LIVE News Updates- Army chief’s CAA remarks appear like those of a BJP leader: Adhir

Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Thursday described Army chief Gen. Bipin Rawat's remarks criticising people leading violent protests over the new citizenship law as "unethical" and alleged that he appeared to speak like a BJP leader.

Rawat on Thursday criticised people leading violent protests, saying leadership is not about guiding masses, including students to carry out arson and violence.

"Army Chief's remark on CAA is highly objectionable, unethical and beyond his remit, he is appeared to be a BJP leader who is going to be promoted or rewarded as CDS. Rawat needs to be restrained to maintain the impartiality of our army," Chowdhury tweeted.

Uttar Pradesh DGP O.P. Singh on Thursday ordered an SIT inquiry into the violence that broke out during protests against the Citizenship Ammendment Act in the state.

At least 16 persons have been killed over the last week in Uttar Pradesh, most of allegedly in police firing.

Air India has stopped issuing air tickets to various government agencies on credit basis till the due amount is cleared by the, an Air India spokesperson said on Thursday.

Air India's Rs 268 crore are due on different govt agencies.

Amaravati: A farmer Ramesh Kumar, today, tried to self immolate by pouring petrol on himself in Penumaka village during protest against, the three capital proposal by state government. Police stopped and rescued him.

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Mohan Bhagwat's remark '130 cr population of India as Hindu society': Not right to say all are Hindus.There was a time when everyone was Buddhist in our country. When Hinduism came, we became a Hindu nation. If he means everyone is ours then it's good

I have filed a complaint against activist Arundhati Roy for asking people to give wrong information to government officers who come to collect data for NPR, Supreme Court lawyer Rajeev Kumar Ranjan

A Kolkata-Ahmedabad SpiceJet flight was diverted to Indore after a 67-year-old male passenger suffered a heart attack on board, an airport official said here on Thursday.

The passenger was shifted to a government hospital here where he was declared dead.

The flight was in the Indore airspace when the passenger suffered a heart attack, said Aryama Sanyal, Director of Indore's Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport.

The All-India Babri Masjid Action Committee would move the Supreme Court seeking rubble of the demolished Babri mosque in Ayodhya, said AIBMAC convener Zafaryab Jilani on Thursday.

The matter would also be discussed with the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), he added

Two Indian Army soldiers have lost their lives at the College of Military Engineering, Pune during bridging exercise. 5 personnel injured.

Amid growing protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, the Indian Youth Congress has sent the Preamble of the Constitution by courier to the leaders of the BJP throughout the country.

The Youth Congress sent the Preamble to all ministers, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

“I really did not see the protests coming, not just me, other BJP lawmakers were also unable to predict this kind of anger”, Sanjeev Balyan told Reuters

2 accused in Seelampur violence case have filed bail petition in Delhi's Karkardooma court. Court to hear the bail petition on December 27.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to address a rally in Assam's Guwahati on December 28 against Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens

IMD: Temperatures during past 24hrs have significantly fallen over East Uttar Pradesh & Bihar by around 4 deg C to 7 deg C. Latest satellite images indicate persistence of low cloud cover over Indo-Gangetic plains with dense cloud cover especially over East Uttar Pradesh & Bihar.

Failing to get an appointment with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Magsaysay awardee Sandeep Pandey on Thursday wrote an open letter to him stating that the "vengeance" with which the state government was acting against protesting activists is condemnable and called for "more maturity and restraint".

Pandey, an academic and a social activist, has also alleged in his letter that "anarchist elements" were responsible for violence though action is being taken against people who have adopted peaceful means of protests and have faith in the country's Constitution.

A man was killed and five people were injured in a head-on collision between a car and a truck, possibly due to reduced visibility caused by dense fog, on the Kota-Baran national highway here on Thursday, police said.

The deceased was identified as Ramhate Kahar (30), a resident of Shivsagar colony on Kaithun road in Kota.

