Top news: SC questions children’s presence at Shaheen Bagh protests

Two CRPF personnel killed in gunfight with Maoists in Chhattisgarh, two injured, say reports

Two personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force were killed and two injured in a gunfight with suspected Maoists in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh on Monday morning, PTI reported, quoting officials. A Maoist was also killed.

IndiGo captain gets three-month suspension for threatening wheelchair-bound woman on flight

An IndiGo captain was on Monday handed a three-month suspension by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation for threatening a woman and her wheelchair-bound elderly mother on a flight on January 13, PTI reported. The airline had removed the pilot from its roster after the incident.

‘Please bring us back home safely’: Indian chef appeals to Modi from cruise ship isolated off Japan

An Indian crew member aboard cruise ship Diamond Princess, which has been quarantined off Japan since February 5 because of fears of novel coronavirus infection, on Monday appealed to the Indian government and the United Nations to rescue them and bring them back to the country.

J&K journalists being intimidated, questioned on flimsy grounds, says Kashmir Press Club

The Kashmir Press Club on Monday raised concerns over the inability of journalists in the region to operate freely due to alleged obstruction by authorities. The organisation took note of the alleged physical attacks, threats and summons towards journalists during a meeting.

Shaheen Bagh infant death: ‘Was a four-month-old there to protest?’ asks an incensed Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Monday took suo motu cognisance of the death of an infant at Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh – the epicentre of nationwide protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, and the proposed National Register of Citizens – and issued notices to the Centre and the Delhi government.

Surveil campuses, monitor their WhatsApp groups, police officials told after DGP conference: Report

Top police officials in states across the country received directions to keep an eye on universities where students may take part in “activities threatening” India’s integrity, and to infiltrate their WhatsApp groups after a meeting of high-ranking police authorities in December, The Indian Express reported. The event was a yearly conference of directors and inspectors general of police, and was addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Outsiders behind Gargi College episode, says HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal amid students’ protest

Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal on Monday said outsiders were behind the alleged sexual assault during last week’s annual cultural fest at the all-women Gargi College in New Delhi. Several students of the college claimed a number of drunk men, gathered on the campus, had sexually assaulted them while security personnel did not do anything.

Rahul Gandhi claims it is ‘in the DNA’ of BJP and RSS to try to get rid of reservations

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claimed on Monday that it was in the ‘DNA’ of the Bharatiya Janata Party and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, to try to get rid of reservations, PTI reported. Gandhi also said the Congress will not allow the BJP to do away with reservations.

I’m glad India was partitioned, says Congress leader Natwar Singh

Congress leader K Natwar Singh said on Sunday that he was glad that India was partitioned at the time of Independence, because the Muslim League would not have allowed an undivided India to function properly, PTI reported.

Parliament: Ruckus over SC order on reservation, social welfare minister to make statement soon

Opposition lawmakers created a ruckus in Lok Sabha on Monday over the Supreme Court’s order on reservation in job promotions. On Friday, the court said it cannot force states to provide reservation unless the data showed an imbalance in representation for certain groups in government service. The Constitution does not confer any fundamental right to claim reservation in the matter of promotions in public posts, the court said in its ruling.

Tamil Nadu: Cauvery delta to be declared a protected agriculture zone, says CM Palaniswami

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Sunday announced that the Cauvery delta region will be a protected agriculture zone and said eight districts will be roped into the process, The Hindu reported. The chief minister also said that his administration would never permit hydrocarbon projects in the delta region.

Citizenship Act: Raj Thackeray threatens protestors with retaliation through stones and swords

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray issued a warning to anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protestors on Sunday as he held a rally in support of the contentious law, reported NDTV. He threatened those opposing the citizenship law and the proposed National Register of Citizens with retaliation through stones and swords.

Shaheen Bagh protests: ‘How can you block a public road for so long,’ asks Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Monday observed that the protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens has been going on for a long time, and wondered how the demonstrators could block a public road.

