Opposition disrupts proceedings in Kerala House over CM's 'extremist' remark

Agencies
June 8, 2018

Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 8: The Kerala Assembly today witnessed noisy scenes with the Congress-led opposition UDF protesting the remarks of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan that a section of it was encouraging extremist elements.

The opposition sought to raise the issue as an adjournment motion during zero hour, which Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan disallowed saying that a debate could not be allowed on a remark made by a member of the House.

Vijayan yesterday, while replying to an adjournment motion notice related to an incident of alleged police torture of a man at Aluva in Kochi, had stated the protest against police that followed the incident had "an extremist character."

Justifying his decision not to allow a debate, the Speaker said Congress parliamentary secretary K C Joseph, MLA, has written a letter to the Chair seeking to expunge the remarks terming it as 'undignified' and 'defamatory'.

'The chair is examining the letter of Joseph, the speaker added.

Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala insisted on a discussion, saying the chief minister's remarks were very serious.

He alleged that Vijayan had insulted the entire opposition and also the people of Aluva.

As UDF members continued anti-government sloganeering near the well of the house, the Speaker accepted the chief minister's request to speak on the issue.

When Vijayan rose to speak, opposition members disrupted his speech and the House plunged into turmoil with ruling bench legislators also joining the issue.

UDF members had come to the house wearing a badge asking the chief minister whether they were extremist.

As the commotion continued, Chennithala announced that they were boycotting proceedings and trooped out of the house.

Making a statement in the House in the absence of the Opposition, Vijayan said he had reminded about the danger of extremism and need for a vigil against militancy.

He said his stand on the issue was very clear and stressed that it was a fact that there was an intervention of extremist forces behind the protest against police in Aluva.

Encouraging such elements would be a danger to the nation, he added.

In this context, Vijayan also said one of those who created trouble in Aluva was not only an extremist but also had links with 'terrorists'.

Vijayan, a senior CPI(M) politburo member, also reminded the Congress about the consequences the nation had to face for encouraging Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale in Punjab.

Later talking to reporters, Chennithala said the chief minister was making charges against the opposition to cover up police lapses and atrocities.

"We don't want any certificate from Vijayan for our fight against terrorists," Chennithala said.

Congress leaders like Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh are martyrs who lost lives in their fight against terrorism, he added.

Seeking to turn the tables on the ruling LDF, IUML leader and former state Minister M K Muneer alleged it was the CPI(M) that had always 'sided' with organisations that had 'extremist character.'

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Agencies
January 8,2020

New Delhi, Jan 8: Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) President Aishe Ghosh has filed a complaint over the violence that took place at the varsity campus on Sunday.

"I am filing this complaint for the incident in which a mob conspired and acted with common intention to assault, intimidate and attempt to murder me, and request you to register an FIR and apprehend culprits at the earliest," the complaint read.

She said that on January 5, in the afternoon, she received information from students in the campus that some students affiliated to ABVP along with other unidentified men and women had gathered with weapons like rods, sledgehammers and lathis near Ganga Bus Stop.

"I along with Nikhil Mathew (MA Labour Studies) who was also present there, were surrounded by a group of persons of that mob most of whom were wearing masks. The mob of 20-30 persons dragged me behind a car standing near the 24*7 and surrounded me and despite my pleading did not let me go and attacked me with rods while I had fallen down. I remember that one of the people was of medium height wearing a brownish-red sweatshirt with UCLA written on it. I saw his face as he was facing me and did not have a mask on and can identify him if I see him," Ghosh wrote in her complaint.

"I was attacked by the above-mentioned persons collectively and was hit on the head multiple times with iron rods. I fell to the ground and my head started bleeding, and some of them kicked me and hit me with the rod on my hand and rest of the body including my head, chest and back."

"I am attaching with this complaint a copy of the MLC which details my injuries. Nikhil Mathew tried to save me but was also hit with an iron hammer and other weapons on his head and arms. The intention of the group of men and their acts was definitely to murder me and other persons associated with me," she said.

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News Network
January 21,2020

Lucknow, Jan 21: Defending his brainchild, the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said the new law will not be scrapped despite the countrywide protests against it.

Addressing a rally here to drum up support for the CAA, Shah also declared that construction of a Ram temple "touching the skies" in Ayodhya will begin within three months.

He said there is no provision in the amended law for taking anyone's citizenship away. "A canard is being spread against the CAA by the Congress, SP, BSP, and Trinamool Congress. The CAA is a law to grant citizenship," he added.

"I want to say that irrespective of the protests this will not be withdrawn," he added.

Shah challenged Congress leaders to hold a discussion with him on CAA at a public forum.

He named Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav, Bahujan Samaj Party's Mayawati and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee while throwing the "challenge".

Congress has become blind due to vote bank politics,"he said. He also blamed the Congress for Partition.

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News Network
February 5,2020

Mumbai, Feb 5: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said there was no need to fear the Citizenship Amendment Act, but asserted his government will not allow the proposed National Register of Citizens to be implemented as it would "impact people of all religions".

Throwing out Bangladeshi and Pakistani migrants out of the country was an old demand of the Shiv Sena, the chief minister said in the third and concluding part of his interview to party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

"I can confidentally say the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) is not meant to throw Indian citizens out of the country. But, the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is going to impact Hindus as well," the Sena president said.

India has the right to know the number of minorities from neighbouring nations who applied for Indian citizenship after being persecuted in their home countries, he said.

"When they come here, will they get homes under the 'Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana'? What about employment and education of their children? All these issues are important and we have the right to know," hesaid in the interview to Saamana's executive editor and Sena MP Sanjay Raut.

"As chief minister, I should know where will these people be relocated in my state. Our own people don't have adequate housing. Will these people go to Delhi, Bengaluru or Kashmir, since Article 370 is now scrapped?" he wondered.

Several Kashmiri Pandit families are staying like refugees in their own country. The CAA is not to throw citizens out of the country, Thackeray said.

"However, the NRC will impact Hindus and Muslims and the state government will not allow it to be implemented," he asserted.

Under the NRC, all citizens will have to prove their citizenship. In Assam, 19 lakh people could not prove their citizenship. Of these, 14 lakh are Hindus, Thackeray claimed.

In a veiled attack on his cousin and MNS chief Raj Thackeray, who will lead a rally in support of the CAA and NRC in Mumbai on February 9, the chief minister said the NRC is not yet a reality and there is no need for a 'morcha' in support of or against it.

"If the NRC is enforced, those who are supporting it will also be affected," he said.

Under the NRC, even Hindus will have to prove their citizenship. "I will not allow the law to be enacted. Whether I am chief minister or not, I will not allow injustice to anybody," he said.

The chief minister also took a veiled dig at the Centre's decision to give the Padma Shri award to Pakistani-origin musician Adnan Sami.

"A migrant is a migrant. You can't honour him with the Padma award. Throwing out illegal migrants was the stand of (late Shiv Sena supremo) Balasaheb Thackeray," he said without naming anyone.

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