Communist Party of India (Marxist): Left Parties call for a week-long protests from 1st Jan to 7th Jan against CAA, NRC, NPR, mounting miseries of people due to economic slowdown & in solidarity with all India General Strike on 8th Jan

Bhima Koregaon violence case: Pune police to take help of the US based Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to retrieve data from damaged hard disc recovered from Varavara Rao's house, an accused in the case. A team of India's forensic experts&police will soon travel to the USA.

I will tell all the students to continue their protest for their democratic rights, in a democratic way, says West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during protest march against Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens in Kolkata

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi will meet the party leaders and workers who have been jailed here following the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) stir last week.

Priyanka is scheduled to visit Lucknow on Saturday to participate in the Foundation Day celebrations of the party and is expected to meet Sadaf Jafar, a Congress worker and social activist and other party workers in jail.

"She is also likely to visit the Lucknow jail and meet Congress leader Sadaf Jafar and other social activists who have been in jail since December 19 even though they were not directly involved in the violence," said a Congress leader.

Priyanka is also likely to visit the family of Mohd Wakeel who died due to a bullet injury in the violence in Lucknow. The family lives in Hussainganj area.

AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi & former Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi will take part in a protest rally against Citizenship Act, NPR (National Population Register) & NRC (National Register of Citizens) in Ruidhasa Maidan, Kishanganj in Bihar on 29th Dec.

Our protests will continue till CAA, NRC not revoked, says West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

The Election Commission on Thursday began a series of meetings to decide on the dates for the Assembly elections in Delhi as the term of the current Assembly expires in February 2020.

An official of the Commission said that "there will be a series of meetings to decide on the poll dates for the 70-member Delhi Assembly and the announcement would be made after lunch on Thursday".

Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora and Election Commissioners Ashok Lavasa and Sushil Chandra were present in the first round of the meeting along with other senior officials. The meeting began at 10 a.m. at the Election Commission office here.

The National Investigation Agency on Thursday carried out searches at the residence of RTI activist and peasant leader Akhil Gogoi, who was arrested by the agency earlier this month, officials said.

Gogoi, whose custody was to end on Friday, has been booked under various sections of Indian Penal Code and stringent Unlawful (Activities) Prevention Act, the officials said.

The activist, who also gives advice to various farmer organisations, was arrested when Assam was witnessing widespread protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks that there were no detention centres in the country, alleging that "RSS's Prime Minister lies to Bharat Mata".

Taking to Twitter, he also attached a video clip with Modi accusing the Congress, its allies and "urban Naxals" of spreading the rumour that Muslims will be sent to detention centres.  The clip also shows a purported detention centre being constructed in Assam.

"RSS's Prime Minister lies to Bharat Mata," Gandhi said in the tweet in Hindi with the hashtag 'Jhoot Jhoot Jhoot (lies, lies, lies).

“The claim of “अभी तो NRC की कोई चर्चा ही नहीं हुई है” is nothing but a tactical retreat in the face of nationwide protest against #CAA_NRC. It is a pause and not the full stop. Govt could wait till SC judgement on CAA. A favourable court order and the whole process will be back, tweeted JDU vice president Prashant Kishor

Thick fog in several parts of the national capital blocked the view of the much-awaited annual solar eclipse here on Thursday morning.

The people of Delhi woke up to thick fog looming over the city with visibility of about 700 meters at 8.30 a.m. which deprived them of a glimpse of the solar eclipse.

A sub-inspector posted with the Bareilly police and two others have been booked for allegedly raping a woman and thrashing her husband at a police outpost in August

A thick cloud cover over Mumbai and large parts of Maharashtra may hamper a view of the much-awaited solar eclipse on Thursday morning.

Mumbaikars woke up to see thick grey clouds looming over the city, which would deprive them of a glimpse of the solar eclipse

Unseasonal showers were witnessed in several districts of Western Maharashtra, the Marathwada and Vidarbha regions since dawn.