1. UN Body Goes to SC on CAA; ‘Internal Matter’, Says Govt
For the first time in India’s judicial history, a United Nations body — the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) — on Tuesday, 3 March, sought to intervene as amicus curiae, or friend of the court, to assist the Supreme Court in adjudicating the constitutional validity of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).
The UNHCHR said while CAA has a “worthy and commendable objective”, it appears to discriminate against persecuted Muslim communities.
The ministry of external affairs swiftly hit back, saying it was an “internal matter” and that “no foreign party has any locus standi on issues pertaining to India’s sovereignty” and “the Indian Parliament’s right to make law”.
(Source: The Times of India)
2. Search on for Infected, Virus Footprint Expands
At least 46 people in the Delhi-NCR region – and about 100 others across the country – have been quarantined, isolated or put under watch for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), officials said on Tuesday as they launched a massive contact-tracing operation for new infections and ordered reinforcing of healthcare facilities to stave off a full-blown epidemic.
Experts said that there was no need for panic, but urged people to follow hygiene and reporting protocols.
The identified people are believed to have been in close contact with three confirmed patients – a tourist from Italy, a Delhi resident who flew back from Italy via Vienna last month, and a Bengaluru-based engineer who returned from Dubai and went on to travel to Hyderabad even as he had symptoms of the infection.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
3. WhatsApp Groups Created to Spread Hate Just Before Delhi Violence: Police
As tensions rose in northeast Delhi on 23 February following a rally by BJP’s Kapil Mishra to oppose anti-CAA protesters gathering at Jafrabad Metro station, members of both communities created several WhatsApp groups to circulate inflammatory texts, audio and video messages and rally the crowds, a police probe has found.
The bulk of WhatsApp groups were created between 23 and 24 February . The Indian Express has learnt that several old videos, not linked to northeast Delhi, were forwarded as those of current incidents to inflame passions.
For instance, one video showed men taking out guns from boxes of ghee for distribution. Police later found that the video was from a press conference held by Delhi Police when they had arrested gun-runners last year.
(Source: The Indian Express)
4. After NCP's 5% Muslim Quota Promise, Thackeray Says No Such Proposal Before Govt
In a snub to an NCP minister, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday, 4 March, said there is no proposal on Muslim reservation before the state government.
On Friday last week, Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik informed the Legislative Council that the state government will provide 5 percent quota to Muslims in education.
Malik had announced that the bill regarding this will be introduced in the ongoing budget session of the legislative assembly.
When asked about this by reporters at Vidhan Bhawan in south Mumbai, where the budget session of the state legislature is underway, Thackeray said, “No proposal has come to me regarding Muslim reservation. We will check its validity once it comes to us. We have not taken any decision yet on it.”
(Source: DNA)
5. Pulwama Terror Attack | NIA Arrests Man, Daughter
A man and his daughter were arrested on Tuesday, 4 March, from Pulwama’s Hakripora village for allegedly sheltering the local suicide bomber who attacked a CRPF convoy last year in Pulwama that left 40 jawans dead. Their house was allegedly used to shoot the bomber’s last video by the Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM).
They were identified as Tariq Ahmed Shah, 50, a driver by profession, and Insha Jan, 23.
“Ms Jan facilitated the terrorists at their home and provided food and other logistics on more than 15 occasions during 2018 and 2019. She was in constant touch with Muhammad Umar Farooq, a Pakistani improvised explosive device (IED) maker, over telephone and other social media applications,” an NIA spokesman said.
(Source: The Hindu)
6. PM Narendra Modi Reveals Twitter Mystery
After sending the social media users into a tizzy and igniting speculations that he was “thinking of giving up my social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & YouTube” the coming Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, 4 March, ended the speculation by saying that he will be handing over his social media accounts to women who inspire, on 8 March which is celebrated as the Women’s Day.
“This Women’s Day (8 March), I will give away my social media accounts to women whose life & work inspire us. This will help them ignite motivation in millions....Are you such a woman or do you know such inspiring women? Share such stories using #SheInspiresUs,” tweeted the Prime Minister.
(Source: Deccan Chronicle)
7. Modi Targets Manmohan Over Use of 'Bharat Mata', 'Vande Mataram' Slogans
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, 4 March, targeted his predcessor Manmohan Singh over his allegation of misuse of slogans such as 'Vande Mataram' and 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'.
“Raising slogans such as Vande Mataram and Bharat Mata ki Jai is now being portrayed as a crime,” Modi said without mentioning Singh in his address to the BJP Parliamentary Party meeting.
The Prime Minister skipped any mention of the Delhi riots in his speech, but harped on the need to maintain peace, harmony and unity to ensure that the fruits of development reach one and all.
(Source: Deccan Herald)
8. BJP Leader Kapil Mishra is Protected by Nine Guards
BJP leader Kapil Mishra, whose incendiary speech is being blamed for instigating the Delhi riots in which at least 48 Indians have been killed, has nine guards protecting him round the clock on the orders of the Union home ministry that reports to Amit Shah.
Sources said the Y-category security cover for Mishra, a former AAP MLA who was suspended by the party in 2017 and joined the BJP ahead of last month’s Delhi Assembly elections, is not new and was sanctioned in 2017.
“But after a few months he said he didn’t need Y security cover and requested us to provide him with one armed personal security staff,” a Delhi police official said on condition of anonymity.
(Source: The Telegraph)
9. Delhi Riots: Man Who Pointed Gun at Unarmed Policeman Arrested from UP
Shahrukh Pathan, whose video of confronting a policeman while brandishing a gun at him during violence at northeast Delhi’s Maujpur last week went viral, was arrested from Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli district, police said on Tuesday, 4 March.
Addressing a press conference, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) AK Singhla said Pathan (23) fled to Punjab after his video was widely circulated on social media and shown on news channels.
Later, he hid at a friend’s house in Shamli, he added.
Based on information received and extensive discreet inquiries conducted in different parts of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, the police zeroed in on the area around Shamli and Kairana, Singhla said.
(Source: The Tribune)
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