Protests against the JNU attack, anti-CAA continues. Visit by the Foreign delegations to JnK covered most of space in media parallel to US-Iran Tension sometimes.

National

CAA Protests continues. …

NCP Chief Sharad Pawar, former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi’s Prakash Ambedkar and other leaders at Gateway of India during ‘Gandhi Shanti Yatra’, a protest against CAA and NRC. The Yatra will reached Delhi on 30^th.

WB CM Mamata Banerjee decided to boycott the January 13 opposition meeting in Delhi, alleging that Congress and Left are ‘playing dirty politics in West Bengal’ and that she will fight against CAA and NRC alone.

Peter Machado, Archbishop of Bengaluru: Let religion not be made criteria for citizenship. Let’s not spoil India’s image of unity in diversity. Don’t isolate a religion or community. We are not targeted now but we could be in future. We are also a minority, could happen to any of us.

Army Chief General MM Naravane in his 1^st Siachen visit. It’s always been my intention to come here on taking over but weather was not very good in 1^st week of Jan.

The Siachen Glacier is a highest battel ground located in the eastern Karakoram range in the Himalayas at about 35.421226°N 77.109540°E, just northeast of the point NJ9842 where the LoC between India and Pakistan ends.

JNU ROWS….

Students’ Union to hold a protest march today, supported by faculties also. Heavy security deployment at campus main gate.

It seems that there is some sort of powers who don’t want it to calm down.

The VC has set up a committee of 5 members to inquire into the whole incident of violence that took place on the campus on Jan 5^th. The committee shall submit its report at the earliest.

50,74,634 cognizable crimes were registered in 2018: NCRB

National Crime Records Bureau: 50,74,634 cognizable crimes were registered in 2018. Though it shows an increase of 1.3% in registration of cases over 2017 (50,07,044 cases), however, crime rate per lakh population has come down from 388.6 in 2017 to 383.5 in 2018.

Govt To Take 17 Foreign Envoys On Two-Day Visit To JnK, EU Excluded

European diplomats (mainly from Latin American and African countries) wanted to visit JnK as a group, which was not possible to accommodate due to “restrictions in numbers and to keep the group broad-based”.

Envoys are from US, South Korea, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Maldives, Morocco, Fiji, Norway, Philippines, Argentina, Peru, Niger, Nigeria, Togo, and Guyana. MEA said that the objective of visit of envoys to Kashmir is to see firsthand efforts to normalize situation in Kashmir:

They will meet civil society leaders and will be briefed on the security situation by the Army and intelligence services.[2]

Ambassadors of European countries reject invite, seek freedom to meet people, unescorted.

The government has decided to organize a separate visit for EU envoys at a later date.

This is a second visit of any international delegation, which may be helpful to India to repo building at international level, as last such attempt was not very successful.

Major opposition INC questioned the Govt on this visit by saying that Govt is facilitating foreign delegation to visit JnK but not opposition leaders.

Muzaffar Hussain Baig, a senior PDP told to media that “My opinion is that if you want to talk about issues relating to people of JnK, you will have to talk in a dignified and civilized manner. You can’t achieve anything by pressuring PM, HM or NSA

Union Home Secy Ajay Kumar Bhalla and Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik to appear before the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Home Affairs on Jan 13, over rising crimes in Delhi. Violence in Jamia and JNU to also be discussed

SC instructed the lawyer, Vineet Dhanda who filed plea seeking strict legal action against ‘those disturbing peace and harmony over CAA’. Country is going through a critical time, the endeavor must be to bring peace and such petitions don’t help.

Moreover, CJI added, the court is to test the validity of any law and not to declare it constitutional.

New Delhi: A major terror strike in the national capital was averted with the arrest of three people from Assam and the recovery of explosive devices from their possession, the Special Cell of the Delhi Police said on Monday. The suspects – inspired by the Bangladesh module of terror group ISIS – were allegedly planning to strike a carnival in the northeastern state first, before putting the Delhi plan into action.

International

Amid US-Iran Escalation

After the address of President Trump that Iran appears “to be standing down” after Tuesday night’s missile attack in Iraq and that “the American people should be extremely grateful and happy no Americans were harmed.” Most of nations felt relaxed including India.

He also announced a new round of what he termed “punishing economic sanctions” against the Iranian government.

Trump essentially blamed the Obama administration, which reached an agreement limiting Iran’s ability to pursue nuclear weapons in return for millions of dollars of Iranian assets.[5]

Security of US, Israeli diplomats, and installations across India beefed up after Intel alert post US-Iran tension.[6]

The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on Thursday on a resolution aimed at restraining the President’s ability to use military action against Iran without congressional approval.[7]

MEA: In the past US has shown understanding on the importance of Chabahar project. How the whole thing is going to impact is hypothetical, we’ll have to see. But, we do appreciate US exempting Chabahar port from the sanctions.

As per NYT, Now, in wake of the biggest foreign policy decision of his presidency, Mr. Trump is trying to find a way to satisfy both the hawkish and the isolationist wings of his party.

China opens up oil and gas exploration, production for foreign, domestic firms

For the first time, China will this year allow foreign companies to explore for and produce oil and gas in the country, opening up the industry to firms other than state-run energy giants, as Beijing looks to boost domestic energy supplies.

From May 1, foreign firms registered in China with net assets of $43 Mn will be allowed to take part in oil and gas exploration and production, the ministry of natural resources announced at a news conference.

States

Gujarat

Multiple explosions after a mini truck full of LPG cylinders overturned in Surat earlier today. Children in a school bus near the accident site were evacuated safely just before the bus was engulfed in flames. No injuries or casualties reported.

Haryana

HM Anil Vij on reports that CM ML Khattar has taken away charge of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) from him said: “Chief Minister is supreme. He can take charge of the CID if he wants to. But, for that it has to be approved in cabinet then in Vidhan Sabha.”

Gangster Ejaz Lakdawala arrested from Patna by Mumbai Police’s anti extortion cell, remanded to police custody till Jan 21 by Court.

Joint CP Crime, Santosh Rastogi briefed media that his daughter was in our custody. She gave a lot of information to us. Our sources also told us about his arrival in Patna, he was arrested in Jattanpur police station limits. HM Mah praised police for this.

India in International Frame

BBC

Deepika Padukone: Has Bollywood found a political voice

Reuters

India grants diplomats access to restive Kashmir for first time in months

Financial Times

India cuts growth forecast to slowest pace in 11 years

India’s ideological war bursts on to a Delhi campus