Chief Justice of India N V Ramana on Thursday set in motion the process of appointment of his successor by recommending the name of Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, the most senior judge, to the Centre.
The CJI personally handed over the copy of his letter of recommendation to Justice Lalit.
Justice Ramana, the 48th chief justice of India who took over as head of the Indian judiciary from S A Bobde on April 24, 2021, is scheduled to demit office on August 26 after a tenure of over 16 months.
Justice Lalit, who would be appointed head of the judiciary on August 27, will have a tenure of less than three months as the chief justice of India. He retires on November 8 this year.
Not afraid of Narendra Modi, will not be intimidated: Rahul Gandhi on action in Herald case 3
Launching a scathing attack on the prime minister, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi Thursday said he is ”not afraid of Narendra Modi” and will not be ”intimidated” by the Enforcement Directorate’s action in the National Herald case.
Gandhi’s reaction came a day after the ED sealed the office of Young Indian in Herald House in the national capital, and the Delhi police briefly barricaded his residence and the party office here.
Gandhi termed these actions an ”attempt at intimidation”.
”We will not be intimidated. We are not afraid of Narendra Modi,” he told reporters outside Parliament. ”They may do whatever they want. It does not matter.” ”I will continue to work to protect the country and democracy and maintain harmony in the country. I will continue to do my work whatever they may do,” he said in his first response after the ED sealed the Young Indian office.
On the barricading issue, he said ”truth cannot be barricaded”, and added his party will continue to protest. The former Congress chief said the BJP government thinks its can ”silence us by putting some pressure on us”. ‘
‘But we will not be silenced,” he said. ”What Narendra Modi and Amit Shah are doing in this country and against democracy, we will stand against it whatever they may do. It does not matter.”
Amid threats from various terror organizations warning of disrupting the Independence Day celebrations, the Delhi Police has decided to install more than 1,000 Internet Protocol (IP) based CCTV cameras in and around Red Fort here.
On Thursday, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) issued an alert for possible attacks by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) ahead of the 75th Independence Day celebration on August 15.
The 10-page report by IB mentions the recent attack on Japan’s former PM Shinzo Abe who was shot dead at a public event in Japan recently and requested Delhi police to enforce strict entry rules at the venue on August 15.
The document accessed by agencies reads that out of the total requirement, 80 percent of CCTV Cameras of IP-based 2-megapixel and 20 percent CCTV cameras of IP-based 4-megapixel will be installed at each and every corner of the venue.
These 20 percent CCTV cameras of IP-based 4-megapixel will be installed at the strategic locations which will be intimated by DCP concerned at the time of installation and the rest 80 per cent locations will be covered by IP-based 2-mega pixel CCTV cameras.
These cameras will be installed at New Delhi District, North District, South-East, Central District, Security Unit and North West District.
A large number of cameras will be installed in the North district and Central district that covers the periphery of Red Fort, where Independence Day celebrations with be held.
These IP-based cameras will be equipped with features like face detection, people movement detection, tripwire, audio detection, intrusion, defocus, abandoned/missing object and will provide Full HD 1080P live view of the locations.
It will also share data on a real-time basis for face recognition server for better detection, these cameras will incorporate a built-in 30X optical, auto-focus zoom lens, and will have 12X digital zoom capability.
The camera should have inbuilt Infra Red (IR) and cover distance up to 150 metres for better viewing during night, the document reads.
Last year on Republic Day, protestors did not follow the prearranged route and broke barricades to enter Delhi, clashed with police, and vandalized property in several parts of the national capital during the farmers’ tractor rally.
They also entered the Red Fort and unfurled their flags from its ramparts.
Uddhav move on BMC wards was ‘undemocratic’ alleges Congress and BJP 6
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena opposed the new government’s decision and may move the Bombay high court. Former MP Milind Deora, who had last week led a Congress delegation to deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis to demand scrapping of the Thackeray government’s move, tweeted on Tuesday, “A big victory for Mumbai Congress and the people of Mumbai.
The state government has nullified the brazenly undemocratic ward-wise delimitation orchestrated by the Shiv Sena. It was an insult to MVA’s coalition dharma as well as to ordinary Mumbaikars.”
Deora had earlier alleged that the ward boundaries and reservations put in place by the Thackeray-led government were “politically motivated.” Both the Congress and BJP welcomed the Shinde-Fadnavis government’s decision to reverse the MVA government’s move to increase the number of electoral wards in the BMC from 227 to 236.
