Top news: Delhi, Telangana report first positive coronavirus cases

Maharashtra: BJP-ruled municipal council passes resolution against Citizenship Act, NRC

The Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Selu Municipal Council in Parbhani district of Maharashtra has unanimously passed a resolution against the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens.

Delhi violence: High Court asks police to file compliance report on rehabilitation of victims

The Delhi High Court has directed the police to submit a report on the action taken on the court’s February 26 order to ensure safe evacuation and treatment of those injured after violence broke out in the national Capital last week. In a special midnight hearing, the Delhi High Court had issued the directions to the police to ensure the injured were provided immediate emergency treatment at government hospitals.

Delhi violence: Muslim BJP leader says mob burnt down his, relatives’ homes

A Muslim Bharatiya Janata Party leader has claimed that his home, along with those of a few of his relatives, were burnt down by mobs that indulged in violence in Delhi last week. So far, 46 people have died in the violence that broke out between February 23 and February 26.

2012 Delhi gangrape: Execution of four convicts stayed till further orders

A court in Delhi on Monday stayed the execution of the four convicts in the 2012 Delhi gangrape and murder case, ANI reported. Akshay Thakur, Vinay Sharma, Mukesh Singh and Pawan Gupta were scheduled to be hanged at Tihar Jail in Delhi on Tuesday at 6 am.

NRC will not affect Bangladesh, entirely internal process, India’s foreign secretary tells Dhaka

India on Monday assured Bangladesh that the proposed National Register of Citizens exercise – to identify undocumented migrants – will not affect Bangladesh as it was a process that was entirely “internal”, reported PTI. The remarks came a day after a delegation from Bangladesh cancelled their India tour, which was scheduled to begin on Monday.

Omar Abdullah under PSA: SC to hear plea challenging his detention on Thursday

A Supreme Court bench on Monday agreed to hear on March 5 a plea of National Conference leader Omar Abdullah’s sister, Sarah Abdullah Pilot, challenging his detention under the Public Safety Act, reported Live Law. “Yes, it is a matter of personal liberty,” said Justice Arun Mishra as he acknowledged the need for an urgent hearing.

Delhi violence: Kejriwal announces Rs 1-crore compensation for IB official’s family

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday declared that the family of Intelligence Bureau official Ankit Sharma, who was killed in the communal violence in North East Delhi last week, will receive compensation of Rs 1 crore. At least 46 people have died so far and over 200 injured in the clashes, which broke out between supporters of the Citizenship Amendment Act and those opposing it.

Coronavirus: First cases confirmed in Delhi and Telangana

Two people have tested positive for the coronavirus in India – one in Telangana and another in New Delhi – the Ministry of Health confirmed on Monday. Three positive cases reported from Kerala earlier were discharged by February 21.

2012 Delhi gangrape: Patiala court refuses to stay execution of convicts

The Patiala court on Monday dismissed an application to stay the execution of the convicts in the 2012 Delhi gangrape and murder case. Akshay Thakur, Vinay Sharma, Mukesh Singh and Pawan Gupta are scheduled to be hanged at Tihar Jail in Delhi on Tuesday at 6 am.

Mamata Banerjee calls Delhi violence ‘genocide’, says won’t tolerate ‘goli maaro’ slogan in Kolkata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday used the word “genocide” to describe last week’s communal violence in Delhi. She reminded Union Home Minister Amit Shah that it was because of the Citizenship Amendment Act that so many citizens had been killed.

Jammu: Historic City Square is renamed ‘Bharat Mata Chowk’ by BJP-led municipal corporation

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led Jammu Municipal Corporation on Sunday decided to rename the City Square in Jammu the “Bharat Mata Chowk”. The corporation passed a resolution to change the name of the city’s commercial hub.

Bangladesh delegation cancels India tour amid ongoing turmoil over CAA

The Bangladesh Parliament Speaker cancelled her tour to India on Sunday, just a day before her visit. “Speaker Dr Shirin [Sharmin Chaudhury] was scheduled to lead an 18-member delegation to India following an invitation from Lok Sabha, but the tour has been cancelled,” Noor-e-Alam Chowdhury Liton, the chief whip of Parliament.

Delhi violence: Rajinikanth says he is willing to ‘play any role’ to preserve peace in the country

Actor-turned-politician Rajinikanth said on Sunday that he was willing to play any role to preserve peace in the country. He made the remark after meeting members of a Muslim outfit at his residence in Chennai.

Assam: Seven teenagers allegedly rape, kill 12-year-old girl, hang her from a tree

Seven underage boys allegedly raped a 12-year-old girl in Assam’s Biswanath district on Friday, killed her and hung her from a tree. A senior police officer said that the suspects were on the run, but were arrested.

