Delhi election to set political tone for rest of India

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February 5, 2020

There is much curiosity nowadays about who will win the Delhi Assembly election. Will Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) succeed to retain power on its claim of work on electricity, health, education, water, etc, which are indeed public concerns and their daily issues? Or the Bharatiya Janata Pary (BJP) will turn the tables in the name of just national issues, Ram Mandir, abrogation of Article 370, and the implementation of the newly enacted Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) to protect the persecuted Hindu and other minorities in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.

Although Delhi has just 70 seats with only 14 million voters which is less than 2% of India’s electorate and is not even a full-fledged state. But its politics is of much significance because it is the national capital and the house of all the foreign consulates, the hub of all media reporting and is a genuine microcosm of actual India.

Delhi voters demonstrate the full assortment of Indian politics, ideologies, opinions, religions, regions, castes and concerns. Delhi election can be said to set the political tone for the rest of India.

The entire country, from the college and university campuses to the buzzing streets, are caught up in controversial issues and protesting over the declining economy, unemployment, Kashmir, the CAA, the National Register of Citizens and National Population Register, violence in universities, police atrocities and strikes by unions.

The people of every city of India are raising their voices themselves, whether in college or university assemblies or in the protest marches, loud enough to be heard above the din of the city. But the best response in a democracy is when a citizen casts his vote for a political party to show his actual power. It shows whether he is standing with divisive policies which are, indeed, a threat to his fundamental rights enshrined in the constitutions, or will he be swayed by false allurements by political leaders.

The nature of the BJP has became crystal clear for the last few years that it always attempts to avoid and even refuses to either acknowledge the public unrest and their real concerns or engage with them. This is in marked contrast to earlier protests when the governments watered down their policies and agreed to sit with the protesters and engage in dialogue.

The present government continues to defend itself by dissembling and telling half-truths even about the historical facts, branding all those opposing its policies anti-national, and unleashing waves of uniform repression.

Kejriwal is a bureaucrat, and though he has been at loggerheads with the central government in the early days of his government, he has his fingertips on the pulse of the people, and what they actually want. He has moderated his agitational impulses and focused instead on electricity, education facilities and has taken some steps to reduce pollution in the capital.

The Delhi election will be a referendum either on Kejriwal’s achievements or Modi’s divisive policies. And of course the results of these elections are likely to signal a shift in the course of our democracy.

As the vote swing of Delhi voters makes Delhi election interesting, suspenseful till the last moment, the victory for Kejriwal is not going to be a very easy task particularly after seeing the Lok Sabha elections of 2019 in which BJP made a clean sweep.

To undercut Kejriwal’s primary schemes which benefit the poor, the Modi government took a decision to regularize several unauthorized colonies in Delhi it becomes more difficult. This was with the hope of gaining electoral dividends.

However, it is going to be a tough battle between Namdar (namesake leader) and Kamdar (hardworking leader) and between issues like the Ram Mandir, Kashmir, implementation of the CAA (as the BJP campaigns on these issues) and the issues like water, health, road, electricity (as the AAP is campaigning on these issues).

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Letters to the Editor: 05 February, 2020

By

Web Team

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February 5, 2020

1Saina should focus on winning medals instead of politics

Saina Nehwal joining BJP and publicly supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of Delhi assembly polls comes as a surprise. Saina is at the prime of her badminton career and her main focus should be winning medals for her country and the upcoming Olympics should be her main area of concentration. She is the greatest badminton player our country has ever produced and she should focus on winning an Olympic gold for India than politics which can wait till her retirement.

Sportsmen have a very short professional career and international sports is extremely competitive. It requires tough practice as well as mental preparation and concentration. Every sportsmen should refrain from joining politics till they are actively representing India. Hope Saina Nehwal is not getting swayed away and focuses on badminton. Wishing her luck for the upcoming Olympics.

S.N. Kabra

2Perilous pyrotechnics

It is festive time once again in this part of the North Malabar region (North Kerala) for the temples and the big ‘kavus'(sacred temple groves) .Besides the traditional rituals, customs and the very colourful and awe inspiring “theyyams ” (oracles) there is this customary display of pyrotechnics or fireworks. There was a time when the temples and ” kavus” had acres of land in their possession and there was a safe and secured place for display of pyrotechnics.

