on Wednesday said that the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission has denied him a visa to visit the country, The Indian Express reported. Chowdhury, who is also West Bengal president of the Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind outfit, was scheduled to visit Bangladesh from December 26 to December 31.

“Now, I have learnt the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission has denied me a visa,” Chowdhury said. “It is very unfortunate as both countries share a good relation. I will take up this matter with the chief minister [Mamata Banerjee].”

Arundhati Roy asks Indians to oppose NPR and NRC by providing false names and addresses

Author Arundhati Roy on Wednesday said that the National Population Register will serve as a database for the National Register of Citizens, and asked citizens to oppose the first by furnishing wrong names and addresses, PTI reported. Roy, at a protest gathering at Delhi University, also alleged that the National Register of Citizens is against Indian Muslims.

Citizenship Act protests: People who destroyed public property must ‘introspect’, says Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday condemned the violence in Uttar Pradesh during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, saying that those who destroyed public property and were involved in violence should “introspect” about whether what they did was right.

“I want to ask people who resorted to violence in Uttar Pradesh to sit at home and ask themselves whether what they did is good or not,” Modi said at the foundation laying ceremony of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical University in Lucknow, NDTV reported. “They destroyed buses and public property that belongs to their children.”