Archives for 2024

Lucknow: The Allahabad High Court has intervened to expunge controversial remarks made by a judge in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly, where Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was lauded as a modern-day ‘philosopher king’ and Muslims were blamed for communal riots in the country.

Additional District Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar’s comments on March 5th during a hearing related to the Bareilly riots of 2010 sparked widespread criticism and demands for disciplinary action. The judge had made personal observations and expressed political opinions in the case, prompting the High Court to intervene.

In its ruling on March 19, the High Court deemed Diwakar’s remarks as “unwarranted expressions containing political overtones and personal views.” Justice Ram Manohar Narayan Mishra chastised the judge for including personal experiences in the judicial order, stating that such expressions were unnecessary and prone to misinterpretation by the public.

The contentious portion of Diwakar’s order, spanning from the last paragraph of page six to the middle part of page eight, was expunged by the High Court.

During the March 5 hearing, Judge Diwakar had invoked serious charges against Muslim cleric-politician Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan for his alleged involvement in the 2010 Bareilly riots. Diwakar not only praised Chief Minister Adityanath for his religious background but also blamed political parties’ alleged “appeasement” of Muslims for riots in the country.

Moreover, Judge Diwakar’s remarks extended to his tenure in Varanasi and his involvement in the Gyanvapi Masjid legal battle, where he claimed to have faced threats from Muslim groups. Diwakar hailed Adityanath as a modern-day example of a ‘philosopher king,’ a term coined by ancient Greek philosopher Plato.

In the Bareilly riots case, Diwakar added Maulana Khan’s name to the chargesheet and summoned him to appear before the court. Khan, a prominent cleric and political figure, was accused of masterminding the riots that erupted over a dispute during a Muslim religious procession in 2010.

Diwakar’s past involvement in the Gyanvapi Masjid controversy in Varanasi also came under scrutiny. As a civil judge, he ordered the sealing of a portion of the mosque based on Hindu plaintiffs’ claims, further intensifying the communal tensions surrounding the historical site.

New York: India was ranked 126th out of 143 nations in a global happiness index released on Wednesday which noted that older age is associated with higher life satisfaction in the world’s most populous country.

Finland emerged as the happiest country in the world, topping the World Happiness Report 2024, the seventh successive year that the country has occupied the top spot on the list.

The other of the top 10 countries are Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Israel, Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Australia.

India is ranked 126th on the list, behind countries such as Libya, Iraq, Palestine and Niger, according to the findings announced on Wednesday to mark the UN’s International Day of Happiness.

The World Happiness Report is a partnership of Gallup, the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and the WHR’s Editorial Board.

The young in India are the “happiest” while those in “lower middle” rung are the least happy.

The US (23rd) has fallen out of the top 20 for the first time since the World Happiness Report was first published in 2012, driven by a large drop in the well-being of Americans under 30.

Afghanistan remains bottom of the overall rankings as the world’s unhappiest’ nation. Pakistan is ranked 108th on the list.

The report said that older age is associated with higher life satisfaction in India, “refuting some claims that the positive association between age and life satisfaction only exists in high-income nations.”

On average, older men in India are more satisfied with life than older women “but when taking all other measures into account, older women report higher life satisfaction than their male counterparts,” it said.

In India, older adults with secondary or higher education and those of higher social castes report higher life satisfaction than counterparts without formal education and those from scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.

“India’s older population is the second largest worldwide, with 140 million Indians aged 60 and over, second only to its 250 million Chinese counterparts. Additionally, the average growth rate for Indians aged 60 and above is three times higher than the overall population growth rate of the country,” the report said.

Satisfaction with living arrangements, perceived discrimination, and self-rated health emerge as the top three predictors of life satisfaction for India in this study, the report said.

“We found that older men, those in the higher age groups, currently married, and those who were educated, report higher life satisfaction compared to their respective peers. Lower satisfaction with living arrangements, perceived discrimination, and poor self-rated health were important factors associated with low life satisfaction among older Indians,” it said.

The findings of this study indicate that strengthening family networks to ensure a comfortable living arrangement for older adults, men, widowed, and those without formal education in particular, and bolstering social networks to reduce discrimination may enhance well-being in older age, it noted.

The report added that Serbia (37th) and Bulgaria (81st) have had the biggest increases in average life evaluation scores since they were first measured by the Gallup World Poll in 2013.

The next two countries showing the largest increases in life evaluations are Latvia (46th) and Congo (Brazzaville) (89th), with rank increases of 44 and 40 places, respectively, between 2013 and 2024.

