<p>The Gurgaon police on Thursday arrested 18 persons for yesterday&rsquo;s attack on a school bus, DGP Haryana&nbsp;BS Sandhu&nbsp;said.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">18 people have been arrested in connection with attack on a school bus and torching of a Haryana Roadways bus in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gurugram?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gurugram</a> yesterday, case registered: BS Sandhu, DGP Haryana <a href="https://t.co/BTxUtJHK3Q">pic.twitter.com/BTxUtJHK3Q</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/956470126991228928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>On Wednesday, a frenzied&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmaavat-frenzied-mob-attacks-school-bus-in-gurugram-30682">mob attacked a bus full of school kids in Gurgaon</a>&nbsp;protesting the release of Bollywood film <em>Padmaavat</em>. The bus was damaged as the protesters hurled stones at it.</p>

<p>The bus belonging to GD Goenka World School came under attack as it drove past the mob that had just torched a Haryana Roadways bus.</p>

<p>30 students and three teachers of GD Goenka World School, Sohna Road became the targets of an unruly mob on Wednesday afternoon in Bhondsi.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Apart from the teacher and students, a caretaker was also present on the bus.</p>

<p>This incident of hooliganism occurred despite Haryana Police claims that nobody would be allowed to disrupt peace in the state in the wake of the controversial movie&#39;s release tomorrow.</p>

<p>After the attack on a school bus by anti<em>-Padmaavat&nbsp;</em>protestors, some reputed schools in Gurgaon have decided to remain <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmaavat-row-after-attack-on-school-bus-big-gurgaon-schools-shut-till-sunday-30696">shut till Sunday </a>in view of the violence over the controversial film&#39;s release.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/should-we-remain-silent-when-our-children-are-attacked-kejriwal-asks-after-gurgaon-bus-attack-30738">Delhi Chief Minister</a>&nbsp;Arvind Kejriwal reacted to the horrific incident of the Gurgaon bus attack and called it &#39;shameful&#39;.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-cause-big-enough-to-justify-violence-against-children-says-rahul-after-attack-on-gurgaon-school-bus-30698">Rahul Gandhi</a> also took to Twitter to express his anguish and blamed the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP for the ongoing violence. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Congress president stated that violence and hatred are the weapons of the weak. The BJP&#39;s use of hatred and violence is setting our entire country on fire, he tweeted.</p>

<p>Tension continues to simmer across the country as Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s&nbsp;<em>Padmaavat</em>&nbsp;releases today.&nbsp;</p>


30 students and three teachers of GD Goenka World School, Sohna Road became the targets of an unruly mob on Wednesday afternoon in Bhondsi

The Gurgaon police on Thursday arrested 18 persons for yesterday’s attack on a school bus, DGP Haryana BS Sandhu said. 18 people have been arrested in connection with attack on a school bus and torching of a Haryana Roadways bus in #Gurugram yesterday, case registered: BS Sandhu, DGP Haryana pic.twitter.com/BTxUtJHK3Q — ANI (@ANI) January 25, 2018 × On Wednesday, a frenzied mob attacked a bus full of school kids in Gurgaon protesting the release of Bollywood film Padmaavat. The bus was damaged as the protesters hurled stones at it. The bus belonging to GD Goenka World School came under attack as it drove past the mob that had just torched a Haryana Roadways bus. 30 students and three teachers of GD Goenka World School, Sohna Road became the targets of an unruly mob on Wednesday afternoon in Bhondsi. Apart from the teacher and students, a caretaker was also present on the bus. This incident of hooliganism occurred despite Haryana Police claims that nobody would be allowed to disrupt peace in the state in the wake of the controversial movie's release tomorrow. After the attack on a school bus by anti-Padmaavat protestors, some reputed schools in Gurgaon have decided to remain shut till Sunday in view of the violence over the controversial film's release. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal reacted to the horrific incident of the Gurgaon bus attack and called it 'shameful'. Rahul Gandhi also took to Twitter to express his anguish and blamed the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP for the ongoing violence. The Congress president stated that violence and hatred are the weapons of the weak. The BJP's use of hatred and violence is setting our entire country on fire, he tweeted. Tension continues to simmer across the country as Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmaavat releases today.

18 arrested after attack on a school bus in Gurugram

<p>A state-wide bandh disrupted life across different parts of Karnataka on Thursday as pro-Kannada outfits demand Prime Minister Narendra Modi&rsquo;s intervention in the inter-state Mahadayi River water row with Goa.</p>

<p>Protests were held in Attibelle on Thursday by pro-Kannada outfits. But, no effect of bandh has been seen yet in Kalaburagi.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: Protest held in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Attibelle?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Attibelle</a> during bandh in Karnataka over Mahadayi water dispute <a href="https://t.co/q3WSgtx5Xt">pic.twitter.com/q3WSgtx5Xt</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/956373957418016768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Many IT companies in Bengaluru have also asked their employees to either work from home or take a day off. Transport services will remain unaffected, buses and cabs will function as per their routine.</p>

<p>The pro-Kannada outfits have been protesting in parts of Bengaluru including townhall and other cities as well.</p>

<p>Pro-Kannada activists Vatal Nagaraj and Praveen Shetty on Wednesday told the press that there will be no transport services tomorrow and other services will be shut down as well.</p>

<p>&quot;We will stop everything. Bus, train, flight all services will be stopped. We will stop all services tomorrow&quot;, Shetty said at the press conference.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Protests in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bengaluru?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bengaluru</a>&#39;s town hall during bandh call in Karnataka over Mahadayi water dispute <a href="https://t.co/e6UQOAudSx">pic.twitter.com/e6UQOAudSx</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/956405003719139328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Karnataka bandh call over Mahadayi water dispute: Visuals of protest from Hubli. (earlier visuals) <a href="https://t.co/N7HtjEHAIu">pic.twitter.com/N7HtjEHAIu</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/956361894914179077?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>With state-run buses remaining off the road, passengers who had come to the city from outside were stranded at the main bus terminal in Karnataka.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Similar reports have come in from&nbsp;Mysuru, Gadag, Dharwad and Hassan. Autorickshaws and cabs were plying but in lesser numbers. Cab and auto rickshaw drivers said customers were few today as most of the offices have declared holiday</p>

<p>Normal life has been hit as certain public services were paralysed, multiplexes remained shut. Though hotels, restaurants and eateries were opened in some areas, owners said they may have to stop their services depending on the situation as customers are also less.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The pro-Kannada organisations and organisations of farming communities had earlier also called for&nbsp;bandh&nbsp;over the dispute.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Protests were held in Attibelle on Thursday by pro-Kannada outfits demanding the Prime Minister's intervention in the inter-state Mahadayi River water row with neighbouring Goa.and no effect of bandh has been seen yet in Kalaburagi

A state-wide bandh disrupted life across different parts of Karnataka on Thursday as pro-Kannada outfits demand Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention in the inter-state Mahadayi River water row with Goa. Protests were held in Attibelle on Thursday by pro-Kannada outfits. But, no effect of bandh has been seen yet in Kalaburagi. #WATCH: Protest held in #Attibelle during bandh in Karnataka over Mahadayi water dispute pic.twitter.com/q3WSgtx5Xt — ANI (@ANI) January 25, 2018 × Many IT companies in Bengaluru have also asked their employees to either work from home or take a day off. Transport services will remain unaffected, buses and cabs will function as per their routine. The pro-Kannada outfits have been protesting in parts of Bengaluru including townhall and other cities as well. Pro-Kannada activists Vatal Nagaraj and Praveen Shetty on Wednesday told the press that there will be no transport services tomorrow and other services will be shut down as well. "We will stop everything. Bus, train, flight all services will be stopped. We will stop all services tomorrow", Shetty said at the press conference. Protests in #Bengaluru's town hall during bandh call in Karnataka over Mahadayi water dispute pic.twitter.com/e6UQOAudSx — ANI (@ANI) January 25, 2018 × Karnataka bandh call over Mahadayi water dispute: Visuals of protest from Hubli. (earlier visuals) pic.twitter.com/N7HtjEHAIu — ANI (@ANI) January 25, 2018 × With state-run buses remaining off the road, passengers who had come to the city from outside were stranded at the main bus terminal in Karnataka. Similar reports have come in from Mysuru, Gadag, Dharwad and Hassan. Autorickshaws and cabs were plying but in lesser numbers. Cab and auto rickshaw drivers said customers were few today as most of the offices have declared holiday Normal life has been hit as certain public services were paralysed, multiplexes remained shut. Though hotels, restaurants and eateries were opened in some areas, owners said they may have to stop their services depending on the situation as customers are also less. The pro-Kannada organisations and organisations of farming communities had earlier also called for bandh over the dispute.

WATCH: Pro-Kannada outfits protest as Karnataka observes bandh

<p>The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to give an urgent hearing plea filed by lawyer Manohar Lal Sharma seeking removal of certain scenes from the film Padmaavat.</p>

<p>The top court said it will hear the matter on Monday.Earlier on Tuesday, the apex court refused to modify its earlier order on the Sanjay Leela Bhansali magnum opus.</p>

<p>The top court last week set aside the notification passed by the states of Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat to ban the release of Padmaavat.</p>

<p>The epic drama, based on 16th-century Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi`s epic poem `Padmavat`, is set to hit the cinema halls on January 25.&nbsp;</p>


The plea sought removal of certain scenes from the film

The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to give an urgent hearing plea filed by lawyer Manohar Lal Sharma seeking removal of certain scenes from the film Padmaavat. The top court said it will hear the matter on Monday.Earlier on Tuesday, the apex court refused to modify its earlier order on the Sanjay Leela Bhansali magnum opus. The top court last week set aside the notification passed by the states of Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat to ban the release of Padmaavat. The epic drama, based on 16th-century Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi`s epic poem `Padmavat`, is set to hit the cinema halls on January 25.

No more cuts for Padmaavat, SC refuses urgent hearing

<p>The Gurugram Police said on Sunday that a total of 45 miscreants had been arrested including Rewari Karni Sena president Harinder for their involvement in the bus attack on Wednesday following the release of the movie &#39;Padmaavat.&#39;&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">3 more miscreants, including Rewari Karni Sena President Harinder, arrested in connection with incidents of violence in Gurugram. So far 45 miscreants arrested. Best efforts being made to identify remaining miscreants involved in the incidents.: Gurugram Police <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Padmaavat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Padmaavat</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/957633472562044928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>The officials also informed that maximum efforts are being made to identify and nab the remaining miscreants involved in the incident.</p>

<p>As of&nbsp;Saturday, a total of eight cases had been registered and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has also been formed to probe the cases where a school bus was attacked and another bus was torched.</p>

<p>Gurugram Karni Sena chief Thakur Kushalpal was detained by the Haryana police on Saturday - a day after arresting Karni Sena national secretary Surajpal Amu from his residence in the posh DLF area - in connection with the incidents of violence during the release of the movie &quot;Padmaavat&quot;.</p>

<p>Around 20-25 students of a leading Gurugram school had a narrow escape when a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmaavat-frenzied-mob-attacks-school-bus-in-gurugram-30682">frenzied mob protesting</a> the release of Bollywood film &quot;Padmaavat&quot;&nbsp;attacked their bus.</p>

<p>The GD Goenka World School students were on their way home when a group of around 60 protesters, believed to be members of a fringe group, attacked the bus with bamboo sticks asking the driver to stop the vehicle.</p>

<p>The Gurugram Police have clarified that<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gurugram-police-clarifies-no-muslim-involved-in-attacking-school-bus-30838"> no Muslim boy</a> was detained in relation to the recent acts of vandalism on a Haryana Roadways bus and a School bus in Gurugram. &nbsp;</p>


The officials also informed that maximum efforts are being made to identify and nab the remaining miscreants involved in the tragic incident following the release of the movie 'Padmaavat'

The Gurugram Police said on Sunday that a total of 45 miscreants had been arrested including Rewari Karni Sena president Harinder for their involvement in the bus attack on Wednesday following the release of the movie 'Padmaavat.' 3 more miscreants, including Rewari Karni Sena President Harinder, arrested in connection with incidents of violence in Gurugram. So far 45 miscreants arrested. Best efforts being made to identify remaining miscreants involved in the incidents.: Gurugram Police #Padmaavat — ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2018 × The officials also informed that maximum efforts are being made to identify and nab the remaining miscreants involved in the incident. As of Saturday, a total of eight cases had been registered and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has also been formed to probe the cases where a school bus was attacked and another bus was torched. Gurugram Karni Sena chief Thakur Kushalpal was detained by the Haryana police on Saturday - a day after arresting Karni Sena national secretary Surajpal Amu from his residence in the posh DLF area - in connection with the incidents of violence during the release of the movie "Padmaavat". Around 20-25 students of a leading Gurugram school had a narrow escape when a frenzied mob protesting the release of Bollywood film "Padmaavat" attacked their bus. The GD Goenka World School students were on their way home when a group of around 60 protesters, believed to be members of a fringe group, attacked the bus with bamboo sticks asking the driver to stop the vehicle. The Gurugram Police have clarified that no Muslim boy was detained in relation to the recent acts of vandalism on a Haryana Roadways bus and a School bus in Gurugram.

Gurugram bus attack: Police arrests Karni Sena president, 44 other miscreants

<p>Around 20-25 students of a leading Gurugram school had a narrow escape when a frenzied mob protesting the release of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmaavat-not-to-release-in-4-states-says-multiplex-association-of-india-30677">Bollywood film &lsquo;Padmaavat&rsquo; </a>attacked their bus.</p>

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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The G D Goenka World School students were on their way home when a group of around 60 protesters, believed to be members of a fringe group, attacked the bus with bamboo sticks asking the driver to stop the vehicle.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">As soon as we came out of the school the bus was attacked. Even the police could not control them. The children somehow took cover inside the bus.: School staff on their school bus attacked by vandals in protest against release of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Padmavaat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Padmavaat</a> in Gurugram, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Haryana?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Haryana</a> <a href="https://t.co/4mebxa2jNB">pic.twitter.com/4mebxa2jNB</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/956192351214477313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p><strong>Watch: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/from-gurugram-to-mumbai-violent-protests-rock-cities-ahead-of-padmaavat-release-30621" target="_blank">From Gurugram to Mumbai, violent protests rock cities ahead of </a></strong><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/from-gurugram-to-mumbai-violent-protests-rock-cities-ahead-of-padmaavat-release-30621" target="_blank"><strong>Padmaavat</strong></a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/from-gurugram-to-mumbai-violent-protests-rock-cities-ahead-of-padmaavat-release-30621" target="_blank"><strong> release</strong></a><strong> </strong></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Haryana: A school bus attacked by vandals protesting against release of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Padmavaat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Padmavaat</a> in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gurugram?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gurugram</a> (Pictures from User Video) <a href="https://t.co/rAQTPJaILD">pic.twitter.com/rAQTPJaILD</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/956170164990431232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>When the driver did not comply, the miscreants pelted the vehicle with stones apparently to hurt the children.</p>

<p>The school bus staffer asked the kids to crawl under seats for safety and directed the driver to not stop it, Ravinder Kumar, PRO, Gurugram Police said.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Some of the bus windows shattered and terrified kids cried for help. Fortunately none of the children was hurt in the attack,&rdquo; Kumar said.</p>

<p>He said the situation was now under control.</p>

<p>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-padmaavat-sanjay-leela-bhansalis-magnum-opus-finally-to-release-in-theaters-on-january-25th-30663">Padmaavat</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-padmaavat-sanjay-leela-bhansalis-magnum-opus-finally-to-release-in-theaters-on-january-25th-30663">&nbsp;:</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-padmaavat-sanjay-leela-bhansalis-magnum-opus-finally-to-release-in-theaters-on-january-25th-30663"> Will Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s magnum opus create magic at the box office?</a></p>

<p>The attackers also torched a bus in Sohna. They also pelted stones on a fire tender and forced it back when it came to douse the fire, officials said.</p>

<p>Despite prohibitory orders in<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/from-gurugram-to-mumbai-violent-protests-rock-cities-ahead-of-padmaavat-release-30621"> Gurugram</a>, hundreds of Shree Rajput Karni Sena supporters also protested at Kherki Daula toll plaza on the Delhi-Jaipur National Highway.</p>


Prohibitary orders are already in place in Gurugram, near Haryana, that restrict large gatherings in public area

Around 20-25 students of a leading Gurugram school had a narrow escape when a frenzied mob protesting the release of Bollywood film ‘Padmaavat’ attacked their bus. × The G D Goenka World School students were on their way home when a group of around 60 protesters, believed to be members of a fringe group, attacked the bus with bamboo sticks asking the driver to stop the vehicle. As soon as we came out of the school the bus was attacked. Even the police could not control them. The children somehow took cover inside the bus.: School staff on their school bus attacked by vandals in protest against release of #Padmavaat in Gurugram, #Haryana pic.twitter.com/4mebxa2jNB — ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2018 × Watch: From Gurugram to Mumbai, violent protests rock cities ahead of Padmaavat release Haryana: A school bus attacked by vandals protesting against release of #Padmavaat in #Gurugram (Pictures from User Video) pic.twitter.com/rAQTPJaILD — ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2018 × When the driver did not comply, the miscreants pelted the vehicle with stones apparently to hurt the children. The school bus staffer asked the kids to crawl under seats for safety and directed the driver to not stop it, Ravinder Kumar, PRO, Gurugram Police said. “Some of the bus windows shattered and terrified kids cried for help. Fortunately none of the children was hurt in the attack,” Kumar said. He said the situation was now under control. Also read: Padmaavat : Will Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus create magic at the box office? The attackers also torched a bus in Sohna. They also pelted stones on a fire tender and forced it back when it came to douse the fire, officials said. Despite prohibitory orders in Gurugram, hundreds of Shree Rajput Karni Sena supporters also protested at Kherki Daula toll plaza on the Delhi-Jaipur National Highway.

