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Wed, 13 November 2019
Muzaffarpur shelter home ruling likely tomorrow
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22:30 Muzaffarpur shelter home ruling likely tomorrow
A Delhi court is likely to pronounce on Thursday its judgment in the case of alleged sexual and physical assault on several girls at a shelter home in Muzaffarpur, which was run by former Bihar People's Party (BPP) MLA Brajesh Thakur.
The court reserved order on September 30 after final arguments by the Central Bureau of Investigation counsel and 11 accused in the case in which former Bihar Social Welfare Minister and the then Janata Dal-United leader Manju Verma also faced flak as allegations surfaced that Thakur, the key accused, had links with her husband.
She had resigned from her post on August 8, 2018.
The CBI had told a special court that there was enough evidence against all the 21 accused in the case.
Although the verdict has been listed for Thursday, the lawyers' strike in all the six district courts here, following the recent clash between the police and advocates, is yet to be called off.
The accused in the case have claimed that the CBI had not conducted 'fair investigation' in the case, which has been registered under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and entails the life imprisonment as the maximum punishment.
The cases were also registered under criminal conspiracy to commit rape and penetrative sexual assault.
Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Kulshreshtha, during the in-camera trial, concluded the arguments in the case which had begun on February 25 this year.
The case was transferred on February 7 from a local court in Muzaffarpur in Bihar to a POCSO court at Saket district court complex in Delhi on the Supreme Court's directions.
During the trial, counsel for the CBI told the court that the statements of the minor girls, who were allegedly sexually assaulted, point to the fact that there was enough evidence against all the accused and they should be convicted.
Advocate Pramod Kumar Dubey, appearing for the prime accused Brajesh Thakur, told the court that all the cases were 'vague' in nature as there was no particular date, place and time mentioned by the prosecution for the incidents and the CBI had not done a 'fair investigation'.
Counsel for another accused, advocate Gyanendra Mishra told the court that the CBI has done done a 'defective' and 'lopsided' investigation.
The prosecution has completely failed to bring any evidence to support the allegations, Mishra, appearing for the chairperson of Muzaffarpur Child Welfare Committee (CWC) Dilip Kumar Verma and its member Vikas Kumar, argued.
He further said that it was a case of 'zero' evidence and the statements of the victims do not support the charges framed against any of the accused and hence the accused must be acquitted.
The court had earlier framed various charges, including criminal conspiracy to commit rape and penetrative sexual assault, against 21 people in the case.
Thakur, the prime accused in the case, was charged under provisions of the POCSO Act, including Section 6 (aggravated sexual assault).
The offence carries a punishment of minimum 10 years and maximum of life imprisonment.
The accused include employees of his shelter home and Bihar department of social welfare officials.
Several girls were allegedly raped and sexually abused at an NGO-run shelter home in Muzaffarpur, Bihar. The issue had come to light following a report by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS).
The TISS report was given to the Bihar government on May 26, 2018, highlighting the alleged sexual abuses of minor girls in the shelter home for the first time.
On May 29 last year the state government shifted the girls from the shelter home to other protection homes. In May 31, 2018, FIR was lodged against the 11 accused in the case.
The top court had on August 2 taken cognisance of the alleged sexual assaults of minor girls in Muzaffarpur's shelter home and transferred the probe to the CBI on November 28. -- PTI
22:07 Chandrayaan-2 sends new image of moon surface
The Indian Space Research Organisation on Wednesday released new three-dimensional images from the moon's surface captured by the Chandrayaan-2.
The images of a crater from the lunar surface was captured by the Terrain Mapping Camera-2 aboard Chandrayaan-2.
'Have a look of 3D view of a crater imaged by TMC-2 of #Chandrayaan2. TMC-2 provides images at 5m spatial resolution & stereo triplets (fore, nadir and aft views) for preparing DEM of the complete lunar surface,' ISRO tweeted from its official handle.
The triplet images from TMC-2 when processed into Digital Elevation Models, enable mapping of surface landform morphologies.
These include -- Craters (formed by impactors), Lava tubes (potential sites for future habitability), Rilles (furrows formed by lava channels or collapsed lava tubes), Dorsa or wrinkle ridges (formed mostly in Mare regions depicting cooling of and contraction of basaltic lava), Graben structures (depicts the structural dislocations on the lunar surface) and Lunar Domes/ Cones (denoting localized vents of past volcanism on the Moon). -- ANI
21:55 Mulayam admitted to hospital
Samajwadi Party (SP) founder Mulayam Singh Yadav was admitted to the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Science (SGPGI) on Wednesday due to some health issues.
"Mulayam Singhji was admitted to SGPGI after he complained of stomach ache. His investigations are going on for the same. His vitals and other parameters are normal and he is stable," Amit Agarwal, Chief Medical Superintendent, SGPGI, told PTI.
Yadav, a former Uttar Pradesh chief minister, is 79 years old. -- PTI
20:04 Cong-NCP meet to discuss CMP deferred
JUST IN: A meeting of Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress scheduled for today has been cancelled.
The meeting was called to discuss the Common Minimum Programme of the two parties.
Congress leader Manikrao Thakre told Rediff.com's Prasanna D Zore that the meeting was cancelled as the
delegations belonging to the wo parties were still in
discussion with their senior party leaders about the agenda for the
meeting.
This meeting, Thakre said, where the two sides were likely to
discuss the common minimum programme has been postponed to tomorrow
morning or afternoon.
"The meeting will be happening tomorrow for sure,"
Thakre said.
20:01 SC panel orders closure of Delhi-NCR schools
The Supreme Court-mandated anti-pollution authority EPCA on Wednesday ordered schools in Delhi-NCR to be closed for the next two days as pollution in the city hovered close to 'emergency' levels.
It also advised people to avoid outdoor exposure and work from home wherever feasible.
The Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority also extended the ban on hot-mix plants and stone-crushers in Delhi-NCR till November 15.