There were a few human settlements in and around the kavus then. But now the scene has changed. The number of houses have increased and some of the areas have become densely populated. As a result, the fireworks display has started causing havoc to the buildings and the people of that locality. It is high time the police and the authority concerned realise this and restrict the time duration or atleast reduce the impact of the sound the fireworks produce.

The deafening sound of some of the firecrackers cause serious health problems especially heart and hearing system of the old, the infants and the sick. Some of the temples spend lakhs on these fireworks. It would be a blessing if at least half that amount is spend on feeding and helping the poor of that locality. At least the gratitude of the poor will be there rather than the curses of those who suffer because of the perilous pyrotechnics.

Pradyu

3Swift action by Indian govt to evacuate citizens from Wuhan

The recent outbreak of Coronavirus is alarming and advisories have been issued to prevent its outbreak across the globe. As a precautionary measure people are advised to wear masks and hand gloves in the best interest of public health, safety and wellness. Nations are now evacuating citizens from affected Wuhan area China by sending in rescue/evacuation flights.

As many of the Indians mostly students were stuck in Wuhan owing to the outbreak, it was highly appreciable for the Indian Government to act swiftly and send a jumbo jet rescue plane. Air India once again was a saviour amidst its stake sale gloom. Air India team, the team of doctors and the Indian Embassy officials in China need to be highly appreciated for their swift action and efforts to evacuate Indians through a two-way jumbo jet aircraft.

One remains indebted to the kindness Air India and Indian Government shows towards the well being of its citizens in China and such a rescue effort will now reinforce faith in Air India being a national carrier. The hope of reviving Air India’s brand identity and reclaiming its market share in the Indian skies still lingers on.

Varun Dambal

4No justice for Nirbhaya

In India, you can get away with any crime you’ve committed as long as you have the money to bribe the police and the lawyers like in the 2012 Nirbhaya rape and murder case where justice has still not been delivered to Nirbhaya’s parents. It’s a shame on our judicial system.

Jubel D’Cruz

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

‘Arsenicum album 30’: Homeopathic can’t prevent Coronavirus

By

Afternoon Voice

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February 4, 2020

The famous Batras homeopathic clinics circulating the posters for free treatment for Coronavirus raise eyebrows as the claims have already been refuted. Assertions made by the AYUSH Ministry using Arsenicum album 30 for Coronavirus infections, the evidence for any other homeopathy drug against Coronavirus; no such studies were found that researched the effect of Arsenicum album for Coronavirus in humans or other creatures. Also, there were no reports or research found in an ex-vivo (outside the animal/human bodies) to study the drug efficacy. No readings or research were found that associates the effectiveness of any homeopathy drug in Coronavirus infections. Arsenicum album is a frequently-used homeopathic substance derived from the metallic element arsenic. It is used by homeopaths to treat a range of symptoms that include digestive disorders, insomnia, allergies, anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Internationally as well as in India, the AYUSH ministry and the Indian government have met with a lot of condemnation for issuing the advisory to use homeopathy as a preventative measure. As with other homeopathic drugs, Arsenicum album 30 has never been tested or proven to reduce or prevent Coronavirus infections. Even though the focus was to study the research conducted by the homeopaths, no studies were found by non-homeopaths within the evidence-based framework that suggests the use of Arsenicum album 30 for Coronavirus. Experts have called out the government for pushing homeopathy as a possible preventive treatment option for Coronavirus infections. There’s no scientific evidence for the efficacy of homeopathic treatment. There’s no evidence that homeopathy can cure viral infections or that the unani drugs prescribed by the government can reduce virulence, said Sumaiya Shaikh, an Australian neuroscientist and science fact-checker with AltNews.

Oomen C Kurien, head of the Observer Research Foundation’s Health Initiative, said, “The number of Indian lives saved by homeopathy from the Coronavirus will be exactly the same as lives saved by homeopathy from HIV.”

“I’m usually all ‘homeopathy is more of an interesting cultural phenomenon than directly dangerous’, but the Indian government’s official public information service recommending homeopathy for Coronavirus is pretty intense.” – Ben Goldacre, Director of Oxford’s Evidence-Based Medicine DataLab.

Later on, the Ministry of AYUSH said on Twitter that its advisory was issued “as a preventive measure” and not as “treatment advice” for Coronavirus infections.

