Jaishankar Destroys Cong Over 26/11 Inaction, Explains India's Stand After Pahalgam
Read More
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Terrorism was not saffron, will never be: CM
Mumbai: Immediately after the special NIA court delivered its verdict in the Malegaon blast case, CM Devendra Fadnavis posted on social media, "Terrorism was not saffron, is not, will never be." State BJP leaders hailed the verdict and slammed Congress for use of the term "Hindu terror," while Dy CM and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde said those who had coined the term 'saffron terror' had "got a slap in the face from the courts. " Speaking to the media, Fadnavis demanded the Congress apologise to the entire Hindu community. He said the Congress-led UPA govt had tried to set a false narrative about 'Hindu terrorism' to appease minorities during elections. "How false was the claim that there is 'Hindu terrorism,' 'saffron terror' has been exposed today," he said. "A conspiracy was hatched to show there is 'Hindu terrorism' by Congress and UPA, which the court has rejected with evidence," he said. Fadnavis is also state home minister. A week ago, on the train blasts case verdict of Bombay HC, he had said it was "shocking" and announced the state's intention to challenge it in SC, which it did the next day. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai On Shiv Sena (UBT)'s question about who had carried out the blast if everyone has been acquitted, Fadnavis said police will respond to it. "What kind of investigation was done at the time will have to be asked to the agency at the time. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No More Belly Fat! A Few Minutes a Day Can Transform You! Learn More Undo The govt was of those with whom the Thackerays are aligned today, and it is their police that has done the investigation. My expectation was they should have complimented that the narrative of 'saffron terror' has been unsuccessful, but perhaps because they have gone with those who do appeasement they are asking these questions," he said. Fadnavis said he would not blame the police. The Congress-led UPA govt had hatched a conspiracy, and to fulfill it, there was pressure on the police machinery. "The police were working under pressure, and they were told there were several incidents of bomb blasts and worldwide a term 'Islamic terrorism' was coined after 9/11. In response to that or to convert the extremists into a votebank, a conspiracy was hatched to bring forth 'saffron terrorism' and appease the minorities by UPA. It is clear these cases have happened from these efforts. UPA more than the police is responsible for it," Fadnavis said. Revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said the verdict is an exposure of a long-running political conspiracy to defame Hindus. Shinde said, "The innocent have got justice. When arrests happened, UPA was in office. Netas then said terror has no colour but in the Malegaon case, they said it was saffron terror... This was a conspiracy and the accused were trapped in the conspiracy." He added, "We are taking forward Balasaheb Thackeray's Hindutva, so we will fight terror, support patriots."
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Parliament must review powers of speaker under anti-defection law: SC
NEW DELHI: In a significant judgment, the Supreme Court on Thursday said to protect foundations of democracy, Parliament must take a call on the effectiveness of the anti-defection law mechanism, which has been virtually blunted due to the widely-perceived partisanship of speakers, leading to delays in deciding disqualification petitions against political turncoats. Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice A G Masih gave this ruling while directing the Telangana assembly speaker to decide within three months the disqualification petitions filed against 10 BRS MLAs who defected to Congress after it formed govt in the state following the Nov 2023 elections. The verdict marks a departure from the restraint that courts have shown in setting deadlines for speakers and could well be a precedent in settling defection-related cases in the future. The CJI-led bench also directed the speaker not to allow the 10 MLAs, facing disqualification proceedings, to protract proceedings. "In the event any of such MLAs attempt to protract the proceedings, the speaker would draw an adverse inference against him," the bench said. Telangana speaker breached Parliament trust: SC Constitutional courts have generally refrained from fastening speakers with a timeline to decide pending disqualification petitions. However, SC said since the Telangana speaker has delayed adjudication of disqualification petitions by more than a year, it warranted issuance of directions to him. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Treatment That Might Help You Against Knee Pain (Search Now) Knee Pain Treatment | Search Ads Undo The bench was critical of the way the speaker issued notice on the disqualification petitions seven months after they were filed, and said such a delay breached the trust Parliament reposed in presiding officers to adjudicate defection cases fearlessly and expeditiously. In the 2023 elections to the 119-member assembly, Congress had won 64 seats, BRS 39, BJP eight, AIMM seven and CPI one. However, Congress's numbers rose after the defection of the 10 BRS MLAs. Writing the 74-page judgment recording numerous instances of speakers' deliberate inaction in speedy adjudication of disqualification petitions against MLAs, CJI Gavai said, "It is for Parliament to consider whether the mechanism of entrusting speakers the important task of deciding the issue of disqualification on the ground of defection is serving the purpose of effectively combating political defections or not?" "If the very foundation of our democracy and the principles that sustain it are to be safeguarded, it will have to be examined whether the present mechanism is sufficient or not. ..it is for Parliament to take a call on that," the CJI said. SC reiterated the settled law that speakers/chairman of assemblies, Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha function as tribunals while deciding disqualification petitions under the anti-defection law, and that their decisions can be scrutinised by the HCs and the apex court. CJI Gavai examined the purpose behind enactment of the anti-defection law in 1985 through a constitutional amendment and said the only purpose of entrusting the work of adjudicating the disqualification petitions to the speaker/chairman was to avoid dilly-dallying and resultant delay in the courts of law or the Election Commission's office. He said, "Parliament decided to entrust the important question of adjudication of disqualification petitions, on account of defection, to the speaker/chairman expecting him to decide them fearlessly and expeditiously." CJI Gavai and Justice Masih said, "With the experience of over 30 years of working of the 10th Schedule to the Constitution, the question that we will have to ask ourselves is as to whether the trust which Parliament entrusted in high office of the speaker or the chairman of avoiding delays in deciding the issue with regard to disqualification has been adhered to by the incumbents in the high office of speaker and the chairman or not?" Referring to a chain of cases under the anti-defection law marred by inordinate delay in adjudication by speakers across states, already frowned upon by SC in as many cases, the bench said, "We need not answer this question, since the facts of the various cases themselves provide answer."
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
78,000 ha forest land diverted for non-forest use in 4 yrs: Government
. NEW DELHI: The government on Thursday informed Rajya Sabha that over 78,000 hectare of forest land was approved for diversion across India for non-forest use (various projects) in the past four years and the country undertook plantations in over 93.7 lakh hectare of land in the past five years under various schemes. Data shared by the environment ministry in response to a Parliament question showed that Madhya Pradesh accounted for the highest area of forest land approved for diversion at 17,393 hectare for various development projects, followed by Odisha (11,033 hectare), Arunachal Pradesh (6,561 hectare), Uttar Pradesh (5,480 hectare) and Chhattisgarh (4,092 hectare). In response to a separate question, ministry shared that Uttar Pradesh led the country by conducting plantations in over 23.5 lakh hectare from 2020-21 to 2024-25, followed by Telangana (15.5 lakh hectare) and Gujarat (11.4 lakh hectare). The other major contributors included Odisha (5 lakh hectare), Andhra Pradesh (5.9 lakh hectare), Rajasthan (3.8 lakh hectare) and Madhya Pradesh (4 lakh hectare). Responding to the question, junior minister for environment Kirti Vardhan Singh in his response said the government is currently carrying out afforestation and tree plantation under the overarching theme of the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign launched on June 5, 2024. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Independence Day Sale is Live - Check The Sale Luxury Watches Buy Now Undo The minister said afforestation is being implemented through existing schemes such as National Mission for Green India, Nagar Van Yojana, Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitat and Tangible Benefits, and Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (Campa), along with specific state-funded programmes.
