Page 23 - Protest

Hundreds protest against Malaysian govt after dy premier's charges dropped

Hundreds of people staged an anti-government rally Saturday in the Malaysian capital, accusing Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of helping his key ally escape prosecution in exchange for political support. Prosecutors unexpectedly dropped 47 corruption charges against Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on Sept 4, late in the process of his trail. The court approved the application for dismissal but refused to grant Zahid a full acquittal, which means he can be recharged. Speakers addressing the crowd Saturday in Kuala Lumpur accused Anwar's government of interfering with the case to let Zahid off the hook in return for political support. Some protesters in the opposition-backed rally wore white shirts emblazoned with the words Fight Corruption. They marched in the city centre chanting, Charge Zahid, Reform is dead and Down with Anwar. Protester Muhamed Yahya said there was a hidden hand at work that led to the charges against Zahid being dropped. They used the back door, he ...

Tibetan students protest against China, urge G20 leaders to take action

Tibetan activists staged a protest here in McLeodganj on Saturday appealing to the G20 leaders gathered in Delhi to discuss China's alleged attempts at erasing Tibetan culture. The student protesters alleged that the Chinese government was continuously assaulting their education system and trying to erase Tibetan culture and identity. The protesters urged the world leaders to take a firm action against these actions. Tenzin Passang, national director of Students for Free Tibet (India), said China has established in Tibet colonial-style boarding schools where Tibetan children, as young as four years old, are separated from their families and forced into these schools. The separation disconnects them from their language and culture not just their families, he said. Tenzin Lekdhen, campaign director at Students for Free Tibet - India, said, "We want to urge G20 leaders to specifically talk about these events that are currently happening in Tibet, especially this colonial boarding sch

TMC again seeks permission to protest over withholding of MGNREGA funds

The Trinamool Congress has written fresh letters to the Delhi Police, seeking permission to hold demonstrations at three places in the national capital in early October to protest against the alleged withholding of funds under the rural jobs scheme by the Centre for West Bengal. TMC's Rajya Sabha leader Derek O'Brien wrote three letters on September 6 to DCP Parliament Street Police station, New Delhi, seeking permission to organise dharnas at Jantar Mantar, outside Krishi Bhavan and in front of Union agriculture minister Giriraj Singh's residence on October 2 and October 3. In the letters, O'Brien requested the Delhi Police for permission for the Trinamool Congress to hold dharnas, involving workers from the state of Bengal, who have been denied wages under the MGNREGA scheme from 10 am to 6 pm on October 2 and 3 at Jantar Mantar, Krishi Bhavan and outside the minister's residence. TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee will lead the protests in New Delhi. The ruling par

45 bus depots in Maharashtra shut due to Maratha quota violence: MSRTC

At least 20 buses of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) have been torched during violence over the Maratha quota demand since Friday evening. Due to protests, 45 out of 250 depots of MSRTC remain shut, an MSRTC spokesperson said here on Saturday. "Bus depots in Beed, Jalna, Parbhani, Osmanabad, and Ahmednagar are completely shut. So far, 20 buses have been set afire during the Maratha reservation agitation. At other places in Maharashtra, the movement of buses is normal," MSRTC spokesperson Abhijit Bhosale said. An agitation in support of a man on hunger strike for Maratha quota in Jalna's Ambad tehsil turned violent on Friday when police baton-charged and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse protesters on Dhule-Solapur road, according to officials. The protesters torched some state transport buses and some private vehicles, they said.

Maratha quota: Case on 360 persons, activists firm on continuing agitation

A day after an agitation for reservation for the Maratha community turned violent in Maharashtra's Jalna district leading to several people including dozens of police personnel getting injured, the situation was under control on Saturday, an official said. Police have registered a case against more than 360 persons for alleged involvement in the violence though no arrest has been made, he said. Opposition leaders targeted the Shiv Sena-BJP government in the state over Friday's incidents, condemning the use of baton charge by police and demanding that the government take steps to provide reservation to the politically dominant Maratha community. Police used baton charge and fired teargas shells to disperse a violent mob at Antarwali Sarathi village on Dhule-Solapur road in Ambad tehsil of Jalna district, around 75 km from Aurangabad, on Friday. The protesters, led by Manoj Jarange, had been staging a hunger strike demanding reservation since Tuesday. The trouble began when police tr

Nationwide protests in Pak gain momentum against inflated electricity bills

Protests against the exorbitant electricity prices have spread across the entire nation, from Karachi to Khyber, and some protests are now turning violent

Rajasthan polls: Protest over govt decision to ban student union polls

The Rajasthan government decided to cancel student body elections this year after state universities said they were using all resources to implement NEP 2020

