Agartala:

The Tripura state government has started the process of appointing officials to the State Level Empowered Committee and the District Level Committee for the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019.

In an official notification, R Reang, IAS, Director of the Directorate of Census Operations in Tripura, has instructed all district magistrates to nominate a Tripura Civil Service (TCS) officer as an invitee for the District Level Committee.

This move is part of the broader effort to process citizenship applications under the amended law.

The notification, referencing a communication from RD. Meena, Director (Citizenship) at the Ministry of Home Affairs, reads, “With reference to the subject cited above, I am to inform you that RD Meena, Director (Citizenship), Govt of India, MHA, Foreigners Division (Citizenship Wing), has intimated the Director of Census Operations of all States/UTs regarding the constitution of the District Level Committee in connection with the implementation of CAA, 2019 for processing citizenship applications under Section 6B of the Citizenship Act, 1955.”

“In this regard, you are requested to nominate one TCS officer who shall be an invitee of the District Level Committee for the purpose of processing citizenship applications under Section 6B of the Citizenship Act, 1955. The name of the said officer may kindly be sent to this directorate at the earliest,” it said.

In a parallel directive, S Debbarma, Undersecretary of the Tripura Government, reiterated the urgency of the nominations.

In his communication to the District Magistrates, Debbarma emphasised the need for prompt action, requesting that the nominated officers’ details be forwarded immediately for onward submission to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

An anonymous official from the Tripura government confirmed that the appointment process is already underway, highlighting the administration’s commitment to the swift implementation of the CAA.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, aims to provide citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who arrived in India before December 31, 2014.

The act has sparked significant debate and varying responses across the country, with states preparing to execute its provisions amid public scrutiny and political discussions.

As Tripura moves forward with these appointments, it marks a critical step in the practical implementation of the CAA, aiming to facilitate the legal processing of applications from eligible individuals within the state.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

These are “new birth certificates”. This is how Dayal Singh, a refugee from Pakistan, described the citizenship certificates issued to him, his son and his daughter.

Mr Singh, 47, who has been living in a shanty in North Delhi’s Majnu-ka-Tilla since 2013 after he migrated from Pakistan with his family, was among the 14 people to be given the certificate under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) on Wednesday. The law grants Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

Singh’s wife Mira, 40, and his other five children are yet to get their certificates but she is happy that a part of the family is now ‘Bharatiya Nagriks’ (Indian citizens).

“Our journey was filled with challenges due to the identity we carried with us. But now we are ‘Bharatiya Nagriks’,” said Mira while talking to PTI in the shanty that is part of a camp for refugees, some of whom stay in tents.

Most are engaged in odd jobs such as selling chips and other packed food items, water bottles and mobile phone covers on the roadside to make ends meet. “My father-in-law used to always say ‘One day we will be called Bharatiyas and that will be the biggest day of our lives’. He died waiting for that day,” Mira said, adding that he will be happy today.

Every migrant family at the camp has endured years of hardship, she said.

“Here, two or three families with 15-20 people live together in cramped conditions with minimal resources. We started getting our children married off quickly to secure their future,” she said.

The citizenship certificates were handed over to Singh, his son Bharat Kumar and daughter Yashoda, and the 11 others by the Union home secretary after their applications were processed online through a designated portal.

It was a day of celebration, Jhula Ram, who migrated from Pakistan’s Sindh province, said.

“We took our first step in India on October 5, 2013. Yesterday, we became citizens of this country. Our family has 18 members, and three of us have received our ‘birth certificates’ (citizenship certificates),” he said.

Reflecting on his life in Sindh, Ram said, “I was young at that time but we used to live in a tense atmosphere. Whenever something happened against them, we used to become targets, and we were threatened.” “Near my house (in Pakistan), there was a temple of Devi Maa, which I still miss as it is one of my only good memories from childhood. I do miss that temple but now I’ll start going to Vaishno Devi (in Jammu),” Ram told PTI.

Ram said, “Our children will be proud and happy with the decision we made. It will eventually make their lives easier.” Expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mira said the new identity will secure the future of her family. She has named her youngest daughter, 14, after the late actor Sridevi.

