Latest news with #Constitutions
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
'Totally unacceptable': Irish president condemns attacks on Indians; calls ties between 2 countries 'vibrant'
Ireland President Michael Higgins (right) with EAM S Jaishankar (File photo/ANI) NEW DELHI: Ireland's President Michael D. Higgins on Tuesday strongly condemned recent violent attacks targeting members of the country's Indian community, some of which have been linked to racism. Also Read: 6-year-old PIO girl and Indian chef latest to be attacked in Ireland 'These despicable attacks stand in direct contradiction to the values we hold dear as a people,' Higgins said in a presidential statement . 'That anyone in Ireland could be drawn into such behaviour is utterly unacceptable and must be condemned without reservation. Whether driven by ignorance or by malice, it is essential to recognise the harm these acts inflict.' He also urged that shared spaces — including online platforms — be protected from 'messages of hate or incitement to violence.' The president further noted that the ties between the two countries are 'neither recent nor superficial,' underscoring the depth and history of the relationship between them, and recalled meeting external affairs minister S Jaishankar earlier this year. Also Read: ' Avoid deserted areas, especially in odd hours,' says Indian embassy after racist assaults in Ireland "...we discussed how much our histories share the experience of paths towards independence, the role of Irish woman Margaret Cousins in establishing the All India Women's Conference, the exchange of expertise as both countries drafted and agreed our Constitutions, and the fostering of diplomatic and political relationships over the decades, relationships which remain vibrant today," he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like NRIs Living In Ukraine Are Eligible For INR 2 Lakh Monthly Pension. Invest 18K/Month Get Offer Undo Higgins praised the Indian community in Ireland for its 'immense' contributions to many facets of Irish life — including medicine, nursing, the caring professions, cultural life, business, and enterprise. Also Read: Indian cab driver attacked in Ireland; hit twice on head He emphasised that safeguarding the dignity and safety of all communities is essential to preserving Ireland's values and strengthening its bonds with India.
Irish Examiner
6 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Higgins calls out 'ignorance and malice' behind recent attacks on Indian community
President Michael D. Higgins condemned recent attacks on members of the Indian community in Ireland, saying they directly contradict the values of the Irish people. Attacks against members of the Indian community have come under the spotlight in recent weeks after an Indian man suffered an unprovoked attack in Tallaght, Dublin, last month. Friends of India held a silent vigil outside the Department of Justice in response. Organisers cancelled an India Day celebration scheduled for this weekend over safety fears. In a statement, Mr Higgins said he wanted "to express the deep sense of gratitude we all in Ireland owe to the Indian community here," adding that Indians have made "an immense contribution" to many aspects of Irish life — in medicine, nursing, the caring professions, cultural life, business, and enterprise. Mr Higgins added that Ireland's connections with India "are neither recent nor superficial." "Earlier this year, I met with the Minister of External Affairs of India, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and we discussed how much our histories share the experience of paths towards independence, the role of Irish woman Margaret Cousins in establishing the All India Women's Conference, the exchange of expertise as both countries drafted and agreed our Constitutions, and the fostering of diplomatic and political relationships over the decades, relationships which remain vibrant today. "The recent despicable attacks on members of the Indian community stand in stark contradiction to the values that we as a people hold dear. That any person in Ireland, particularly any young person, should be drawn into such behaviour through manipulation or provocation is to be unequivocally condemned. Whether such provocation stems from ignorance or from malice, it is essential to acknowledge the harm that it is causing. Such acts diminish all of us and obscure the immeasurable benefits the people of India have brought to the life of this country." Mr Higgins said Ireland "has long been shaped by migration, both outward and inward," and that those who left our shores "carried our culture and values into faraway lands, often depending on the generosity of strangers." "That shared human experience should remain at the heart of how we treat those who have come to make their lives here. To forget that is to lose a part of ourselves. "Our shared spaces — including social media platforms — should never be poisoned from messages of hate or incitement to violence. Such messages not only target individuals, but also damage and corrode the most fundamental and enduring instincts of Irishness: those of hospitality, friendship, and care for others. "These principles must apply to all who form part of Irish society today, without exception. An Ireland that honours these values is one in which all communities can live in safety, dignity, and mutual respect.'
