CAA will not be implemented in Bengal as long as I am alive: Mamata
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said that as long as she is alive the Citizenship (Amendment) Act will not be implemented in Bengal.
“As long as I am alive CAA will not be implemented in Bengal. No one has to leave the country or the state. There won’t be any detention center in Bengal,” Ms. Banerjee said.
Supporting the students’ protest across the country against the contentious CAA, she wondered why they can vote to elect a government on turning 18 but not have the right to protest. “Why can’t students protest against a draconian law? The Centre is taking action against protesting students and is rusticating them from universities,” she added. (PTI)
NRC, NPR attack on poor like demonetisation: Rahul Gandhi
Likening the National Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) with demonetisation, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said these exercises are “tax” on the poor, who will suffer the same way they did after the note ban in November 2016.
He was talking to reporters at the airport here after attending the inaugural function of the National Tribal Dance Festival.
“Whether NPR or NRC, it is a tax on poor people of the country. You understand demonestisation. It was a tax on poor people. Go to banks and give your money but do not withdraw money from your account. Entire money went to the pocket of 15-20 rich people. This (NPR or NRC) is the same thing,” he said.
Mamata to attend swearing-in ceremony of Hemant Soren
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is likely to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Hemant Soren as Jharkhand chief minister, to be held in Ranchi on December 29, TMC sources said.
“We share a very good relationship with Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Hemant Soren. So far, it has been decided that our party supremo along with some senior leaders would attend Soren’s swearing-in ceremony on December 29,” a senior TMC leader said.
More trouble over Cabinet expansion in Maharashtra
The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government’s troubles over Cabinet expansion seem to be far from over.
With a possibility that the Home ministry may go back to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), a section within the Congress is now reportedly staking claim to Deputy Chief Ministership saying the allotted portfolios to the party are not satisfactory.
Asked whether the party is unhappy over the allotted portfolios, Maharashtra Congress president and Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat said, “it is natural for every party to wish for important departments. At the same time it has to be taken in to account that there are three parties in this government. It is possible that someone would feel different about the portfolio distribution.” The MVA government, he added, works as per the Common Minimum Program (CMP) and will continue to do so.
Delhi voters will punish divisive gang, says Amit Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said it was time to “punish” the “tukde tukde gang under the leadership of the Congress”, which was responsible for “disrupting the peace” in Delhi during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). The people of Delhi would punish them, he stated, referring to the coming Assembly elections.
Mr. Shah’s statement comes in the wake of protests against the CAA across the country, including in Delhi, where violence broke out during some of the protests.
When the Citizenship Amendment Bill was discussed in Parliament, “no one was willing to say anything”, but then they started “misleading” people, he said at a ceremony for laying the foundation for the East Delhi Hub at Karkardooma.
Panchayat polls in Rajasthan next month
Over 9,000 panchayats will go to the polls in Rajasthan next month, said an official here on Thursday.
The elections to elect 9,171 sarpanches and 90,400 panches will be held in three phases on January 17, 22 and 29. Polling will held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the counting will be held on the same day.
As many as 34,525 polling booths had been set up for elections to 9,171 pachayats, said State Election Commissioner P.S. Mehra on Thursday.
As many as 3.08 crore voters will exercise their franchise.
Setback to TDP as Rehaman quits party
TDP urban unit president S.A. Rehaman resigned from the party here on Thursday.
Addressing the media here, Dr. Rehaman said that he was upset with the stand taken by party national president N. Chandrababu Naidu on the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
“On behalf of the Muslim community, we have asked Mr. Naidu to make his stand clear on the NRC and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Instead of encouraging the ongoing agitation, he has asked us to take up protests against Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy for taking a U- turn on the issue,” Dr. Rehaman said.
( With inputs from our Correspondents and agencies )
