Anurag Kashyap demands Narendra Modi’s father’s birth certificate

MUMBAI, Jan 12: With the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) coming into effect on January 10, Anurag Kashyap has raised his voice in protest once again. The filmmaker, who has been vocal against the CAA ever since it was passed by Parliament on December 11, has now launched a personal attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his family.

The CAA facilitates non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan getting Indian citizenship.

Protesting against this on Twitter, Kashyap launched a personal attack on Modi. Tweeting in Hindi, he demanded proof that Modi was educated, and wanted to see his degree in “entire political science.”

Kashyap also said that Modi should show his birth certificate, along with that of his father and his entire family, to the nation, and only then could he ask for papers from citizens. The filmmaker used the hashtag #f**kCAA as a mark of protest.

In a tweet calling the government “dumb” and comparing CAA to demonetisation, the filmmaker shared: “This government will do dialogue if they know how to talk. They cannot face a single question that’s not been vetted, they don’t have a plan, they haven’t put out a system. This is a dumb government. Their CAA is like demonetisation. No plan. No vision. Just bullying. #f**kCAA.”

Actor Swara Bhasker also protested against the enforcement of CAA. Sharing the gazette notification issued by the Union Home Ministry that says the Citizenship Amendment Act has been brought into force from January 10, 2020, the acotr called it a “Black Day for India.”

‘Will be treated as terrorist’: J-K police on cop arrested with Hizbul members

SRINAGAR, Jan 12: The Jammu-Kashmir police on Sunday confirmed the involvement of one of its senior officers in terrorism and said that he will be dealt with “as a terrorist”. Deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Davinder Singh was arrested along with three other persons on Saturday including Hizbul Mujahideen’s second-in-command , said Kashmir’s inspector general of police Vijay Kumar.

“This police officer has worked in many anti-terrorism operations but the way he was captured yesterday in which he was driving two-three militants in a vehicle to Jammu, it is a heinous crime. That is why we have treated him like other militants and arrested him properly and brought him on remand,” Kumar said.

Singh, who was captured with terrorists when he was travelling with them in a car on National Highway in south Kashmir, is being jointly interrogated by security agencies, said the police official.

The police, army, CRPF, IB, RAW, CID and other secret agencies were jointly interrogating him. Since, the issue is sensitive that is why we don’t want any loopholes in this,” said Singh.

Those arrested also include Hizbul Mujahideen’s second-in-command Naveed Babu who has been allegedly involved in the killings of civilians, including the non-local fruit traders and laborers in Kashmir.

Naveed Babu, a resident of south Kashmir, was a constable in police in 2017 and had fled with four rifles from Budgam in June that year, said the IG.

“After that he has been involved in many police and civilian killings. And last year many orchards were burnt and people were threatened. Till today 17 FIRs are registered against him And he is the Hizbul Mujahideen second in command after its chief Riyaz Naikoo,” Kumar said.

Vijay Kumar said that Singh has been a part of many anti-terrorism operations and was recently also involved with the security of a 15-member foreign envoys’ delegation who visited Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday.

Asked about whether Singh’s involvement with security and receiving of foreign envoys was not a security breach, Kumar said, “At that time he was on a legal bona-fide duty and we did not know about his involvement. How could we stop him from duty at that time?”

Giving details of the operation, Kumar said that on Saturday SP Shopian got information that two terrorists have left from Shopian in an i-10 vehicle and were going towards Jammu National Highway. Singh said the SP then informed him and he directed the DIG south Kashmir to lay a checkpoint on the highway.

“He established a Naka and after searching the vehicle, he found two wanted terrorists. Along with the terrorists, he also found a deputy superintendent of police. Another person was there who is an advocate and in our list he is an over the ground worker of militants,” Kumar said.

Kumar said that the police searches are still underway at many places and also some hideouts have also been busted.

“A terrorist hideout was also busted in Shopian which was some 8 feet underground equipped with food and living facilities,” he said.

“This operation is a chain operation and we are getting many leads and launching subsequent operations. We can’t reveal more at this time,” added Singh.

The other two persons arrested from the car were Rafi Ahmad Rather, a resident of Shopian who is a Hizbul militant, and Ifan Shafi, an advocate of Shopian.

The IG also said that a case under FIR No 5/2020 and under section 7/25 Indian arms act, ¾ explosive substances act, section 18,19,20,38, 29 unlawful activities act has been registered.

Think about ‘our plural secular society’: Former SC Judge appeals amid anti-CAA protests

NEW DELHI, Jan 12: Former Supreme Court Judge, Justice J Chelameswar, former Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi and Lt General (R) Harcharanjit Singh Panag and five other prominent personalities have made a joint appeal to citizens “to reflect on our current concerns, particularly about our plural secular society” in a statement released to celebrate 70-years of working of the Constitution.

