Police crackdown on Jamia students 'illegal, inhuman': Shiv Sena
Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Wednesday dubbed the Delhi Police's crackdown on students of the Jamia Millia Islamia as "illegal and inhuman", and wondered if in such a scenario the BJP has the right to raise its voice against the anti-Sikh riots.
An editorial in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' said when the situation comes to a point where "you have to fire gun shots on students of our own country," it should be understood that things have gone "out of control".
It also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for blaming Pakistan for protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in India.
The Sena's comments came a day after Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray likened the police crackdown on Jamia Millia Islamia students to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919.
The Delhi-based university virtually turned into a battlefield on Sunday when police entered the campus and used force, after protests against the amended citizenship law.
"The police action against the protesting students in Delhi was inhuman and illegal. The Britishers didn't do anything different at the Jallianwala Bagh," an editorial in 'Saamana' said on Wednesday.
Does the BJP have a moral right to speak on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots? it asked.
The BJP, which is shedding "crocodile tears" over the demand of Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian honour, for Hindutva icon and freedom fighter V D Savarkar, should first explain why there is unrest in the country over the amended Citizenship Act, the Sena said.
Mocking the BJP over its demand for implementation of the new citizenship law in Maharashtra, the Sena said this is nothing but "mental stress" of losing power in the state.
"There are more important issues being faced by people and we are committed to resolving them," the Sena said. It also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for blaming Pakistan for the anti-CAA protests.
"On one hand, you say Pakistan has been taught a lesson through surgical strikes and on the other, you blame the neighbouring country for the unrest here," the Sena said.
The Thackeray-led party asked why the BJP has not bestowed the Bharat Ratna on Savarkar despite it being in power at the Centre for last five-and-a-half years.
"Instead of shedding crocodile tears over Savarkar, the BJP should explain why there is unrest in the country over the amended citizenship law. The Shiv Sena is worried more about 11 crore citizens of Maharashtra than the CAA," it said.
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Cross-border narcotics network busted in Jammu; most-wanted drug lord arrested
Jammu, Apr 15 (PTI): The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday said a major narcotics network with interstate and cross-border links was busted with the arrest of most-wanted drug kingpin Gulzar Ahmad alias Lau Gujjar along with several of his associates.
Senior Superintendent of Police (Jammu) Joginder Singh said Gujjar had been supplying narcotics in bulk quantities across the region, and evading capture for more than two decades, terming his arrest a major breakthrough.
"He was a hardcore criminal and a key figure in the drug supply chain. His network has now been fully identified and dismantled," the SSP told reporters here.
He said Gujjar entered the criminal world as a bovine smuggler in 2006 before launching himself into drug trade around 2016, and scaling up operations by 2019.
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A Pakistan-made pistol was recovered from his possession at the time of his arrest on April 4, the SSP said, adding that three of his associated were also arrested and more than 700 grams of heroin was seized.
Interrogation of around 10 more suspects linked to the network is underway, while around two dozen other suspects have been identified and are under surveillance, he said.
SSP Singh said a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by a superintendent of police rank officer has been constituted to probe the case, who would examine forward and backward linkages of the network including financial trails and assets created through illicit trade.
The police are trying to ascertain the source and the routes through which these illicit supplies entered India -- whether through Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir or through other border areas, he said.
Singh said the weapon recovered from the accused drug lord indicates a Pakistan link. "We are investigating that aspect as well, pointing towards broader narco-terror angle."
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The SSP said Gujjar was wanted in at least 28 cases in Jammu district alone and dozens of FIRs are registered against him in other states under different identities.
Highlighting the crackdown against drug syndicates, he said police have so far registered 103 cases related to drug peddling in Jammu district this year.
Out of these, nine cases involve commercial quantities of contraband.
Nearly 11 kg of heroin has been seized, along with poppy husk, ganja, controlled medication capsules, and other such contraband, he said, adding around 20 driving licences have been cancelled, and nearly 200 vehicles linked to drug activities have been blacklisted.
