Human Rights

Kolkata, Dec 26 (PTI) Asserting that peaceful protests will continue as long as the new citizenship law is not withdrawn, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday warned the BJP against "playing with fire".

Speaking at a protest rally in the city, the Trinamool Congress supremo accused the BJP of not keeping its promises, and referred to Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa's remark about putting on hold compensation to families of two people killed in police firing on anti-CAA protesters in Mangaluru.

New Delhi, Dec 26 (PTI) Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday alleged that the National Population Register (NPR) approved by the BJP government was different and dangerous in terms of the "text and context" of the data collection done in 2010.

Charging that the BJP government has a "sinister agenda", he said if the BJP's motives are bonafide, the Government should unconditionally state that they support the NPR form and design of 2010 and do not intend to link it to the controversial NRC.

Aurangabad, Dec 26 (PTI) Shiv Sena MP Hemant Patil on Thursday claimed that a letter purportedly pledging his support to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act is "fake".

His comments came after reports in a section of media said the lawmaker wrote to the administration of his constituency Hingoli in Maharashtra in support of the amended citizenship law and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), which the Shiv Sena leadership has criticised.

Mumbai, Dec 26 (PTI) In a veiled dig at former ally BJP, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday said arrogance often leads to downfall of people.

The remark came in the backdrop of the BJP's tough stand over protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and National Register of Citizens (NRC).

"Toofan mein kashtian aur ghamand mein hastiyan aksar doob jaati hain" (ships in a storm and personalities due to arrogance often sink), Raut said in a tweet.

Guwahati, Dec 26 (PTI) The NIA on Thursday searched the residence of arrested RTI activist Akhil Gogoi here, and seized several documents and a laptop computer, officials said.

The activist, who advises various farmer organisations, was arrested when Assam was witnessing widespread protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

Chennai, Dec 26 (PTI) Protests against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act continued here on Thursday, with an assorted group of activists including writers staging a demonstration against the legislation.

Writers and social activists participated in the demo against the amended Citizenship Act, and were joined by various political parties and organisations opposed to the CAA.

Lucknow, Dec 26 (PTI) Alleging that the BJP government was afraid of Hindu-Muslim unity, Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday sought to know when a probe into "police brutality" during widespread protest in the state against Citizenship Amendment Act will be ordered.

"The government is afraid of Hindu-Muslim unity. It is making allegations that people are criminals. It wants to confiscate property of the poor. It is commenting on people's dress... Threatening to take revenge from citizens.

Kanpur (UP), Dec 25 (PTI) A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted on Wednesday to probe cases of rioting registered here during recent protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

The SIT will be headed by Additional SP (Crime) Rajesh Yadav, IG (Kanpur range) Mohit Agarwal said.

Other members of the team will include Circle Officer (Anwarganj), Station House Officer (Kakadev), SHO (Barra), a police Sub-Inspector and a prosecution officer, he said.

Sambalpur (Odisha), Dec 25 (PTI) BJP National Secretary Suresh Pujari Wednesday said the party will not backtrack on implementing the national register of citizens (NRC) as it is essential for the security and self respect of the country.

NRC, he said, is in the interests of the country.

Pujari, who is the MP of neighbouring Bargarh, told a press conference here that intruders are availing of all the government benefits and the political parties are using them as vote banks.

Guwahati, Dec 24 (PTI) Tens of thousands of people hit the streets across Assam on Tuesday at the call of AASU, Congress and several other groups to peacefully protest against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

The largest gathering was in Dibrugarh, the hometown of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. A large number of people assembled at Chowkidinghee playground at a programme by All Assam Students' Union (AASU), which is spearheading the protests.