The statement released on Sunday exhorts the citizens to “resolve to fulfil our Constitutional goals envisaged by Dr. Ambedkar and our forefathers as summed up in the Preamble”.

Justice J Chelameswar was one of the three Supreme Court judges who held an unprecedented press conference in January, 2018, to voice disagreements with the working of the then CJI Dipak Misra. His co-signatory, SY Quraishi is also a critic of the Modi government, who had recently hit out at the government’s move to introduce electoral bonds.

The statement says, time is right to “introspect” whether “TRUTH and NON VIOLENCE- the two values held very dear to the heart of the father of the nation, continue to inform our actions in the public sphere.”

The timing of the current statement is likely to draw attention as it comes amid violent protests and a fierce debate over Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR). The opposition has accused the government of a conspiracy against the Muslims through the legislation, while the government has stoutly defended the legislation, calling the opposition campaign, a lie.

The statement is also signed by famous filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan, actor Sharmila Tagore, former member of the planning commission Syeda Hameed, renowned musician TM Krishna and former UGC chairman Sukhdeo Thorat.

Adoor Gopalakrishnan was booked for sedition last year on the orders of a Bihar Court for writing an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with 48 other artists, expressing concern over incidents of mob lynching.

The statement goes on to ask: “Is the Constitution a mere administrative manual which enables elected governments to claim legitimacy for abuse of power, and allows the citizens to convert liberty into license disregarding rights of others?”

January 26 this year will mark the 70th anniversary of the Constitution of India coming into effect. The Constitution was adopted by the Indian Constituent Assembly on 26 November 1949 and came into effect on 26 January 1950.

Masked men damage property, attack students in JNU campus

NEW DELHI, Jan 5: After violence erupted on campus on Sunday evening, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration said masked miscreants armed with sticks were roaming around inside the varsity, damaging property and attacking students. The administration has called in the police to restore law and order.

JNU registrar Pramod Kumar said in a statement, “This is an urgent message for the entire JNU community that there is a law and order situation on campus. Masked miscreants armed with sticks are roaming around, damaging property and attacking people. The JNU administration has called the police to maintain order.”

“This is the moment to remain calm and be on the alert.... Efforts are already being made to tackle the miscreants,” Kumar said.

“On the request of the JNU administration, police have entered JNU campus,” Delhi Police spokesperson Anil Mittal said.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday expressed shock and concern at the violence which erupted at the Jawaharlal Nehru University which left the university’s students union president Aishe Ghosh badly injured and bleeding. The chief minister also spoke to Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and urged him to direct the police to restore order at the varsity. “He has assured that he is closely monitoring the situation and taking all necessary steps,” Kejriwal said in a tweet.

“The violence in JNU against students and teachers is highly condemnable. Directed Delhi Police to take all possible steps in coordination with JNU administration to maintain law and order and take action against the perpetrators of violence,” L-G Anil Baijal wrote on Twitter.

Members of JNU students’ union and ABVP clashed on the university campus on Sunday evening. It reportedly happened during a public meeting organised by the JNU Teachers’ Association.

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members however, have denied any involvement in Sunday’s violence, according to a statement by ABVP members. “Around 25 students have been seriously injured in this attack and there is no information as to the whereabouts of 11 students. Many ABVP members are being attacked in hostels and the hostels are being vandalized by leftist goons,” the ABVP said in a statement.

219 infants died at two Gujarat civil hospitals in December

AHEMEDABAD,Jan 5: As the Rajasthan government faces heat for the unprecedented number of infant deaths recorded from Kota's KJ Lone Hospital, the numbers from two of Gujarat’s civil hospitals, Rajkot and Ahmedabad, are more even more worrying, with 219 infant deaths in December alone.

GS Rathod, the superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital said that in the month of December alone, 455 newborns were admitted in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital of which 85 have died.

As soon as the news of deaths surfaced in media, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who belongs to Rajkot, refused to respond to reporters questions about these large number of deaths and walked off

According to the report, 134 infants deaths were reported in December in Rajkot civil hospital while in Ahmedabad civil hospital 85 deaths were reported in the same month. The report further added that in the last three months, 253 infants died in Rajkot civil hospital, which is the largest government hospital in Gujarat.

"There is no lack of facilities here, children from private hospitals and other government hospitals are sent to the government hospital in critical condition. Every month about 400 children are admitted to the hospital, out of which 80 percent children are treated well and are healthy," Rathod said.

A report also said that parents of most children who are admitted in the hospital are unhappy about the facilities, standard of doctors and blamed the negligence of hospital administration for these deaths.

Meanwhile, in Rajkot, Manish Mehta, Dean of Rajkot Civil Hospital confirmed that as many as 111 children have died in the month of December in the hospital. According to multiple reports, as many as 1,235 children have died in Rajkot in the year 2019 with December recording the highest deaths of new-born babies, while October witnessing the second-highest with 131 deaths.