A 58-year-old resident of the camp, who did not want to be identified, said, “We came here in 2015, and as per the CAA, only those who came to India on or before December 31, 2014, will get the CAA’s benefits.” Shantaram said, “Our people are being accepted and will no longer be called refugees. People call us Pakistani refugees but now we will be called Indians. However, my family and I came in 2015.” “I run a shop here and am just making a living. I have 50 members in my family, and we are all in the same situation, not knowing what we will do,” he said The CAA was enacted in December 2019 to grant Indian nationality to persecuted Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.

After the enactment, the CAA got the president’s assent but the rules under which the Indian citizenship was granted were issued on March 11 this year after over a delay of four years.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said the decades-long wait of those who faced religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan is over.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

North 24 Parganas (West Bengal):

In a blistering attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo came to power on the promise of a government for “Maa, Maati, Manush” but was now catering to “Mullah, Madrasa and Mafia”.

Addressing a rally at Bongaon in the North 24 Parganas on Tuesday, the Union Home Minister said the TMC government provided a monthly honorarium to Imams but not a penny to priests and custodians of temples.

“The TMC came to power on the slogan of ‘Maa, Mati, Manush’. However, their focus has now shifted to ‘Mullah, Madrasa, Mafia’. The Imams here are paid an honorarium but the priests and keepers of temples get nothing. While there are no obstacles to Tazias (procession of Muslim mourners on Muharram), there are regular roadblocks to taking out immersion processions on Durga Puja and Kali Puja. Should this be allowed to continue,” Mr Shah said.

He also slammed Mamata Banerjee for spurning the invite to the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya and said, “Despite receiving a formal invitation, she did not attend the inauguration ceremony (at the Ram temple) to appease a certain vote bank. You (people) are not her vote bank, the infiltrators are. She is scared of rubbing her vote bank the wrong way.”

Also accusing the chief minister of spreading falsehoods over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), he said she was ‘misleading’ people on the central legislation that is aimed at granting asylum and permanent residency to immigrant minority settlers from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

“Mamata Banerjee is misleading the people saying the CAA could invite trouble for the people. I want to assure you all that the legislation is not aimed at bringing any harm to anyone. All bonafide citizens can go on leading their lives here with dignity. No power in the world can stop Hindu, Sikh, and Jain refugees from becoming citizens of the country,” he said, alleging that the ruling TMC was trying to turn infiltrators into Indian citizens while coming out in Opposition to the CAA, which is aimed at granting permanent residency to oppressed minorities, including the Matuas who crossed over from Bangladesh.

“I want to remind Mamata Banerjee that the central government, and not state governments, reserves the right to grant citizenship,” he added.

Assuring that the Matua community, which inhabits Bongaon and elsewhere in the North 24 Parganas, would be able to avail rights under the CAA if the BJP comes to power in Bengal, Mr Shah added, “Four phases of polling have been completed. The elections to 380 seats in the Lok Sabha, including 18 in Bengal, are done and dusted. I can tell you today, that of the 380 seats for which polling has already happened, PM Modi has secured absolute majority, winning 270 seats. The battle for us now is to cross 400-plus seats.”

Warning Mamata Banerjee that those involved in ‘scams’ wouldn’t be spared, the Union Home Minister said, “From ‘cut money’ culture to infiltration, from bomb blasts to Bhatija’s (CM’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee) goons harassing people, from ‘Syndicate Raj’ to utter lawlessness, Bengal is staring at a state of complete lawlessness. Only Narendra Modi-Ji can save the state from plunging further into the abyss. Those involved in the chit fund scam, teacher recruitment scam, municipal recruitment scam, ration scam, cow and coal smuggling should be ready to go to jail. No one will be spared.”

Amit Shah was campaigning for BJP candidate Shantanu Thakur, who is pitted against the TMC’s Biswajit Das in his bid to secure a fresh term in the Lok Sabha from Bangaon.

Polling in Bengal is being conducted across all seven phases and the counting of votes is scheduled for June 4.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

A polling officer set up a polling booth ahead of the second phase of the general elections, at a village in Barmer in the desert state of Rajasthan, India, April 25, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Lok Sabha polls 2024 | 1,202 candidates in fray in phase 2

The stage is set for polling in 88 constituencies across 13 States in the second phase of the general election on April 26 (Friday). Over 15.88 crore voters would exercise their franchise in 1.67 lakh polling stations across the country.

A total of 1,202 candidates are in the fray, including 1,098 male, 102 female and two transgender contestants.

Supreme Court verdict on April 26 on whether EVM system is transparent enough for fair elections

The Supreme Court is scheduled on April 26 to pronounce its judgment on petitions seeking a more transparent system of voting to ensure free and fair elections.

