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Time of India
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Schools shutting, liquor shops coming up in state: Akhilesh
Varanasi: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav took a jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party-led govt in Uttar Pradesh saying the state was opening of new liquor shops in large numbers, while schools were being closed. Addressing party workers after inaugurating his new home-cum-office built on a campus of over 3 bigha area in the Anwarganj area of Azamgarh district on Thursday, Akhilesh criticised BJP govt for "poor state of education and basic facilities". He said BJP was shutting down booths in assembly areas where they lost in the 2022 assembly election. "It is shocking how thousands of schools are being closed while liquor stores are being opened without restraint," he said. Akhilesh added, "Water tanks built in villages under Jal Jeevan Mission are unable to bear burden of corruption, leading to incidents of tank bursts in various districts every month." He compared the Purvanchal Expressway with the Gorakhpur Link Expressway and termed the six-lane roads built during his regime as superior. He also accused BJP of double standards in reservation and secularism. To ensure his party got voted to power in 2027, Akhilesh set goal for party leaders and cadres to secure all seats from Ghaziabad to Sonbhadra for PDA. Akhilesh said if voted to power in UP in 2027, he would ensure every family received 300 units free electricity, iPads and Samajwadi pension of Rs 3,000 for women. He also assured termination of Central govt's Agniveer scheme and strengthening of border security. The meeting was not free of drama by over-enthused SP supporters. One worker jumped into the 'D' security circle in front of the main dais and when he did not leave despite repeated requests from senior leaders, party volunteers and police ousted him. Responding to call of a Brahmin organisation and Vishwa Hindu Mahasabha, many Brahmin families installed black flags at their homes to express their anger against the alleged anti-Brahmin statement of Akhilesh following the Etawah incident.
Scroll.in
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
West Bengal alleges Odisha has detained nearly 100 of its migrants claiming they are Bangladeshis
The West Bengal government has alleged that nearly 100 migrant workers from the state have been detained in Odisha and 'sent to detention centres' on suspicion of being Bangladeshis, The Indian Express reported on Monday. In May, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Odisha government launched a statewide operation to identify and deport undocumented Bangladeshi migrants living in the state. Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP and chairman of West Bengal's Migrant Welfare Board Samirul Islam has said that 'top administrative officials and police officers…have reached out to their counterparts in Odisha' regarding the alleged illegal detentions, the newspaper reported. 'But they are not releasing the poor migrant workers,' Islam was quoted as saying on Monday. 'What has happened is unconstitutional'. He added: 'They are Indian citizens and residents of Bengal. They have gone to Odisha for work. But they have been detained and labelled Bangaldeshis. They have been sent to the detention centre. We will bring them home'. The Rajya Sabha MP claimed that this trend is happening in 'state after state under BJP rule'. However, an unidentified Odisha government official told The Indian Express that 'no one is being detained at any police station'. The government is conducting verifications as part of a nationwide exercise in view of the recent developments in the neighbourhood, the official added. 'We are just verifying their identities and are also in touch with West Bengal government,' the newspaper quoted the official as saying. The development comes nearly two weeks after four men from West Bengal, who had been picked up by the Maharashtra Police and 'pushed' into Bangladesh, were brought back on June 15. The Murshidabad Police in West Bengal had presented proof of them being Indian citizens. Over the past month, Indian authorities have been pursuing a policy to push individuals claimed to be undocumented migrants into Bangladesh. India has pushed back more than 2,000 persons into Bangladesh since the country launched ' Operation Sindoor ', a military operation against terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The legality of the 'push back' policy has been debated in India and internationally. Experts have told Scroll that the policy violated India's obligations under international law and customary international law.
