India

New Delhi, Jan 10 (PTI) The Congress on Friday said the Supreme Court has given a big jolt to the Modi government's "illegal activities" by ruling that access to the internet is a fundamental right and that dissent cannot be oppressed by imposition of prohibitory orders.

"SC delivers first big jolt of 2020 to illegal activities of Modi Govt by stating importance of internet as a fundamental right. Double shock for Modi-Shah that dissent cannot be oppressed by imposing section 144. Modiji reminded that nation bows before Constitution and not him!" Surjewala said in a tweet.

Hyderabad, Jan 10 (PTI): "Tiranga Rally," an anti-CAA protest led by AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, was taken out here on Friday with thousands of people marching with the national flag.

Shops and establishments near Charminar downed shutters in support of the rally organised by the United Muslim Action Committee, comprising various Muslim groups.

The rally which would cover a distance of about three km from Mir Alam Eidgah to Shastripuram began around 1 p.m.

Jammu, Jan 10 (PTI) Two Army porters were killed and three others injured when the Pakistan Army fired mortar bombs at forward posts along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Friday, officials said.

The Army porters were working in an area along the LoC when the Pakistan Army shells hit them directly, they said.

Mumbai, Jan 10 (PTI) Railway staff affiliated to the Western Railway Mazdoor Sangh on Friday staged a protest in Mumbai Central against a ministry plan to let private firms operate long-distance trains on several routes.

The WRMS protest meet was held outside the office complex of WR's Mumbai divisional railway manager (DRM) and was led by the trade union's general secretary JS Mahurkar.

The protest was supported by other outfits like the Shiv Sena's Sthaniya Lokadhikar Samiti, union functionaries said.

Sukma, Jan 10 (PTI) Two police personnel were injured in an encounter with naxals in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Sukma district on Friday, an official said.

The gunfight took place in a forest under the Chintalnar police station limits.

Naxals fired on a team of District Reserve Guards (DRG) when they were cordoning off the forest which is on the border of Sukma and Bijapur districts, a senior police official said.

New Delhi, Jan 10 (PTI) The JNU Students' Union stands on its demand for the removal of Vice Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar, but any decision on whether to call off the agitation against the fee hike will be taken later, said its president Aishe Ghosh on Friday after meeting HRD Ministry officials.

She also said that the university students' union has sought the HRD ministry's intervention in FIRs and proctorial inquiry initiated against them by varsity administration.

Kolkata, Jan 10 (PTI) Retired government officials and civil society groups on Friday took out a rally in the city against the Citizenship Amendment Act, urging the non-BJP states to not implement the contentious legislation.

The march was organised under the banner of Forum for Democracy and Communal Amity (FDCA) and led by former IAS officer Harsh Mander.

The rally started from the Statesman House at Esplanade area, and culminated near the Gandhi statue at Mayo Road.

Pune, Jan 10 (PTI) Members of the Shia community in the city on Friday staged a protest to express solidarity with Iran in its conflict with the US which killed a top military commander of the West Asian country last week.

A delegation of the Shia community also submitted a memorandum to District Collector Naval Kishor Ram, demanding the Indian government's intervention in the US-Iran conflict.

Hyderabad, Jan 10 (PTI) Amid tight security, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday appeared before a CBI special court here in connection with the quid pro quo investments cases filed against him.

This is Jagan's first appearance in the court after he assumed charge as Chief Minister on May 30, 2019.

Bareilly (UP), Jan 10 (PTI) A local court here on Friday awarded death sentence to two people in connection with a four-year-old rape and murder case.

Umakant (32) and Murari Lal (24) were held guilty of raping and murdering a minor Dalit girl on January 26, 2016 in the Nawabganj area.