AYUSH releases two advisories on preventative measures to combat Coronavirus

By

Vaidehi Taman

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February 4, 2020

The Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) of India released two advisories via PIB on the preventative and treatment measures that can be taken for Coronavirus epidemic. They claimed that Homeopathic medicine can prevent one from the infection, but the government has failed to create an awareness campaign. There are many people seen wearing masks in India especially in trains and planes. But no one knows what this virus is all about.

Coronavirus affects the respiratory tract in the mammals; it causes all types of the common cold. It causes cold with major symptoms e.g. throat swollen adenoids, in humans primarily in the winter. Coronaviruses can cause pneumonia, either direct viral pneumonia or secondary bacterial pneumonia and they can also cause bronchitis either direct viral bronchitis or secondary bacterial bronchitis. The Coronavirus is fairly new that has taken the world by shock. It’s been two months since the outbreak started and it has shown that it isn’t as deadly as the SARS virus. Also, it takes about two weeks before the person infected shows any symptoms. It’s not noticed right away.

Coronaviruses are zoonotic in origin. Both SARS and MERS are classified as zoonotic viral diseases, meaning the first patients who were infected acquired these viruses directly from animals. This was possible because while in the animal host, the virus had acquired a series of genetic mutations that allowed it to infect and multiply inside humans. Snakes have been suggested as a host or intermediate host. In the case of this 2019 Wuhan variant (2019-nCoV) Coronavirus outbreak, reports state that most of the first group of patients hospitalised were workers or customers at a local seafood wholesale market which also sold processed meats and live consumable animals including poultry, donkeys, sheep, pigs, camels, foxes, badgers, bamboo rats, hedgehogs and reptiles. China not only has a culture of eating fresh meat and has as many markets and wild animals fairs. This gives most likely a virus jumping to humans or other animals which can be intermediates. However, since no one has ever reported finding a Coronavirus infecting aquatic animals, it is plausible that the disease may have originated from other animals sold in that market. The study of the genetic code of 2019-nCoV reveals that the new virus is most closely related to two bat SARS-like Coronavirus samples from China initially suggesting that like SARS and MERS, the bat might also be the origin of 2019-nCoV. The authors further found that the viral RNA coding sequence of 2019-nCoV spike protein which forms the “crown” of the virus particle that recognises the receptor on a host cell indicates that the bat virus might have mutated before infecting people. But when the researchers performed a more detailed bioinformatics analysis of the sequence of 2019-nCoV, it suggests that this Coronavirus might come from snakes.

The Wuhan Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market where the Coronavirus outbreak is believed to have started is now closed, making it difficult for greater detailed sampling and study. Also, these reptile to bat and then human transfers are NOT definite or independently verified. Searching for the 2019-nCoV sequence in snakes would be the first thing to do. However, since the outbreak, the seafood market has been disinfected and shut down which makes it challenging to trace the new virus’ source animal. Coronaviruses are not particularly dangerous. There are four strains circulating among people, all of which cause mild upper respiratory infections (aka common cold). However three strains (SARS, MERS, and nCov) cause deadly pneumonia. These viruses only circulate in animals and cause occasional outbreaks among people. Generally speaking, being too lethal is not good for viruses as infected hosts may be too sick to spread the disease. For example, SARS is infectious only when patients are very sick, which makes it less likely to spread (actually the majority of transmission occurred between patients and doctors). As a result, viruses causing mild, less lethal diseases are favored by the selective pressure.

Such rule does not apply to zoonotic viruses because they don’t circulate among humans, but move instead in animals. When they infect a new species, they may be either too weak (i.e., unable to spread at all) or too aggressive (i.e., unable to spread efficiently). However, if the viral spread continues, viruses causing milder diseases are more favoured until it reaches equilibrium. For example, the Spanish flu was very lethal when initially introduced to human, but eventually became milder seasonal flu strains, contrary to people’s belief, the Spanish flu was never gone, as some genetic segments are still circulating. However, we should remain cautious as something unexpected may happen during the adaptation. Because human adapted viruses will be very different from the initial one, anything could happen during such a long evolution path. For example, a mutation that enables the virus to replicate faster or evade the white blood cells better may increase both the infectivity and lethality which is advantageous in the short term. This could probably explain why the death toll of the Spanish flu spiked at the second wave. So even the general trend is becoming better, something nasty can still happen. So what we need is awareness and guidelines on precautions to be taken.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

FM fails to impress senior citizens

By

C K Subramaniam

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February 4, 2020

I am very happy with the financial budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. One because the income tax slab has been increased up to Rs.5 lakhs and no tax will be levied on it. This will be a big relief to a middle-class person. Besides, the FM has raised taxes on tobacco products. But I am astonished to see that no benefits have been announced for senior citizens. Thus, Sitharaman has failed to impress senior citizens.