Watch: Anti-Padmaavat mob attacks school bus, school staff say police couldn't control them

<p>Ahead of the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s highly controversial movie<em> Padmaavat</em> on January 25, protesters, taking to streets, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/from-gurugram-to-mumbai-violent-protests-rock-cities-ahead-of-padmaavat-release-30621">damaged vehicles and vandalised</a> several places across the country.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Karni Sena, which is leading protests against <em>Padmaavat, </em>has demanded a complete ban despite a go-ahead from the Supreme Court.</p>

<p>Karni Sena chief Lokendra Singh Kalvi directed a &ldquo;self-imposed curfew by people&rdquo; to oppose Sanjay Leela Bhansali&rsquo;s movie.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">Jo bhi ho raha hai dukhad hai, galat hai, par ab mann ki jwala ko sadkon pe dhadhakne se koi rok nhi sakta, main bhi nhi: Lokendra Singh Kalvi, Rajput Karni Sena <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Padmavaat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Padmavaat</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZCzbH0gIMS">pic.twitter.com/ZCzbH0gIMS</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/956176701377077250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>He said: &ldquo;We are adamant on our stand that this film Padmavaat should be banned. January 25 may come and go but we won&rsquo;t let the film release, come what may.&quot;</p>

<p>Also see: &nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmaavat-review-ranveer-singh-shines-in-bhansalis-visually-grand-historical-saga-30568">Padmaavat</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmaavat-review-ranveer-singh-shines-in-bhansalis-visually-grand-historical-saga-30568"> review: Ranveer Singh shines in Bhansali&#39;s visually grand historical saga</a></p>

<p>Cinema halls and many other places in Mumbai, Mathura, Gurugram, Meerut, Rajasthan have been attacked by protesters demanding a ban on the film&#39;s release. They have also blocked the Delhi-Jaipur highway.</p>

<p>Security has been beefed up and efforts are underway to nab the unidentified miscreants to bring the situation under control. &nbsp;A number of protesters have been arrested in Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Nashik and other places till now.</p>

<p>The police raided the homes of Karni Sena Chittorgarh unit president Govind Singh Khangarot and vice-president Kamlendu Singh Solanki on Tuesday and arrested them.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Arvind Kejriwal also took to Twitter to express his views about the unfolding incidents whilst taunting the government. &quot;If all state govts, central govt and SC together cannot get one movie released and run safely, how can we expect investments to flow in? Forget FDI, even local investors wud feel hesitant. Not gud for already dwindling economy. Bad for jobs&quot; he wrote.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">If all state govts, central govt and SC together cannot get one movie released and run safely, how can we expect investments to flow in? Forget FDI, even local investors wud feel hesitant. Not gud for already dwindling economy. Bad for jobs</p>
&mdash; Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArvindKejriwal/status/956084082101727232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>The Supreme Court had on Tuesday rejected Rajasthan&#39;s final appeal to ban <em>Padmaavat</em> and ordered the government to screen the film.&nbsp;</p>


Karni Sena, which has been leading protests against Padmaavat have demanded a complete ban despite Supreme court giving it a go-ahead order

Ahead of the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's highly controversial movie Padmaavat on January 25, protesters, taking to streets, damaged vehicles and vandalised several places across the country. Karni Sena, which is leading protests against Padmaavat, has demanded a complete ban despite a go-ahead from the Supreme Court. Karni Sena chief Lokendra Singh Kalvi directed a “self-imposed curfew by people” to oppose Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s movie. Jo bhi ho raha hai dukhad hai, galat hai, par ab mann ki jwala ko sadkon pe dhadhakne se koi rok nhi sakta, main bhi nhi: Lokendra Singh Kalvi, Rajput Karni Sena #Padmavaat pic.twitter.com/ZCzbH0gIMS — ANI (@ANI) January 24, 2018 × He said: “We are adamant on our stand that this film Padmavaat should be banned. January 25 may come and go but we won’t let the film release, come what may." Also see: Padmaavat review: Ranveer Singh shines in Bhansali's visually grand historical saga Cinema halls and many other places in Mumbai, Mathura, Gurugram, Meerut, Rajasthan have been attacked by protesters demanding a ban on the film's release. They have also blocked the Delhi-Jaipur highway. Security has been beefed up and efforts are underway to nab the unidentified miscreants to bring the situation under control. A number of protesters have been arrested in Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Nashik and other places till now. The police raided the homes of Karni Sena Chittorgarh unit president Govind Singh Khangarot and vice-president Kamlendu Singh Solanki on Tuesday and arrested them. Meanwhile, Arvind Kejriwal also took to Twitter to express his views about the unfolding incidents whilst taunting the government. "If all state govts, central govt and SC together cannot get one movie released and run safely, how can we expect investments to flow in? Forget FDI, even local investors wud feel hesitant. Not gud for already dwindling economy. Bad for jobs" he wrote. If all state govts, central govt and SC together cannot get one movie released and run safely, how can we expect investments to flow in? Forget FDI, even local investors wud feel hesitant. Not gud for already dwindling economy. Bad for jobs — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 24, 2018 × The Supreme Court had on Tuesday rejected Rajasthan's final appeal to ban Padmaavat and ordered the government to screen the film.

Karni Sena chief: We won't let Padmaavat release, come what may

<p>A class XIIth student on Monday gunned down his school principal over alleged blasphemy in Pakistan&#39;s restive Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, police said.</p>

<p>The incident occurred within the premises of privately-run Islamia College in Charsadda district.</p>

<p>Sareer Khan was killed by Fahim Ashraf who was later arrested with a gun, district police chief Zahoor Afridi said.</p>

<p>&quot;The student was raising slogans at the time of his arrest that he killed a blasphemer but so far no evidence of blasphemy has been found against the victim,&quot; Afridi said.</p>

<p>Sources in the college contradicted blasphemy claims, saying that the principal had Masters of Arts (MA) degree in Islamic Studies and was also a Hafiz-e-Quran, meaning he had memorised the entire Holy Quran.</p>

<p>Ashraf was angry at the principal who marked him absent when he missed classes for three consecutive days in November last year to attend a protest by religious groups, they said.</p>

<p>He also had an argument with the principal over the issue some days back.</p>

<p>Afridi said that an investigation was being carried out and facts would be made public.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, college students and relatives of the accused blocked a road and disrupted traffic but the district administration pacified them.</p>

<p>Blasphemy is a highly sensitive issue in Pakistan and people have been killed in the past on mere suspicion.</p>

<p>Mashal Khan, a university student, was lynched last year by a mob of fellow students in Charsadda over alleged blasphemy, which was never proved by the police.</p>


Blasphemy is a highly sensitive issue in Pakistan and people have been killed in the past on mere suspicion

A class XIIth student on Monday gunned down his school principal over alleged blasphemy in Pakistan's restive Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, police said. The incident occurred within the premises of privately-run Islamia College in Charsadda district. Sareer Khan was killed by Fahim Ashraf who was later arrested with a gun, district police chief Zahoor Afridi said. "The student was raising slogans at the time of his arrest that he killed a blasphemer but so far no evidence of blasphemy has been found against the victim," Afridi said. Sources in the college contradicted blasphemy claims, saying that the principal had Masters of Arts (MA) degree in Islamic Studies and was also a Hafiz-e-Quran, meaning he had memorised the entire Holy Quran. Ashraf was angry at the principal who marked him absent when he missed classes for three consecutive days in November last year to attend a protest by religious groups, they said. He also had an argument with the principal over the issue some days back. Afridi said that an investigation was being carried out and facts would be made public. Meanwhile, college students and relatives of the accused blocked a road and disrupted traffic but the district administration pacified them. Blasphemy is a highly sensitive issue in Pakistan and people have been killed in the past on mere suspicion. Mashal Khan, a university student, was lynched last year by a mob of fellow students in Charsadda over alleged blasphemy, which was never proved by the police.

12th grader kills principal in Pakistan over alleged blasphemy

<p>Several hundred BNP leaders and followers formed a&nbsp;human chain in front of the National Press Club on Monday morning demanding the release of jailed leader Khaleda Zia and free and fair elections.</p>

<p>They chanted different slogans demanding the immediate release of Khaleda Zia, reports said.</p>

<p>Zia, 72, was<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/ex-bangladesh-pm-khaleda-zia-sentenced-to-5-years-in-graft-case-32203"> imprisoned for five years</a> by the Special Court-5 in the capital, Dhaka on February 8, in connection with embezzlement of 21 million takas (US $252,000) in foreign donations meant for the Zia Orphanage Trust.</p>

<p>BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said that no national election will be held in Bangladesh without party Chairperson Khaleda Zia.</p>

<p>&quot;We want her immediate release and a free and fair election,&quot; Alamgir told AFP outside the national press club in Dhaka where more than 5,000 gathered.</p>

<p>The BNP leader said: &ldquo;We will free her [Khaleda] with our peaceful protest.&rdquo;</p>

<p>BNP&rsquo;s district, thana, upzila and city units will also be carrying out protests at their convenient time and places, media reports said on Monday.</p>

<p>Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/clashes-as-bangladesh-court-jails-opposition-leader-zia-32221">Clashes as Bangladesh court jails opposition leader Zia</a></p>

<p>Dhaka Metropolitan Police&rsquo;s Deputy Commissioner Masudur Rahman was quoted saying: &ldquo;We will not stop any peaceful protest but it should not lead to the sufferings of mass people.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Zia, the leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), is expected to appeal against the verdict, but it may affect her ability to stand in a general election slated for December.</p>

<p>Police said they arrested at least seven BNP officials on February 8 in the port city of Chittagong, including the local head of the party, after opposition supporters scuffled with police.</p>

<p>Alamgir said at least 4,300 opposition officials had been arrested in the past fortnight as police sought to offset resistance ahead of Zia&#39;s sentencing. A party vice chairman and two former ministers were among those detained, he added.</p>

<p>Zia is a former ally-turned-archrival of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.</p>

<p>The BNP boycotted the general election in 2014 that saw Hasina return to power, but Zia is expected to contest the upcoming poll in December.</p>

<p>Her son <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/khaleda-zias-fugitive-son-is-now-bnps-acting-chief-32334">Tarique Rahman</a>, who lives in exile in London, has been named as the acting opposition chief, despite being convicted and jailed.</p>

<p>(With AFP inputs)</p>


Zia, 72, was imprisoned for five years by the Special Court-5 in the capital, Dhaka on February 8, in connection with embezzlement of US $252,000 in foreign donations meant for the Zia Orphanage Trust

Several hundred BNP leaders and followers formed a human chain in front of the National Press Club on Monday morning demanding the release of jailed leader Khaleda Zia and free and fair elections. They chanted different slogans demanding the immediate release of Khaleda Zia, reports said. Zia, 72, was imprisoned for five years by the Special Court-5 in the capital, Dhaka on February 8, in connection with embezzlement of 21 million takas (US $252,000) in foreign donations meant for the Zia Orphanage Trust. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said that no national election will be held in Bangladesh without party Chairperson Khaleda Zia. "We want her immediate release and a free and fair election," Alamgir told AFP outside the national press club in Dhaka where more than 5,000 gathered. The BNP leader said: “We will free her [Khaleda] with our peaceful protest.” BNP’s district, thana, upzila and city units will also be carrying out protests at their convenient time and places, media reports said on Monday. Also read: Clashes as Bangladesh court jails opposition leader Zia Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Deputy Commissioner Masudur Rahman was quoted saying: “We will not stop any peaceful protest but it should not lead to the sufferings of mass people.” Zia, the leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), is expected to appeal against the verdict, but it may affect her ability to stand in a general election slated for December. Police said they arrested at least seven BNP officials on February 8 in the port city of Chittagong, including the local head of the party, after opposition supporters scuffled with police. Alamgir said at least 4,300 opposition officials had been arrested in the past fortnight as police sought to offset resistance ahead of Zia's sentencing. A party vice chairman and two former ministers were among those detained, he added. Zia is a former ally-turned-archrival of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The BNP boycotted the general election in 2014 that saw Hasina return to power, but Zia is expected to contest the upcoming poll in December. Her son Tarique Rahman, who lives in exile in London, has been named as the acting opposition chief, despite being convicted and jailed. (With AFP inputs)

Thousands protest in Dhaka, demand release of jailed leader Khaleda Zia

<p>Hundreds of angry South Koreans protested Tuesday as a ship from North Korea carrying around 120 performers bound for the Olympics docked at the port of Donghae City.</p>

<p>Some were carrying pictures of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un with a huge X across his face while others crumpled the images and stamped them underfoot.</p>

<p>&quot;We are at a state of war and we are inviting the prostitutes of our enemy,&quot; one of the protesters said as the North Korean ship &#39;Mangyongbon 92&#39; docked at Mukho port</p>

<p>Earlier the protesters, carrying South Korean flags, marched around the port, chanting into amplified speakers: &quot;We oppose Pyongyang Olympics!&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Why can&#39;t we carry our own flag at the opening ceremony -- because it&#39;s Pyongyang Olympics!&quot; a protester who came from Incheon told AFP.</p>

<p>North and South Korea will march as a unified team under a neutral Korean peninsula flag at the opening ceremony of the Olympics on Friday.</p>

<p>Protesters believe North Korea has been allowed to hijack the Pyeongchang Games, and refer to them instead as the Pyongyang Olympics after the North Korean capital.</p>

<p>The Olympics have triggered an apparent rapprochement on the divided peninsula, where tensions have been high over the nuclear-armed North&#39;s weapons ambitions.</p>

<p>In a rare high-level meeting last month, the two Koreas agreed that North Korean athletes, cheerleaders, artistic troupes and other delegates would attend the Games beginning in the South&#39;s ski resort of Pyeongchang on Friday.</p>

<p>The troupe were seen off on their journey to the South on Monday from a train station in Pyongyang by officials including supreme leader Kim Jong-Un&#39;s sister, Yo-Jong, smiling broadly and wearing a black coat and grey fur scarf.</p>

<p>The North&#39;s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the art troupe, led by Hyon Song-Wol, head of the Samjiyon Orchestra, would hold a &quot;congratulatory performance&quot; for the Games in South Korea.</p>

<p>The orchestra will hold two performances at the Gangneung Art Centre on the eve of the opening ceremony of the February 9-25 Pyeongchang Olympics and at the National Theatre of Korea in Seoul on February 11.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Amid all the chaos, North and South Korea will march as an unified team under a neutral Korean peninsula flag at the opening ceremony of the Olympics on Friday

Hundreds of angry South Koreans protested Tuesday as a ship from North Korea carrying around 120 performers bound for the Olympics docked at the port of Donghae City. Some were carrying pictures of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un with a huge X across his face while others crumpled the images and stamped them underfoot. "We are at a state of war and we are inviting the prostitutes of our enemy," one of the protesters said as the North Korean ship 'Mangyongbon 92' docked at Mukho port Earlier the protesters, carrying South Korean flags, marched around the port, chanting into amplified speakers: "We oppose Pyongyang Olympics!" "Why can't we carry our own flag at the opening ceremony -- because it's Pyongyang Olympics!" a protester who came from Incheon told AFP. North and South Korea will march as a unified team under a neutral Korean peninsula flag at the opening ceremony of the Olympics on Friday. Protesters believe North Korea has been allowed to hijack the Pyeongchang Games, and refer to them instead as the Pyongyang Olympics after the North Korean capital. The Olympics have triggered an apparent rapprochement on the divided peninsula, where tensions have been high over the nuclear-armed North's weapons ambitions. In a rare high-level meeting last month, the two Koreas agreed that North Korean athletes, cheerleaders, artistic troupes and other delegates would attend the Games beginning in the South's ski resort of Pyeongchang on Friday. The troupe were seen off on their journey to the South on Monday from a train station in Pyongyang by officials including supreme leader Kim Jong-Un's sister, Yo-Jong, smiling broadly and wearing a black coat and grey fur scarf. The North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the art troupe, led by Hyon Song-Wol, head of the Samjiyon Orchestra, would hold a "congratulatory performance" for the Games in South Korea. The orchestra will hold two performances at the Gangneung Art Centre on the eve of the opening ceremony of the February 9-25 Pyeongchang Olympics and at the National Theatre of Korea in Seoul on February 11.

Winter Olympics: North Korean art troupe hit by protests in South

<p>Thousands of Pashtuns gathered outside the press club in Islamabad and chanted Azadi (Freedom) slogans by highlighting human rights violations against the community.</p>

<p>The participants of the Pashtun sit-in have refused to budge from their stated position until the government accepts their &ldquo;five-point charter of demand&rdquo; and arrest the suspended Malir SSP, Rao Anwar, besides ensuring the rule of law in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).</p>

<p>They undertook a Long March demanding justice for Naqeeb Mahsood, a Pashtun killed in a fake police encounter on January 13 in Karachi.</p>

<p>The participants were of the view that &lsquo;Naqeeb Shaheed&rsquo; is the name of a movement, while Rao Anwar is the name of the system; they resolved to continue the movement until the cleansing of the system from the criminals, like Rao Anwar, who bring bad name to the country.</p>

<p>The peaceful sit-in of the Pashtuns staged in front of the National Press Club, Islamabad, entered the third day on Saturday whereas the strength of the participants have also witnessed a drastic increase after people from across the country started joining the protest.</p>

<p>Police had put forged charges against Naqeeb with having links with terrorist groups like Jashkar-e-Jhangvi and Islamic State of Syria and Iraq.</p>

<p>The false claim was challenged by the family and relatives of Naqeeb Mahsood and subsequently, an inquiry commission was established by the government of Sindh province to investigate the police encounter.</p>

<p>The investigation team has announced Naqeeb innocent and killed in fake police encounter.</p>

<p>The participants complained that the people of FATA have been passing through an ordeal for the last 12 years. They are being killed, humiliated, and all their belonging is being burnt to ashes but no one can question the patriotism of the people of FATA, they added.</p>

<p>In the backdrop of discriminations against the Pashtun community, the participants demanded that they should be given equal status and equal rights.</p>

<p>The Long March was joined by more than 10,000 Pashtuns from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces.</p>

<p>A protester said, this is a beginning of the movement against the barbarism which this government is committing for the past 15 years in FATA, Waziristan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Today, we have announced that we will be not going to face this barbarism anymore&quot;.</p>

<p>Another protester said while addressing a gathering, &quot;the people of this region are not the terrorists, but this government is a terrorist, which represents the elite class of Punjab&quot;.</p>


The participants of the Pashtun sit-in have refused to budge from their stated position until the government accepts their 'five-point charter of demand' and arrest the suspended Malir SSP, Rao Anwar, besides ensuring the rule of law in the FATA

Thousands of Pashtuns gathered outside the press club in Islamabad and chanted Azadi (Freedom) slogans by highlighting human rights violations against the community. The participants of the Pashtun sit-in have refused to budge from their stated position until the government accepts their “five-point charter of demand” and arrest the suspended Malir SSP, Rao Anwar, besides ensuring the rule of law in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). They undertook a Long March demanding justice for Naqeeb Mahsood, a Pashtun killed in a fake police encounter on January 13 in Karachi. The participants were of the view that ‘Naqeeb Shaheed’ is the name of a movement, while Rao Anwar is the name of the system; they resolved to continue the movement until the cleansing of the system from the criminals, like Rao Anwar, who bring bad name to the country. The peaceful sit-in of the Pashtuns staged in front of the National Press Club, Islamabad, entered the third day on Saturday whereas the strength of the participants have also witnessed a drastic increase after people from across the country started joining the protest. Police had put forged charges against Naqeeb with having links with terrorist groups like Jashkar-e-Jhangvi and Islamic State of Syria and Iraq. The false claim was challenged by the family and relatives of Naqeeb Mahsood and subsequently, an inquiry commission was established by the government of Sindh province to investigate the police encounter. The investigation team has announced Naqeeb innocent and killed in fake police encounter. The participants complained that the people of FATA have been passing through an ordeal for the last 12 years. They are being killed, humiliated, and all their belonging is being burnt to ashes but no one can question the patriotism of the people of FATA, they added. In the backdrop of discriminations against the Pashtun community, the participants demanded that they should be given equal status and equal rights. The Long March was joined by more than 10,000 Pashtuns from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces. A protester said, this is a beginning of the movement against the barbarism which this government is committing for the past 15 years in FATA, Waziristan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Today, we have announced that we will be not going to face this barbarism anymore". Another protester said while addressing a gathering, "the people of this region are not the terrorists, but this government is a terrorist, which represents the elite class of Punjab".