AAP protests at Dwarka Expressway over irregularities flagged by CAG report

The AAP on Wednesday protested at the under-construction Dwarka Expressway here after the Comptroller Auditor General of India reportedly flagged the huge cost escalation in the construction of the expressway. Several party leaders and workers, including chief national spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar and Reena Gupta, gathered near the Dwarka Expressway Highway, alleging the project to be a "scam". This is such a big scam that the road, for which an approval of Rs 18 crore per km was given, was built at a cost of Rs 251 crore, Kakkar told PTI. According to media reports, the CAG audit report on the implementation of Phase-I of the 'Bharatmala Pariyojana' highway projects flagged how the National Highways Authority of India's (NHAI) decision to go for an elevated carriageway on the Haryana portion of the Dwarka Expressway pushed up the construction cost to Rs 251 crore per kilometer from Rs 18.2 crore per kilometer. Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal had alleged that t

Israel: After terror attack, toned-down protests begin against overhaul

Some 105,000 people were estimated to have attended the main rally at Tel Aviv's Kaplan Street, which began following a march from Kikar Dizengoff at 7 pm

Pakistan police arrest 10 PTI workers for protesting ex-PM Imran's arrest

Police in Pakistan's Punjab province on Saturday arrested 10 PTI workers for protesting a trial court's conviction and sentencing of former prime minister Imran Khan in a corruption case. Khan, 70, was arrested from his Zaman Park home in Lahore on Saturday shortly after an Islamabad trial court found him guilty of corrupt practices in the Toshakhana corruption case and sentenced him to three-year imprisonment. The case alleges that Khan deliberately concealed details of the gifts he retained from the Toshakhana, a repository where presents handed to government officials from foreign officials are kept, during his time as the prime minister and proceeds from their reported sales.

Manipur HC orders status quo on mass burial site; 17 injured in violence

Hours before a planned mass burial of Kuki-Zomi people killed in Manipur's ethnic violence, the high court on Thursday ordered that the status quo be maintained at the proposed burial site in Churachandpur district, while ITLF, an apex tribal body, said it was postponing the funeral service plans by seven days following requests from the Union home ministry. Meanwhile, 17 people were injured in clashes as Army and RAF personnel fired tear gas shells in Kangvai and Phougakchao areas in Bishnupur district on Thursday to stop a procession from proceeding to the proposed burial site violating restrictions on gatherings, officials said. The district magistrates of Imphal East and Imphal West withdrew curfew relaxations earlier announced, imposing the restrictions during the day as a precautionary measure, on top of the night curfew throughout the Imphal valley. The Kuki-Zomi organisation, Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum, had planned the burial of 35 people, who were killed in ethnic rio

Lok Sabha adjourned for the day amid Opposition protest on Manipur issue

Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day on Wednesday as opposition members continued with their protests on the Manipur issue even as Speaker Om Birla, upset at the repeated disruptions in the House, skipped the proceedings. As the House assembled for the post-lunch session, the opposition members trooped into the well of the House and raised slogans demanding a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the situation in Manipur, which has been roiled by months-long ethnic violence. BJP member Kirit Solanki, who was in the Chair, appealed to the opposition members to maintain decorum as he asked ministers to lay parliamentary papers on the table of the House. With the opposition leaders refusing to budge, the Chair adjourned the proceedings for the day. Lok Sabha was scheduled to take up the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023 for consideration and passage on Wednesday. Birla skipped the proceedings of the day as he is upset over the repeated .

Monsoon Session: LS adjourned for day amid opposition protest over Manipur

The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day on Monday following protests by the opposition which has been demanding a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament on the Manipur issue. When the House met at 2 pm, it passed the Cinematograph Amendment Bill, 2023, to curb film piracy. The bill was already passed in the Rajya Sabha. Earlier, when the House met at 11 am, Speaker Om Birla announced that a parliamentary delegation from Malawi is visiting India and they are watching the proceedings of the House. He welcomed the foreign delegation and wished them a pleasant stay in the country. As he completed his speech, the opposition members were on their feet demanding a statement from the prime minister on Manipur violence. Soon they came to the well of the House showing placards and raising slogans against the government. The speaker initially ignored their protests and continued the Question Hour, which was the scheduled business. Two questions related to the education and

All 7 Opposition members in Goa assembly suspended for 2 days over protest

All seven opposition members of the Goa legislative assembly were suspended for two days on Monday after they protested and created a ruckus on the floor of the House over Manipur violence. Speaking to reporters later, Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar called the behaviour of the opposition bench condemnable. The Monsson of the assembly which started on July 18 is scheduled to conclude on August 10. The suspended members are Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao, Congress MLAs Altone D'Costa and Carlos Ferreira, AAP's Venzy Viegas and Cruz Silva, Goa Forward Party's Vijai Sardesai, and Viresh Borkar of Revolutionary Goans Party. After Question Hour, Alemao demanded a discussion on Manipur violence on the floor of the House, claiming that the private members' resolution moved last Friday by Cruz Silva on the issue was disallowed by Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar. All opposition members, dressed in black, started creating a ruckus on the House floor. The Speaker said that the entire country is sensitive

