Breaking News, February 22 | HIGHLIGHTS

Thane city police on late Wednesday night registered a First Information Report (FIR) for defamation against Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut for his claim that there was a threat to his life from Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's son Shrikant Shinde. A case was registered under IPC sections 153 (A) (promoting disharmony between different groups, religions, etc), 500 (defamation) and other relevant sections at Kapurbawdi police station, said an official. The FIR was based on a complaint filed by former mayor Meenakshi Shinde, he said. "Lok Sabha member Shrikant Shinde has given a 'supari' (contract) to kill me to a Thane-based criminal Raja Thakur," Raut had said in a letter to the Mumbai police commissioner.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday said that if the Congress is reelected in Rajasthan, the party's government would further strengthen existing programmes such as the Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme. He also attacked the BJP, the main Opposition party in the state, saying "these people stop the work of old schemes as soon as the government changes". The chief minister, after a meeting to discuss time-bound completion of programmes announced in the Budget-2023, told reporters that "if my (Congress) government repeats, schemes like the Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme will be strengthened".

The Russian military denied Wednesday that it was planning to test its new Zircon hypersonic missiles during naval drills off the coast of South Africa this week that will coincide with the one-year anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine. China's navy also is participating in the Indian Ocean exercises, which come at a time when Russia's relationship with the West is at its lowest point since the Cold War, and ties between China and the United States are under serious strain.

The BJP on Wednesday slammed the Congress government for dissolving the Himachal Pradesh Staff Selection Commission over paper leak cases, saying the decision would further delay recruitment exam results and also adversely affect HPSSC staff. Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh SSC staff found its gate locked when they went to the office on Wednesday morning, even as the vigilance department said they didn't close the offices. "We don't know who put up the lock there. Only security staff was posted there on duty," a senior vigilance official said. BJP leaders including former chief ministers Prem Kumar Dhumal and Jai Ram Thakur, and state party chief Suresh Kashyap disapproved of the government's decision to dissolves the commission, headquartered in Hamirpur.

A married couple from Rajasthan was killed when their car collided with the divider and flipped over on Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway here, police said on Wednesday. Their two children were also injured in the accident. The man's brother in his complaint accused the car's driver of speeding, which led to the accident, police said. Balbir, the car driver, ran away after the incident. According to the complaint filed by Ram Kishore Saini, a native of Kotputli in Rajasthan, his brother Rajender Prasad was returning from Haridwar on Tuesday with his family in their Maruti Ertiga car which was driven by Balbir.

The Rajasthan Police has got concrete evidence against eight accused named in the FIR registered after the abduction and murder of two Muslim men whose charred bodies were found in Haryana's Bhiwani, officials said on Wednesday. However, the role of Monu Manesar, a member of Bajrang Dal, in the case is still being investigated, they said, adding the Rajasthan Police is searching for the eight accused, all residents of Haryana, with the support of police from the neighbouring state.
On Wednesday, arrested accused Rinku Saini was produced before a court that sent him to police remand till February 27.

The BJP said on Wednesday the BBC or any other organisation cannot hide their "economic offences" under the garb of freedom of expression. The British broadcaster is under the Income-Tax department probe for alleged tax avoidance by underreporting income and these are serious offences, BJP's information technology department head Amit Malviya said. The BBC has to abide by Indian laws to operate in the country, he said. The BJP reaction came following the British government's strong defence of the BBC and its editorial freedom in Parliament after the Income Tax department's survey operations on the media corporation's New Delhi and Mumbai offices last week.

Delhi's newly elected Mayor Shelly Oberoi on Wednesday said the AAP-led municipal corporation will carry out an inspection of landfill sites in the next three days and also work to deliver the party's 10 "guarantees" promised to people before the MCD polls. Oberoi defeated the BJP's Rekha Gupta by 34 votes in what was the new municipal House's fourth attempt to elect a mayor after its three previous meetings -- January 6 and 24, and February 6 -- were washed out amid acrimonious exchanges between the AAP and the BJP over voting rights to aldermen (nominated members). Oberoi, 39, tried to strike a conciliatory note after taking charge as mayor. "We have to work together to fulfil the aspirations of people." "First of all, I am thankful to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia for giving me such a huge responsibility," she told PTI in an interview after being elected.

