Row over alleged discrimination at public crematorium in Kerala's Palakkad
The decision of the BJP-ruled Palakkad municipality to allot 20 cents of land at Mattumantha public crematorium to the local unit of the Nair Service Society, an outfit of the upper caste Hindu-Nair community, to construct a shed triggered allegations of discrimination as the NSS unit tried to construct a compound wall at the land allotted to them.
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Time of India
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(You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel With the Bihar assembly elections approaching, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is reshuffling key posts to fine-tune the caste equations crucial to his recent days, he appointed former JDU MP Gulam Rasool Balyawi as chairman of the Minority Commission - a move seen as outreach to Muslim voters displeased with the party's support for the Waqf Bill. Balyawi, a vocal critic of the bill, is joined by several other minority leaders on the appeal to other caste blocs, Kumar named BJP's Mahachandra Prasad as head of the Upper Caste Commission and JDU's Rajeev Ranjan as vice president. The post had been lying vacant for years. He also appointed BJP's Shailendra Kumar as chief of the Tribal Commission, again filling long-pending vacancies. These appointments signal Kumar's intent to consolidate social support across the board as elections near.
Hindustan Times
25 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Delhi HC rejects plea to halt razing of Pak Hindu refugee camp
Pakistani Hindu refugees cannot be entitled to seek alternate accommodation as a matter of legal right on account of their foreign nationality, the Delhi high court has held Dismissing a petition by the refugees seeking to restrain the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) from demolishing a refugee camp at Majnu Ka Tilla, until their resettlement on an alternative land, a bench of justice Dharmesh Sharma said that the petitioners cannot rely on May 2013 direction of the Centre to seek alternate accommodation as a matter of legal right. The court was hearing a plea filed by an activist Ravi Ranjan Singh against the proposed demolition of a refugee camp by DDA. Taking up the cause of approximately 800 Hindu refugees from Pakistan, Singh urged the court to restrain DDA from demolishing the camp, until they were allowed an alternate land to reside in view of government's policy to give shelter to non-Muslim minorities from countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh as per the Citizenship Amendment Act. He further asserted that the primary responsibility to accommodate the said refugees rests on the Centre's shoulders, as the plea relied on the Centre's May 2013 statement on extending support to the Hindu community which came to India from Pakistan. 'This Court has no hesitation in holding that the petitioner herein is not entitled to the reliefs sought by way of the present petition. First and foremost, the order dated 29.05.2013 passed in Nahar Singh case does not contain any direction to suggest that an alternate accommodation was promised to the said group of refugees by the Government of India, or that they were entitled to such allotment, thus, the petitioner herein cannot seek alternate accommodation as a matter of legal right,' the court opined. Additionally, the order stated that even under the Delhi Slum & JJ Rehabilitation and Relocation Policy, 2015, any person sought to be relocated and rehabilitated must first and foremost be a citizen of India to become eligible for the allotment of alternate dwelling units. 'In view of the aforesaid, the position that emerges is that the Pakistani refugees cannot be rehabilitated under the DUSIB Policy on account of their foreign nationality status. The petitioner and other similarly placed refugees have no right to continue to occupy the area in question,' the order said. DDA in March last year asked the residents to vacate the camp, failing which it will be demolished by the authority concerned. On March 12, the high court by way of an interim order restrained DDA from demolishing the camps. DDA, represented by advocate Prabhsahay Kaur, submitted that the National Green Tribunal on January 29 this year directed removal of all the encroachment on the Yamuna Flood Plain Zone adjacent to South of Gurdwara Majnu ka Tila on Yamuna River Belt. A cost was also imposed on DDA, and thus the civic authority was bound to follow the judicial orders, the advocate said. Taking note of the fact that the land fell under the Yamuna floodplains, justice Sharma said, 'It is undeniable that even Indian citizens cannot claim alternate allotment as an absolute right, particularly in cases where the land they occupy falls under specially prohibited areas like Zone 'O' of Delhi, i.e., the Yamuna floodplains. Given the critical condition of the Yamuna River, this court unhesitatingly finds that no interference with the ongoing restoration and rejuvenation efforts of the river can be countenanced at the petitioner's instance.' While dismissing the plea, the court also vacated its interim order and impressed upon the refugees to acquire Indian citizenship, which would enable them to enjoy rights and benefits available to any ordinary Indian citizen. 'Needless to state, the effect of the acceptance of... (citizenship) application would be that the aggrieved refugees shall be deemed citizens of India and would be able to enjoy all rights and benefits available to any ordinary citizen of India,' the court said.