The Hindu
27-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Assam, Mizoram draft rules to curb illegal immigration
Two northeastern States have toughened their stand on identification documents to curb unauthorised cross-border movements of Bangladesh and Myanmar nationals. The Assam government has decided to implement a policy to issue Aadhaar cards to adult citizens only through the District Commissioners (DCs) to prevent Bangladeshi nationals from acquiring them, while the Mizoram Government plans to retain the identity cards of Myanmar nationals to regulate movement across the border. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the need to toughen the rules of issuing Aadhaar cards was discussed at the State Cabinet meeting on Friday (June 27, 2025). 'Usually, people who come to Assam and Bharat from Bangladesh [illegally] are adults. Since we have already achieved 100% Aadhaar coverage, we will thoroughly enquire into the applications of new adults,' he told journalists in Guwahati. 'Soon, only the DCs will have the power to issue Aadhaar cards. If such a policy is made, it will be difficult for Bangladeshi people to obtain Aadhaar. Detecting and pushing them back will be easy if they do not possess this document,' he said, hours after announcing that 20 more illegal Bangladeshi immigrants were pushed back. The Bharatiya Janata Party-led Government has been working on plugging the vulnerabilities of Aadhaar since April, when, Mr. Sarma said, people who did not apply for inclusion in the National Register of Citizens have been barred from getting the unique identification number. In September 2024, he said that four Assam districts had more Aadhaar cardholders than their projected population. Bengali-speaking Muslims are a majority in these districts — Barpeta bordering Bangladesh, Dhubri, Morigaon, and Nagaon. 'We found that 103.74% of the population were issued Aadhaar cards in Barpeta, 103.48% in Dhubri, 101.74% in Morigaon, and 100.68% in Nagaon. Some immigrants definitely managed to take Aadhaar,' the Chief Minister had said. In Aizawl, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma proposed the confiscation of the identity cards of Myanmar nationals who cross over into India frequently, amid the civil war in their country. He came up with this proposal at a meeting with Surinder Bhagat, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs and Protector General of Emigrants, at the Chief Minister's Office recently. Acknowledging the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar forcing many to take refuge in Mizoram, Mr. Lalduhoma said, 'Many refugees are law-abiding, but there are some who continue to cross the border to and from Myanmar, exploiting the ongoing crisis there.' He warned of stern action against those misusing the shelter provided, including the seizure of their Myanmar-issued identity documents. He suggested that such IDs be collected from each Myanmar national for the duration of their stay in Mizoram. The Chief Minister also stated that the government has started collecting biometric data of people entering the State from Myanmar.
The Hindu
27-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Assam to toughen Aadhaar issuance rules in a bid to curb illegal immigration from Bangladesh
Two northeastern States have toughened their stand on identification documents to curb unauthorised cross-border movements of Bangladesh and Myanmar nationals. The Assam government has decided to implement a policy to issue Aadhaar cards to adult citizens only through the District Commissioners (DCs) to prevent Bangladeshi nationals from acquiring them, while the Mizoram Government plans to retain the identity cards of Myanmar nationals to regulate movement across the border. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the need to toughen the rules of issuing Aadhaar cards was discussed at the State Cabinet meeting on Friday (June 27, 2025). 'Usually, people who come to Assam and Bharat from Bangladesh [illegally] are adults. Since we have already achieved 100% Aadhaar coverage, we will thoroughly enquire into the applications of new adults,' he told journalists in Guwahati. 'Soon, only the DCs will have the power to issue Aadhaar cards. If such a policy is made, it will be difficult for Bangladeshi people to obtain Aadhaar. Detecting and pushing them back will be easy if they do not possess this document,' he said, hours after announcing that 20 more illegal Bangladeshi immigrants were pushed back. The Bharatiya Janata Party-led Government has been working on plugging the vulnerabilities of Aadhaar since April, when, Mr. Sarma said, people who did not apply for inclusion in the National Register of Citizens have been barred from getting the unique identification number. In September 2024, he said that four Assam districts had more Aadhaar cardholders than their projected population. Bengali-speaking Muslims are a majority in these districts — Barpeta bordering Bangladesh, Dhubri, Morigaon, and Nagaon. 'We found that 103.74% of the population were issued Aadhaar cards in Barpeta, 103.48% in Dhubri, 101.74% in Morigaon, and 100.68% in Nagaon. Some immigrants definitely managed to take Aadhaar,' the Chief Minister had said. In Aizawl, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma proposed the confiscation of the identity cards of Myanmar nationals who cross over into India frequently, amid the civil war in their country. He came up with this proposal at a meeting with Surinder Bhagat, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs and Protector General of Emigrants, at the Chief Minister's Office recently. Acknowledging the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar forcing many to take refuge in Mizoram, Mr. Lalduhoma said, 'Many refugees are law-abiding, but there are some who continue to cross the border to and from Myanmar, exploiting the ongoing crisis there.' He warned of stern action against those misusing the shelter provided, including the seizure of their Myanmar-issued identity documents. He suggested that such IDs be collected from each Myanmar national for the duration of their stay in Mizoram. The Chief Minister also stated that the government has started collecting biometric data of people entering the State from Myanmar.