Nearly 2,000 police personnel are expected to be deployed during the three-day plenary session of the Congress to be held in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur district, state's Home Minister Tamradhwaj Sahu said on Wednesday. The event will be held at Rajyotsav Sthal in Nava Raipur, the upcoming capital city of the Congress-governed state, from February 24 to 26 and is expected to be attended by around 15,000 delegates. “Preparation for the conclave is in its final stage and AICC (All India Congress Committee) and PCC (Pradesh Congress Committee) delegates have started arriving here. Deployment of security personnel, medical aid, etc. will be done on every road and square around the venue,” Sahu told reporters here.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday conducted a virtual inspection of an artificial lake developed in a village in Gadhada taluka of Gujarat's Botad district as a part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations. Modi joined the inspection of the recently developed 'Dharmanandan Amrit Sarovar' at Ugamedi village through video conferencing using the Centre's PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation) platform, said Taluka Development Officer Bipin Parmar.

Pakistan on Wednesday announced a raft of austerity measures like Cabinet ministers and advisors not drawing salaries and not staying at five-star hotels during foreign trips, as a desperate government attempt to pull the country out of its economic morass amidst mounting criticism against the ruling elite. Pakistan, which is in dire need of funds as it battles a wrenching economic crisis, has received financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the past and is presently in discussions with the organisation to resume its loan programme.

A Supreme Court committee, constituted to ensure that differently-abled persons have equal access to the apex court, has released two questionnaires to seek feedback from lawyers, activists, and litigants on the matter. The Committee on Accessibility, formed under the chairmanship of Supreme Court judge Justice S Ravindra Bhat, has released the questionnaires, which are available on the apex court's website, to gather "valuable feedback" to enable it to identify areas that need improvement, said a top court official on Wednesday. "The Committee is working with a specific mandate to examine accessibility aspects related to the Supreme Court of India, and these questionnaires are a step in achieving that goal. The questionnaires are intended to gather feedback on all aspects of accessibility," the official said.

The New Delhi Municipal Council on Wednesday approved various proposals, including those related to installation of telecom towers and allotment of municipal spaces, its Vice Chairperson Satish Upadhyay said. In a meeting of the council, all its members also passed a special vote of thanks for the acceptance of regularisation of 4,500 Regular Muster Roll (RMR) employees and their gazette declaration. This special vote of thanks was moved by Upadhyay and supported by all the other members of the council. "The civic and employee oriented initiatives were approved in the meeting," Upadhyay said in a statement

The coal ministry on Wednesday said that 27 coal mines would be put on sale in the next round of commercial mines auction starting from February 27. The auction process for 141 coal and lignite mines was launched by the coal ministry in November last year. "After completion of technical evaluation, 27 coal mines which received more than one bid, will be put up for forward auction from Monday, February 27, 2023 onwards," the ministry said in a statement. In a bid to familiarise bidders with the auction process, mock e-auction will be conducted on February 24.

Maharashtra on Wednesday logged 30 new COVID-19 cases, taking the overall tally to 81,37,463, while no fresh death linked to the infection was reported in the state, said the health department. The death toll remained unchanged at 1,48,421. On Tuesday, Maharashtra had reported 24 new COVID-19 cases and zero fatality.
As many as 12,315 swab samples were tested in the last 24 hours for detection of COVID-19, taking their cumulative count to 8,63,98,135, said a department bulletin.

Parents and teachers here have welcomed the Union Education Ministry's decision to fix the minimum age for admission in Class 1 as six years, saying that the move will reduce the academic pressure on students. According to the new National Education Policy (NEP), the foundational stage consists of five years of learning opportunities for all children (between 3 to 8 years) that includes three years of preschool education followed by Classes 1 and 2.

