HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 9.45 PM

DEL84 LDALL CITIZENSHIP No major violence as protests continue against CAA, BJP launches counter-campaign, UP authorities suspect role of SIMI, PFI in clashes

New Delhi/Lucknow/Kolkata: Demonstrations against the amended Citizenship Act continued on Sunday in various parts of the country though no major incident of violence was reported, while the BJP launched its counter-campaign to rally support for the contentious law which has been dubbed as "divisive" by the Opposition.

BOM11 MH-FIRE Major fire in Mumbai building; many feared trapped: Officials

Mumbai: A major fire broke out in a residential building in suburban Vile Parle in Mumbai on Sunday night trapping many people inside, Fire officials said with a preliminary assessment of the situation.

DEL63 PM-MAMATA PM attacks Mamata for 'changed' stand on citizenship issue, 'spreading rumours'

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday over her strident opposition to the amended citizenship law and the proposed nationwide NRC, accusing her of changing her earlier stand on infiltrators due to "vote-bank" politics.

CAL14 WB-CITIZENSHIP-LD MAMATA PM publicly contradicted Shah's stand on pan-India NRC: Mamata

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has publicly contradicted the home minister's stand on the proposed nationwide implementation of NRC.

DEL73 CONG-LD RAHUL Modi, Shah destroyed future of country's youth; hiding behind hate to escape anger: Rahul

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah had "destroyed" the future of the country's youth and were "hiding behind hate" to escape their anger over the lack of jobs and the state of the economy.

DEL71 CONG-LD PM Not us, but home minister created environment of fear, uncertainty: Cong

New Delhi: The Congress on Sunday rejected Prime Minister Narendra Modi's charge that the Opposition was "inciting" people, and alleged that an environment of fear and uncertainty has been created by Home Minister Amit Shah's statement in Parliament that the NRC will be implemented after the Citizenship Amendment Act.

CAL13 BH-CITIZENSHIP-PRASAD Tukde tukde gang, urban naxals behind CAA, NRC protest: Prasad

Patna: Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Sunday vowed tough action against "sponsored" protests in view of the Citizenship Amendment Act and proposed nationwide NRC, which he claimed were being supported by the "tukde tukde gang" and "urban naxals".

DEL83 RJ-2NDLD GEHLOT MARCH CAA, NRC will not be implemented in Rajasthan, Gehlot says at massive protest rally

Jaipur: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday said his government will neither implement the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) nor the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state.

DEL68 UP-CITIZENSHIP-MUZAFFARNAGAR 48 arrested, 262 booked over violence in Muzaffarnagar during anti-CAA protests

Muzaffarnagar: Forty-eight people have been arrested and 67 shops sealed in connection with violent protests here last week during which several persons, including over a dozen policemen, were injured and vehicles gutted, officials said on Sunday.

DEL80 UP-2NDLD CITIZENSHIP Islamic outfits PFI, SIMI suspected behind UP violence; toll rises to 17

Lucknow: Blaming "outsiders" for the violence during protests against the amended Citizenship Act, the UP government on Sunday said six people from West Bengal associated with Islamic outfits PFI and SIMI have been arrested, even as the death toll rose to 17 in the state.

MDS18 KA-CITIZENSHIP-YEDIYURAPPA Cong, JDS leaders trying to mislead people on CAA-NRC: Yediyurappa

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Sunday charged the opposition Congress and JDS leaders with trying to mislead the minorities by making false claims and whipping up their emotions over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Citizen of Register (NRC).

MDS20 KA-NANJUNDAN Sahitya Akademi winner Dr G Nanjundan found dead in B'luru house

Bengaluru, Dec 22 (PTI) Eminent translator and Sahitya Akademi award winner Dr G Nanjundan was found dead at his residence here on Saturday, police said.

FOREIGN

FGN22 IRAN-JAISHANKAR India, Iran agree to accelerate work on strategic Chabahar project

Tehran: India and Iran on Sunday agreed to accelerate work on the strategic Chabahar project as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held wide-ranging talks with his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif on regional and global issues of mutual interest.

FGN4 BANGLA-CITIZENSHIP CAA, NRC India's internal issues, but 'worrisome' that uncertainty could affect neighbours: B'desh

Dhaka: The CAA and the NRC are India's "internal issues", Bangladesh Foreign Minister A K Abdul Momen has said, but voiced concern that any "uncertainty" in the country is likely to affect its neighbours. By Asim Kamal

FGN14 PAK-LD FATF FATF asks 150 questions to Pak, seeks answers against madrassas linked to banned outfits

Islamabad: A global watchdog for terror financing has sought more clarifications and data from Pakistan on actions taken by it against madrassas belonging to the banned outfits, weeks after Islamabad submitted a report to the Paris-based body detailing steps taken by the country to curb terrorism and money laundering.