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Citizenship Amendment Bill: India's new 'anti-Muslim' law causes uproar

Comparing Mumbai Police to Delhi Police is completely delusional,
Mumbai Police is one of the best in the world .

What exactly is stopping Delhi police to perform their duty? What exactly is the reason that they are unable to control the riots? So many innocents peoples are getting caught between the riots.

I stand by my comment that Delhi as of now is even worse than Syria with absolute no LAW & ORDER.

Delhi police are unable to protect themselves from these so called peaceful protestors, then who is going to protect the city and its people.
 
There isn't anything politics about it. A large group have taken hostage of roads, properties and are violating attacking common people and cops. You just have to see the hatred like the speeches, banners.That's not democracy and it's against the country.

You have no clue how these things work. Go to ground level and then you will get an idea.

You think any large group will protest without any political backing for many days? When was the last time you left doing whatever you do and for 1 month straight sat on a dharna?
 
Comparing Mumbai Police to Delhi Police is completely delusional,
Mumbai Police is one of the best in the world .
Delhi police used to be good even under Rajnath Singh. But ever since tadipar took over, things have gone from bad to worse. He treats Delhi Police as his personal army.
 
This was how earlier Delhi Police officials used to be,


Delhi Police has appeared rudderless and can be considered responsible for Delhi violence
Neeraj Kumar
Former Delhi police commissioner


It is clear that a piece of legislation and the politics behind it are responsible for the Delhi violence. Presumably, taking advantage of the offending legislation, people from the opposition parties and those with vested interests are inciting the minority community that has been protesting against it.

The short answer to the question whether the Delhi Police responded to the violence promptly is, unfortunately, in the negative.

The response of the Delhi Police to the escalating violence has been rather tardy, a trait that has been seen consistently in the recent past at Tees Hazari during the lawyer-police clashes, Jamia Millia Islamia University, JNU, Shaheen Bagh and now in the trans-Yamuna area. The Delhi Police, generally adept at dealing with such situations, has appeared rudderless and listless, bereft of any sense of direction and purpose.

Leadership, if any, is conspicuously absent. Men on the ground level don’t know what to do and when, as they are not sure where they would stand if things go wrong. Officers in the field don’t seem to have a free hand. If one goes by TV visuals, the deployment seems unplanned. Large contingents of police force arrive, but there is no one to take charge of them. No attempt has been made towards area domination.

So, by their acts of omission and ineptitude, the Delhi Police could be considered responsible for the large-scale violence in Delhi’s trans-Yamuna area.


Delhi police and ruling party have made mockery of law and order. This is shocking
Maxwell Pereira
Former joint police commissioner, Delhi


The violence that has broken out in the northeast areas of Delhi is absolutely shocking. I am currently out of the country, but having studied the preceding violence that occurred in Jamia and Shaheen Bagh, it is clear that the ruling establishment at the Centre had no business to provoke rival communities in volatile northeast Delhi. Everyone is well aware of what exactly is happening, which groups are triggering violence and how the ruling establishment is pushing its agenda. They have made a mockery of law and order and this is disgusting.

Delhi Police is a professional force. It saddens me as an ex-Delhi Police officer to see how the police is made to push forth the ethical or unethical agenda of the ruling party against its own people. But I believe that the Delhi Police cannot do anything on its own because the home minister is its boss. It is an established fact that no one dares to disobey the home minister and incur his wrath. Whatever the police officers are doing, it is only at the behest of the home ministry. So, if there’s someone who should be held liable for the current chaos in the national capital, it is the central government.

I have sincerely and diligently served in the government for 35 years. I do not want to be anti-establishment, but the situation in Delhi is such that one is bound to be. It can’t get more distressing.

https://theprint.in/talk-point/who-...police-or-politics-of-modi-government/370864/
 
Current Delhi Police commissioner, Amulya Patnaik is as incompetent as they come. Not surprising to see he is yet to be replaced. The 2 bigots love incompetence and the cops being their yes men.
 
In the words of Trump, what a sh*thole of a country India has become. My heart goes out for all the brave Muslims fighting for their rights in the face of ignorant, Hindutva aggression.

"Biggest democracy in the world".
 
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In the words of Trump, what a sh*thole of a country India has become. My heart goes out for all the brave Muslims fighting for their rights in the face of ignorant, Hindutva aggression.

"Biggest democracy in the world".

Ahh, it's never community X fault. It's nothing brave, but a mob who want to use violence, and undemocratic means to dictate the country.
 
You have no clue how these things work. Go to ground level and then you will get an idea.

You think any large group will protest without any political backing for many days? When was the last time you left doing whatever you do and for 1 month straight sat on a dharna?

The political issue was CAA, yet nobody has lost its citizenship, and iolence has been done. Thus, this protests were never about CAA, it's a plain hostage crisis where mob has resorted to violence and in destroying the country..
 
The political issue was CAA, yet nobody has lost its citizenship, and iolence has been done. Thus, this protests were never about CAA, it's a plain hostage crisis where mob has resorted to violence and in destroying the country..

You used the word "mob", day you understand it's meaning you will know what's wrong with this country.
 
The transfer of a judge critical of the violence in Delhi has raised concerns in India, as politicians come under fire for perceived inaction.

Justice S Muralidhar, who was hearing a petition into the religious riots, had sharply condemned both the government and police on Wednesday.

Orders for his immediate transfer came late at night the same day.

More than 30 people have been killed so far in the deadliest violence the Indian capital has seen in decades.

The clashes first broke out on Sunday between protesters for and against a controversial citizenship law in north-east Delhi.

But they have since taken on communal overtones, with reports of many Muslims being attacked.

Even though the violence largely abated on Wednesday, there were reports of sporadic clashes in affected areas overnight and the city remains tense.

On Thursday, focus had shifted to Justice Muralidhar's transfer from the Delhi high court. His move was first announced nearly two weeks before the violence broke out, but BBC correspondents say that his biting comments in court may have hastened his transfer.

However, the government has insisted that the move was not politically motivated.

Read more on

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-51644861
 
So two wrongs make one right?

I have a strong feeling that racists, religious and national extremists have no morals and you guys validate this more often than not.

This is human nature. A reaction will come with every action.

As i said. Both sides needed to hold themselves. One cannot expect one side, whichever it may be to hold itself back.
 
The transfer of a judge critical of the violence in Delhi has raised concerns in India, as politicians come under fire for perceived inaction.

Justice S Muralidhar, who was hearing a petition into the religious riots, had sharply condemned both the government and police on Wednesday.

Orders for his immediate transfer came late at night the same day.

More than 30 people have been killed so far in the deadliest violence the Indian capital has seen in decades.

The clashes first broke out on Sunday between protesters for and against a controversial citizenship law in north-east Delhi.

But they have since taken on communal overtones, with reports of many Muslims being attacked.

Even though the violence largely abated on Wednesday, there were reports of sporadic clashes in affected areas overnight and the city remains tense.

On Thursday, focus had shifted to Justice Muralidhar's transfer from the Delhi high court. His move was first announced nearly two weeks before the violence broke out, but BBC correspondents say that his biting comments in court may have hastened his transfer.

However, the government has insisted that the move was not politically motivated.

Read more on

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-51644861

Bbc caught lying again. He was transferred 1 week back by the Collegium.