Islamabad: Pashtuns carry out anti-Pakistan protest, won't move till demands met

<p>Police in Tehran arrested 29 women on Thursday after they came out in public without their headscarves as a protest against the dress code in force against Islamic revolution of 1979 escalate.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Women have been protesting for a while and have been climbing onto telecom boxes, standing on pavements and monuments, removing their headscarf and waving it outside.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">More &amp; more brave <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IranianWomen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IranianWomen</a> &amp; even men &amp; old people protest against <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ForcedHijab?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ForcedHijab</a>, risking imprisonment &amp; torturing in Iran&rsquo;s jails. They deserve worldwide solidarity! Let&rsquo;s not close the eyes for this discrimination! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Feminism?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Feminism</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WomensMarch?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WomensMarch</a> ? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D8%AF%D8%AE%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86_%D8%AE%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%86_%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%82%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%A8?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#دختران_خیابان_انقلاب</a> <a href="https://t.co/3AOOgUT0wu">pic.twitter.com/3AOOgUT0wu</a></p>
&mdash; Darya Safai (@SafaiDarya) <a href="https://twitter.com/SafaiDarya/status/959081757906784257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>The women who were arrested were accused of public order offences and were referred to the state prosecutor&#39;s office.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Thursday&#39;s arrests comes after at least six women were reportedly taken into custody in Tehran this week.</p>

<p>The protests have been happening for a long time but they have intensified since December last year after Iranian women&nbsp;as well as older women, men and even several clerics, have joined the movement and called for the law to be scrapped.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Chief prosecutor Mohammad Jafar Montazeri said that the escalating protests were trivial and childish which may be influenced by foreigners.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But even religiously conservative Iranians have voiced support for the protests, with many saying that religious rules should be a personal choice.</p>

<p>Women have increasingly flouted the Islamic republic&rsquo;s clothing rules in recent years and often let their headscarves fall around their necks.</p>

<p>Morality police once rigidly enforced the rules, but are a much less common sight since President Hassan Rouhani came to power in 2013, promising greater civil liberties.</p>

<p>The protests appear to mirror that of a woman who stood in Tehran&rsquo;s busy Enghelab (Revolution) Street in December without a headscarf and waving a white scarf on a stick.</p>

<p>Women and girls older than age 9 have been required to wear a headscarf and long, wide coats to conceal their hair and body since Iran&#39;s Islamic Revolution of 1979. Activists face jail sentences of several weeks for removing their headscarves.</p>


Chief prosecutor Mohammad Jafar Montazeri said that the escalating protests were trivial and childish which may be influenced by foreigners

Police in Tehran arrested 29 women on Thursday after they came out in public without their headscarves as a protest against the dress code in force against Islamic revolution of 1979 escalate. Women have been protesting for a while and have been climbing onto telecom boxes, standing on pavements and monuments, removing their headscarf and waving it outside. More & more brave #IranianWomen & even men & old people protest against #ForcedHijab, risking imprisonment & torturing in Iran’s jails. They deserve worldwide solidarity! Let’s not close the eyes for this discrimination! #Feminism #WomensMarch ? #دختران_خیابان_انقلاب pic.twitter.com/3AOOgUT0wu — Darya Safai (@SafaiDarya) February 1, 2018 × The women who were arrested were accused of public order offences and were referred to the state prosecutor's office. Thursday's arrests comes after at least six women were reportedly taken into custody in Tehran this week. The protests have been happening for a long time but they have intensified since December last year after Iranian women as well as older women, men and even several clerics, have joined the movement and called for the law to be scrapped. Chief prosecutor Mohammad Jafar Montazeri said that the escalating protests were trivial and childish which may be influenced by foreigners. But even religiously conservative Iranians have voiced support for the protests, with many saying that religious rules should be a personal choice. Women have increasingly flouted the Islamic republic’s clothing rules in recent years and often let their headscarves fall around their necks. Morality police once rigidly enforced the rules, but are a much less common sight since President Hassan Rouhani came to power in 2013, promising greater civil liberties. The protests appear to mirror that of a woman who stood in Tehran’s busy Enghelab (Revolution) Street in December without a headscarf and waving a white scarf on a stick. Women and girls older than age 9 have been required to wear a headscarf and long, wide coats to conceal their hair and body since Iran's Islamic Revolution of 1979. Activists face jail sentences of several weeks for removing their headscarves.

WATCH: Police arrests 29 women in Iran following hijab protest

<p><br />
Around 25 people, including security forces, civilians as well as six protestors, were killed in Iran on Sunday after unrest in several towns and cities following the recent anti-government protests.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&ldquo;Twenty-five people, ordinary citizens and our own forces, were killed during the recent troubles,&rdquo; said judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejeie, according to the Mizanonline news agency.</p>

<p>&ldquo;None were killed by shots from the security forces because they were ordered not to use their weapons,&rdquo; he added.</p>

<p>On Sunday, Iranian officials announced that hundreds of people detained in the protests had been released.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said 440 &ldquo;arrested rioters&rdquo; have been released in Tehran alone.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The semi-official Fars news agency quoted judiciary spokesman Gholamhosein Mohseni Ejehi as saying that just 55 people remain in detention in the capital in connection with the protests.</p>

<p>Last week, an Iranian reformist lawmaker, Mahmoud Sadeghi, said some 3,700 people were arrested across the country.</p>

<p>The protests, which began three weeks ago, were initially sparked by anger at the weak economy and official corruption, but escalated rapidly, with some protesters calling for the overthrow of the government and clashing with security forces.</p>

<p>The unrest began over economic issues but quickly grew into protests against the Islamic regime as a whole, with attacks on government and police buildings.</p>

<p>The government has said a total of 42,000 people participated in the unrest -- a figure that is hard to verify due to limited information from the provinces where most of the unrest took place.</p>


On Sunday, Iranian officials announced that hundreds of people detained in the protests had been released

Around 25 people, including security forces, civilians as well as six protestors, were killed in Iran on Sunday after unrest in several towns and cities following the recent anti-government protests. “Twenty-five people, ordinary citizens and our own forces, were killed during the recent troubles,” said judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejeie, according to the Mizanonline news agency. “None were killed by shots from the security forces because they were ordered not to use their weapons,” he added. On Sunday, Iranian officials announced that hundreds of people detained in the protests had been released. Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said 440 “arrested rioters” have been released in Tehran alone. The semi-official Fars news agency quoted judiciary spokesman Gholamhosein Mohseni Ejehi as saying that just 55 people remain in detention in the capital in connection with the protests. Last week, an Iranian reformist lawmaker, Mahmoud Sadeghi, said some 3,700 people were arrested across the country. The protests, which began three weeks ago, were initially sparked by anger at the weak economy and official corruption, but escalated rapidly, with some protesters calling for the overthrow of the government and clashing with security forces. The unrest began over economic issues but quickly grew into protests against the Islamic regime as a whole, with attacks on government and police buildings. The government has said a total of 42,000 people participated in the unrest -- a figure that is hard to verify due to limited information from the provinces where most of the unrest took place.

25 dead in Iran protests

<p>A group of Indian-Americans &amp; Balochs held a protest in Washington DC over reported misbehaviour meted out to Kulbhushan Jadhav&#39;s kin in Islamabad.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The group -- carrying placards with #ChappalChorPakistan written on them -- thronged outside the Pakistan embassy.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Washington DC: A group of Indian-Americans &amp; Balochs held a protest by the name &#39;<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChappalChorPakistan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChappalChorPakistan</a>&#39; outside Pakistan embassy over the misbehavior meted out to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KulbhushanJadhav?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KulbhushanJadhav</a>&#39;s mother &amp; wife. <a href="https://t.co/iVssgetFZQ">pic.twitter.com/iVssgetFZQ</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/950197927279935489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Pakistani officials allegedly asked Jadhav&#39;s wife to remove her shoes while the family visited Islamabad to meet Jadhav.</p>

<p>The officials suspected her shoes to contain some metal object and later sent them for forensic testing.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The move was widely condemned and criticised by Indian officials.</p>

<p>Union Minister for External Affairs also took stock of the situation and spoke blatantly on the issue.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Washington DC: Indian-Americans &amp; Balochs at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChappalChorPakistan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChappalChorPakistan</a> outside Pakistan Embassy donated used shoes to the embassy in protest against misbehavior of Pakistani authorities towards <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KulbhushanJadhav?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KulbhushanJadhav</a>&#39;s mother &amp; wife, say, &#39;protest is in solidarity with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Jadhav?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Jadhav</a>&#39;s family.&#39; <a href="https://t.co/Zka5nLDXkr">pic.twitter.com/Zka5nLDXkr</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/950208614693683205?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&quot;Thank god they didn&#39;t say that there was a bomb in her shoes! If for security reasons she was made to take off shoes, they should have returned them when she was leaving but no, they had to commit some sort of cruelty,&quot; Swaraj said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This is not the first time when the Baloch community have protested against the Islamabad government.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/world-baloch-organisation-campaigns-in-new-york-against-human-rights-abuses-in-balochistan-27693">The World Baloch Organisation (WBO)</a> has been staging protests and running the &quot;free Balochistan&quot; campaign across the globe in cities including <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/members-of-baloch-and-sindhi-community-protest-against-pakistan-in-london-26418">London</a>, Geneva and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/taxis-with-free-balochistan-slogans-now-in-new-york-27425">New York</a>.</p>


The group -- carrying placards with #ChappalChorPakistan written on them -- thronged outside Pakistan embassy

A group of Indian-Americans & Balochs held a protest in Washington DC over reported misbehaviour meted out to Kulbhushan Jadhav's kin in Islamabad. The group -- carrying placards with #ChappalChorPakistan written on them -- thronged outside the Pakistan embassy. Washington DC: A group of Indian-Americans & Balochs held a protest by the name '#ChappalChorPakistan' outside Pakistan embassy over the misbehavior meted out to #KulbhushanJadhav's mother & wife. pic.twitter.com/iVssgetFZQ — ANI (@ANI) January 8, 2018 × Pakistani officials allegedly asked Jadhav's wife to remove her shoes while the family visited Islamabad to meet Jadhav. The officials suspected her shoes to contain some metal object and later sent them for forensic testing. The move was widely condemned and criticised by Indian officials. Union Minister for External Affairs also took stock of the situation and spoke blatantly on the issue. Washington DC: Indian-Americans & Balochs at #ChappalChorPakistan outside Pakistan Embassy donated used shoes to the embassy in protest against misbehavior of Pakistani authorities towards #KulbhushanJadhav's mother & wife, say, 'protest is in solidarity with #Jadhav's family.' pic.twitter.com/Zka5nLDXkr — ANI (@ANI) January 8, 2018 × "Thank god they didn't say that there was a bomb in her shoes! If for security reasons she was made to take off shoes, they should have returned them when she was leaving but no, they had to commit some sort of cruelty," Swaraj said. This is not the first time when the Baloch community have protested against the Islamabad government. The World Baloch Organisation (WBO) has been staging protests and running the "free Balochistan" campaign across the globe in cities including London, Geneva and New York.

Jadhav row: Indian-Americans, Balochs protest outside Pakistan embassy in Washington

<p>It is said that being a male is a matter of birth, being a man is a matter of age but being a gentleman is a matter of choice. Similarly for women: being a female is a matter of birth, being a woman is a matter of age but being a fine lady is a matter of choice. This notion was proved by none other than the Phule couple.</p>

<p>This British-era feminist was born on 3 January 1831, in Naigaon near Satara district of Maharashtra and was married to Jyotirao Phule a feminist man of that era at an early age of 9. She was a woman whose stature will remain unmatched with any of the modern twitter feminist.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Mahatma Gandhi gave a speech in about 1920, appealing education for women; his point was that it would be more fruitful than teaching men. 70 years before Mahatma, there was a lady who was headmistress of not only one but three schools!</p>

<p>Jyotiba Phule or Mahatma Phule, as he is called commonly in Maharashtra, did an applauding job by teaching his wife how to read and write. Savitribai was later trained at Ms.Farhar&#39;s institution in Ahemadnagar and Ms.Mitchell&#39;s school in Pune. She became the first female teacher of the school started by Mahatma Phule in Bhide Wada, Pune.&nbsp;</p>

<p>At that time there was a stereotype that education is meant just for boys of Brahmin caste. The orthodox used to say, teach a girl and then she will get hell for one birth. Savitribai used to tackle this insane rhetoric by saying, don&#39;t teach a girl she will get hell all the seven births.</p>

<p>Savitribai was so committed that by 1851 she had 150 female students in her 3 schools of which she was the headmistress. She also introduced the concept of stipends for sincere girls and the parents-teachers meet was done regularly.</p>

<p>Apart from being an excellent education reformer, Savitribai was an ardent social worker. Alongside her husband Jyotirao Phule, she was quite vocal about the atrocities of the upper caste over the lower ones. She spoke against the practice of tonsure and child marriage and supported the idea of widow marriage.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Phule couple started a centre called Balhatya Pratibandhak Gruha to serve as a facility for rape victims, especially the widowed ones. She also adopted a child named Yashwant who was a son of a Bramhin widower.</p>

<p>During the plague epidemic, she asked her son Yashwant, who was a doctor, to give free treatment to the poor. It is documented that Savitribai used to carry the patients on her back all the way to her son&#39;s clinic. Eventually, Savtribai succumbed to plague herself.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The purpose of this piece isn&#39;t just to glorify the works of Savitribai Phule.</p>

<p>Yesterday, I went to Pune University campus and I was staring at the serious face of Savitribai on the statue. Even though I see Chanda Kocchar, Shikha Sharma, Sudha Murty, Sushma Swaraj, Mamata Banerjee as great achievers but I still felt a gloom on her face.</p>

<p>What happened at Koregaon Bhima was very shameful for Maharashtrians. Surely, incidents such as these would have pained the souls of Savitribai Phule, Babasaheb Ambedkar, Gopal Krishna Gokhle, Lokmanya Tilak and many more. &nbsp;</p>

<p>I won&#39;t point a finger at either the right-wingers or the Dalits. Each of them must have played a part to instigate violence. What is undeniable though is the incident is a blot on the peaceful image of Maharashtra and disgrace on the struggle of Savitribai Phule.</p>

<p>Even after 70 years of Indian Independence, 36% of women still don&#39;t know how to read and write. Only 13.4% of Indian women have regular salaried jobs. 51.4% of women of SC backgrounds are still illiterate. 41% of rural women are illiterate too. Too few women are in politics and mostly imbibed in this stream through nepotism.</p>

<p>Along the lines of the ideology of Phule couple, the government should increase their spending on education. Savitribai used to give stipends to sincere girls, so government should give stipends to sincere girls whose parents are illiterate. Free sanitary napkins must be given to girls who can&#39;t afford it. We can see girls regularly topping all sorts of exams. We have Tina Dabi, a Dalit girl, who is UPSC topper. So the situation is not entirely hopeless, and I can feel a smile on Savitribai&#39;s face.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><i>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).</i></p>


Alongside her husband Jyotirao Phule, she was quite vocal about the atrocities of the upper caste over the lower ones.

