1. No One Needs to Fear About CAA, NPR: Thackeray After Meeting PM Modi
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday in the national capital, said that no one needs to fear the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and asserted that the National Population Register (NPR) is not going to throw anyone out.
“I had a good discussion with the Prime Minister over issues concerning Maharashtra. I also discussed the CAA, NPR and NRC with the Prime Minister. No one needs to fear about the CAA. The NPR is not going to throw anyone out of the country,” the Shiv Sena chief said after his meeting concluded.
(Source: The Indian Express)
2. Fresh Allegations of Sexual Assault Surface Against Rape-Accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal
Embattled Catholic Bishop Franco Mulakkal, who is currently on trial for allegedly raping a nun several times at a convent in Kerala between 2014 and 2016, is facing accusations of sexual assault again.
Fresh allegations have surfaced after a nun, who is at present a witness in the ongoing trial against the bishop, has issued a statement that Mulakkal hugged her and forcibly kissed her on the forehead at the convent in April 2017.
The witness’ statement, which the Indian Express accessed, says the assault occurred at the end of a two-hour interaction in his room at the convent. The statement is part of a detailed chargesheet filed by the local police in April 2019.
(Source: The Indian Express)
3. Giriraj Singh’s Latest: India Paying Price for Not Sending Muslims to Pakistan
In yet another controversial statement, Union Minister Giriraj Singh Friday said that the country is paying the price for failure to send Muslims to Pakistan and bring Hindus to India after the Islamic Republic came into being at the time of Independence.
“When our forefathers were fighting for Independence from British rule, Jinnah was pushing for the creation of an Islamic state,” the BJP leader said in Purnea district of Bihar which has a sizeable Muslim population.
Highlighting the need for legislation like the Citizenship Amendment Act, Singh further said, “our forefathers, however, committed a mistake. Had they ensured that all our Muslim brothers were sent to Pakistan and Hindus brought here, the need for such a move (CAA) would not have arisen. This did not happen and we have paid a heavy price for it.”
(Source: The Indian Express)
4. Hyderabad University Students Fined for Organising ''Shaheen Bagh Night''
The University of Hyderabad has fined three students Rs 5,000 each for organising a ''Shaheen Bagh Night'' event against the Citizenship Amendment Act on the campus after 9 pm in violation of varsity regulations.
The students union has condemned the move.
The fine was imposed through a university order dated February 18 as the students organised the event on January 31 after 9 pm at North Shopping Complex and also allegedly defaced the walls at the site, university sources said.
(Source: PTI)
5. Madhya Pradesh Scraps Sterilisation Order Amid "Emergency" Taunts
A Madhya Pradesh government circular warning of salary cuts and compulsory retirement linked to failure to meet sterilisation targets has ignited a huge controversy, with the BJP targeting Chief Minister Kamal Nath with references to the 1975 Emergency. Following a report by the National Health Mission of Madhya Pradesh falling short of sterilisation targets, the state government order had said if health workers failed to mobilise even one person to go for sterilization, they could face a no work, no pay deal or could be forced to retire.
After the report emerged in the media, move has been withdrawn and action has been announced against the officer behind the circular. "The circular was cancelled the moment it came to the Chief Minister's notice," said an official.
(Source: NDTV)
6. ‘Horrific, Sickening’: Rahul Gandhi on Torture of 2 Rajasthan Dalits on Video
The video of two young Dalit men being tortured in Rajasthan is “horrific and sickening”, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Thursday and told the Ashok Gehlot government to bring the accused to justice.
Gandhi’s tweet came hours after a widely-circulated video emerged on social media, showing the men being beaten, stripped and a screwdriver being shoved into one of them.
The video was apparently shot by one of the accused. BJP leaders had raced to condemn the torture, taking potshots at Congress leaders and other Dalit faces of the party and the opposition.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
7. President Donald Trump’s Official Chopper ‘Marine One’ Lands in Ahmedabad
Ahead of US President Donald Trump’s visit to the city, at least three C17 Globemaster cargo planes of the US Air Force have landed here in the last four days carrying security and communication equipment, Trumps’ official helicopter ‘Marine One’ and a mammoth SUV- like vehicle, officials said on Friday.
In order to secure the area that Trump is visiting, several security personnel from the US have also landed in Ahmedabad, they said.
Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are scheduled to take part in a roadshow in Ahmedabad on February 24 and jointly address a gathering at the newly-built cricket stadium in Motera area of the city. Over 1.10 lakh people are expected to attend the mega event, christened as ‘Namaste Trump’.
(Source: PTI)
8. ‘All Deadlines Have Ended’: FATF’s Sharp Warning to Pakistan on Terror Funding
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on Friday warned Pakistan it faced the possibility of being added to the watchdog’s “black list” and face greater scrutiny of all transactions in its financial system if it fails to fully implement an action plan to counter terror financing by June.
A statement issued by the multilateral watchdog’s president, Xiangmin Liu of China, at the conclusion of the FATF’s plenary meeting in Paris noted that all deadlines for the 27-point action plan had expired and expressed concerns at Pakistan’s failure to implement the plan according to agreed timelines.
The FATF, which has been repeatedly assessing Pakistan’s efforts to implement the action plan since the country was placed on the watchdog’s “grey list” in June 2018, said Islamabad has “largely addressed” only 14 of the 27 action items, with “varying levels of progress” on the rest of the plan.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
9. Agra Admin to Follow SC Guidelines, E-Vehicle to Take Trumps to the Taj
US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will enter the Taj Mahal in an eco-friendly vehicle after they reach the city on February 24, senior administrative officials said on Friday, minimising the chances of the Trumps driving up to the16th century white, marble monument in the Presidential car, known as The Beast.
Guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court, which in 1998 barred the use of anything but electric vehicles in close proximity to the monument, will be followed during the Trumps’ Taj visit, the officials said. Preparations are underway for the visit of the American First Couple, who will fly to Agra from Ahmedabad, the first leg of the trip. Final rehearsals are likely to take place on Saturday or Sunday, but it is still not clear if ‘The Beast’ will be a part of them. The vehicle has arrived in Agra’s Kheria airport, and is waiting to ferry the couple to the Taj Mahal and back, HT reported on Thursday.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
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