Collegium recommends transfer of Delhi High Court’s Justice Muralidhar, two other judges



The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended the transfer of Justice S. Muralidhar, who is third in the order of seniority in the Delhi High Court, along with two other transfer recommendations of judges.

The Collegium led by Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde has recommended to the government that Justice Muralidhar be shifted to the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The Collegium’s resolution, dated February 12, was uploaded on the Supreme Court website on Wednesday.

Two other high court judges have also been recommended for transfer in the same resolution. Bombay High Court judge, Justice Ranjit V. More, has been approved for transfer to the Meghalaya High Court, while the Collegium has recommended that Justice Ravi Vijaykumar Malimath of the Karnataka High Court be moved to the Uttarakhand High Court.


The Delhi High Court Bar Association expressed its “shock” at the recommendation to transfer Justice Muralidhar, who would become the second most senior judge of the Delhi High Court following the retirement of Justice G.S. Sistani in March 2020.

Eventually, had Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court D.N. Patel been elevated or retired by 2022, Justice Muralidhar, who is set to retire only in 2023, would have likely functioned for at least some time as the Acting Chief Justice of the high court.

Justice Muralidhar, who was elevated as a judge of the Delhi High Court in May 2006, has delivered many significant decisions. The judge, who had convicted politician Sajjan Kumar in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, had also revoked the transit remand of activist Gautam Navlakha in the Bhima Koregaon case.

In 2009, Justice Muralidhar was part of the Delhi High Court Bench which had decriminalised homosexuality. He refuses to be addressed as ‘Your Lordship’ by lawyers and gives them prior notice not to do so in the causelist itself.


an emergency meeting held in the afternoon, the Delhi High Court Bar Association resolved to request its members to abstain from work on February 20 as a “token of protest as the transfer is a rarest of rare cases, the majesty of our revered institution is at stake”.

In January, the Supreme Court had, stayed a decision by a Bombay High Court Bench led by Justice More to allow the shifting of HDIL promoters Rakesh Wadhawan and Sarang Wadhawan — accused in the multi-crore Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank scam case — from Arthur Road Jail to their Bandra East residence.

Judges recommended for transfer can request the Collegium to reconsider its decision. Justice V.K. Tahilramani had resigned as Madras High Court Chief Justice in September 2019 after her request to reconsider her transfer to Meghalaya was turned down by the Collegium.

On February 15, Justice S.C. Dharmadhikari, the second in the order of seniority in the Bombay High Court, resigned citing personal problems.

https://www.google.co.in/amp/s/www....ar-2-other-hc-judges/article30861713.ece/amp/
 
Ahh, it's never community X fault. It's nothing brave, but a mob who want to use violence, and undemocratic means to dictate the country.

Peaceful protests carried out mostly by Muslim women are now seen as violent by the BJP and their Hindutva cronies? Grow a pair, dude. No wonder India was conquered multiple times by whoever wanted to do so.

India is an undemocratic country where Sikhs and Muslims are not safe. Pakistanis have been saying this for years, only now everyone else is saying it too.
 
This is human nature. A reaction will come with every action.

As i said. Both sides needed to hold themselves. One cannot expect one side, whichever it may be to hold itself back.

Isn’t police of Delhi suppose to hold both side and not escort BJP terrorist to kill Muslims?

Lol

Time for break.
 
Peaceful protests carried out mostly by Muslim women are now seen as violent by the BJP and their Hindutva cronies? Grow a pair, dude. No wonder India was conquered multiple times by whoever wanted to do so.

India is an undemocratic country where Sikhs and Muslims are not safe. Pakistanis have been saying this for years, only now everyone else is saying it too.

I’m currently enjoying every freedom in Mumbai. What clown are you to state lies when you have never even been to India.

Delhi riot is politically motivated and have turned into communal riots.
 
^^ Scanning these long threads with cricketjoshila in them is such a trip :)) Every post reads the same.. "where is the proof?", "can you post credible links?". You wonder if the screen is actually scrolling down or if you are caught in an infinite loop.
 
^^ Scanning these long threads with cricketjoshila in them is such a trip :)) Every post reads the same.. "where is the proof?", "can you post credible links?". You wonder if the screen is actually scrolling down or if you are caught in an infinite loop.

And yet there is no response to what he asked for. Just the usual name calling and ranting from the usual suspects.
 
And yet there is no response to what he asked for. Just the usual name calling and ranting from the usual suspects.

What he is asking for is impossible to provide, because the standards for "credible" and "proof" are in his head and I'm sure selectively applied to what he wants to hear vs. not.
 
Making a remark like MP2011 made when that has not turned out to be true is pretty much a lie. The thing is a generalized remark like that is popular here - so it goes unchallenged.
 
I’m currently enjoying every freedom in Mumbai. What clown are you to state lies when you have never even been to India.

Delhi riot is politically motivated and have turned into communal riots.

Just coz you're enjoying freedom doesn't mean everyone else is.
It's common sense.

Guess some people lack it
 
Just coz you're enjoying freedom doesn't mean everyone else is.
It's common sense.

Guess some people lack it

Thats the point, these riots are limited to some north part of India where it has history of communal riots. Im not denying that things are bit intense but to suggest every muslims hiding is balant lie. But you guys are sensationalizing this issue just to fit the agenda or else i never seen Pakistani Muslims give a crap about minorities of other faith.

I still think Delhi Govt is purposely allowing these riots to take place, if they allow Law enforcement to use force then i doubt it would even last a day. Thats why i think Mumbai police handled it very professionally. Delhi on the other hand is disgrace...
 
Thats the point, these riots are limited to some north part of India where it has history of communal riots. Im not denying that things are bit intense but to suggest every muslims hiding is balant lie. But you guys are sensationalizing this issue just to fit the agenda or else i never seen Pakistani Muslims give a crap about minorities of other faith.

I still think Delhi Govt is purposely allowing these riots to take place, if they allow Law enforcement to use force then i doubt it would even last a day. Thats why i think Mumbai police handled it very professionally. Delhi on the other hand is disgrace...

You live in Canada, stop lying, unless you avoid interacting with Muslims of Canada.
 
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And whats up with every Indian ( particularly Bhakth and Sanghi, in closet and out in open) trying to downplay the killing with this common comment, "history of communal riots". lol
 
Thats the point, these riots are limited to some north part of India where it has history of communal riots. Im not denying that things are bit intense but to suggest every muslims hiding is balant lie. But you guys are sensationalizing this issue just to fit the agenda or else i never seen Pakistani Muslims give a crap about minorities of other faith.

I still think Delhi Govt is purposely allowing these riots to take place, if they allow Law enforcement to use force then i doubt it would even last a day. Thats why i think Mumbai police handled it very professionally. Delhi on the other hand is disgrace...

Even I know that Delhi government does not have any power over law enforcement and rather central government doesz
 
Even I know that Delhi government does not have any power over law enforcement and rather central government doesz

That’s not true.

If Central govt was controlling state police then do you really think a Muslim protestor would kill a police officer on broad day light and get away?

State police take directions from State Govt. one question you must ask is where exactly is Kejriwal? What exactly is he doing to counter these riots? Why haven’t he declared emergency and place curfew to prevent loss to lives and property?

I think state and central govt are having power issues which is resulting in mass riots. Both govt are at fault and deserved to be thrown out, for once I support presidential rule until someone competent is able to run the nation.
 
