NC Digest: After Secular People And Intellectuals, The Latest On BJP’s Shoot At Sight Wet Dream- Rohingyas; Modi Government Has Spent Rs 4,880 Crore In Advertisements Since 2014-15; And More

• Bihar Shelter Sexual Abuse: As 11 More Women Found Missing From Another Shelter Run By Brajesh Thakur, He Is Seen Smiling In Police Custody

More than 30 girls in the age group of 7 to 17, who were living in the shelter run by Brajesh Thakur in Muzzafarpur in Bihar, have alleged rape over a period of months. The victims have named Thakur as one of the rapists. In their statements, the victims have described that the NGO staff tortured them if they resisted the abuse. One girl was allegedly killed and buried. Today, according to reports, another case was registered against Thakur, when it was found that 11 women had gone missing from a different shelter that is also run by him.

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• Adopt Humane Approach On NRC: Opposition to Modi Government

The Opposition on Tuesday asked the government to adopt a humanitarian approach on the ‘sensitive’ issue of Assam’s National Register of Citizens (NRC) while ensuring that no Indian was left out of it. While the Congress demanded that the government tread cautiously on the issue, the Trinamool Congress sought complete withdrawal of the NRC, alleging that Indian citizens have also been left out of the final draft. The issue was discussed in the Rajya Sabha during the Question Hour which was dispensed with by Chairman Venkaiah Naidu who termed it as a “serious and sensitive” matter.

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• Maharashtra: At Least 60 Students Fall Ill After Drinking Contaminated Water

At least 60 students were hospitalised today after they drank contaminated water from taps near their school in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district, a police official said. Eight students are in a serious condition, he said. The students, aged 10 to 12 years, complained of stomach ache, dysentery and giddiness after drinking contaminated water from taps near their school, run by an NGO Rayat Shikshan Sanstha, in Pimpaldari village, Superintendent of Police (SP) Ranjankumar Sharma said.

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• Bihar: Civil Society Organisations Demand Nitish Kumar’s Resignation, Protest Against Sexual Abuse Of Minor Girls In Muzaffarpur

Civil society organisations on Monday held a protest demanding the resignation of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the alleged sexual abuse of minor girls in a shelter home at Muzaffarpur in Bihar. They staged a protest outside Bihar Bhawan in Chanakyapuri here and also sought a fair probe into the incident. Slamming the state government, the protesters indulged in sloganeering against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bihar Chief Minister.

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• Modi Government Has Spent Rs 4,880 Crore In Advertisements Since 2014-15: Minister Rathore In RS

The central government has spent over Rs 4,880 crore in advertisements through electronic, print and other media since 2014-15, Rajya Sabha was informed on Monday. This was stated by Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore in a written reply. Giving the details, the minister said Rs 979.78 crore was spent in 2014-15, Rs 1,160.16 crore in 2015-16, Rs 1,264.26 crore in 2016-17 and Rs 1,313.57 crore in 2017-18. An amount of Rs 162.83 is a “booked expenditure” for 2018-19 so far, the minister added.

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• Government Running Away From Debating Burning Issues In Parliament: Congress

Accusing the NDA government of running away from debating in Parliament burning issues like lynchings, intolerance, joblessness and collapse of the economy, the Congress on Monday said the opposition will jointly press for discussions these issues. Congress’ senior spokesperson Anand Sharma accused the government of “bypassing” Parliamentary scrutiny as it passed bills in a haste, and said the opposition will not allow this, and will not remain a mere “spectator”.

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• BJP MLA Says Cow Slaughter Bigger Crime Than Terrorism

Amid repeated cases of alleged lynching by cow vigilantes in Rajasthan’s Alwar, BJP MLA Gyan Dev Ahuja on Monday said cow slaughtering is a bigger crime than terrorism as cows are treated as mothers in India and any ‘misbehaviour’ with them cannot be tolerated. Ahuja, who had earlier accused the local police for the recent case of alleged lynching in which one Rakbar alias Akbar Khan died after being thrashed by a cow vigilante group, said terrorists kill 2-5 people, but cow slaughtering hurts sentiments of several thousands and even lakhs of people.

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• BJP & Its Bloodlust: After Secular People And Intellectuals, The Latest On BJP’s Shoot At Sight Wet Dream- Rohingyas

Illegal Bangladeshi settlers and Rohingya should be shot if they do not return to their countries like gentlemen, BJP MLA from Telangana T Raja Singh Lodh said on Tuesday. He made the statement in the context of the Supreme Court-monitored exercise to identify genuine Indian nationals living in Assam which excluded over 40 lakh people from the final draft list of the National Register of Citizens.

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• Uttar Pradesh: 12 More Die Due To Rains; Toll Rises To 92

Twelve persons were killed and seven others injured in rain-related incidents in different parts of Uttar Pradesh during past 24 hours, pushing the toll to 92 since last week, official sources said here on Tuesday. As per latest reports, three persons were killed in Kanpur dehat, two in Hathras and one each in Chitrakoot, Auraiya, Allahabad, Unnao, Amethi, Jaunpur and Fatehpur, they said. “The toll since last week in such incidents has reached 92 while the total number of those injured is 91,” they said.

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