The Congress had demanded that the move be scrapped and the ward boundaries should go back to those in 2017.
Thane district of Maharashtra has reported 176 new coronavirus positive cases, which took its overall infection tally to 7,34,603, a health official said on Thursday.
With this addition recorded on Wednesday, there are now 768 active cases in the district, he said.
The death toll remained unchanged at 11,929 as nobody succumbed to the infection during the day, while the recovery count reached 7,22,439, the official added.
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut’s ED custody ends today to be produced in court 9
The central agency had arrested Raut on Sunday midnight in connection with alleged financial irregularities in the redevelopment of Patra ‘Chawl’ (old row tenement) in suburban Goregaon and related financial property transactions involving his wife and alleged associates.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money-laundering case, will be produced before a special court Mumbai on Thursday.
China sent 27 aircraft to Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), the island’s Defence Ministry said on Wednesday hours after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi left Taipei following a high-stakes visit that has spiked tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
As many as six J-11 fighter jets, five J-16 multirole fighters, and 16 SU-30 multirole fighters entered the air defense zone today. “27 PLA aircraft (J-116, J-165, and SU-30*16) entered the surrounding area of R.O.C. on August 3, 2022,” Taiwan Defense Ministry tweeted.
This incursion after 21 Chinese military aircraft flew into the southwestern part of Taiwan’s air defense zone on Monday night. In response to Chinese aggression, Taiwan sent an air patrol to monitor the situation and deployed anti-aircraft missile systems.
Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan ended today as she departed from the self-ruled island after a short and gripping trip that upped the ante in the Taiwan Strait.
The US House Speaker, who is second in line to the Oval Office after the US vice president, reaffirmed her country’s unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan’s democracy and said this trip in no way contradicts longstanding United States policy on the self-governed island.
China, meanwhile, says Pelosi’s Taiwan visit was a severe violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the joint communique signed between the two countries.
On Tuesday, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) announced missile tests and live firing as part of its military operations near Taiwan.
“The Chinese armed forces will begin military operations around Taiwan, long-range live firing will be held in the Taiwan Strait, and conventional missile tests will be organized in the sea area of the eastern part of the island,” Sputnik news agency quoted Eastern Theater Command spokesperson Shi Yi as saying.
“These actions are a fair deterrent to the recent major escalation of US negative actions on the Taiwan issue and a serious warning to the pro-Taiwan independence forces,” Shi Yi said.
In the recent past, China has increased its use of gray zone tactics by routinely sending aircraft into Taiwan’s ADIZ, with most occurrences taking place in the southwest corner.
In 2021, Chinese military planes entered Taiwan’s ADIZ on 961 instances over 239 days. Gray zone tactics are defined as “an effort or series of efforts beyond steady-state deterrence and assurance that attempts to achieve one’s security objectives without resort to direct and sizable use of force.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated weightlifter Lovepreet Singh after he clinched a Bronze medal for India in the Men’s 109 kg final at the ongoing Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham on Wednesday.
Indian weightlifter Lovepreet Singh added another medal to India’s tally after capturing a Bronze medal in the final of the Men’s 109 kg category at the ongoing Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham on Wednesday.
“Congratulations to the talented Lovepreet Singh for winning the Bronze medal in Men’s 109kg weightlifting. The young and dynamic Lovepreet has impressed everyone with his calm temperament and dedication to sports. Wishing him the very best for all future endeavours,” tweeted PM Modi.
President Droupadi Murmu also lauded the weightlifter for his medal win. “Indian weightlifters continue to excel and bring glory for the nation. Congratulations to Lovepreet Singh for winning bronze medal in weightlifting at #CommonwealthGames. My best wishes to him for success in future events,” tweeted the President.
Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur also congratulated the weightlifter on his Bronze medal win. “It took Lovepreet Singh 7 years of hardwork to make his place in the national camp at NSNIS Patiala, since then there has been no looking back for him! Congratulations on your medal at #CWG2022. Champ, wish you the best for your future. #Cheer4India,” tweeted Thakur.
Lovepreet finished with a combined lift of 355 kg. It consisted of 163 kg in his final Snatch attempt and a best of 192 kg in the Clean and Jerk category.
Cameroon’s Junior Periclex Ngadja Nyabeyeu took home the Gold with a combined lift of 361 kg, which consisted of the best lift of 160 kg in the Snatch category and the best of 201 kg in the C&J category.
The silver medal went to Samoa’s Jack Hitila Opeloge who had a combined lift of 358 kg. It consisted of the best lift of 164 kg in the Snatch category and 194 in the C&J category.
