Nasheman News : The Supreme Court on Friday said the bench that will hear a batch of cross petitions challenging the 2010 Allahabad High Court judgment on the Ayodhya title suit will decide the future course of the hearing.

Taking up the applications for early hearing, a bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjay Krishan Kaul said further orders on the course of the hearing will be passed by the bench which will be constituted on January 10.

The Allahabad High Court had in 2010 trifurcated the disputed site, giving one portion each to Ram Lalla, Nirmohi Akhara and the original Muslim litigant.

Nasheman News : As many as 19 Lok Sabha members belonging to the Telugu Desam Party(TDP) and AIADMK were on Thursday suspended for four consecutive sittings by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan for causing “grave disorder” in the House by storming near the podium, tearing papers and throwing them towards the Chair.

The Speaker’s action came a day after she had suspended 24 Lok Sabha members belonging to AIADMK for five consecutive sittings for their similar “unruly behaviour”.

Soon after the House reassembled at noon on Thursday after a washout of the question hour, the AIADMK and the TDP members trooped near Speaker’s podium and started sloganeering.

The AIADMK members were protesting against the proposal for a dam across Cauvery river in Karnataka while the TDP members were demanding special status to Andhra Pradesh.

As the official papers were being laid on the table of the House amid din, Mahajan warned the protesting members to go back to their seats or face action.

But the members did not relent.

“I will name you…I am warning…you have come to the well of the House…you are violating the dignity of the house..it’s a grave disorder…Under rule 374 (A) you are suspended for four consecutive sittings,” she said.

And then, she started reading the names that included TDP’s Jayadev Galla, Maganti Murali Mohan, Muthamsetti Srinivasa Rao, Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Thota Narasimham, Ram Mohan Naidu.

Mahajan then adjourned the House till 2 p.m.

Nasheman News : The Lok Sabha was adjourned till 12 p.m. on Thursday as the House witnessed unrelenting protests by the AIADMK and TDP members on various issues.

Soon after the House assembled for the day, the AIADMK and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) members trooped near the Speaker’s podium and shouted slogans on their demands.

The AIADMK members were demanding withdrawal of the proposal to construct a dam across the Cauvery river at Mekadatu, while the TDP raised several issues related to their demand for special status for Andhra Pradesh.

Amid the din, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan tried to conduct the Question Hour.

Some agitating AIADMK members threw some torn papers in the air.

Mahajan warned the protesting members not to do so but they did not relent.

“This is not fair. You should not be in the well. Please go to your seats otherwise I will name all of you,” Mahajan said.

Mahajan tried to conduct the proceedings but the protest continued, forcing her to adjourn the House till 12 p.m.

Nasheman News :  The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday said it has registered a case against five Army officials, including a Colonel, for allegedly receiving bribes worth Rs 18 lakh.

In its FIR, the investigating agency has named Colonel Raman Dahda, Lieutenant Colonel Mahendra Kumar, Subedar Devender Kumar, Subedar Sahuran Sahu, Havildar Abhay Singh and supplier K.K. Yangfo. They have been booked under the provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act.

According to the FIR, when the incident took place, Dahda was the Commanding Officer of the 556 Army Supply Corps (ASC) and Mahendra Kumar a Platoon Commander. 

The CBI lodged the case based on a complaint from the Army. This is second case the agency has registered in the last few days.

In the FIR, the CBI has alleged that the officers received bribes to the tune of Rs 18 lakh in cash from civilian contractors in connection with procurement of ration for the Army personnel deployed in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

The CBI said it carried out a preliminary inquiry that revealed undue favour to a chain of officials and unit representatives responsible for checking the quality and quantity of items being supplied by Yangfo.

Nasheman News : The Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018 that amends the Aadhaar Act 2016 was introduced in the Lok Sabha amid opposition by the Congress and the Trinamool Congress (TMC).

Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who introduced the Bill, said it was not in violation of the Supreme Court judgement and rejected the Opposition’s concern over privacy.

As Prasad was about to introduce the Bill, TMC’s Saugata Roy opposed it and said it was in contravention of the September 26 Supreme Court judgement that restricted the use of Aadhaar for only such things which have the colour of a subsidy and which are paid out of the Consolidated Fund of India.

“This Bill is outside the legislative purview of the House, in that it violates the Supreme Court judgement. Hence, this Bill should not be introduced and I strongly oppose the introduction of the Bill under all laws possible,” he said.