You live in Canada, stop lying, unless you avoid interacting with Muslims of Canada.
Of course I interact them on regular basis and their love and affection only lies towards fellow Muslim brothers.

Even kids at school ridicules non-Muslim kids. I mean how does 7-8 y/o kids can say something like this, “we can’t play with you cause you’re Christian”. I’m sure they were taught by their parents to discriminate non-muslims.

Some are genuinely nice and very loving people while some are filled with hate and discrimination.

If you think it’s not true then you’re free to believe whatever you like.
 
That’s not true.

If Central govt was controlling state police then do you really think a Muslim protestor would kill a police officer on broad day light and get away?

State police take directions from State Govt. one question you must ask is where exactly is Kejriwal? What exactly is he doing to counter these riots? Why haven’t he declared emergency and place curfew to prevent loss to lives and property?

I think state and central govt are having power issues which is resulting in mass riots. Both govt are at fault and deserved to be thrown out, for once I support presidential rule until someone competent is able to run the nation.

The Police Commissioner in Delhi reports to Home Minister, although the CM of Delhi controls the corporators, the district magistrates, gives approval to the police to take action for certain crimes like sedition, otherwise police cannot act.
 
Modi-Shah better not turn back on the CAA using the pretext of Delhi riots. Disregarding the minority of Left-Islamist ideologues who want to do their drama and play victim on the streets, a plurality of Indians still support the CAA. Don't let the former's attempts make you forgot your base.
 
Making a remark like MP2011 made when that has not turned out to be true is pretty much a lie. The thing is a generalized remark like that is popular here - so it goes unchallenged.
What lie?

At least let me know what incorrect statement I have made.
 
The 2 bigots have proved it in the ample measure that '02 was no flash in pan and they're more than capable to repeat their 'feat' multiple times for their petty electoral gains.
 
Even I know that Delhi government does not have any power over law enforcement and rather central government doesz
Whilst it's true that AAP could've done more, it's also true that sanghis have this uncanny knack of misrepresenting facts.

PS: Same AAP laid into Sheila Dixit in '13 for expressing her helplessness in being responsible for security situation in Delhi as Delhi Police was not under her dispensation.
 
Of course I interact them on regular basis and their love and affection only lies towards fellow Muslim brothers.

Even kids at school ridicules non-Muslim kids. I mean how does 7-8 y/o kids can say something like this, “we can’t play with you cause you’re Christian”. I’m sure they were taught by their parents to discriminate non-muslims.

Some are genuinely nice and very loving people while some are filled with hate and discrimination.

If you think it’s not true then you’re free to believe whatever you like.

As usual, you are contradicting yourself. lol

If you are going to project fear and hate diplomatically then i suggest you to keep track of what you have said because it exposes your hypocrisy, intention and agenda.
 
Modi-Shah better not turn back on the CAA using the pretext of Delhi riots. Disregarding the minority of Left-Islamist ideologues who want to do their drama and play victim on the streets, a plurality of Indians still support the CAA. Don't let the former's attempts make you forgot your base.

Inshallah, Modi and Shah will continue to take India on this road to Naya Hindustan. Or Purana in many ways.
 
Hindu pilgrims from Pakistan refuse to go back from Uttarakhand, seek Indian citizenship under CAA

DEHRADUN: A group of 56 Hindu pilgrims from Pakistan,who arrived from the neighbouring country last week, does not want to go back. Members of the group told that they will request the government of India to extend their visa limit of one month and provide citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019.

Narayan Das, a pilgrim from Badeen area of Karachi said, "We are in no position to go back. The Pakistani authorities did not allow us to bring enough money as they think we would not go back. We face ruthless persecution in that country and were snatched of everything. We have pleaded to the Indian government to provide us shelter."

Locals after realizing the plight of the group collected money, clothes and other essentials and gifted to the group for their trip to Ahmedabad. Hira Bai, another pilgrim from Pakistan said, "Our family members have been killed, daughters snatched away for religious conversion and properties taken over. It is worse than death over there. We have some hope under the new law by the Indian government."

State government officials refused to comment but stated on the condition of anonymity that they are keeping close eye on the situation. "Once the application is filed, then only the state government can do anything," said an official from state home department.

Earlier, in January this year, the state government has identified total 200 Hindu refugees from Pakistan who will be granted citizenship under newly passed Citizenship Amendment Act.

Mostly residing in Haridwar, Dehradun and Udham Singh Nagar districts, majority of these refugees cling to odd jobs and charity for survival. They hope as they will become citizens of this country, it will enable them to live a life of dignity.

They can apply for jobs and start their own business say the now state less people from the community.

https://www.newindianexpress.com/na...eek-indian-citizenship-under-caa-2117085.html
 
Shaheen Bagh Anti-CAA Protesters Removed Amid Delhi Lockdown


New Delhi: Amid nationwide lockdown over highly contagious novel coronavirus or COVID-19, Delhi's Shaheen Bagh - heart of protests against Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA - was cleared this morning after 101 days.
Cops reached the site of the protest - which had inspired similar demonstrations across the country - at around 7 am. "They were not clearing the protest site despite repeated persuasion. When they refused to clear up, they were removed forcefully at around 7:30 am," said an official, adding that large gatherings have been banned under Section 144 over COVID-19. Nine people, including six women and three men, have been detained.

"The protest site would be cleaned up with the help of civic body," he added. Those protesting against CAA in other parts of the city - Jaffrabad (northeast Delhi) and Turkman Gate (old Delhi) - were also removed this morning.

This comes two days after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced a lockdown in the city as a part of the imposition of countrywide restrictions in fight against coronavirus. "Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures," he had tweeted.


Last week, Delhi Police had urged the anti-CAA protesters at Shaheen Bagh - mostly women - to call off their agitation. The protesters, who began their sit-in on December 15, did not agree to the request. The sit-in would continue, they had said, with "necessary precautions". The size of the gatherings was reduced after repeated requests by authorities.

The Shaheen Bagh protest had made international headlines over the last few months. The women - also called the Dadis (grandmothers) of Shaheen Bagh - were protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act, National Register of Citizen (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR), which they call "anti-Muslim". The government says citizenship law or CAA will help persecuted minorities from three Muslim majority nations - Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/del...ver-coronavirus-2199558?pfrom=home-topstories
 
Finally this utter flow shop (aka.. shaheen bagh protest) was left with 6 men & 3 women lol.This show was destined to be a flop and finally this COVID-19 has shown its impact lol.. hehe
 
Finally this utter flow shop (aka.. shaheen bagh protest) was left with 6 men & 3 women lol.This show was destined to be a flop and finally this COVID-19 has shown its impact lol.. hehe

Should have seen this sahin baugh protestors arguing with police about how this quarantine is a lie sold by government to remove them ,and they even said the gov is lying about a virus destroying the world right now and none of pandemic thing is true .

Big LOL to mindwashed illterates that still want to continue this just so a certain political party keep giving them thier daily goodies for thier communal agenda.