The verdict coincides with the second phase of polling for the General Elections to the Lok Sabha.

Congress names candidates for 8 Haryana Lok Sabha seats

The Congress on Thursday night released its list of candidates for eight of the nine Lok Sabha seats it is contesting in Haryana. The party is yet to decide on its candidate for the Gurgaon seat. Sushil Gupta, the State president of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the INDIA bloc ally of the Congress, is contesting from the Kurukshetra seat.

Centre allows export of 2,000 tonnes of onions

In a surprise move, the Union government on Thursday partially relaxed the indefinite ban on onion exports again, paving the way for the “immediate” export of 2,000 tonnes of white onions, primarily grown in Gujarat, from three designated ports.

Bangladesh repatriates Myanmar troops after fighting on border

Bangladesh sent home nearly 300 Myanmar troops and civil servants on Thursday who fled across the border to escape attacks on their outposts near the frontier between the two countries.

Akhilesh Yadav files nomination from Kannauj constituency

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday filed his nomination from the Kannauj Lok Sabha constituency. Akhilesh Yadav, who had won the Kannauj Lok Sabha seat first in 2000 and later represented it in 2004 and 2009, assured voters that he would complete unfinished projects, and bring love and brotherhood back to Kannauj.

2021 census delayed as BJP-led government wants to end SC/ST reservation, alleges Congress

The 2021 census has been indefinitely delayed to end reservation for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), the Congress alleged on April 25, stepping up its attack on the BJP-led government over the issue of caste enumeration.

Some campuses call in police to break up pro-Palestinian demonstrations, while others wait it out

The University of Southern California canceled its main stage graduation ceremony Thursday under new safety measures being taken as the campus is roiled by protests stemming from the Israel-Hamas war.

Pakistani Hindus in Rajasthan who missed CAA cut-off stare at uncertain future

Amid the euphoria created around the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in the ongoing general elections, a legislation which has brought respite for some, but those who came to India after December 31, 2014, have many unanswered questions. The latter now have to apply under the primary Citizenship Act, 1955, which has in the past seen the applicants waiting for years to get the same. The Pakistani Hindu families which have migrated to Barmer — bordering Pakistan — years ago feel that the CAA or citizenship law is waste until their life conditions are uplifted as many of them, even after becoming Indian citizens, continue to live in poor conditions and social stigma.

IPL-17: SRH vs RCB | All-round Royal Challengers have the measure of Sunrisers

Royal Challengers Bengaluru delivered a stunning all-round performance to upset crowd-favourite Sunrisers Hyderabad, registering a 35-run victory in their IPL league match, at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium on Thursday.

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice DY Chandrachud addresses during the 20th D.P. Kohli Memorial Lecture on Adopting Technology to Advance Criminal Justice, in New Delhi on April 1, 2024
| Photo Credit: ANI

Interplay between law and technology can ensure criminal justice reform: CJI

Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud on April 1 said that in the era of digital transformation, the interplay between law and technology can result in better crime detection and also ensure criminal justice reform.

Sounding a cautionary note, he said: “From issues of jurisdiction and privacy to questions of accountability and transparency, the integration of technology into our criminal justice system requires careful consideration of the ethical, legal, and societal implications at play.”

Lok Sabha elections | Katchatheevu issue unlikely to have electoral impact in Tamil Nadu

On March 31, Prime Minister Narendra Modi kicked up a controversy over Katchatheevu, a few weeks ahead of the Lok Sabha election in Tamil Nadu. Citing a report in a daily and posting it on “X” (formerly Twitter), he said: “Eye-opening and startling! New facts reveal how Congress callously gave away Katchatheevu…”

Yet, the utility of Katchatheevu as an electoral issue is doubtful, if one goes by the results of Lok Sabha elections in the Ramanathapuram constituency since 1977.

Arunachal Pradesh was, is, and will always be a part of India: Jaishankar

Arunachal Pradesh was, is and will always be a part of India, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on April 1 in response to China renaming yet another 30 places in the State, which it claims as ‘south Tibet’. The development follows closely after the recent visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the State for the inauguration of the Sela tunnel, built at an altitude of 13,000 ft.

New rule brings relief for passengers stuck in planes for delay in take-off

Long delays due to reasons such as poor weather have on occasions forced airlines to confine passengers for up to 12 hours within an aircraft waiting on ground for its turn for a take-off. But this is set to change soon.

