Police Drag Priests, Women Into Buses During Protests Against Delhi Church Attacks

Hours after a massive protest in Delhi, which saw the police dragging priests, nuns and even children into buses, Home Minister Rajnath Singh promised to increase security around churches and set up a proper investigation into recent attacks in Delhi.

A large number of policemen swooped down on the protest this morning outside the Sacred Heart cathedral in central Delhi. Some activists alleged that they were assaulted by the police.

Father Dominic Emmanuel, a spokesperson of a Christian body, was also dragged into a bus. "I told the home minister that this is happening under the BJP," he told reporters after meeting Mr Singh.

The home minister tweeted his response: "I assured them that the present dispensation would never tolerate any discrimination in the name of caste, colour, language or religion."

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Rajnath Singh briefs PM Modi over Matang arrest row

Singh apprised the Prime Minister on the issue after talking to Goswami and CBI Director Anil Sinha to get a factual picture about allegations that Goswami, a 1977 batch IAS officer from Jammu and Kashmir cadre, had interfered in CBI's work and made attempts to prevent arrest of Sinh on Saturday, official sources said.

The final decision will be taken by the Prime Minister who is now seized of the matter, they said.

Singh called the Home Secretary to his room in the morning and both of them remained closeted for nearly an hour.     

After the meeting, Goswami refused to take any questions from the media.

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People in Pakistan boat were suspected terrorists: Rajnath Singh

"With given circumstances in the Pakistani boat, it is clear that they were suspected terrorists," he told reporters here.

Singh was replying to questions about the four people on board a boat, which "exploded" and sank in the Arabian Sea in the intervening night of December 31 and January one during an Indian Coast Guard operation.

He, however, did not elaborate on the "circumstances which he was referring to.

The Home Minister's remarks came as questions were being raised on the veracity of claims that a 2008 Mumbai
attack-style operation had been foiled. There are also reports
claiming that the boat was involved in smuggling.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had earlier said that "circumstantial evidence" indicated that the occupants of the vessel were "suspected or possible terrorists" and that they were in touch with Pakistani maritime officials and army.

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Home Minister to talk to Badal over his plea for release of 13 terrorists

"I will talk to him (Badal) on this issue," Singh told reporters here.
   
Badal, in his letter to Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Gujarat, has sought premature release of the convicted terrorists, including those responsible for assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh.

Similar letters were also sent to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi and Administrator of Chandigarh.

The terrorists, whose release has been sought by Badal, include Lakhwinder Singh, Shamsher Singh and Gurmeet Singh who are serving life sentence in connection with the assassination of Beant Singh.

The move by Badal came after a Punjab resident, Gurbax Singh Khalsa, went on a hunger strike in Ambala in November 2014 demanding the release of six prisoners, including those convicted in Beant Singh assassination case.

Khalsa reportedly broke his fast following promise of release of Lakhwinder, Shamsher and Gurmeet (who were subsequently released on 28 days parole from Burail jail in Chandigarh) and assurance by Akal Takht Jathedar Gurbachan Singh that he would take up the matter with the government.

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Government accepts report on safety of North East people

"The government (has) accepted the recommendations of the Bezbaruah committee with regard to immediate measures," Home Minister Rajnath Singh told the media on Friday.

"The government is committed (to the) safety and security of people from the northeast region living in Delhi and other metropolitan cities," he added.

The committee headed by M.P. Bezbaruah, a member of the North Eastern Council, was set up in February 2014 after a 19-year-old student from Arunachal Pradesh, Nido Tania, died here after he was attacked.

The panel was formed to look into the concerns of the people of the northeast living in other parts of the country and suggest suitable remedial measures.

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Pakistan trying to push terrorists into Jammu & Kashmir: Rajnath Singh

The Home Minister said Pakistan has been firing towards Indian side along the International Border in Jammu region and the BSF was giving a befitting reply. "BSF jawans are giving a befitting reply," he said.


When asked about Islamabad's protest against heavy firing by India, Singh said it was Pakistan which started the firing and "we are just responding to it".

Pakistan Rangers on Thursday targeted 13 border outposts in Samba sector in Jammu and Kashmir, a day after four Pakistani rangers were killed in a sharp counter-attack following the death of an Indian jawan in cross-border firing.


The Home Minister had said Pakistan should desist from such violations. "Pakistan should not do this," Singh had said.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said Islamabad does not seem to learn any lesson.

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Rajnath Singh reviews security situation ahead of Obama visit

The inter-ministerial meeting took stock of the prevailing security situation in the country ahead of Obama's visit to India to attend the Republic Day parade as chief guest.

"We discussed the country's security situation," Army Chief Dalbir Singh    Suhag told reporters without elaborating.

Those who attended the meeting included Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh, the Army Chief and chiefs of intelligence agencies.

Official sources said the meeting reviewed the situation in India's neighbourhood, the recent violence in Assam perpetrated by NDFB and the blast outside a restaurant in  Bangalore on Sunday.