The apex court had on November 4 banned construction and demolition activities in the region till further orders.
All coal and other fuel-based industries, which have not shifted to natural gas or agro-residue, will remain shut in Faridabad, Gurugram, Ghaziabad, Noida, Bahadurgarh, Bhiwadi, Greater Noida, Sonepat and Panipat till November 15, it said.
In Delhi, industries which have not yet shifted to piped natural gas, will not operate during the period. -- PTI
18:59 Shah calls Sena's 50:50 formula a 'new demand'
Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah speaks on collapse of alliance with Shiv Sena.
"Before elections the prime minister and I said many times in public that if our alliance wins then Devendra Fadnavis will be the chief minister, no one objected back then.
"Now they have come up with new demands which are not acceptable to us," Shah said.
He also said that before this, in no state was so much time given by the Governor to political parties to stake claim to form a government.
"18 days were given. Governor invited parties only after assembly tenure ended. Neither Shiv Sena nor Congress-Nationalist Congress Party staked claim and neither did we.
"Even if today any party has numbers it can approach the Governor," Shah said. -- ANI
18:52 Trust for Ram temple already exists: Nyas head
There is no need for the government to set up a new trust for the Ram Temple as directed by the Supreme Court because the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas already exists, its president Mahant Nritya Gopal Das said on Wednesday.
Ram Janambhoomi Nyas is an organisation run by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
Mahant Nritya Gopal Das said in a statement that there is no need of forming a new trust.
"The trust (Ram Janambhoomi Nyas) already exists. We can give a shape to it and new members can be added as per need," he said.
Other seers associated with the Ram Temple movement expressed differing views on the establishment of the trust.
Mahant Suresh Das, chief of the Digambar Akhara , said that the apex court had clearly said the new trust was to be formed by the government.
"It is the responsibility of the Union government to set up the trust and not of the Ram Janambhoomi Nyas. But representatives of the nyas should be in the trust," he said.
Nirmohi Akhara chief Mahant Dinendra Das said the trust must be formed as per the directions of the court but expressed reservations over Akhara members joining it.
"Nirmohi Akhara is also a trust so the members will decide on whether or not to join the government trust," he said.
VHP's Triloki Nath Pandey , who represented the deity in the court, said, "The trust must be formed by the government and must have have the members from the government."
He demanded that Mahant Nritya Gopal Das be appointed the president of the government trust.
He said that the temple should be built according to the model proposed by the VHP and the stones prepared by the organisation be used in its construction.
"The government after forming the trust must raise funds for the temple's construction from the Hindu community and government money should not be used for the fund," Pandey said. -- PTI
18:15 Chidambaram's judicial custody extended
A Delhi court on Wednesday extended the judicial custody of former finance minister P Chidambaram till November 27 in the INX Media money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate.
Special judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar passed the order after the senior Congress leader was produced before the court through video conference due to lawyers' strike in the district courts.
The ED moved an application seeking extension of custody which was allowed by the court.
Chidambaram was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation on August 21 in the INX Media corruption case and is currently in the ED custody in a related money laundering matter.
The CBI had registered an FIR on May 15, 2017 alleging irregularities in a Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance granted to the INX Media group for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007, during Chidambaram's tenure as finance minister.
Thereafter, the ED lodged a money-laundering case in this regard in 2017.
The ED had taken him into custody on October 16 this year. -- PTI
18:03 Retail inflation jumps to 4.62% in Oct
Retail inflation surged to 4.62 per cent in October, mainly on account of higher food prices, according to government data released on Wednesday.
The inflation based on Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 3.99 per cent in September and 3.38 per cent in October 2018.
The inflation in the food basket spiked to 7.89 per cent in October 2019 as against 5.11 per cent the preceding month.
The Reserve Bank mainly factors in the CPI based inflation to arrive at its bi-monthly monetary policy.
The RBI has been asked to keep the retail inflation at around 4 per cent. -- PTI
18:00 Justice Kureshi to take over as Tripura HC CJ on Nov 16: Sources
Newly-appointed chief justice of Tripura high court Akil Kureshi will take charge on November 16 and Justice Subhasis Talpatra has been asked to officiate as acting chief justice till then, sources said on Wednesday.
Justice Sanjay Karol, who was heading the Tripura high court, was recently appointed to the Patna high court as chief justice.
Days later, Justice Kureshi was appointed as chief justice of the Tripura high court on November 8.
"Since Justice Kureshi (of the Bombay HC) will take over on November 16, Justice Talpatra, the senior-most judge of the Tripura HC, has been asked to officiate as chief justice," a senior government functionary explained.
The Supreme Court collegium had earlier recommended Justice Kureshi's name to head the Madhya Pradesh high court.
But following reservations expressed by the government, it modified its recommendation and proposed his name as head of the Tripura HC.
Appointment of Justice Kureshi as chief justice of the Madhya Pradesh high court was recommended by the collegium on May 10. -- PTI
17:50 Disqualified K'taka MLAs to join BJP tomorrow
Karnataka CM B S Yediyurappa says that all 17 rebel MLAs, whose disqualification was upheld by the Supreme Court earlier in the day, will join the Bharatiya Janata Party tomorrow.
The 17 disqualified MLAs are: Pratap Gowda Patil, BC Patil, Shivram Hebbar, ST Somashekar, Byrati Basavaraj, Anand Singh, R Roshan Baig, N Munirathna, K Sudhakar and MTB Nagaraj, Shrimant Patil, Ramesh Jarkiholi, Mahesh Kumatalli and R Shankar (all Congress). JD(S) members who faced action are K Gopalaiah, AH Vishwanath and KC Narayana Gowda.
While upholding their disqualification, the apex court set aside the portion of the orders by the then speaker K R Ramesh Kumar by which the legislators were disqualified till the end of the 15th Karnataka Legislative Assembly's term in 2023.
