Republic Top 10 Headlines: Kolkata Civic Poll Violence; Golden Temple Sacrilege & More

Kolkata Civic Polls: Violence Reported Across Polling Booths, Crude Bombs Hurled

As voting for the Kolkata Municipal Corporation polls are on, reports of violence have surfaced from various areas across the state. The Bharatiya Janata Party has also alleged poll rigging and violence by Trinamool Congress during the voting procedures. Also, BJP workers have been alleging that the Trinamool Congress "goons" are threatening and terrorising poll agents and candidates at the voting booths. 

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Golden Temple Sacrilege: Punjab Govt Constitutes SIT To Probe Case; Report In 48 Hours

Amid outrage over the attempted sacrilege at Amritsar's Golden Temple, the Punjab government on Sunday formed a Special Investigative Team (SIT). Headed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Law and Order of Amritsar, the SIT has been directed to produce the report in the next 48 hours.

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2021 Political Highlights: 5 CMs Quit, Farm Laws Rollback & Pegasus Debate; Here's A Recap

Politics in 2021 mainly revolved around these words. This year, as India emerged from the first wave of the deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19), it was pushed into a melee of controversies - from Farmer protest 'toolkit' to Pegasus snooping and finally, farm laws rollback. This year also saw the resignation of 5 CMs - Trivendra Singh Rawat & his successor Tirath Singh Rawat (Uttarakhand), BS Yediyurappa (Karnataka), Vijay Rupani (Gujarat), Capt Amarinder Singh (Punjab).

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RSS Rebukes Attempted Sacrilege At Golden Temple; Asserts 'conspiracy Should Be Exposed'

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Sunday condemned the attempted sacrilege at Amritsar's Golden Temple, calling it an unfortunate incident. Taking to Twitter, RSS posted an official statement of General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale who has demanded that the 'conspiracy' behind the attempted desecration be exposed and strictest punishment be given to those responsible for attempting the attack in the sanctum sanctorum. 

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UK Considers Imposing Omicron Circuit Breaker Lockdown Amid Rising Concerns Of COVID

UK government officials are discussing the prospects of the 'two-week circuit-breaker' lockdown that include a ban on indoor mixing to curb the ravaging wave of coronavirus from the Omicron variant during Christmas. The stringent clampdown will restrict the indoor meetings from different households, except for important and work purposes, and will limit the public venues from servicing indoor. The pubs and restaurants will be allowed to cater outdoor only. 

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'Central Forensic Science Labs Vital To Criminal Justice System': Amit Shah

After inaugurating a new building of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) in Maharashtra's Pune on December 19, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, CFSL has essayed a vital role in empowering the criminal justice system across the country. Shah added that it was only on the of basis scientific shreds of evidence that the judicial investigation is currently transparent. 

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Bangladesh Community In Washington DC Protests For Recognition Of 1971 Genocide

On the occasion of the 50th Victory Day, Bangladesh community members in the Washington DC Metro Region held a demonstration in front of the White House demanding recognition of the 1971 mass killing perpetrated by the Pakistani Army. The protest was led by the US-based Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM) Executive Director Priya Saha and the Coordinator of HRCBM Washington DC Metro Area, Pranesh Haldar, reported the news agency ANI.

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India's Omicron Count Rises To 145

India's Omicron COVID count rose to 145 on Sunday after a 45-year-old NRI and a teenage boy, who recently arrived in Gujarat from the United Kingdom, tested positive for the variant. According to central and state officials, omicron cases have been detected in 11 states and union territories -- Maharashtra (48), Delhi (22), Rajasthan (17) and Karnataka (14), Telangana (20), Gujarat (9), Kerala (11), Andhra Pradesh (1), Chandigarh (1), Tamil Nadu (1) and West Bengal (1).

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Kerala A 'hotbed' Of Ideological Murders: BJP Condemns Killing Of OBC Morcha Leader

Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) OBC Morcha president Dr K Laxman said on Sunday that Kerala has recently become a "hub of ideological killings of RSS and BJP members" while condemning the alleged murder of the party's OBC Morcha state secretary Renjith Sreenivasan in Alappuzha today (December 19) morning.

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Belarus Strengthens Ties With ‘ironclad Friend’ China As West Slaps Sanctions On Regime

Belarus’ autocratic leader Alexander Lukashenko has turned to the so-called “ironclad friend” the People’s Republic of China for support as the West including the United States mounted pressure on Europe’s “last dictator”. A series of sanctions, in the past weeks, was imposed on the Belarusian regime by European Union [EU], Britain, US, and Canada over the migrant crisis on the border with Poland, which the West says, has been orchestrated by the Belarusian leader.

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