Today’s Top Stories
European Parliament to debate anti-CAA resolution even as EU attempts a balancing act
The European Parliament will debate and vote on a resolution against India's Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). A draft of the final resolution, which combines the six previous resolutions by several parties, says it "deeply regrets the adoption and implementation of the CAA, which is discriminatory in nature and dangerously divisive". It asks the Indian government to pay heed to the citizens' petitions and also joins the dots between the CAA and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) to drive home the point. The draft of the joint motion for resolution points out that there has been a "brutal crackdown" on "peaceful protesters" and highlights BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh as an example.
Women can enter mosques to offer prayers, ignore fatwas stating otherwise: Muslim law board tells SC
The entry of women into mosques to offer prayers is permitted and 'fatwas' contradicting this tenet should be ignored, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) told the Supreme Court. In an affidavit, the board said while Muslim women are free to enter mosques, it is not mandatory for them to do so. They may also offer prayers at home instead of at a congregation or in mosques, it said. Resisting the court's interference in the matter, the AIMPLB said mosques are privately managed bodies and courts cannot get into the arena of detailed arrangements of a religious place.
In Other News
Last nail in the coffin: In clear signs of Nitish Kumar firming up his party's alliance with the BJP both inside and outside Bihar, the Janata Dal (United) expelled rebel leaders Prashant Kishore and Pavan Varma from the primary membership of the party.
Back in the fray: BJP president JP Nadda said its ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which had decided not to contest the Delhi Assembly polls over differences with the saffron party, will support his party in the elections. SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal asserted the alliance is not merely about politics but also about a bond of sentiments.
Delhi assembly elections: Aam Aadmi Party's Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh said that the parents of the Delhi government school children are hurt after Home Minister Amit Shah and other BJP leaders shared "fake and fabricated" videos of the schools and have decided to file a defamation case of Rs 100 crore against the former BJP President.
Nirbhaya case: The Supreme Court will consider on Thursday the curative petition of one of the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case, who said that capital punishment is being awarded by courts as "panacea" in the face of public pressure and public opinion on violence against women.
Ind vs NZ: Rohit Sharma smashed consecutive sixes in the final two balls of the thrilling Super Over, leading India to their maiden T20 series win in New Zealand following a nerve-wracking finish in the third match here. Sharma smacked two big hits, one over mid-wicket and the other over long off, to help India pull off a nail-biter.
On Our Specials
Language row: Andhra Pradesh’s decision to turn all government schools in the state into English medium has raised concerns from its neighbour over a strange off-shoot. Deepa Balakrishnan reports that the Karnataka Education Minister Suresh Kumar has written to Andhra Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy saying that the move will deprive many children in Andhra’s border areas of learning in their mother tongue.
New chapter?: Tamil cinema superstar and political aspirant Rajinikanth’s speech at the 50th anniversary of Thuglak, the Tamil magazine founded in 1970 by the late Cho Ramaswamy, has given a controversial 1971 event present-day political context. Veeraraghav TMN writes that if Rajinikanth sticks to his anti-Periyar remarks at the risk of being branded ‘communal’, the next Tamil Nadu elections may actually show whether Dravidian ideology remains unanimously accepted or whether there is a challenger.
On Reel
Shuttling from badminton to politics, Olympics bronze medallist Sania Nehwal joined the BJP on Wednesday, in a major acquisition for the saffron party just days ahead of the assembly elections in Delhi. Watch to know more.
Comments
0 comment