The Uttar Pradesh government in its budget presented on Wednesday allocated Rs 2,500 crore for the preparations of Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 against Rs 621.55 crore for the financial year 2022-23. The religious fair is held after every 12 years. A state government official said the work on widening and beautifying three access roads in Ayodhya will be finished within the next two years. "In anticipation of a potential increase in tourism brought on by the construction of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple in the district of Ayodhya, it is planned that work on widening and beautifying three access roads will be finished within the next two years," Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna said while presenting the budget.

The Supreme Court has directed the Centre and state governments to comply within a month with its directions on mandatory installation of CCTV cameras in police stations and offices of investigation agencies. A bench headed by Justice BR Gavai asked the governments to file their compliance affidavits till March 29, while warning in case of non-compliance, it will be compelled to take necessary steps against the officials concerned. "If the directions are not complied with, we shall be compelled to take such steps as necessary against the Union home secretary and chief secretaries and home secretaries of respective state governments," said the bench, also comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sanjay Karol, on February 21. The top had in 2020 directed installation of CCTV cameras and recording equipment at the offices of investigating agencies, including the Central Bureau of Investigation, the Enforcement Directorate and National Investigation Agency, which conduct interrogations and have the power of arrest.

East Delhi BJP MP Gautam Gambhir could not turn up in time to cast his vote for the election of deputy mayor in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) House on Wednesday. An aide of the cricketer-turned-parliamentarian said that he had left the civic centre, after casting his vote for mayor's election, to attend a medical emergency in his family. "He had informed the newly elected mayor about the situation faced by him and sought time till 4.30 PM to turn up for voting in deputy mayor election. But, after he returned visiting his relative in a hospital, the time for voting was over," said Gambhir's aide.

Citing expunction of remarks and suspension of an MP, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday alleged that the government has made Parliament a "rubber stamp" with members not allowed to raise voice of the people and demand a JPC probe into the Adani-Hindeburg issue. He said everyone will work jointly and definitely, the Congress together with friendly parties, will form the government in 2024. Addressing the Indian National Trade Union Congress plenary session, Kharge also urged people to save democracy and Constitution, saying if this was not done then "dictatorship will come and finish everyone".

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday announced out-of-turn promotion for 55 personnel of the state's elite Hawk Force and police who eliminated six ultras in two anti-Naxalite operations in 2022. He was addressing a function in the Police Lines in the Balaghat city. “I arrived here to honour the valour of the jawans who have exposed the Naxalites...They got success in eliminating six Naxalites who were carrying a total reward of Rs 1.18 crore on their heads," he said. Stating that "if valour is not honoured, it will turn sterile", the chief minister added that "therefore, the state government is giving these jawans out-of-turn promotion to honour them.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed happiness over 100 percent electrification of broad gauge rail network in Uttar Pradesh.
The railways achieved a significant milestone on Tuesday by completing the electrification of all broad guage routes in Uttar Pradesh with the completion of the Subhagpur-Pachperwa Broad Gauge (BG) route in North Eastern Railway. "Very good!", the prime minister posted in response to a tweet by the Railway Ministry, declaring the 100 percent electrification of broad gauge rail network in the state.

The Budget session of the Gujarat Assembly will begin from Thursday in Gandhinagar and the state Budget for FY 2023-24 will be presented on Friday as Opposition parties geared up to corner the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government over key issues such as leak of question papers of recruitment exams, inflation and unemployment. A detailed agenda of the Assembly during the more than three-week-long session was discussed at a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) on Wednesday, said an official release.

