Latest news with #KeralaAssembly
The Hindu
01-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
President withholds assent to Malayalam Bill without giving reason in violation of SC order
An unprecedented constitutional challenge has cropped up in the State with the President withholding her assent to the Malayalam Bill passed by the Kerala Assembly a decade ago, without assigning any reasons. The President's move, it has been pointed out, violated the April 8 judgment of the Supreme Court in the Tamil Nadu Governor case where the court held that the President cannot exercise an absolute veto on Bills and cannot withhold assent without furnishing reasons. First after judgment This was the first Bill to be withheld assent by the President without assigning any reasons since the landmark order of the top court. The apex court had directed that the withholding of assent for a Bill 'must be accompanied by sound and specific reasons that necessitate the withholding, by clearly outlaying the policy considerations on which such an action is predicate.' The court went a step further and added that a constitutional 'requirement and responsibility of assigning reasons to the withholding of assent is cast upon the President and the reasons assigned by the President for withholding of assent must be communicated to the State government concerned.' The Bill was returned to the State government the other day without assigning any reasons. The President had earlier withheld assent to three Bills namely the Kerala University Laws (Amendment No. 2) Bill 2022, University Law Amendment Bill, 2022, and the University Law Amendment Bill, 2021, which were referred to her in November 2023 by the then Governor Arif Mohammed Khan. Incidentally, the President's move comes at a time when the State government's petitions challenging her actions on the Bills are under the consideration of the Supreme Court. The State government is yet to discuss the issue, said P. Rajeeve, State Minister for Law. No legal precedent Top legal officers of the State felt that the President's act has created an unusual legal and constitutional crisis where she went against the Supreme Court order, which is the law of the land. The State may be forced to move the Supreme Court against the act of the President. There have been no such legal precedents in the recent legal history of the country and the framers of the Constitution may not have foreseen such a legal crisis, said a senior Supreme Court lawyer.
Hindustan Times
19-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Charges against Kerala ED officer attempt to malign central agency, say sources
New Delhi, The graft charges made against an ED officer in Kerala recently seem to be a businessman's attempt at "maligning" the agency as he is under the scanner and has skipped multiple summonses, official sources said on Monday. Last week, the Kerala Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau office in Ernakulam booked an assistant director-rank ED officer in Kochi, alleging that some private persons demanded money from the businessman in lieu of "settling" a money laundering case against him being probed by the federal probe agency. The issue has been making headlines in the state as Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan and the ruling CPI alleged widespread corruption in the ED and claimed it was being used to target political rivals of the ruling party at the Centre and extort money from "honest" businessmen. The ED's case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act was registered after taking cognisance of five FIRs filed by the Kerala Police Crime Branch and Kottarakara Police against businessman Aneesh Babu, his father Babu George and his mother Anitha Babu. They were charged by the police for "cheating" people to the tune of ₹24.73 crore by promising them of importing cashews at low prices through the firm Vazhavila Cashews, Kottarakara. Sources in the federal agency said the trio were first summoned by the ED Kochi office in October 2021 for questioning but they did not appear. The agency continued with its probe and collected bank statements and versions of the complainants. Being called twice in October 2024, the family appeared before the ED on October 28 but did not return for post-lunch questioning session, they said. Sources claimed the businessman made "baseless" allegations before the media against the ED officials, apparently to "derail" the PMLA investigation against him. The allegation, they said, appears to be an attempt to trigger a "media trial" with an intent to "malign" the image of the ED and "deflect" attention from the ongoing money laundering case. The complainant businessman has frequently changed his statements and allegations in the media to "prejudice" local public opinion, the sources claimed. They said the businessman has filed various writ petitions and applications for anticipatory bail before the Kerala High Court and later before the Supreme Court, all of which have been "dismissed". Sources said the businessman made "contradictory" claims before the media on Sunday as he accused an ED officer in the morning but took the name of some other officer in the afternoon. This shows a "clear intent" to "mislead" the public and "defame" the ED officers, they said. The ED Kochi unit has now sought a copy of the FIR from the VACB to examine the details of the allegations made by the businessman. Sources said the agency remains "committed" to upholding the rule of law and welcomes any fair and impartial inquiry and that it does not shy away from transparency or accountability. ED maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption and is fully committed to uncovering the truth, the sources said, adding that all necessary actions will be taken without fear or favour.
Indian Express
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Congress appoints new Kerala unit president a year before polls: Who is Sunny Joseph?
A year ahead of the Kerala Assembly elections, the Congress overhauled its state leadership on Thursday by appointing three-term MLA Sunny Joseph as its state president. Outgoing Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief K Sudhakaran had been sulking over reports that he would be removed and has to take solace from the fact that Joseph, his loyalist from Kannur, has succeeded him. The party has also appointed Sudhakaran, who put up a strong fight to retain his post, as a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee (CWC). To ensure a balance in the representation of communities, Adoor Prakash who is the party's Hindu Ezhava face has been appointed the convener of the Congress-led United Democratic Front. The All India Congress Committee (AICC) has also appointed young leaders Shafi Parambil, P C Vishnunadh, and A P Anil Kumar as the state unit's working presidents. Shafi is a Lok Sabha MP, while Vishnunadh and Anil Kumar, who are from the upper-caste Nairs and Dalit communities, respectively, are MLAs. They have replaced MP Kodikkunnil Suresh, MLA T Siddique, and former MP T N Prathapan. The Congress zeroed in on 72-year-old Joseph, the Peravoor MLA, at the end of a search for a leader from the Christian community to take the KPCC's reins, according to party insiders. In the past, the Congress in Kerala had a Christian face, starting with A K Antony and later Oommen Chandy, both of whom served as state chief ministers. With Antony having retired from active politics and Chandy passing away in July 2023, the Congress had been scouting for a state-level Christian leader at a time when a section of Christians are leaning towards the BJP. The disintegration of the regional Christian party, Kerala Congress, also led to fewer Christian faces in the UDF leadership, which has now shrunken to mainly the Congress and the Indian Union Muslim League. Sudhakaran was appointed the state unit president after the party's rout in the Assembly elections in 2021. He had been facing heat within the party for failing to work in sync with the Leader of the Opposition, V D Satheesan, on crucial matters. Sudhakaran, who once claimed he stood guard for an RSS shakha, landed in several controversies that left the party and its allies red-faced. Besides, rivals within the party pointed out that health was not on Sudhakaran's side and that would have made it difficult for him to lead the fight against the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front. By accommodating the Kannur MP, the Congress wanted to ensure that it did not jettison the leader from the Ezhava community, traditionally known to be pro-CPI(M). The newly appointed KPCC president, who is a law graduate, will have his hands full, with a bypoll to the Nilambur Assembly seat pending and local body elections expected to be held within the next six months. Then will come the big test: preventing the Left from returning to power for the third straight term. Joseph, who is known to be close to the Church, particularly Catholic leadership, served as the president of the party district committee in Kannur. A vocal voice on farmers' issues, he has his task cut out in making the Congress battle-ready. A non-controversial leader, Joseph does not have a group behind him, and that is both his strength and weakness, according to party insiders. He will have to take several senior leaders into confidence to ensure a smooth sailing. The new state Congress chief is known for his oratory and will have to try and come out of his mentor Sudhakaran's shadow.
