Maharashtra: Uddhav Thackeray says won’t block NPR implementation, exercise is similar to Census

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday said he will not block the implementation of the National Population Register in the state as there was nothing controversial about it, PTI reported. He said he will “personally check the columns” in the exercise.

Assam: Bodo peace accord signatories seek inclusion in Bodoland Territorial Council before elections

Signatories of the Bodo peace agreement have called for inclusion of all stakeholders in the Bodo Territorial Council administration to ensure long lasting peace in the region. On January 27, nine Bodo groups signed an agreement with the Centre and the Assam government in New Delhi.

‘High Courts should reform first’: Attorney general on delay in appointing judges, blames collegium

The Centre on Monday said the Supreme Court was equally responsible for the delay in the appointment of judges, adding that the government takes 127 days on an average to clear a recommendation and the court’s collegium takes 119 days on an average merely to forward the file to the government.

INX Media case: CBI told to give documents filed with chargesheet to the Chidambarams

A Delhi court on Tuesday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to hand over to P Chidambaram and his son Karti Chidambaram certain documents filed along with the chargesheet in the INX Media corruption case. Special Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar issued the order during a hearing in the case.

Bhima Koregaon violence: Uddhav Thackeray says state government will investigate case

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday said that the state government will investigate the Bhima Koregaon case, days after it handed over the matter to the National Investigation Agency based on a directive from the Centre.

‘This will seal my fate,’ says Devendra Fadnavis as SC reserves order in poll affidavit case

The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved its verdict on former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ plea seeking a review of its 2019 judgement that asked him to face trial for allegedly concealing information in his 2014 election affidavit about two criminal cases. The two cases of alleged cheating and forgery were filed against Fadnavis in 1996 and 1998.

‘Can Ram temple be built on Muslim graves?’ 9 Ayodhya residents ask trustees to spare ‘graveyard’

A Supreme Court lawyer has written to the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which will oversee the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, asking that five acres of land around the demolished Babri Masjid be spared as it has a graveyard, PTI reported on Tuesday. However, the district administration in Ayodhya town refuted this and said that there is no graveyard within the 67-acre area of Ram Janmabhoomi.

Jamia violence: Delhi Police files chargesheet, names JNU student Sharjeel Imam as ‘instigator’

The Delhi Police on Tuesday said they filed a chargesheet in connection with the December 15 violence at Jamia Millia Islamia University and named Jawaharlal Nehru University student Sharjeel Imam an “instigator”. No student from Jamia has been named. The police said the chargesheet was filed on February 13. Empty bullet cartridges belonging to 3.2 mm pistol were found from the spot during investigation, they added.

CAA protests: Gandhi took onus when his movements went awry but who will atone now, asks RSS chief

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Monday said Mahatma Gandhi took responsibility and made amends on occasions when his experiments with protests went wrong, unlike the present times, when no one will atone if a movement goes awry. The statement was a reference to the unrelenting protests against the amendments to the Citizenship Act.

Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi claims British MP who was deported is a ‘Pakistani proxy’

Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said on Tuesday that the deportation of British MP Debbie Abrahams to Dubai on Monday after being denied entry into India was necessary, and labelled her a “Pakistani proxy”. In a statement on Monday, Labour Party MP Abrahams had said that she arrived at the airport at 8.50 am. She alleged that immigration officials did not cite any reason for denying her entry and revoking her visa, which was valid till October 2020.

CAA protests: 22 people killed, 322 still in jail for violence in December, Uttar Pradesh tells HC

The Uttar Pradesh government told the Allahabad High Court on Monday that 883 people were arrested for violence during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests in the state on December 20 and 21. Of these, 322 people are still in prison, the government said. “Out of those arrested, 561 are now out on bail and 322 are still in jail,” Uttar Pradesh government counsel Manish Goel told the court.

Prashant Kishor questions Nitish Kumar’s alliance with BJP, says Bihar is still most backward state

Prashant Kishor, the political strategist who was expelled from the Janata Dal (United) by party chief and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, questioned on Tuesday whether the alliance with Bharatiya Janata Party will benefit the state. Addressing a press conference in Patna, Kishor said he will launch “Baat Bihar Ki” campaign to reach out to people who believe in the need for a new leadership to make Bihar one of top 10 states of India. He said campaign will start on February 20 and mobilise 1 crore youth in 100 days.

Terror groups still get financing, says watchdog ahead of decision on Pakistan’s ‘grey list’ status

Global anti-terror financing watchdog Financial Action Task Force on Monday said several terrorist groups continue to benefit from funds raised through illegal activities and from supporters worldwide despite tight standards on the flow of money. The statement was made at the plenary in Paris ahead of a decision on whether to retain Pakistan on its “greylist” of countries of concern or downgrade it to its “blacklist” for non-compliance or let it off for progress shown to counter terror financing and money laundering networks.

