India

Lucknow, Dec 29 (PTI) SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday said the National Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) were against the poor people and minorities of the country, while asserting that he will not fill up the NPR form.

Addressing a press conference at the Samajwadi Party (SP) headquarters here, he said, "Be it the NPR or the NRC, these are against the poor people, minorities and Muslims of the country."

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 29 (PTI): A meeting of various political parties and socio-religious outfits, convened by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi VIjayan here, on Sunday decided to hold joint protests against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

The over three-hour-long meeting, attended by MLAs, MPS, major Front leaders and representatives of various outfits, entrusted the Chief Minister and the opposition leader in the state assembly, Ramesh Chennithala, to hold discussions and decide upon further course of action in this regard.

New Delhi, Dec 29 (PTI) German automobile company Audi expects Indian luxury car market to remain flat next year and growth to come in only in 2021, having gone through a challenging 2019.

The company, which is set to kick off 2020 with the launch of its flagship SUV Q8 in January followed by new version of A8 sedan in February, is cautiously optimistic about the year that will mark the transition to stricter emission norm BS-VI.

Srinagar, Dec 29 (PTI) The fringes of the famous Dal Lake froze on Sunday as the mercury continued its freefall in Srinagar which experienced the coldest night of the season at minus 6.2 degrees Celsius, the MET Office said.

The minimum temperature across the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh Union Territory stayed several degrees below the freezing point, intensifying the cold wave in some areas in the region, an official of the Meteorological Department here said.

Puducherry Dec 28 (PTI): The opposition AIADMK on Saturday opposed the move of the territorial government to introduce a casino under the garb of promoting tourism in Puducherry.

AIADMK legislator Vayyapuri Manikandan told newsmen here that "It is really mind-boggling that the Chief Minister V Narayanasamy has pointed out in no uncertain terms at a press meet on Friday that facilities like a casino would help government mop up revenue as Puducherry is a tourist destination."

Coimbatore, Dec 28 (PTI) One more person was arrested here on Saturday in connection with the gang-rape of a 17-year old girl on her birthday, police said.

Already, six people were arrested for the crime after being booked under the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act and goondas Act, and lodged in the central jail, the police said.

On information given by the six, personnel from all- woman police station arrested Manikandan.

Guwahati, Dec 28 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday visited homes of two persons - Sam Stafford and Dipanjal Das, who were killed in firing by security forces during protests against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act earlier this month.

After addressing a public rally against the CAA, Gandhi who is in a day-long visit to Assam, headed towards the home of Stafford at Hatigaon area here.

He paid floral tributes to the portrait of the 17-year old youth, who was killed in firing by security forces on December 12 near his home during anti-CAA protests.

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 28 (PTI): Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Saturday said eminent historian Irfan Habib had tried to disrupt his inaugural address at the Indian History Congress and this "intolerance" towards a different opinion was "undemocratic".

Efforts were made to interrupt his speech on stage and from the audience during the Indian History Congress at Kannur, Khan said in a series of tweets with photographs.

Habib also questioned Khan's right to quote Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad and shouted saying he should quote Godse, the Governor said in another tweet

Jammu, Dec 28 (PTI) Senior IPS officer Vijay Kumar will be the new Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, replacing Swayam Prakash Pani, according to an official order issued on Saturday evening.

The order to this effect was issued by the Principal Secretary (Home) Shaleen Kabra here.

Kumar is a 1997-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer who is presently posted as IGP (Armed). He will replace Pani who took over as the youngest IGP at the age of 41 years in February 2018.

Rameswaram, Dec 28 (PTI): Thirteen fishermen from Tamil Nadu, fishing at Nedunthivu off Sri Lankan coast, were arrested by the navy of the island nation on Saturday for allegedly poaching in its territorial waters.

According to the assistant director of Fisheries Kumaresan, the Lankan naval men took the fishermen from Pudukottai and their three mechanised boats and lodged them in Kangesanthurai in Jaffna.