I mean cmmon how stupid can you be.
Watching the the video i was laughing and angry at the same time given th corona scare and how dumb this so called constitution protectors are
 
Jamia Millia professor fails 15 non-Muslim students, university suspends him over communal act

Abrar Ahmad, an assistant professor at Jamia University had said on Twitter on Wednesday that he has chosen to fail 15 non-Muslim students who didn’t support the agitation against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/sto...ends-him-over-communal-act-1659901-2020-03-26

Pretty stupid thing to do. Now this Ahmad guy will have a bounty on his head and even worst maybe his family.. Lucky the Corona outbreak is going on now, otherwise it could have turned into a sad state of affairs for the professor.
 
https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/04/09/india-protests-attacks-over-new-citizenship-law

India: Protests, Attacks Over New Citizenship Law

(New York) – India’s discriminatory new citizenship law and policies have spurred violence against Muslims, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government in December 2019 adopted the Citizenship Amendment Act, which for the first time makes religion a basis for citizenship. The act, together with a planned nationwide verification process to identify “illegal migrants,” can threaten the citizenship rights of millions of Indian Muslims.

The 82-page report, “‘Shoot the Traitors’: Discrimination Against Muslims Under India’s New Citizenship Policy,” says the police and other officials have repeatedly failed to intervene when government supporters attacked those protesting the new citizenship policies. The police, however, have been quick to arrest critics of the policy and disperse their peaceful demonstrations, including by using excessive and lethal force.

“India’s prime minister has appealed for a united fight against COVID-19, but has yet to call for unity in the fight against anti-Muslim violence and discrimination,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Government policies have opened the door for mob violence and police inaction that have instilled fear among Muslims and other minority communities throughout the country.”

The report is based on more than 100 interviews with victims of abuse and their families from Delhi and the states of Assam and Uttar Pradesh, as well as with legal experts, academics, activists, and police officials.

The new amended citizenship law fast-tracks asylum claims of irregular immigrants from the neighboring Muslim-majority countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, but excludes Muslims. It was enacted amid the BJP government’s push for a nationwide citizenship verification process, through a National Population Register (NPR) and a National Register of Citizens (NRC), aimed at screening out “illegal migrants.” While work on the population register has been deferred to prevent the spread of COVID-19, statements from the home minister and other BJP leaders have raised fears that millions of Indian Muslims, including many whose families have lived in the country for generations, could be stripped of their citizenship rights and disenfranchised.

The United Nations and a number of governments have publicly criticized the citizenship law as discriminatory on the basis of religion. But BJP officials have mocked and threatened protesters, while some of their supporters have engaged in mob attacks on critics and anti-government protesters. Some BJP leaders called for the protesters, whom they described as “traitors,” to be shot.

In February 2020 in Delhi, communal clashes and Hindu mob attacks on Muslims resulted in more than 50 deaths. Witness accounts and video evidence show police complicity in the violence. In one incident, police officers beat a group of five Muslim men injured in the mob attacks, taunting them, and ordered them to sing the national anthem as a form of humiliation. One of these men later died.

At least 30 people, mostly Muslims, were killed during protests in BJP-governed states, particularly in Uttar Pradesh. During other protests, including by students, the police failed to intervene when government supporters attacked protesters. “The police were present in the campus when the violence broke out,” said a student at a university in Delhi who was injured when a pro-BJP group attacked protesting students. “We sought help from them and then we ran to flee the attackers, but the police never came to our aid.”

The National Register of Citizens has already left nearly two million people at risk of arbitrary detention and statelessness in India’s northeast state of Assam. In August 2019, Assam became the first state to complete the register. Human Rights Watch found that the process in Assam lacked standardization, leading to arbitrary and discriminatory decisions by officials, and put undue hardship on poorer residents who do not have access to identity documentation – dating back for decades – to establish citizenship claims. Women, who are more likely than men to lack access to documentation, were disproportionately affected. The process in Assam has heightened fears over a nationwide citizenship registry.

The Foreigners Tribunals, which decide citizenship in Assam, lack transparency and uniform procedures, Human Rights Watch said. Rights groups and the media reported that significantly more Muslims were being tried and a much greater proportion were declared foreigners as compared with Hindus, because of apparent political pressure. Even some government officials and military personnel have been declared irregular immigrants.

“We sold two cows, chickens, and goats,” said a woman whose family could not afford the legal and document fees to establish their citizenship claims at a Foreigners Tribunal. “Now we do not have anything to sell.”

The Citizenship Amendment Act violates India’s international obligations to prevent deprivation of citizenship on the basis of race, color, descent, or national or ethnic origin. The Indian government should repeal the amendment and ensure that any future national asylum and refugee policy does not discriminate on any grounds, including religion, and complies with international legal standards. It should also discard any plan for a nationwide citizenship verification project until there are public consultations to establish standardized procedures and due process protections to ensure that it does not impose undue hardship on the poor, minority communities, migrant or internally displaced populations, and women, Human Rights Watch said.

“The Indian government has tried to delink the citizenship law from the citizenship verification processes, but it has failed to reassure minority communities because of contradictory, discriminatory, and hate-filled claims by BJP leaders,” Ganguly said. “The government should immediately reverse policies that violate India’s international legal obligations, investigate alleged police abuses, and protect freedom of speech and assembly.”


Illustrative Cases from the Report


Aslam (name changed), Assam


Aslam, a Bengali Muslim who worked as a driver in Guwahati, was excluded from the National Register of Citizens in Assam even though his parents, wife, and children were included. His name was left out most likely because it was spelled differently in different documents, a common occurrence throughout the country. He said the spelling of his name on his voter identification card and his income tax identification card, known as the Permanent Account Number (PAN), were different. “The form for the PAN card is in English, but we fill the forms for voter identity card in Assamese,” he said. “Then when they change it into English, the spelling of the name often changes.”

Salima (name changed), Assam

Salima, 45, a Bengali Muslim in Barpeta district, was declared an irregular foreigner in February 2019. However, her relatives with the same documentation were certified. Her lawyer said this was because when Salima was giving oral evidence at the tribunal she was not able to properly explain her case, as often occurs in rural communities where people can be uncertain about ages and other details. “Litigants are poor, they do not understand the consequences,” her lawyer said. “She was not able to tell the court that she had a stepmother, and also how many brothers and sisters she had and their exact ages.”

Asad Raza, Muslim cleric, Uttar Pradesh

Police in Muzaffarnagar district allegedly entered a madrassa, an Islamic seminary, on December 20, ransacked it, and detained its cleric and 35 students, 15 of whom were under the age of 18. The cleric, Asad Raza, said scores of policemen came following afternoon prayers, ostensibly looking for protesters, but instead went on a rampage, beating up people and destroying property:

When I opened the main gate, the police started beating me. They broke down every door to find students. They never told us why they detained us. They just started beating us. They took our mobile phones and did not return them. They also took some money from the office. Nothing like this has ever happened here.

SR Darapuri, retired police officer, Uttar Pradesh

SR Darapuri, a former senior police officer and now prominent activist, was placed under house arrest in December to prevent him from participating in protests against the citizenship law. The police nonetheless arrested him on false charges, perhaps to make an example of him. “If they could do this to a retired inspector general of police, I hate to think of what they are doing to the common man,” he said.