American Military News
11-08-2025
- Politics
- American Military News
Democrat lawmaker arrested for shoplifting again
A Democrat lawmaker recently turned himself in after being caught shoplifting for a second time at a Target store in Bethel, Connecticut. The New York Post reported that Connecticut state Rep. Raghib Allie-Brennan, a Democrat, is currently facing charges after turning himself in to police officials on July 28. The outlet noted that an arrest warrant for the 33-year-old Democrat lawmaker had been issued following the second shoplifting incident. In an arrest affidavit obtained by The New York Post, a Target security guard said they observed Allie-Brennan 'concealing items into the Goodfellow bag that he had selected.' The affidavit accused the Democrat lawmaker of attempting to steal $54.55 in unpaid goods. Allie-Brennan was previously arrested in June after police officials reviewed security footage that showed the Connecticut lawmaker trying to leave the Bethel Target location with $26.69 in unpaid items. The Democrat lawmaker admitted to the June incident; however, he blamed the shoplifting incident on being in a 'rush' to bring items to his hospitalized grandmother. In a July statement on Facebook, Allie-Brennan said, 'This week, I appeared in court and applied for Accelerated Rehabilitation, a program for first-time offenders that, if granted, can lead to dismissal of the charge after meeting court conditions. 'I am taking responsibility for all of my actions and participating in a program to address my behavior seriously and constructively,' the Democrat lawmaker added. 'I know I've let people down, and I'm not proud of that. But I also believe in owning mistakes and doing the work to make them right. I remain committed to accountability, growth, and continuing to serve my community with integrity.' According to The New York Post, Allie-Brennan told the outlet that both shoplifting charges are being addressed under the Accelerated Rehabilitation program. READ MORE: Pic: Democrat lawmaker arrested for shoplifting 'Recently, State Representative Raghib Allie-Brennan (D-2nd District – Bethel) was arrested for shoplifting at a local Target store,' Connecticut Republican State Chairman Ben Proto said in a recent press release. 'While we fully support Representative Allie-Brennan's due process and the presumption of innocence that all of us enjoy under our Constitutions, it is regrettable that, once again, a Democrat member of the Connecticut General Assembly has found themselves in handcuffs and subject to criminal prosecution.' Proto added, 'In light of these allegations, Representative Allie-Brennan should step down from his position.' Connecticut House Speaker Matt Ritter, a Democrat, also issued a statement regarding the Connecticut lawmaker's legal issues. Ritter explained that he had talked with Allie-Brennan about the shoplifting charges and expressed his concerns to the Democrat lawmaker. 'Raghib will take some personal time away from the legislature over the next month to deal with the legal, political and personal ramifications,' Ritter stated.
