Archives for November 2020

Her remarks come after Uttar Pradesh registered its first case under the new law in Bareilly district based on a complaint from the father of a young woman.

LUCKNOW:  BSP president Mayawati on Monday asked the Uttar Pradesh government to reconsider the new anti-conversion law, saying it is full of “doubts and apprehensions”.

Her remarks come after Uttar Pradesh registered its first case under the new law in Bareilly district based on a complaint from the father of a young woman.

In a statement issued here on Sunday, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said a case was registered on the complaint by Tikaram who accused a man — Uvaish Ahmed — of the same village of trying to convert his daughter through “allurement” (bahla-phuslaakar).

“The ordinance on love jihad brought by the UP government in a hurry is full of doubts and apprehensions.

There is neither any recognition nor acceptability to conversion through force or deceit in the country.

There are many laws already effective in this regard.

The government needs to reconsider the new law,” Mayawati said in a tweet in Hindi.

“Love jihad” is a derogatory coinage used by right-wing activists to refer to the alleged campaign of Muslims forcing Hindu girls to convert in the guise of love.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has already said that his party will oppose the state government’s bill on religious conversions when placed in the assembly for passage.

Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel on Saturday gave assent to an ordinance against forcible or fraudulent religious conversions that provides for imprisonment up to 10 years and a maximum fine of Rs 50,000 under different categories.

The promulgation of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020, came four days after the Yogi Adityanath government approved the draft of the legislation which also curbs religious conversions only for the sake of marriage.

Under the law which deals with different categories of offences, a marriage will be declared “null and void” if the conversion of a woman is solely for that purpose, and those wishing to change their religion after marriage need to apply to the district magistrate.

She said since the day the Gupkar Alliance announced participation in polls, everything is being suppressed.

SRINAGAR: Democracy in Jammu and Kashmir is being ‘murdered’ in the name of the ongoing District Development Council (DDC) elections, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti claimed on Sunday.

The election and poll percentage won’t have any bearing on the Kashmir issue, she said, questioning that if the scrapping of Article 370 has solved all the issues then why nine lakh troops are deployed in the Kashmir Valley.

She said since the day the Gupkar Alliance announced participation in polls, everything is being suppressed.

“If anybody talks, he is being jailed and booked under the UAPA,” the former J&K chief minister told the media at her Gupkar residence.

Referring to the Election Commission, Mehbooba  alleged that the institutions, who were supposed to make checks and balances, have been compromised.

Alleging that everything is being communalised, the PDP chief said, “Sikh is a Khalistani, Muslim a Pakistani and Kashmiri a terrorist.”

Referring to Article 370 revocation, Mehbooba said if Article 370 scrapping has resolved all issues, why nine lakh troops are still stationed in Kashmir.

“If all issues have been resolved, then the troops should not have been in civilian areas but on borders.” 

On the improved poll percentage, the PDP chief said, “The poll percentage was higher earlier too. However, poll percentage and election is no solution to Kashmir.” 

Mehbooba said how many people participate in elections does not have any bearing on the Kashmir issue.

Under the influence of the system, light to moderate rainfall or thundershower is likely over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal till December 3.

CHENNAI: A well marked low pressure area lay over Bay of Bengal and it is very likely to concentrate into a depression and bring rains in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala and south coastal Andhra Pradesh till December 3, the India Meteorological Department said on Sunday.

The low pressure area on Saturday over south Andaman sea and adjoining areas of southeast Bay of Bengal has organised into a well marked low pressure area, the Regional Meteorological Centre here said in a bulletin.

“It is very likely to concentrate into a depression during next 36 hours and likely to intensify further thereafter. It is likely to move west-northwestwards and reach near south Tamil Nadu coast around December 2.” Under the influence of the system, light to moderate rainfall or thundershower is likely over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal till December 3.

The showers, in such regions, starting with isolated places, could extend to many areas and then spread to most places during the next four days, the bulletin said.

The IMD tweeted,”Scattered to widespread rainfall activity very likely over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry & Karaikal, Kerala & Mahe, Lakshadweep, south coastal Andhra Pradesh and south Rayalaseema during 01st-03rd December, 2020.”

Also, the department said, “Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall with moderate thunderstorm & lightning very likely over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry & Karaikal during December 1-3 and isolated extremely rainfall likely over south Tamil Nadu and south Kerala on 02nd December 2020.” The expected rainfall is due to the well marked low pressure area, it said.

