Indian or not? Muslims fret amid drive against illegal immigrants

A policeman stands guard after the publication of the first draft of the National Register of Citizens at a NRC centre in Chandamari village in Goalpara district in the northeastern state of Assam, India, Jan 2, 2018. FOFONGA, India: Marzina Bibi, a Muslim woman living in India's northeastern state of Assam, is petrified she will be declared stateless.

Racket busted, but CBI, police clueless about identities of boys from Kapurthala

Two days after CBI claimed to have busted an alleged human trafficking ring that sent 25 boys to France on the pretext of a rugby tour, neither the CBI nor the Kapurthala police have any clue about the identities of those from the district who were supposedly part of the rugby team. The probe agency had earlier claimed that that some of the boys were from two schools in Kapurthala district and they were still staying illegally after their visa limit was over in 2016 itself.

Don’t Worry, Be Happy

Scorpene power for the Indian Navy PM Narendra Modi commissioned India's first Scorpene class submarine, the INS Kalvari, in Mumbai on December 14. The Scorpene submarine is a class of diesel-electric attack submarines designed by French naval defence and energy company DCNS and is being manufactured by Mazagon Dock Ltd in Mumbai. The submarine can undertake multiple missions, including anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying and area surveillance.

Indian state tense ahead of citizens list targeting ‘illegal Bangladeshis’

GUWAHATI, India/NEW DELHI: India has mobilised around 60,000 police and paramilitary troops in a sensitive border state ahead of the publication of a list of citizens it says will be used to detect and deport illegal immigrants: mainly Muslims: from neighbouring Bangladesh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party took power in the eastern state of Assam for the first time last year, vowing to act against illegal Muslim residents who take away jobs from local Hindus.

In India, some fear lawmakers are stoking anti-Muslim fervour

A lawmaker from India's ruling party called the Taj Mahal a blot on Indian culture, saying in October that the famous tourist site had been built by Muslim traitors. In November, another party member offered a bounty for the heads of two people involved in a movie featuring a Muslim sultan.

Aditya Sinha: BJP is too clever for its own good

Modi and Co. had hoped that delayed polls would give them time to woo sullen voters, but all they've done is give Rahul more exposure From party president Amit Shah to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, the BJP spent the weekend taunting Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for his party's inability to win the election to the Gauriganj or Jais municipal corporation councils, or the Amethi Nagar panchayat.

Ivanka Trump’s India visit raises questions about her brand

The event - co-hosted by the United States and India - ru... . A motorist rides past a hoarding of US President daughter Ivanka Trump as a statue is erected at the entrance of HITECH city, venue of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Hyderabad, India, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017.

Indira showed commitment to people can’t be killed: Pranab

New Delhi, Nov 19 - In her death, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi left a message that a commitment to the people can never be killed by any power, however strong it may be, former President Pranab Mukherjee said on Sunday. Mukherjee was speaking at the inaugural function of a photo exhibition on Indira Gandhi on the centenary of her birth anniversary at her memorial here.

India needs a more robust naval presence in Asia

At a biannual naval commanders' conference in New Delhi last week, the Indian Navy's top leadership cleared a new maritime deployment plan . In a bid to counter emerging challenges in the Indian Ocean littorals - in particular, the growing presence of Chinese warships and submarines in India's near seas - senior commanders backed a proposal for the prolonged deployment of warships in critical and vulnerable spaces in the Indian Ocean.

Ex-ambassador Richard Verma joins India-US forum board

Washington, Oct 28 - former US Ambassador to India Richard Verma has joined the board of the US India Strategic Partnership Forum , a New Delhi-centric advocacy group aiming at strengthening ties between the two nations, the media reported. Announcing Verma's appointment, the USISPF said on Thursday: Verma's extensive career and long-standing knowledge of foreign policy makes him an invaluable addition to the USISPF Board, The American Bazaar reported on Friday.

PIL challenges bid to deport Rohingyas

NEW DELHI: At a time when many countries are facing difficulties due to the surge of refugees, the Supreme Court decided to take up a PIL challenging the Centre's decision to identify and deport thousands of Rohingya Muslim immigrants back to Myanmar . Appearing for two Delhibased Rohingya Muslims - Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir, both residing at Madanpur Khadar -advocate Prashant Bhushan said such a move would be unconstitutional as the SC had time and again ruled, as in the case of Chakma refugees, that it was the cardinal duty of the Union government to protect refugees who leave their own country because of persecution at the hands of state authorities.