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President Kovind, PM Modi, Rahul and others pay tribute
New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday paid their tributes to the victims of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. April 13, 2019, marks the 100th anniversary of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, in which British forces led by Brigadier General Reginald Dyer opened fire on hundreds of Indians protesting against the oppressive Rowlatt Act of the British government in Amritsar.
“A 100 years ago today, our beloved freedom fighters were martyred at Jallianwala Bagh. A horrific massacre, a stain on civilisation, that day of sacrifice can never be forgotten by India. At this solemn moment, we pay our tribute to the immortals of Jallianwala #PresidentKovind,” President Kovind tweeted.
Meanwhile, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu will arrive in Amritsar on Saturday afternoon for the main function to commemorate the 100 years of the massacre.
Hundreds of people holding candles and the national flag marched through Amritsar on Friday, on the eve of the centenary. Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore, CM Amarinder Singh, cabinet minister Om Prakash Soni and others, including members of the families of those killed in the massacre, joined the candlelight march.
Earlier this week, British Prime Minister Theresa May told the British parliament that “the tragedy of Jallianwala Bagh in 1919 is a shameful scar on British Indian history.”
Top Muslim body Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (JuH) on Thursday came out in support of the Centre’s decision of abrogating provisions of Article 370, saying Kashmir is an “integral part” of the country and the welfare of people in the Valley lies in their integration with India.
In the resolution passed in its annual general meeting held in New Delhi, JuH rallied for a united India.
“It is our belief that the welfare of the people of Kashmir lies in getting integrated with India. The inimical forces and the neighbouring country are bent upon destroying Kashmir. The oppressed and beleaguered people of Kashmir are stuck between opposing forces,” it said, without mentioning Article 370.
“JuH stands steadfastly for the unity and integrity of the country and has accorded it paramount importance. As such it can never support any separatist movement, rather it considers such movements not only harmful for India but also for the people of Kashmir,” it said.
It also said that the current situation in Kashmir demands that peaceful initiatives be launched to maintain peace and security in the region, especially in the view of the repercussions of clash of “atomic powers”.
The Muslim body also appealed to the government of India to protect the people of Kashmir and their property while respecting human rights.
“It must use every possible constitutional means for bringing back normalcy in the region and winning the hearts of the people of Kashmir,” it said.
New Delhi: BJP working president JP Nadda on Sunday gave a detailed presentation on the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status at the RSS meeting with its affiliates here, while senior party leader Ram Madhav addressed concerns raised over the issue of NRC in Assam, sources said.
Leaders of Sangh, the ideological mentor of the BJP, and its affiliates lauded the government for its landmark move on revoking provisions of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
The sources said Nadda also shared details about the government’s various plans for improving the overall condition in the Kashmir Valley.
On the other side, Madhav briefed delegates on the issue of the National Register of Citizen’s in Assam and also responded to the concerns raised in the meeting over several genuine citizens being left out of the final list, majority of whom, they claimed, are Hindus.
Concerns were raised at the meeting on Saturday during a presentation made by RSS affiliate ‘Seema Jagran Manch’ on the final list of the NRC in Assam, published on August 31, that left out over 1.9 million people, the sources said.
The sources said concerns were raised on several genuine citizens being left out, especially those who settled in Assam from neighbouring states, and Madhav addressed those.
Over 200 delegates of 35 RSS affiliates are attending the coordination meeting, first such after the Lok Sabha elections.
The three-day-long meeting began on Saturday, where a wide variety of issues are being discussed, ranging from the economy to national security.
Eminent lawyer and former Union law minister Ram Jethmalani passed away early on Sunday morning at his New Delhi residence. He was 95 years old.
Jethmalani, who served for many years in the Supreme Court, was suffering from prolonged illness. He is survived by his son, a well-known lawyer Mahesh Jethmalani, and daughter who lives in the US. His other daughter Rani Jethmalani had pre-deceased him.
Born in Sikhapur of Sindh province on September 14, 1923, Ram Jethmalani was one of the highest-paid lawyers in the Supreme Court of India and had appeared in many high profile criminal cases. He had also served as India’s Union Law Minister was also the chairman of the president of Supreme Court Bar Association.
Widely respected as the doyen of criminal law, Jethmalani started his career as a lawyer and in Sindh before partition. He became a member of Rajya Sabha in 1988 and later went on to become the Union Minister of Law, Justice and Company Affairs in 1996 in Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government. He also held the portfolio of urban development in the NDA government.