India has already approached Bhutan and Myanmar to flush out Indian insurgent groups taking shelter in their territories.

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Centre bans Islamic State, hunts for sympathisers

"We have banned this organisation (ISIS) as a first step. I will like to inform (the House) that the group has been banned under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act," he said during the Question Hour.
  
The Home Minister said the group has been proscribed under the provisions of UAPA that relates to organisations listed in the Schedule to the U N Prevention and Suppression of Terrorism (Implementation of Security Council Resolutions) Order, 2007 made under section two of the United Nations (Security Council) Act, 1947 and amended from time to time.
  
Noting that the government took cognisance immediately after ISIS activities began to spread in different parts of the world, Singh said ISIS has been prohibited.

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E-visa facility will encourage businesses to travel to India

"This certainly is a great initiative as it will encourage many more businesses to travel more readily to India which will in the long run contribute to a stronger Australia- India business & trade relationship," AIBC national vice chair Sheba Nandkeolyar said.

Welcoming the new Indian government's decision of offering e-visa facility to international tourists from 43 nations, including Australia, Nandkeolyar said the new move would contribute to "stronger business and trade ties between the two sides."

"We often receive desperate calls from Australian businessmen who request us to help them expedite their business visas to visit India for business purposes," she said.

"E-visas on arrival would make it much easier for businessmen to travel to India," Nandkeolyar said adding that,"AIBC is very pleased with the launch of this new initiative."

She said the new initiative would also open up medical tourism and spur tourists growth for India.

"Truly a very strong message to the world that India is getting rid of complicated  ways and embracing more simplified and easier ways in keeping with today's lifestyle," Nandkeolyar said of the decision.

Earlier this week, the government announced the much-awaited electronic-visa system for visitors from 43 countries, including the US, Australia, Brazil, Germany, Japan and Russia.

A tourist from these countries would now be able to apply for an e-visa through the designated website and pay the fee online to get an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) within 72 hours.

The facility will be available initially at nine airports — Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Kochi, Thiruvanthapuram, Hyderabad and Goa.

The addition of 43 countries is the first phase of the roll out and more countries will soon be added.

E-visa will be valid for 30 days and a tourist can avail the facility twice a year.

Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi on his recent visit to Australia also signed an agreement on promoting tourism with his Australian counterpart Tony Abbott.

Modi had further sought Australian investment in the tourism sector, especially cruise tourism.

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Centre makes reconciliatory effort to end Assam-Nagaland row

At a high-level meeting, chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh and attended by Chief Ministers Tarun Gogoi (Assam) and T R Zeliang (Nagaland), efforts have been made to come to an acceptable final solution to the border dispute between the two states.
  
As per the decision taken during the meeting, the Chief Secretaries of the two states will submit suggestions to the Home Ministry within two weeks, which is expected to pave the way for solving the long lasting issue.
  
"The Home Minister is taking a sincere reconciliatory effort to find a solution to be acceptable to both Assam and Nagaland," a Home Ministry official said.
  
Eleven people were killed along the Assam-Nagaland border in Golaghat district in August and nearly 10,000 people had been displaced and taken shelter in relief camps after clashes between people of the two states.
  
Gogoi had earlier urged the Home Minister to initiate immediate measures to deploy Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) as a neutral force in the affected villages along its border with Nagaland.
  
The boundary dispute, which was first cropped up in 1970s, has been going on very often and both the states have approached the Supreme Court for a final resolution. The case is still sub-judice.

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Amit Shah, key aide of PM Narendra Modi, named BJP President

Amit Shah, a close aide to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was Wednesday named the BJP's new president, only two months after leading the party to a spectacular win in the Lok Sabha election in Uttar Pradesh.

A former home minister of Gujarat, Shah -- presently a general secretary -- succeeds Rajnath Singh, the home minister in Modi's government.

Rajnath Singh made the widely expected announcement about Shah, 49, after a meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party's parliamentary board.

Once this was done, a beaming Shah -- a share trader by profession -- accepted sweets and bouquets from party colleagues including Modi, Rajnath Singh, L.K. Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi.

"Amit Shah is the new president," Rajnath Singh told the media as Modi and Shah looked on.

Rajnath Singh said Shah had been chosen for the post because of his "organisational and management skills" which he said was seen in the Uttar Pradesh battle.

In an extraordinary performance that stunned foes and friends alike, the BJP bagged 71 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh where Shah spearheaded the party campaign like a warrior possessed. Two other seats went to a BJP ally, Apna Dal.

The Congress was left with just two Lok Sabha seats, the Samajwadi Party could get only five (with Mulayam Singh winning two of the seats) while the Bahujan Samaj Party was wiped out.

Ever since, Shah was widely seen as the front-runner for the top party post.

First elected to the Gujarat assembly in 1997, Shah describes his hobbies as cricket, reading and social service.

Over the years, Shah emerged as Modi's most trusted political aide in Gujarat.

Once Modi was named the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, he ensured that Shah was made the election campaign chief in Uttar Pradesh realising that without a sweep in the state the party's future would be bleak.

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