It is said that being a male is a matter of birth, being a man is a matter of age but being a gentleman is a matter of choice. Similarly for women: being a female is a matter of birth, being a woman is a matter of age but being a fine lady is a matter of choice. This notion was proved by none other than the Phule couple. This British-era feminist was born on 3 January 1831, in Naigaon near Satara district of Maharashtra and was married to Jyotirao Phule a feminist man of that era at an early age of 9. She was a woman whose stature will remain unmatched with any of the modern twitter feminist. Mahatma Gandhi gave a speech in about 1920, appealing education for women; his point was that it would be more fruitful than teaching men. 70 years before Mahatma, there was a lady who was headmistress of not only one but three schools! Jyotiba Phule or Mahatma Phule, as he is called commonly in Maharashtra, did an applauding job by teaching his wife how to read and write. Savitribai was later trained at Ms.Farhar's institution in Ahemadnagar and Ms.Mitchell's school in Pune. She became the first female teacher of the school started by Mahatma Phule in Bhide Wada, Pune. At that time there was a stereotype that education is meant just for boys of Brahmin caste. The orthodox used to say, teach a girl and then she will get hell for one birth. Savitribai used to tackle this insane rhetoric by saying, don't teach a girl she will get hell all the seven births. Savitribai was so committed that by 1851 she had 150 female students in her 3 schools of which she was the headmistress. She also introduced the concept of stipends for sincere girls and the parents-teachers meet was done regularly. Apart from being an excellent education reformer, Savitribai was an ardent social worker. Alongside her husband Jyotirao Phule, she was quite vocal about the atrocities of the upper caste over the lower ones. She spoke against the practice of tonsure and child marriage and supported the idea of widow marriage. The Phule couple started a centre called Balhatya Pratibandhak Gruha to serve as a facility for rape victims, especially the widowed ones. She also adopted a child named Yashwant who was a son of a Bramhin widower. During the plague epidemic, she asked her son Yashwant, who was a doctor, to give free treatment to the poor. It is documented that Savitribai used to carry the patients on her back all the way to her son's clinic. Eventually, Savtribai succumbed to plague herself. The purpose of this piece isn't just to glorify the works of Savitribai Phule. Yesterday, I went to Pune University campus and I was staring at the serious face of Savitribai on the statue. Even though I see Chanda Kocchar, Shikha Sharma, Sudha Murty, Sushma Swaraj, Mamata Banerjee as great achievers but I still felt a gloom on her face. What happened at Koregaon Bhima was very shameful for Maharashtrians. Surely, incidents such as these would have pained the souls of Savitribai Phule, Babasaheb Ambedkar, Gopal Krishna Gokhle, Lokmanya Tilak and many more. I won't point a finger at either the right-wingers or the Dalits. Each of them must have played a part to instigate violence. What is undeniable though is the incident is a blot on the peaceful image of Maharashtra and disgrace on the struggle of Savitribai Phule. Even after 70 years of Indian Independence, 36% of women still don't know how to read and write. Only 13.4% of Indian women have regular salaried jobs. 51.4% of women of SC backgrounds are still illiterate. 41% of rural women are illiterate too. Too few women are in politics and mostly imbibed in this stream through nepotism. Along the lines of the ideology of Phule couple, the government should increase their spending on education. Savitribai used to give stipends to sincere girls, so government should give stipends to sincere girls whose parents are illiterate. Free sanitary napkins must be given to girls who can't afford it. We can see girls regularly topping all sorts of exams. We have Tina Dabi, a Dalit girl, who is UPSC topper. So the situation is not entirely hopeless, and I can feel a smile on Savitribai's face. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: Savitribai Phule and identity of backward castes in Maharashtra

<p>Two people were killed overnight in the town of Dorud in western Iran as protests spread across the country, the province&#39;s deputy governor confirmed on Sunday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;On Saturday evening, there was an illegal protest in Dorud and a number of people took to the streets responding to calls from hostile groups, leading to clashes,&quot; Lorestan province deputy governor Habibollah Khojastehpour told state television.</p>

<p>&quot;Unfortunately in these clashes, two citizens from Dorud were killed.&quot;</p>

<p>Khojastehpour did not explain the killings but said security forces had not fired on the crowd.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Videos reportedly from Dorud, of bleeding victims being carried through the crowd, were spreading widely on social media overnight but could not be verified.</p>

<p>A Revolutionary Guards Telegram channel blamed the killing on &quot;people armed with hunting and military weapons&quot; who &quot;entered the protests and started shooting randomly toward the crowd and the governor&#39;s building&quot;.</p>

<p>It said two people were killed and six wounded.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Khojastehpour said: &quot;In these clashes, no bullets were fired by the police, military or security forces towards the people.</p>

<p>&quot;The goal was for the protest to end peacefully but due to the presence of certain people and groups, unfortunately, this happened and led to the killing of two people.&quot;</p>


A Revolutionary Guards Telegram channel blamed the killing on 'people armed with hunting and military weapons" who "entered the protests and started shooting randomly toward the crowd and the governor's building'.

Two people were killed overnight in the town of Dorud in western Iran as protests spread across the country, the province's deputy governor confirmed on Sunday. "On Saturday evening, there was an illegal protest in Dorud and a number of people took to the streets responding to calls from hostile groups, leading to clashes," Lorestan province deputy governor Habibollah Khojastehpour told state television. "Unfortunately in these clashes, two citizens from Dorud were killed." Khojastehpour did not explain the killings but said security forces had not fired on the crowd. Videos reportedly from Dorud, of bleeding victims being carried through the crowd, were spreading widely on social media overnight but could not be verified. A Revolutionary Guards Telegram channel blamed the killing on "people armed with hunting and military weapons" who "entered the protests and started shooting randomly toward the crowd and the governor's building". It said two people were killed and six wounded. Khojastehpour said: "In these clashes, no bullets were fired by the police, military or security forces towards the people. "The goal was for the protest to end peacefully but due to the presence of certain people and groups, unfortunately, this happened and led to the killing of two people."

Two killed in Iran protests: Deputy governor

<p>A man claiming to be the person who delivered a gift-wrapped package of horse manure at the Los Angeles home of US&nbsp;Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Monday he did it to protest the federal tax overhaul signed into law last week by President Donald Trump.</p>

<p>Robert Strong, 45, a psychologist for the Los Angeles County Mental Health Department, said by telephone he left the poop-filled parcel addressed to Mnuchin and Trump in the driveway outside Mnuchin&#39;s home in the posh Bel Air community.</p>

<p>KNBC-TV, an NBC television affiliate in Los Angeles, reported Mnuchin was not home at the time. The package was found by Mnuchin&#39;s neighbour.</p>

<p>&quot;Protest really should be funny,&quot; Strong told Reuters. &quot;People&#39;s eyes glaze over when they just see angry people in the streets.&quot; He believes the new tax law will hurt poor people.</p>

<p>Neither the US&nbsp;Secret Service nor the Los Angeles Police Department, both of which investigated the incident, would confirm Strong was responsible. The Secret Service interviewed an individual who admitted delivering the package, but no charges had been filed against him as of Monday afternoon.</p>

<p>LAPD Lieutenant Rob Weise said it was possible whoever left the package did not break any criminal laws. While he is not assigned to investigate the incident, Weise said if the box did not present any danger, it would not be illegal. The LAPD bomb squad X-rayed the box before opening it on Saturday.</p>

<p>In a photo of the card Strong posted on Twitter, he wrote &quot;Misters Mnuchin &amp; Trump, We&#39;re returning the &#39;gift&#39; of the Christmas tax bill&quot; and signed it &quot;Warmest wishes, The American people.&quot;</p>

<p>Strong said a Secret Service agent, accompanied by six police officers, showed up at his house to question him on Sunday night, and the agent chided him, asking, &quot;&#39;Are you ashamed of your behaviour?&#39;&quot;</p>

<p>The White House declined to comment on Monday and officials with the Treasury Department could not be reached.</p>


Robert Strong, 45, said by telephone he left the poop-filled parcel addressed to Mnuchin and Trump in the driveway outside Mnuchin's home in the posh Bel Air community

A man claiming to be the person who delivered a gift-wrapped package of horse manure at the Los Angeles home of US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Monday he did it to protest the federal tax overhaul signed into law last week by President Donald Trump. Robert Strong, 45, a psychologist for the Los Angeles County Mental Health Department, said by telephone he left the poop-filled parcel addressed to Mnuchin and Trump in the driveway outside Mnuchin's home in the posh Bel Air community. KNBC-TV, an NBC television affiliate in Los Angeles, reported Mnuchin was not home at the time. The package was found by Mnuchin's neighbour. "Protest really should be funny," Strong told Reuters. "People's eyes glaze over when they just see angry people in the streets." He believes the new tax law will hurt poor people. Neither the US Secret Service nor the Los Angeles Police Department, both of which investigated the incident, would confirm Strong was responsible. The Secret Service interviewed an individual who admitted delivering the package, but no charges had been filed against him as of Monday afternoon. LAPD Lieutenant Rob Weise said it was possible whoever left the package did not break any criminal laws. While he is not assigned to investigate the incident, Weise said if the box did not present any danger, it would not be illegal. The LAPD bomb squad X-rayed the box before opening it on Saturday. In a photo of the card Strong posted on Twitter, he wrote "Misters Mnuchin & Trump, We're returning the 'gift' of the Christmas tax bill" and signed it "Warmest wishes, The American people." Strong said a Secret Service agent, accompanied by six police officers, showed up at his house to question him on Sunday night, and the agent chided him, asking, "'Are you ashamed of your behaviour?'" The White House declined to comment on Monday and officials with the Treasury Department could not be reached.

Man says he delivered manure to US Treasury Secretary to protest new tax law

<p>The US feels that the civilian government in Pakistan is &quot;weak&quot; and the Army&#39;s role in ending the recent protests by hardline religious parties in the country has &quot;emboldened&quot; the extremists, a senior Trump administration official has said.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/islamist-leader-calls-off-pakistan-protests-after-minister-resigns-25286">Pakistan last month witnessed countrywide protests by hardline religious groups </a>after a reference to the Prophet Muhammad was left out of a revised version of the electoral oath.</p>

<p>The protesters called off the demonstrations after Law Minister Zahid Hamid resigned, meeting one of their key demands. A top Pakistani court had criticised the Army&#39;s role to mediate the agreement to end the protests that claimed the lives of six people and injured over 100 others.</p>

<p>&quot;We have seen unhelpful relationships between the military and some of the hardline Islamist parties. We are observing...What happened and what role was played by the military. There is concern that the way these protests ended in a way has emboldened extremism and extremists in Pakistan,&quot; the official told PTI.</p>

<p>Observing that the &quot;civil-military tension&quot; in the country is &quot;not helpful&quot;, the official speaking on condition of anonymity said: &quot;The government, right now, is pretty weak. This was shown by the recent protest.&quot;</p>

<p>The official ruled that the handling of protests had made it easier in Pakistan for people to levy blasphemy charges which are very unhelpful.</p>

<p>There are dozens of Pakistanis on death row for alleged blasphemy in public.</p>

<p>&quot;They feel they can take the law into their own hands and continue to levy blasphemy charges, which is unhelpful,&quot; said the official.</p>

<p>The freedom of speech, religion, and human rights inside Pakistan is getting worse, the official added.</p>

<p>The White House official further warned that there would be &quot;repercussions&quot; for any military coup in Pakistan, which has a history of such dictatorship at frequent intervals.</p>

<p>&quot;I think the repercussions of military coup would be very great,&quot; the official said.</p>

<p>Not only the US-Pakistan relationship would be disrupted, all kinds of sanctions would come into play in case of a military coup.</p>

<p>&quot;It would be very unhelpful,&quot; the official said, but quickly added &quot;at this point of time I&#39;m not convinced that the military is seeking to overturn the government.&quot;</p>

<p>But, the military certainly seeks to retain the power that they have within the Pakistani system.</p>

<p>&quot;It would just be extremely unhelpful to see the military try and form the government again,&quot; the official said, hoping the upcoming general elections in Pakistan would be held on schedule next year.</p>

<p>The relations between Pakistan&#39;s civilian government and the powerful Army have long been fraught, with the military ruling the country for nearly half of its 70-year history.</p>

<p>&quot;We&#39;re hopeful that there will be election in Pakistan as scheduled to be. And we recognise there may be some political uncertainties leading up to that election. But I think it&#39;s very important that that election is held and that Pakistan demonstrates to the world and to its own people that it continues to be a functioning democracy,&quot; the official said.</p>


Pakistan last month witnessed countrywide protests by hardline religious groups after a reference to the Prophet Muhammad was left out of a revised version of the electoral oath

The US feels that the civilian government in Pakistan is "weak" and the Army's role in ending the recent protests by hardline religious parties in the country has "emboldened" the extremists, a senior Trump administration official has said. Pakistan last month witnessed countrywide protests by hardline religious groups after a reference to the Prophet Muhammad was left out of a revised version of the electoral oath. The protesters called off the demonstrations after Law Minister Zahid Hamid resigned, meeting one of their key demands. A top Pakistani court had criticised the Army's role to mediate the agreement to end the protests that claimed the lives of six people and injured over 100 others. "We have seen unhelpful relationships between the military and some of the hardline Islamist parties. We are observing...What happened and what role was played by the military. There is concern that the way these protests ended in a way has emboldened extremism and extremists in Pakistan," the official told PTI. Observing that the "civil-military tension" in the country is "not helpful", the official speaking on condition of anonymity said: "The government, right now, is pretty weak. This was shown by the recent protest." The official ruled that the handling of protests had made it easier in Pakistan for people to levy blasphemy charges which are very unhelpful. There are dozens of Pakistanis on death row for alleged blasphemy in public. "They feel they can take the law into their own hands and continue to levy blasphemy charges, which is unhelpful," said the official. The freedom of speech, religion, and human rights inside Pakistan is getting worse, the official added. The White House official further warned that there would be "repercussions" for any military coup in Pakistan, which has a history of such dictatorship at frequent intervals. "I think the repercussions of military coup would be very great," the official said. Not only the US-Pakistan relationship would be disrupted, all kinds of sanctions would come into play in case of a military coup. "It would be very unhelpful," the official said, but quickly added "at this point of time I'm not convinced that the military is seeking to overturn the government." But, the military certainly seeks to retain the power that they have within the Pakistani system. "It would just be extremely unhelpful to see the military try and form the government again," the official said, hoping the upcoming general elections in Pakistan would be held on schedule next year. The relations between Pakistan's civilian government and the powerful Army have long been fraught, with the military ruling the country for nearly half of its 70-year history. "We're hopeful that there will be election in Pakistan as scheduled to be. And we recognise there may be some political uncertainties leading up to that election. But I think it's very important that that election is held and that Pakistan demonstrates to the world and to its own people that it continues to be a functioning democracy," the official said.

Pakistan government weak; recent protests have emboldened extremists: US

<p>The Supreme Court dismissed a petition Tuesday filed by lawyer Manohar Lal Sharma seeking a stay on the movie Padmavati.</p>

<p>While dismissing the petition, the court took serious note of statements made about the movie by persons holding high office.</p>

<p>The court said that was tantamount to pre-judging the movie.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The court added that the statements were violative of the principle of &quot;rule of law&quot;&nbsp;since the Censor Board was yet to certify the movie.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The plea by Sharma, news reports said, had sought direction from the court that the makers of the movie not release it outside India.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sharma had alleged that grave damage would be done to social harmony if the movie were to be released outside India.</p>

<p>The reports added that Sharma had sought&nbsp;criminal prosecution of the movie&#39;s makers for misrepresenting facts.</p>

<p>Also watch:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/indian-film-industry-plans-blackout-in-support-of-padmavati-6958">Indian film Industry plans blackout in support of Padmavati</a></p>

<p>There have been earlier petitions against the movie&#39;s release too, all of which have been dismissed by the Supreme Court.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>The court has said it cannot interfere in what is the CBFC&#39;s work.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Various fringe groups led by the Rajput Karni Sena, and states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/violent-threats-not-acceptable-in-democracy-venkaiah-naidu-on-padmavati-row-25098">have protested against the film&#39;s release</a> alleging that it distorts historical facts.</p>

<p>Also watch:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/rajasthan-body-found-hanging-at-nahargarh-fort-in-jaipur-threat-note-on-rocks-also-seen-6922">Rajasthan: Body found hanging at Nahargarh Fort in Jaipur, threat note on rocks also seen</a></p>

<p>Viacom 18, the movie&#39;s makers, had earlier said they have &quot;voluntarily deferred&quot;&nbsp;the movie&#39;s release originally scheduled for December 1.</p>


The court said the statements were tantamount to pre-judging the movie

The Supreme Court dismissed a petition Tuesday filed by lawyer Manohar Lal Sharma seeking a stay on the movie Padmavati. While dismissing the petition, the court took serious note of statements made about the movie by persons holding high office. The court said that was tantamount to pre-judging the movie. The court added that the statements were violative of the principle of "rule of law" since the Censor Board was yet to certify the movie. The plea by Sharma, news reports said, had sought direction from the court that the makers of the movie not release it outside India. Sharma had alleged that grave damage would be done to social harmony if the movie were to be released outside India. The reports added that Sharma had sought criminal prosecution of the movie's makers for misrepresenting facts. Also watch: Indian film Industry plans blackout in support of Padmavati There have been earlier petitions against the movie's release too, all of which have been dismissed by the Supreme Court. The court has said it cannot interfere in what is the CBFC's work. Various fringe groups led by the Rajput Karni Sena, and states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have protested against the film's release alleging that it distorts historical facts. Also watch: Rajasthan: Body found hanging at Nahargarh Fort in Jaipur, threat note on rocks also seen Viacom 18, the movie's makers, had earlier said they have "voluntarily deferred" the movie's release originally scheduled for December 1.

