Ally Shiv Sena to skip Congress-led Opposition meet

Protests at Jamia Millia Islamia

Students of Jamia Millia University have reportedly gheraoed the office of V-C.Assam: MLAs & leaders of AIUDF stage protest against CAA

Assam: MLAs & leaders of All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) stage protest against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), outside the state assembly. A special session of the assembly has been called today for extension of SC/ST reservation, passed by Parliament in December 2019.New political party a necessity in Assam: Tarun Gogoi clarifies statement

Tarun Gogoi, Congress, on his reported statement 'New political party a necessity in Assam': I have not said I will form a new party, some organisation said they are thinking of forming a political party, I said they are welcome to do so. All of us should work together to oppose CAA and defeat BJP.Shiv Sena not part of Opposition meet on CAA

As per sources, the Shiv Sena will not be part of the Opposition meeting to discuss future strategy on CAA.2 arrested for hurling stones at pro-CAA rally in Jharkhand

Two persons have been arrested for allegedly hurling stones at a pro-CAA rally organised by the BJP here, police said on Monday.

Stones were hurled at the rally brought out by BJP workers from six assembly constituencies of the district, at Padam Chowk in Giridih town on Sunday, prompting police to lob teargas shells to control the situation, officials said. Four policemen were injured in the incident.AAP to skip Cong meet of opposition parties on CAA, NRC

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is likely to skip the meeting of opposition parties called by the Congress to discuss the situation arising out of violence on various university campuses and protests over the Citizenship Amendment Act, sources said.

The AAP is not attending the meeting in view of the upcoming assembly polls in Delhi, they said.Communicate on CAA, Chidambaram tells Prime Minister Modi

Asserting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not talking to his critics, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram urged him to select five critics and have a televised question and answer session on CAA so that people can reach their own conclusions on the amended citizenship law.

"PM says that CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) is meant to give citizenship, not take it away. Many of us believe that CAA (in conjunction with NPR or NRC) will declare many persons as 'non-citizens' and take away citizenship," the former home minister said.Opposition meet on CAA today, BSP likely to skip

The Bahujan Samaj Party is likely to skip a meeting of opposition parties convened on Monday to discuss the situation arising out of violence in various university campuses and protests over the Citizenship Amendment Act. Sources in the BSP said the party may not send a representative at the meet.

The BSP's differences with the Congress are said to be the reason behind the move, the sources said.

Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress has already announced its decision to stay away from the meet. When the opposition members had approached the President against the amended Citizenship law, the BSP had not joined them. It had met the President on the issue later.Shashi Tharoor visits Jamia, JNU, Shaheen Bagh; says CAA against Mahatma Gandhi's ideals

Expressing solidarity with those protesting against the amended citizenship act, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday visited Jamia Millia Islamia and Shaheen Bagh and said that the law was against the ideals of unity espoused by Mahatma Gandhi.

Tharoor later travelled in metro to reach JNU where he addressed the students and condemned the violence by a masked mob on January 5. He said the December 15 police action against the students in Jamia is a "blot on the nation". After visiting the university, he visited Shaheen Bagh to express solidarity with the protesters.

Terming the Citizenship Amendment Act "discriminatory", Tharoor asserted that it is against the ideals of unity espoused by Mahatma Gandhi.

"Whatever happened on December 15 is a blot on nation. Without any provocation, without any intimation to the vice chancellor, they (police) entered hostels and attacked women students. Students studying in library were attacked, which is a 'shame, shame, shame' and not acceptable at all," he told the crowd.

Attacking the act, the Thiruvananthapuram MP said the Centre's step is discriminatory and an effort to marginalise "one community". "That is why we opposed the introduction of the bill in Parliament, as it brought religion in the Citizenship Act for the first time," he said.

Tharoor said he did not want any section of society to be reduced to second class citizens. "We shall stand for the values we cherish and for the humanity, and above all we should stand for Bharat (India)," he added.

Tharoor, who addressed the crowd in Hindi and English said, "Religion was nowhere mentioned in the Citizenship Act until the BJP-led government incorporated it in the CAA. This is not something we can accept."

"The CAA betrays the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi, who sacrificed his life for the unity of the nation; the unity of Hindus and Muslims. India, which Mahatma Gandhi wanted to see, will not be the India after the introduction of religion in the CAA," he said.

Tharoor also recited a couplet, "Na mera hai, na tera hai... Yeh Hindustan sabka hai... na samjhenge yeh baat toh nuksan sab ka hai..."CAA stir: Shaheen Bagh protest nears month

People of different faiths came together on Sunday to participate in a 'sarva dharma sambhava' ceremony at Delhi's Shaheen Bagh, where anti-citizenship law protestors have been demonstrating for almost a month now. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor also joined the protest as thousands of people descended at the site in solidarity with those opposing the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and a proposed pan-India National Register of Citizens (NRC).

"Heartwarming to meet and address the courageous women of Shaheen Bagh whose resistance is now legendary. 'Aap is sheher ki shaan hain, Bharat desh ki jaan hain' I told them in my address (sic)," Tharoor later tweeted.

The inter-faith ceremony, where there was a traditional Hindu-style 'hawan' and chants of Sikh 'kirtan', saw participants also reading out the Preamble of the Constitution and taking oath to preserve its "socialist, secular" values.

"Scriptures from the Geeta, the Bible, the Quran were read and Gurbani held. Then the Preamble of the Constitution was also read out by people from varying faiths who are supporting this movement," said Syed Taseer Ahmed, one of the initial organisers of the protest.

Being a Sunday and the weather relatively warmer, more people could join the protest, he added. The crowd swelled from hundreds in the morning to thousands by evening.

The concept of 'sarv dharm sambhav' (equal respect for all religions or peaceful co-existence of all religions) was popularised by Mahatma Gandhi during India's freedom struggle against the British rule to promote inter-faith harmony.

Hundreds of protesters, including women and children, stayed put at Shaheen Bagh on Sunday, as their movement for withdrawal of the CAA and the NRC was set to complete a month on Monday.

A replica of the India Gate has also come near the protest site with names of the people who have lost their lives during anti-CAA protests across the country inked on it.

People have been protesting at Shaheen Bagh and nearby Jamia Millia Islamia here to oppose the CAA and the NRC.

Besides Delhi, protests have unfolded in several parts of the country over the contentious law since it was passed on December 11 and have led to clashes at several places including Uttar Pradesh, where nearly 20 people have died.

According to the amended law, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014 and facing religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship. The law excludes Muslims.