In Kerala, a red alert has been sounded for Idukki district on Wednesday and fishermen restrained from putting out to sea from the midnight of November 30.

An Orange alert has been issued for Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Pathanamthitta districts on December 2 anda yellow alert for Alappuzha, Kottayam and Ernakulam districts on the same day.

Red alert indicates heavy to very heavy rainfall of over 20 cm in 24 hours,an Orange alert (6 cm to 20 cm) and yellow alert (6-11 cm).

While the farmers have parked themselves on the Singhu and Tikri borders, they decided to block three more entry points into Delhi —Ballabgarh, Daruhera and Hapur.Security personnel stand guard at Singhu border during farmers Delhi Chalo protest march.

CHANDIGARH: Refusing to accept Union home minister Amit Shah’s offer to re-locate to the Burari grounds in north Delhi to begin the talks process, Punjab farmers on Sunday continued to stay put on the Delhi border, attacking the proposal for having pre-conditions.

While the farmers have parked themselves on the Singhu and Tikri borders, they decided to block three more entry points into Delhi —Ballabgarh, Daruhera and Hapur.

As the standoff showed no signs of easing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi again batted for the new laws in his monthly radio address, saying these reforms have given the farmers “new rights and opportunities” and have started mitigating their problems in a short span of time.

Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla wrote to the 32 protesting farmers’ unions in Hindi on Saturday citing the winter chill and the fear of a spike in Covid cases because of the massing, to persuade them to shift to Burari.

“As soon as you shift to the ground at Burari, the very next day a high-level committee of union ministers will hold talks at Vigyan Bhavan with the representatives of all farmers unions, with whom dialogue had taken place earlier,” he said in the letter.

It has also asserted that concerns expressed by some farm bodies about the new laws are misplaced, asserting that existing support measures like the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and state-run ‘mandis’ will remain in place.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had on Saturday said that a delegation of the farmers has been invited for a discussion on December 3 but as some of their unions have demanded that talks should be held immediately, the central government is ready to do so as soon as the protesters shift to the ground in Burari.

The central government has reached out to the farmers underscoring its willingness to hold talks with them.

Once they re-locate, a team of Union ministers would be ready to hold talks with them at Vigyan Bhavan, the letter said, but it failed to get traction.

A meeting of over 30 farmer groups was held to discuss Union Minister Amit Shah’s offer for talks before the scheduled date of December 3 once they move to Burari in the city, but the thousands of protesters refused to budge and prepared for spending another night in the cold at the Singhu and Tikri border points.

“We are ready for talks, but the Union government should not impose any pre-condition,” the leaders said and likened the Burari ground to an open jail.

“Instead of going to the ‘open jail’ in Burari, we have decided to lay siege to Delhi by blocking all five main entry points into the national Capital. As we have ration for four months, we are prepared for a long haul,” they said.

Opposition parties too pressed the government to initiate an unconditional dialogue with the farmers.

“The condition laid down by Home Minister Amit Shah is not acceptable to us. We will not hold any conditional talks. We reject the government’s offer. The blockade will not end. We will block all five entry point to Delhi,” Surjeet S Phul, Bhartiya Kisan Union’s Punjab president, told reporters.

“The condition put for talks is an insult to farmers. We will never go to Burari. It is not a park but an open jail,” he added.

Gurnam Singh Chaduni, Haryana unit president for the Bhartiya Kisan Union, said they were ready to talk “but will not accept any condition now”.

Farmers who had reached Nirankarai Samagam Ground in Burari on Saturday also continued their protest there.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot sought to add pressure by writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to reconsider the three new farm laws against which farmers are staging protests.

In Hyderabad, Shah sought to reach out to the farmers, saying their agitation was apolitical.

In his monthly ‘Mann Ki Baat’ broadcast, Prime Minister Modi said “correct information, away from rumours and confusion of any kind” is a big strength for people in any field, as he spoke about a couple of farmers involved with innovative practices in the field.

“The demands, which were made by farmers for years and regarding which every political party at some point of time had made promises, have been fulfilled. These reforms have not only freed them of various shackles but also given them new rights and new opportunities. These rights have begun mitigating farmers’ problems in a very short span of time,” he said on the new farm laws.

Farmer leaders, however, claimed that more protesters will join them from Haryana and Punjab.

Several Khaps or caste councils from Haryana have extended support to the farmers’ ongoing protest and will march towards the national capital, Independent MLA from Haryana’s Dadri constituency Sombir Sangwan, who also heads the ‘Sangwan Khap’, told PTI over phone.

