IAMC Weekly News Digest, 9th October 2020
The Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre has become “undemocratic and anti-people” and is destroying institutions while hounding its adversaries, civil rights activists, jurists, journalists and students from India said at a two-day virtual conference titled ‘Reclaiming India’. The conference was organised by the Global India Progressive Alliance, Hindus for Human Rights, India Civil Watch International, Indian American Muslim Council, and Students Against Hindutva Ideology. The panelists were of the opinion that the only way to resist the Narendra Modi government’s authoritarianism is to strengthen institutions and foster south Asian solidarity. Speaking during a session on the judiciary, senior advocate Prashant Bhushan said that the Union Government has “singularly tried to subvert the independence of the judiciary, firstly, by not making the appointment of independent judges and getting independent judges transferred”.…Read more
‘Reprehensible’ – Editors Guild condemns Yogi govt curbs on media in Hathras, phone-tapping
The Editors Guild Of India has condemned the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh for its conduct with the media covering the alleged Hathras gangrape case, saying it had undermined and obstructed the functioning of the press by tapping journalists’ phones and keeping them from visiting the incident spots. In a statement issued Sunday, the Guild said, “Not allowing the media to visit the incident spots and tapping the phone conversation of journalists undermine and obstruct the functioning of the media.” It described the tapping of journalists’ phones as “reprehensible”. “Worse, the tapped conversation of the journalists has been selectively leaked, leading to a social media calumny against them,” the statement read.…Read more
A report probing the arrest of suspected Al Qaeda militants in Murshidabad in West Bengal by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) reveals family members of the suspects being forced to sign blank papers and empty poly packets, vandalisation and physical assault by the NIA team during the arrests and false media propaganda post-arrest. The report is a joint effort of various rights organisations including the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) and Bondi Mukti Committee.… The report findings include accounts of the accused and in some places, their children being beaten during the arrest. White papers, PP (poly pack in which the confiscated items are kept) or empty poly packets were being signed by family members. Forces climbed over the walls and in some cases broke the door and entered the house.…Read more
News
British MPs, Prominent Figures Condemn Modi Regime’s ‘Dictatorial Agenda’
‘Reprehensible’ – Editors Guild condemns Yogi govt curbs on media in Hathras, phone-tapping
Indians In Europe Call For BJP MP Tejasvi Surya’s Removal As Speaker At Hamburg Startup Conference
Ex-CBI director Ashwani Kumar found dead in Shimla, leaves behind a note: Cops
UP police serves notice of arrest to former governor for CAA protest
Mumbai Police busts ‘fake TRPs’ scam; Republic TV, other channels under scanner
‘After 23 Years In Prison, I Am In Another Jail’
UP BJP Youth Leader Allegedly Rapes Student at Gun Point, Arrested
Opinion
Two conspiracies and a cremation – By Arundhati Roy
Amnesty specialises in hard truths. No wonder Modi froze it out of India – By Simon Tisdall
Gandhi, Godse and the Search for ‘Masculinity’ Within Hindutva – By Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay
SC’s Protest Verdict Goes Against Judgment It Relied on: Experts – By Vakasha Sachdev