The FM has also announced a package of Rs.9000 crore which would be used for the welfare of senior citizens along with the differently-abled citizens. However, senior citizens are not much impressed by these announcements. Most senior citizens, who usually survive on a limited income such as a pension, were expecting some more announcements so that they could cope with price hikes on almost every essential service.

As per the new tax slabs, senior citizens aged 60 years and above but below 80 years, with an income up to Rs.3 lakh, are exempted from tax. Similarly, the super senior citizens aged 80 years and above, with an income up to Rs.5 lakh, have been exempted from tax. Seniors appreciate the new tax slabs but at the same time they say that something more was expected for senior citizens. Like the medical expenditure, we are allowed to deduct Rs.50,000 from out of Income tax now. The amount ought to have been increased up to Rs.75,000/= for the senior citizens.

As the budget has no mention of any relaxation for senior citizens in terms of medical treatment, the government must understand that we have limited income and we are the ones who suffer from some or the other ailment. To get ourselves treated, we go to the hospitals and end up paying lakhs of bills altogether.

There is no hike in the interest rates of fixed deposits, which are mostly relied upon by senior citizens. I am satisfied with the budget with whatever has been allocated for senior citizens. I can say that the greed to have more would never go and thus we should accept whatever we have been given. The government obviously has other expenses too.

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Letters to the Editor: 04 February, 2020

By

Web Team

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February 4, 2020

1Coronavirus should not be taken lightly

Bill Gates prediction a year ago of a deadly virus hitting China has come true but the estimate of 33 million people dying in six months sounds alarming. Coronavirus should not be taken lightly and World Health Organisation (WHO) should declare an medical emergency across the globe. Prevention is always better than cure and infact an only remedy when the deadly virus has no cure at the moment. China might underplay the magnitude of Coronavirus as it may create panic but the situation seems grim and time for alarm bells to be pressed so that every available measure can be tried to prevent the disease from spreading.

The government should create awareness about the disease and respiratory ailments should not be neglected. Laboratories to test the disease should be set up in every city and citizens showing signs of the ailment should be shifted to special wards for wellness and treatment. The population of the world has multiplied enormously over the years in shocking proportion and diseases like Coronavirus could be nature’s way to control world population.

S.N.Kabra

2India divided on religious lines

Today, India is being blatantly divided on the basis of religion. We citizens have never faced this kind of problem during the Congress regime. Amit Shah and Narendra Modi are only dividing country on communal basis. Every citizen of India has the right to voice their opinion whether the duo likes it or not.

Jubel D’Cruz

3Limit number of pages in court-verdict

Courts especially Supreme Court are giving very lengthy judgements at times running into hundreds or thousands of pages like Supreme Court verdict of November 9, 2019 on Ram Janmabhoomi, which are practically not read by common persons including even litigants themselves and are even beyond understanding of commoners. Such lengthy court-verdicts are show-pieces for libraries and are read only by researchers and select lawyers. Need is that commoners including litigants may find short and precise court-verdicts so that they may not have to depend on lawyers to know salient features of the lengthy court-verdicts. Such an improved system will prevent media and commentators to twist court-findings according to their needs.

Things can improve a lot if India also adopts practice of countries where there is a limit on number of pages of court-verdicts which is different for Supreme Court, High Courts and Trial Courts in those countries. Or else, every lengthy court-verdict exceeding say 50 pages may be compulsorily accompanied by a precise version with a limit of say 50 pages to be simultaneously issued and posted on website on date of judgement itself.

Recommendations of meeting of Chairpersons of Computer Committees of High Courts chaired by the then Supreme Court Judge Justice Madan B Lokur (Judge in-charge of e-Committee of Supreme Court) on 2-3 August 2014 emphasised that for sake of uniformity, A-4 size paper-sheets should be used in preparing orders, judgements and depositions should be adopted abolishing British legacy of legal-size paper in courts.