Supreme Court dismisses petition against 'Padmavati', takes serious note of statements by people in high office

<p>Majority of newspapers in Tripura on Wednesday&nbsp;left space for editorials blank to protest&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/protest-against-murder-of-gauri-lankesh-4920">killing</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/protest-against-murder-of-gauri-lankesh-4920"> of journalist</a> Sudip Datta Bhowmik.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Tripura: BJP and Congress have called for a bandh Tripura to protest killing of journalist Sudip Datta Bhowmik; Many newspapers have left space for editorials blank, to voice protest. <a href="https://t.co/0Scu6VnE9h">pic.twitter.com/0Scu6VnE9h</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/933573993516244992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>This comes a day after Commandant of 2nd Tripura State Rifles Tapan Debbarma was arrested&nbsp;in connection with journalist Sudip&#39;s alleged murder.</p>

<p>Shocked&nbsp;journalists in Tripura on Wednesday expressed disappointment with national media for showing &quot;lack of interests&quot; in the killing of journalists in the northeast.</p>

<p>Sujit Chakraborty, eminent journalist, and ex-secretary of Agartala Press Club, said, &quot;The killing of Sudip didn&#39;t get prominent coverage by the national media. Except some small news items, they ignored the heinous crime. Had it happened in major cities, it would have got wider publicity by both national print and electronic media.&quot;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/journalist-of-tripura-shot-dead-by-policeman-24752">Sudip Datta Bhowmik was allegedly shot dead on Tuesday in Tripura&#39;s RK Nagar.</a></p>

<p>He was reportedly killed inside the battalion headquarters of Tripura State Rifles (TSR) in RK Nagar.</p>

<p>&quot;Sudip&#39;s was a cold-blooded murder. He was killed inside the Circle Officer&#39;s room,&quot; Bhowmik&#39;s brother told ANI.</p>

<p>Earlier, on September 20, a journalist, Santanu Bhowmik, was killed allegedly while he was covering a road blockade agitation of the IPFT.</p>

<p>Another journalist, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/protest-against-murder-of-gauri-lankesh-4920">Gauri Lankesh, was shot dead point blank outside her residence on the outskirts of Bengaluru</a>, Karnataka on September 6, triggering protests in many parts of the country.</p>

<p>It was said Lankesh was targetted for her work against right-wing Hindu extremism.&nbsp;</p>


?Majority of newspapers in Tripura leave space for editorials blank to protest against killing of journalist Sudip Datta Bhowmik

Majority of newspapers in Tripura on Wednesday left space for editorials blank to protest killing of journalist Sudip Datta Bhowmik. Tripura: BJP and Congress have called for a bandh Tripura to protest killing of journalist Sudip Datta Bhowmik; Many newspapers have left space for editorials blank, to voice protest. pic.twitter.com/0Scu6VnE9h — ANI (@ANI) November 23, 2017 × This comes a day after Commandant of 2nd Tripura State Rifles Tapan Debbarma was arrested in connection with journalist Sudip's alleged murder. Shocked journalists in Tripura on Wednesday expressed disappointment with national media for showing "lack of interests" in the killing of journalists in the northeast. Sujit Chakraborty, eminent journalist, and ex-secretary of Agartala Press Club, said, "The killing of Sudip didn't get prominent coverage by the national media. Except some small news items, they ignored the heinous crime. Had it happened in major cities, it would have got wider publicity by both national print and electronic media." Also Read: Sudip Datta Bhowmik was allegedly shot dead on Tuesday in Tripura's RK Nagar. He was reportedly killed inside the battalion headquarters of Tripura State Rifles (TSR) in RK Nagar. "Sudip's was a cold-blooded murder. He was killed inside the Circle Officer's room," Bhowmik's brother told ANI. Earlier, on September 20, a journalist, Santanu Bhowmik, was killed allegedly while he was covering a road blockade agitation of the IPFT. Another journalist, Gauri Lankesh, was shot dead point blank outside her residence on the outskirts of Bengaluru, Karnataka on September 6, triggering protests in many parts of the country. It was said Lankesh was targetted for her work against right-wing Hindu extremism.

Newspapers in Tripura protest against killing of journalist

<p>The controversy around the film Padmavati refuses to die down. Even without waiting for the Censor Board&#39;s decision on the film, the Madhya Pradesh government has banned it today. This was preceded by weeks of violent protest by the Karni Sena, a Rajput caste organisation who claims to uphold the goal of national unity.</p>

<p>The members went so far as to issue physical threats against both Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Deepika Padukone, the director and heroine respectively. The jealous defenders of Rajput pride and Hindu nationalism consider the film to be inappropriate. The allegation is the film has a scene where the famed Rajput sati-queen is shown to be dancing in front of the brutal Muslim invader Alauddin Khalji.</p>

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<p>The repeated denials issued by Sanjay so far has failed to pacify the agitators. Consequently, the producers of Padmavati has decided to postpone the release date of the film.</p>

<p>Whereas those protesting the immoral portrayal of Padmavati feel all righteous about their celebrated cause, there are many in India who doesn&#39;t see how such a hullabaloo can be created over the celluloid portrayal of a mythical character. The latter are annoyed with such display of intolerance and goes on to blame the Indian government for the lack of support it has shown so far to defend Deepika and Sanjay.</p>

<p>Veteran actress Shabana Azmi has taken a strong stand today, issuing a clarion call in support of boycotting IFFI. Incidentally, India&#39;s most prestigious film festival is scheduled to be inaugurated today at Goa.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The entire film industry should boycott IFFI in protest against the threats to <a href="https://twitter.com/deepikapadukone?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@deepikapadukone</a> SLB and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Padmavati?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Padmavati</a> <a href="https://t.co/VckVB5yRJp">https://t.co/VckVB5yRJp</a></p>
&mdash; Azmi Shabana (@AzmiShabana) <a href="https://twitter.com/AzmiShabana/status/931762168327946240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>As the nation awaits this violence and vandalism around Padmavati to wane quickly, the intensity of the responses of those who felt that Padmavati has been dishonoured in the film needs closer probing.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Why are so many people riled up? Even the state governments are not showing restraint as it clear from Madhya Pradesh&#39;s decision to ban the film even before its release. Honestly, this kind of response from one or the other of the BJP-ruled state was not entirely unexpected because of the prudish line they have taken in the past. But what they are saying in defense of their action is what I find reprehensible.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>:Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan says the film which has distorted facts against <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Padmavati?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Padmavati</a>, will not be released in the state <a href="https://t.co/NOBXj6WF3P">pic.twitter.com/NOBXj6WF3P</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/932521044325277696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>First of all, the 50 BJP MLAs who have lodged their resentment against the movie have not seen the movie. They have, in fact, demanded, a &#39;thorough&#39; screening of the movie before it is released. And what is the basis of their demand? The protesting MLAs are against any &#39;distortion of historical facts&#39;.</p>

<p>So far, all articulations that Padmavati is most possibly a mythical figure, the subject of poems and songs of local bards who drew inspiration from Sufi poet Muhammad Jayasi&#39;s work has fallen on deaf ears. The Higher Education Minister of Madhya Pradesh, who ought to have known better, has also pointed out that Padmavati was &quot;not only a queen but a symbol of Jauhar&quot;.</p>

<p>The replacement of history by myth is a pretty old practise in India. In the days of anti-colonial struggle, such historicisation of myth served the purpose of inspiring a nascent national community to structure its identity around few chosen icons. These icons, mostly culled from Hindu past, were historically shown to put up a resistance against Muslim tyranny.</p>

<p>Thus, when Rabindranath Tagore&#39;s nephew, the famous artist Abanindranath Tagore wrote Rajkahini, he portrayed Padmavati (Rani Padmini) as the heart and soul of Rajput resistance against the treacherous attack of Alauddin Khalji.</p>

<p>It was a very common practise among the nationalists of the Swadeshi Age to eulogise Rani Padmini and other Rajput and Maratha icons who resisted Muslims as national heroes and defenders of Indian tradition. Thus, Padmini was simply transported from the pages of fiction and given a new lease of life as historical figures of flesh and blood.</p>

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<h5>If Padmavati was a symbol of resistance for the anti-colonialist firebrand youths of India, she has transformed into a revered symbol of chastity and womanhood under the current political regime.</h5>
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<p>In their struggle against the oppressive colonial regime, the inspiring Sannyasi rebels of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay&#39;s Anandamath as well as Rani Padmini provided the young revolutionary nationalists a moral and ideological sustenance.</p>

<p>If Padmavati was a symbol of resistance for the anti-colonialist firebrand youths of India, she has transformed into a revered symbol of chastity and womanhood under the current political regime.</p>

<p>In the current time when the fervour of nationalism runs rather high, the ideologically conservative camp and its many constituent groups are hellbent on creating a sacrosanct image of India where the line between myth and history are purposefully kept blurred to serve the political purpose. In the name of cultural nationalism, we are harping on the glory of being a woman of chastity.</p>

<p>All Hindu woman, to be counted as a Hindu woman, needs to be virtuous. The litmus test of virtue, as we all know, is self-sacrifice in face of dishonour as have been done by Sita, by Padmini.</p>

<p>Within this moral trope, Padmavati&#39;s observance of <em>jauhar</em><em> </em><em>vrata</em> becomes an act of resistance against lustful Muslim men. Padmini fought the invaders with her body through sacrificing it. The sacrifice makes Padmini holy, her body becomes the site where chastity and patriotism become perfectly blended. How can such a body, which is an embodiment of a defiant spirit, succumb to earthly pleasure. Such (human) being can&#39;t dance, can&#39;t seek pleasure, can&#39;t cringe in pain.</p>

<p>It is, therefore, redundant to ask whether Rani Padmavati historically existed or not. She has become, for all intent purpose, a symbol. The universal symbol of all chaste Hindu women. That is the reason Padmavati shall not dance. Not even in a celluloid dream sequence.</p>


Padmavati is a universal symbol of all chaste Hindu women. That is the reason Padmavati shall not dance.

The controversy around the film Padmavati refuses to die down. Even without waiting for the Censor Board's decision on the film, the Madhya Pradesh government has banned it today. This was preceded by weeks of violent protest by the Karni Sena, a Rajput caste organisation who claims to uphold the goal of national unity. The members went so far as to issue physical threats against both Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Deepika Padukone, the director and heroine respectively. The jealous defenders of Rajput pride and Hindu nationalism consider the film to be inappropriate. The allegation is the film has a scene where the famed Rajput sati-queen is shown to be dancing in front of the brutal Muslim invader Alauddin Khalji. It was a very common practise among the nationalists of the Swadeshi Age to eulogise Rani Padmini and other Rajput/Maratha icons who resisted Muslims as national heroes and defenders of Indian tradition. × The repeated denials issued by Sanjay so far has failed to pacify the agitators. Consequently, the producers of Padmavati has decided to postpone the release date of the film. Whereas those protesting the immoral portrayal of Padmavati feel all righteous about their celebrated cause, there are many in India who doesn't see how such a hullabaloo can be created over the celluloid portrayal of a mythical character. The latter are annoyed with such display of intolerance and goes on to blame the Indian government for the lack of support it has shown so far to defend Deepika and Sanjay. Veteran actress Shabana Azmi has taken a strong stand today, issuing a clarion call in support of boycotting IFFI. Incidentally, India's most prestigious film festival is scheduled to be inaugurated today at Goa. The entire film industry should boycott IFFI in protest against the threats to @deepikapadukone SLB and #Padmavati https://t.co/VckVB5yRJp — Azmi Shabana (@AzmiShabana) November 18, 2017 × As the nation awaits this violence and vandalism around Padmavati to wane quickly, the intensity of the responses of those who felt that Padmavati has been dishonoured in the film needs closer probing. Why are so many people riled up? Even the state governments are not showing restraint as it clear from Madhya Pradesh's decision to ban the film even before its release. Honestly, this kind of response from one or the other of the BJP-ruled state was not entirely unexpected because of the prudish line they have taken in the past. But what they are saying in defense of their action is what I find reprehensible. #WATCH:Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan says the film which has distorted facts against #Padmavati, will not be released in the state pic.twitter.com/NOBXj6WF3P — ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2017 × First of all, the 50 BJP MLAs who have lodged their resentment against the movie have not seen the movie. They have, in fact, demanded, a 'thorough' screening of the movie before it is released. And what is the basis of their demand? The protesting MLAs are against any 'distortion of historical facts'. So far, all articulations that Padmavati is most possibly a mythical figure, the subject of poems and songs of local bards who drew inspiration from Sufi poet Muhammad Jayasi's work has fallen on deaf ears. The Higher Education Minister of Madhya Pradesh, who ought to have known better, has also pointed out that Padmavati was "not only a queen but a symbol of Jauhar". The replacement of history by myth is a pretty old practise in India. In the days of anti-colonial struggle, such historicisation of myth served the purpose of inspiring a nascent national community to structure its identity around few chosen icons. These icons, mostly culled from Hindu past, were historically shown to put up a resistance against Muslim tyranny. Thus, when Rabindranath Tagore's nephew, the famous artist Abanindranath Tagore wrote Rajkahini, he portrayed Padmavati (Rani Padmini) as the heart and soul of Rajput resistance against the treacherous attack of Alauddin Khalji. It was a very common practise among the nationalists of the Swadeshi Age to eulogise Rani Padmini and other Rajput and Maratha icons who resisted Muslims as national heroes and defenders of Indian tradition. Thus, Padmini was simply transported from the pages of fiction and given a new lease of life as historical figures of flesh and blood. If Padmavati was a symbol of resistance for the anti-colonialist firebrand youths of India, she has transformed into a revered symbol of chastity and womanhood under the current political regime. × In their struggle against the oppressive colonial regime, the inspiring Sannyasi rebels of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay's Anandamath as well as Rani Padmini provided the young revolutionary nationalists a moral and ideological sustenance. If Padmavati was a symbol of resistance for the anti-colonialist firebrand youths of India, she has transformed into a revered symbol of chastity and womanhood under the current political regime. In the current time when the fervour of nationalism runs rather high, the ideologically conservative camp and its many constituent groups are hellbent on creating a sacrosanct image of India where the line between myth and history are purposefully kept blurred to serve the political purpose. In the name of cultural nationalism, we are harping on the glory of being a woman of chastity. All Hindu woman, to be counted as a Hindu woman, needs to be virtuous. The litmus test of virtue, as we all know, is self-sacrifice in face of dishonour as have been done by Sita, by Padmini. Within this moral trope, Padmavati's observance of jauhar vrata becomes an act of resistance against lustful Muslim men. Padmini fought the invaders with her body through sacrificing it. The sacrifice makes Padmini holy, her body becomes the site where chastity and patriotism become perfectly blended. How can such a body, which is an embodiment of a defiant spirit, succumb to earthly pleasure. Such (human) being can't dance, can't seek pleasure, can't cringe in pain. It is, therefore, redundant to ask whether Rani Padmavati historically existed or not. She has become, for all intent purpose, a symbol. The universal symbol of all chaste Hindu women. That is the reason Padmavati shall not dance. Not even in a celluloid dream sequence.

Rani Padmavati shall not dance. But why?

<p>Buses left Zimbabwe&#39;s second city, Bulawayo on Friday night (November 17) carrying jubilant supporters of a military seizure seeking to remove<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uk-pushes-for-trade-talks-to-solve-north-ireland-border-issue-24446"> President Mugabe </a>from power.</p>

<p>People danced and sang songs about the country&#39;s future without Mugabe as they boarded buses.</p>

<p>Inside one bus, travellers gestured with their hands to show the snap of a crocodile - nickname of Emerson Mnangagwa, whose sacking last week as vice president sparked the army action.</p>

<p>Mugabe, at Zimbabwe&#39;s helm since independence from Britain in 1980, faces the starkest challenge ever to his rule after the army seized power on Wednesday (November 15), saying it was targeting &quot;criminals&quot; around the nonagenarian leader.</p>


People danced and sang songs about the country's future without Mugabe as they boarded buses

Buses left Zimbabwe's second city, Bulawayo on Friday night (November 17) carrying jubilant supporters of a military seizure seeking to remove President Mugabe from power. People danced and sang songs about the country's future without Mugabe as they boarded buses. Inside one bus, travellers gestured with their hands to show the snap of a crocodile - nickname of Emerson Mnangagwa, whose sacking last week as vice president sparked the army action. Mugabe, at Zimbabwe's helm since independence from Britain in 1980, faces the starkest challenge ever to his rule after the army seized power on Wednesday (November 15), saying it was targeting "criminals" around the nonagenarian leader.

Zimbabweans ready for rally calling for Mugabe to resign

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/former-el-salvador-president-arrested-on-fraud-charges-8132">El Salvador should apply a moratorium on laws</a> that punish women with harsh jail terms for having an abortion while it reviews cases of those already incarcerated in the socially conservative Central American country, a top UN&nbsp;official said Friday.</p>

<p>Zeid Ra&#39;ad Al Hussein, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in a statement he spent part of his two-day trip meeting with women imprisoned for the crime of &quot;aggravated homicide&quot; due to what he described as obstetric emergencies.</p>

<p>&quot;I am appalled that as a result of El Salvador&#39;s absolute prohibition on abortion, women are being punished for apparent miscarriages and other obstetric emergencies, accused and convicted of having induced termination of pregnancy,&quot; he said in a statement.</p>

<p>He called on authorities to review all cases of women detained for offences related to abortion, which the local Citizen Group for the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/brazil-protest-against-abortion-ban-6701"> Decriminalization of Abortion</a> puts at 27 cases in which exclusively poor women have been sentenced to jail terms of six to 35 years.</p>

<p>Al Hussein proposed that the review is conducted by presidential decree and carried out by an expert committee that would include international members.</p>

<p>Calls to<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/powerful-quake-rocks-el-salvador-nicaragua-tsunami-alert-put-off-9290"> El Salvador&#39;s</a> communications ministry seeking comment on Al Hussein&#39;s comments were not immediately returned.</p>

<p>Since 1997, the Central American country has had one of the most severe laws targeting women and people who assist with abortions.</p>

<p>Last year, the party of leftist President Salvador Sanchez Ceren proposed that Congress reform the country&#39;s abortion law to allow for exceptions to the blanket prohibition.</p>

<p>The exceptions would include instances when the life of the mother is at risk, when the pregnancy resulted from rape or human trafficking, or when the fetus suffers from a malformation that would render it inviable.</p>


El Salvador should apply a moratorium on laws that punish women with harsh jail terms for having an abortion while it reviews cases of those already incarcerated in the socially conservative Central American country, said UN official

El Salvador should apply a moratorium on laws that punish women with harsh jail terms for having an abortion while it reviews cases of those already incarcerated in the socially conservative Central American country, a top UN official said Friday. Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in a statement he spent part of his two-day trip meeting with women imprisoned for the crime of "aggravated homicide" due to what he described as obstetric emergencies. "I am appalled that as a result of El Salvador's absolute prohibition on abortion, women are being punished for apparent miscarriages and other obstetric emergencies, accused and convicted of having induced termination of pregnancy," he said in a statement. He called on authorities to review all cases of women detained for offences related to abortion, which the local Citizen Group for the Decriminalization of Abortion puts at 27 cases in which exclusively poor women have been sentenced to jail terms of six to 35 years. Al Hussein proposed that the review is conducted by presidential decree and carried out by an expert committee that would include international members. Calls to El Salvador's communications ministry seeking comment on Al Hussein's comments were not immediately returned. Since 1997, the Central American country has had one of the most severe laws targeting women and people who assist with abortions. Last year, the party of leftist President Salvador Sanchez Ceren proposed that Congress reform the country's abortion law to allow for exceptions to the blanket prohibition. The exceptions would include instances when the life of the mother is at risk, when the pregnancy resulted from rape or human trafficking, or when the fetus suffers from a malformation that would render it inviable.

