KOLKATA: Ahead of BJP president Amit Shah's rally in Kolkata today, the Trinamool Congress has launched a 'poster war' against the BJP to protest against the National Register of Citizens exercise in Assam. Posters with 'Anti-Bengal BJP Go Back' written on them could be seen in and around Mayo road, the venue where Mr Shah's rally is scheduled to be held.

The Trinamool Congress has declared a state-wide protest against the National Register of Citizens in Assam, except in Kolkata. The BJP has labelled the protest an attempt to sabotage Mr Shah's rally.

Earlier, some reports emerged that the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government had denied permission to the BJP to hold Mr Shah's rally, but later Kolkata Police granted the permissions.

Mr Shah had earlier said that he would not only go to Kolkata but is even prepared to get arrested. Mr Shah had said, "It does not matter whether I get permission or not, I will definitely go to Kolkata. If the state government wants, it can arrest me."

The BJP and the Opposition has been undergoing a confrontation over the release of the National Register of Citizens draft list in Assam on July 30, which has left out nearly 40 lakh people in Assam while incorporating names of 2.89 crore people out of 3.29 crore applicants.

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been consistently disapproving the latest NRC draft. She has accused the BJP of conspiracy against minorities.

Mr Shah's Kolkata visit aims at expanding the party's base in the state. In 2014, it had won just two seats from Bengal and hopes to improve its tally in 2019. The BJP chief has handed his party an ambitious target of 50 per cent Lok Sabha seats in the state.

The the political temperature in Bengal has been shooting up over Assam's citizens' list, more so after Bengal chief minister controversially claimed that it could trigger violence, even civil war. Mr Shah had promptly hit back, insisting that his government would ensure that the court verdict on the citizens' scheme was implemented down to the last "full stop and comma".

courtesy : ndtv.com

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Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 15 (PTI): The Kerala government has decided to declare as ‘deceased’ the people who went missing in the devastating landslide in Wayanad last year which will help provide compensation to their families.

The decision comes as a huge relief to the kin of people who were reported missing in the disaster.

As per a government order issued on Tuesday, local, district and state level committees will be formed including revenue department officials to examine the list of missing people.

The local level committee includes the panchayat secretary, village officer and station house officer of respective police stations. The committee will prepare a list of missing people and submit it to the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) for scrutiny.

The DDMA will examine the list and forward it to the state-level committee with its suggestions. The state level committee, comprising additional chief secretary (home) and principal secretaries of revenue and local self-government, will examine the list and forward it to the government, the order said.

The government will subsequently issue an order declaring them as dead and providing ex-gratia to their close relatives.

According to official record, 263 people were dead and 35 people were reported missing in the landslides that occurred on July 30 last year. The order directs the local level committee to closely examine the FIRs filed in connection with the missing people in the respective police stations.

The tahsildar or sub-divisional magistrate should conduct a detailed enquiry about the missing person and the findings will be published on the official website and government gazette.

A 30-day period will be given for filing any objections, after which the list of missing people will be published and death certificates issued to their immediate relatives, the order said.