'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.
'Since the last two days, reports have emerged that according to an Enforcement Directorate report, Popular Front of India (PFI) mobilised Rs 120 crores during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). According to an Economic Times report, the agency was investigating the Kerala-based political outfit under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) since 2018. ED has reportedly found that at least Rs 1.04 crore was deposited in several bank accounts across the country linked to the organisation between December 4 last year and January 6, 2020.
'On January 27, BJP Delhi MP Gautam Gambhir tweeted a video suggesting that it shows a dilapidated school in the capital. “They say fight the election on education, I say fight the election on truth!” he wrote. Delhi legislative assembly elections are set to be held on February 8 and Gambhir’s tweet attempted to portray the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in poor light... At the start of the viral video, a notice is visible on the building’s gate however the camera does not focus on the notice.
'On 10 August 2018, the Supreme Court of India imposed damages of at least Rs 105 crore on Goel Ganga Developers (India) Pvt. Ltd for breaking environmental laws and to mitigate the ecological damage wreaked by the real estate company while constructing a residential and commercial project. Goel Ganga, the Supreme Court said was “intransigent”, “unapologetic” and had “manipulated officials and authorities.” Eight days later, Nitin Gadkari, the union minister for road transport and highways, wrote to the then environment minister, Dr.
'The Supreme Court has refused to share any information about how it resolved a former employee’s sexual harassment complaint against former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, RTI documents with The Wire show. In replies to queries filed by RTI activist Anjali Bhardwaj, the Supreme Court said that information regarding the setting up of the Justice S.A. Bobde-led in-house committee which probed the allegations of sexual harassment against Justice Gogoi and the induction of Justice Indu Malhotra as its third member in place of Justice N.V.
'The National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over the probe into the 2018 Koregaon-Bhima violence today, a day after the Maharashtra government held a review meeting with senior Pune police officers to take a call on pursuing the matter. The centre's decision has given rise to yet another face-off with the Uddhav Thackeray government, which was seen to be preparing to withdraw all cases against intellectuals and social activists accused of inciting the clashes.
'A 36-year-old engineer and MBA-holder, Aditya Rao, surrendered on Thursday to the Bengaluru police stating he had placed the bag of explosive materials at the Mangaluru International Airport. Aditya Rao’s surrender came in the wake of massive speculation, both by political parties, leaders and certain sections of the media that “jihadi forces” were trying to “spread communal unrest” in the country. Aditya’s arrest has brought to the limelight Islamophobic statements made by members of the ruling BJP, pro-Hindu groups and by a certain section of the media.
'A letter found on Delhi-based activist Rona Wilson documenting an alleged plot to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi appears to be a “spoof” that was obtained from suspicious sources, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar is believed to have told the Pune police during a review of the chargesheet filed in the “urban naxal” cases. The particular e-mail exchange between Maoists and the alleged “urban naxals” had only a single time stamp and not two — from both the receiver and the sender — thereby raising doubts over its authenticity...'
'“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.
'Cracking down on protesters in an unusual manner, the Uttar Pradesh police officials reportedly snatched the blankets, utensils and food items of residents demonstrating against the amended Citizenship Act near the Clock Tower in Lucknow's old quarters. Miffed by the action, several took to Twitter to post videos and photos of the incident on Saturday. The posts soon started circulating on social media with '#KAMBALCHOR_UPPOLICE' becoming one of the top trends on Twitter...'