Darapuri said the police in Uttar Pradesh were acting in an openly discriminatory manner: “They do not bother hiding their bias, as they know they are fully protected.”
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Devangana Kalita, an MPhil student at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), has been arrested for the third time in less than 10 days, this time by the Delhi police crime branch. <br><br>She has been sent to police custody for three days.<a href="https://t.co/Gk3v5pzdFq">https://t.co/Gk3v5pzdFq</a></p>— The Wire (@thewire_in) <a href="https://twitter.com/thewire_in/status/1267387915346145280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
‘Separate Probe Not Needed’: Delhi Police Deny Brutality in Jamia

Delhi Police, while replying on the petitions regarding the 15 December Jamia violence, told the Delhi High Court that the allegations of police brutality are an "utter falsehood" and there is no need to conduct a separate enquiry as the Delhi police is already probing it.

On 15 December, 2019, during an anti-CAA protest led by Jamia students, a section of protesters had torched vehicles and indulged in stone pelting following which the police retaliated with lathi charge and tear gas, eventually storming the campus.

CCTV footages from that evening, accessed by The Quint, had also shown Delhi police entering the library inside the Jamia campus beating up students, even those who were allegedly not involved in the protest, breaking CCTV cameras and college furnitures.

<iframe frameborder="0" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/x7rx3yy" allowfullscreen allow="autoplay"></iframe>

A video, reported by the NDTV, also showed a policeman drawing out his gun and opening fire.

A batch of petitions had sought the constitution of a fact-finding committee comprising former Supreme Court or High Court judges and medical assistance to all injured students along with compensation among other things.

In its preliminary affidavit filed before the court, Delhi police said that:

Delhi Police Says ‘Have Evidence’ But Gives No Details

To ascertain this, the police has cited "electronic evidence (videos and photographs)" but did not give any details of what these evidences show.

It further said that the "number of police personnel, who were injured, during the incident" indicates that the intention of the mob was to disrupt the law and order situation in the area.

Delhi police claimed, on the day of the violence, local leaders and politicians, had instigated the mob by raising provocative and inciting slogans. Again, there were no evidences cited for this but the police said, "from the conduct of the mob and provocative slogans which were being shouted by the mob, it was clear that the intention of the mob was not to stage a peaceful protest, but was to indulge in some violent activity."

It claimed that it was “only due to unavoidable circumstances, as contemporaneously captured in electronic evidence gathered by respondent (Delhi Police), that it became imperative for it to enter the university which was being used as a shield by rioters to pelt stones and other lethal objects on the police force”.

Delhi Police on ‘Indiscriminate Arrests’ Claims

The police also dismissed the allegations of "indiscriminate arrests of students" and said "Out of the persons temporarily apprehended for the purpose of verification, those who were students, were handed over by the police authorities to the proctor, who was called by the Police, who identified the students andmaccepted in writing of having received them. No student was ever arrested or detained either in the police lock up or otherwise at that time, nor any student is arrested or detained till date. The entire proceedings are initiated upon a false factual foundation.
https://www.thequint.com/news/india...y-to-high-court-police-brutality-claims-false
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">NHRC Blames Jamia Students for Police Violence, Wants 'Real Motive' of Anti-CAA Protest Probed <a href="https://twitter.com/seemi_pasha?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@seemi_pasha</a> reports <a href="https://t.co/70ICS03v57">https://t.co/70ICS03v57</a> via <a href="https://twitter.com/thewire_in?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thewire_in</a></p>— Siddharth (@svaradarajan) <a href="https://twitter.com/svaradarajan/status/1276498671140368384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Afghan Muslims and Rohingya refugees convert to Christianity to take benefit of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act

New Delhi: The Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) has prompted many Afghan and Rohingya Muslim refugees to convert to Christianity so as to become eligible for Indian citizenship, central agencies have alerted the government, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Nearly 25 such cases of Afghan Muslims converting to Christianity have been flagged by the agencies as part of an ongoing assessment, they said.

The legislation, which was passed by Parliament last year and came into existence on January 10 this year, allows non-Muslim migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan to apply for Indian citizenship. The Union home ministry has yet to notify the rules for CAA 2019.

https://m.economictimes.com/news/po...-to-take-caa-benefit/articleshow/77117484.cms
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A 38-year-old man who organised a Shaheen Baug-type anti-CAA protest in Ahmedabad has been issued a show-cause notice asking why he should not be externed for a period of two years.<a href="https://t.co/UFduYHwUWO">https://t.co/UFduYHwUWO</a></p>— The Wire (@thewire_in) <a href="https://twitter.com/thewire_in/status/1288421510105817088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Afghan Muslims and Rohingya refugees convert to Christianity to take benefit of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act

New Delhi: The Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) has prompted many Afghan and Rohingya Muslim refugees to convert to Christianity so as to become eligible for Indian citizenship, central agencies have alerted the government, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Nearly 25 such cases of Afghan Muslims converting to Christianity have been flagged by the agencies as part of an ongoing assessment, they said.

The legislation, which was passed by Parliament last year and came into existence on January 10 this year, allows non-Muslim migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan to apply for Indian citizenship. The Union home ministry has yet to notify the rules for CAA 2019.

https://m.economictimes.com/news/po...-to-take-caa-benefit/articleshow/77117484.cms

What is the source. Besides even the article says ‘25’ people so I don’t know if you can honestly use the term ‘many’
 
Joining BJP: ‘Over 50 from Shaheen Bagh’

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/joining-bjp-over-50-from-shaheen-bagh-6557809/

Delhi BJP leader Nighat Abbass said those who joined the party — over 50 from Shaheen Bagh and the rest from Okhla and Nizamuddin —included people who supported CAA as well as those who were against it.

Social activist Shahzad Ali, who was among those who joined, said, “People who were protesting here wanted that someone from the government should come here and end the confusion. Today too, I said that if there is some confusion, I will raise it on the party platform. We will sit together with them over CAA concerns.”


--------------------------------------------------------------------------

:))) Well done BJP [MENTION=76058]cricketjoshila[/MENTION] ,social activist Shahzad Ali
 
Joining BJP: ‘Over 50 from Shaheen Bagh’

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/joining-bjp-over-50-from-shaheen-bagh-6557809/

Delhi BJP leader Nighat Abbass said those who joined the party — over 50 from Shaheen Bagh and the rest from Okhla and Nizamuddin —included people who supported CAA as well as those who were against it.

Social activist Shahzad Ali, who was among those who joined, said, “People who were protesting here wanted that someone from the government should come here and end the confusion. Today too, I said that if there is some confusion, I will raise it on the party platform. We will sit together with them over CAA concerns.”


--------------------------------------------------------------------------

:))) Well done BJP [MENTION=76058]cricketjoshila[/MENTION] ,social activist Shahzad Ali

It was not a protest planned by bjp. but the bjp is always eager for muslims to join its ranks. It is open knowledge among muslims, that if you go to bjp they can get your work done, you only need to acknowledge it publicly and do the PR. And this has been the case even when they were not in power.
 
It was not a protest planned by bjp. but the bjp is always eager for muslims to join its ranks. It is open knowledge among muslims, that if you go to bjp they can get your work done, you only need to acknowledge it publicly and do the PR. And this has been the case even when they were not in power.

How do you know it wasn't planned by BJP , why couldn't it be like you get this done we will hire you? I think the biggest fools here are ones that came to support these leaders in Shaheen Baag.

And what work do these leaders want to get done?
 
