Left, Right & Centre

Defying their advanced age, grandmothers are protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens in Delhi's cold weather conditions. In an exclusive chat with NDTV, they said they would not present any papers to prove their citizenship. Hundreds of people in south Delhi's Shaheen Bagh ushered in the New Year, amid the biting cold, with a protest against the amended citizenship law that fast-tracks the process of giving citizenship to persecuted non-Muslims from three neighbouring countries. The protest, mostly led by women, has been going on for over two weeks and also at a time when Delhi recorded its second-coldest December in 118 years.

New Army chief talks to NDTV on the real challenges. He talks about 'eventual solution' on China border issue. He says that the northern border requires more attention. And also says Army has been apolitical and will be apolitical. Today on Left, Right and Centre, we discuss what the new Army chief said.

The Kerala Assembly on Tuesday passed a resolution demanding scrapping of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which was cleared by both Houses of Parliament last month. The resolution is the first such move by a state against the CAA. The Kerala resolution called the CAA unconstitutional. Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad later said that Parliament has the complete power to pass laws regarding citizenship, state governments are bound to follow mandate of the Constitution. So today on Left, Right and Centre, we discuss what is constitutional and what is not?

On Left, Right and Centre, singer and activist TM Krishna, amid widespread protests over the new citizenship law, says that some of them were afraid to call themselves nationalists. "To say that this is not about Muslims in India is a blatant lie. Just look at the NRC, look at what happened in Assam," TM Krishna said on the new law drawing parallels to the citizens list in Assam. (Video courtesy @Karwanemohabbat)

Professor Irfan Habib responds to the Kerala Governor's allegations on the events at the inaugural session of the Indian History Congress where the Governor's shocking comments triggered spontaneous protests from delegates.

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan's speech in defence of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act at an event drew sharp protest from some in the audience. His then made deeply offensive comments on them, describing those protesting against the new citizenship law as "dirty, stinking potholes" who were left behind in India after its partition. "I said in my speech that I came to the event in the belief that this was a ceremonial and formal session. And contentious political issues will not be raised. But the issues were raised... My duty as Governor is to preserve, protect and defend the constitution and law. Should I chicken out... should I not defend Act passed by parliament?" Mr Khan told NDTV about his comment at a meeting of the Indian History Congress in Kerala's Kannur.

When Army Chief General Bipin Rawat commented on the protests against the Citizenship Act, retired officers have said they are deeply troubled by the politicisation of India's armed forces. We are not Pakistan. Should the Chief of an avowedly apolitical force - the Indian Army - be making comments on the Citizenship Amendment Act? What remains unclear is how top military leaders can make these remarks unless they have been cleared by the government?

As of tonight, 21 people have been killed in protests that raged through Uttar Pradesh against the Citizenship Act. Reports have come in of over 1,000 arrested, over 5,000 detained. The images and evidence has emerged of a near-rampage by the men in khaki and have only stoked a burning controversy: Are those enforcing the law, breaking it? The government and the police have defended their actions, saying they are going by the rule book, but are they?

More disturbing images emerge from Uttar Pradesh, where a posse of policemen can be seen storming a Muslim locality in Kanpur. This comes even as more harrowing accounts from distraught families came to light, contradicting the police's 'no firing' claim.

An NDTV investigation: Who is behind the violence that erupted in Delhi's Jamia area 11 days ago? The government has repeatedly blamed the opposition for it. The police had, controversially, entered the Jamia campus, suggesting the role of students in the violence. But NDTV's deep dive finds a police investigation that is riddled with confusion, with the police taking aim at multiple targets - from the ruling party's political rivals, to petty criminals.

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh discusses his book "A Chequered Brilliance: The Many Lives Of V.K. Krishna Menon", and also talks about the Citizenship Act and the NRC, on NDTV. When asked about his views on NRC and Citizenship Act, he said that NRC places an intolerable burden on the poor and vulnerable sections and how Pan-India NRC is a recipe for disaster.

The Shiromani Akali Dal, an ally of the ruling BJP, is "totally against the NRC" (National Register of Citizens) and wants Muslims to be included in the list of refugees seeking citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, or CAA, party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Gujral told NDTV today. "(We) feel the Muslim community should be included in the citizenship law," Mr Gujral said, explaining that the Akali Dal's position on the CAA was a "dilemma" because of Sikhs who had fled religious persecution and had been living in the country without citizenship.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi says the NRC has not been discussed by his government after 2014 despite repeated references to all-India NRC by Home Minister Amit Shah. BJP MP Rakesh Sinha says that the Home Minister has not announced a schedule or a charter for NRC and it is surprising to see people call it a fascist measure.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury has said there is deliberate lack of clarity from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the National Register of Citizens (NRC). He said PM Modi must clarify in parliament if his government has chosen to abandon the NRC process. Mr Yechury accused the government of playing a double game on the NRC with PM Modi contradicting what his Home Minister Amit Shah has said repeatedly on going ahead with a nation-wide NRC. The CPM leader criticised PM Modi for his "silence" on the economic crisis, inflation and unemployment.

Trinamool Congress MP Kakoli Ghosh has criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his comments on the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Delhi. Mr Ghosh questioned how PM Modi can contradict multiple statements on the NRC by his Home Minister Amit Shah. The Trinamool MP said the detention of her colleagues by the Uttar Pradesh government was "deplorable" and "undemocratic". A Trinamool Congress delegation that flew to Lucknow to meet the families of those who died in the violence over the protest against the amended citizenship law was stopped at the airport.