After reprieve on I-T notice, Congress says issue larger than tax demand

The Congress on April 1 welcomed the reprieve it got from the Income Tax (I-T) department on the tax demand of ₹3,500 crore, but said the entire episode raises issues that are larger than a tax demand.

Taking to X, former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram asked if demands can be raised on a political party when all political parties are exempt from income tax. “I welcome the Solicitor General’s statement in Court that no coercive steps will be taken to enforce the Income Tax demands on the Congress party. There are issues larger than a demand for income tax,” Mr Chidambaram said.

Guards among 8 reported killed in Israeli strike on Iran consular annex in Syria

Israeli air strikes destroyed the Iranian embassy’s consular annex in Syria on April 1, killing and wounding everyone inside, Damascus said as Iranian state TV reported a Revolutionary Guards commander among the dead.

Britain-based war monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said eight people, including several Guards members, were killed when “Israeli missiles… destroyed the building of an annex to the Iranian embassy”.

In Rajasthan, an RSS group issues CAA eligibility certificates to Hindus from Pakistan

For the past one week, a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-affiliated group has been organising camps and issuing “eligibility certificates” to members of the Hindu community from Pakistan to help them apply for citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA).

India’s defence exports crossed all-time high of ₹21,000 crore: Rajnath

India’s defence exports crossed ₹21,000 crore, approximately $2.63 billion, for the first time, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced on April 1. The recent figures indicated that the defence exports have grown by 31 times in the past 10 years as compared to FY 2013-14, the Ministry said.

ECI censures Dilip Ghosh and Supriya Shrinate for making derogatory remarks against women

Censuring Bharatiya Janata Party leader Dilip Ghosh and Congress’ Supriya Shrinate, the Election Commission of India on April 1 said it was convinced that the two leaders made “low-level personal attacks” against women and thus violated the provisions of Model Code of Conduct.

New toll rates on highways to be effective only after Lok Sabha election

The Election Commission (EC) has asked State-owned NHAI to go ahead with the calculation of new toll rates on highways, which kicks in annually from April 1 across most of the tolled highway stretches in the country, but said the new user fees should be applicable only after the Lok Sabha elections.

NC fields candidate from Mufti’s bastion Anantnag, ends prospects of alliance with PDP

The National Conference (NC) on April 1 nominated senior leader Mian Altaf as its candidate for the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat, putting an end to the Congress’ efforts to stitch together a pre-poll alliance between INDIA bloc members, including the NC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the Kashmir valley.

Rise in demand for MGNREGS a ‘living monument’ of govt. failure, says Jairam Ramesh

Reacting to the latest statistics of the flagship rural employment guarantee scheme showing that demand for work is more than the pre-pandemic level and on a steady rise, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said it is a “living monument” to the Narendra Modi government’s many failures.

Netanyahu vows to shut down ‘terror channel’ Al Jazeera from broadcasting in Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will shut down satellite broadcaster Al Jazeera immediately. Mr. Netanyahu vowed to close the “terror channel” after parliament passed a law Monday clearing the way for the country to halt Al Jazeera from broadcasting from Israel.

IPL-17: MI vs RR | Boult bullies and Chahal bamboozles as Rajasthan crushes Mumbai

Rohit Sharma, the India captain, was cheered. Hardik Pandya was jeered, and cheered as well. Neither Rohit, who continued to be worshipped despite being replaced as Mumbai Indians skipper, nor Hardik, his successor, could withstand the Rajasthan Royals onslaught.

Krishananagar:

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday mocked the BJP’s target of winning 400-plus seats in the Lok Sabha polls and challenged the saffron camp to win at least 200 constituencies.

Ms Banerjee also asserted that she won’t allow the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act in the state.

She cautioned people that applying for CAA would turn an applicant into a foreigner and urged them not to apply for it.

“The BJP is saying “400 paar”, I challenge them to cross the 200 seats benchmark first. In 2021 assembly polls, they gave a call of 200 plus seats but had to stop at 77,” she said.

“The CAA is a trap to turn legal citizens into foreigners. We would allow neither CAA nor NRC in West Bengal,” she said while addressing her first rally in the election season after her injury earlier this month.

Ms Banerjee, the TMC supremo, slammed the opposition bloc INDIA partners — CPI(M) and Congress — for “joining hands with the BJP” in West Bengal.

