Heena Sharma Blog

The Supreme Court on Wednesday decided to examine the constitutional validity of the Citizenship Amendment Act but refused to stay its operation. The Act provides citizenship rights to certain class of refugees who have come to India from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. A bench comprising Chief Justice S A Bobde and justices B R Gavai and Surya Kant fixed the pleas, including those filed by the Indian Union Muslim League and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, for hearing on January 22, next year. The bench issued notice to the Centre on the batch of pleas seeking stay on the operation of the law as well as on the main petition challenging the constitutional validity of the controversial legislation. Read More

No fresh incident of violence over amended citizenship law was reported in West Bengal on Wednesday morning, police said. However, a senior police officer and two other personnel were injured when a group of agitators hurled crude bombs at them in Sankrail area of Howrah district on Tuesday night. Howrah City Police Deputy Commissioner of Police (Headquarters) Ajeet Singh Yadav was injured in both his legs after being hit by splinters of the bomb but was discharged from a hospital after he was administered medical aid. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is scheduled to take part in a protest march against citizenship law from Howrah Maidan to Dorina Crossing in Esplanade area of Kolkata on Wednesday. She has held two protest marches in north and south Kolkata on Monday and Tuesday respectively. The state has witnessed pitched protests against the citizenship law since December 13. Read More

Suspension of internet services in Assam was extended by another 24 hours on Monday to prevent alleged misuse of social media in disturbing peace and maintain law and order in the state, officials said. The state has been under an internet blackout since Wednesday amid violent protests against the citizenship law . "Internet services across Assam will remain suspended till Tuesday," Additional Chief Secretary (Home and Political department) Sanjay Krishna told PTI. This has been done as "social media platforms like Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter and You Tube etc are likely to be used for spreading of rumours and also for transmission of information like pictures, videos and texts that have the potential to inflame passions and does exacerbate the law and order situation". Internet services were suspended on Wednesday, initially for a period of 24 hours in ten districts of the state, and was extended for another 48 hours across the state on Thursday. Read