RIGHTS VS RESPONSIBILITIES: PM MODI'S MESSAGE FOR PROTESTERS Days after his Ramlila Maidan address where he said there was no talk of NRC and that the Opposition was spreading "pernicious" rumours to instigate protesters against the new citizenship law, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday cited the violence and vandalism in a section of the protests to distinguish between "rights" and "responsibilities". Targeting those who resorted to violence and damaged public property in Uttar Pradesh during protests, Modi said they should "ask themselves if their path was right." At least 17 people have been killed and scores injured, including policemen, during protests across the state amid a police crackdown. Speaking in Lucknow, Modi said while people have the right (adhikar) to education, healthcare and secure environment, they also have duties (kartavya) and responsibilities (dayitva) towards teachers, doctors and the police force. He said as the nation moves toward the 75th year of Independence, it is the need of the hour - "samay ki maang. waqt ki maang" - that emphasis be given not just on citizen rights but also duties and responsibilities. "Haq ki ek maryada hai, ek dayera hai, seema hai, lekin dayitva, kartavya ki bhavna bahut vyapak hai (right has sanctity, boundary, limit but responsibility and duty are broad)," he said. "I am saying this because in Uttar Pradesh the way some people resorted to violence in the name of protests. and damaged government property. they should sit at home and ask themselves if their path was right. Whatever was torched, was it not for their child's use? How must have the injured common people and policemen felt?". Referring to Article 370 as "purani bimari" (old disease) which his government "inherited" along with other "social, economic and political problems and challenges", the Prime Minister said it was settled "easily". The Ram Janmabhoomi issue, he said, was also resolved peacefully. On the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, Modi said granting citizenship to those who came to India from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to "save the dignity of their daughters" was another problem, but 130 crore Indians found a solution. No matter how great the challenge, he said, "it is in our nature to challenge the challenge". ROHTANG TUNNEL NAMED AFTER ATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE On the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Wednesday (December 25), Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Rohtang Tunnel, which will connect Manali in Himachal Pradesh with Leh, Ladakh, and Jammu Kashmir, will be known as Atal Tunnel. The strategic tunnel would change the fortunes of the region, and would help promote tourism, the PM said. The decision to construct a strategic tunnel below the Rohtang Pass was taken by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a government release issued on Wednesday said. The tunnel is expected to be ready for an official inauguration by September 2020. Upon completion, the 8.8 km-long tunnel will be the world's longest highway tunnel at an altitude of above 10,000 feet (3,000 metres). It is a 10.5 m-wide single tube, a bi-lane tunnel with a fireproof emergency tunnel built into the main tunnel itself. The 10.5-m width includes a 1-metre footpath on both sides. Vehicles will travel at a maximum speed of 80 km per hour inside the tunnel. Up to 3,000 cars and 1,500 trucks are expected to use the tunnel every day. Cutting through the mighty Pir Panjal range, the tunnel will reduce the distance between Manali and Leh by 46 kilometres, and save crores of rupees in transport costs. It will also provide all-weather connectivity to remote border areas of Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh, which otherwise remained cut off from the rest of the country for about six months. The project has significant strategic implications for the military. Once the tunnel is operational, the forces will have access beyond the Rohtang Pass even in peak winter. CLEAR LINK CONNECTS CITIZENSHIP ACT, NRC AND NPR, SAYS PRASHANT KISHOR Janata Dal(U) vice-president Prashant Kishor termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement - on there being no discussions on the National Register of Citizens (NRC) within the government - a "tactical retreat" because of widespread protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the BJP's commitment to a nation-wide NRC. He said there was a straight connection between the CAA, the NRC and the National Population Register (NPR). "As far as this whole effort to separate the National Population Register (NPR) and NRC too, let me explain how they are connected. If you knead dough to make bread, you may say that the two - kneading and making bread - are separate processes; you may not finally bake the bread. But the kneading of the dough is an announcement of the intent to bake bread. So the whole idea of saying that the NPR process is not connected to NRC is useless. If you want to dispel doubts, say plainly that there will be no NRC after the NPR process. Currently the government has only said that there have been no discussions over the NRC. Neither Prime Minister Modi nor Home Minister Amit Shah has said there will not be any NRC, while the Cabinet has cleared a budget for NPR," he said. The JD(U) leader was also sharply critical of the Congress for not going the whole hog on the CAA-NRC issue. "All I am saying is that if you are so opposed, what is stopping the Congress president from issuing a single line official statement that States under Congress rule will not implement NRC?" he asked. On the current issues surrounding the CAA, he said the roots were in the 2003 amendments to the Act, which tasked the government with preparing an NRC. Kishor questioned why the Congress had not repealed the amendment when it held power between 2004 and 2014. "Beyond 2014, in the last couple of days we are hearing from Congress leaders that Prime Minister Modi and Mr. Shah have contradicted their own stance, after having declared their intention of carrying through the NRC. Show me, even one occasion when the Congress has protested when Mr. Modi and Mr. Shah made these public statements of their intent to go through with the NRC. 