Kolkata: Three BJP workers held for shouting ‘goli maaro’ slogan on their way to Amit Shah rally

The Kolkata Police on Sunday arrested three workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s legal cell for shouting a Hindi slogan that calls for the “bloody traitors” to be shot, News18 reported. The workers were on their way to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s rally in the city on Sunday afternoon.

Delhi violence: Supreme Court agrees to hear plea for hate speech FIRs on Wednesday

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear on Wednesday a petition seeking cases against politicians who allegedly indulged in hate speech before last week’s violent clashes in North East Delhi, PTI reported. The Delhi High Court had on Thursday deferred a similar matter by four weeks.

Passengers can soon access internet via Wi-Fi on domestic flights as government amends rules

The Aviation Ministry has allowed flyers to access internet through Wi-Fi on aircraft, PTI reported on Monday. However, the devices ought to be on airplane mode. Currently, the facility is only available for defence personnel.

2012 Delhi gangrape: Convict Pawan Gupta’s curative petition against death sentence dismissed by SC

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the curative petition of one of the four death-row convicts in the 2012 Delhi gangrape and murder case, reported Bar and Bench. Pawan Gupta in his petition had sought commutation of his death penalty to life imprisonment.

Gupta had filed the curative petition on February 28. He, along with the other convicts – Akshay Thakur, Vinay Sharma and Mukesh Singh – are scheduled to be hanged at Tihar Jail in Delhi on March 3.

Budget Session: Opposition parties submit adjournment notices in Lok Sabha over Delhi violence

The second phase of the Budget Session of Parliament will start on Monday. The Opposition is likely to target the government over the violence in North East Delhi that claimed 45 lives and left over 200 injured.

The Congress has given an adjournment notice in the Lok Sabha over the matter. Last week, the party had written to President Ram Nath Kovind, seeking Home Minister Amit Shah’s resignation.

Article 370: Supreme Court refuses to refer pleas challenging J&K decision to larger bench

A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court on Monday declined to ask a larger bench to hear a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Centre’s decision to scrap the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, Live Law reported. The bench headed by Justice NV Ramana had reserved its order on January 23.

Maharashtra: Now, Ajit Pawar of NCP says CAA, NPR won’t take away citizenship, no resolution needed

Nationalist Congress Party leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday said that the Citizenship Amendment Act, the National Register of Citizens and the National Population Register will not take away anyone’s citizenship, PTI reported on Monday.

Parliament session resumes, Opposition likely to demand Amit Shah’s resignation over Delhi violence

The Congress is likely to submit an adjournment motion in Parliament on Monday over last week’s violence in North East Delhi, and demand the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, PTI reported. At least 45 people have died and over 200 injured in clashes between supporters and opponents of the Citizenship Amendment Act in the district.

Delhi: Two detained for allegedly spreading rumours about clashes, say police

The Delhi Police said that two people had been apprehended in connection with spreading of rumours about a tense atmosphere in parts of the city on Sunday evening, ANI reported. The police, in a series of tweets, asked people not to believe in rumours circulating on social media about clashes in West and South East Delhi districts.

Delhi violence: Toll rises to 45 as police recover 3 more bodies from drains

The Delhi Police on Sunday confirmed that three more unidentified bodies were recovered from drains in the northeastern part of the Capital, taking the total number of deaths in the violence to 45, PTI reported. No untoward incident has been reported from the northeast district over the past three days. “The situation is under control now,” a senior police official told the news agency.

Kottiyur case: Pope Francis expels Kerala priest convicted of raping minor

Head of Catholic Church Pope Francis on Sunday expelled a priest from Kannur in Kerala convicted of raping and impregnating a minor girl, PTI reported. Robin Vadakkumchery was sentenced to 20 years in prison in February last year in three different cases of rape and abuse of minor girls.

Meghalaya: Toll in clashes rises to three, police urge citizens to exercise restraint

The toll in Meghalaya due to violent clashes over the inner line permit and amended citizenship law rose to three on Sunday, PTI reported. The third victim has been identified as 37-year-old Uphas Uddin of Pyrkhan village.

‘You are lying’: Anurag Thakur says media wrongly accusing him of saying ‘shoot the bloody traitors’

Union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Anurag Thakur on Sunday accused the media of lying by claiming that he exhorted a crowd at a rally to shout “shoot the bloody traitors” slogan, and said they should be better informed. Thakur was responding to a query about his inflammatory remarks, and the role it played in inciting violence in North East Delhi at a press conference in Chandigarh.