Lovepreet Singh was off to a great start. He lifted a solid 157 kg in the first Snatch attempt and he took the lead after this. His other opponents outdid him and he was dethroned from the first spot.
His second Snatch attempt was an impressive 161 kg, which once again placed him at the top. However, in his final attempt, Canada’s Pierre-Alexandre Bessette lifted an impressive 163 kg, which pushed him to number one and Lovepreet was thrown at number two.
Lovepreet responded with an amazing 163 kg lift in his final Snatch attempt. He finished the Snatch event tied with Bessette for the second position.
At the first position was Samoa’s Jack Hitila Opeloge, who lifted a fantastic 164 kg in his final attempt. Cameroon’s Junior Periclex Ngadja Nyabeyeu was at the third spot with a lift of 160 kg. With the Indian in medal contention, things moved to the Clean and Jerk event.
Lovepreet lifted an impressive 185 kg in his first attempt in C&J, which strengthened his top position chances. He followed this with an even better lift of 189 kg in his second attempt, which improved his combined lift from 348 kg to 352 kg.
Lovepreet’s final C&J attempt was a monstrous lift of 192 kg, which pushed his combined lift to 355 kg. The closest to him was Bessette with a combined lift of 349 kg, followed by Andy Griffiths of England, who had a combined lift of 346 kg.
However, some contestants were yet to complete their C&J attempts and Lovepreet had to wait to see if he could finish at a podium position, preferably the topmost one which he had occupied.
Samoa’s Opeloge lifted a massive 194 kg in his first attempt at C&J and Cameroon’s Junior Periclex Ngadja Nyabeyeu also lifted 196 kg in his first attempt. Both were in the first and second position with a combined lift of 358 kg and 356 kg respectively.
Lovepreet was pushed down to third. In the end, Lovepreet had to stay content with a bronze medal as he finished with a combined lift of 355 kg.
Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde's court battle would be heard tomorrow 13
Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde today went all out in proving who controls the party, with both sides deploying a battalion of top lawyers to argue their case before the Supreme Court. The political developments in Maharashtra have been hitting headlines for a long now. Be it the fight over Shiv Sena camps or a controversy started by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, all events have had consequences.
The Supreme Court adjourned the hearing of Shiv Sena’s pleas till August 4. At the outset, Kapil Sibal argued on behalf of the Uddhav Thackeray camp that the only way to avoid disqualification was for 2/3rds of the members to join another party. At the same time, he emphasised that paragraph 4 of the 10th schedule prohibits two-thirds of the members from claiming to be the original political party.
Pressing for the disqualification of the rebels, Sibal observed, “This court in the Karnataka Assembly case held that the giving up of party members can be inferred from conduct. Here, they were called for a party meeting. They went to Surat and then to Guwahati. They wrote to the deputy speaker, and he appointed their whip.” Similarly, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi stated, “The end does not justify the means. That is not the objective of the 10th schedule. It says even if a majority defects, it is a constitutional sin. So, they can’t claim legitimacy on the majority alone”.
Thereafter, senior advocate Harish Salve appeared for Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde. He averred that the anti-defection law is not a weapon for the leaders who have lost the numbers to lock their members. When asked by the CJI whether there was any relevance to the political party, Harish Salve said, “I [Shinde] belong to Shiv Sena. My chief minister refuses to meet me. I am not arguing facts or giving theoretical facts. I want a change of CM. That is not anti-party, that is intra-party”.
When the SC inquired about the current status of Shinde, the Queen’s Counsel clarified that he was a dissenting member of the Shiv Sena. He also made it clear that the proceedings pending before the Election Commission of India (ECI) have nothing to do with the disqualification. Harish Salve asserted that if there is an intra-party rebellion within a party against a leader versus a group of people who are leaving the party, the anti-defection law will apply only to those who have given up their membership in the party.
After the CJI asked Salve about the rationale for Shinde to approach the EC, he said that it is necessary to decide the faction which can use the party symbol ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls. When he urged the SC to not decide on the disqualification of MLAs, the CJI reminded him that it was his client who got relief from the court first. Appearing for Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta questioned whether the 10th schedule could be misused to curb intra-party democracy and to prohibit majority members from exercising their freedom of expression within the party.