Raising apprehensions that the government may once again take the Money Bill route to make the amendments despite the warnings given by Supreme Court and a cross-section of political parties, he said the government’s primary interest is in maintaining the status quo on Aadhaar, that is, ensuring that it can be used by the public while paying disservice to Supreme Court direction and the concerns of the general public.

Expressing strong opposition against the Bill, Congress’ Shashi Tharoor said: “This Bill enables private organisations to get Aadhaar details which is in violation of the Supreme Court judgement. The Bill is immature in protecting the right to privacy. It must be withdrawn.”

Calling that the bill “fringes the right to privacy”, Revolutionary Socialist Party’s N.K. Premchandran said: “Kindly see the definition of Aadhaar. The original Aadhaar definition has been changed… since it is in violation of Supreme Court judgement, I strongly oppose the Bill.”

Clarifying the importance of the Bill, the Law Minister said: “It is not mandatory for all to give Aadhaar details for authentication or KYC… we are not violating the Supreme Court judgement.”

“As far as the concerns raised about privacy, I would make it clear that privacy is not being invaded. World bodies like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have hailed the Aadhaar,” he added and then introduced the Bill.

Nasheman News : Days ahead of the “Kumbh Mela”, the Union Home Ministry has approved the Uttar Pradesh government’s proposal to rename Allahabad as Prayagraj.

A no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Home Ministry will now ensure that names of other institutes in the district, including railway station, high court and university, are also changed.

In October last year, the Yogi Adityanath-led government had proposed the change in the name of Allahabad.

A government statement cited “board researched documents” behind the name change and found that “there were 14 Prayags in the country but only one here, also known as King of all Prayags”.

Confirming the move, a senior Home Ministry official said: “There are some central institutions, high court, railway station and organisations named after Allahabad. Letters have been sent to other Central ministries informing that the Home Ministry has approved the proposal of the UP government. The state government will now get approval from other Central ministries and change the names accordingly.”

Under the government guidelines for the renaming of railway stations, villages, towns and cities, it is mandatory to obtain a NOC from the Union Home Ministry by the state government.

The Home Ministry had earlier approved the renaming of the British-era railway station Robertsgang as Sonbhadra, Farah Town railway station near Mathura and iconic Mughalsarai junction after Deen Dayal Upadhyay — both in Uttar Pradesh.

The opposition parties had criticised the government’s move to change the name of Allahabad.

Nasheman News : Terming triple talaq bill “inhuman, anti-women and barbaric”, women’s wing of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Tuesday appealed to Rajya Sabha members to press for referring it to a select committee for scrutiny.

Asma Zohra, the chief organiser of the women’s wing of AIMPLB, told reporters here that if passed, the triple talaq legislation will damage the family and social fabric of the community.

The bill, passed in the Lok Sabha last week, could not be taken up in Rajya Sabha on Monday as opposition insisted that it be referred to a select committee. It is likely to be taken up on Wednesday again.

“There was no need for this bill after Supreme Court judgment invalidating triple talaq. It is brought with political and communal motives to divide the society,” she said.

She claimed that Muslims across India oppose and condemn the bill brought in the Rajya Sabha for a second time.

The women’s wing of AIMPLB believes that if passed the legislation will break marriages rather than empowering women. It termed the bill a direct blow to family system and the institution of marriage.

She said the AIMPLB has time and again stated that triple talaq in one sitting is not the standard procedure of divorce and those practicing this shall face social boycott.

“Muslim women will not get anything from this bill. Instead, they will be left abandoned and deserted. Her condition will become more miserable,” it said.

“It is ironic that there is freedom in this country for men and women to have premarital, extramarital and even multiple relationships. Decriminalisation of Section 377 is being cited as an example of freedom in personal and civil matters, then why a Muslim husband is penalised for divorce,” asked Asma Zohra.

Nasheman News : Justice Chagari Praveen Kumar was sworn in as the Acting Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh High Court here on Tuesday.

Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan administered the oath of office to Justice Praveen Kumar and 14 other judges of the High Court at a ceremony held at the Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium.

The ceremony was attended by Supreme Court judge Justice N.V. Ramana, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, lawyers and senior officials.

Before reaching Vijayawada, the Governor administered oath to Justice T. Bhaskaran Nair Radhakrishnan as the Chief Justice of Telangana High Court at a ceremony held at Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad.

Justice Radhakrishnan later administered oath to 10 judges of Telangana High Court.