UN calls on El Salvador to stop jailing women for abortion

<p>Massive anti-Pakistan protests broke out across Skardu in Gilgit Baltistan against illegal taxation&nbsp;on Saturday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Economic activities in Gilgit Baltistan have come to a standstill after the entire region observed a &#39;&#39;shutter down&#39;&#39; protest against illegal taxation.</p>

<p>All small and big businesses on Saturday shut down indefinitely against unfair and unjust taxes imposed on them by Pakistan.</p>

<p>Several people in Skardu took to streets, shouted slogans against Pakistan, carried posters and banners.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: Massive anti-Pakistan protests across Gilgit Baltistan against illegal taxation <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Skardu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Skardu</a> <a href="https://t.co/Zwei7MZaKO">pic.twitter.com/Zwei7MZaKO</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/931712030498734081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>According to sources, businessmen in Gilgit Baltistan have claimed that the protests will continue with the same vigor and zeal until Pakistan takes back the notification of taxes.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Skardu: Businessmen in Gilgit Baltistan against illegal taxation say, we will carry on with the protests with same force and zeal until Pakistan withdraws notification of taxes. <a href="https://t.co/eX1zCLJjAz">pic.twitter.com/eX1zCLJjAz</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/931728126496849921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The business community in Gilgit Baltistan believes Pakistan is imposing unfair and undue taxes on the impoverished people and poor traders of the occupied territory.</p>

<p>While addressing the crowd in Skardu, Gilgit Baltistan, a protestor said that people of Gilgit Baltistan living in Karachi, Quetta, Lahore and other parts of Pakistan must &#39;be prepared,&#39; and warned that they will take on Islamabad next.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I urge people of Gilgit Baltistan living in Karachi , Quetta , Lahore and other parts of Pakistan, be prepared , we are going to take on Islamabad head on: Protester addressing a gathering in Skardu, Gilgit Baltistan <a href="https://t.co/TTTl3S9q0a">pic.twitter.com/TTTl3S9q0a</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/931728991387492352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Addressing a gathering in Skardu city, an angry protester asked, &quot;Will you pay taxes to Pakistan on chickens kept in your households? Will you pay taxes on cow kept at your house for milk?&quot;</p>

<p>On the taxation system, he said, &quot;Taxes are imposed on additional family members, if you have more than five family members, an additional tax needs to be paid.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;We will not pay taxes,&quot; the agitating traders declared.</p>

<p>Heavy taxes are being imposed on traders here time and again without providing basic fundamental rights, subsidy or constitutional status to the region. Taxes collected by the authorities were never spent on the development and welfare of Gilgit Baltistan, they alleged.</p>

<p>&quot;Pakistan government through an ordinance is imposing new taxes illegally,&quot; said a local businessman, adding, &quot;Until Pakistan withdraws notification of taxes we will carry on protests with same force and zeal.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;There is a principle in Islam, no rights no taxes, we have no representation so why pay taxes,&quot; said another.</p>

<p>The business community had alleged that when Pakistan&#39;s Supreme Court has declared the region as disputed territory, then Islamabad has no right to impose taxes and any kind of imposition of taxes is termed illegal and unacceptable.</p>

<p>Massive non-cooperation movement has been launched across the length and breadth of Gilgit Baltistan.</p>

<p>Scores of people are on the streets venting out anger against illegal tax regime imposed by Islamabad</p>

<p>Local traders sitting on indefinite strike pledged not to give any taxes to Pakistan saying they won&#39;t pay &#39;over the roof taxes&#39; to be spend on maintaining lavish lifestyles and luxuries of Pakistani politicians.</p>

<p>Islamabad is baffled by the scale of protests and shutter down protest.</p>

<p>Pakistani media is largely blacking out the massive protests and a section of media claims that protests will be called off after November 23.</p>


Protestors plan to take on Islamabad head on next.

Massive anti-Pakistan protests broke out across Skardu in Gilgit Baltistan against illegal taxation on Saturday. Economic activities in Gilgit Baltistan have come to a standstill after the entire region observed a ''shutter down'' protest against illegal taxation. All small and big businesses on Saturday shut down indefinitely against unfair and unjust taxes imposed on them by Pakistan. Several people in Skardu took to streets, shouted slogans against Pakistan, carried posters and banners. #WATCH: Massive anti-Pakistan protests across Gilgit Baltistan against illegal taxation #Skardu pic.twitter.com/Zwei7MZaKO — ANI (@ANI) November 18, 2017 × According to sources, businessmen in Gilgit Baltistan have claimed that the protests will continue with the same vigor and zeal until Pakistan takes back the notification of taxes. Skardu: Businessmen in Gilgit Baltistan against illegal taxation say, we will carry on with the protests with same force and zeal until Pakistan withdraws notification of taxes. pic.twitter.com/eX1zCLJjAz — ANI (@ANI) November 18, 2017 × The business community in Gilgit Baltistan believes Pakistan is imposing unfair and undue taxes on the impoverished people and poor traders of the occupied territory. While addressing the crowd in Skardu, Gilgit Baltistan, a protestor said that people of Gilgit Baltistan living in Karachi, Quetta, Lahore and other parts of Pakistan must 'be prepared,' and warned that they will take on Islamabad next. I urge people of Gilgit Baltistan living in Karachi , Quetta , Lahore and other parts of Pakistan, be prepared , we are going to take on Islamabad head on: Protester addressing a gathering in Skardu, Gilgit Baltistan pic.twitter.com/TTTl3S9q0a — ANI (@ANI) November 18, 2017 × Addressing a gathering in Skardu city, an angry protester asked, "Will you pay taxes to Pakistan on chickens kept in your households? Will you pay taxes on cow kept at your house for milk?" On the taxation system, he said, "Taxes are imposed on additional family members, if you have more than five family members, an additional tax needs to be paid." "We will not pay taxes," the agitating traders declared. Heavy taxes are being imposed on traders here time and again without providing basic fundamental rights, subsidy or constitutional status to the region. Taxes collected by the authorities were never spent on the development and welfare of Gilgit Baltistan, they alleged. "Pakistan government through an ordinance is imposing new taxes illegally," said a local businessman, adding, "Until Pakistan withdraws notification of taxes we will carry on protests with same force and zeal." "There is a principle in Islam, no rights no taxes, we have no representation so why pay taxes," said another. The business community had alleged that when Pakistan's Supreme Court has declared the region as disputed territory, then Islamabad has no right to impose taxes and any kind of imposition of taxes is termed illegal and unacceptable. Massive non-cooperation movement has been launched across the length and breadth of Gilgit Baltistan. Scores of people are on the streets venting out anger against illegal tax regime imposed by Islamabad Local traders sitting on indefinite strike pledged not to give any taxes to Pakistan saying they won't pay 'over the roof taxes' to be spend on maintaining lavish lifestyles and luxuries of Pakistani politicians. Islamabad is baffled by the scale of protests and shutter down protest. Pakistani media is largely blacking out the massive protests and a section of media claims that protests will be called off after November 23.

Massive anti-Pakistan protest across Gilgit Baltistan area against illegal taxation

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/preview/article/24031">&nbsp;Anti-Pakistan protests</a> were held in two different cities of Germany against the abduction of Baloch activists by Pakistani security forces.</p>

<p>The Baloch National Movement (BNM) held a protest in Hannover city of Germany, against Pakistani brutalities and abduction of women, children and students in Balochistan.</p>

<p>The Baloch Human Rights Organisation (BHRO) is also set to hold a two-day awareness campaign in Berlin, Germany about human rights violations in Balochistan and for the safe recovery of Nawaz Atta, Information Secretary of the BHRO, and eight other students, abducted by secret agents and rangers from Karachi.</p>

<p>&quot;The state policy of using excessive force against civilians and whosoever talks about Baloch rights has intensified in recent days and has become the major cause of human right violations in Balochistan,&quot; said the general secretary of the BHRO, Abdullah Abbas.</p>

<p>He further said that Baloch activist Nawaz Atta was abducted from his home last month and eight others students were also abducted in a follow-up raid from Karachi by Pakistani security forces.</p>

<p>&quot;We demand from the Pakistan Government and security forces to release all the abductees immediately and if they have done any crime, to produce them in court; try them as per law and allow them their legal right of defending themselves,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>Abbas appealed to all human right organisations and human right activists to raise their voices against the enforced disappearances in Balochistan and for the safe recovery of all the abductees.</p>

<p>BHRO activist Tayiba Baloch also held a press conference in Quetta, Balochistan and announced future protest and demonstration for the safe recovery of Nawaz Atta and other students.</p>

<p>The BHRO will hold a protest demonstration on November 15 in Quetta and will organise a rally on November 19 in Karachi.</p>

<p>For decades in Balochistan, economic exploitation through the plundering of natural resources, and the systematic economic, social and political exclusion of indigenous Baloch people, has become a norm.</p>

<p>In addition to this, enforced disappearances, extra-judicial killings and an escalating crackdown on freedom of expression are used as covert tools to brutally repress the peaceful struggle for justice, rights and equality of the Baloch.&nbsp;</p>


The Baloch National Movement (BNM) held a protest in Hannover city of Germany, against Pakistani brutalities and abduction of women, children and students in Balochistan

Anti-Pakistan protests were held in two different cities of Germany against the abduction of Baloch activists by Pakistani security forces. The Baloch National Movement (BNM) held a protest in Hannover city of Germany, against Pakistani brutalities and abduction of women, children and students in Balochistan. The Baloch Human Rights Organisation (BHRO) is also set to hold a two-day awareness campaign in Berlin, Germany about human rights violations in Balochistan and for the safe recovery of Nawaz Atta, Information Secretary of the BHRO, and eight other students, abducted by secret agents and rangers from Karachi. "The state policy of using excessive force against civilians and whosoever talks about Baloch rights has intensified in recent days and has become the major cause of human right violations in Balochistan," said the general secretary of the BHRO, Abdullah Abbas. He further said that Baloch activist Nawaz Atta was abducted from his home last month and eight others students were also abducted in a follow-up raid from Karachi by Pakistani security forces. "We demand from the Pakistan Government and security forces to release all the abductees immediately and if they have done any crime, to produce them in court; try them as per law and allow them their legal right of defending themselves," he added. Abbas appealed to all human right organisations and human right activists to raise their voices against the enforced disappearances in Balochistan and for the safe recovery of all the abductees. BHRO activist Tayiba Baloch also held a press conference in Quetta, Balochistan and announced future protest and demonstration for the safe recovery of Nawaz Atta and other students. The BHRO will hold a protest demonstration on November 15 in Quetta and will organise a rally on November 19 in Karachi. For decades in Balochistan, economic exploitation through the plundering of natural resources, and the systematic economic, social and political exclusion of indigenous Baloch people, has become a norm. In addition to this, enforced disappearances, extra-judicial killings and an escalating crackdown on freedom of expression are used as covert tools to brutally repress the peaceful struggle for justice, rights and equality of the Baloch.

Anti-Pakistan protests in Germany against abduction of Baloch activists

<p>Baloch and Sindhi activists have pledged unity for a common struggle against Pakistan in London.</p>

<p>The Sindhi Baloch Forum (SBF), in a statement shared on their Facebook page, announced they would protest on December 10 in London against the gross human rights violations in Sindh and Balochistan by Pakistan.</p>

<p>The Baloch and the Sindhi activists will organise a rally in London to highlight the enforced disappearances and the &#39;kill and dump&#39; policy of the Pakistani security agencies in Balochistan and Sindh.</p>

<p>The decision was taken during a meeting of the SBF, held in London on October 29.</p>

<p>The meeting deplored irrelevant statements from certain quarters regarding geographical boundaries of Sindh and Balochistan.</p>

<p>&quot;The Sindhi Baloch Forum resolves to thwart all designs to create disunity among the Baloch and Sindhi nations London, UK. The destiny of the Sindhi and the Baloch nations are intertwined, and the alliance of their national struggles for sovereignty cannot be separated,&quot; a statement by the SBF read.</p>

<p>The meeting was attended by the Baloch and Sindhis, belonging to all walks of life and organisations including the Baloch National Movement (BNM), the World Baloch Organisation (WBO), the World Sindhi Congress (WSC) and the Baloch Human Rights Council UK (BHRC-UK).</p>

<p>World Sindhi Congress Chairman Hidayat Bhutto will be attending and speaking at the event.</p>

<p>&quot;The meeting called upon intellectuals, social-political activists, writers and all conscientious elements among the Baloch and Sindhis to take cognisance of the nefarious designs of individual personalities and groups on the pay role of enemy forces who have been given the duty of creating chasm of all kinds among the brotherly nations in order to weaken their national resistance against subjugation,&quot; the statement further read.</p>

<p>The SBF will also approach members of the British Parliament, the Members of European Parliament and other relevant quarters in the civilised world to highlight the plight of Sindhi and the Baloch masses and to present the case of human rights violation perpetrated by the state of Pakistan in Sindh and Balochistan.</p>

<p>&quot;The meeting also took notice of the propaganda by hostile elements of the Baloch national struggle by exploiting the murders of innocent labourers belonging to Sindh in recent years,&quot; the statement added.</p>

<p>&quot;It was declared that in the prevailing murky situation in Balochistan where it is quite impossible to ascertain who is targetting who and on whose behalf, exploiting the issue is not in the interest of the national struggles for national sovereignty and the historical alliance of both nations,&quot; it concluded.</p>

<p>The Sindhi Baloch Forum will also initiate a campaign of awareness among the Sindhi masses in order to convince them to avoid getting employment in conflict areas and especially in projects affiliated with China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).</p>


The Sindhi Baloch Forum, in a statement shared on their Facebook page, announced they would protest on December 10 in London against the gross human rights violations in Sindh and Balochistan by Pakistan

Baloch and Sindhi activists have pledged unity for a common struggle against Pakistan in London. The Sindhi Baloch Forum (SBF), in a statement shared on their Facebook page, announced they would protest on December 10 in London against the gross human rights violations in Sindh and Balochistan by Pakistan. The Baloch and the Sindhi activists will organise a rally in London to highlight the enforced disappearances and the 'kill and dump' policy of the Pakistani security agencies in Balochistan and Sindh. The decision was taken during a meeting of the SBF, held in London on October 29. The meeting deplored irrelevant statements from certain quarters regarding geographical boundaries of Sindh and Balochistan. "The Sindhi Baloch Forum resolves to thwart all designs to create disunity among the Baloch and Sindhi nations London, UK. The destiny of the Sindhi and the Baloch nations are intertwined, and the alliance of their national struggles for sovereignty cannot be separated," a statement by the SBF read. The meeting was attended by the Baloch and Sindhis, belonging to all walks of life and organisations including the Baloch National Movement (BNM), the World Baloch Organisation (WBO), the World Sindhi Congress (WSC) and the Baloch Human Rights Council UK (BHRC-UK). World Sindhi Congress Chairman Hidayat Bhutto will be attending and speaking at the event. "The meeting called upon intellectuals, social-political activists, writers and all conscientious elements among the Baloch and Sindhis to take cognisance of the nefarious designs of individual personalities and groups on the pay role of enemy forces who have been given the duty of creating chasm of all kinds among the brotherly nations in order to weaken their national resistance against subjugation," the statement further read. The SBF will also approach members of the British Parliament, the Members of European Parliament and other relevant quarters in the civilised world to highlight the plight of Sindhi and the Baloch masses and to present the case of human rights violation perpetrated by the state of Pakistan in Sindh and Balochistan. "The meeting also took notice of the propaganda by hostile elements of the Baloch national struggle by exploiting the murders of innocent labourers belonging to Sindh in recent years," the statement added. "It was declared that in the prevailing murky situation in Balochistan where it is quite impossible to ascertain who is targetting who and on whose behalf, exploiting the issue is not in the interest of the national struggles for national sovereignty and the historical alliance of both nations," it concluded. The Sindhi Baloch Forum will also initiate a campaign of awareness among the Sindhi masses in order to convince them to avoid getting employment in conflict areas and especially in projects affiliated with China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Baloch, Sindhis pledge unity for common struggle against Pakistan in London

<p>Political turmoil roils across the United States as the ultra-right ascends to power, symbolised by Donald Trump. The most dynamic and innovative opposition to the ultra-right has been led by the Reverend William J. Barber II, longtime pastor of the Greenleaf Christian Church in Goldsboro, North Carolina.</p>

<p>The ultra-right began its ascent in North Carolina when the Republicans took control of the State Legislature in 2011. They then redistricted the state in such a way as to guarantee them a legislative majority regardless of the votes, so that the next year, 2012, they won 9 of the 13 seats up for reelection even though Democrats won 51 per cent of the votes.</p>

<p>That strategy gave them control of both houses of the Legislature and the governor&rsquo;s office, which allowed them to implement a radical right-wing agenda: cut taxes on the rich, raising taxes on the middle class, and cutting social programs.</p>

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<p>Author Jeffrey Bortz with Reverend William J. Barber (Others)</p>
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<p>To make the rich richer, they eliminated the state&rsquo;s three-tier progressive income tax, substituting instead a flat-tax in which the poor pay the same rate as the state&rsquo;s wealthiest citizens. Furthermore, they eliminated the estate tax, which applied only to the wealthy. To pay for the tax cuts, they blocked Medic-aid expansion, leaving 500,000 North Carolinians without health care.</p>

<p>They cut unemployment benefits, which were already meagre, to begin with, and slashed spending on public education, including the university system. They also eliminated many environmental protections. Then to prevent being thrown out of the office, they implemented voter suppression, reducing the number of early voting days, eliminating same-day voter registration and requiring an ID to vote, measures designed to reduce the electoral participation of students, the poor, and minorities, particularly African Americans.</p>

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<h5>Rev Barber believed that the Republican legislature was dragging North Carolina down an immoral path, and so he launched a moral crusade.</h5>
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<p>Barber, President of North Carolina chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 2005, was outraged at the assault on the poor, on African Americans, on the middle class, and particularly at the restrictions to democracy. Measured against the many Biblical injunctions to help the poor and the powerless - James 2:15-16, &quot;Suppose there are brothers or sisters who need clothes and don&rsquo;t have enough to eat. What good is there in your saying to them, &quot;God bless you! Keep warm and eat well!&quot; &ndash; if you don&rsquo;t give them the necessities of life?&rdquo;</p>

