Today’s Big Stories
Internet suspended in several districts of UP, security beefed up ahead of anti-CAA protests today
Internet services will remain suspended in several Uttar Pradesh districts, including Agra, Ghaziabad and Bulandshahr, "in anticipation of violent protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) after Friday prayers at mosques.
The districts where internet services were blacked out are Agra, Aligarh, Bijnor, Bulandshahr, Firozabad, Ghaziabad, Muzaffarnagar, Kanpur and Sambhal. Anticipating protests, security has also been beefed up across these districts.
Follow the live updates here.
Meanwhile, Army chief Bipin Rawat waded into the debate on the contentious CAA, saying “leaders are not those who lead masses in arson and violence". Responding to the comment, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said that Army should not interfere in civilian issues as such remarks undermine the government. He added that by this yardstick, even participation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the struggle against Emergency as a student would be wrong.
TDP leaders put under house arrest ahead of Andhra cabinet meet to finalise proposal for three capitals
Ahead of the scheduled cabinet meeting of the Andhra Pradesh government, two prominent leaders of the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) were put under house arrest. The move comes ahead of a meeting today where Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy is expected to approve the proposed three-capital formula. The situation in the state has been tense following Reddy's announcement for the creation of three capitals — executive capital at Vishakhapatnam, legislative capital at Amaravati, and judicial capital at Kurnool. On Monday, hundreds of farmers in the Amaravati region came out on the streets in Vishakhpanam demanding that the state capital not be shifted.
In Other News
Conversion: Thousands of Dalits in Tamil Nadu's Mettupalayam municipality in Coimbatore district have claimed they will convert to Islam over the alleged ill-treatment meted out to them in the mostly Hindu-dominated region. The reason cited was the injustice meted out to the Dalits at Nadur where 17 people were killed on December 2 in a wall collapse incident.
Immigration woes: A Norwegian tourist, who took part in anti-citizenship law protests in Kochi in Kerala, was summoned by authorities seeking an explanation over her presence at the demonstrations. The development comes close on the heels of the Chennai immigration department's move asking a German exchange student to leave India after he took part in an anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) agitation.
Warning: Sending out a stern warning, Karnataka Revenue Minister R Ashoka said the state government would emulate Uttar Pradesh and confiscate properties of those who caused damage to public properties during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
Amruta Fadnavis vs Shiv Sena: The Shiv Sena-ruled Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has decided to shift its salary accounts from Axis Bank to a nationalised bank. The development follows a war of words on social media between the Sena and Amruta Fadnavis — wife of former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis — who holds a senior position at the Axis Bank.
Netanyahu woes: Israel’s governing Likud party was holding a primary vote on Thursday in the first serious internal challenge to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his more than a decade in power. Veteran politician Gideon Saar hopes to unseat Netanyahu, arguing that he will be better placed to form a government in national elections in March after Netanyahu failed to do so in two repeat elections this year.
On Our Specials
Decoding Jharkhand: Comprising around 8.6 per cent of the total population, tribals constitute a sizeable number in India. They are not a homogeneous group socially or politically and are divided into various groups, subgroups clan and kula. Using its various sewa projects such as education, health and cultural reorientation programmes, the Sangh Parivar has cultivated ground which produces BJP support among the tribals in various states, which was evident in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha and Tripura. However, the outcome of recently held Jharkhand assembly elections suggests that the BJP is losing its grip on the tribal support base. Badri Narayan explains how non-tribal leaders and tenancy laws resulted in BJP's defeat in Jharkhand.
On Reel
Huge swarms of locusts have been ravaging crops across Northern parts of Gujarat. These insects are believed to have migrated from Pakistan through the bordering Rajasthan. Watch to know more.
Curated and compiled by Karan Anand
Curated and compiled by Karan Anand
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