The move comes after the arrest of at least a dozen BHU students for participating in a protest called by Left organisations on December 19.

VARANASI: In a surprise move, 51 professors of the prestigious Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and its affiliated colleges have launched a signature campaign against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

The BHU is seen as a right-wing institution that rarely involves itself in mainstream politics.

The move comes after the arrest of at least a dozen BHU students for participating in a protest called by Left organisations on December 19.

Of the 12 arrested students, three are PhD students and eight are doing their M.A. degree and one is a B.A. student. At least three of these arrested live in hostels inside the campus and have mentioned this under the address section of the First Information Report.

In a signed document, the professors have said: “We request the government to rethink the long-term implications of the CAA and hope national interest would prevail over partisan politics. We also urge the protesters not to indulge in any kind of violence and express their disagreement through democratic and peaceful means.”

BHU students stood with arrested students in CAA case. They have expressed their solidarity with 69 arrested people and demanded their immediate release.

An eight-year-old boy died in a stampede allegedly triggered by police baton-charging in a different part of Varanasi on the same day as the BHU students were arrested.

The students claim that they were protesting peacefully.

Apart from the students, members of civil society groups and activists have also been under arrest since December 19.

A total of 69 people have been arrested by Varanasi police and in many locations, they have pasted posters with faces of alleged rioters in the ‘wanted’ list.

Mohan Bhagwat said irrespective of religion and culture, people who respect the country’s culture and heritage, and nurture a nationalistic spirit would be considered Hindus.

HYDERABAD: While calling for unity among all the citizens irrespective of their religious faiths, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sar Sanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat on Wednesday said that all those who worship the jal, zameen and jungle of this country and wish well for Bharat Mata would be considered as Hindus. 

Addressing a public meeting in connection with ‘Vijaya Sankalpa Sibiram’, a three-day winter camp of key RSS functionaries, Mohan Bhagwat said irrespective of religion and culture, people who respect the country’s culture and heritage, and nurture a nationalistic spirit would be considered Hindus.  “RSS will consider 130 crore people of the country as Hindus,” the RSS chief said. His remarks assumed significance in the wake of widespread protests and apprehensions against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) across the country.

“Some say there is unity in diversity. We also believe it. But we see different shades of one ‘satya’ (eternal truth). All those who follow different forms of worship are considered as children of Bharat Mata, irrespective of their language or region,” Bhagwat declared.The RSS chief said that the main work of the outfit was to unite the people of the country. “We practise this daily for one hour in our shakas,” he added.

On christening the RSS camp as ‘Vijaya Sankalpa Sibiram’, the RSS chief said: “Some may ask, whose victory? There are three types of victories. Tamasika, Rajasika and Satvik victories. The first two are banned in Hindu dharma. RSS has always believed in victory through Satvik means. A Satvik person does not have any selfish interests. When faced with criticism, he may retort occasionally.

But, a Satvik person will always have kindness and love in his heart and strive for the welfare of others,” he said.  Bhagwat said that Satvik nature was rooted deep in the soil of this country, he said. The aim of the RSS was to make Bharat Mata a “vishwa guru” (universal teacher), he said. “We want victory for the country and Bharat Mata through Satvik means. RSS workers always want universal peace,” he emphasised. 

Bhagwat, however, rued that “this world is filled with Tamasik and Rajasik forces”.
“Our Hindu culture alone is capable of achieving dharma vijay. An organised Hindu society can guide the world,” he averred.  The change in the country would happen not because of politics or politicians, but with selfless people, he said. Bhagwat then went on to illustrate his example further by citing Rabindranath Tagore. “When the Britishers were leaving the country, people thought that there would be clashes between Hindus and Muslims. But Tagore felt there would be a solution to prevent such clashes. 

That solution for uniting the nation would come through a Hindu means. The RSS wants that every village and basti in the country stay united without differences,” Bhagwat added. BV Mohan Reddy of Cyient Technologies attended the meeting as the chief guest.  Around 7,705 RSS functionaries are attending the ‘Vijaya Sankalpa Sibiram’, which concludes on Thursday. 

It will be a major test for Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, whose Aam Aadmi Party hasn’t seen much success in the national elections in 2014 and 2019, despite its top performance in the Delhi election in 2015

The Delhi election is to be held before February 22, when the term of the assembly ends

The Chief Election Commissioner and other top officials are meeting to decide the dates for the election to the Delhi assembly, due before February 22, sources said. Campaigning for the election to the 70-member assembly has already started, with leaders of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party, the BJP and the Congress meeting people and launching resident-focused programmes.

It will be a major test for Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, whose relatively new party hasn’t seen much success in the national elections in 2014 and 2019, despite its top performance in the Delhi election in 2015.

The BJP is banking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s election-winning formula to take Delhi.

Housing, education and demand for statehood are some of the big issues in Delhi.

The Aam Aadmi Party needs to set a target of winning more seats in the upcoming election than it won in the 2015 polls when it secured 67 of the 70 assembly seats, Mr Kejriwal told party members last week.

“There is just over a month left for assembly elections in Delhi and since Delhi is party’s base from where it started we have to strongly fight the election,” he told party members at the eighth national council meeting.

“Our target is also very big. Last time, we won 67 seats and this time, we should not get less than that but more than that number,” he said amid slogans of “70 out of 70” by party members.

The AAP will fight this election in collaboration with election strategist Prashant Kishor’s consultancy firm I-PAC.