Kumar had disqualified the 17 MLAs of the Congress-Janata Dal (Scular) coalition ahead of a trust vote in July. -- ANI/PTI
17:00 Militants shoot dead shopkeeper in Kashmir
Militants on Wednesday shot dead a shopkeeper in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said. Mehraj-ud-din, a resident of Tral, was shot at by militants in his shop in Tral area of South Kahsmir, a police official said. The shopkeeper died on the spot, the official added. PTI
16:58 JNU orders partial rollback of hostel fees
This comes after JNU students intensified their protest today for rollback of the hostel fee hike. Consequently, the university administration had to shift a meeting of the Executive Council outside the campus fearing disruption due to the agitation.
JNU orders a partial rollback of hostel fees hike at a decision taken in the varsity's Executive Council meeting. The JNU also proposes a scheme for economic assistance to EWS students, say HRD officials.
The Executive Council is the highest decision-making body of the Jawaharlal Nehru University. The students from Left-backed political outfits have been protesting against the hike in hostel fees for almost a fortnight, and the representatives from RSS student wing ABVP have also planned a march to the UGC office over similar demands.
The students' union claims the draft hostel manual, approved by the Inter-Hall administration, has provisions for hostel fee hike, dress code and curfew timings. The students had gathered outside the convention centre on the campus but, to press their demands effectively, shifted their protest to the administration block, which houses the vice chancellor's office and the office of other senior administration officials, on Wednesday.
The students have been demanding the withdrawal of the draft hostel manual, in which service charges of Rs 1,700 were introduced and the one-time mess security fee, which is refundable, has been hiked from Rs 5,500 to Rs 12,000. The rent for a single-seater room has been increased from Rs 20 per month to Rs 600 per month, while the rent for a double-seater room has been increased from Rs 10 to Rs 300 per month.
16:44 Ten tales of freedom
Retelling forgotten stories of courage and sacrifice that got India its Independence. Delve into Magsaysay Award winner P Sainith's treasure trove of information.
16:37 With Maha under Prez rule, GAD asks for files
What happens to ministries when President's Rule comes into force in a state. Here's what is happening in Maharashtra:
-- Ministries have been ordered to hand over possessions to the General Administrative Department (GAD) by Wednesday evening.
-- The GAD order is applicable to all ministries, OSDs (Officers on Special Duty) working for ministers, personal secretaries and personal assistants.
-- They are directed to submit telephone bills and return identity cards issued to them to the GAD, the order stated. They are told to return official files, confidential documents, office stationary, furniture etc.
The Central Rule came into force on Tuesday evening, 19 days after the fractured mandate in the state assembly polls failed to elect a clear winner. The BJP, which won maximum 105 seats in the 288-member House, declined to stake the claim to form government, as its alliance partner Shiv Sena (56) refused to lend support. The third largest party NCP (54) too couldn't muster requisite numbers. Its ally Congress has 44 members. PTI
16:03 Prince Charles visits IMD in 3-day visit to India
Britain's Prince Charles, who is on a three-day trip to India, visited the India Meteorological Department (IMD) at Mausam Bhawan in New Delhi on Wednesday. Charles interacted with the IMD officials during his stay. He was seen leaving the Mausam Bhawan in a battery-operated rickshaw.
This is Prince Charles' 10th official visit to India.
His engagements in the national capital include a bilateral meeting with the President Ram Nath Kovind. He will also present a Commonwealth 'Points of Light' award to an Indian winner for her exemplary contribution to the field of social development that involves upliftment of disabled children, family counselling and therapy sessions, a British High Commission statement said.
The prince will turn 71 tomorrow.
Image: Prince Charles, who is a devoted environmentalist is in Delhi at a time when the Delhi-NCR region was enveloped in a thick layer of noxious smog today with pollution levels expected to enter the severe plus or emergency category.
15:42 Ayodhya banega Tirupati: Mega makeover planned
Authorities are gearing up to give Ayodhya a complete makeover following the Supreme Court verdict in favour of a Ram temple, with plans to build resorts, a five-star hotel, international bus terminal and an airport. Besides these, the Uttar Pradesh government also plans to start a cruise on the Saryu river.
Elaborating about the developmental plan, deputy director Information of Ayodhya division Murlidhar Singh said,"Ayodhya Teerth Vikas Parishad will be constituted. Plans are on to start river cruise on Saryu river in Ayodhya. It will take almost four years for Ayodhya to become a city like Tirupati," he said.
Singh said work will be started at a very fast pace to construct an international airport in Ayodhya, so that the first flight can take off by Ram Navami (birth celebration of Lord Ram) in April 2020. He said the expansion of Ayodhya railway station will also be undertaken apart from construction of an international bus terminal in the town. In addition, a flyover measuring 5-kilometre- long will come up between Faizabad and Ayodhya, he said. Work to construct a five-star hotel and setting up 10 resorts in Ayodhya is likely to commence in December, he said.
"The temple of Lord Ram, which will be built in Ayodhya, will be the biggest religious place in the country. If 2,000 craftsmen (kaarigar) will be working for 8 hours in a day, then the temple will be ready in two-and-half years. So far 65 per cent of the stones have been already carved," Murlidhar Singh said.
He added that the responsibility to look after the area of nearly 5-kilometre around the temple will be on the Supreme Court-mandated trust for construction of a temple at the site in Ayodhya.
A number of religious institutes will come up in the 77-acre campus of the temple. A Gaushala (cow shed), Dharamshala (rest house) and Vedic institute along with other religious buildings will be built in the vicinity of the Ram Temple, he said.
Ayodhya will be developed as an 'Aadhyatmik Nagari' (Spiritual City), and as many as 10 Shri Ram 'dwaar' (gates) will be built, he said. As many as 10,000 'rain basera' (community resting place) will also be constructed, he said, adding that all ponds related to Lord Ram will be renovated.