“There is no INDIA alliance in West Bengal. The CPI(M) and Congress are working for the BJP in Bengal,” she said while addressing an election rally at Krishnanagar in support of TMC candidate Mahua Moitra.

“Our MP Mahua Moitra was maligned and expelled from the Lok Sabha as she was vocal against the BJP,” she added. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Members of All Assam Student Union (AASU) Sonitpur Unit participate in a Mashal Rally as a protest march after the Central Government notified the rules for implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019, at Tezpur in Sonitpur.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Citizenship (Amendment) Act Rules silent on fate of rejected applicants

As applications start coming in through the online citizenship portal of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), some potential applicants are worried about their fate if rejected. The law’s Rules, notified earlier this month, are silent regarding any review process for applications rejected by the empowered committees which have the final authority to accord citizenship under the Act.

Lok Sabha elections | BJP names 11 more candidates; Mahtab from Cuttack, ex-ambassador Sandhu from Amritsar

The BJP on March 30 named its candidates for 11 more Lok Sabha constituencies, fielding a number of leaders who joined it from different parties recently such as Bhartruhari Mahtab, Ravneet Singh Bittu, Sushil Kumar Rinku and Preneet Kaur.

All these leaders have been fielded from the seats they represent in the outgoing Lok Sabha, while former Indian ambassador to the U.S. Taranjit Singh Sandhu will be making his poll debut from Amritsar.

Congress targets Modi govt., BJP over CBI closure report in Air India corruption case during Praful Patel’s tenure

Targeting the Narendra Modi-led government and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) closure report in a 2017 corruption case involving Air India during former Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel’s tenure, the Congress on Saturday held a press conference with a washing machine and a detergent powder to underscore how “stains” against politicians are “washed away” the moment they join the BJP or become a part of its alliance.

ED must probe ‘direct nexus’ between BJP and South lobby, says AAP

Claiming that it had found “another link” between the witnesses in the alleged Delhi excise scam and the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday demanded that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) — if it claimed to be an “independent body” — investigate the links between the “South lobby” and the saffron party.

Many countries yet to fully implement steps to prevent misuse of virtual assets, says FATF

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog, has found that many countries are yet to fully implement its requirements aimed at preventing misuse of virtual assets and virtual asset service providers (VASPs).

Left wants to iron out differences on candidates with Congress, Indian Secular Front in West Bengal

Left Front chairperson Biman Basu on March 30 joined senior Congress leader and Kolkata Uttar Lok Sabha candidate Pradip Bhattacharya as the Congress nominee began his election campaign from Gandhi Bhawan in the city’s Beleghata area. Mr. Basu said the Left Front and Congress are united as a third alternative against the Trinamool Congress and the BJP.

Rajnath Singh to head BJP’s manifesto committee; Nirmala Sitharaman to be convener

BJP president J.P. Nadda on March 30 notified the setting up of the party’s manifesto committee for the Lok Sabha election. The committee is to be headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. 

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be the committee’s convener, and another Union Minister, Piyush Goyal, its co-convener. The Chief Ministers of four States — Bhupendra Patel of Gujarat, Himanta Biswa Sarma of Assam, Mohan Yadav of Madhya Pradesh, and Vishnu Deo Sai of Chattisgarh are also members of this 27-member committee.

It’s Pawar vs Pawar in Baramati: Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra fielded against Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule

The ruling Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party on Saturday officially announced the name of Mr. Pawar’s wife, Sunetra Pawar, as the Mahayuti’s candidate for the high-stakes Baramati Lok Sabha seat in Pune district.

Ms. Sunetra will be pitted against Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule, the incumbent Baramati MP, whose candidature was also announced on March 30 in the first list of five Lok Sabha candidates put out by the Opposition NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) faction.

Congress seeks to downplay Pappu Yadav’s Purnea claim

“We are not bothered who is saying what as we are focused on doing our best in the nine seats that has been allotted to us,” said a senior Congress leader, trying to downplay the threat of five-term MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav standing as rebel candidate from Purnea seat.

“Look at Nikhil babu [former IPS officer Nikhil Kumar]. He can’t contest from the Aurangabad but he hasn’t made any public statement. We won’t be encouraging any friendly fight at Purnea,”the leader added.

