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Ten northeast political parties, including JD(U) and other BJP allies, oppose Citizenship Bill

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Ten northeast political parties, including JD(U) and other BJP allies, oppose Citizenship Bill

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Narendra Modi government’s move to bring in the controversial Citizenship (amendment) Bill, allowing citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from other countries in the sub-continent, has run into problems with 10 political parties, including allies, resolving to oppose it, according to media reports.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the political parties convened by Sangma and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) President Atul Bora in Guwahati today (Tuesday, Jan 29).

AGP recently walked out of an alliance with the BJP in Assam over disagreements regarding the Bill.

“The meeting was a natural process, considering the opposition of the northeast states to the bill and it is not politically motivated,” Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma told reporters.

“Most political parties in the region were protesting against the bill in their own states and so we decided to come together and discuss measures to protect our people and the region,” he added.

Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga, who was also present at the meeting, said that a resolution was taken to unanimously oppose the bill which was “dangerous and harmful for the people of the northeast.”

AGP President Atul Bora said that the meeting was historic, as political parties have unanimously decided to oppose the bill and ensure that it is not passed in the Rajya Sabha.

The 10 political partes who participated in the meeting were Mizo National Front (MNF), United Democratic Party (UDP), Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), Naga Peoples’ Front (NPF), National Peoples’ Party (NPP), National Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), Hill State Peoples Democratic Party (HSPDP), Peoples Democratic Front (PDF), Indigenous People Front of Tripura (IPFT) and the Khnam.

The JD(U) was represented at the meeting by its Northeast incharge, NSN Lotha.

Ahead of the meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said his party would always protect the interests of Assam. Taking to Twitter, he also thanked the people of the state for supporting the BJP in the elections to three tribal autonomous councils.

The BJP has faced political heat in the region over the legislation, with several allies, and even its own leaders, expressing discontent over the Bill which was passed in the Lok Sabha earlier this month.

AGP has already quit NDA over the issue. The National People’s Party, BJP’s ruling partner in Meghalaya, does not rule out a similar action. BJP is hopeful that its plan to grant ST status to six Assam ethnic groups will take the wind out of the campaign against the new rules. These groups comprise 27% of Assam’s population and control 40 of the 126 assembly constituencies.

The Bill seeks to facilitate granting of Indian citizenship for non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan on grounds of religious persecution. The bill stretches the cutoff date for granting citizenship to December 31, 2014 from March 24, 1971 as mentioned in the 1985 Assam Accord.

BJP says such provisions will prevent Assam from being swamped by Muslims (or Jinnahs as Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP’s face in the northeast, puts it). BJP president Amit Shah called it was to complete the unfinished agenda of Partition.

But in Assam, illegal migrants are not identified along religious lines and people want such migrants from Bangladesh, both Muslims and Hindus, who are incidentally Bengali-speaking, to be deported. The Assamese fear that illegal migrants from Bangladesh pose a threat to their cultural and linguistic identity.

Assamese-speaking Muslims, who are miniscule in number, support campaigns against migrants from all religious denominations.

In Bengali-dominated Barak Valley, most people welcome religion-based citizenship rules, which, they hope, will shield them from the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Until now, close to 40 lakh people have not found place on the NRC.

Bengali-speaking Muslims, who outnumber everyone else in at least eight districts of western and central Assam, are against the proposal to offer citizenship only to non-Muslim migrants. The Muslim-dominated AIUDF, headed by Bengali-speaking billionaire Badruddin Ajmal, supports the campaign launched by about 70 indigenous outfits, including AGP and Aasu, against the proposed bill.

In terms of percentage, Assam has the country’s second highest Muslim population after Jammu & Kashmir. Muslims, mostly Bengali-speaking, comprise 34% of Assam’s little over 3 crore people.

They propose to extend Article 371 of the Constitution and implement Clause 6 of the Assam Accord and to protect and preserve political rights, ethnic identity, cultural, literary and other rights of the state’s indigenous people. The use of Article 371, which has provisions for reservation of parliamentary and assembly seats for indigenous people, may upset Hindu Bengalis as well as Muslim Bengalis. Earlier, both had opposed the NRC.

All north-eastern states are against the Bill. Meghalaya and Nagaland, where the BJP shares power with regional forces, and Mizoram, where NDA ally MNF is in power, want a review.

Mizoram fears Buddhist Chakmas from Bangladesh may take advantage of the Act. Meghalaya and Nagaland are apprehensive of migrants of Bengali stock.

Groups in Arunachal Pradesh, where BJP is in power, fear the new rules may benefit Chakmas and Tibetans.

Manipur wants the Inner-line Permit System to stop outsiders from entering the state.

In Tripura, the BJP’s ruling partner, Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura, and opposition Indigenous Nationalist Party of Twipra are opposed to the Centre’s move.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Enforcement Directorate says Arvind Kejriwal is deliberately eating mangoes, sweets, taking sugar with tea to increase his blood sugar level and create ground for bail

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) made the claim before special judge for ED and CBI cases, Kaveri Baweja, who gave directions to the Tihar jail authorities to file a report in the matter which should also include Kejriwal’s diet chart.