15:38 Next Maharashtra CM from Sena: Raut gets discharged
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday reiterated that the next Chief Minister of Maharashtra will be from Shiv Sena.Speaking to media after being discharged from Lilavati Hospital, Raut said," The next Chief Minister will be from Shiv Sena."
Raut was admitted to the Lilavati hospital on November 11 following a complaint of chest pain.Earlier on Tuesday, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray met him at the hospital.
Raut has been instrumental in reaching out to various leaders in a bid to garner support for Shiv Sena for government formation in Maharashtra.
15:22 CJI's office under RTI: SC upholds Delhi HC order
The Supreme Court on Wednesday held that the office of the Chief Justice of India is a public authority under the transparency law, the Right to Information Act. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi upheld the 2010 Delhi High Court verdict and dismissed the three appeals filed by Secretary General of the Supreme Court and the Central Public Information officer of the apex court. Cautioning that RTI cannot be used as tool of surveillance, the top court held that judicial independence has to be kept in mind while dealing with transparency. It said that only names of judges recommended by the Collegium can be disclosed, not the reasons. PTI
15:22 Disqualified MLAs will join BJP tomorrow: K'taka Dy CM
Hours after the Supreme Court on Wednesday paved the way for the 17 disqualified Congress- JD(S) legislators to contest the December 5 bypolls for 15 seats in Karnataka, Deputy Chief Minister Ashwathnarayan C N said they will be joining the BJP on November 14.
"They (disqualified legislators) have expressed interest to join BJP and have met our senior leaders. They have been welcomed to join the party," he said. Speaking to reporters in Delhi, he said, they will be joining the party tomorrow at 10.30 a.m in Bengaluru in the presence of Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and BJP state President Nalin Kumar Kateel. Some disqualified MLAs along with Ashwathnarayan met B L Santosh, BJP National General Secretary (Organisation), in New Delhi hours after the verdict. -- PTI
14:54 Maharashtra Cong MLAs leave for Mumbai from Jaipur hotel
Maharashtra Congress MLAs, who had been camping at a resort in Jaipur for the last five days amid political impasse in their state, left for Mumbai on Wednesday.
The MLAs were holed up at the luxury resort, located close to the Delhi-Jaipur national highway, as the Congress remained busy holding discussions with the NCP and the Shiv Sena with regard to the government formation in Maharashtra, which was placed under President's rule on Tuesday. The MLAs left the resort in a bus to the airport, from where they will travel to Mumbai in a chartered flight.
During their stay at Pili Ki Talai, the MLAs were frequented by many party leaders to discuss the political situation in Maharashtra. "Our newly elected MLAs of Maharashtra were staying here for the last five days. The stay was very comfortable and they were happy with the hospitality of Rajasthan," AICC general secretary Avinash Pande told reporters before the MLAs left for Mumbai. -- PTI
14:51 'The mosque should be rebuilt by Government of India'
Dr Madhav Godbole resigned as Union home secretary after the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992 and subsequently took voluntary retirement after 33 years as an IAS officer.
The author of over 16 books, his recent book The Babri Masjid-Ram Mandir Dilemma -- An Acid Test For India's Constitution was published two months ago.
"Wherever in an act of communal violence any place of worship of any religion is damaged or destroyed it must be rectified and repaired by the government at its own cost. That is the only way you can give a sense of confidence to the minorities and affected communities that there is a government which will protect your rights," Dr Godbole tells Rediff.com's Archana Masih in the first part of a two-part interview.
14:44 Talks in process: Uddhav after meeting Cong
Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said talks over government formation in Maharashtra were progressing in the "right direction" and a decision will be taken at an appropriate time.
Thackeray said this after a meeting with senior Maharashtra Congress leaders Ashok Chavan, Balasaheb Thorat and Manikrao Thakare at a suburban hotel. The meeting, which took place a day after President's rule was imposed in the state, lasted for about an hour.
"Everything is going fine. Talks are on in the right direction and a decision will be announced at an appropriate time," Thackeray told reporters as he came out of the hotel after meeting the Congress leaders. Shiv Sena's Lok Sabha member Vinayak Raut, who accompanied Thackeray, said, "Senior leaders would give an appropriate information about the decision." Vinayak Raut and Milind Narvekar, both close aides of the Sena president, were with the Congress leaders in the hotel even as Thackeray left. PTI
14:27 May extend odd-even scheme if required: Kejriwal
As pollution levels in the national capital hovered close to emergency levels, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said the odd-even scheme could be extended, if the need arises. The road rationing scheme started on November 4 and is expected to end on November 15.
"If the need arises, we will extend it (odd-even scheme)," Kejriwal said in response to media queries on whether the road rationing initiative, aimed at curbing vehicular pollution, will be further extended. -- PTI
14:25 SC notice to Delhi govt on plea challenging odd-even scheme
The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Delhi government on a plea challenging the odd-even road rationing scheme in the national capital. A bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Deepak Gupta also directed the Delhi government and the Central Pollution Control Board to place before it the data of pollution in Delhi from October till November 14 this year. The bench also directed them to submit pollution data from October 1 to December 31, 2018.
The petition, filed by a Noida-based advocate, has alleged that the Delhi government's November 1 notification on the scheme also violates fundamental rights. It alleged that the odd-even rule violates citizens' rights to practice any profession, carry out any occupation, trade or business and to move freely throughout the country.
Delhi government's odd-even scheme this year came into effect on November 4 and will continue till November 15. PTI
14:01 Lata Mangeshkar stable, yet to come home: Family
Health update of Lata Mangeshkar by her family: "Latadi is stable and much better. Thank you very much for your prayers. We are waiting for her to be at her best so she can be home soon. Thank You for being with us and respecting our privacy.
Mangeshkar, 90, was admitted to the Breach Candy Hospital in the early hours of Monday. The hospital sources on Tuesday said she is still in a
"critical" condition, but "slowly improving".
Mangeshkar's niece Rachana Shah on Tuesday said the singer's condition is "stable and good". Asked by when the singer will be discharged from the
hospital, she said, "In a few days."