250 rescued from cyber fraud centres abroad: Ministry of External Affairs

The Union government is “collaborating closely” with Cambodian authorities and has rescued about 250 Indians from Cambodia, who had been lured there by cyber fraud and fake online recruitment scams, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Saturday. About 75 of them have returned to India over the past three months.

Nine pirates being brought to India to face legal action: Indian Navy

A day after rescuing a hijacked Iranian fishing vessel and its 23-member Pakistani crew under an anti-piracy operation at sea, the Indian Navy on March 30 said the nine surrendered pirates are being brought to India for further legal action.

Anticipatory bail must not be norm in many cases, rules Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has in a judgment said that bail may be the rule in many cases, but anticipatory bail is certainly not the norm

.A Bench of Justices C.T. Ravikumar and Sanjay Kumar said the power of the courts to grant anticipatory or pre-arrest bail is an extraordinary one, and not to be given for the asking.

IPL-17: LSG vs PBKS | Mayank Yadav breathes fire as LSG subdues PBKS

Say hello to Mayank Yadav. He is that rare Indian cricketer: the genuine fast bowler. And he announced his arrival in stunning fashion.

Not merely the 21-year-old bowled the fastest ball of the season, he also took the first three wickets of Punjab Kings to help Lucknow Super Giants register a 21–run win — its first in the 17th edition of the IPL — at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Stadium on Saturday night.

U.S. Senator Ben Cardin.
| Photo Credit: AFP

A powerful American senator has expressed concern over the Indian government notifying rules for the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, saying that as the U.S.-India relationship deepens, it is important that the cooperation is based on shared values of protecting human rights of all, regardless of religion.

The Indian government implemented the CAA last week, paving the way for the grant of citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014.

The government also came out with a press statement to say that Indian Muslims need not worry as the CAA will not impact their citizenship and has nothing to do with the community, which enjoys equal rights as Hindus.

“I am deeply concerned by the Indian government’s decision to notify its controversial Citizenship Amendment Act, particularly the law’s potential ramifications on India’s Muslim community. Making matters worse is the fact that it is being pushed during the holy month of Ramzan,” Senator Ben Cardin, chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement.

“As the US-India relationship deepens, it is critically important that our cooperation is based on our shared values of protecting the human rights of all persons, regardless of religion,” he said.

Also read | Citizenship Amendment Act: Legal issues and status of judicial proceedings | Explained

Last week, the U.S. State Department expressed concern over the notifying of the CAA and said that respect for religious freedom and equal treatment under the law for all communities are fundamental democratic principles.

India had sharply rebuked the U.S. State Department for its criticism of the CAA and said it is “misinformed and unwarranted.”

In separate statements, the Hindu Policy Research and Advocacy Collective (HinduPACT) and the Global Hindu Heritage Foundation supported the CAA.

The legislation provides expedited citizenship to persecuted Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain and Parsi minorities from India’s neighbouring countries. It underscores India’s dedication to safeguarding individuals and families against religious persecution, resonating with global humanitarian principles, they said.

“The CAA does not impact any citizen of India. The characterisation of this law as being non-secular is unfounded. Hindu minority is discriminated against and decimated in India’s neighbourhood. As Americans, we are disappointed that instead of standing for American values and the human rights of the persecuted, our government has chosen to oppose this humanitarian effort,” said Ajay Shah, founder and co-convenor of HinduPACT.

Deepti Mahajan, co-convenor of HinduPACT, said it is shocking to see the lack of empathy towards the plight of little girls from Hindu, Sikh and Christian minority communities in Pakistan.

“According to the UN Human Rights Commission, BBC and APPG reports, on average, 1,000 girls a year, as little as 10 years old, get abducted, converted, and become victims of sex slavery and forced marriages in Pakistan. Instead of calling out the government of Pakistan for its complicity in this ongoing heartbreaking act, the State Department seeks to criticise the Government of India’s effort to help these innocent victims,” she said.

The Global Hindu Heritage Foundation’s V.S. Naipaul said, “The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 addresses the plight of minorities, who are facing brutalities, persecution, forced conversion, murders, rapes, and all kinds of atrocities in our neighbouring Islamic countries, where the idea of secularism, peace and humanity just cannot survive.”

New Delhi:

Lawyer Harish Salve has pointed out those criticising the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) do not fully understand the objective of this law or the context behind why India decided on notifying the CAA.

In an exclusive interview to NDTV on Saturday, Mr Salve explained the CAA is in harmony with constitutional morality and constitutional legality.

