UNEASE IN NEW DELHI OVER IRANIAN GENERAL's ASSASSINATION FALLOUTHours after the killing of Iran's top military commander, General QassemSoleimani, in an American drone strike in Baghdad Friday, India urgedrestraint and called for de-escalation.There's apparently a deep unease about how far the ripples from this sharpspike in US-Iran tensions will extend across the region, and impact India.One part of that question was answered after Iran warned of retaliation,with jitters on Dalal Street over the potential for an oil shock. The stockmarket fell by over a hundred points, but more telling was the rupee's38-paise drop around the same time to the US dollar. India's oil import billin 2018-19 was $111.9 billion. And the new geopolitical tensions could nothave come at a worse time, when the economy is crawling at 4.5 per cent GDPgrowth in Q2 this fiscal year.With Iran vowing revenge, a possible widening of the US-Iran conflict, fromSaudi Arabia to Afghanistan and Pakistan, will not leave India unaffected.At time when India's oil ties with Iran have been stalled by Americansanctions, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited the US last monthalong with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for the 2+2 dialogue to strengthendefence ties. Days after meeting President Donald Trump in Washington,Jaishankar went to Tehran for "joint commission" talks with his counterpartJavad Zarif. The two sides agreed to "accelerate" work on the Chabahar port,which is India's big ticket hedge against Pakistan and China, and thegateway to a land route through Iran to Afghanistan and central Asia. Indiais reported to have got a "written assurance" from the US that it willfacilitate bank loans for the project.PINARAYI ASKS 11 CMS TO GO KERALA WAY, CAPTAIN FLAGS SECURITY RISK OF CAAThree days after the Kerala Assembly passed a resolution demanding scrappingof the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan wroteletters Friday to 11 non-BJP Chief Ministers, including Nitish Kumar ofBihar, urging them to consider similar steps against the citizenship law andthe National Population Register exercise.Coming out in support of the Kerala Assembly resolution, Punjab ChiefMinister Amarinder Singh, in an open letter to Union Law Minister RaviShankar Prasad who had advised states opposed to CAA to seek better legaladvice, raised security concerns saying the CAA could "be misused forinfiltration into our country, particularly in the border states, convertingthis misguided legislation into a national security threat".Underlining the "need to stand united", Vijayan sent letters to the ChiefMinisters of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, MadhyaPradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Puducherry, Rajasthan and West Bengal. He pointedto the Kerala government's decision to suspend all activities of the NPR inthe state and for taking up a resolution that ultimately received supportfrom all MLAs except O Rajagopal, the lone BJP legislator.NOT AN INCH ON CAA: AMIT SHAHAmit Shah on Friday said the govt.won't backtrack even an inch" on theCitizenship (Amendment) Act, iterating his firmness on the legislation as hegeared up for a door-to-door campaign to exhibit support for the law in aneffort seen as a majoritarian counter-offensive.The BJP chief and Union home minister, who had earlier said he and hisgovernment were firm like a rock ("chattan ki tarha") on the CAA, was onFriday addressing a rally at Jodhpur in Congress-ruled Rajasthan. In Delhi,the BJP announced a fresh campaign led by Shah, shaking off any sign ofconciliation in view of intensifying protests against the new law andinstead seeking to sharpen the divide."The Congress, Mamata (Banerjee), SP-BSP, (Arvind) Kejriwal, communists, sabiska virodh kar rahe hai (all are opposing the CAA)," Shah said, and thenthrew a "chunauti (challenge)"."Rahul baba, if you have read the law, come and debate with me and if notthen I am willing to translate it (the CAA) in Italian and give you," theBJP president said, accusing the Opposition of spreading the "falsehood"that the amended law would take away citizenship."Yeh sab parties ekattha ho jaayen lekin ek inch bhi wapas nahi jaayenge(Let all these parties unite but we will not backtrack even an inch)," Shahtold the crowd.He, however, was silent on the NRC although he had earlier been pushing itaggressively.The rally was organised by the BJP as part of the "janjagran(mass-awakening)" campaign