Mangeshkar has lent her voice to thousands of songs in Hindi, regional and foreign languages. Her last full album was for late filmmaker Yash Chopra's 2004 film "Veer Zaara". Her latest song - "Saugandh Mujhe Is Mitti Ki" - was recorded this year and released on March 30 as a tribute to
the Indian Army.
She was awarded the Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian honour, in 2001.
13:54 Growing trend of Speakers acting against constitutional duty: SC
There is a growing trend of Speakers acting against the "constitutional duty of being neutral" in addition to political parties indulging in horse trading and corrupt practices due to which citizens are being denied stable governments, the Supreme Court said on Wednesday.
A bench of justices N V Ramana, Sanjiv Khanna and Krishna Murari said the Speaker, being a neutral person, is expected to act independently while conducting the proceedings of the House or adjudication petitions. The constitutional responsibility endowed upon the Speaker has to be scrupulously followed and his political affiliations cannot come in the way of adjudication, the apex court said. If the Speaker is not able to disassociate from his political party and behaves contrary to the spirit of the neutrality and independence then such person does not deserve to be reposed with public trust and confidence, it added.
"In any case, there is a growing trend of Speakers acting against the constitutional duty of being neutral. Additionally, political parties are indulging in horse trading and corrupt practices, due to which the citizens are denied of stable governments. "In these circumstances, the Parliament is required to reconsider strengthening certain aspects of the Tenth Schedule, so that such undemocratic practices are discouraged," the bench said.
The 3-judge bench made these observations while upholding the disqualification of 17 Congress-JD(S) MLAs in Karnataka on orders of the Speaker, but allowing them to contest the December 5 by-polls in the state. -- PTI
Image: Former Karnataka Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar
13:42 Kulbhushan Jadhav may be allowed to appeal in Pak civilian court
Pakistan, in compliance with the International Court of Justice's condition to allow Kulbhushan Jadhav the right to file an appeal in a civilian court, is amending its Army Act accordingly. The case being tried under Military courts and the Army Act law forbade such individuals or groups from filing an appeal and seeking justice from the civilian court but a special amendment is being made for Kulbhushan Jadhav.
13:13 5 NCP leaders will prepare CMP with Cong
The NCP on Wednesday named its five members for a joint committee to be formed with the Congress for deciding a 'common minimum programme' before their possible alliance with the Shiv Sena for government formation in Maharashtra.
NCP's legislature party head Ajit Pawar, its Maharashtra chief Jayant Patil, party veteran Chhagan Bhujbal, Mumbai unit president Nawab Malik and Leader of the Opposition in state Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde will be part of the committee.
The decision was taken at a meeting of NCP legislators at the Y B Chavan Centre here on Wednesday. "The NCP has named the leaders to be part of the joint committee.
The Congress will also name its members for the purpose," said a leader of the Sharad Pawar-led party.
The panel is being formed after NCP chief Sharad Pawar and senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel met here on Tuesday and expressed the need to have a common minimum programme (CMP) before working out the possibility of tying-up with the Shiv Sena.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena contested the October 21 state Assembly polls in alliance with the BJP. But the two parties fell out over the Shiv Sena's demand of sharing the chief minister's post on rotational basis. -- PTI
13:06 Cong demands dismissal of Karnataka govt
The Congress on Wednesday called for the dismissal of the Yeddiyurappa government in Karnataka, saying the Supreme Court's decision upholding the decision disqualifying 17 Congress and JD(S) MLAs but allowing them to contest the bypolls had exposed the BJP's 'Operation Kamal' in the state.
The court on Wednesday struck down the portion of the order of then Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar by which the legislators were disqualified till the end of the 15th Karnataka Assembly and said they can become ministers or hold public office if elected in the December 5 bypolls.
"The Supreme Court's decision has exposed the BJP's 'Operation Kamal' in Karnataka... The Yeddiyurappa government is an 'illegitimate' government in terms of law and constitution and should be dismissed immediately," Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said on Twitter. He also asked for an inquiry into the role of the BJP leadership. "Public opinion and democratic values demand that not should only the 'illegitimate' Yeddiyurappa government be sacked, but the BJP's conspiracy to bring down an elected government on the basis of money power of the legislators investigated.
The 'Yeddiyurappa Tapes' need to be investigated.Where did all this black money come from? What was the role of BJP leadership?" he asked. His colleague Abhishek Manu Singhvi echoed him and said the Yeddiyurappa government has no moral right to continue in office any more.
"There is clearly an attempt by the BJP to destroy democratic values through shameless display of money power... The Supreme Court decision vindicates the stand of the Speaker almost 95 per cent. It shows that 'Operation Kamal' is happening everyday and everywhere in the country," Singhvi told reporters. "It shows that a large number of Congress-JDS MLAs were lured by the BJP through the use of money power," he said. Demanding the resignation of the Karnataka chief minister, he said the BJP's "character" was now exposed. -- PTI
12:58 Lawyers continue to boycott work in Delhi district courts
Lawyers in Delhi district courts continued to abstain from work on Wednesday, demanding the arrest of the policemen who allegedly fired at their colleagues during a clash that took place in early November. Lawyers of all district courts are likely to march from Patiala House Court to India Gate on Wednesday, Dhir Singh Kasana, general secretary of the coordination committee of the All District Courts Bar Associations, said.
The tension between police personnel and lawyers has been building up since November 2 when a clash over a parking dispute led to at least 20 security personnel and several advocates being injured. Lawyers in six district courts have been on strike since November 4 to protest against the clash. In unprecedented protests by the Delhi Police, thousands of its personnel had laid siege outside the police headquarters for 11 hours on November 5 and staged a virtual revolt sparked by two attacks on their colleagues by the lawyers. PTI
12:55 Delhi-NCR's air quality nears 'emergency' zone
Delhi-NCR gasped for breath on Wednesday as the noxious smog resulting from raging farm fires and unfavourable weather pushed pollution levels in the region towards the "emergency" zone for the second time in the last 15 days.
