May 19, 1985, Forty Years Ago: Anti Terror Bill
The government has introduced the Terrorists and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Bill, which seeks to provide deterrent provisions, including the death sentence, to combat the menace of terrorism in the country. The bill also seeks to confer on the central government adequate powers to make rules necessary to deal with terrorists. The introduction of the bill was preceded by noisy protests from members of the Opposition who argued that they did not have time to go through its provisions. Madhu Dandavate of the Janata Party argued that the introduction of the bill should be deferred by a few days. Alternatively, he suggested, the bill could be referred to a Select Committee.
Gujarat Violence
One person was killed and two injured in police firing in Baroda, while in Ahmedabad, where peace seemed to be returning a day earlier, one man was stabbed to death. Meanwhile, Gujarat CM Madhavsinh Solanki has offered to hold a fresh round of talks with leaders of the three-month-long anti-reservation agitation. The CM said he and his colleagues have never refused any proposal to hold talks on the issue. A group of 11 Opposition leaders is arriving in the state on May 19 to take stock of the situation.
Gas Victims Rally
Police teargassed a rally by victims of the Bhopal Gas tragedy. The protestors also included noted cultural figures like painter J Swaminathan, eminent dramatist B V Karanth and Hindi writer Vijay Mohan Singh. The incident is likely to embarrass the Madhya Pradesh government because the three are among the leading figures in its cultural showpiece, Bharat Bhavan, the prestigious multi-arts centre.
Goenka Awards
The B D Goenka awards for excellence in journalism will be given away by Justice H R Khanna on May 19. The 1984 awards have gone to Prem Bhati, editor in chief of The Tribune, Chandigarh and Raj Kumar Keswani, a journalist from Madhya Pradesh.
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The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
Stalin says Ministry of Home Affairs' remarks on delimitation are ‘vague'
Seeing a 'sinister design' by the Narendra Modi-led government in Census 2027 and the subsequent delimitation, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Friday said the remarks of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs over the proposed delimitation exercise were 'vague' and further called for a 'clear Parliamentary commitment and a suitable Constitutional amendment.' Mr. Stalin also endorsed the edit published in The Hindu — 'Injustice in the delay - The announcement of the Census is welcome, but the delay is unjust'. On Thursday, a social media post of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said Union Minister Amit Shah had clarified on many occasions that in the delimitation exercise, concerns of southern States would be taken care of and discussed with all concerned at an appropriate time. 'The MHA claims that the concerns of affected States will be addressed. But these are vague remarks. What is needed is a clear Parliamentary commitment and a suitable Constitutional amendment,' Mr. Stalin said in a social media post. Recalling the abrogation of Article 370, Mr. Stalin said: 'The Union government spoke of restoring Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Elections were held. Assurances were given in the Supreme Court. Yet, Jammu and Kashmir remains a Union territory. This is the track record of the BJP we are dealing with.' If the Union government proceeded with delimitation based on the Census 2027, the democratic power of peninsular India would be 'reduced to irrelevance,' Mr. Stalin contended. Taking a swipe at his party's rival, AIADMK, over their electoral alliance with the BJP, Mr. Stalin, also the DMK president, said: 'Even if betrayers like the ADMK [AIADMK] choose to kneel before the BJP for their political survival, the people of Tamil Nadu, led by the DMK, will never allow our State to be punished for its progress. Tamil Nadu will fight! Tamil Nadu will win!' Claiming that the delay in the Census was 'no accident', Mr. Stalin further said that the delimitation plan was 'no coincidence' and the danger that he warned of was 'at our doorstep.' There was a 'sinister design' in how the BJP-led Union government was implementing the national Census and the subsequent delimitation, Mr. Stalin said: 'Developed States, especially in the non-Hindi speaking south, which followed population control norms, will now be punished. Meanwhile, States that disregarded population control for decades are set to gain more seats in Parliament. This unfair shift skews the federal balance and rewards irresponsibility.' He also recalled his warning about this 'design' and referred to the contention of senior Congress leader and former Union Minister P. Chidambaram on 'how this sleight of hand is unfolding.' Mr. Stalin emphasised: 'The time has come not only to be vigilant but also to craft counter-strategies to safeguard the South's voice.' The Census 2027 would form the basis for the next delimitation, replacing the 1971 data, he said, and further asserted that this gave the Union BJP-led government the means to 'restructure Parliamentary representation to its advantage, at the cost of the southern States.'
NDTV
2 hours ago
- NDTV
"Children Deserve Compassion...": Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta On School Hiring Bouncers
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Business Standard
3 hours ago
- Business Standard
'Census delay no accident, delimitation not a coincidence', says Stalin
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president MK Stalin on Friday accused the BJP-led central government of deliberately delaying the national Census and orchestrating the delimitation process with a hidden agenda. Calling the Census delay 'no accident' and the delimitation exercise 'no coincidence,' he said, 'The danger I warned of is at our doorstep.' In a post on social media, he alleged: 'There is a sinister design in how the BJP-led Union Government is implementing the national Census and the subsequent delimitation. Developed states, especially in the non-Hindi speaking South, which followed population control norms, will now be punished.' He argued that states which disregarded population control for years would be rewarded with additional seats in Parliament. This, he said, distorts the federal structure and unfairly benefits neglect over progress. Stalin noted that he had already 'warned about this design' and cited senior Congress leader P Chidambaram's detailed explanation of 'how this sleight of hand is unfolding.' He said it was time to remain vigilant and prepare strategies to defend the South's representation. 'The 2027 Census will form the basis for the next delimitation, replacing the 1971 data. This gives the Union BJP government the means to restructure parliamentary representation to its advantage, at the cost of the southern states,' he alleged. While the Ministry of Home Affairs has stated that the concerns of affected states will be considered, Stalin described such assurances as vague. He insisted that the situation calls for a clear commitment in Parliament and the introduction of a Constitutional amendment. He added: 'Just look at what happened after Article 370 was abrogated. The Union government spoke of restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Elections were held. Assurances were given in the Supreme Court. Yet, Jammu and Kashmir remains a Union Territory. This is the track record of BJP we are dealing with.' Stalin warned that if delimitation is carried out using the 2027 Census, the democratic influence of the southern states would be severely diminished. He also criticised the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), saying, 'Betrayers like the AIADMK choose to kneel before the BJP for their political survival,' but that the people of Tamil Nadu, under the DMK's leadership, would not allow the state to suffer for its developmental success.