How do you know it wasn't planned by BJP , why couldn't it be like you get this done we will hire you? I think the biggest fools here are ones that came to support these leaders in Shaheen Baag.

And what work do these leaders want to get done?

I was based in shaheen baagh for 3 years. Know these people personally. Like they say knowing chappa chappa..
 
As Shaheen Bagh Activists Join BJP, Arvind Kejriwal's Party claims BJP organized Shaheen Bagh protests

More than 50 people who became known for their protests against the citizenship law in Delhi, have joined the BJP, triggering the claims of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party that the protests were a BJP ruse for political gains. The 24-hour, 101-day protest at northwest Delhi became the template for anti-CAA protests across the country and fizzled out after the panic over coronavirus.

The list of people who joined the BJP on Sunday, includes social worker Shahzad Ali, gynecologist Dr Mehreen and former AAP worker Tabassum Hussain, who were among the well-known faces at Shaheen Bagh.

AAP now claims that the BJP conspired with the Delhi Police and planned the demonstration at Shaheen Bagh to get political mileage ahead of the Delhi assembly elections.

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/del...p-arvind-kejriwals-party-alleges-plot-2280846

:)))

This is hilarious. Why is it that anything that Indian liberals does always backfires?
 
As Shaheen Bagh Activists Join BJP, Arvind Kejriwal's Party claims BJP organized Shaheen Bagh protests

More than 50 people who became known for their protests against the citizenship law in Delhi, have joined the BJP, triggering the claims of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party that the protests were a BJP ruse for political gains. The 24-hour, 101-day protest at northwest Delhi became the template for anti-CAA protests across the country and fizzled out after the panic over coronavirus.

The list of people who joined the BJP on Sunday, includes social worker Shahzad Ali, gynecologist Dr Mehreen and former AAP worker Tabassum Hussain, who were among the well-known faces at Shaheen Bagh.

AAP now claims that the BJP conspired with the Delhi Police and planned the demonstration at Shaheen Bagh to get political mileage ahead of the Delhi assembly elections.

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/del...p-arvind-kejriwals-party-alleges-plot-2280846

:)))

This is hilarious. Why is it that anything that Indian liberals does always backfires?

Arvid Kejriwal is clown of highest order. Not sure who is more dumb, him or Pappu of India.
 
Indian anti-CAA protest organiser now arrested for involvement in Delhi riots: report

Police in India’s capital arrested Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Sharjeel Imam, who was previously involved in organising protests against the country’s contentious citizenship law, in connection with the deadly riots that rocked New Delhi in February, it emerged on Wednesday.

At least 50 people were killed in Delhi’s worst communal violence in decades in February, over two-thirds of them from India’s Muslim minority. Mosques were burnt and vandalised along with Hindu-owned shops and at least 15 Hindus were killed.

According to The Indian Express, Imam was arrested under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and was brought back to Delhi from Assam on Sunday on a production warrant.

Before being moved, Imam was already in police custody at Guwahati jail for comments made against the citizenship law last year, the report said, adding that he had also tested positive for Covid-19 on July 21.

Besides Delhi, police in UP, Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh have booked Imam on charges of sedition. He had already been arrested in two cases of violence at a Delhi university, for instigating and abetting the riots by making an inflammatory speech, according to the report.

On July 25, Delhi police had charged the JNU student with sedition before a Delhi court for allegedly inciting people to indulge in activities detrimental to the sovereignty and integrity of the country.

The police had made the allegations in its charge sheet filed before the court in a case related to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) earlier this year, NDTV reported.

“He is accused of delivering seditious speeches and inciting a particular section of community to indulge in unlawful activities, detrimental to sovereignty and integrity of the nation,” the charge sheet said.

“In the garb of protesting against the CAA, he exhorted people of a particular community to block the highways leading to the major cities and resort to ‘chakka jam’, thereby disrupting normal life,” it added.

It further alleged that Imam openly defied the Constitution and called it a “fascist” document.

Imam shot to prominence when he helped to organise a mass sit-in in New Delhi, one of the many rallies staged over more than a month against India’s citizenship law that the protesters said discriminated against Muslims.

He was arrested on January 29, after he made comments that the ruling Hindu nationalist party said were seditious.

The 31-year-old history student had angered nationalists in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with what they said was a seditious call for the restive northeastern region of Assam to be “cut” from the rest of the country.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1576571/i...rrested-for-involvement-in-delhi-riots-report
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">"The anti-CAA protest was an organic movement… it'll flourish again." Activist Sharjeel Usmani, who was arrested by UP ATS (Anti-Terrorist Squad) in connection with violence at AMU campus on 15 Dec 2019, speaks to The Quint's <a href="https://twitter.com/ArshiQureshi30?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ArshiQureshi30</a>.<br>Read here: <a href="https://t.co/JaNMeii07v">https://t.co/JaNMeii07v</a> <a href="https://t.co/z3hFlmV7n8">pic.twitter.com/z3hFlmV7n8</a></p>— The Quint (@TheQuint) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheQuint/status/1303593257725616128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l5qi74mguBk" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

CAA Activist Zainab’s Father Held by UP’s ATS, Kin Allege Assault


Kin of Zainab Siddiqui, an active member of social activist Medha Patkar's organisation ‘National Alliance of People's Movement', have alleged that policemen manhandled family members, including women of the house, during their investigation into her role in the CAA-NRC demonstrations, held in Lucknow last year.

Siddiqui’s family alleged that two policemen reached their house on Thursday, 5 November, at 5 pm and showed her photograph, before questioning her father, Naeem Siddiqui.

Following which, eight more people arrived in plain clothes and took Naeem Siddiqui and his son Shaad into custody.

Siddiqui has been working on the social welfare of women and Dalits for the last eight years.

Kin Allege Assault By Police

Siddiqui’s mother spoke to The Quint about the incident:

“After the two policemen left, my husband came back to the house after 6 pm, after offering namaz. Those eight people caught my husband and pushed him into their car. Hearing his screams, we all came out of the house and tried to stop them from taking him away. Those men called 50 more policemen from the nearby police station. We were beaten up in their presence. We asked them the reason for their action, we asked them why are they forcing my husband into the car, we asked them if they have a notice, but those people did not stop. Then, my 16-year old son came there, they forced him too into the car and took them away.”

No Female Police Officer Was Present

Siddiqui's sister Rukkaiya was also present there during this incident. She said:

“Those people held my father and said, 'You will challenge CAA-NRC, you will defy Yogi, you will speak against the government, how come you Muslims gain so much power'."

“They snatched our mobile phones and when other people came to help us, the SHO of Hasanganj police station lathi-charged them... no female police officer was present at that time. Despite that, they misbehaved with us, they were not leaving us, they abused us,” Rukkaiya Siddiqui added.

ATS Shouldn’t Have Gone to Siddique’s House: Pandey

On the behest of social worker Sandeep Pandey, honoree Magsaysay award winner and IIM Ahmedabad guest lecturer, the police released Zainab’s brother Shaad.

Pandey told The Quint that when he reached the police station and asked the SHO about the incident, he said: “Both the sides made mistakes. Naeem Siddiqui received a call on his phone, which was being investigated by the ATS. SHO accepted that the ATS shouldn’t have gone to Siddiqui’s house, and instead should have called Naeem Siddiqui to the police station. He also stated that if Naeem Siddiqui would have been called at the police station, then this incident wouldn’t have happened.”