A large number of children were exposed to the harmful spike in pollution as schools remained opened on Wednesday. Pictures of schoolchildren with their faces covered with anti-pollution masks and handkerchiefs were shared widely on social media. Scores of people also posted pictures of open burning of garbage and heaps of construction waste and dirt lying uncovered in several areas across the city.
"#DelhiAirPollution what's the use of being a developing country if our children are not permitted to breathe in clean air...Must think seriously about solutions as soon as possible before any emergency occurs.#DelhiAirEmergency," a Twitter user posted on the microblogging site.
Many people questioned the effectiveness of the odd-even road rationing scheme, brought in by the Delhi government as an emergency measure to check pollution. "How can common man survive in such envt. where AQI PM2.5 is crossing 500. I would like to ask both PM @narendramodi and Delhi CM @ArvindKejriwal Who is responsible for this mess, also odd even scheme doesn't seem to be working.#DelhiAirEmergency (sic)," another user said.
The odd-even scheme resumed on Wednesday after a two-day hold on restrictions in view of the 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev. At 11.30 am, Delhi's overall air quality index read 454. Jahangirpuri and Rohini were the most-polluted areas with an AQI of 483, followed by Mundka (479) and Bawana (479). -- PTI
Image: People exercised and jogged at the Lodhi Garden for instance, wearing masks this morning, as the air quality in Delhi deteriorates.
12:42 SC to deliver verdict on Rafale, Sabrimala review petitions tomorrow
The Supreme Court will pronounce the verdict on a batch of review petitions filed in both Rafale and Sabrimala cases tomorrow.
The Sabrimala verdict will be delivered by a constitution bench comprising Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Rohinton Fali Nariman, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra at 10:30 am.
A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Gogoi, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and KM Joseph will pronounce the Rafale verdict pursuant to Sabrimala's judgment.
In the Sabrimala case, the apex court had on September 28 in 2018 lifted a ban on the entry of women aged between 10 and 50 years into the premises of Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabrimala. The order was reserved by the court in February earlier this year. The order which will be announced tomorrow is likely to uphold or set aside the 2018 order.
In the Rafale case, the petitioners had moved the top court seeking review of its verdict which dismissed a plea challenging India's agreement with France for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets. The verdict on the Rafale case was reserved in May.
12:36 Maha Cong leaders meet Raut in hospital
Maharashtra Congress leaders met Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut at Lilavati Hospital this morning. Raut was admitted at the hospital on November 11 after he complained of chest pain and had to undergo an angioplasty yesterday.
The ailing Shiv Sena leader today tweeted the word 'agneepath' three times, apparently to indicate the difficult path ahead for his party in its efforts to form government in Maharashtra with the Congress and NCP, its political rivals till recently.
Raut, who on Tuesday quoted poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan to reaffirm his party's resolve to succeed and not give up, on Wednesday tweeted: "Agneepath, agneepath, agneepath..."(path of fire), without elaborating.
As part of its government formation efforts, the Shiv Sena, which espouses the Hindutva ideology, is trying to find a common ground with the Congress and NCP, the parties against which it contested the last month's Assembly elections. On Tuesday, President's rule was imposed in Maharashtra after Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari in a report to the Centre stated that formation of a stable government was impossible in the current situation despite all his efforts.
12:20 Will win all 17 bypolls seats: Yeddy reacts
First reactions from Karnataka CM BS Yeddyurappa on the SC verdict allowing the disqualified MLAs to contest polls: "I welcome the decision of the Supreme Court which has given the verdict that all 17 MLAs can contest by-elections. Tomorrow onwards we are going to go to all assembly constituencies. We are going to win all the 17 seats 101%.
When asked if all the 17 MLAs are joining BJP, Yeddyurappa said, "Just wait till evening. I will discuss with them, I will discuss with the national leadership also. We will take an appropriate decision in the evening."
12:14 'The BJP has reached its climax'
Notwithstanding its performance in the Maharashtra Assembly polls, Professor Badri Narayan, social scientist and cultural anthropologist, tells Rediff.com's Archana Masih that the BJP is a formidable political force today. "It is at its peak. It may not be possible for it to ascend any higher -- and it should be understood that the BJP has acquired this height even without the Ram Janambhoomi issue," he tells Rediff.com. Read the interview here.
11:41 All NCP MLAs, MLCs to back Pawar to meet today
A day after President's Rule was imposed in Maharashtra, the Nationalist Congress Party is holding a core committee meeting in Mumbai to discuss the current political situation in the state.
The meeting is being attended by party chief Sharad Pawar and senior leaders Praful Patel, Supriya Sule, Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil among others.
"We have decided that whatever decision Sharad Pawar takes, all MLAs and MLCs will back it... Some MLAs have said that they want to meet the party seniors today so that there is more clarity and what Congress and NCP wants can be understood. All party leaders want to address concerns of people in their constituencies," Ajit Pawar said.
"NCP had given a letter to the Governor seeking an extension of three days as Congress leaders were not in the city and the situation was different in the morning. We wanted more time for the entire procedure (formation of government). Ajit Pawar said that the NCP is trying to find a way and "therefore dialogue is needed in the current situation".
Maharashtra came under the President's Rule on Tuesday after President Ram Nath Kovind gave his approval for the requisite notification.
The President signed the notification following the recommendation of the Union Cabinet which acted on the report from Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
The Governor had recommended the imposition of President's Rule following the political stalemate in the state over the formation of the government with BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP being unable to gather support for forming government in the state. -- ANI
11:28 Akbaruddin serves langar during Guru Nanak's birth anniversary celebrations
India's permanent representative to the United Nations Syed Akbaruddin on Tuesday participated in the celebrations of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev held in New York.
A video shared on the official twitter handle of the Indian mission to the UN shows Akbaruddin serving langar to the devotees gathered at the premises of the mission located.