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30 minutes ago
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‘Aim now Viksit Dilli': CM sets tone for governance in Delhi
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government is rooted in action — since coming to power in February, it has worked on and resolved issues related to air pollution, public healthcare, education, infrastructure development, and welfare works, chief minister Rekha Gupta said at an event held at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, a day after her government completed 100 days of being in power. During a nearly hour-long conversation with actor Anupam Kher, the CM elaborated on the works undertaken in these sectors. A day ago, she and her cabinet ministers unveiled a 22-page workbook defining her government's early imprint on the Capital. At the event, attended by all the six Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament, party legislators, and many senior officials, the CM highlighted what the BJP administration counts as its accomplishments so far — works undertaken to clean the Yamuna, and implementation of the long-delayed Ayushman Bharat scheme, among others — and made announcements of their upcoming plans. This, she said, includes an ordinance to regulate fees of private schools, distributing monthly financial aid to women, and improving the condition of slum areas. During the discussion, Gupta, who is only the fourth woman CM of Delhi, also spoke about her personal experience of becoming the head of the government, the shortcomings of the previous Aam Aadmi Party government, and Operation Sindoor of the Indian Army. 'Ours is a 24x7 government, and our next goal is — Viksit Dilli,' Gupta said. Cleaning the Yamuna The CM highlighted her government's works in contrast with the previous AAP government: Gupta said the Arvind Kejriwal-led party merely put up a show in the name of cleaning the river, while untreated sewage continued to be discharged into it. On the other hand, her government made the river's rejuvenation their top priority from day one. A ₹9,000 crore allocation to the Delhi Jal Board budget to strengthen sewerage system and water supply infrastructure, installation of seven new Sewage Treatment Plants, rehabilitation of eight more STPs, and launching of Decentralized STPs, were some the measures undertaken. 'In the last 100 days, several metric tons of waste have been removed from drains, and officials directed to complete drain cleaning before the monsoon. Sewer and water pipeline work has also been initiated in about 1,700 unauthorized colonies. Additionally, a modern command-and-control centre has been established, 1,167 GPS-enabled tankers deployed, and the DJB Water Tanker App launched for water supply monitoring. In south Delhi, 70 new tube wells have been installed...' the CM said. Air pollution CM Gupta said the previous government turned Delhi into a gas chamber, but her government has prioritised pollution control through water sprinklers, anti-smog guns, and rolling out of electric buses. 'We have deployed 1,000 sprinklers and approved 70 advanced mechanical road sweeping machines. Installation of smog guns in all high-rise buildings has also been made mandatory. Additionally, under the Delhi Electric Vehicle Interconnector initiative, 460 electric buses have been introduced for last-mile connectivity, and 2,000 more electric buses will be added by the end of the year. Our goal is clear – to make Delhi a clean, healthy and safe capital,' Gupta said. The CM emphasised the need for adoption of solar energy. 'Under the PM Suryaghar: Muft Bijli Yojana an additional subsidy of up to ₹30,000 is being provided. The government aims to install 230,000 rooftop solar panels over the next three years,' said CM Gupta. Development of slums In response to a question, CM Gupta dismissed what she said were 'rumours' being spread by the Opposition regarding slum demolitions. 'The Congress and the AAP used slum residents as vote banks and did not give them even basic facilities. No slum will be demolished in Delhi. Instead, ₹700 crore has been allocated for the development of slum areas. Until every slum dweller receives a permanent home, they will continue to live in their current shelters— but with improved facilities and dignity,' said CM Gupta. Mahila Samridhi Yojana On the rollout of the much-awaited Mahila Samridhi Yojana -- a key election promise as part of which eligible women have been promised ₹2,500 a month — the CM reiterated the scheme will be implemented successfully. 'I will fulfil all aspirations of the women of Delhi. A total of ₹5,100 crore has been allocated for this scheme in the budget. We have so far held six meetings to discuss eligibility and the finer details. We do not want the scheme to fail the way it did in Himachal and Punjab. We will implement the scheme in a way that it does not fail after starting. All eligible women will get the benefits, for sure,' said the CM Gupta. Other works undertaken for women welfare include construction of 500 day-care centres for children, and strengthening of Anganwadi services. Two new 'Sakhi Nivas' hostels will be constructed for working women. For women's safety, CCTV cameras are being installed and one-stop centres are being established in every district to provide emergency support to women in distress. Taking a dig at the previous AAP government, CM Gupta said: 'They sat in their Sheeshmahal with lavish curtains, tuning into only the news they liked. While they decorated their halls with corruption, we have rebuilt Delhi with honesty.' On a question regarding changes in her personal life after becoming the CM, Gupta said: ''I found a lot of love and blessings from people..I have lost the carefree nature. Now I feel that since I am holding this position, I need to think before I speak.' Meanwhile, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said that the public welfare schemes, improvement in infrastructure, and ground-level decisions have helped in moving towards making Delhi a developed Capital. South Delhi MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said every promise made by the BJP during the assembly elections will be fulfilled before 2030, while BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said that in the last 100 days, the Rekha Gupta government has made remarkable progress across all sectors. Later in a post on X, the CM said that the changes being seen in the Capital are 'a reflection of result-oriented governance'. 'In 100 days, we have proved that if the intention is clear, change is not only possible but certain.'