Jammu and Kashmir: Centre begins process of delimitation of Assembly seats

The Centre on Monday began the process of delimitation of Assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir. This move, which came six months after the Centre split Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories and scrapped its special constitutional status, is expected to pave the way for the Assembly elections.

Coronavirus: Toll rises to 1,868 in China; Indian couple in Wuhan asks Centre to evacuate them

The toll in the coronavirus epidemic in China rose to 1,868, with 98 more deaths on the mainland, the South China Morning Post reported on Tuesday. Of these, 93 deaths were reported from Hubei, the worst-affected province in China. As many as 1,886 new coronavirus cases were reported in the country, taking the total number to 72,436.

Ahmedabad: 45 families told to evict slum ahead of Donald Trump’s visit

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has served eviction notices to 45 families living in a slum area near the Sardar Vallabhai Patel Stadium, The Indian Express reported on Tuesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host United States President Donald Trump at an event at the stadium later this month.

Government not to release survey showing first fall in consumer spending in over 40 years: Report

The National Statistical Commission has decided not to make a survey on consumer spending public, which shows a fall for the first time in over 40 years in 2017-’18, Business Standard reported on Tuesday. The commission’s decision not to publish the survey comes two months after its chairperson, Bimal Kumar Roy said the survey would be released.

Bengali actor, former MP Tapas Pal dies at 61

Bengali actor and former Trinamool Congress MP Tapas Pal died of cardiac arrest in Mumbai on Tuesday, PTI reported. He was 61.

Pal was in Mumbai to visit his daughter. While at the airport during his return to Kolkata, he complained of chest pain and was taken to a hospital in Juhu, where he died around 4 am. The former MP had been suffering from heart ailments for the past two years.

RBI is closely monitoring possible fallout of crisis in telecom firms, says Governor Shaktikanta Das

Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das on Monday said the central bank was closely monitoring the crisis in telecom firms to see if there would be a fallout on lenders, PTI reported. He told the news agency that there have been no red flags so far.

“With regard to the impact on the banking sector, we are very closely monitoring it,” Das said, while refusing to comment on the Supreme Court ruling. “It all depends on how the companies concerned are able to make the payments and when they are able to make the payments. We are monitoring it.”

J&K: UAPA invoked against social media users for defying government’s internet ban

The Jammu and Kashmir Police have registered a first information report under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against social media users who used VPNs to circumvent the internet ban. Virtual Private Networks, or VPN, allow users to mask their location and browse the internet more securely.

“Taking serious note of misuse of social media, the Cyber Police Station Kashmir Zone Srinagar has registered a case FIR against various social media users who defied the government orders and misused the social media platforms,” the police said in a statement.

Tata Teleservices pays Rs 2,197 crore to telecom department to clear part of statutory dues

Tata Teleservices Limited on Monday said it had paid Rs 2,197 crore to the Department of Telecommunication to settle a part of the Rs 14,000 crore it owes the government as spectrum charges and licence fee, reported PTI. The company is part of the Tata Group.

Madhya Pradesh will not implement NPR, says CM Kamal Nath after row over state notification

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Monday said his government did not have any plans to update the National Population Register, which is the first step towards creating an all-India National Register of Citizens, PTI reported. As critics have noted, the NRC, in tandem with the Citizenship Amendment Act passed in December, could be used to render many Indian Muslims stateless.

Madhya Pradesh became the first Congress-ruled state to take the decision.

Jamia violence: Delhi Police set up SIT to investigate videos of alleged police brutality on campus

The Delhi Police on Monday said it had set up a special investigation team to conduct inquiries into videos that reportedly show its personnel assaulting students on Jamia Millia University campus on the evening of December 15. The investigation was ordered after videos related to the police violence emerged over the weekend.

“Some videos have surfaced related to December 15 Jamia violence incident,” ANI quoted Special Commissioner of Police P Ranjan as saying. “SIT has been formed to investigate the matter. Sequence of events to be established. Crowd as seen at Jamia library in videos includes students as well as outsiders.”

Kashmir Press Club expresses concern about alleged harassment of journalists in Valley

The Kashmir Press Club on Monday expressed concerns about the alleged harassment of journalists in the region, and demanded that the media be allowed to operate freely as mandated by Constitution. This came a day after a journalist was detained by the police, and questioned. Last week, the press club had pointed out instances of journalists being unable to operate freely due to alleged obstruction and intimidation by authorities.