A metropolitan court here on Wednesday remanded Sahil Gehlot, accused of killing his secretly married wife Nikki Yadav and stuffing her body into a fridge, in 12-day judicial custody. Meanwhile, the Delhi Police have invoked fresh charges against Gehlot and others in the case, his lawyer said. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Archana Beniwal passed the order for sending Gehlot to jail.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will undertake a visit to Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar from Thursday during which he will address public meetings and participate in other programmes, including an interactive session in Bengaluru, a tribal congregation in Satna and a meet of farmers and labourers in Patna. Shah's visit to the three politically crucial states from February 23-25 is significant as the southern state is headed for assembly polls, expected in May, while elections are due in Madhya Pradesh later this year. The BJP is in power in both the states

The one-way traffic resumed on the 270-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway on Wednesday after remaining suspended for about 38-hours following a landslide in Ramban district, officials said. Deputy Superintendent of Police, Traffic (national highway), Banihal, Asghar Malik said the road clearance operation at the landslide-hit Sher Bibi near Banihal was still going on. Hundreds of vehicles were left stranded on the highway after a massive landslide blocked the arterial road at Sher Bibi around 2 am Tuesday. The road clearance operation was hampered by continuous shooting of stones from the hillock throughout the day.

The UAE will explore all opportunities of partnership with India to contribute to New Delhi's high-growth-low-carbon pathway, Sultan Al Jaber, the COP28 president-designate, said on Wednesday. He also said the goal of limiting the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial level is "just non-negotiable".

Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission secretary-cum-scientific director Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi was on Wednesday appointed the new Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), according to an official order. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) had last month recommended his name for the post of DCGI. "The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the proposal for appointment of Dr. Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, Secretary-cum-Scientific Director, Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission, to the post of Drugs Controller (India), Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO)," the ACC order said.

In what probably is his "farewell speech" in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly of which he was a member for decades, state BJP strongman and former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Wednesday said, till the last breath of his life he will honestly strive towards building the party and bring it to power. The 79-year old veteran leader, who has already announced his retirement from electoral politics, said there is no question of him sitting at home, and after the assembly session he will tour the state and campaign for the party and its candidates.

The Supreme Court Wednesday refused to stay the Election Commission order recognising the Eknath Shinde-led bloc as the real Shiv Sena and issued a notice to the group headed by the Maharashtra chief minister on the plea of the rival Uddhav Thackeray camp challenging the poll panel's decision. A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud took note of the submissions of senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Thackeray, and sought response of the faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Shinde.

A major fire broke out in some structures in Dharavi, the biggest slum in Mumbai, in the wee hours of Wednesday, but there was no report of injury to anyone, officials said. The blaze erupted in Kamala Nagar and Shahu Nagar localities near the Dharavi fire station around 4.15 am, they said. "The fire broke out in some structures of one to four stories serving as godowns, bakery, garment units. It was confined to electric wirings and installations, clothes, papers, sewing machine, garments," a civic official said.

Thirty-eight CBI requests seeking prior approval to begin investigation into corruption cases against a total of 83 employees are pending with various central and state government departments, according to an official data. Section 17 (A) of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act bars any police officer to "conduct any enquiry or inquiry or investigation into any offence alleged to have been committed by a public servant" without the previous approval of the competent authority.

Opposition Samajwadi Party and the BSP on Wednesday termed the Uttar Pradesh government’s budget as "directionless" and “a bunch of promises” ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The government on Wednesday presented the budget FY24 with an aim to lay the foundation for a self-reliant Uttar Pradesh and focus on the all-around development of the state for making it a USD 1 trillion economy. The budget of Rs 6,90,242.43 crore for FY24 was the biggest in the state's history.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said the budget could not fulfill the dream of making the state a USD 1 trillion economy, while BSP supremo Mayawati said the “illusionary” budget does not have much for the public. “This is a directionless budget. The budget neither has a solution for the existing problems, nor can it take forward the policies for the future," Yadav told reporters.

To ensure mental wellbeing of flight crew and air traffic controllers, civil aviation watchdog DGCA has proposed various measures, including mental health assessment during the medical assessments and peer support programme. A circular will be issued to airlines and Airports Authority of India (AAI) to put in place the necessary provisions to implement the recommendations, a senior DGCA official said on Wednesday. Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) come under AAI.

