'Stoking a fresh controversy, Karnataka's ruling BJP legislator MP Renukacharya on Tuesday accused Muslims of storing lethal weapons, including swords, knives and soda bottles, in mosques across the state. "Instead of offering prayers (namaz), Muslims are storing weapons in mosques and their priests (khazis) are giving fatwas instead of sermons," Mr Renukacharya claimed at a pro-CAA rally in his home town Honnalli in Davenagere district, around 300 km from Bengaluru.
'BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi has hit out at actor Saif Ali Khan for his recent remarks on Indian history, citing the name of his three-year-old son Taimur. Responding to a question in an interview on the political context of his latest movie 'Tanhaji', which tells the story of a 17th-century Maharashtrian military leader, Saif Ali Khan had said, "I don't think this is history. I don't think there was a concept of India till the British gave it one." Meenakshi Lekhi joined those enraged by the statement on Twitter, calling out the actor for his child's name...'
'A leader who is fast developing a repute for controversial lines, BJP’s West Bengal unit chief Dilip Ghosh said on Sunday that the government is committed to implementing the proposed nationwide National Register of Citizens and will send back a crore Bangladeshi Muslims living in the state illegally. Addressing a series of rallies in the North 24 Parganas district, Ghosh said that those opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) are anti-Bengalis and against the idea of India. He said one crore illegal Muslims in the state are “thriving” on the government’s Rs 2 per kg subsidised rice.
'Days after BJP MLA Arvind Limbavalli tweeted a video of shantytowns in North Bengaluru’s Kariyammana Agrahara area, claiming that the settlements belong to illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, the houses were razed to the ground on Sunday and rendered thousands homeless. The electricity and water supply to the location was cut off three days ago. After the demolition of the shanties, the residents, mostly migrants from Assam, Tripura, some even from North Karnataka, were allegedly asked to vacate the land... All the residents have valid identity cards, including Aadhaar, pan and voter ID.
'Presidents and secretaries of various mosques received threatening letters in Hassan district on Saturday. The letters questioned their integrity and loyalty to the nation and defended the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act - 2019 and National Register of Citizens and lauded the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Secretaries of mosques in Hassan, Arsikere, Sakleshpur and Belur received such anonymous letters. Interestingly, the letters had the address of Bellari MLA Somashekara Reddy and Vijayanagara MLA Anand Singh.
'When Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s government hastily served notices to more than 300 people for allegedly damaging public property during the recent anti-CAA protests, many recalled how hundreds of serious criminal cases against him and his Hindu Yuva Vahini members are still pending. But a bigger indictment than these cases are the annual reports of Uttar Pradesh Police’s intelligence units – which I have accessed – against the Hindu Yuva Vahini, an outfit that Adityanath established...
'...Within a few minutes, Saif heard commotion downstairs and looked out of the balcony to see Ikram calling for help. Ikram and his friends had been stopped by two patrol police, who wanted to know what they were doing on the road so late and where they lived. Saif, 21, approached the policemen, wanting to know what the issue was. The cops asked them for their names and ID cards. On learning that Saif was a Muslim, one of them asked him if he was a Pakistani...'
'...On December 19, when there was a call for protest against CAA, we decided to conduct a peaceful protest at Parivartan Chowk. Suddenly, a group of boys wearing skull caps came and started pelting stones. I found it strange that, even though Section 144 had been imposed, the police couldn’t detect a group of protesters carrying bricks and petrol. I can say with responsibiity that the stone-pelting was orchestrated. Another strange thing that happened was that when the arson started, someone drove a state transport bus at the protest spot. Police kept standing but didn’t take any action.
'“You are a Hindu, why are you friends with Muslims.” This is what the Uttar Pradesh police allegedly told Robin Verma, an activist and teacher, who was arrested in connection with the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in Lucknow on December 20, 2019. Released from the Lucknow district jail on Tuesday after being granted bail last week, Mr. Verma narrated his ordeal to The Hindu and alleged that police physically tortured and insulted him and even threatened to degrade his wife and infant daughter...'
'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”.