27 AFGHAN PEACE ACTIVISTS ABDUCTED BY THE TALIBAN Taliban militants have kidnapped 27 peace activists from a highway in Afghanistan's western Farah province, local officials and peace activists said on Wednesday. Massoud Bakhtawar, the Deputy Governor of Farah, said the activists were travelling in six cars from Herat to Farah on Tuesday evening when their convoy was stopped by the Taliban on a highway and taken to an unknown location. Bismillah Watandost, a member of the group, said the activists had planned to travel to various parts of Farah to call for peace and a ceasefire between the warring parties in Afghanistan. The group, People's Peace Movement, was formed to protest against violent attacks after a car bomb exploded at a sport stadium in Helmand province last year killing 17 civilians. The activists have travelled to various parts of the country, often marching through Taliban-controlled areas to demand a ceasefire between the Taliban and the Afghan government. The Taliban has previously accused the activists of being financed by the Kabul government, which the group has denied. WILL FIGHT CHINA'S POWER OF GUN WITH TRUTH: DALAI LAMA The Dalai Lama on Wednesday vowed that Tibetan Buddhists will continue to fight with "the power of truth" the communist regime in China which, according to him, thrived on the "power of the gun". The Tibetan spiritual leader made the statement at the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, the place where Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment more than two millennia ago. "A survey conducted three years ago has shown a massive rise in the number of Tibetan Buddhists in China. We have the power of truth while the communist regime in China has the power of the gun," he said. ASSAM: BJP TAKES OUT A PEACE MARCH As protests against the new citizenship law continued in Assam, the BJP on Wednesday took out a peace march in Barpeta district. The party's march was led by state finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Assam BJP president Ranjeet Dass. "It is being said that the BJP will bring foreigners. From where will the BJP bring foreigners? No foreigner' [who came to India] after December 2014 will become Indian citizen [by the new law].," Sarma told the gathering. He added that he was sure that after 2014, when Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister, "not even an ant" has dared to cross into Assam illegally. Sarma lashed out against the Congress and held it responsible for illegal migration into Assam prior to 2014. "We had to bring in the Citizenship (Amendment) Act for the Hindu, Buddhist, Christian people who have come into Assam from 1972 to 2014. And during whose rule did they come in? During the Congress days and not the days of Sarbananda Sonowal and PM Narendra Modi. You let them come, and the Hindus you have allowed to come, how can we chase them away?" "The whole problem has been created due to the weak leadership of the Congress.If the Congress had such strong policy, then no one would have had to leave their home and come to India," he said. Meanwhile, protests against the new citizenship law continued across the state, with people taking out cultural demonstrations, protest marches and rallies. UP POLICE USE PROTEST PHOTOS TO CHURN OUT 'REWARD POSTERS' OF SUSPECTS Cracking down on people they suspect were behind the violence in Uttar Pradesh during protests against the new citizenship law, police have put out multiple reward posters in Kanpur, Firozabad and Mau. Notices warning of property attachment have been issued in Gorakhpur while in Bijnor, police have announced a reward of Rs 25,000 each for information on three wanted persons. In Firozabad and Gorakhpur, police have circulated photographs of wanted persons on WhatsApp and Facebook, seeking information on their whereabouts. In the reward posters displayed at public places, police have appealed to the public for information on "miscreants" and promised not to disclose the identity of any person who helps police. At least 17 people have been killed in protests across the state. According to an official at the DGP Headquarters, police have so far registered 213 cases and arrested 925 people. On the use of photographs in reward posters, advocate Sarim Naved, who practises at the Supreme Court, said: "In cases related to protests, when an FIR is registered, it is common practice for police to invoke Section 186 of the IPC (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions). And police put out such posters, asking people to identify unknown accused persons. It is legally admissible in such circumstances." YEDI U-TURN ON PAYOUT The Rs 10 lakh ex gratia announced by the Karnataka government to the families of two persons killed in the police firing during anti-CAA protests in Mangaluru has been put on hold till investigations are completed, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said on Wednesday. Soon after the December 19 incident, the state government announced an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh each to the next of kin of those killed in the firing. "We have not decided yet to give the ex gratia to the family members of those killed in the police firing because giving criminals exgratia is an unpardonable crime in itself. "Earlier, the government had decided to give them compensation, but now we have put it on hold," Yediyurappa told reporters after a marathon meeting with the senior officials of the Dakshina Kannada district. He said he has directed the police to identify the hooligans who rioted on December 19, book cases against them and initiate stringent action. "It is now clear that it (Mangaluru riot) was a conspiracy. People tried to barge into the armoury of the police station. We are not going to spare anybody," Yediyurappa said. He said, "Evidence clearly show their (rioters) involvement in the arson and loot." MODI LAUNCHES ATAL BHUJAL SCHEME FOR BETTER MANAGEMENT OF GROUNDWATER Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched the Atal Bhujal Scheme for better management of groundwater, stressing on the need to use technology which helps prevent wastage of water in various