Raising slogans against the government, the farmers staged protests amid heavy police presence on the Delhi borders.

The Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) provided food to the agitating farmers.

A war of words has also broken out between Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar over the movement of protesting farmers to Delhi.

Singh and his Congress party have supported the farmers’ agitation and criticised the Khattar government which had tried to stop the protesters from crossing the BJP-ruled Haryana to enter Delhi.

Khattar said on Sunday he would hold Amarinder Singh responsible if farmers’ gathering on the state’s borders with Delhi leads to an aggravation of the COVID-19 situation in the state.

He alleged that it was programme sponsored by the Congress and the Punjab government.

The Congress, which has been targeting the government over the farm laws issue, said the insistence on support to the legislations shows that the government is “drunk with power”.

“Those who are still defending the black farm laws, what solution will they find in favour of farmers?” party leader Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi, adding that, “Ab hogi (now there will be) #KisaanKiBaat”.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asked the Centre to immediately and unconditionally hold talks with the farmers.

BJP’s former ally Shiv Sena said farmers protesting against the Centre’s new agri laws are being treated as if they are “terrorists”, and it is sad that they are not being allowed to enter Delhi.

The government should consider the farmers’ demands sympathetically, Sena MP Sanjay Raut said.

The protesting farmers have come prepared for a long haul, their vehicles loaded with rations, utensils, quilts and blankets for the cold and equipped with even charging points for their phones.

“In any situation, we will not call off the protest till our demands are met,” Brij Singh, one of the farmers at Singhu border, said.

Gaurav Sharma, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer North), said they are allowing vehicles carrying food and other necessities for farmers to pass.

“Burari DDA ground has already been designated as the protest site and when they want to move, we will be facilitating their movement,” he said.

On Friday, police used teargas shells, water cannons and multi-layer barriers to block the protesters.

Some protesters pelted stones and broke barricades.

No untoward incident was reported on Saturday and Sunday.

Meanwhile, Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar held deliberations over the farmers’ protest against the three central farm laws with BJP president JP Nadda here late on Sunday evening.

According to sources, the three leaders met at Nadda’s residence to discuss the issue.

Tomar had a few days back said the Centre was ready to hold talks with farmers anytime, and appealed to them to call off their agitation and come for discussion.

After the farm reform bills were passed in monsoon session of parliament, Singh on behalf of the government held deliberations with various stake holders of the farm sector.

Govt sources say non-uniformity of demands from farmers’ groups is leading to inconclusive talks, while unions claim they stand united on all demands

CHANDIGARH/NEW DELHI:  While thousands of farmers from Punjab and Haryana were allowed to enter the national capital on Friday for a planned protest against Centre’s new farm laws after a morning of clashes with the police at the Delhi-Haryana border, government sources have claimed that non-uniformity of demands from farmers’ unions is leading to inconclusive talks.  

But representatives of farmers’ unions rejected the government claim, saying they remained united on their demands since day one and only Bharatiya Kisan Union, Punjab, (Rajewal group) president Balbir Singh Rajewal and another farmers’ leader Darshan Pal, who had talked to Union ministers and other agriculture ministry officials earlier, were authorised to hold the dialogues with the government.

The government sources’ claim came even as Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Friday again appealed to the agitating farmers to end their protests and discuss their issues with the Centre on December 3. “They and we also knew that in the first meeting with Union ministers, nothing would come out. These are serious issues and need time to be deliberated. We had raised our concerns in those meetings. Now, if they claim that the farmers’ unions have put across different demands, it is nothing but a strategy to “misguide” farmers.

Only three authorised farmers’ leaders had held meetings with the government representatives in the past,” a farmer said. Rajewal and Pal claimed that they had a seven-hour long meeting with Tomar and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on November 13 and put forward their points in detail. “We had listed five demands, including revocation of the laws, the MSP should be given and it should be made a law and not just oral assurances by the government, restoration of train services in Punjab, withdrawal of penalties for burning stubble and a cut in diesel tax,’’ Rajewal said.

Sources in the agriculture ministry said the talks are prolonging as there are many organisations with no uniform set of demands.“This is leading to delay in talks and all demands of all organisations need to be kept in mind while discussing the issues,” the sources said. Officials in the ministry said the government is open and ready to discuss all issues. “We know that the talks have been inconclusive so far. But all negotiations take time and this is no different. Like the minister has reiterated on Thursday, we are ready to discuss all issues and come to an amicable solution,” an official said. The officials also said assurances were given to the farmers at the meeting.