The SHO, Pandey added, said that Naeem Siddiqui will be kept for further investigation.

“It is not right to keep Zainab’s brother Shaad in the police station overnight. He is a Class 10 student. When I saw him at night, it didn’t seem that he was beaten up. In the morning, when we went to get him released, he was asked to sign some papers but he couldn’t due to pain... I asked him if he was beaten up with sticks, he said ‘not one’.”

‘I Don’t Understand Why Did This Happen’: Zainab Siddiqui

Zainab said that she ‘did not understand why this happened to her family.’

“I have been active as a social worker for the last eight years... worked continuously for farmers, women and Dalits. I am a member of NAPM, as well as part of Mahila Yuva Adhikar Manch. When the police came on Thursday, I was not at home. The police were asking about me, whether I had been in CAA-NRC protests or not. Like all the people who participated in the protest, I too participated in it. FIR was filed against many people but it did not happen with me. I can’t comprehend what just happened with me, such an investigation against me and my father is condemnable. My father is a construction contractor. We cannot understand why this happened to us."

We contacted Hasanganj police station about the situation in Zainab’s house in the presence of police administration and the detention of her brother and father.

“We do not have anyone in custody, the Special Force has taken them.”
Amarnath Verma, in-charge of Hasanganj police station

But the police officer-in-charge did not answer the question of why Zainab’s 16-year-old brother was detained.

Complaint Filed With Magistrate and Commissioner

Zainab's father's lawyer, Asma Izzat, said: "Zainab Siddiqui is a social activist who was active last year on CAA-NRC, then the police came to inquire about Zainab and took her father and minor brother into custody. So, it is not clear whether the police came for Zainab or her father. We have given a written complaint to the Commissioner and Chief Justice of Allahabad Lucknow Bench. In the morning, Zainab's brother was released by Hasanganj police station, but the police is not ready to answer about why Zainab’s father was kept overnight in jail and where he is at the moment. So, we have given an application under Section 97 CRPC to the Honorable Judicial Magistrate Lucknow, that Naeem Siddiqui should be located and his information be given to the family.”

https://www.thequint.com/news/india...iqui-father-held-by-up-ats-kin-allege-assault
 
UP Muslim Minor With No Link to Anti-CAA Protests Released After 11 Months

Lucknow: On November 6, 16-year-old Hussain* had a full, home-cooked meal for the first time in 11 months. His house in Thakurganj was rippling with excitement – his parents, two brothers and three sisters surrounded him on all sides.

“My son is home after months,” his mother says.

The circumstances of his return tell a story different from the usual experiences of others in his age group.

Hussain was arrested on December 25 from a friend’s house. His last 10 months were spent at a juvenile correction centre. He was arrested for having been a part of the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. Except, Hussain says, he never attended even one protest against the CAA.

“We are a poor family, with not many resources. Our father is a plumber who somehow manages to pay our school fees and buy us books,” Hussain says.

People in various districts of Uttar Pradesh had been vocal and had joined in during the countrywide protests against the CAA and National Register of Citizens. Police detained and arrested several people wherever protests turned violent. In many situations, those arrested or their families narrated horrific experiences that The Wire reported on here and here.

Hussain was no exception. One of the 25 accused named in FIR 947/2019 which was filed on December 19, 2019, Hussain was picked up at noon, taken to Thakurganj police station, and sent off to a juvenile correction centre within a matter of hours.

“I was not allowed to call my parents. They were not even informed of my arrest,” he says.

Filed in Thakurganj police station by sub-inspector Kailash Narayan Trivedi, the FIR charged him under 14 sections of the Indian Penal Code that cover a range of charges from rioting to voluntary hurt of public servant to criminal conspiracy. He was also charged under section 7 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1932.

Hussain was given bail on November 13, 2020 by a sessions court.

The first bail application in the case was filed in the juvenile justice court on September 15 but was dismissed on the grounds that if released, the minor could be a “threat” to the society. This order came after he had already been in jail for eight months.

Aashma Izzat, a Lucknow-based advocate who secured Hussain’s bail, said that the order was arbitrary as it is in the best interest of minors to stay with parents instead of in jail. The next bail application was filed in the court of the district and sessions judge on September 29, 2020. The bail order came on November 13.

Izzat has been working on several such cases pro bono. She said that the UP police had arbitrarily targeted and arrested Muslim youth for violence during the anti-CAA protest in December last year. “There was huge pressure on police to make arrests. To satisfy the state government, the police made random arrests. For five days, there were continuous arrests of Muslims in Lucknow,” said Izzat.

She added that because it was a random arrest, police struggled to substantiate the chargesheet as no evidence could be found against Hussain.

“The state, instead of protecting children, is acting against them. It has severely affected their mental health,” she said, citing the case of another accused, a young boy, who broke down in court. She added that some minors have also been illegally sent to district jails.

Hussain is among many who have been sent to jail for absolutely no offence, she says.

In the process, the teenager lost a precious academic year. “They said that I will not be admitted now, as I have missed the registration date,” he says.

Hussain passed his matriculation exams this year from Rajkiya Hussainabad Inter College in Lucknow. He was in the facility when his results came out.

Even though he has lost a year, he hopes to join the Navy someday.

‘Illegal detention and torture of juveniles’

A report titled, ‘Brutalising Innocence – Detention, Torture and Criminalization of Minors by UP police to Quell Anti-CAA protests’, was first published by HAQ Centre for Child Rights on January 31 this year. The report alleged that several minors were illegally detained and tortured by police across the state, including in Lucknow. The report also mentioned Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor and Sambhal.

On the basis of this fact-finding report, a petition was filed by HAQ. It read:

“The perusal of the aforesaid fact finding reports of the Petitioner highlights the actions of the UP police in illegally detaining minors and torturing them is in grave breach of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015; the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child; UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment and Punishment, and the Constitutional rights guaranteed to children under Articles 14, 15, 19 and 21.”

Last Tuesday, November 17, the Allahabad high court sought a reply from the Uttar Pradesh government while hearing the PIL alleging illegal detention and torture of juveniles during anti-CAA protests in the state in December last year. The NGO was represented by advocates Vrinda Grover, Soutik Banerjee and Tanmay Sadh.

Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice Siddhartha Varma have asked the state to file all details relating to each and every district of the state with regard to the application of the provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. The matter will now be heard on December 14.

https://thewire.in/communalism/uttar-pradesh-police-minor-arrest-juvenile-anti-caa-protest
 
New Delhi: The centre has given itself time - till July 9 at least - to frame and implement rules relating to the controversial citizenship law, amendments to which were passed in December 2019 amid unprecedented chaos in parliament and violent protests across the country.

In a response to a question in parliament today - by Congress Lok Sabha MP VK Sreekandan - the Home Ministry said that the Citizenship Amendment Act, or CAA, had been in force since January 10, 2020, but rules were "under preparation".

"The Committees on Subordinate Legislation, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have granted extension of time up to April 9 and July 9, respectively, to frame these rules under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019," the Home Ministry said.

Mr Sreekandan had asked: "... whether it is a fact that the Government is considering to implement the Citizenship (Amendment) Act very soon" and "... whether the rules under CAA are still under preparation despite the fact that the said Bill was passed more than a year ago".