Subhash Chandra Agrawal

4AP government once again wants to abolish Legislative Council

It refers to Andhra Pradesh cabinet once again deciding to abolish useless provision of Legislative Council in the state. Andhra Pradesh has a unique record of setting and abolishing Legislative Council with first time set up in the year 1958 and then again in the year 2007 after being abolishing in the year 1985 and now decided to be abolished in the year 2020.

There was a post-emergency era in the year 1977 when Legislative Councils remained in just five states, but now being again constituted in other states. Presently apart from Andhra Pradesh, five other states Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh have Legislative Councils, while proposals to create Legislative Councils in Rajasthan and Assam are pending in the Rajya Sabha. The Parliamentary Committee that examined the Rajasthan Bill advocated for the evolution of a national policy for creation or abolition of Legislative Councils rather than at the whims and fancy of a newly elected Government in the State.

Best is to altogether abolish constitutional provision of having Legislative Councils. These serve no practical purpose other than rehabilitation of family-members and other favourites of political rulers including several rejected ones of general elections to be employed at public-expense just to provide an expensive feather on caps of those elected. Ruling parties in states also manipulate winning of its candidates in elections to Legislative Council by misuse of power.

Madhu Agrawal

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Over 50 booked in sedition case for chanting pro-Sharjeel Imam slogans at Azad Maidan

By

Hema Singh

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February 4, 2020

The Mumbai police have booked over 50 people on a charge of sedition for allegedly raising a slogan in favour of JNU student Sharjeel Imam on February 1 during a protest at Azad Maidan in Mumbai by Queer Aazadi.

Among this booked was one who has been identified as Urvashi Chudawala who is a student of second-year MA in media and culture at Tata Institute of Social Science. He is also associated with TISS Queer Collective.

Pranaya Ashok, Deputy Commissioner of Police said that apart from Chudawala, 50 others were also booked under Sections 124 (A) (sedition), 153 (B) (Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration), 505 (statement conducing to public mischief) and 34 (Common Intention) of the Indian penal code (IPC). “We have registered an FIR against Chudawala and 50 others. We will call them to (Azad Maidan) police station for further investigations,” he added.

Earlier in the day, home minister Anil Deshmukh also referred to the slogans raised at the LGBTQ event. He said that a group led by Urvashi Chudawala had chanted “anti-national slogans”.

He said, “The event organisers told us that they have nothing to do with the slogans that were raised by Chudawala and the others. We will be taking action against chanting of such anti-national slogans.”

On January 28 Sharjeel Imam was arrested from Jehanabad in Bihar for making seditious comments at the Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi and in Aligarh. He said, “Assam should be cut off from the rest of India”. The Delhi Police had earlier lodged an FIR against Imam for sedition.

Tatas moving close to acquire Air India

By

Afternoon Voice

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February 4, 2020

For some time now, the Central government has been looking out for a buyer and initiated the bidding process for the sale of the entire 100 per cent stake in Air India. After the first bidding process failed the government formally began the second bidding process on January 27.

Now, it is heard that the Tatas appears to be ‘moving closer’ to partner with Singapore Airlines to make an offer for Air India.In fact they are inching towards a final decision and are working on the deal’s structure. The company may merge Air India Express with AirAsia India for the acquisition of the government-owned airline. Interestingly, the non-compete clause in the agreement between AirAsia and Tata Sons does not permit either party from being involved in another low-cost airline.

Here, it may be recalled that Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines own full-service airline Vistara as a joint venture (JV). While Tata Sons owns a 51 per cent stake in AirAsia India, Malaysia-based AirAsia Berhad owns the remaining holding.

Let’s not forget that the Tatas founded Air India in 1932 as “Tata Air Services” and owned it till it was nationalised in 1947.

Protest rally turns into sloganeering: Opposition corners govt

By

Hema Singh

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February 3, 2020

The Queer Azaadi Mumbai organised a protest against the CAA and NRC on February 1 at the Azad Maidan. But to everyone’s surprise, suddenly the protest turned into slogan shouting in support of Radical Islamist Sharjeel Imam.