launched by the party over the CAA. In his speechShah justified the campaign, saying that in a democracy the rulers too havethe right to go to the people and present its version.At the Jodhpur rally, Shah repeated all the ideologically driven contentiousdecisions of the Modi government, underlining how the Congress and RahulGandhi had opposed them. Shah named Article 370, the construction of a grandRam temple, the Balakot airstrikes, the surgical strike and instant tripletalaq, and each time asked the crowd whether it was the right decision andadded that "the Congress and Rahul baba" had opposed them.OUTRAGE OVER STONING AT NANKANA SAHIB GURDWARA, INDIA ASKS PAK TO ACTTension mounted in Nankana Sahib in Pakistan and there was outrage in Indiaafter a mob, led by the family of a Muslim man who had married a Sikhteenage girl, hurled stones at Gurdwara Janam Asthan, the birth place ofGuru Nanak Dev, and threatened to convert it into a mosque.Police said the family was protesting the arrest of their relatives foralleged forced conversion of the girl."We call upon the Government of Pakistan to take immediate steps to ensurethe safety, security, and welcome of the members of the Sikh community.Strong action must be taken against the miscreants who indulged indisecration of the holy Gurudwara and attacked members of the minority Sikhcommunity," said the press statement issued by the Ministry of ExternalAffairs.IMRAN KHAN SHARES WRONG VIDEO ON TWITTER, DELETES IT LATERPakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday shared an old video showing theRapid Action Battalion of Bangladesh police attacking unarmed men, andpassed it off as "Indian police's pogrom against Muslims in UP".The official Twitter handle of the Pakistani PM deleted the tweet after itwas pointed out that the video was of Bangladesh."Tweet Fake News. Get Caught. Delete Tweet. Repeat," Ministry of ExternalAffairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted with hashtag 'Old habits diehard'.UP police also reacted. "This is not from U.P, but from a May 2013 incidentin Dhaka, Bangladesh." it tweeted.TEHRAN PROMISES 'HARSH RETALIATION', US AND ISRAEL BRACE FOR REVENGE ATTACKSIran vowed "harsh retaliation" for a US drone strike near Baghdad's airportthat killed a top Iranian general who had been the architect of itsinterventions across the Middle East, and the US announced Friday it wassending more troops to the region as tensions soared in the wake of thetargeted killing.The killing of General Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite QudsForce, marks a major escalation in the standoff between Washington and Iran,which has careened from one crisis to another since President Donald Trumpwithdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and imposed crippling sanctions.The United States said it was sending nearly 3,000 more Army troops to theMiddle East and urged American citizens to leave Iraq "immediately"following the early morning airstrike at Baghdad's international airportthat Iran's state TV said killed Soleimani and nine others.The US State Department said the embassy in Baghdad, which was attacked byIran-backed militiamen and their supporters earlier this week, is closed andall consular services have been suspended. US embassies also issued asecurity alert for Americans in Lebanon, Bahrain Kuwait and Nigeria.Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that "harsh retaliationis waiting" for the US after the airstrike, calling Soleimani the"international face of resistance". Khamenei declared three days of publicmourning.AIM OF KILLING IRANIAN GENERAL WAS TO 'STOP A WAR': TRUMPPresident Donald Trump on Friday called Iran's Qasem Soleimani the world's"number-one terrorist", who had a hand in plots across the world from NewDelhi to London, and said he ordered his killing to "stop a war" and notstart one. Trump said Soleimani was "plotting imminent and sinister attackson American diplomats and military personnel". But like all other Americanofficials who said so before him, he provided no evidence. One seniorofficial cited Soleimani's presence in Baghdad as proof enough. "He's notthere on vacation," he told reporters.Trump's reference to New Delhi as targeted by Soleimani caught Indians bysurprise."Soleimani made the death of innocent people his sick passion, contributingto terrorist plots as far away as New Delhi and London," Trump said, as seenby some experts, to address audiences outside