Front Page
Mainstream newspapers prominently feature the nationwide protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act on their front pages Friday. The protests took a violent turn in Lucknow and Mangaluru where three persons lost their lives — two in Mangaluru and one in Lucknow. Hindustan Times and The Indian Express dedicate the entire page to these protests while The Times of India carries two front pages, with one devoted to the demonstrations. The Hindu carries the protest report as the lead story on its front page.
HT focuses on the protests in Delhi with a bold, capitalised banner headline — “CAPITAL, INTERRUPTED”. TOI highlights the Delhi protests with a detailed headline, “1,200 detained, traffic choked as police lock down central Delhi”. Hindu shifts its attention to Mangaluru and reports “Two die in police firing in Mangaluru as anti-CAA protests rock the country”. Express’ headline simply reads “CITIZENSHIP” in all-caps.
Hindustan Times
“Police enforced an unprecedented crackdown in large parts of the Capital on Thursday — ordering a prohibition on assembly, switching off mobile connectivity, shutting down Metro stations, and detaining people who defied the ban on demonstrations,” reports HT. It adds that despite all this “thousands of protestors still swamped the streets on a grey misty morning and demanded the government roll back” the CAA.
HT also carries an accompanying report on the traffic jam in Gurugram — “Gurujam 2.0, courtesy Delhi Police barricades”. It notes that commuters travelling from Gurugram to Delhi “were stuck up to nine hours on Thursday — the biggest traffic jam on National Highway 48 in three years — with traffic tailback extending for nearly 6 km”.
The Indian Express
The Express report on the protests is accompanied by a photograph of the massive number of protesters gathered at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar despite metro shutdown and internet blockade. It notes that “from Delhi, Lucknow and Bengaluru to Kolkata, Mumbai and Patna, protests… moved out of university campuses in multiple cities as thousands poured into the streets defying prohibitory orders”.
Express also reports that this was the first time that internet, voice calls and SMS were shut down in the capital.
The Times of India
TOI writes that central Delhi was turned into a “fortress” because of the protests and “Delhi police pulled out all stops” to prevent violence in the city. It notes that “20 metro stations shut their exits and entry, the biggest in DMRC’s history” and “300 flights [were] delayed” and at least 19 cancelled at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.
TOI reports the Uttar Pradesh government suspended mobile internet and SMS in seven districts including Ghaziabad and Lucknow until Saturday noon. It adds that UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said his government “will auction properties of protesters found destroying public assets”.
The Hindu
“Two persons were killed in police firing in Mangaluru” when protesters “took to the streets” against the CAA and the “proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC), which in combination could potentially introduce a religious test for citizenship in India”, writes Hindu. It adds that the police claimed that the protesters “were trying to set fire to a police station and had targeted police personnel”.
In another report, Hindu highlights the inauguration of a free Wi-Fi hotspot installation at the ITO bus stop by Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. The inauguration was ironically held on the same day when Delhi saw suspension of mobile services, including the internet, for the first time. Hindu writes that “the irony of the situation was not lost on the CM”.
Opinion
The Hindu: In “Not unimpeachable”, Hindu writes that US President Donald trump has “made history”, not in the manner he might have imagined, but as the third President to get impeached by the House of Representatives. The trial will now go to the Senate, but “an acquittal is expected” considering the majority held by Republicans. Two things are certain, states Hindu. Despite Trump’s popularity or the “current global mood leaning toward nativist populism”, impeachment is a “stain on his reputation”. Secondly, the impeachment will only “drive a deeper wedge” between the two opposing sides of US’s political discourse. Democrats might delay the trial until “there is more clarity around the rules” the Upper House will set. This could result in a “hostile engagement across the two chambers” that could make the upcoming election campaign “even more vicious than 2016”, warns Hindu.
The Indian Express: Images and videos from nationwide protests against the citizenship law framed “mostly young, mostly anonymous people who took to the streets” to raise their voices, along with activists and figures like historian Ramachandra Guha, who was “pulled and pushed and arrested by policemen in Bengaluru for no evident crime” other than to hold an image of B.R. Ambedkar, writes Express. These visuals also frame a “nervous, paranoid” government that only seems to respond to dissent with suppression through measures like imposing Section 144, and by “snapping voice, internet and sms services”. The “the world’s fastest growing internet market” is now a “global leader in cutting off access”, points out Express. After the revocation of Article 370, Kashmir has witnessed “the longest ever continuous internet shutdown in the country”, proving that the “apparent obduracy and imperviousness of government” is not just limited to its “treatment of a long-standing trouble spot”, argues Express. This is a “disquieting signal to the country”, warns Express.
Prime Time
On prime time debates across channels Thursday, the contrast in the on-ground reporting of the nationwide protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act was visible. Many channels, especially Hindi, chose to focus on certain incidents of violence. Republic Bharat showed 50 pictures of violence across the country whereas Zee News trended the hashtag “#AfwahKiAag”. India TV’s Rajat Sharma started out with an appeal for the protesters to not indulge in violence. Other channels showed the peaceful protests that were carried out in large numbers across cities.
India Today: On “#NewsToday”, anchor Rajdeep Sardesai showed various posters the youth across cities came out with to protest against the newly passed Citizenship Act. He said, “Forget the violence for a moment and think of these peaceful protestors… The young came out to ask their questions in a creative way. They deserve answers. Thank God for the youth of India.”
Also on the show was actor Swara Bhaskar who said, “I’m here to protest against not just the CAA and NRC, but also to protest the manner in which police in Delhi and Aligarh has descended in a very excessive manner on the students.”
Director Anubhav Sinha said, “This is so heartening, I’ve always said the only people who will bring a big change to this country are the youth… They are so angry.”
Times Now: On the “#NewsHour”, anchor Navika Kumar debated “#ProtestYaPolitics”.
“The entire day you (people) have been questioning why are internet services off or Section 144 imposed… You know why Section 144 was imposed,” she said. Kumar then cited the example of the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh imposing the same section. She questioned, “Voh karein toh democratic, yeh karein toh Emergency. Double standards much?”
Political analyst and former AAP leader Ashutosh said, “I completely oppose any kind of violence… People who are spreading violence should be identified & strict action should be taken against such people.”
Aaj Tak: Anchor Rohit Sardana asked who is benefitting politically from instigating rumours and violence. The channel mainly showed incidents of violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow.
BJP’s G.V.L. Narsimha Rao condemned the violence, “These people are challenging the democratic system… If they believe that they are trying to establish peace and order by this hooliganism, then it’s utterly shameful.”
Jan Adhikar Party’s Pappu Yadav, who earlier protested by wearing chains, questioned the intent of the government. “What does this government want? First Kashmir, then Ram temple verdict…”
NDTV India: This was perhaps the only Hindi channel to show how peaceful protests were carried out. Anchor Ravish Kumar visited Jantar Mantar where thousands had gathered to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act.
Starting with the visuals of known intellectual and historian Ramachandra Guha being detained, he said, “Many officers who are holding big posts today must have studied his books to understand about Gandhi and India, now he is being treated like this.”
Rajdeep how many millions got this time and where is your partner Barkha Dutta