<p>He believed that the Republican legislature was dragging North Carolina down an immoral path, and so he launched a moral crusade. On Monday, April 29, 2013, he led a protest at the State Legislature, which continued the following Mondays. It was his insight that protesters, to be effective, had to be willing to confront immoral laws with a moral challenge to the law, so that they occupied the Legislative building, where they were arrested, including the Rev Barber.</p>

<p>By the end of the summer, more than 900 Moral Mondayers had been arrested, the Rev Barber repeatedly. As Barber said, &quot;Some issues are not about left and right, Republican and Democrat &ndash; they&rsquo;re about our deepest moral values&quot;. Following through summer after summer, the 2017 Moral Monday gathering at the State Capitol assembled 80,000 protesters.</p>

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<h5>The state cutbacks to the university budget were hurting students, faculty, university employees, and the quality of public education.</h5>
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<p>Teaching at Appalachian State University in the mountainous far northwestern corner of North Carolina, I was well aware of how state cutbacks to the university budget were hurting students, faculty, university employees, and the quality of public education, so when I heard of the Moral Monday protests in the summer of 2013, I was intrigued. With some friends, we trekked the 200 miles from Boone, NC, to Raleigh, the state capital, where we participated in that Monday&rsquo;s protest.</p>

<p>As usual, before the occupation of the legislative building, Barber gave a speech to the assembled crowd, and as I listened, I realised that he is really quite brilliant, as well as courageous and passionate. We were more than impressed.</p>

<p>So the five of us - Greg, Sheila, Nancy and Tim - decided to bring Barber to campus to talk to the university community, an invitation he graciously accepted. He came In October and presented a spellbinding moral criticism of the Legislature, along with a moral vision for a better North Carolina.</p>

<p>I had an opportunity to have dinner with him during the visit and I was just as impressed by him as a person as well as I was by his leadership. Highly educated and intelligent, he was authentic, unassuming, natural, and down-to-earth, and with a keen sense of humour.</p>

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<h5>Rev Barber resigned his post as President of the North Carolina NAACP and has founded the Poor People&rsquo;s Campaign, following Martin Luther King&rsquo;s.</h5>
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<p>This is a man truly committed to his mission to elevate the poor. His talk was a great success, so we had him back to campus three years later, along with a Republican speaker, so that students could compare both visions of society. Once again, Barber gave an awesome presentation. This year the U.S. Supreme Court gave Barber a major victory, ratifying lower court decisions that ruled that the Republican Legislature had racially gerrymandered voting districts in such a way as to deprive African Americans of fair and Constitutional representation, the original source of his Moral Monday protests. The courts ordered new redistricting.</p>

<p>This year, Barber has decided to take his moral message to the rest of the country. He resigned his post as President of the North Carolina NAACP and has founded the Poor People&rsquo;s Campaign, following Martin Luther King&rsquo;s last major initiative just before his assassination in April 1968. That year, King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, itself an organisation that grew out of the 1955 Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott against racial segregation, planned a campaign to address economic injustice and to assemble &quot;a multiracial army of the poor,&quot; though King was murdered before it could take effect.</p>

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<h5>The goal is to establish chapters around the country who will engage in civil disobedience, as in Moral Monday, in order to bring about a &quot;moral revival across the United States&quot;.</h5>
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<p>Today Barber co-chairs the new organisation with the Rev Dr Liz Theoharis, a pastor from New York City. Their goal is to establish chapters around the country who will engage in civil disobedience, as in Moral Monday, in order to bring about a &quot;moral revival across the United States&quot;. Barber and Theoharis have already been to the Rio Grande in El Paso to share their goals with the undocumented families of the Texas-Mexico borderlands.</p>

<p>As in North Carolina, Barber is committed to bringing justice to those whom American society has left behind, to stand and march with them until America shares its wealth with the poor and the outcasts, much as Jesus shared his message of hope with the poor and outcasts of his time. That is the moral renewal that Barber sought and seeks.<br />
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Barber is committed to bringing justice to those whom American society has left behind, to stand and march with them until America shares its wealth with the poor and the outcasts, much as Jesus did.

Political turmoil roils across the United States as the ultra-right ascends to power, symbolised by Donald Trump. The most dynamic and innovative opposition to the ultra-right has been led by the Reverend William J. Barber II, longtime pastor of the Greenleaf Christian Church in Goldsboro, North Carolina. The ultra-right began its ascent in North Carolina when the Republicans took control of the State Legislature in 2011. They then redistricted the state in such a way as to guarantee them a legislative majority regardless of the votes, so that the next year, 2012, they won 9 of the 13 seats up for reelection even though Democrats won 51 per cent of the votes. That strategy gave them control of both houses of the Legislature and the governor’s office, which allowed them to implement a radical right-wing agenda: cut taxes on the rich, raising taxes on the middle class, and cutting social programs. Author Jeffrey Bortz with Reverend William J. Barber (Others) × To make the rich richer, they eliminated the state’s three-tier progressive income tax, substituting instead a flat-tax in which the poor pay the same rate as the state’s wealthiest citizens. Furthermore, they eliminated the estate tax, which applied only to the wealthy. To pay for the tax cuts, they blocked Medic-aid expansion, leaving 500,000 North Carolinians without health care. They cut unemployment benefits, which were already meagre, to begin with, and slashed spending on public education, including the university system. They also eliminated many environmental protections. Then to prevent being thrown out of the office, they implemented voter suppression, reducing the number of early voting days, eliminating same-day voter registration and requiring an ID to vote, measures designed to reduce the electoral participation of students, the poor, and minorities, particularly African Americans. Rev Barber believed that the Republican legislature was dragging North Carolina down an immoral path, and so he launched a moral crusade. × Barber, President of North Carolina chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 2005, was outraged at the assault on the poor, on African Americans, on the middle class, and particularly at the restrictions to democracy. Measured against the many Biblical injunctions to help the poor and the powerless - James 2:15-16, "Suppose there are brothers or sisters who need clothes and don’t have enough to eat. What good is there in your saying to them, "God bless you! Keep warm and eat well!" – if you don’t give them the necessities of life?” He believed that the Republican legislature was dragging North Carolina down an immoral path, and so he launched a moral crusade. On Monday, April 29, 2013, he led a protest at the State Legislature, which continued the following Mondays. It was his insight that protesters, to be effective, had to be willing to confront immoral laws with a moral challenge to the law, so that they occupied the Legislative building, where they were arrested, including the Rev Barber. By the end of the summer, more than 900 Moral Mondayers had been arrested, the Rev Barber repeatedly. As Barber said, "Some issues are not about left and right, Republican and Democrat – they’re about our deepest moral values". Following through summer after summer, the 2017 Moral Monday gathering at the State Capitol assembled 80,000 protesters. The state cutbacks to the university budget were hurting students, faculty, university employees, and the quality of public education. × Teaching at Appalachian State University in the mountainous far northwestern corner of North Carolina, I was well aware of how state cutbacks to the university budget were hurting students, faculty, university employees, and the quality of public education, so when I heard of the Moral Monday protests in the summer of 2013, I was intrigued. With some friends, we trekked the 200 miles from Boone, NC, to Raleigh, the state capital, where we participated in that Monday’s protest. As usual, before the occupation of the legislative building, Barber gave a speech to the assembled crowd, and as I listened, I realised that he is really quite brilliant, as well as courageous and passionate. We were more than impressed. So the five of us - Greg, Sheila, Nancy and Tim - decided to bring Barber to campus to talk to the university community, an invitation he graciously accepted. He came In October and presented a spellbinding moral criticism of the Legislature, along with a moral vision for a better North Carolina. I had an opportunity to have dinner with him during the visit and I was just as impressed by him as a person as well as I was by his leadership. Highly educated and intelligent, he was authentic, unassuming, natural, and down-to-earth, and with a keen sense of humour. Rev Barber resigned his post as President of the North Carolina NAACP and has founded the Poor People’s Campaign, following Martin Luther King’s. × This is a man truly committed to his mission to elevate the poor. His talk was a great success, so we had him back to campus three years later, along with a Republican speaker, so that students could compare both visions of society. Once again, Barber gave an awesome presentation. This year the U.S. Supreme Court gave Barber a major victory, ratifying lower court decisions that ruled that the Republican Legislature had racially gerrymandered voting districts in such a way as to deprive African Americans of fair and Constitutional representation, the original source of his Moral Monday protests. The courts ordered new redistricting. This year, Barber has decided to take his moral message to the rest of the country. He resigned his post as President of the North Carolina NAACP and has founded the Poor People’s Campaign, following Martin Luther King’s last major initiative just before his assassination in April 1968. That year, King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, itself an organisation that grew out of the 1955 Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott against racial segregation, planned a campaign to address economic injustice and to assemble "a multiracial army of the poor," though King was murdered before it could take effect. The goal is to establish chapters around the country who will engage in civil disobedience, as in Moral Monday, in order to bring about a "moral revival across the United States". × Today Barber co-chairs the new organisation with the Rev Dr Liz Theoharis, a pastor from New York City. Their goal is to establish chapters around the country who will engage in civil disobedience, as in Moral Monday, in order to bring about a "moral revival across the United States". Barber and Theoharis have already been to the Rio Grande in El Paso to share their goals with the undocumented families of the Texas-Mexico borderlands. As in North Carolina, Barber is committed to bringing justice to those whom American society has left behind, to stand and march with them until America shares its wealth with the poor and the outcasts, much as Jesus shared his message of hope with the poor and outcasts of his time. That is the moral renewal that Barber sought and seeks.

Rev Barber leads a moral crusade for justice in the US

<p>Benaras Hindu University (BHU) has been in the news for some weeks now largely on account of student agitation. Reacting to a regime of discrimination and blatant authoritarianism, students took the offensive when a case of sexual molestation was passed off as eve-teasing and the authorities came up with absurd counter arguments that revealed their deep prejudices about caste and gender.</p>

<p>The police roughed up students and staged a lathi charge while the authorities did not even attempt to address the situation with either common sense or basic empathy. What was unusual though was the simmering anger among students that manifested in a sustained agitation taking to the streets for public action.</p>

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<h5>BHU has historically crafted its identity as a centre of Hindu learning.</h5>
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<p>This one act undid the stagnation that has characterised BHU for decades, rendering the angry students into political subjects. This is undeniably an important moment and requires some analysis.</p>

<p>Does it, in fact, embody a growing reaction to the way BHU has historically crafted its identity since its inception, as a centre of Hindu learning amidst its embrace of modernity, science and technology, and which involved as scholar Leah Reynolds says, a redefinition in terms of clothing, architecture, time and lifestyle? Or, is this something more immediate, simply episodic in its nature?</p>

<p>There are no easy answers and one can only attempt a cautious explanation of the problem by placing it within the larger context of the crisis in higher education, one that cannot be placed at the doorstep of any one party. Needless to say with the present dispensation that chooses to define its nationalist commitment by invoking Hindutva, the problem assumes greater gravity especially as dissent is quite ruthlessly silenced.</p>

<p>From the very time of the establishment of the university, the issues of safety of women students were confused with those of chastity and generated typical authoritarian responses. However, the current situation is even worse and stands out as a cynical expression of extreme politicisation of institutions.</p>

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<p>At every step, the University authorities seem to have mismanaged its affairs, flouted conventions in making appointments, subverted existing bodies entrusted with gender sensitisation issues and crushed any possibility of responsible student politics.</p>

<p>Critical thinking has been positively discouraged in the name of docility and obedience, the University failing to recognise that rigorous scholarship is predicated on the ability to question existing frameworks. This appears even more anachronistic as governments and government-supported institutions remain formally committed to progressive social action that includes protective discrimination and affirmative action for caste and gender.</p>

<p>Why is this so? Is this unique to Benaras Hindu University? The answer is a partial yes and no. Higher education in India, especially over the last three decades has faced a crisis following politicisation by the government (apparent in rampant unfairness in appointments), bad management of funds that either arrive too late or are too spare to sustain any activity and growing disinterest within the academic community to redesign and overhaul either curriculum or pedagogy.</p>

<p>The results have been disastrous even as numbers of student enrollment have grown and alongside with it, the aspirations of large numbers of students for whom access to higher education is a real game changer.</p>

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<h5>It is therefore especially heartening and poignant to notice that girl students have taken the initiative to agitate, protest and take to the streets.</h5>
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<p>In Benaras, the situation is even more dismal as the university sees to have become an extension of the rabid Hindu ideological apparatus that covers up the failure of the administration to provide a decent education and a conducive academic environment by invoking the most regressive ideas about morality and obedience.</p>

<p>It is, therefore, especially heartening and poignant to notice that girl students have taken the initiative to agitate, protest and take to the streets for in this assertion lies the possibility of producing a real shift in the way public institutions like the University need to function.</p>

<p>Universities, howsoever, they may wish to enunciate their mission, are not patriarchal families with the Acharyya wielding the rod to punish errant children. It is and will remain a space where learning is pursued with passion and the freedom to think is fostered and nourished, where teacher and student ideally participate in a mutually shared space.</p>

<p>It is hoped that the recent events produce a slow chipping away of the stagnant values that have overtaken the institution, making it a mockery of even the ambivalent ideals that Malaviya started with.&nbsp;</p>


The current situation in Banaras Hindu University stands out as a cynical expression of extreme politicisation of academic institutions in India.

Benaras Hindu University (BHU) has been in the news for some weeks now largely on account of student agitation. Reacting to a regime of discrimination and blatant authoritarianism, students took the offensive when a case of sexual molestation was passed off as eve-teasing and the authorities came up with absurd counter arguments that revealed their deep prejudices about caste and gender. The police roughed up students and staged a lathi charge while the authorities did not even attempt to address the situation with either common sense or basic empathy. What was unusual though was the simmering anger among students that manifested in a sustained agitation taking to the streets for public action. BHU has historically crafted its identity as a centre of Hindu learning. × This one act undid the stagnation that has characterised BHU for decades, rendering the angry students into political subjects. This is undeniably an important moment and requires some analysis. Does it, in fact, embody a growing reaction to the way BHU has historically crafted its identity since its inception, as a centre of Hindu learning amidst its embrace of modernity, science and technology, and which involved as scholar Leah Reynolds says, a redefinition in terms of clothing, architecture, time and lifestyle? Or, is this something more immediate, simply episodic in its nature? There are no easy answers and one can only attempt a cautious explanation of the problem by placing it within the larger context of the crisis in higher education, one that cannot be placed at the doorstep of any one party. Needless to say with the present dispensation that chooses to define its nationalist commitment by invoking Hindutva, the problem assumes greater gravity especially as dissent is quite ruthlessly silenced. From the very time of the establishment of the university, the issues of safety of women students were confused with those of chastity and generated typical authoritarian responses. However, the current situation is even worse and stands out as a cynical expression of extreme politicisation of institutions. The issues of safety of women students were confused with those of chastity and generated typical authoritarian responses. × At every step, the University authorities seem to have mismanaged its affairs, flouted conventions in making appointments, subverted existing bodies entrusted with gender sensitisation issues and crushed any possibility of responsible student politics. Critical thinking has been positively discouraged in the name of docility and obedience, the University failing to recognise that rigorous scholarship is predicated on the ability to question existing frameworks. This appears even more anachronistic as governments and government-supported institutions remain formally committed to progressive social action that includes protective discrimination and affirmative action for caste and gender. Why is this so? Is this unique to Benaras Hindu University? The answer is a partial yes and no. Higher education in India, especially over the last three decades has faced a crisis following politicisation by the government (apparent in rampant unfairness in appointments), bad management of funds that either arrive too late or are too spare to sustain any activity and growing disinterest within the academic community to redesign and overhaul either curriculum or pedagogy. The results have been disastrous even as numbers of student enrollment have grown and alongside with it, the aspirations of large numbers of students for whom access to higher education is a real game changer. It is therefore especially heartening and poignant to notice that girl students have taken the initiative to agitate, protest and take to the streets. × In Benaras, the situation is even more dismal as the university sees to have become an extension of the rabid Hindu ideological apparatus that covers up the failure of the administration to provide a decent education and a conducive academic environment by invoking the most regressive ideas about morality and obedience. It is, therefore, especially heartening and poignant to notice that girl students have taken the initiative to agitate, protest and take to the streets for in this assertion lies the possibility of producing a real shift in the way public institutions like the University need to function. Universities, howsoever, they may wish to enunciate their mission, are not patriarchal families with the Acharyya wielding the rod to punish errant children. It is and will remain a space where learning is pursued with passion and the freedom to think is fostered and nourished, where teacher and student ideally participate in a mutually shared space. It is hoped that the recent events produce a slow chipping away of the stagnant values that have overtaken the institution, making it a mockery of even the ambivalent ideals that Malaviya started with.