Hindustan Times
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Judiciary must be free from executive interference: Chief Justice of India
MUMBAI: 'India achieved freedom after a long battle, and if the freedom has to be sustained, political parties will have to put discrimination over caste and creed aside and ensure that the country remains united,' said Bhushan Gavai, Chief Justice of India (CJI) quoting Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar on Tuesday. The CJI also pointed out that Ambedkar had insisted on the supremacy of the Constitution and believed that the judiciary should be free from interference by the executive. Gavai addressed a lecture on 'The Constitution of India' in the Vidhan Bhavan, where he was also felicitated by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and others. (Anshuman Poyrekar/ Hindustan Times) Gavai was addressing a lecture on 'The Constitution of India' in the Vidhan Bhavan, where he was also felicitated by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and others. He was the first CJI felicitated in recent history by the state legislature for being a 'son of the soil'. All this happened more than a month after Gavai expressed disappointment at the absence of senior state officials at a felicitation event held in his honour in Mumbai soon after his elevation as Chief Justice. Gavai pointed out that Ambedkar had said that for the country to be strong, the judiciary had to work as a watchdog. 'It is the custodian of citizens' rights under the Constitution and should be free from executive interference,' he said, citing the fact that if a Supreme Court judge had to be removed, a two-thirds majority of both Houses was required. 'Unlike other Constitutions, we are not providing a mechanism to ensure that a particular political party comes to power, and thus the criticism that the directive principles of state policy are not enforceable in court is true,' he said. 'However, if the rulers do not make attempts to bring in social and financial equality by following the directive principles, they are answerable to the voters. While they may not be answerable to the courts of law, they will have to be answerable to the electorate,' he noted, by quoting Ambedkar. MVA urges Gavai to clear pending cases on Sena and NCP split Since the CJI's talk was on the importance of the Constitution, the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) seized the opportunity to hand him a letter, requesting him to personally look into its grievances and 'protect the Constitution'. 'A petition is pending before the Supreme Court on the disqualification of MLAs who split the Shiv Sena and NCP,' stated the letter signed by leaders of the MVA parties. 'The decision on the real Shiv Sena and NCP and their party symbols is also pending. In November 2024, the Maharashtra assembly elections took place, and yet the apex court could not give its verdict even after three years. This may lead to the destruction of democracy.' The Supreme Court was approached in June 2022, following a mass defection by Eknath Shinde and around 40 other Shiv Sena MLAs. The Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government fell after the rebel MLAs declared support to the BJP. Subsequently, the Election Commission recognised the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena as the original party, which was also challenged in the apex court. More than a year later, history repeated itself when Ajit Pawar, with the help of 40-odd MLAs, split the NCP and declared support to the Mahayuti government in July 2023. The petitions for disqualification of the rebel MLAs and the dispute of which the 'real' party is are also pending in the SC. The MVA also gave another letter to the CJI on the delay by Speaker Rahul Narwekar in appointing an assembly Leader of the Opposition (LOP). The parties stated that while they were aware that the court would not interfere in legislative proceedings, they wanted to bring to the CJI's attention how constitutional principles were being grossly violated. The letter mentioned that the state legislature secretariat had informed them that the Speaker had the right to take a decision in this matter, as there were no specific rules for the appointment of an LOP. 'There is a 50-year precedent of the LOP being appointed from the opposition party with the highest number of MLAs,' stated the letter. 'Based on this, we were expecting the appointment but even after three sessions of the state legislature, the Speaker is yet to take a decision. Like the CM's post, the LOP is also a constitutional position, and the Speaker not taking a decision on this also violates constitutional provisions.'
Hindustan Times
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
‘No two opinions': Jitendra Singh backs RSS call for removal of ‘secular', ‘socialist' from Constitution's Preamble
Jun 27, 2025 06:59 PM IST Union minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Thursday backed Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale's comments regarding the insertion of the words 'secular' and 'socialist' into the Constitution's Preamble, saying that there is no room for differing views on the matter. Union Minister Jitendra Singh, Jammu and Kashmir BJP President Sat Sharma and others during the release of a book at the party office, in Jammu, Friday, June 27, 2025. (PTI) 'I don't think there are two opinions on this. Dattatreya ji has rightly pointed out that the words 'secular' and 'socialist' were added through the 42nd Amendment, and were not part of Dr B.R. Ambedkar's original vision,' Singh told reporters in Jammu. 'Dr Ambedkar produced one of the best Constitutions in the world. If these words were not part of his thinking, then one must ask—what kind of thinking led to their later inclusion?' he added. When asked about Dattatreya Hosabale's remarks advocating the removal of the terms from the Preamble, Dr Singh responded by saying, 'I think any right-thinking citizen will endorse it, because everybody knows this was not the part of the original Constitution, which was written by Dr Ambedkar and rest of the committee… It's not BJP versus non-BJP, it is about preserving democratic values, preserving the constitutional values,' the minister said. Taking a veiled dig at the Congress leaders, the minister also said, "Those who are flaunting the Constitution book are actually the biggest violators of the Constitution.'
