1. Two FIRs Lodged Against Dilip Ghosh
Two police cases have been started against Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh over incendiary remarks.
Trinamool Congress leaders in Nadia’s Ranaghat and North 24-Parganas’ Habra on Tuesday lodged the complaints against Ghosh who had said “shaitans were shot like dogs by our governments” in Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka during CAA protests.
Acting on a complaint lodged by Krishnendu Banerjee, Trinamool’s Ranaghat town committee secretary, the police have begun a case against Ghosh for criminal intimidation, promoting enmity and hatred between religious groups and intention to cause injury.
In Habra, Trinamool’s town committee president Sitanshu Das lodged a similar complaint against Ghosh and the police charged the BJP leader with public mischief by spreading hatred and enmity.
(Source: The Telegraph)
2. Govt Surveys Halted Over NRC Panic
The Birbhum administration has decided to halt all government surveys in Nalhati and adjoining areas after residents gheraoed a block development on Monday over suspicion that data were being collecting for a possible NRC.
“We are not ready to take any risk as people are panicking over any kind of survey or data collection. They suspect that any collection of information is connected with an NRC-like exercise. We have decided to stop visits of surveyors from the health department for the time being,” said Jagadish Prasad Barui, the block development officer of Nalhati I.
Barui was gheraoed by residents of Basanta village for over two hours when he went to the area following a protest against volunteers of a Delhi-based NGO collecting data to assess rural women’s awareness of the Internet and smartphones on Monday afternoon. The villagers had detained a girl, who was among the volunteers, accusing her of collecting data for the NRC.
(Source: The Telegraph)
3. Students Donate ‘Gifts of Survival’ To Women Protesting At Park Circus
The protesters at Park Circus Maidan, who have been braving the cold to stage a sit-in demonstration against the CAA and NRC, have received “gifts” from three students to see them through the trying times.
Md Masoom Rana Dewan, Debkanya Halder and their friend distributed sanitary napkins, bottled water and a bag full of biscuits to the women who have been stationed at the maidan for the past one week without even basic amenities, like washroom, running water and shelter from the biting cold. The three have also urged citizens to support the movement by donating shawls, bed sheets, bottled water and packaged food, rudimentary everyday items that the protesters need.
(Source: The Times Of India)
4. Two JU Students Beaten Up By BJP Workers
Two students at Jadavpur University were reportedly attacked by BJP supporters near the Bikramgarh market in Tollygunge on Tuesday evening.
Trouble started after BJP workers, who had organised a programme to garner support for CAA, allegedly badmouthed JU and its students for supporting the anti-CAA protests. An argument broke out between the BJP workers and the JU students, who were at the spot. Soon, it snowballed into a fight, with the BJP supporters allegedly beating the two up.
But before it could spiral out of control, cops reined them in. No complaint was lodged till late. Several students took to social media to write about the attack and requested others to assemble to neutralise further attacks by BJP supporters.
(Source: The Times Of India)
5. Patient Denied Wheelchair at Airport, Airline Says Sorry
A spinal patient travelling to Coimbatore for surgery on low-cost carrier SpiceJet was refused a wheelchair by an airline executive at the Kolkata airport’s check-in counter on Tuesday. All pleas and arguments by Mamta Agarwala — who was plainly in discomfort — and her husband fell on deaf ears.
Even efforts by other passengers to make the airline staff see reason failed. It was only when the matter was brought to the notice of the airport director that Mamta was issued a wheelchair. Later, a SpiceJet spokesperson issued a statement saying “any shortcoming is deeply regretted”.
Mamta’s airport trauma began around 10.15am, when she and her husband, Tolaram, arrived at departure gate 2A. When she inquired about a wheelchair, the CISF personnel at the gate told her she would have to make the request at the SpiceJet counter. Leaning on a luggage trolley for support, she made her way to the portal that has SpiceJet counters. There, she was directed to counter No. 15.
When she made the request at the counter, the executive said it wouldn’t be possible. “Why did you not make the request at the time of booking the tickets? It is not possible to get a wheelchair now,” the executive reportedly told Mamta.
(Source: The Times Of India)
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