Commenting on the argument that the Governor shouldn’t have called a person likely to be disqualified to form the government, he said that the former couldn’t wait indefinitely as there was a stalemate in the House. Meanwhile, senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani urged the SC to allow the Speaker to decide on the disqualification pleas. The Supreme Court is hearing a bunch of petitions related to the formation of the Eknath Shinde-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, disqualification of rebel MLAs, and the right over the bow-and-arrow symbol. Chief Justice of India NV Ramana asked the Eknath Shinde camp if there is no relevance of a political party. The question arose after Shinde’s lawyer and senior advocate Harish Salve said that none of the issues raised by Uddhav Thackeray’s lawyer is necessary.
The anti-defection law is not a weapon for a leader who has lost the confidence of his own party members and he’s trying to lock them up,” Salve said. Before the crucial case in the court, a lot happened in the state. On the other hand, the Thackeray camp has filed a rejoinder before the Supreme Court, saying that the delinquent MLAs, including Shinde, came to the apex court with “unclean hands”.
In Pune’s Katraj Chowk, a vehicle of former minister Uday Samant, who switched his allegiance to Shinde, was allegedly attacked by some unidentified people while passing by a location where Aaditya Thackeray held a public meeting. In a video doing rounds on social media, a mob can be seen trying to gherao Samant’s vehicle and raising slogans like “traitors” against the MLA and CM Shinde.
Reacting to the attack, Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde called it an “act of cowardice”. “There is no bravery in pelting stones and fleeing. It is our responsibility to maintain law and order. Thackeray accused the other group led by Mr Shinde of “floating a fake narrative to justify their anti-party stand”. When Team Thackeray asked whether the anti-defection law is even applicable now or is it something that is just on paper, Team Shinde replied this law is not for a leader who has lost the confidence of his own party members and somehow wants to lock them in and hang on to power. The Thackeray faction claims disqualification notices but nobody has been disqualified so far. Not attending a party meeting held outside the house is not grounds for defection. Intra-party dissent is not grounds for defection. We confuse political parties with leaders. So and so the party is so and so the leader.
Uddhav Thackeray stepped down as Maharashtra Chief Minister after nearly 40 Sena rebel MLAs led by Eknath Shinde revolted against him in June, and with the BJP’s support formed the government by dislodging the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance of the Sena, Congress and Nationalist Congress Party, or NCP.
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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday sealed the National Herald office, instructing that the premises are not opened without prior permission from the probe agency.
The probe agency took action a day after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out raids at 12 locations in the national capital and at other places in connection with the National Herald case in which top Congress leaders are accused of violating norms.
“Delhi Police blocking the road to AICC Headquarters has become a norm rather than an exception! Why have they just done so is mysterious…,” Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said.
The National Herald case pertains to the alleged financial irregularities under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and was registered about nine months ago after a trial court took cognisance of an Income Tax department probe carried out on the basis of a private criminal complaint filed by former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Subramanian Swamy in 2013.
The petitioner had approached the court alleging that the assets of Associated Journals Limited (AJL), which published the National Herald newspaper, were fraudulently acquired and transferred to Young Indian Pvt Limited (YIL), in which Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi owned 38 per cent shares each.
Swamy had alleged that the Gandhis cheated and misappropriated funds, with YIL paying only Rs 50 lakh to obtain the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore that AJL owed to Congress.
The raids were conducted days after the investigative agency questioned Congress interim-president Sonia Gandhi for nearly three hours on July 27.
It was the third round of questioning of the senior leader in the case. Following the summoning of Sonia Gandhi by the ED, Congress workers and leaders staged protests in various parts of the country alleging misuse of probe agencies by the government.
Sonia Gandhi was questioned by ED on July 26 also. She had reached the ED office accompanied by her daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Officials said on that day, the party president’s response was sought to around 30 questions regarding her involvement with the National Herald newspaper and Young Indian Pvt Ltd. During her questioning, the Lok Sabha MP from Rae Bareli was asked about the functioning and running of the newspaper, the role of its various office bearers.
Prior to that, she was also questioned by ED on July 21. Meanwhile, in June, the ED questioned Rahul Gandhi for five days.
Rahul Gandhi was questioned by the ED for over 27 hours for three straight days from June 13 to June 15 and was again summoned on June 20.On June 20, he was questioned for around 14 hours.
The Congress leader deposed before the ED investigators in the case for the first time on June 13. He initially sought an exemption from appearance on June 16, following which he was called on June 17.
But the senior Congress leader wrote to the ED to postpone his questioning citing the illness of his mother Sonia Gandhi. The ED then allowed him to join the probe on June 20 at his request.
