Poonam, a 38-year-old woman who came to India from Pakistan in 2004, has been granted Indian citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). She had been living in Rampur on a long-term visa and expressed joy at finally being recognized as an Indian citizen.
In its list of 26 candidates for Thursday's assembly elections, 13 are from the Bengali-speaking Muslim community -- a demographic that was at the centre of the original Assam agitation.
Student activist Umar Khalid has petitioned the Supreme Court for a review of the verdict denying him bail in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case, arguing that there were errors in the initial decision.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced that Bangladeshi infiltrators detained in the state will be directly handed over to the BSF for deportation, bypassing court appearances, following a new rule.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the TMC of sheltering goons who torture women and promised citizenship to refugees in West Bengal. He highlighted the BJP's commitment to women's security by giving poll tickets to victims of violence.
A BJP government in Bengal inherits more problems than it might care to admit at its moment of triumph, points out Ramesh Menon
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accused the TMC government in West Bengal of 'maha jungleraj' following an incident in Malda where judicial officers were allegedly held hostage. He framed the upcoming elections as a battle between the TMC's 'fear' and the BJP's 'trust', promising accountability for alleged atrocities and a focus on development.
The West Bengal cabinet has decided to discontinue assistance-oriented schemes based on religious categorisation for Imams, muezzins and purohits from June. The cabinet also approved the 'Annapurna' scheme of Rs 3,000 monthly support to women from June 1, and granted in-principle consent for their free travel in state-run buses.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a strong attack on the ruling TMC in West Bengal, accusing them of running the state through 'syndicates' and promising to address atrocities against women if the BJP gains power.
The BJP has accused the Congress-led Karnataka government of supporting Umar Khalid by allowing an event linked to him in Bengaluru, despite objections. The BJP highlighted Khalid's legal status, noting he has not been granted relief by courts in cases related to the Delhi riots and faces charges under the UAPA.
The only thing that might make the BJP stop trying to isolate Muslims completely will be if substantial numbers of the community vote for the party that flaunts its animosity towards it, notes Jyoti Punwani.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has criticised the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal, citing the Malda incident as evidence of lawlessness and accusing the party of 'maha jungleraj'. He framed the upcoming elections as a battle between the TMC's 'fear' and the BJP's 'trust', addressing issues such as infiltration, corruption, and demographic change.
Courts cannot be the only hope for those fighting hate speech. Countering its effects on the ground takes more effort. With our political parties unwilling to put in that amount of effort, it's left to citizens to do so, points out Jyoti Punwani.
The BJP's landslide victory in West Bengal has not merely redrawn the electoral map but overturned the operating logic of politics in the state, breaching the TMC's entrenched fortress despite a decade-and-a-half of dominance, minority consolidation, and a sustained "outsider" narrative.
'The BJP's tally may dip, but the NDA is likely to retain power.'
In West Bengal's electoral chessboard, governments are rarely made in the hills of North Bengal or the forested region of Jangalmahal. Power is usually decided in the crowded plains of South Bengal, where elections are won less by momentum and more by mathematics.
The campaign for the current election cycle ended on Monday as canvassing for the final phase in West Bengal concluded with a bitter war of words between rival parties over cross-border infiltration, corruption, unemployment and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the BJP-led central government of using the proposed amendment to the women's quota law as a front for the Delimitation Bill, which she claims will divide the country. She asserted that her party will fight this move at every step.
'A genuine tribute to Dr Ambedkar does not lie in selective invocation. It lies in asking a harder question: Is the Constitution still doing its job -- restraining even assertive majorities?' asks Manoj Mohanka.
Police on Monday detained a close associate of cleric and Ittehad-e-Millat Council chief Tauqeer Raza Khan in connection with the recent violence in Bareilly during a protest in support of the 'I Love Muhammad' campaign, officials said.
With domestic markets turning choppy, investors are increasingly scouting for opportunities overseas to diversify portfolios and hedge against a weakening rupee.
The Congress and Raijor Dal have finalised a seat-sharing agreement for the Assam assembly elections, with Congress leaving 11 constituencies for Raijor Dal and a friendly contest in two others. The alliance aims to defeat the BJP government.
Joseph Francis A Pereira, a citizen of Pakistan who currently resides in Cansaulim, south Goa, is the first in the state to be given an Indian citizenship certificate.
The Supreme Court has denied bail to Umar Khalid in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case, citing a prima facie case against him under the UAPA. Other activists were granted bail. Khalid's father expressed disappointment, while a friend shared Khalid's reaction.
The Delhi police vehemently opposed the bail pleas of activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and others in the February 2020 riots case, saying it had become a trend now for doctors and engineers to engage in anti-national activities. The police cited inflammatory speeches and violent protests as reasons for opposing bail.
The Supreme Court has refused to grant bail to activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy matter, citing a prima facie case against them under the UAPA. However, bail was granted to other activists in the same case.
When everyone has footage and no one can verify it, the loudest voice wins, notes Prem Panicker who begins a daily blog on the War in the Middle East.
Eligible applicants under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019 (CAA) will be granted Indian nationality with retrospective effect as specified in the law, officials said on Tuesday.
'Nowhere does the CAA state that Muslims will be deprived of their Indian citizenship.'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has honoured Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and Jain refugees by giving them citizenship through Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), Union home minister Amit Shah said on Tuesday and maintained there is no provision of stripping of anyone's citizenship in the new law.
The CAA was enacted in December 2019 for granting Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who came to India on or before December 31, 2014. These include Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians.
India on Friday strongly trashed the criticism against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), including by the United States, and said 'vote-bank politics' should not determine views about a 'laudable initiative' to help those in distress.
Key provisions of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) which came into law this year may violate certain provisions of India's Constitution, a report issued by an independent research wing of the United States Congress has claimed.
The Supreme Court denied bail to activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case, citing prosecution material suggesting their involvement in planning and strategic direction. The court granted bail to other activists but emphasized the seriousness of the allegations against Khalid and Imam.
National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah said notifying the rules for the CAA days before the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections shows the Bharatiya Janata Party is not confident about winning 400 seats in the ensuing polls.
Fear and uncertainty loomed over the residents of southeast Delhi's Shaheen Bagh area, a day after the Centre notified the rules of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Delhi Police strongly opposes bail pleas of activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and others in the February 2020 riots case, claiming it was a pre-planned attack on the nation's sovereignty and an attempt to divide society on communal lines.
A mobile app 'CAA-2019' will also be launched shortly to facilitate applications through mobile app.
Our journey was filled with challenges due to the identity we carried with us. But now we are 'Bharatiya Nagriks'
The CAA, enacted by the BJP-led government at the Centre in 2019, aims at granting Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants, including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians, from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who entered India before December 31, 2014.
