Here are the top 5 news updates of January 28, 2021:
The Bombay High Court (Nagpur Bench) has ruled that "unzipping pants or holding a minor's hand" does not amount to 'sexual assault' under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. This came on the original complaint filed by a woman who came to her home one afternoon and found the accused with his pants unzipped flashing his private parts as he held the hand of her 5-year-old daughter and asked her to come to bed with him.
When she saw this, she hurled abuses at him after which he released her daughter, who later informed her that the accused wanted her to get into bed and sleep with him. The verdict by Justice Pushpa V. Ganediwala came in a criminal appeal against the conviction and imprisonment of one year and five-year jail plus fines under different laws, awarded to the 50-year-old man for molesting the 5-year-old girl, by the Special Judge of Special POCSO Court, Gadchiroli, in October 2020.
In view of the constant protest of the farmers demanding repealing of the farm laws, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during the second day of West Bengal Assembly session urged everyone to hit the streets and force the BJP led Central government to repeal the farm laws. Mamata also alleged that the BJP is purposely maligning the protesting farmers by calling them ‘anti-nationals’.
“If the farmers suffer there will be food shortage across the country. The farm bills will not just affect Haryana and Punjab but will also have impact on Bengal so the BJP government should revoke the farm laws immediately,” said Mamata and added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should immediately resign if the laws are not repealed.
Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad today announced that 16 opposition political parties will be boycotting President Ram Nath Kovind's address to a joint sitting of Parliament on Friday, the first day of the budget session. "We are issuing a statement from 16 political parties that we are boycotting President's address that is scheduled to be delivered at Parliament tomorrow. The major reason behind this decision is that the farm laws were passed forcibly in the House, without Opposition," Azad told news agency ANI.
The Budget session of Parliament will begin on January 29 with an address by President Ram Nath Kovind. The Union Budget will be presented on February 1. The first part of the session will continue till February 15. The second part of the session will be held from March 8 to April 8.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar today said the standoff between the Indian Army and the People's Liberation Army in Ladakh last year at the Galwan Valley along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) has 'profoundly' disturbed India-China relations.
"For all the differences and disagreements we may have had on the boundary, the central fact was that border areas still remained fundamentally peaceful. The last loss of life before 2020 was as far back in 1971 that is why the events in eastern Ladakh last year, have so profoundly disturbed the relationship," he said while speaking at the 13th All India Conference of China Studies.
A day after Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi demanded that Mumbai be made part of his state, his Maharashtra counterpart Ajit Pawar today said everyone knows that the metropolis belongs to Maharashtra and that it would always remain its part. Savadi had on Wednesday said Mumbai should be made part of Karnataka and urged the Centre to declare it a Union Territory until then.
His remarks came after Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said that areas dominated by Marathi-speaking people on the state's border with Karnataka should be declared a Union Territory till the Supreme Court gives its final verdict on the issue. Talking to reporters, Ajit Pawar said, "He (Savadi) took Mumbai's name to appease the people of Karnataka after our chief minister (Uddhav Thackeray) made the remarks." "Mumbai belongs to Maharashtra. It was ours yesterday, is ours today and will be ours in the future too. Nobody can change this. Everyone knows it. Hence, there is no need to pay attention to what he said. In my opinion, he should be neglected," he said.
(With input from agencies)