Mehta said "As per official records, 71 infants died at Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Hospital in Rajkot in November and 87 in October last year." He said the rise in infant deaths at the hospital in December was mainly due to an increase in the number of referral patients with serious ailments.

As soon as the news of deaths surfaced in media, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who hails to Rajkot, refused to respond to questions about the number of deaths and walked off.

According to reports, here are many factors that have contributed to infant mortality, these deaths indicate a shortage of medical staff in government hospitals and the collapse of primary health care services in the state.

Reacting to the figures, state Health Minister Nitin Patel said the infant mortality rate is 30 per 1,000. "Every year 12 lakh infants are born. Of these, 30 out of every 1,000 infants die due to malnutrition, pre-mature delivery, or because the mothers are not able to reach hospital in time," the minister said.

Modi's constituency Varanasi was under Sec 144 for 359 days: Priyanka

VARANASI, Jan 2: Hours after Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi tweeted, the district administration confirmed that Section 144 of CrPC remained imposed for 350 days (out of 365 days) in 2019 in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency Varanasi.

“Yes, the city remained under Section 144 CrPC for about 350 days in 2019 for various events and incidents,” said a senior administrative official.

Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) of 1973 authorises the executive magistrate of any state or territory to issue an order to prohibit the assembly of four or more people in an area. According to the law, every member of such ‘unlawful assembly’ can be booked for engaging in rioting. Generally prohibiting public gathering, it is imposed in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger from an event that has the potential to cause trouble or damage to human life or property.

Priyanka had on Thursday tweeted, “On 359 out of 365 days in the year 2019, Section 144 was imposed in Varanasi town of the PM’s own constituency and he has the gall to say that people have nothing to fear?”

An administrative official said Section 144 was in place first due to general election held this year.

“Election schedule was announced last year in March. Soon after that model code of conduct became effective and with that Section 144 also became effective in the district. Model code of conduct ended after the formation of government at the centre in May and Section 144 was lifted,” said an official.

The officer said that Section 144 was implemented in the district again as a preventive measure during other events. It was enforced again in the last week of October as a preventive measure before the announcement of the verdict on Ayodhya matter.

“In all, Section 144 remained effective in the district for about 350 days,” said additional district magistrate (city) Vinay Singh.

100 Babies Die At Single Hospital In Rajasthan's Kota In A Month

KOTA, Jan 2: Addressing the death of 100 newborns at a state-run hospital in the town of Kota in Rajasthan, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot today said the alarming statistic is in fact an improvement over what the previous BJP government had recorded at the same hospital.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi today discussed the tragedy with Avinash Pandey, who is the chief of the Rajasthan Congress. He reported that Mrs Gandhi is "upset" and "wanted to know the reason of the deaths".

The state government in its report admitted that some of the incubators at the hospital used for newborns were not in proper working condition.

The committee, led by secretary medical education and senior doctors who visited the hospital on December 27 to investigate the matter, also pointed out that the extreme cold has made it tougher for babies, already fighting for their life, to survive their illnesses.

All the babies who died were admitted in the Intensive Care Unit. Most of the children were brought to the hospital in a critical condition, said Vaibhav Galeria, the Secretary of Medical Education, who headed the three-member team.

The hospital in Kota is about 250 kms from the state capital of Jaipur. Chief Minister Gehlot today tweeted: "Govt cites figures to say child casualties in JK Lon Hospital in Kota have reduced to 963 this year from 1260 in 2015 and 1193 in 2016 when the state was ruled by BJP. In 2018, 1005 children lost their lives here".

On December 27, the team led by the state's Medical Education Secretary. found lapses in the incubation unit of the neonatal unit. The units were not working properly, and the hospital placed two infants into one incubator due to the shortage.

"We are saddened by this, our responsibility is to give clinical support, several children were brought with critical ailments. BJP can audit if they want, we saved all the children who were in condition to be saved," Rajasthan Health Minister Raghu Sharma said.

"The children have not died because of a single factor. The extreme cold weather is also perhaps an added reason for the sudden spike in deaths as extreme weather affects neo-natals adversely, especially those who are low birth weight," read the report of the three-member committee appointed by the Chief Minister.

The Congress government is under attack over the Kota tragedy from political opponents like Yogi Adityanath and Mayawati

Assuring all support to the state, Union health minister Harshvardhan said the Centre is sending a high-level team that would include experts from AIIMS Jodhpur. "It will reach #Kota tomorrow," he tweeted. He, however, said the number of deaths is "definitely higher this time compared to last few years".

Chief Minister Gehlot tweeted: "I telephoned Central Health Minister @drharshvardhan ji and requested him to visit #Kota personally so that he can see the best of facilities and proper management by State Health Department and get himself apprised of the facts."