India

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Protests over a new Indian citizenship law based on religion spread to student campuses on Monday as critics said the Hindu nationalist government was pushing a partisan agenda in conflict with the country’s founding as a secular republic.

Students pelted stones at police who locked up the gates of a college in the northern city of Lucknow to prevent them from taking to the streets. About two dozen students at another college in the city sneaked out to protest.

Mumbai, Dec 14 (PTI) Stating that threats to national security are becoming more and more complex, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Saturday advocated a "leaner and meaner force" which can secure quick victories.

Delivering the inaugural Manohar Parrikar Memorial Lecture here, Rawat also said that India's response to terror attacks in Uri and Pulwama was much more "robust" compared to "inaction" after the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

Hyderabad, Dec 14 (PTI): A 14-year-old girl was allegedly raped by her friend's elder brother at his house here on Saturday afternoon, police said.

The 19-year-old called the girl to his house saying that his sister wanted to meet her and when she went there, locked the door and allegedly raped her, police said

The victim stays in the neighbourhood of the accused.

Varanasi, Dec 15 (PTI) The body of a 23-year-old woman missing for the last two days was found near the river Gomti in the Chaubeypur police station area, police said on Sunday.

The victim, Preeti Prajapati, was a teacher at a private school and lived in the Maldahiya area here, they said. Prajapati had left home on Wednesday to give tuition to one of her students but did not return, the police said.

New Delhi, Dec 15 (PTI) It has been seven years to that fateful day when their daughter - who came to be known as 'Nirbhaya' - was brutally gangraped and thrown off a bus, but her parents still await justice.

The tag of rape capital became all the more pronounced after the Nirbhaya incident but her parents say it is a pan-India problem and cannot bring themselves to hate the national capital, which snatched their child.

Patna, Dec 15 (PTI) Political strategist and JD(U) national vice president Prashant Kishor on Sunday came out with a fresh tirade against the National Register for Citizens -- which the Centre proposes to implement across the country - a day after he had a meeting with party boss and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Guwahati, Dec 15 (PTI) Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) , an ally of the ruling BJP, said on Sunday that it would file a petition in the Supreme Court praying for revocation of the amended Citizenship Act, party leader Kumar Deepak Das said.

He asserted that the AGP respected the sentiments of common people, who were wary that the law might threaten their identity and existence.

Kolkata, Dec 15 (PTI) Sporadic incidents of violence were reported from Nadia, North 24 Parganas and Howrah districts of West Bengal which is witnessing protests against the amended Citizenship Act, police said on Sunday

Protesters blocked various important roads in Amdanga and Kalyani areas of North 24 Parganas and Nadia districts. They also blocked roads and railway tracks in various stations of the districts, the police said

In Domjur area of Howrah district, protesters organised road blockades and shouted slogans against the Narendra Modi government

Kanpur: City remained on alert owing to the Prime minister's visit on Saturday and this was visible with the district magistrate's quality of being alert when he surprised us by his fast run towards the Chief minister's helicopter standing on the helipad of CSA ground here. 

The SPG, intelligence, Police and CID personnel were suddenly dazed to see the DM Vijay Vishwas Pant running fast towards the CM's helicopter on the agriculture university ground. 

Baghmara; 15 Dec 2019 (UMM): Sitting MLA and BJP’s Baghmara candidate Dulu Mahto faces a sexual assault case and is currently out on provisional bail. Mahto shared the stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a poll rally on Thursday.

Mahto called a BJP worker in 2015 to a guesthouse in connection with party work and sexually assaulted her. Mahto later told her that if she does not accept his proposal, she would be “destroyed”.