Justice Praveen Kumar, the senior most among judges allotted to Andhra Pradesh, will be presiding over the affairs of judiciary in his native state.

Hailing from Anantapur district, Justice Praveen Kumar is son of senior counsel C. Padmanabha Reddy. In 2012, he became a judge of the then Andhra Pradesh High Court.

Four-and-half years after bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, separate high courts of the two Telugu states became functional on Tuesday.

President Ram Nath Kovind on December 26 had issued a notification bifurcating High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad, which had been serving as the common high court of the two states since June 2014.

While the existing building of the High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad became Telangana High Court, a permanent building for Andhra Pradesh High Court is being constructed at Amaravati, the upcoming state capital of Andhra Pradesh.

From Wednesday, Andhra Pradesh High Court will start working at a building, which earlier housed Chief Minister’s Camp Office, as a temporary measure. Later in January, it will be shifted to City Court Complex.

With Tuesday’s historic development, High Court has returned to Andhra after 62 years.

Andhra High Court was first established in Guntur in 1953 when a separate state for Telugu speaking people was carved out of Madras State with its capital in Kurnool. 

After reorganisation of states in 1956, Andhra State was merged with then Hyderabad State to form Andhra Pradesh and subsequently the High Court was shifted to Hyderabad.

Nasheman News : The Joint Committee of Parliament constituted to look into the various aspects of the contentious Citizens (Amendment) Bill, 2016 is likely to submit its report by January 7, 2019 during the present session.

The Committee headed by BJP’s Lok Sabha member Rajendra Agarwal met on Monday and discussed clause by clause the Bill that seeks to grant easy Indian citizenship to non-Muslim minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

“Today we had a clause by clause discussion on the Bill. Some of the proposed amendments were considered, some were rejected. We are aiming to table the report by January 7,” Agarwal told IANS after the meet.

However, he refused to go into the specifics.

The joint committee has members from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha including members from Assam.

Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba also deposed before the panel on Monday.

Sources close to the development said the ruling party tried to fervently push for most of its points even inside the Committee, but the government is unlikely to bring the Bill immediately in Parliament.

The All Assam Students Union (AASU) and various other groups in Assam and even the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ally in Assam state government, Assom Gana Parishad (AGP), have been vociferously protesting against the Bill and have warned the government against it.

The Assamese groups see the Bill as violative of the Assam Accord of 1985 and feel that if the Bill is brought, it would bring the whole National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise being undertaken in the state to a nought.

Meanwhile, the Narendra Modi government has already issued two gazette notifications — Foreigners (Amendment) Order, 2015 and the Passport (Entry into India) Amendment Rules, 2015, to exempt from the application of Foreigners Act, 1946 six minority communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who were compelled to seek shelter in India due to religious persecution and entered the country on or before December 31, 2014.

The exempted communities include the Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and the Christians. Notably, the notifications exclude the Muslims.

The notifications have exempted members of these communities who came with or without valid travel documents.

Legal experts have also pointed out that the Bill seeks to discriminate on religious lines and hence its provisions are unconstitutional.

The Assamese groups are already preparing to move the Supreme Court on the Bill.

Nasheman News : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday conducted “follow up” searches here in connection with the busting of a new Islamic State (IS) module — Harkat-ul-Harb-e-Islam — last month, an official said.

Ten people, including the group leader, who were allegedly planning to attack some political personalities, security establishments as well as crowded places in Delhi and National Capital Region were arrested by the NIA on December 26. 

“Follow up searches are being carried out today at five locations in Amroha,” an NIA spokesperson said.

Earlier in December, the NIA had carried out searches at 17 places — six in East Delhi’s Jafarabad area, six in Amroha, two each in Lucknow and Hapur and one place in Meerut, leading it to seize a country-made rocket launcher, 12 pistols, 112 alarm clocks, 100 mobile phones, 135 SIM cards, several laptops and various electronic gadgets, besides 150 rounds of ammunition.

The NIA also seized 25 kg of explosive material, such as potassium nitrate, ammonium nitrate, sulphur, sugar material paste, mobile phone circuits, batteries, 51 pipes, remote control car triggering switch, wireless digital doorbell for remote switch, steel containers, electric wires, knife, sword, IS-related literature and Rs 7.5 lakh in cash.

All the arrested members of “Harkat-ul-Harb-e-Islam” are in NIA custody. 

The agency had registered a case on December 20 under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Explosive Substances Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.