"The privilege of serving... Is an honor to cherish....," Akbaruddin wrote on Twitter.
The 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev was celebrated with much joy and fervour throughout the country and different parts of the world yesterday. -- PTI
11:22 Ayodhya: VHP wants Shah, Yogi in temple trust
As the Centre has set the ball rolling for setting up a Supreme Court-mandated trust for construction of a temple at Ramjanmabhoomi site in Ayodhya, right-wing organisation Vishwa Hindu Parishad has suggested that Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath be included in it.
VHP spokesperson Sharad Sharma on Wednesday in Ayodhya also reiterated the outfit's hope that the trust would build a grand temple as per the design prepared by the Ramjanmabhoomi Nyas.
The Nyas has been running a sprawling workshop in Ayodhya's Karsewakpuram since 1990 and artisans and craftsmen have fashioned out magnificently carved stones and pillars over these years, with the assumption that one day it will be used to build a temple for Ram Lallah.
As per the RJN plan, the temple, once built, will be 268 ft long, 140 ft wide and 128 ft high, from the ground to the apex point (Shikhar) and a total of 212 pillars will be used, according to 79-year-old Annu Bhai Sompura, in-charge of the workshop. The Ram Janmabhomi Nyas is supported by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, whose members volunteer services at the workshop. "We also feel that Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi be made a part of the trust, and if needed, exceptions be made for their inclusion," Sharma told PTI, and cited Sree Somnath Trust's inception to buttress his point.
11:07 If elected, disqualified K'taka MLAs can hold office: SC
Update on the SC verdict on the disqualification of the Karnataka MLAs:
-- The Supreme Court says if elected in bypolls, these disqualified Karnataka MLAs can become ministers or hold public office. The court deprecates the manner in which these disqualified Karnataka MLAs directly approached it without first moving the high court. It said its verdict is based on facts and circumstance of the case and does not interfere in the Speaker's power to disqualify members.
10:57 17 K'taka MLAs stay disqualified, can fight polls
The Supreme Court has upheld the disqualification of 17 MLAs of the Karnataka Assembly. The three-Judge Bench of Judges NV Ramana, Sanjiv Khanna, and Krishna Murari delivered the judgement on the basis of a plea filed by the 17 disqualified MLAs challenging their disqualification.
However, the SC held that the then Karnataka Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar cannot dictate the duration of the disqualification till the end of the 15th Legislative Assembly term. The SC verdict gave its nod to the disqualified MLAs to contest the December 5 bypolls in Karnataka.
Fourteen rebel MLAs of the Congress and three of the JD-S were disqualified under the anti-defection law by the Speaker in July.
The Speaker also said the MLAs cannot contest elections until the term of the current assembly ends in 2023.
10:46 Pak violates ceasefire in J-K's Rajouri
Pakistan violated ceasefire in Keri Village of Rajouri district on Wednesday morning.The firing of small arms and intense shelling with mortars began at around 7 am. Indian Army is retaliating effectively.Further details are awaited. -- ANI
10:40 Cattle-seller beaten to death in Bihar
A man taking cattle to sell at a market in West Bengal was beaten to death in Bihar's Katihar district for allegedly refusing to pay extortion money demanded by miscreants, police said.
The incident took place on Monday evening when the man identified as Mohammed Jamal, his brother and another person were taking 18 cows and bullocks to the market at Kursel in Azamnagar, the police said.
They were surrounded by one Sagar Yadav and some other people who demanded money from them near Labha bridge, the police said. As Jamal refused to pay the money, he was lynched while those accompanying him managed to escape, the police said. Jamal used to work for a cattle trader. -- PTI
10:17 Agneepath! Raut charts 'path of fire' for Sena
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut who has been admitted to Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai on Monday after he complained of chest pain, has been getting poetic.
An hour or so ago, Raut, tweeted three words from Harivansh Rai Bachchan's famous poem, Agneepath or Path of Fire, without elaborating, probably in reference to the impasse in the government formation in Maharashtra.
We would like to believe Raut choose this stanza of the poem in reference to the troubles that lay ahead for the party.
Tu na thakega kabhi,
Tu na thamega kabhi,
Tu na mudega kabhi,
Kar shapath! Kar shapath! Kar shapath!
Agneepath! Agneepath! Agneepath!
On November 12, he also quoted lines from Harivansh Rai Bachchan to reaffirm his party's resolve to succeed and not give up. Raut, who on November 11 underwent angioplasty at the Lilavati hospital, tweeted two lines from Bachchan's famous poem: "Lehron se dar kar nauka paar nahi hoti, himmat karne waalon ki kabhi haar nahi hoti (the boat that qualms the waves never gets across, those who dare do not lose)."
The Rajya Sabha member further tweeted, "Hum honge kamyaab, zaroor honge (we would succeed, definitely).
Yesterday, party colleague Uddhav Thackeray, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Supriya Sule among political leaders visited him. BJP leaders Harshvardhan Patil and Ashish Shelar also met Raut at hospital and said it was a courtesy visit with "no political angle".
Image: Former Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar met Sanjay Raut in hospital.
09:37 Fadnavis changes bio to 'Maharashtra Sevak'
Soon after President's rule was imposed in the state on Tuesday evening, Devendra Fadnavis changed his Twitter bio from 'caretaker CM'.
Interestingly, Fadnavis did not even refer to himself as former chief minister.
Now, his profile description reads, 'Maharashtra's Sevak'.
Fadnavis has said that the imposition of President's Rule in the state was unfortunate, but expressed hope that a stable government would soon be formed.
09:16 Greta's 60-foot-tall mural stares down at San Francisco
A massive portrait of Greta Thunberg gazed down onto San Francisco on Tuesday night after an artist unveiled a mural of the Swedish teen activist in a bid to remind residents of the dangers posed by climate change.
