'The Ministry of Law and Justice signed off on the Narendra Modi government’s decision to hastily pass the controversial electoral bond scheme by bypassing the Rajya Sabha, despite putting on record that the government’s strategy was illegal and unconstitutional, documents obtained by HuffPost India establish. In a two-page note, the law ministry said this illegal step was a one-off exception and urged the Modi government to “avoid considering this practice as a precedent”, the documents reviewed by HuffPost India show.
'The Centre did not discuss the 124th Constitution Amendment Bill with any ministry or department other than the Ministry of Law and Justice before getting it passed by both houses of parliament in January 2019. The move, which provides for 10% reservation in jobs and education for poor ‘upper’ caste people, went from drawing board to law within a span of just 20 days.
'...PM Modi was interacting with a group children at his residence in the national capital. During the interactive session, PM Modi shared an anecdote with the students to encourage them to sweat themselves out by working hard... he said: "Many years ago, someone asked me about the secret behind the glow on my face. I told him that I work very hard....and I sweat so much that I massage my face with it."...'
'“Those people from three neighbouring countries who belong to minority communities and have fled to India to escape persecution, have been provided a measure of help and relief by the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019; they have been shown some leniency. These concessions are not necessarily the outcome of Modi’s thinking. It is not that the idea materialised in Modi’s mind overnight and Modi made it happen. These concessions conform to the very spirit of Gandhi’s thought.
'The Narendra Modi-Amit Shah combine may have achieved new heights for the Bharatiya Janata Party electorally, but it has presided over an unbelievable level of mediocrity on all other fronts. The Modi government’s monumental HR crisis is beginning to show. From a sagging economy to foot-in-the-mouth ministers to an uninspiring cabinet, the BJP government’s bench-strength is abysmal in most parts, and in the remaining, just about average...
'Historian Irfan Habib was slapped with a notice by an Aligarh Civil Court advocate for taking a jibe at the Prime Minister during a speech at the Aligarh Muslim University, calling him “illiterate”.
'The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Tuesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to deny or prove his alleged statement that top pharmaceutical companies bribed doctors with women escorts. The country’s largest doctors body demanded that the PM should apologise if he fails to do so. “Reports have appeared in the media regarding the purported statement by Hon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi that top pharmaceutical companies bribed doctors with women escorts. IMA takes strong exception to the statement if it has been really made by the Prime Minister,” a media release from IMA said...'
'In a statement, a group of human and civil rights lawyers of South Asian descent have expressed grave concerns about “ongoing legal abuses and human rights atrocities” in India. Their statement covers the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and National Register of Citizens, and the way protests against the two have been cracked down on by the government, as well as the Central governments actions in Kashmir.
'With Narendra Modi visiting West Bengal on Saturday, Left groups organised to protest against the prime minister and his government’s plans to introduce a religious criterion in India’s citizenship laws... The day started with unprecedented efforts by Kolkata Police to ensure that Modi’s route from the airport to the city was barricaded and closed to protestors. In the end, even that failed, and Modi has to take a helicopter to travel the 16 kilometre distance.
'A minister in the Uttar Pradesh government threatened, saying that he will bury alive those people who raise anti-Yogi Adityanath and anti- Narendra Modi slogans. Uttar pradesh minister Raghuraj Singh said, " I will bury all such people alive who make objectionable comments against prime minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath." He was referring to those students who had raised slogans against the prime minister and chief minister during anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protest in the Aligarh Muslim University campus.'
