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Afshain Afzal
27 January 2020, TON. In a diplomatic row New Delhi has censured European Union for stepping on the internal affairs of India. Calling the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA),
an internal matter, India censured the European Union and asked to get engage with the government to have an accurate assessment of the “facts with respect to the legislation before proceeding voting the Resolution.
A powerful group of European Parliament lawmakers including the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament (S&D), Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) (PPE), Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance (Verts/ALE), European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR), Renew Europe Group (Renew) and European United Left/Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) Group will hold a debate and vote on a resolution against the CAA.Six groups have moved resolutions on the Citizenship Amendment Act and the clampdown on Jammu and Kashmir.
Holding India flag and placards and chanting anti-India slogans they marched to India House through London’s iconic Trafalgar Square. As the march reached India House, the contained anger of the protesters expressed itself in more vigorous chants of anti-India and anti-BJP slogans. The marchers started with reading preamble of the Indian constitution and ended the protest with chanting anti-India slogans. Those who addressed the gathering included Labour MP from Ilford South, Sam Tarry who expressed deep concern at the growing fascism in India under Narendra Modi and said that this situation must be causing lot of hurt to the souls of founding fathers of modern India.
The demonstration was organized by Kashmir Solidarity Movement, South Asian Students Against Fascism, Newham Muslim Alliance, Ghadar International, human rights body South Asia Solidarity Group (SASG) and supported by Coordinating Committee of Malayali Muslims, SOAS India Society, Tamil People in the UK, Indian Workers Association (GB), Indian Muslim Federation (UK), Federation of Redbridge Muslim Organizations.
A letter was also issued in which reads, the events of the last six months have been particularly disturbing. First the revoking of Article 370, the further militarization of Kashmir, highly militarized zone in the world, the imprisonment of leaders, continual curfews, torture, including torture of minors, and banning internet service and buying of land in the Kashmir valley by Indian agents.
27 January 2020, TON: Muslims peaceful protesters were charged of hurling stones to justify baton charging and lobbing of tear gas shells by police personnel in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur.
As per the details, the incident occurred near Anand Nagar bus stop when anti- Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protesters were challenged by Indian authorities’ organized a pro-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 'Tiranga March.
While authorities were trying to prevent anti-CAA rallyists not to not move ahead to Raddi Chowk, when some unidentified persons hurled stones at the Police and security officials present there, leading to suspicion..
Police resorted to Lathi-charge and lobbed tear gas shells to restore order. CCTV footage of the incident was not made public to protect the identies of pro-CAA marchers.
The situation was tense and additional security personnel have been deployed at the site of incident to maintain law and order.
27 January 2020, TON: The Assam government claimed to have signed an accord with outlawed insurgent groups of Assam - the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB). The Government claimed that All Bodo Students' Union (ABSU), which was leading a movement for a Bodoland state was also signatory to the accord.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal claimed that the tripartite agreement was signed by Government with leadership of factions of the NDFB, ABSU.
However, the NDFB and ABSU leadership in Assam refuted the Assam Chief Minister’s claim and said, “Only four of the expelled factions have signed the deal with Assam Government”.
“It is a historical accord,” Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said and asserted that the pact will bring comprehensive solution to the Bodo issue.
Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said the Bodo Peace Accord signed in New Delhi on Monday will lead to a “full and final” solution to the decades-old Bodo issue.
In a tweet, Sarma said the Bodo Peace Accord has full support of the Assam government led by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) Chief Sri Hagrama Mohilary, “making it a full and final solution to the over decades old Bodo issue”.
27 January 2020, TON: The West Bengal on Monday became the fourth state to pass a resolution against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee tabled the resolution in the state Assembly, appealing the Union government to repeal the amended citizenship law and also to revoke plans to implement NRC and update NPR.
Three states - Kerala, Rajasthan and Punjab have already passed resolutions against the amended citizenship law.
The law has emerged as the latest flashpoint in the state, in which despite strong opposition by parties, BJP is adamant for its implementation.
26 January 2020, TON: The Pakistanis across the border have greeted the Indians, especially the Muslims and minorities on Republican Day today
. Speaking on the occasion, the Indian-Pakistani Muslims Front’s President Zaheer Khokhar and Vice President Dilbar Singh congratulated the fellow Indian Muslims and other minorities on becoming a Republic on the map of world on 26th January. They stressed on the point that Muslim and other minorities are part of Indian sub-continent and have rightly launched campaign across India for non-acceptance of violation of fundamental rights guaranteed by the Indian constitution. They added, “Pakistan and India have made an agreement and Pakistan is responsible for the Muslim and other minorities, especially the Schedule Castes in India, who are the victim of Indian harassment since last 72 years.”