Delhi University assistant professor Shelly Oberoi, who on Wednesday became the first mayor of the unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi, is more known for her academic laurels. But in her electoral debut in the December MCD polls, 39-year-old Oberoi had registered victory from East Patel Nagar ward - considered to be the home turf of former Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta. And now, Delhi got its first woman mayor in little over a decade when Oberoi defeated BJP's Rekha Gupta by 34 votes in the much-anticipated election. Rajni Abbi was the last woman to be elected to the top post in the MCD in 2011 before its trifurcation.

President Joe Biden is wrapping up his whirlwind, four-day visit to Poland and Ukraine by reassuring eastern flank NATO allies that his administration is highly attuned to the looming threats and other impacts spurred by the grinding Russian invasion of Ukraine. Before departing Warsaw on Wednesday, Biden will hold talks with leaders from the Bucharest Nine, a collection of nations on the most eastern parts of the NATO alliance that came together in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

North Korea on Wednesday accused UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of “an extremely unfair and imbalanced attitude,” as it lambasted him for condemning its recent missile test but ignoring alleged US hostility against the North. After the North's intercontinental ballistic missile test on Saturday, Guterres strongly condemned the launch and reiterated his call for the North to immediately desist from making any further provocations. In a statement, Guterres also urged North Korea to resume talks on denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. “To be most deplorable, the U.N. secretary-general is going on the rampage of illogical and miserable remarks, which are little different from those of U.S. State Department officials over the years,” Kim Son Gyong, the North's vice foreign minister for international bodies, said in a statement carried by state media.

The Supreme Court has granted independent Assam MLA Akhil Gogoi protection from arrest in connection with a case related to anti-CAA protests and suspected Maoist links, and sought response from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on his plea. The lawmaker, who has allegedly been vocal against the Central government during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests, moved the top court against the February 9 order of the Gauhati High Court allowing the special NIA court in Assam to proceed with the framing of charges against him in one of the two cases.

The Supreme Court is weighing Wednesday whether Facebook, Twitter and YouTube can be sued over a 2017 Islamic State attack on a Turkish nightclub based on the argument the platforms assisted in fuelling the growth of the terrorist group. What the justices decide to do in this case and a related one it heard Tuesday is important particularly because the companies have so far been shielded from liability on the internet, allowing them to grow into the giants they are today.

Gulab Chand Kataria was sworn in as the 31st governor of Assam on Wednesday. Kataria was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Gauhati High Court's Chief Justice Sandeep Mehta at a brief ceremony at the Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra here. Kataria, who was a senior BJP leader, succeeded Jagadish Mukhi who demitted office on Sunday after completing his term. The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, his cabinet colleagues, senior officials of the state government, and BJP leaders. Kataria arrived with his wife Anita here on Tuesday, and they were accorded a warm welcome by state ministers, government officials and Raj Bhavan officials. Kataria, 78, was the home minister of Rajasthan in the Vasundhara Raje government. He was the leader of the opposition in the Rajasthan assembly prior to his appointment as the governor of Assam.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday congratulated the parliamentarians who will receive the "Sansad Ratna" awards. Thirteen MPs, including Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, RJD's Manoj Jha and CPI-M's John Brittas, have been nominated for the Sansad Ratna Awards 2023.  The 13 MPs include eight from the Lok Sabha and five from the Rajya Sabha, including three retired members. The prime minister tweeted, "Congratulations to the MP colleagues who will be conferred the Sansad Ratna Awards. May they keep enriching parliamentary proceedings with their rich insights."

An Air India flight from Newark to Delhi was diverted to Stockholm on Wednesday due to an oil leak in one of the engines, according to a senior official. The senior DGCA official said the flight, operated with Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, had an oil leak in one of the engines. Following the oil leak, the engine was shut down, and later the flight landed safely in Stockholm, the official added. During the ground inspection, oil was seen coming out from the drain mast of engine two, the official said, adding that the inspection is in progress. An airline official said the flight en route from Newark in the US was diverted to Stockholm in Sweden due to a technical issue. On Monday, an Air India flight from New York to Delhi was diverted to London due to a medical emergency.

