1. Visva-Bharati Probe Panel
Visva-Bharati has constituted a three-member committee headed by a former chief justice of Calcutta High Court to investigate the “confinement” of Rajya Sabha member Swapan Dasgupta at the varsity on January 8 and the “clash between students” on Wednesday.
The committee will be headed by former Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court Jyotirmay Bhattacharya and also have as members Dulal Chandra Ghosh and Manju Mohan Mukherjee of Visva-Bharati’s executive council.
(Source: The Telegraph)
2. Aadhaar, Voter ID Are No Proof of Citizenship: Dilip
Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh, taking a cue from Union home minister Amit Shah, has said that Aadhaar card and voter ID are no proof of citizenship.
“Having an Aadhaar card and voter card doesn’t entitle one to be a citizen,” Ghosh told a party gathering in Howrah on Friday, days after chief minister Mamata Banerjee urged people to get their names correctly enrolled in the voters’ list. “Get your names correctly enrolled in the voters’ list and leave the rest to us,” the CM had said.
(Source: The Times of India)
3. Park Circus Protesters Get Bio-Toilets, Running Water
Women protesting against CAA and NRC at Park Circus Maidan got some relief on Friday with the KMC providing them with bio-toilets and making arrangements for running water at the venue.
More than 250 women — with their children in tow — have been camping at Park Circus Maidan since 7 January to protest against CAA and NRC. The peaceful protest has also been referred to as Kolkata’s Shaheen Bag, referring to the venue at the Capital where thousands of women have been protesting since 15 December.
Civic officials have installed four bio-toilets and stationed two water tankers inside Park Circus Maidan after they received criticism for ignoring the plight of women protesting there. The women were spending nights under the sky in the biting cold and had just one washroom at a nearby mosque that they could use. They also didn’t have permission to use microphones.
(Source: The Times of India)
4. Parentage Jibe From Dilip
Dilip Ghosh on Friday questioned the parentage of those protesting the Narendra Modi government’s new citizenship regime, a day after winning a second term as the BJP’s Bengal chief and promising to only make more harsh remarks.
The Midnapore MP, who led an Abhinandan Yatra of the BJP in Howrah in favour of the amended citizenship law, made the comment to loud cheers and slogans of “Jai Sri Ram”.
“Amader ma-baap thik achhe, amader chinta nai. Jader ma-baap thik nei, tader chinta achhe (Our parentage is certain, we have no worry. Those whose parentage is not certain, they have to worry),” said Ghosh. “That is why they are misguiding people. Tell them, ‘first rectify your parents, rectify what you say’.”
(Source: The Telegraph)
5. Adhir Plays Down Bengal Move to Skip NPR Meeting
Lok Sabha Congress leader Adhir Chowdhury has played down the Bengal government’s decision to not send officials to Delhi for the NPR meet. “The meeting was called by the census commissioner. He didn’t invite any chief minister. State officials were called to discuss how to conduct the census and decide on parameters for conducting NPR,” he said.
Chowdhury pointed out that people had every right to oppose NPR parameters and tell officials they wouldn’t give the documents asked for. “But that is on the ground. That is more important than not sending state officials to Delhi. It doesn’t tie in with the CM calling on the PM at Raj Bhavan,” he said.
(Source: The Times of India)
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