26 January 2020, TON: On the occasion of Indian Republican Day, the India police detained hundreds of students of the University of Hyderabad on Sunday
when they tried to take out a march to”Protect the Constitution of India” to mark the Republic Day. In the unprecedented use of forces dozens of students were injured.
Police tried to stop the students at the main gate as they wanted to march to Ambedkar statue at Masjid Banda near the University of Hyderabad. The march was called by the students” union of the University with the slogan “Uphold Constitution, Defeat Manu” and “Save the Constitution”, “Telangana police go back”, “Inquilab Zindabad”, “Manuvad ho Barbad” and ”Long live students’ unity”. They also chanted slogans against the highhandedness of the Indian security forces.
26 January 2020, TON: The 154 members European Union lawmakers proposed a resolution that terms controversial law contradictory unconstitutional “discriminatory” and “dangerously divisive”
and may lead to the “largest statelessness crisis in the world and cause widespread human suffering”. In a scathing denouncement of the Citizen Amendment Act, a powerful group of 154 European Union lawmakers proposed a resolution that terms contentious law “discriminatory” and “dangerously divisive” and may lead to the “largest statelessness crisis in the world and cause widespread human suffering”.
The lawmakers belong to the Socialists & Democrats Group in the European Parliament from 26 countries submitted the drafted resolution which is slated to be debated on 29th January and a voting is likely on 30th January.
The drafted resolution states that CAA not only contradicts Article 14 of the Indian Constitution but also India’s international obligations.
It has been noted that the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act “sets a dangerous precedent and represents an intensification of the Government’s Hindu nationalist agenda”. The resolution highlights that “the indivisibility of human rights, including civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, is one of the main objectives of the European Union in its relations with India.”
The resolution also notes that the CAA is “explicitly discriminatory in nature as it specifically excludes Muslims from access to the same provisions as other religious groups.”
The European lawmakers also condemned the use of “Excessive Force in the crackdown” on the protests against the amended citizenship law instead of addressing the concerns, and have also called on Indian authorities to stop the “criminalization of protests.”
Hyderabad, India, 24 January 2020, TON: This Friday Tehreek-e-Muslim Shabban and Joint Action Committee against CAA, NRC and NPR have given a call of ‘ Million March' to prevent the Indian Government ugly action.
The convener of these two bodies have asked the Indian not produce or give any kind of information once the NPR exercise begins in Telangana. Meanwhile, the city witnessed protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, NRC and NPR at isolated spot, where thousands of people took to the streets and chanted anti-Government slogans. Indian police charged the protesters and tried to stop them from their constitutional rights of peaceful protests. 14 protesters were arrested but after few hours of detention released. A large contingent of security apparatus and police reached the sight while Deputy Commissioner of Police Avinash Mohanty tried to disperse the protesters.
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was welcoming peace initiative between Iran and Permanents Five in 2015. It is a detailed, 159-page agreement with five annexes reached by Iran and the P5+1 (China France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) on 14 July 2015. The nuclear deal was endorsed by UN Security Council Resolution 2231, adopted on 20 July 2015. Iran’s compliance with the nuclear-related provisions of the JCPOA is regularly verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Keeping aside this month’s media statements that do not constitute official version of Iran’s declaration of rolling back from the agreement, no breach from Tehran has been witnessed. There is no doubt that Iran still observes 2015-nuclear deal with world powers.
In a 20th January statement by Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Musavi it is clear that Iran has no intention of violating the deal. "Tehran still remains in the deal.... The European powers' claims about Iran violating the deal are unfounded and Tehran still maintais the P5 + 1 deal". If we recall earlier this month Iran had said that it no longer considered itself bound by the agreement, from which the United States has withdrawn.
Under the deal, Iran agreed to curb its nuclear activities in exchange for relief from international sanctions. However,
President Donald Trump in 2018 withdrew the United States from the deal, arguing that the terms were not tough enough to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons and intends to renegotiate the agreement. To pressurize Tehran, Washington has also re-imposed some sanctions on the Iranian economy. It is strange that when Tehran has not violated the agreement and there is no official complaint from International Atomic Energy Agency why signatories to the deal are talking about dispute mechanism in the nuclear deal?