The body of a 65-year-old woman who was murdered using a sharp-edged weapon was found in a village in this district, police said on Wednesday. Additional Superintendent of Police (West) Rohit Mishra said the woman, Shakuntala Singh, was found lying dead on a charpoy at her home in Maghi village on Tuesday. Singh was murdered using a sharp-edged weapon, police said, adding that she was living with her sister. Mishra added that the deceased had gone to attend a religious programme on Monday night. After returning from the programme, she slept in the verandah, and her body was found on Tuesday. Police have sent her body for post-mortem and the matter is being probed.

A major fire broke out in Dharavi, the biggest slum in Mumbai, in the wee hours of Wednesday, but there was no report of injury to anyone, officials said. The blaze erupted in some shanties in Kamala Nagar and Shahu Nagar localities near the Dharavi fire station around 4.15 am, they said. "At least 12 fire engines, eight water tankers and other fire brigade vehicles are engaged in the firefighting operation that is currently underway," a civic official said. The fire is confined to some huts, but there has been no report of injury to anyone, he said. Personnel from the Mumbai Police, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) administrative ward and other agencies are present at the spot, the official said, adding that the cause of the fire is being ascertained. 

Ministry of Home Affairs has given sanction to prosecute Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia under the Prevention of Corruption Act in the 'Feedback Unit' alleged snooping case. 

No flights taking off from Delhi's IGI Airport due to fog and poor visibility. Over 12 flights waiting on the runway to take off since one hour.

The Jharkhand government is on alert after bird flu cases were reported in a government-run poultry farm in Bokaro district, official said on Tuesday. The presence of H5N1 variant was confirmed among a protein-rich breed of chicken, popularly known as 'Kadaknath', at the farm in Lohanchal, they said. "Kadaknath chickens died due to bird flu in Government Poultry Farm located in Lohanchal, as per report received from the laboratory...Areas within one km radius has been declared as affected zone and areas within 10 km radius declared as surveillance zone. "Sale of chicken/duck etc will be banned in these areas," an official statement issued by Bokaro district administration said.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday accused Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat of being involved in the alleged Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society scam, saying police investigation has proven his involvement. His comments come a day after Shekhawat accused Gehlot of indulging in his character assassination due to frustration as he had defeated the Congress leader's son in the last Lok Sabha election. Gehlot said that Shekhawat is trying to mislead the public in the case even though the Special Operations Group (SOG) has showed his involvement in the matter, just like other arrested accused. "He himself knows this very well. They know that Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society has looted the lifetime deposits of more than one lakh victims, amounting to more than Rs 900 crore.

President Joe Biden warned of 'hard and bitter days ahead" as Russia's invasion of Ukraine nears the one-year mark, but vowed that no matter what, the United States and allies "will not waver" in supporting the Ukrainians. A day after his surprise visit to Kyiv, Biden used a strongly worded address in neighboring Poland to praise allies in Europe for stepping up over the past year and to send a clear message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that "NATO will not be divided, and we will not tire.” “One year ago, the world was bracing for the fall of Kyiv,” Biden said before a crowd of thousands outside Warsaw's Royal Castle. “I can report: Kyiv stands strong. Kyiv stands proud. It stands tall and, most important, it stands free."

The Seattle City Council has added caste to the city's anti-discrimination laws, becoming the first US city to specifically ban caste discrimination. Calls to outlaw discrimination based on caste, a division of people based on birth or descent, have grown louder among South Asian diaspora communities in the United States. The movement is getting pushback from some Hindu Americans who argue that such legislation maligns a specific community. Proponents of the ordinance approved by a 6-1 vote Tuesday say caste discrimination crosses national and religious boundaries and that without such laws, those facing caste discrimination in the US will have no protections. The ordinance is a contentious issue, especially among the nation's South Asian diaspora. Supporters argue it is needed because caste is not covered under existing civil rights protections. Groups opposing the measure say it will malign a community that is already the target of prejudice.