The CAA will help minorities from three neighbouring Islamic nations fast-track their Indian citizenship process if they fled due to religious persecution.

“The Home Minister has explained the context of the law, and the context of the law is that there was an Indian subcontinent prior to 1947. Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and what is now known as Bangladesh were very much a part of it. And this was liberal. Of course there were principalities, but India was liberal. My wife comes from Afghanistan. She grew up there in the 60s and 70s. She says it was a very liberal society. Their understanding was first the family, then community, then the religion. Now, things have changed,” Mr Salve told NDTV.

“Things changed in Pakistan which has declared itself an Islamic state. Bangladesh also calls itself an Islamic republic. And we all know Afghanistan’s misfortune with the Taliban,” he said.

“In a situation like this, the Home Minister has said, how the non-Islamic population in these countries has dropped dramatically. So if India says people who are of Indian ethnicity, of the Indian subcontinent, the Zoroastrians, Sikhs, Christians, Hindus… They will get fast-track citizenship since they are not allowed to practice their own religion freely in these Islamic states. A theocratic State by definition has a State religion,” Mr Salve said.

“So, if we fast-track their citizenship, if we say we will fit them into Indian society, I don’t see where the constitutional morality gets affected by this?” the top lawyer told NDTV.

On why India did not include communities like Rohingya as they too are persecuted, Mr Salve said this is where the question of constitutional legality comes in.

Giving an example, he said people pay different rates of taxes depending on their income, but that is not discrimination.

“People below a particular income level are given so many things which are not given to others. An ideal welfare state would give fully free healthcare and education. Would India want to do that someday? Of course, India would. But today you have to be below a particular income level to get them because it’s a question of resources.

“The argument of discrimination is about what if you discriminate between people? This is what we constitutional lawyers call over-classification. That if people of the same class are left out of benefits being given, then you call it discrimination. For this, it becomes very necessary to define a class.

“If you make differential treatment, that must be in a nexus with the object to achieve. What is the class? The class is the minorities in the three neighbouring Islamic states. That is the class. What is the object to achieve? That the minorities in Islamic states are by definition of theocratic States treated differently from the majority or the State religion.

“The object to be achieved is these are minorities of Indian ethnicity, who are discriminated against, and the class is them, therefore we fit them in… It is perfectly constitutionally permissible in my point of view,” Mr Salve explained.

Referring to the Rohingya issue, he said it is possible that even within a theocratic State, people of the State religion are treated differently.

“But can you deny the fact that in a State religion, there is a State religion and there are religions discouraged by the State. These are the classifications. We are not fixing the problems of the Islamic faith. We would be stepping out of line if we were to do that,” Mr Salve told NDTV.

“How would somebody like if Pakistan said certain communities of Hindus are not properly treated in India, that it would give free citizenship and money. We would then say, ‘don’t poke your nose in our affairs’. Islam is a religion. And if Islam is not being properly administered, it is for the people of the Islamic faith to fix it,” he said.

The CAA’s implementation was a major campaign platform for the BJP before the 2019 election. Home Minister Amit Shah has accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee – who has long been one of the CAA’s fiercest and most vocal critics – of deliberately misleading the people of her state on this topic.

Permanent Representative of India to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj. File
| Photo Credit: ANI

India has slammed Pakistan and described it as a “broken record” that remains stagnant while the world progresses, after Islamabad’s envoy made references to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) during remarks to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA.)

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj said this while responding to comments made by Pakistan’s Ambassador Munir Akram during the plenary meeting on March 15 where the resolution ‘Measures to combat Islamophobia’, introduced by Pakistan, was adopted by the 193-member UN General Assembly.

“One final point concerns a delegation (and its remarks) that, much like a broken record, remains sadly stagnant while the world progresses,” she said.

Mr. Akram made references to the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya as well as to the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Ms. Kamboj said it is “unfortunate indeed to witness this delegation’s limited and misguided perspective on matters relating to my country, the more so, when the General Assembly considers a matter that demands wisdom, depth, and a global outlook from the entire membership – perhaps not the forte of this delegation.” Ms. Kamboj delivered a statement in explanation of India’s position during the adoption of the resolution on ‘Measures to combat Islamophobia’ at the UNGA.

The General Assembly adopted the resolution, with 115 nations voting in favour, none against and 44 abstentions, including India, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Ukraine and the UK.