Hindustan Times
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Hindi default 3rd language in Maharashtra schools unless 20 students pick alternative
Mumbai: Hindi will not be a compulsory third language in Maharashtra state board schools, but it will be the default choice unless at least 20 students in a class opt for an alternative language, according to a government resolution (GR) issued late Tuesday. This comes months after the Maharashtra government's proposal to make Hindi compulsory starting from Class 1 triggered widespread criticism from educationists and opposition political parties, who considered it an imposition of Hindi and an undermining of Marathi. The revised order has reignited criticism of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti government on the topic, with experts and opposition leaders saying it was in effect a backdoor entry of the compulsory-Hindi policy and a betrayal of the Marathi people. As per the new GR, issued by the state school education department, while a third language is mandatory, Hindi will no longer be compulsory. However, it will 'in general' be the third language for Classes 1-5 in Marathi- and English-medium schools. Schools or parents may choose an alternative Indian language, provided that at least 20 students in a class opt for it. If this threshold is met, a teacher for that language will be appointed, or it will be taught online. The GR is part of the ongoing implementation of the State Curriculum Framework for School Education 2024, which is aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Critics argued that while the GR appears to offer flexibility, it effectively imposes Hindi by making it difficult to opt for other languages. 'This is again the compulsion of Hindi in another form,' said an education expert, pointing out the practical hurdles in securing a teacher for a different language or getting 20 students per class to opt for it. The new directive appears to contradict the statements of state education minister Dadaji Bhuse in April, assuring that Hindi would not be imposed. After a GR proposing Hindi as a compulsory third language from Class 1 triggered widespread backlash, Bhuse had said that Hindi would no longer be mandatory in the early grades. He later said that the government had received suggestions to introduce Hindi from Class 3 instead, adding that the decision was being reconsidered. He had also said that the three-language formula was 'on hold'. Education experts expressed strong dissent over the new GR. 'The government wants to come in through the back door and crush Marathi children by burdening their fragile brains with Hindi,' said Ramesh Panse, senior educationist and member of the steering committee for the State Curriculum Framework. 'The parents of Marathi children should foil this plot. Political parties that claim to support Marathi must wake up and oppose this policy on a large scale to protect Marathi students.' Vasant Kalpande, former director of school education, argued that the requirement for 20 students to opt for a non-Hindi language and the provision to teach such languages only online are veiled attempts to discourage their selection. 'Although Marathi and Hindi share a similar script, it is too much to expect young students to understand the differences and nuances between them at such an early age,' said Kalpande. He added that Hindi is not a compulsory third language in states like Gujarat and Assam. Deepak Pawar, founder of the Marathi Bhasha Abhyas Kendra, which works to promote the Marathi language, accused the Maharashtra government of breaking its promise. 'The government has betrayed the Marathi people. If we stay silent now, it will pave the way for dismantling the federal structure and erasing the legacy of the Samyukta Maharashtra movement,' he said.