the United States and claimand convey global salience of the strike ordered by him. Trump was referringto the February 13, 2012, bombing of a car carrying the wife of an Israelidiplomat in New Delhi, while she was on her way to collect their childrenfrom school. Several people were wounded, but no one died.Meanwhile, a fresh air strike hit pro-Iran fighters in Iraq early Saturday.A police source said the bombardment north of Baghdad left "dead andwounded," without providing a specific toll. There was no immediate commentfrom the US.DE-ESCALATE TENSIONS, CRY WORLD LEADERSChina on Friday appealed for restraint from all sides, "especially theUnited States"."China has always opposed the use of force in international relations,"Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a daily pressbriefing. "We urge the relevant sides, especially the United States, toremain calm and exercise restraint to avoid further escalating tensions,"Geng said."The killing of Soleimani.... was an adventurist step that will increasetensions throughout the region," news agencies RIA Novosti and TASS quotedthe Russian foreign ministry as saying.The US killing of a top Iranian military commander has made the world "moredangerous", France's Europe minister said Friday, calling for efforts tode-escalate the deepening conflict in the Middle East. "We have woken up toa more dangerous world," Amelie de Montchalin said, maintaining PresidentEmmanuel Macron would consult soon with "players in the region".NEW ARMY CHIEF WANTS PAK TO MAKE PEACE WITH ABROGATION OF ARTICLE 370Claiming that abrogation of Article 370 came as a 'rude shock' to Pakistan,Army chief Manoj Mukund Naravane on Thursday advised neighbours to makepeace with India's decision and said that the clock cannot be turned back."The violations have seen a spurt since August last year for obviousreasons. The abrogation of Article 370 came as a rude shock to ourneighbours. They are trying to show that they have a stake in whatever isgoing on, and that is the reason for the spike in violations. Pakistancannot sustain this for too long, realisation will don that this is a donedeal and the clock cannot be turned back. Once they realise this, there willbe a reduction in such ceasefire violations," Naravane said in an interviewto CNN-News18.When asked about a time frame before situation could completely normalise inKashmir, the Army chief said that putting a definitive period was difficultbut efforts were on by the force to "win hearts and minds of the people, andthere would soon be fair degree of success and impact".GOVT READIES PROVISIONS TO PROTECT JOBS AND LAND RIGHTS IN J&KFive months after the scrapping of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu andKashmir into two Union Territories, the Ministry of Home Affairs is likelyto finalise provisions to protect jobs and land ownership of people in J&Kin the next few days."It is almost finalised, we are just discussing the procedure: whether thestate administration alone can notify it or we need to approve it," a topofficial in the Ministry said.For protection of jobs in the new UT, a provision to make domicile of atleast 15 years in the erstwhile state will be introduced. "Several stateshave such provisions for protection of jobs for locals," the official said,adding this provision will also be applicable for admission to educationalinstitutions in J&K.For protection of land ownership in J&K, a handful of provisions, theofficial said, are being considered which include land ownership protectionregimes in force in states such as Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. "Thereare provisions in several states that agricultural land cannot be acquired.Similarly, there is protection provided for people in Himachal andUttarakhand. All of these are under consideration," the official said.AFTER CAA, GOVT'S NEXT MOVE ON DEPORTING ROHINGYA: JITENDRA SINGHAfter getting the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) passed in Parliament,the government's next move would be regarding the deportation of Rohingyarefugees, Minister of State in the PMO Dr Jitendra Singh said on Friday.The Rohingya are Muslim refugees from Myanmar who have accused the regimethere of mass murder, rape and arson. Thousands of Rohingya have fled toBangladesh, and some have also come to India."We have a sizeable population of Rohingya here.What will be the plan oftheir deportation, the Centre is concerned about it. Lists will be made