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The Enforcement Directorate told the court on Thursday that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, arrested in liquor policy case, is taking high sugar intake like mangoes and sweets every day deliberately in spite of suffering from type 2 diabetes so that he can create grounds for medical bail. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) made the claim before special judge for ED and CBI cases, Kaveri Baweja, who gave directions to the Tihar jail authorities to file a report in the matter which should also include Kejriwal’s diet chart.

Kejriwal had moved court and also sought permission to consult his regular doctor via video conference because his sugar levels were fluctuating. The judge directed the authorities concerned to file the report by tomorrow, when the court will take up the matter again.

 Advocate Vivek Jain, counsel for Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal responded to the ED’s argument and said this is an issue made by Enforcement Directorate so that home-cooked food should also be stopped. He said this would have a major impact on his health. Advocate Jain added that whatever Kejriwal is eating is as per his doctors prescribed dietary chart. He said the matter is sub judice and they do not have anything to say.

Advocate Vivek Jain objected to the Enforcement Directorate’s submission and said that the agency is making these allegations only for the media. He said that some toffee and other things are given to diabetic patients so that they can maintain their sugar levels. Jain added that Kejriwal is withdrawing his application and will file a better one later.

AAP minister Atishi Marlena said that Arvind Kejriwal had fallen ill and lost about 4.5 kg since his arrest on March 21. She addressed a press conference where the AAP leader said, Arvind Kejriwal is a severe diabetes patient but he never lets his health issue come as the way of his in the service to the nation.

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Enforcement Directorate seizes Shilpa Shetty’s husband Raj Kundra’s properties worth Rs 97 crore

The Enforcement Directorate said in a statement that the Mumbai zonal office of ED has provisionally attached immovable and movable properties of Kundra under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

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The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday seized businessman Raj Kundra’s properties worth Rs 97.79 crore. The siezed properties include a residential flat in Mumbai’s Juhu, which is named after his wife and Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty.  The Enforcement Directorate said the seized properties include another property which is a residential bungalow in Pune and Equity shares in the name of Raj Kundra.

The Enforcement Directorate said in a statement that the Mumbai zonal office of ED has provisionally attached immovable and movable properties of Kundra under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The Enforcement Directorate began the investigation on the basis of a number of FIRs which were registered by Delhi Police and Maharashtra Police. It is being said that Kundra collected large sums of money in the form of bitcoins which were worth Rs 6,600 crore in 2017 from the public with the false promises of 10 % monthly return in the form of bitcoins.

The ED said that it was planned that the collected bitcoins will be used for bitcoin mining and investors will get to get a large return in Crypto assets. But the promoters cheated the investors as they concealed the ill-gotten bitcoins in obscure online wallets. The Enforcement Directorate revealed in its investigation that Raj Kundra received 285 bitcoins from the mastermind and promoter of Gain Bitcoin Ponzi Scam Amit Bhardwaj for setting up bitcoin mining farm in Ukraine.

The Enforcement Directorate in its statement said that the bitcoins were sourced out of proceeds of crime collected by Amit Bhardwaj from gullible investors. Since the deal did not go through, so Kundra is still in possession and enjoyment of 285 bitcoins which are valued at more than Rs 150 crore. Earlier a number of search operations were conducted in connection with this case, leading to the arrest of three people — Simpy Bhardwaj on December 17, 2023, Nitin Gaur on December 29, 2023, and Nikhil Mahajan on January 16, 2023.

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Religious outfit vandalises The Blessed Mother Teresa High School in Telangana after teachers object to students wearing Hanuman Deeksha dress

The Religious group broke glass windows and flower pots and pelted stones on the statue of St. Mother Teresa at the school’s entrance. The religious outfit also attacked Father Jaimon Joseph, the school manager.

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A religious group shouting Jai Shri Ram has vandalised a Catholic school and assaulted a priest in Telangana’s Mancherial district on Tuesday. The saffron mob staged protest and vandalised The Blessed Mother Teresa High School in Kannepally village. They broke glass windows and flower pots and pelted stones on the statue of St. Mother Teresa at the school’s entrance. The religious outfit also attacked Father Jaimon Joseph, the school manager.

The priest who is a member of the Missionary Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament (MCBS) said some of members of the mob even slapped and threw punches at him while others attacked him from behind. The religious outfit accused the school management of not allowing Hindu students to wear their religious costumes. The school authorities said the allegation made by the mob is misleading and has no truth in it.

Earlier, the students who wore religious costumes had informed the school principal that it was part of a 21-day special religious practice. The principal said he had only asked the students to bring their parents to school after noticing that they are not wearing the school uniform.

Later, members of the religious outfit started protesting outside the school. They demanded action should be taken against the management for stopping the students from entering the school and appearing for their annual examinations as they were wearing the Hanuman deeksha dress.

The priest said soon after the video started circulating on social media and became viral with hate messages against Christians. After this incident many Hindus reached the school and vandalized it. A complaint has been lodged at the local police station by the school management, but no arrests have been made so far. Instead of taking action against the miscreants, the police have filed a case against the school management for hurting religious sentiments of the local people.

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