“Sharjeel tere sapno ko manzil tak pahunchayenge (Sharjeel we will make your dreams come true),” the protesters shouted in a video during a pride gathering. This very slogan has created a controversy amongst the political parties.

Senior BJP leader, Sudhir Mungantiwar said, “Strict action should be taken for chanting anti-India slogans. If current laws don’t permit, new laws should be enacted to stop such nuisances.”

The organisers of the event had initially planned to hold the protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) implemented by the BJP. However, it turned out into something else. According to the organiser, the group that had raised this slogan was not known to them. Also, they were not aware about the content of the slogans till it went viral on social media.

PRO, Police, Pranay Ashoka said, “When it was brought to our notice that protesters were slogan shouting during the LGBTQ Parade, we took a strict action against the same. We are verifying the entire incident from the sources. Our main intention is to find out who all were involved in this and whether it was planned. And the investigation will take some time.”

When the controversial video went viral on social media on Monday, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya lodged a complaint at the Azad Maidan police station against pro-Sharjeel slogans that were raised at Azad Maidan during the LGBTQ parade. He also stated through his tweet that if the police failed to take action on the same within three days, he will sit on a “Dharna”.

On the other hand, former Maharashtra Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis hopped onto his Twitter handle and questioned the Uddhav led government, what is this going on in Mumbai? And why is the Maharashtra Government tolerating this?”. He also accused the Maha Vikas Aghadi for entertaining such an act.

Soon after the clip caught the eye balls of the citizens, they raised many questions about the organiser and Mumbai police.

After the video, the organiser released a letter on February 2 stating that they had taken orders from the Mumbai police to conduct the rally and have completely disassociated themselves with the slogan mongers further adding that they strongly condemn the radical slogans in support of schedule or any other slogan again the integrity of India.

The organiser claimed that the people indulging in sloganeering during the protest were not known to them and the shouting was stopped as soon as it was brought to their notice. In the letter, it was also mentioned that it will cooperate with the legal processes that may be required by the law.

Sharjeel Imam, a JNU student and anti-CAA activist was arrested on January 29 by the Delhi Police from Bihar’s Jehanabad district over his recent controversial comments on Assam. He said, “Assam should be cut off from the rest of India”. The Delhi Police had earlier lodged an FIR against Imam for sedition.

On its part, the Opposition is busy finding ways to corner the Uddhav Thackeray-led govt and take pot-shots at it.

Nirbhaya gang rape convicts taking legal system for a joy ride

By

Afternoon Voice

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February 3, 2020

After Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the Delhi High Court that there was a “deliberate, calculated and well thought of design” by the convicts of Nirbhaya gang rape and murder to “frustrate” mandate of law by getting their execution delayed, the Court has reserved its verdict on the Centre’s plea challenging the stay on the execution of the four death row convicts.

Incidentally, a single-judge bench of Justice Suresh Kumar Kait reserved the order on the matter. He said it will pass an order after all the parties concluded their arguments.

During the hearing, advocate AP Singh, (appearing for convicts Pawan Gupta, Akshay Thakur and Vinay Sharma) asked, “Why was there a hurry to execute the death sentence in this case only? “Justice hurried is justice buried,” he observed.

“They (convicts) belong to rural areas and Dalit families. They come to Delhi and get implicated. Mukesh and Ram Singh are Dalits. Both are brothers who came from a rural part of Rajasthan. It is not convicts’ fault. They cannot be made to bear brunt of ambiguity in the law,” Singh told the Court.

Senior advocate Rebecca John, appearing for convict Mukesh said that the “Centre has sought the setting aside of the order of the Patiala House Court” when “an earlier Delhi High Court order has clearly said that any order of the trial court could be challenged in the Supreme Court only.”

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had earlier alleged that the convicts were deliberately delaying the execution adding that any delay in the death sentence will have a de-humanising effect on the convicts.

A Delhi court had last week stayed the execution of the four convicts Akshay Thakur, Mukesh Singh, Pawan Gupta, and Vinay Sharma till further orders. The execution was earlier scheduled to take place on February 1.

The case pertains to the gang-rape and brutal murder of a 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus on the night of December 16, 2012, by six people, including a juvenile, in Delhi. The woman had died at a Singapore hospital a few days later. One of the five adults accused, Ram Singh, had allegedly committed suicide in the Tihar Jail during the trial of the case.