Amit Shah to visit Mizoram to discuss proposed Citizenship Amendment Bill
Home Minister and BJP president Amit Shah is scheduled to visit Aizawl on Saturday in a bid to reach out to the North East on the proposed Citizenship Amendment Bill. Ahead of Shah's visit, large scale protests against the legislation had erupted in several areas of the state on Thursday.
The NGO Coordination Committee, a conglomerate of civil society organisations and student bodies of Mizoram, however, called off its planned protest against the bill during the Union minister's visit and decided on Friday to meet Shah to submit a memorandum and express "displeasure" over the issue.
"We will submit a memorandum and discuss with him our displeasure over the Centre's proposal to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955," a leader of the NGO Coordination Committee said, adding that they had withdrawn the earlier plan to hold a protest rally.
File image of Home Minister Amit Shah. ANI
The proposed bill seeks to grant citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Christians and Parsis, who have escaped from religious persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh and found refuge in India before 31 December, 2014.
The Committee changed its decision to hold a protest rally after Chief Minister Zoramthanga urged them not to protest during the first visit of Shah to the state after becoming the Union home minister.
Zoramthanga is the president of ruling Mizo National Front which is a constituent of the NDA and the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), both headed by the BJP.
BJP's Mizoram unit president John V Hluna had also appealed to the civil society organisations of the state against holding any protest programme.
BJP sources said the Shah would first inaugurate the Northeast Handloom and Handicraft Exhibition and hold a meeting with the chief minister and senior government officials.
Besides, the union minister will also hold a one-on- one meeting with Zoramthanga and then talk to the NGO Coordination Committee leaders on the issue of Citizenship Amendment Bill.
Narendra Modi and Sheikh Hasina to hold bilateral talks, likely to sign agreements on several fields
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will jointly inaugurate three projects when the neighbouring countries are expected to hold bilateral talks on Saturday.
Addressing the media on Friday, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that the two sides are also likely to sign six to seven agreements, in the fields of transport, connectivity, capacity-building and culture, during the meet.
He, however, refrained from commenting on the National Register of Citizens issue.
Hasina is on a four-day visit to India. The issue of Teesta water sharing and Rohingya issue are likely to come to the fore during the delegation-level talks, with focus on bilateral cooperation and enhancement of ties.
MMRDA fells over 200 trees in dead of the night just hours after Bombay HC verdict, , allege activists
Just hours after the Bombay High Court rejected pleas against the cutting of over 2,000 trees in Aarey Colony in north Mumbai, a prime green lung of the city, for Metro car shed project, authorities started felling trees, according to several media reports.
Of over 2,600 trees which are to be felled, 200 had been cut by Friday night, activists alleged.
They gathered at Aarey Colony after videos of tree-felling went viral on social media. However, it could not be confirmed from Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation officials if indeed tree cutting for the planned metro car shed in Aarey had begun.
But the site of the proposed car shed saw heavy police deployment as hundreds of people gathered there late Friday night to stop trees from being hacked.
Netizens lambasted the Bjp-led Devendra Fadnavis government as well as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation over the issue.
Aam Aadmi Party leader Preeti Menon Sharma said tree cutting was a violation of the poll code in force for the 21 October Assembly elections.
Rules say once a tree committee grants approval for cutting, the order should be first uploaded on a government website, followed by felling of trees only after 15 days from posting the permission on the website, sources told NDTV.
Former MD of PMC Bank arrested in alleged Rs 4,355 crore scam
Former managing director of Punjab Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank, Joy Thomas, was arrested on Friday in connection with the alleged Rs 4,355 crore scam at the bank by the Economic Offences Wing of Mumbai Police.
Thomas was summoned to the EOW office at the city police headquarters and arrested after questioning, a police official said.
On Thursday, EOW had arrested HDIL directors Rakesh Wadhawan and his son Sarang Wadhawan in the case.
Maharashtra Assembly polls: BJP to contest from 148 of 288 seats, Shiv Sena for 126
Ending the suspicion over seat-sharing pact for Maharashtra Assembly polls scheduled for 21 October, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on Friday that the BJP would be contesting 148 seats in the 288-member Assembly while, the Shiv Sena would be contesting from 126 seats. Other NDA allies would be contesting from 14 seats.
Fadnavis, addressing a joint press conference with Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, said that despite their differences, the BJP and Shiv Sena share the "common thread" of Hindutva and will continue to retain power in Maharashtra.
The chief minister said the Mahayuti alliance comprising BJP, Sena and other parties will get an unprecedented victory in the elections.
India look to fightback on Day 4 of 1st Test after South Africa's defiance
Opener Dean Elgar struck a gutsy 160 and Quinto de Kock's 111 helped South Africa reach 385/8 at the end of Day 3 in 1st Test at Visakhapatnam. They now trail India by just 117 runs.
Visiting skipper Faf du Plessis also made 55 as Indian spinner R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja had a rare bad day in the office in a home Test. Still, Ashwin brought India back into the match with late wickets in the day as he finished with a five-wicket haul. Meanwhile, Jadeja became the second fastest Indian bowler to reach 200 Test wickets. He reached to the milestone with Elgar's.
With two days still left in the day, India will look to wrap up South Africa's innings as soon as possible to give themselves enough time to put up a winning total in second innings.
from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/2ofx6Cd
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