In December last year Home Minister Amit Shah had said the process of framing rules had been delayed because of the pandemic, and that it would be taken up once the vaccination drive began.

India began its national Covid vaccination drive on January 16.

Parliamentary rules say "statutory rules, regulations and bye-laws will be framed within a period of six months from the date on which the relevant statute came into force".

It also says that in case of delays the concerned ministries and departments "should seek extension of time from the Committee on Subordinate Legislation, stating reasons for such extension", and that these extensions cannot be for more than three months at a time.

The CAA triggered protests in several states, including Assam and Bengal, both of which are due to hold Assembly elections in the coming weeks and months. Bombs were thrown and trains were set on fire in Bengal, and a strong student-led agitation challenged the CAA in Assam.

The epicentre of those protests was Delhi; the national capital witnessed pitched battles over four days in March, in which over 50 people were killed and hundreds injured. It also saw a huge sit-in protest at Shaheen Bagh, which was only broken up in March last year because of the pandemic.

cvjt44j8
Violent protests over the CAA broke out across the country, including Assam, Bengal, Delhi and UP

The BJP, which is in power in Assam and making a ferocious pitch to gain control of Bengal, has made no secret of its desire to see the law implemented across the country.

Last month Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said "no CAA will be allowed" in her state. In January last year Bengal became the fourth opposition-ruled state to pass an anti-CAA resolution.

The CAA makes, for the first time in this country, religion a test of citizenship.

The centre, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr Shah, has repeatedly defended the controversial law, saying it grants citizenship to persecuted minorities - non-Muslims. It does so for those from three Muslim-majority neighbouring nations - Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

Critics, however, fear the law discriminates against Muslims, violates the secular nature of the Constitution and, in conjunction with the NRC (National Register of Citizens) and an exercise to update the NPR (National Population Register), can be used to identify and target Muslims.

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/cit...e-till-july-2362010?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll
 
Guwahati: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday said that the BJP didn't have the courage to talk about the controversial citizenship law in Assam, ahead of Assembly elections in the state.

"They talk about CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) all over the country but, when they come to Assam, they don't have the courage to talk about it," Ms Gandhi Vadra, in the northeastern state to campaign for her party ahead of polls, told reporters in upper Assam's Biswanath district.

This is the Congress General Secretary's first visit since poll dates were announced last week. Assam will vote over three phases starting March 27, with results due on May 2.

The citizenship law was passed in December 2019 amid unprecedented chaos in parliament and violent protests across the country. In Assam five people died and dozens were injured in protests that were followed by a curfew in Guwahati and suspension of internet services in several districts.

The contentious law makes, for the first time, religion a test of citizenship.

The centre says it will help non-Muslim refugees from three neighbouring Muslim-dominated countries become citizens if they fled to India because of religious persecution. Critics say it violates secular tenets of the Constitution and discriminates against Muslims.

Many in Assam, which has a porous border with Bangladesh (one of the countries named in the law) were unhappy, pointing out that the state had already accepted refugees till 1971, and feared loss of culture and jobs if this were to continue.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during a visit to neighbouring Bengal (which also votes this month) reiterated that measures to implement the bill would be drafted after the coronavirus vaccination drive - which began January 16 and is now in its second phase - is over.

However, both Mr Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi - each of whom has made multiple visits to Assam to campaign for the BJP - made no mention of the CAA in the state.

"Assam's people are smart and they see through the lies. I believe they will vote for those who will uplift this place's identify and tradition," Ms Gandhi Vadra, who is on a two-day visit to the state to launch her party's campaign said.

NDTV
 
'This is why CAA was necessary': Hardeep Singh Puri as India evacuates people from Afghanistan


Sikhs and Hindus are going through a harrowing time in the volatile neighbourhood, Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri said.

Amid India's ongoing evacuation from Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover of the country, Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Sunday said this shows how necessary it was to enact the Citizenship Amendment Act. "Recent developments in our volatile neighbourhood & the way Sikhs & Hindus are going through a harrowing time are precisely why it was necessary to enact the Citizenship Amendment Act," the minister tweeted.

A special evacuation flight by the Indian Air Force reached the Hindon airbase on Sunday carrying 168 passengers, including former Afghanistan parliamentarians who thanked the Indian government for the evacuation. Arindam Bagchi, the official spokesperson of the external affairs ministry, posted a video of the evacuation where the evacuees can be seen chanting 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' inside the aircraft.

The crisis in Afghanistan has brought the controversial CAA again into discourse as the Citizenship Amendment Act aims to grant Indian citizenship to persecuted Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, who arrived in India before the end of December 2014. The rules under the act are yet to be notified.

The Union home ministry said it is committed to repatriating all Indians and Afghan Sikhs and Hindus. The ministry of home affairs has recently reviewed the visa provisions and created a new e-visa category for Afghan nationals -- mainly Hindus and Sikhs -- to apply online.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi early this week chaired a high-level meeting on the Afghan situation and directed officials to ensure the safe evacuation of all Indian citizens and also to provide refuge to Sikhs and Hindus wanting to come to India.

The Taliban on Saturday reportedly stopped a group of 70 Afghan Sikhs and Hindus, which included Sikh members of parliament Anarkali Kaur Honaryar and Narender Pal Singh claiming that the Taliban said that they were Afghan nationals and the flight was meant for Indians

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/this-is-why-caa-was-necessary-hardeep-singh-puri-as-india-evacuates-people-from-afghanistan-101629623135635.html
 
Citizenship Law Takes Into Account Current Ground Realities: India At UN

United Nations:

India on Thursday told the UN Human Rights Council that its Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 is a limited and focused legislation that reaffirms the country's commitment to the welfare of persecuted minorities in the region and takes into account "historical context and the current ground realities".

As the Universal Periodic Review of India's human rights record is underway in Geneva, some member states raised concerns over the issue of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

The CAA is a "limited and focused legislation, which reaffirms India's commitment to the welfare of persecuted minorities in the region," Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta said in his response.

He added that the legislation is similar to laws that exist elsewhere in defining specific criteria for citizenship pathways.

"The criteria defined here is specific to India and its neighborhood and takes into account the historical context and the current ground realities," he said.

He added that it is aimed at enabling foreigners of six minority communities - Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian - from three "specified neighbouring countries" - Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, "who have migrated to India, owing to their religious persecution in those countries to obtain Indian citizenship."

"It will help in reducing their statelessness and would enable beneficiaries to have a more secured and dignified life. This Act neither takes away the citizenship of any Indian citizen nor amends nor abridges any existing process for acquiring Indian citizenship by any foreigner of any country belonging to any faith or religion," Mr Mehta said.

In his response to issues raised by UN Member States during the review process over freedom of speech and opinion, Mr Mehta said the Constitution of India guarantees to every citizen, the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression.

"Like any other freedom, the freedom of speech and expression is not absolute in nature and is subject to reasonable restrictions in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India, security of the state, friendly relations with the foreign state, public order, decency or morality, contempt of court, defamation, or incitement to an offense," he said.

He noted that these restrictions are conceived to protect national and public interest and are required to meet a very high threshold.

"Imposing reasonable restrictions enables the state to regulate freedom of speech and expression when it amounts to hate speech or leads to incitement to an offense," Mr Mehta said, adding that it is a settled law in India that any restriction imposed must not be excessive or disproportionate.

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