Maharashtra: Teacher set on fire by stalker dies after a week in hospital

A 24-year-old teacher from Wardha district in Maharashtra, who was set on fire by a stalker, died on Monday morning at a hospital.

Hyderabad: Police detain journalist covering anti-CAA protest, claim he was the ‘brainchild’

The Hyderabad Police on Saturday night detained Mubashir Khurram, a journalist working with The Siasat Daily, for over 12 hours before releasing him on Sunday afternoon. Khurram was covering a flash protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens in the city when he was arrested. The flash protest took place in Mallepally near Rayan Hotel.

Omar Abdullah’s detention under PSA challenged by his sister in Supreme Court

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s sister on Monday moved the Supreme Court against his detention under the Public Safety Act. Abdullah, along with former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and a few other Kashmiri politicians, has been charged under the Act since February 6.

Sabarimala case: SC says questions of law can be referred to a larger bench even in review pleas

A nine-judge Supreme Court bench on Monday ruled that questions of law can be referred to a larger bench even in a review petition, Live Law reported. On February 6, the nine-judge bench had reserved its order on the preliminary question whether a reference is possible in a review petition. It said that it would pronounce its ruling on Monday, and examine the case on a daily basis from Wednesday.

Supreme Court upholds constitutional validity of amendments to SC/ST Act

The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the constitutional validity of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2018, that ruled out any provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

‘Is questioning government’s policies sedition?’ Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter rebuts PSA charges

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter on Sunday came up with a “point by point rebuttal” of the reasons cited by the authorities to invoke the Public Safety Act against her mother. Mufti, along with her party colleague Sartaj Madni, and National Conference leaders Omar Abdullah and Ali Muhammad Sagar, was charged under the Act on February 6. The law allows detention without a trial for three to six months.

Jharkhand: Mahatma Gandhi’s statue found damaged in Hazaribagh

An eight-foot tall statue of Mahatma Gandhi was found desecrated in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh district on Sunday morning, reported PTI. “The statue at Kumhartoli locality has been damaged [on] the night of February 8,” said Hazaribagh Deputy Commissioner Bhuvanesh Pratap Singh. “A new statue will be erected there soon.”

There’s no recession as people are wearing coats instead of kurta and dhoti, claims BJP MP

Bharatiya Janata Party MP Virendra Singh Mast on Sunday claimed that there was no recession in the country as people were buying jackets and coats, ANI reported. “There have been discussions in Delhi and the world, about a recession,” Mast said at a rally in Ballia, his constituency in Uttar Pradesh. “If there was any recession, we would have come here wearing ‘kurta’ and ‘dhoti’, not coats and jackets. If there was a recession we wouldn’t have bought clothes, pants and pajamas.”

Delhi: Several women at all-women’s college allege sexual assault by drunken men at annual fest

Students from the all-women Gargi College in New Delhi have alleged that a group of men barged into the campus during the annual cultural fest last week and sexually assaulted them while the police looked on, NDTV reported on Sunday. During the college festival “Reverie”, around 6:30 pm on Thursday, many unruly, drunk men allegedly mobbed the entrances of the college in South Delhi and forced their way in.

Coronavirus: Toll rises to 908 in China as 97 more deaths reported

The toll in the novel coronavirus outbreak in China rose to 908 on Sunday, and 910 worldwide, The South China Morning Post reported on Monday. Ninety-seven new deaths were reported from China on Sunday. The number of infections reached 40,171. Of these, almost 6,500 are severe cases, the country’s National Health Commission said.

Kashmir: Civilian shot dead by suspected militants in Pulwama

A 55-year-old man was killed by suspected militants in Tral area of Pulwama district in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, PTI reported. The police identified the civilian as contractor Ghulam Nabi Mir. He was shot dead outside his house in Tral. Though he was immediately taken to the hospital, doctors declared him dead on arrival.