HC rejects plea to form army Gujjar regiment
The Delhi high court on Wednesday took a dim view of a petition demanding the Centre to have an exclusive army regiment for Gujjars, terming such a move as 'divisive'. With the court declaring its intent to dismiss the petition with costs, the petitioner chose to withdraw the plea.
The petition filed by Rohan Basoya referred to the tradition in the army to have units such as the Jat Regiment, Sikh Regiment, and Gorkha Regiment and demanded the Union government create a similar arrangement for the Gujjar community as well.
'It's absolutely divisive,' said a bench of chief justice DK Upadhyay and justice Tushar Rao Gedela finding no reason to entertain the petition. 'Which law vests a right to have such a regiment having people of a particular community? Where is that right? There has to be an infringement of the right.'
Finding no response forthcoming, the court warned of dismissing the petition with heavy costs. Basoya chose to withdraw the plea. 'Heard the counsel for the petitioner. After arguing at some length, the counsel for the petitioner says that she has instructions from the petitioner to withdraw the writ. Accordingly, the petition is dismissed as withdrawn,' the order said.
In his petition, Basoya, an advocate, asserted that the community despite having a rich martial legacy by way of its participation in various wars including 1857 revolt, Indo-Pak wars of 1947, 1965, 1971, Kargil war (1999) and counter insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir, had not been accorded a dedicated regiment, unlike other communities such as Sikhs, Jats, Rajputs, Gorkhas, and Dogras. 'Despite this rich martial legacy, they (Gujjars) have not been accorded a dedicated regiment, unlike other martial communities such as Sikhs, Jats, Rajputs, Gorkhas, and Dogras,' the petition stated.
To be sure, all the examples cited by the petitioner refer to regiments that were formed and christened after communities in the 19th century by the British.
The petitioner's argument was that ' the exclusion of Gujjars from the regimental system, violates Articles 14 and 16, contradicts Indian army precedents and denies rightful recognition of their military contributions.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
26 minutes ago
- Time of India
Pak a global threat, terrorism must be exposed: Owaisi
Hyderabad: AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi , who was part of a multi-party delegation sent by the Centre to Gulf countries, said Pakistan has become a global threat by financing and sponsoring terrorism. "Pakistan is the epicentre of Takfirism and terrorism. They have no right to speak on Muslims or Islam," he told reporters, adding that officials in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Algeria shared concerns over terrorism. "Some favoured India-Pakistan dialogue, others stressed the need to eliminate terror. We've done our job—it's now up to the Indian government," he said. Owaisi highlighted that the four nations visited are influential members of groups like the OIC, GCC, and Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF). He recalled their past support in 2018 when Pakistan was placed on the FATF grey list. "We hope for similar cooperation again," he added. The delegation, led by BJP MP Baijayant Panda, urged the Gulf countries to support actions against Pakistan's terror financing networks, many of which are linked to ISI and illegal financial flows. Owaisi stressed unity among Indian political parties on national issues. "There is no politics when it comes to national security. But our political opposition to BJP and RSS ideology will continue. That's the essence of democracy," he said. He demanded a special Parliament session to discuss the Pahalgam terror attack , which killed 26 people. "Was it a security lapse? Who is accountable? The PM must address the nation. If needed, an in-camera Parliament session can be held, as done in the 1960s," he said. On the Pakistan delegation led by Bilawal Bhutto, Owaisi remarked, "Bilawal should tell the world who killed his mother. The UN inquiry report said Pakistan did a shoddy job in investigating her death."
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Union minister assures NH-66 work completion by 2025-end
T'puram: Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan met Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi on Wednesday to discuss national highway (NH) development works in Kerala, especially the recent collapse of the embankment and service road on NH-66 at Kooriyad in Malappuram. After the meeting, PWD minister PA Mohamed Riyas told the media that Gadkari promised to complete NH work by the end of 2025. "NH-66 will open as a New Year gift to Kerala," he said. Vijayan, Riyas, Kerala's special representative in New Delhi KV Thomas and chief secretary A Jayathilak attended a 45-minute meeting at Gadkari's office. Riyas said Gadkari listened to the chief minister's concerns and assured there would be no compromise on quality or safety of NH works. He also promised action against those responsible for the collapse in Kerala. Riyas said Gadkari proposed a 360m-long viaduct to fix the issue at Kooriyad. The contractor will bear construction cost and has been barred from future project bids, he said. On May 19, around 2:30pm, the embankment and service road of the under-construction NH-66 collapsed at Kooriyad in Malappuram, between Kolappuram and Kooriyad bridge. This aroused safety concerns among the people. Riyas said Gadkari also assured support for other road projects that are in the pipeline. The Centre will approve Thiruvananthapuram Outer Ring Road by the end of July as the state has completed land acquisition. Work on Kollam-Sengottai greenfield highway is expected to begin by September, he said. Later, Vijayan thanked Gadkari in a social media post, calling the meeting 'productive' and appreciating his review of NH projects in Kerala. "Thank you for your continued support," he wrote.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
India has made significant progress in 11 years of NDA rule, says Srinivasa Varma
Union Minister of Heavy Industries and Steel Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma said that the country has made significant progress in the 11 years of the NDA's governance under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and it was evident from India's rise to the fourth largest economy in the world recently. Addressing a workshop organised by the BJP on the 11 years of NDA rule, here on Wednesday, Mr. Varma said that India was poised to emerge as a developed country by 2047 and pointed out that it was the world's 11th largest economy when Mr. Modi took the reins in 2014. He added that it was only a matter of time before India became the third largest economy. Many developed countries struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic, but India was an exception. A host of welfare schemes and development programmes were implemented in the last decade, with priority to housing, supply of clean drinking water, and infrastructure development, which has been crucial in the economy reaching such heights. As far as Andhra Pradesh (A.P.) was concerned, a sum of ₹2,500 crore was allocated for the construction of the capital Amaravati in 2014–15, and funds were given for improving the railway line connectivity. Mr. Varma said that the development of A.P. was only possible with the Central government's support, while pointing out that the Centre sanctioned ₹12,000 crore for the Polavaram project, and was providing funds for the State's industrial development. Proposals sent by the State were being immediately approved. The Centre sanctioned a massive financial package for the revival of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, he added. BJP joint national general secretary Shiv Prakash, MLC Somu Veerraju, MLAs Kamineni Srinivas, C. Adinarayana Reddy, V. Parthasarathi and N. Eshwar Rao and party's State general secretaries Garapati Seetharamanjaneya Chowdary and Sannapureddy Dayakar Reddy were among those present.