spheres, including agriculture. Urging farmers to switch over to crops that used less water, he exhorted people not to waste the precious natural resource in daily household needs. He urged start-ups to come up with technology to ensure minimal use of water for various needs. Modi said only three crore out of 18 crore rural households today had clean, piped water. The plan, he said, is to provide the remaining 15 crore rural households with piped water in the next five years. SLOWDOWN PUTS A QUESTION MARK ON 14 PER CENT GST COMPENSATION As the Centre grapples with lower GST collections, a fresh tension now engulfs the Union Finance Minister-chaired GST Council with a certain section questioning the assumption of a 14 per cent "high" revenue growth rate covered by a compensation mechanism mentioned in the Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Act. With inflation hovering around 4-5 per cent and India's growth expected to be 5-6 per cent, it will be difficult for the Union government to provide compensation to states at 14 per cent annualised rate. With an increase in GST rate ruled out for now, the focus has shifted to the actual growth rate of taxes collected by states, but subsumed under GST since July 2017. In the three years preceding 2015-16, the growth rate in taxes for non-special category states was just 8.9 per cent. This is significantly lower than the 14 per cent growth rate assumed over the 2015-16 base year while committing compensation. VIDEO CLAIMS COPS ASKED STUDENTS TO VACATE HOSTELS AT MUKHERJEE NAGAR; FAKE, SAY DELHI POLICE A video of Delhi Police officials allegedly asking students in Mukherjee Nagar to vacate their hostels and Pay guest accommodations from December 25- January 2 has gone viral. In the viral video, the officer is purportedly telling people that PGs, libraries, coaching centres and restaurants in Mukherjee Nagar will be shut from December 24 evening to January 2. He advises students to book tickets and leave for their homes, considering it their winter break. The officer is also heard telling the crowd that the law and order situation is critical in Delhi, section 144 of the Criminal Penal Code has been imposed and warns of severe action against those who would create any kind of nuisance. Delhi Police however claims that the video was "fake" and that it was "doctored". GIVE WRONG NPR DATA: EXHORTS ARUNDHATI ROY Author-activist Arundhati Roy on Wednesday claimed that the National Population Register (NPR) will serve as a database for the NRC and asked people to oppose the former by furnishing wrong names and addresses. Addressing a protest gathering at Delhi University, she said that officials will visit people's homes under NPR exercise for taking their names, addresses and other details. "They will visit your homes, take your name, phone number and ask for documents like Aadhaar and driving licences. The NPR will become database of NRC. "We need to fight against it and have a plan. When they visit your home for NPR, and ask for your name give them some different name... .For address say 7 RCR. A lot of subversion will be needed, we are not born to face lathis and bullets," she told the protest meeting. Roy said that those protesting against the amended Citizenship Act and the NRC need to work for getting a "proper commitment" from various states that they will not implement these measures. She alleged that after widespread protests against the CAA and NRC in the country, the government has been trying to push the provisions of NRC and CAA through NPR. TENDULKAR'S SECURITY CUT, THACKERAY JR'S UP Batting legend Sachin Tendulkar's security cover has been downgraded, while that of Shiv Sena MLA Aaditya Thackeray upgraded to 'Z' category, an official said on Wednesday. The changes in security cover were made after a review was undertaken by a Maharashtra government committee on threat perception to them, he said. Besides Tendulkar and Aaditya Thackeray, security cover of more than 90 prominent citizens were reviewed by the committee at a recent meeting, the official said. Tendulkar, a Bharat Ratna awardee, till now enjoyed X category security which has been withdrawn, he said. Under X category, a policeman used to guard the 46-year-old cricketer round-the-clock, the official said. However, the former Rajya Sabha member will be given a police escort whenever he steps out of his home, he said. Aaditya Thackeray, the son of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, has been given 'Z' security cover, meaning more personnel will be guarding him now, the official said. LEANDER PAES, 46, SAYS 2020 WILL BE HIS LAST YEAR AS PROFESSIONAL "One last roar," pens Leander Paes, along with the customary hashtag that dominates social media. It's the language of new-age netspeak that the 46-year-old - a man born in an era where colour televisions were a novelty and the sport of tennis wasn't even a part of the Olympic programme - has kept up with. It's been the same with how he has handled his tennis, staying abreast with new developments in racquet technology and sport science to aid his longevity. But the wear and tear of the 28 years of playing as a professional was inevitable. What wasn't surprising was that Paes, the oldest player currently on tour, chose twitter to announce his intention of hanging his racquet at the end of the 2020 season. "I want to announce 2020 as my farewell year as a pro tennis player," he writes. "I am looking forward to the 2020 tennis calendar where I will be playing a few select tournaments, traveling with my team and celebrating with all my friends and fans around the world. It is all of you who have inspired me to become me and I want to take this year to say 'thank you' to you." The last few years have been tough on Paes. He won his last Grand Slam in 2016 (mixed doubles with Martina Hingis in French Open) and last tour title at Auckland with South African Raven Klaasen a year earlier. He reached the final of two Challenger events this year, but for the first time in 19 years, the former world no 1 dropped out of the top 100 - he currently sits on 105. Regardless of the slump, his career has been the most decorated among all Indians.