All the residents went to the terrace as the fire broke out and, therefore, the rescue operation were easy as compared to other such incidents, an official said.

5 fire tenders were rushed to the spot after receiving a call at 2.10 am about fire.

A major tragedy was averted after 40 people were rescued from a building in east Delhi when a fire broke out in the early hours of Thursday, an official said.

Plastic waste materials were stored on the ground floor of the four-storey building in Krishna Nagar area, while people lived on the the upper floors and it had only a single staircase, Delhi Fire Services director Atul Garg said.

Five fire tenders were rushed to the spot after receiving a call at 2.10 am about the blaze. All the residents went to the terrace as the fire broke out and, therefore, the rescue operation were easy as compared to other such incidents, the official said.

Forty people were rescued from the building and the fire was doused by 4 am, the official added.

An annular solar eclipse takes place when the moon’s apparent diameter is smaller than that of the Sun’s, blocking most of the Sun’s light. This causes the Sun to look like a ‘ring of fire

New Delhi:  Solar Eclipse 2019: PM Modi shared images on his official Twitter handle.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said he was enthusiastic “like many Indians” to witness the annular solar eclipse but he could not see the sun due to “cloud cover”, adding that he “did catch glimpses of the eclipse” in Kerala’s Kozhikode on live-stream. Thick fog blocked view of the much-awaited spectacle in several parts of Delhi this morning.

“Like many Indians, I was enthusiastic about #solareclipse2019,” PM Modi tweeted this morning. “Unfortunately, I could not see the Sun due to cloud cover but I did catch glimpses of the eclipse in Kozhikode and other parts on live stream. Also enriched my knowledge on the subject by interacting with experts,” he added.

Like many Indians, I was enthusiastic about #solareclipse2019.

Unfortunately, I could not see the Sun due to cloud cover but I did catch glimpses of the eclipse in Kozhikode and other parts on live stream. Also enriched my knowledge on the subject by interacting with experts.

There are three types of solar eclipse – total, partial and annular. An annular solar eclipse takes place when the moon’s apparent diameter is smaller than that of the sun’s, blocking most of the sun’s light. This causes the sun to look like a “ring of fire”. Today’s was the third eclipse of the year and decade’s last.

In India, the rare celestial spectacle was first viewed from Chervathur in Kerala. People from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu were also able to see the annular solar eclipse, while the rest of the country could see a partial solar eclipse. The annular solar eclipse in Kerala began at around 8 this morning and lasted till about 11.15 am. 

Besides India, the eclipse was visible in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam. Riyadh was the first one across the world to witness the rare spectacle. 

CDS will be the single-point advisor to the government on military matters and is going to give impetus to the tri-service synergy.

NEW DELHI:  Moving ahead with the biggest decision on military reform, the Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved the post of Chief of Defence Staff on Tuesday, a move that is seen as a major change in the higher defence management. 

“The Cabinet has approved creation of post of Chief of Defence Staff of the rank of 4-Star General with salary equivalent to the services chiefs, and will head the Department of Military Affairs  (that will be created under the Ministry of Defence) and will function as its Secretary,” Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said after the Cabinet meeting.

The approval came after a report submitted by the implementation committee, headed by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, was accepted. 

The role and charter have also been given a go-ahead. CDS will be the single-point advisor to the government on military matters and is going to give impetus to the tri-service synergy.

PM Narendra Modi had announced the decision to appoint a CDS during his Independence Day address this year.

The Kargil Review Committee set up after the war in 1999 had also pitched for the CDS. But former Chiefs of Staff feel the CDS should not become another four-star appointment.

Ex-navy chief Admiral Arun Prakash (retd) said, “The MoD should amend the Rules of Business to include DMA as the sixth department.” Else, it will not be like the five departments directly under MoD, he feels.  

Former army chief General VP Malik (retd) said, “The government will have to clear some areas. One is that the service chiefs are already senior to GOI secretaries, equated with Cabinet Secretary whereas the announcement equates the CDS with the Secretary.” Director-General, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses ambassador Sujan Chinoy considers it to be important for the civil-military relationship.

“This will bring the civilian and military officials to work together thus increasing the understanding.”

CDS will be a member of Defence Acquisition Council chaired by the defence minister and the Defence Planning Committee chaired by NSA. But, General Malik suggests the CDS be given financial powers. The CDS will look after procurements exclusive to the services except capital acquisitions, training and staffing for the services. 

The CDS will be the Permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee and will act as the Principal Military Adviser to the Defence Minister on all tri-service matters. The three chiefs will continue to advise the minister on matters exclusively concerning their respective services.

The CDS will not exercise any military command, including over the three service chiefs. But the administration of the tri-service agencies/ organisations/ commands related to cyber and space will be under the command of the CDS.

The Lok Sabha MP from Sangrur was reportedly irked over the journalist’s question that the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) seemed to be the main Opposition party in Punjab.

CHANDIGARH: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday got into a heated argument with a journalist at a press conference here.

The Lok Sabha MP from Sangrur was reportedly irked over the journalist’s question that the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) seemed to be the main Opposition party in Punjab as it was protesting against the Congress government, while AAP was nowhere to be seen.

“Who says this? You are taking Sukhbir Badal seriously, he is a retarded child,” Mann said in his reply.

When the journalist tried to ask another question, the AAP leader said: “Have you taken a contract to ask all the questions?”

Later, Mann stood up and charged towards the journalist. However, he was stopped by his party leaders.