andif needed, their biometric certificates will also be taken, because the CAAdoes not give any leverage to Rohangiya. They do not belong to any of thosethree countries and those six minorities," said Singh. He added, "They wouldnot be able to secure citizenship by any means."The minister said that it was for "analysts and researchers" to find out howthe Rohingya reached Jammu from Myanmar.UP SSP'S REPORT IN PUBLIC, SAYS TOP OFFICERS IN TRANSFER-FOR-CASH NEXUSThe Uttar Pradesh Police finds itself at the centre of a storm with theDirector General of Police seeking an explanation Friday from Gautam BuddhNagar SSP Vaibhav Krishna for allegedly leaking details of a report thatlevels serious allegations, including bribery for postings, against toppolice officers of the state.The details of the report prepared by Krishna were made public after apurported video sex chat featuring him began doing the rounds. Krishna saidthe video was morphed and was an attempt to tarnish his credibility since hehad sought to expose a criminal nexus involving top officers and arrestedjournalists.A month before the video surfaced, a confidential report had been sent byKrishna to the offices of the Chief Minister and DGP, highlighting analleged nexus between senior IPS officers and journalists to influencetransfer postings, even cases and arrests in exchange for money.The report had been prepared by Krishna following the arrest of journalistsSushil Pandit, Udit Goyal, Chandan Rai and Nitesh Pandey by Gautam BuddhNagar police for alleged publication of fake news about police officers,involvement in illegal land occupation, seeking money for favours, andintimidation.During investigation against the four, their alleged conversations withsenior police officers about payment for postings came to light. Details ofthe calls records and copies of chats were attached with the report thatKrishna sent to the CMO and DGP office.After the video featuring him did the rounds, Krishna said: "It is because Iexposed several important nexus between high profile officers andjournalists, attempts were made by anti-social elements to malign my image.The videos are baseless and they have no merit. I will go to the bottom ofthis conspiracy and find out the truth."DON'T PUNISH A CHILD FOR MARRYING A FEMALE ADULT, SAYS SUPREME COURTThe anti-child marriage law does not intend to punish a male aged between 18and 21 years for marrying a "female adult," the Supreme Court has held in arecent judgment.A Bench led by Justice Mohan M. Shantanagoudar was interpreting Section 9 ofthe Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, which says: "whoever, being amale adult above 18 years of age, contracts a child marriage shall bepunishable with rigorous imprisonment which may extend to two years or withfine which may extend to one lakh rupees or with both."The court said neither does the provision punish a child for marrying awoman nor a woman for marrying a male child. The latter because "in asociety like ours, decisions regarding marriage are usually taken by thefamily members of the bride and groom, and women generally have little sayin the matter."The sole objective of the provision is to punish a man for marrying a minorgirl. "The intention behind punishing only male adults contracting childmarriages is to protect minor girls," the court reasoned.It said the 2006 Act also gives an option for prospective grooms who arebetween 18 and 21 years old to opt out of marriages.ADANI PORTS TO ACQUIRE 75% STAKE IN KRISHNAPATNAM PORTAdani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ), one of the country's largestprivate port operators, on Friday announced acquisition of 75 per cent stakein Andhra Pradesh-based Krishnapatnam Port Company for an enterprise valueof Rs 13,572 crore.The proposed acquisition is the largest by APSEZ so far and would be fundedthrough internal accruals and existing cash balance, the Gautam Adani-ledcompany said in an exchange filing."This acquisition would accelerate our stride towards FY25 vision ofhandling 400 million tonnes (mt) cargo. Given the best-in-classinfrastructure and the distinct hinterland catered by Krishnapatnam Port,this acquisition will increase our market share to 27 per cent (from current22 per cent)," Karan Adani, chief executive officer of APSEZ, was quoted assaying.Since the acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals, the transaction isexpected to be completed in 120 days, said the exchange filing.