The 60-foot tall, 30-foot wide mural was revealed hours after Thunberg announced on Twitter that she would be leaving the United States by boat on Wednesday, headed for a United Nations climate change conference in Madrid in December.
The teenager rejects air travel because of its high levels of greenhouse gas emissions.
Argentine street artist Andres Petreselli, who signs his work Cobre, says the portrait of Thunberg, 16, was unusual because he typically does not address politics, religion or sports.
"But, this one is... I feel connected with the politics behind (it) because I think it is real and if I have to compare it with the rest of my murals, this is the most political one that I ever made," the 32-year-old said as he sat on a roof with the mural behind him.
08:55 Maharashtra Congress MLAs to fly back to Mumbai
Maharashtra Congress MLAs will return to Mumbai today. The 44 MLAs were kept at a resort in Jaipur to avoid poaching attempts by BJP. The MLAs will fly to Mumbai after President's rule has been imposed in the state.
Maharashtra governor BS Koshyari yesterday recommended President's rule in the state. Officials said that the Union Cabinet had recommended President's Rule in the state after Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari submitted a report in this regard. President Ram Nath Kovind signed a proclamation imposing President's Rule in Maharashtra under Article 356(1).
Further, lawyers of the Shiv Sena moved Supreme Court and sought an urgent hearing against Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari's refusal to grant more time to the party to submit the required letters of support to form the next government on Monday night.
The lawyers, appearing for the Sena, said they have made a request to the registrar for according urgent hearing on Tuesday itself and said they are yet to get a response. The Shiv Sena has termed the governor's Monday decision as unconstitutional, unreasonable and mala fide.
08:36 Sikhs third most targeted religious group in US: FBI report on hate crimes
Around 60 incidents of hate crimes against Sikhs were reported to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2018, making the community the third most commonly targeted religious group after Jews and Muslims in the US, according to an annual report released by the FBI on Tuesday.
A total of 7,120 hate crimes were reported to the FBI by law enforcement agencies around the country last year, slightly down from 7,175 in 2017, the FBI said, adding that this involved 8,496 offenses.
The largest number of hate crimes based on religion were reported against Jews (835), followed by Muslims (188) and Sikhs (60).
According to the FBI report, 91 hate crimes were reported against other religion, including 12 against Hindus and ten anti-Buddhist crimes.
Of the 4,047 hate crimes based on ethnicity, the maximum 1943 hate crime incidents were against anti-Black or African Americans, followed by anti-White (762) and anti-Hispanic or Latino (485).
The Sikh Coalition in a statement said it is "disheartening" that hate crimes remain systematically "under-reported" across the United States.
-- PTI
07:56 Delhi's air may hit emergency level by today
A thick haze returned to Delhi on Tuesday amid stubble burning in neighbouring states, with official forecasters saying the air quality could hit emergency levels during the next two days because of low surface wind and cloud cover, sparking concerns by parents over schoolchildren being exposed to poisonous pollutants outdoors.
The Central Pollution Control Boards 4 pm bulletin on the Air Quality Index on Tuesday showed the pollution was severe at 425, a sharp rise from 360 the previous day. By 11 pm, the AQI had dipped to 449.
The 24-hour average concentration of PM2.5 ultra-fine particles reported by the Central Control Room for Air Quality Management-Delhi NCRs dashboard breached the 300g/m3 level regarded as the threshold beyond which the pollution is considered to be in the emergency zone.
The governments air quality monitoring system, System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research, said winds blowing from the northwest carried plumes of smoke from burning stubble in Punjab and Haryana to New Delhi, causing the pollution to rise. The transport level wind direction is forecasted to be highly favourable for plume intrusion for the next two days, it said.
No sudden recovery is expected under this condition at least for the next two days and AQI is likely to deteriorate further towards SEVERE+ category by tomorrow (Wednesday). The condition may slightly improve by 15th November, it added.
The agency said that while the farm fire count had gone down, the wind pattern was bringing in airborne particles that are harmful to human health.
The Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government said it restricted outdoor activities in schools, but there were no immediate plans of shutting down schools. The extension of road rationing measures, popularly called the odd-even scheme, will be reviewed on Wednesday after assessing the pollution over the next 24 hours, Delhis environment minister Kailash Gahlot said. The scheme was suspended on Monday and Tuesday for the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.
00:06 Like Ayodhya, respect Sabarimala verdict: Kerala Min
Kerala Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran on Tuesday asked the BJP, which has welcomed the recent Supreme Court order on Ayodhya, to also respect the apex court verdict on Sabarimala permitting women of all ages to pray at the Lord Ayyappa shrine.
Surendran, who was replying to a question posed by the lone BJP legislator O Rajagopal, also asked the saffron party not to encourage "goons and anti-socials" to go to Sabarimala.
Rajagopal had sought reply from the Devaswom Minister on the arrangements made at the hilltop shrine ahead of the annual pilgrimage season.
The BJP member alleged that the number of devotees to the hill shrine came down last year and wondered why the Left government supported the entry of "atheist, Left activists" and others into the temple.
Countering it, the minister said: "Please don't encourage anti-socials and goons to go to Sabarimala like last time," an apparent reference to violence during the protest against entry of young women.
"Society expects more from a personality like you (Rajagopal). Now, the Ayodhya case verdict has come, your party has welcomed it with open arms. Hope the same attitude will be there with respect to the Sabarimala issue," Surendran said.
The minister said facilities have been arranged for keeping the sacred offerings of around 6,500 devotees while a total of 1,161 toilets, 160 bathrooms and 150 urinals had been set up.
"Five emergency medical centres have also been readied. Three incinerators and 600 waste bins are also there," Surendran told the House.
The hill shrine had witnessed protests by devotees and right outfits against the LDF government's decision to implement the Supreme Court verdict in 2018 allowing all women, including those in the menstruating age, to offer
prayers at the hill shrine.
The court had lifted the traditional ban on women in the 10-50 age group from entering the temple. -- PTI
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