Morality and obedience in Indian universities

<p>US President Donald Trump is continuing his public attacks on prominent black athletes. Late last week, he urged National Football League (NFL) team owners to fire players who knelt in protest during the playing of the national anthem before the game. &ldquo;Get that son of a bitch off the field,&rdquo; Trump <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2017/09/22/politics/donald-trump-alabama-nfl/index.html">told a partisan crowd</a> in the conservative state of Alabama.</p>

<figure>The next day, he disinvited National Basketball Association (NBA) champion Steph Curry from the White House.</figure>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team.Stephen Curry is hesitating,therefore invitation is withdrawn!</p>
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/911572182060453893">September 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Trump&rsquo;s remarks rankled black athletes in the NBA and NFL. His disinvitation of Curry, who is black, sounded a racial dog-whistle to those who believe African-Americans do not belong in the White House.</p>

<p>Trump&rsquo;s subsequent Twitter statements about the NFL suggest deeply troubling assumptions about the proper place of black athletes in public spaces.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The issue of kneeling has nothing to do with race. It is about respect for our Country, Flag and National Anthem. NFL must respect this!</p>
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/912280282224525312">September 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p><strong>The history of White House visits</strong></p>

<p>The invitation of athletes to the White House appears apolitical. Presidents have customarily extended invitations to everyone from Little League World Series to Super Bowl winners. However, tradition has also always been intertwined with America&rsquo;s racial politics.</p>

<p>Major League Baseball (MLB) World Series winners have regularly visited the White House since the 1920s before black athletes <a href="https://www.loc.gov/collections/jackie-robinson-baseball/articles-and-essays/baseball-the-color-line-and-jackie-robinson/1940-to-1946/">broke the colour line</a> (they were excluded from playing in the league at the time).</p>

<p>The first NBA team to visit the White House was the Boston Celtics in 1963, invited by then-president John F. Kennedy. The 1960s Celtics represented white America in the face of an increasingly African-American league.</p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tZ0xeBftQus" width="560"></iframe></p>

<p>White House visits seem innocuous, but they are political spectacles, with handshakes, photos and memorabilia exchanges. When athletes meet the president, they are used as vehicles to promote specific policies.</p>

<p>In the waning years of the Cold War, Ronald Reagan used these visits to symbolise American power, vigour and confidence through athletic achievement. In 1988, for example, Reagan tossed a tight spiral to visiting NFL wide receiver Ricky Sanders. Cameras caught this moment and transformed the president into a game-winning quarterback.</p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/J6g8E2Mmn8w" width="560"></iframe></p>

<p>Not all athletes appreciate being used as a tool for policy. Increasingly, they have rejected invitations to the White House to express their discontent. The boycotts by whole teams like Curry&rsquo;s Golden State Warriors, however, is a new kind of demonstration made even more powerful by the fame of their top players.</p>

<p>A few days after the NBA finals concluded, Curry <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/06/14/stephen-curry-says-he-wouldnt-visit-white-house-if-invited/">promised to avoid the White House</a>. His teammates have been effusive in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGrgOcH-cKM">their support</a> of his stance. Coach Steve Kerr <a href="https://www.thescore.com/news/1380850">said</a>, &ldquo;he [Trump] was going to break up with us before we could break up with him&rdquo;.</p>

<p>The team also released <a href="http://www.nba.com/warriors/news/statement-20170923/">a statement</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>In lieu of a visit to the White House, we have decided that <strong>w</strong>e&rsquo;ll constructively use our trip to the nation&rsquo;s capital in February to celebrate equality, diversity, and inclusion &ndash; the values that we embrace as an organisation.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Trump&rsquo;s comments have had the unintended effect of galvanising support of the whole league behind the Warriors. NBA players have taken to Twitter to openly mock him. The NBA&rsquo;s biggest star, LeBron James, tweeted:</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">U bum <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenCurry30">@StephenCurry30</a> already said he ain&#39;t going! So therefore ain&#39;t no invite. Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up!</p>
&mdash; LeBron James (@KingJames) <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/911610455877021697">September 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Alluding to the investigation of the Trump campaign&rsquo;s ties with Russia, Robin Lopez tweeted:</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It&#39;s ok <a href="https://twitter.com/warriors">@warriors</a>, in a few months <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump">@realDonaldTrump</a> probably won&#39;t be able to visit the White House either</p>
&mdash; Robin Lopez (@rolopez42) <a href="https://twitter.com/rolopez42/status/911702252993122304">September 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p><strong>Teeming player protests</strong></p>

<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<figcaption>In the NFL, then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/25/opinion/colin-kaepernick-football-protests.html?mcubz=3" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">decision</a> to kneel during the national anthem was a protest originally directed against police violence, not Trump (who was not president at the time).</figcaption>
</figure>

<p>But Trump&rsquo;s words have now shifted the debate onto him, added legitimacy to the demonstrations, and perhaps roused a force powerful enough to battle his own celebrity brand. Trump has taken on the NFL before <a href="http://fortune.com/2017/09/24/donald-trump-nfl-usfl/">and lost</a>.</p>

<p>The NFL players&rsquo; union and the NFL commissioner &ndash; two sides usually at loggerheads &ndash; expressed joint anger over Trump&rsquo;s intervention in the league&rsquo;s affairs. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell lamented Trump&rsquo;s <a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/352031-nfl-commissioner-trumps-divisive-comments-show-a-lack-of">&ldquo;lack of respect&rdquo;</a> for the league. And the head of the union, DeMaurice Smith, <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/nflpa-apos-never-back-down-145606076.html">defiantly thundered</a> that the NFL Players Association would:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&hellip; never back down when it comes to protecting the constitutional rights of our players as citizens.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The national anthem protests, which initially divided the league and the public, have become ubiquitous. On Sunday afternoon, whole teams, including the Pittsburgh Steelers, <a href="http://www.espn.com.au/nfl/story/_/id/20801902/pittsburgh-steelers-remain-locker-room-national-anthem">remained in their locker rooms</a> in a forceful rejection of Trump&rsquo;s remarks. The Ravens and the Jaguars, playing in London, knelt for the American national anthem but <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/24/in-rebuke-to-trump-ravens-and-jaguars-take-a-knee-in-london-during-us-national-anthem.html">stood respectfully</a> for &ldquo;God Save the Queen&rdquo;.</p>

<p>The kneeling players have been joined by <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/jaguars-owner-shad-khan-unites-players-defiance-trump-143949834.html">team owners</a>, <a href="http://variety.com/2017/digital/news/rico-lavelle-national-anthem-nfl-video-1202569454/">performers</a> and <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/cheerleader-kneeled-national-anthem-protest-goes-viral-195354161.html">cheerleaders</a>. The protest even spread to the more conservative and white MLB, when the Oakland A&rsquo;s Bruce Maxwell became the first player to <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/a%E2%80%99s-bruce-maxwell-first-mlb-player-to-kneel-for-anthem/ar-AAsoEz1">kneel during the national anthem</a>.</p>

<p>Trump&rsquo;s ill-timed comments have given legitimacy to claims of his racial animus. Until he disavows them, we can expect to see more players signalling their disapproval of his presidency.</p>

<p><img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/84605/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" width="1" />The growing protests are a healthy new development for American sports. For too long, athletes have been the tools of statesmen. Today, however, they have begun to realise their power to be activists and undermine the political plans of the US president.</p>

<p>This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" nofollow="" rel="">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-us-sports-stars-are-taking-a-knee-against-trump-84605" nofollow="" rel="">original article</a>.</p>


War of words going on between prominent US sportspersons and US President Donald Trump, as he continued his racial comments on public forum

US President Donald Trump is continuing his public attacks on prominent black athletes. Late last week, he urged National Football League (NFL) team owners to fire players who knelt in protest during the playing of the national anthem before the game. “Get that son of a bitch off the field,” Trump told a partisan crowd in the conservative state of Alabama. The next day, he disinvited National Basketball Association (NBA) champion Steph Curry from the White House. Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team.Stephen Curry is hesitating,therefore invitation is withdrawn! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 23, 2017 × Trump’s remarks rankled black athletes in the NBA and NFL. His disinvitation of Curry, who is black, sounded a racial dog-whistle to those who believe African-Americans do not belong in the White House. Trump’s subsequent Twitter statements about the NFL suggest deeply troubling assumptions about the proper place of black athletes in public spaces. The issue of kneeling has nothing to do with race. It is about respect for our Country, Flag and National Anthem. NFL must respect this! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 25, 2017 × The history of White House visits The invitation of athletes to the White House appears apolitical. Presidents have customarily extended invitations to everyone from Little League World Series to Super Bowl winners. However, tradition has also always been intertwined with America’s racial politics. Major League Baseball (MLB) World Series winners have regularly visited the White House since the 1920s before black athletes broke the colour line (they were excluded from playing in the league at the time). The first NBA team to visit the White House was the Boston Celtics in 1963, invited by then-president John F. Kennedy. The 1960s Celtics represented white America in the face of an increasingly African-American league. White House visits seem innocuous, but they are political spectacles, with handshakes, photos and memorabilia exchanges. When athletes meet the president, they are used as vehicles to promote specific policies. In the waning years of the Cold War, Ronald Reagan used these visits to symbolise American power, vigour and confidence through athletic achievement. In 1988, for example, Reagan tossed a tight spiral to visiting NFL wide receiver Ricky Sanders. Cameras caught this moment and transformed the president into a game-winning quarterback. Not all athletes appreciate being used as a tool for policy. Increasingly, they have rejected invitations to the White House to express their discontent. The boycotts by whole teams like Curry’s Golden State Warriors, however, is a new kind of demonstration made even more powerful by the fame of their top players. A few days after the NBA finals concluded, Curry promised to avoid the White House. His teammates have been effusive in their support of his stance. Coach Steve Kerr said, “he [Trump] was going to break up with us before we could break up with him”. The team also released a statement: In lieu of a visit to the White House, we have decided that we’ll constructively use our trip to the nation’s capital in February to celebrate equality, diversity, and inclusion – the values that we embrace as an organisation. Trump’s comments have had the unintended effect of galvanising support of the whole league behind the Warriors. NBA players have taken to Twitter to openly mock him. The NBA’s biggest star, LeBron James, tweeted: U bum @StephenCurry30 already said he ain't going! So therefore ain't no invite. Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up! — LeBron James (@KingJames) September 23, 2017 × Alluding to the investigation of the Trump campaign’s ties with Russia, Robin Lopez tweeted: It's ok @warriors, in a few months @realDonaldTrump probably won't be able to visit the White House either — Robin Lopez (@rolopez42) September 23, 2017 × Teeming player protests In the NFL, then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s decision to kneel during the national anthem was a protest originally directed against police violence, not Trump (who was not president at the time). But Trump’s words have now shifted the debate onto him, added legitimacy to the demonstrations, and perhaps roused a force powerful enough to battle his own celebrity brand. Trump has taken on the NFL before and lost. The NFL players’ union and the NFL commissioner – two sides usually at loggerheads – expressed joint anger over Trump’s intervention in the league’s affairs. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell lamented Trump’s “lack of respect” for the league. And the head of the union, DeMaurice Smith, defiantly thundered that the NFL Players Association would: … never back down when it comes to protecting the constitutional rights of our players as citizens. The national anthem protests, which initially divided the league and the public, have become ubiquitous. On Sunday afternoon, whole teams, including the Pittsburgh Steelers, remained in their locker rooms in a forceful rejection of Trump’s remarks. The Ravens and the Jaguars, playing in London, knelt for the American national anthem but stood respectfully for “God Save the Queen”. The kneeling players have been joined by team owners, performers and cheerleaders. The protest even spread to the more conservative and white MLB, when the Oakland A’s Bruce Maxwell became the first player to kneel during the national anthem. Trump’s ill-timed comments have given legitimacy to claims of his racial animus. Until he disavows them, we can expect to see more players signalling their disapproval of his presidency. The growing protests are a healthy new development for American sports. For too long, athletes have been the tools of statesmen. Today, however, they have begun to realise their power to be activists and undermine the political plans of the US president. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Why the US sports stars are not standing up during the national anthem

<p>Police fired pepper spray to disperse protesters outside a&nbsp;rally&nbsp;by US&nbsp;President Donald Trump in Phoenix, Arizona, on Tuesday after being pelted with rocks and bottles, police said.</p>

<p>Police have not given an estimate of the number of protesters, but Arizona media said there were several thousand. Police did not say whether the pepper spray was used on pro- or anti-Trump protesters, or both.</p>

<p>&quot;People in the crowd have begun throwing rocks and bottles at police,&quot; Phoenix Police Department spokesman Sergeant Jonathan Howard said.</p>

<p>&quot;Police have responded with pepper balls and OC (oleoresin capsicum) spray in an attempt to disperse the crowd and stop the assaults,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Four people were arrested during the protest, Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams said during a news conference.</p>

<p>&quot;We had tens of thousands of people downtown peacefully exercising their first amendment rights,&quot; Williams said. &quot;What&rsquo;s unfortunate is that a very small number of individuals chose criminal conduct.&quot;</p>

<p>Police called on the crowds to disperse. Many of the protesters quit the scene, while dozens of police in riot gear and carrying shields sought to clear remaining protesters from the downtown area.</p>

<p>The Phoenix Fire Department said it treated 56 people for heat exhaustion and dehydration at the convention center. Twelve people were taken to the hospital.</p>


"People in the crowd have begun throwing rocks and bottles at police," Phoenix Police Department spokesman Sergeant Jonathan Howard said

Police fired pepper spray to disperse protesters outside a rally by US President Donald Trump in Phoenix, Arizona, on Tuesday after being pelted with rocks and bottles, police said. Police have not given an estimate of the number of protesters, but Arizona media said there were several thousand. Police did not say whether the pepper spray was used on pro- or anti-Trump protesters, or both. "People in the crowd have begun throwing rocks and bottles at police," Phoenix Police Department spokesman Sergeant Jonathan Howard said. "Police have responded with pepper balls and OC (oleoresin capsicum) spray in an attempt to disperse the crowd and stop the assaults," he said. Four people were arrested during the protest, Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams said during a news conference. "We had tens of thousands of people downtown peacefully exercising their first amendment rights," Williams said. "What’s unfortunate is that a very small number of individuals chose criminal conduct." Police called on the crowds to disperse. Many of the protesters quit the scene, while dozens of police in riot gear and carrying shields sought to clear remaining protesters from the downtown area. The Phoenix Fire Department said it treated 56 people for heat exhaustion and dehydration at the convention center. Twelve people were taken to the hospital.

Trump's Phoenix rally pelted with rocks and bottles, Police used pepper spray to disperse protesters

<p>Protests continued through Thanksgiving Day near Cannon Ball, North Dakota, on Thursday &nbsp;but remained peaceful despite growing tensions between law enforcement and those rallying against the Dakota Access Pipeline.</p>

<p>Hundreds of protesters gathered on Turtle Island, where they unfurled a banner reading &quot;Indigenous sovereignty protects water&quot;, and in Mandan, where they blocked an intersection for several hours.</p>

<p>The September decision by the Obama administration to delay final approval for the Dakota Access Pipeline was intended to give federal officials more time to consult with Native American tribes that have faced dispossession from lands for decades.</p>

<p>But the delays have also caused increased consternation among company officials and led to growing violence between law enforcement and protesters, with both sides decrying the actions of the other in recent days.</p>

<p>The most violent clashes took place over this past weekend. Police used water hoses in below-freezing temperatures to keep about 400 protesters at bay, a move criticized by activist groups, the American Civil Liberties Union and elected officials concerned about freedom of expression and the escalation of violence.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>(Reuters)</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Hundreds of protesters gathered on Turtle Island, where they unfurled a banner reading 'Indigenous sovereignty protects water'

Protests continued through Thanksgiving Day near Cannon Ball, North Dakota, on Thursday but remained peaceful despite growing tensions between law enforcement and those rallying against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Hundreds of protesters gathered on Turtle Island, where they unfurled a banner reading "Indigenous sovereignty protects water", and in Mandan, where they blocked an intersection for several hours. The September decision by the Obama administration to delay final approval for the Dakota Access Pipeline was intended to give federal officials more time to consult with Native American tribes that have faced dispossession from lands for decades. But the delays have also caused increased consternation among company officials and led to growing violence between law enforcement and protesters, with both sides decrying the actions of the other in recent days. The most violent clashes took place over this past weekend. Police used water hoses in below-freezing temperatures to keep about 400 protesters at bay, a move criticized by activist groups, the American Civil Liberties Union and elected officials concerned about freedom of expression and the escalation of violence. (Reuters)

Protests against North Dakota pipeline project continue through Thanksgiving Day

<p>Thousands of women protested&nbsp;across Poland today against a proposed near-total abortion ban, international news agency AFP reported.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Pro-choice activists took to social media to launch the nationwide &quot;Women strike&quot;, asking women to stay away from offices and schools to attend protests.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to the news agency, around 2,000 people rallied outside the headquarters&nbsp;of&nbsp;the governing rightwing Law and Justice (PiS) party in Warsaw.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>PiS in late September went &nbsp;ahead with a controversial bill that would allow abortions&nbsp;only if the mother&#39;s life is at risk and increase the maximum jail term for practitioners from two years to five, in the devoutly catholic country.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The citizen&#39;s initiative tabled in the parliament by the &#39;Stop abortion&#39;&nbsp;coalition would make women who&nbsp;terminate pregnancies liable to jail term but judges could waive punishment in their case.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The country&#39;s highly influential Catholic church approved the initiative earlier this year, even though its bishops have since then opposed jailing women.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;I don&#39;t like what the Polish government is doing to women,&quot; protester Jolanta Bienicka told AFP.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Unfortunately, we&#39;re going in the direction of countries like Afghanistan and the worst countries in the world.&quot;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Protester Katazyna Goluch, a 17-year-old high school student, told AFP that &quot;no one has the right to decide what I am supposed to do with my uterus&quot;.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;If this law comes into effect and I&#39;m raped and I get pregnant, I&#39;ll have to give birth. It&#39;s the same thing if the foetus is deformed, so we just have to say no.&quot;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The current law, which was introduced in 1993, &nbsp;bans all terminations except in cases of&nbsp;rape or incest, the pregnancy poses a health risk to the mother or the foetus is severely deformed.</p>

<p><br />
(WION with inputs from AFP)</p>


A bill introduced by the governing party last month allows abortion only if the mother's life is at risk

Thousands of women protested across Poland today against a proposed near-total abortion ban, international news agency AFP reported. Pro-choice activists took to social media to launch the nationwide "Women strike", asking women to stay away from offices and schools to attend protests. According to the news agency, around 2,000 people rallied outside the headquarters of the governing rightwing Law and Justice (PiS) party in Warsaw. PiS in late September went ahead with a controversial bill that would allow abortions only if the mother's life is at risk and increase the maximum jail term for practitioners from two years to five, in the devoutly catholic country. The citizen's initiative tabled in the parliament by the 'Stop abortion' coalition would make women who terminate pregnancies liable to jail term but judges could waive punishment in their case. The country's highly influential Catholic church approved the initiative earlier this year, even though its bishops have since then opposed jailing women. "I don't like what the Polish government is doing to women," protester Jolanta Bienicka told AFP. "Unfortunately, we're going in the direction of countries like Afghanistan and the worst countries in the world." Protester Katazyna Goluch, a 17-year-old high school student, told AFP that "no one has the right to decide what I am supposed to do with my uterus". "If this law comes into effect and I'm raped and I get pregnant, I'll have to give birth. It's the same thing if the foetus is deformed, so we just have to say no." The current law, which was introduced in 1993, bans all terminations except in cases of rape or incest, the pregnancy poses a health risk to the mother or the foetus is severely deformed. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Women protest against abortion ban in Poland

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