Protest against Manipur incident turns violent in Maharashtra's Nashik

At least 10 police personnel received injuries in stone-pelting after a protest march against the sexual assault on two women in Manipur turned violent at Satana town in Maharashtra's Nashik district, officials said. Several persons have been detained in connection with the incident which took place on Saturday evening and the situation has been brought under control, Superintendent of Police (SP) Shahaji Umap said. The march was organised by the Eklavya Adivasi Sanghatana, a few other tribal organisations and the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi to condemn the incident in Manipur where two women were paraded naked and sexually assaulted by a mob on May 3. Thousands of young men, some of them with their torsos bare as a mark of protest, took part in the march, a local police official said. When the march, which started from the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar statue, reached near the tehsil office, some participants started a sit-in agitation in front of the Satana police station, demanding that local

Manipur horror video: Mother of girl demands capital punishment for culprit

The mother of one of the girls who was stripped naked and paraded by a mob in Manipur wants capital punishment for the culprits and to see the remains of her son and husband who too died on that day. She was speaking to PTI after MPs from the opposition bloc INDIA visited the victim's family. Demanding capital punishment for the culprits, she said, "I trust the central government but not the state government." She also said, "The thing I want to convey is that we the tribals, the minority, we can't live with the Meitei anymore, and second, if possible I want to at least see the dead bodies of my son and husband." On 4 May, the day the 21-year-old woman was paraded naked, her brother and father were killed by the mob. A delegation of 21 MPs from the opposition bloc is on a two-day visit to the state, and meeting people affected by the violence. When TMC MP Sushmita Dev and DMK MP Kanimozhi met the mother of one of the victims, she urged them to help her at least see the bodies of

Working to end hatred, distrust between Meteis, Kukis: Manipur Guv

Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey on Saturday said she was working to end the hatred and distrust that have strained the relationship between Metei and Kuki communities. Speaking to reporters after visiting a relief camp in Churachandpur district, Uikey said she has been meeting organisations representing the two communities, and seeking their cooperation to bring back peace and normalcy to the state. "I have come here for the second time, to share the grief of my brothers and sisters. It is nearly three months that these people are away from their homes. A lot of people lost their homes to arson, and many lost most of their belongings. They don't have anything left. I came here to see that at least these people do not face any problems at the camp," she said. "I have directed the government that the basic amenities must be ensured -- from clothes to mosquito repellents. I also got to know that there is a problem of medicines here. They are not getting a lot of things because trucks a

Manipur govt to hold special assembly session in August: Minister

The Manipur government on Thursday announced that it will convene a special assembly session in the second or third week of August. Government spokesperson and Information and Public Relations Minister Sapam Rajan said that the government is making efforts towards this end. There have been demands from several quarters to convene a special assembly session to discuss the current situation in the state. Rajan also dismissed media reports that claimed that the state government had not taken medical care of BJP MLA Vungzagin Valte after he was injured in an attack in the initial days of the ongoing ethnic strife in May. "We took care and regularly got updates of his health condition, even after he was discharged from the hospital. The government condemned the incident. BJP state president Sarda Devi and minister Th Basanta also met him in a hospital in Delhi," he said. Ethnic violence broke out in Manipur nearly three months ago, killing over 160 people since then, and injuring ...

'Government working to restore peace in Manipur, no killing since July 18'

Refuting the opposition's claim that Manipur "is burning", a senior government functionary said on Thursday that no killing has happened in the state since July 18 and asserted that peace and normalcy will be restored soon through talks with the two warring communities - Meiteis and Kukis. With the opposition bloc of 'INDIA' accusing the Centre of inaction, he said Home Minister Amit Shah spent three days, met 41 different groups and visited major sites of violence in Manipur. He contrasted the BJP-led dispensation's approach with that of the previous governments at the Centre when the northeastern state witnessed at least four major cases of ethnic violence. The only time a minister replied in Parliament was in August 1993 when the then Minister of State for Home Affairs spoke following the killing of hundreds of people and uprooting of over 350 villages during the Kukis-Nagas clashes, he claimed. Only once a minister, the then Minister of State for Home Rajesh Pilot, had visited t

Oppn to wear black clothes to Parliament tomorrow to protest over Manipur

All MPs belonging to the Opposition's INDIA bloc will wear black clothes to Parliament on Thursday as a mark of protest against the government over the Manipur issue, sources said. All MPs belonging to the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) have been asked to come dressed in black to protest Prime Minister Narendra Modi not making a statement on the Manipur issue in Parliament till now, an MP of the Opposition bloc said. A no-confidence motion against the government by the Congress on behalf of the opposition alliance was admitted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday. Birla said a date for a discussion on the motion will be decided after consulting the leaders of all parties. The Opposition has often resorted to wearing black to register their protest against the government on various issues. The Opposition has been demanding that Modi make a statement on the Manipur issue in Parliament before a debate on the matter can be taken up. With the opposition a