For the first time, the report gives separate rankings by age group, in many cases varying widely from the overall rankings. Lithuania tops the list for children and young people under 30, while Denmark is the world’s happiest nation for those 60 and older.

Noida: Two senior citizens, including a heart patient on the way to a hospital, on Wednesday alleged misbehavior by contractual parking workers in Noida after they “illegally” towed away the septuagenarians’ car while the elderly were sitting inside.

An FIR has been lodged in the case and the private agency handling the parking work in Sector 50, where the incident took place, has been slapped with a penalty of Rs 50,000 and issued a show cause notice as to why it should not be blacklisted, according to officials.

A purported video of the incident surfaced on social media, showing a crane towing the red-colour hatchback even as the senior citizens were sitting inside it.

While speaking to a TV news channel, car owner Vishwajit Mazumder said he had gone to a hospital in Noida Sector 50 with his sister-in-law and they were asked for some payment in cash along with photocopies of some documents.

“In a little hurry, we parked the car in a no-parking zone in Sector 50 and could not see the no-parking signage as it was covered by some tree leaves. We were back in five minutes after work but by that time, the car’s front portion was lifted up for towing,” Mazumder told NDTV.

“We begged the parking workers that we have a patient who needs to go to the hospital. She has a heart ailment. We are senior citizens, 70 years old. The parking workers did not listen to us. A crowd gathered there and even they appealed for us, but to no avail. The parking workers insisted that the car can be taken from the police station now,” he claimed.

The elderly man said he even offered some money to the parking workers to release the car, citing shortage of time at their end.

“The boys (parking workers) were very indecent. This is usual with contract workers now. They are not educated and have no process of working. We were sitting inside the car and they towed us to the police station,” Mazumder said.

Later in the day, the Noida Authority said it is operating surface parking in various sectors through private agencies for smooth traffic in the city.

It noted that MG Infra Solution has been allotted work in Sector 50 and on Wednesday its crane operator and his assistant “illegally” towed away the car from there to the parking of Logix Mall in Sector 32, and “tarnished” the image of the authority with this act.

“This company has been warned in the past also about violating the conditions of the contract by misbehaving with citizens and extorting money from them. For the incident on March 20, an FIR has been lodged at Sector 49 police station against the crane operator and his assistant while a penalty of Rs 50,000 slapped on MG Infra Solution,” the authority said in a statement.

A show cause notice has also been issued to the company to explain why it should not be blacklisted for works of the authority, it added.

Bengaluru: Kodigehalli Station police have arrested four individuals suspected of involvement in a jewelry robbery case, originating from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh. The arrested individuals have been identified as Khana Sharma (23), Ashu Sharma (27), Pradeep Sharma (37), and Vikas Pandith (32). Unfortunately, another suspect, Suraj (30), succumbed to injuries sustained during the dacoity.

All four apprehended suspects have been placed under custody for a period of 13 days pending further investigation.

The robbery incident occurred at Laxmi Bankers and Jewellers shop around 11:15 am on March 14th. The suspects reportedly brandished pistols at the shop owner and staff, coercing them to surrender money and gold. When met with resistance, the suspects discharged four rounds from country-made pistols before fleeing the scene on two motorcycles.

Following the incident, authorities analyzed CCTV footage from the vicinity and collected fingerprints, leading them to identify the perpetrators as hailing from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. It was also discovered that the suspects had prior involvement in similar criminal activities.

A specialized police team dispatched to Gwalior to apprehend the accused. Subsequent investigations unveiled that Vikas Sharma, one of the prime suspects, had been employed as a tiles worker in Bengaluru, where he allegedly identified the targeted jewelry shop for the robbery. Subsequently leaving his job, Vikas Sharma reportedly orchestrated the arrival of his accomplices to the city.

During the robbery, a gunshot from Ashu Sharma’s pistol struck Suraj in the neck. Injured, Suraj was hastily treated by the group, who then fled the crime scene, abandoning the weapon. Utilizing train transport, the suspects returned to their hometown, where Suraj was admitted to a private hospital for treatment. Suraj succumbed to his injuries while receiving medical care.

Mangaluru: Renowned actor and theatre personality Nana Patekar emphasized the role of theatre in questioning societal discord during his visit to St Aloysius College, Mangaluru. Inaugurating the ‘Nehada Neyge’ theatre program organized by Nirdiganta and Asthitva groups, Patekar underscored the importance of using the stage as a platform for expressing dissent and promoting awareness.

While distancing himself from any political affiliations, Patekar stressed the need for theatre to cleanse the political landscape and contribute positively to society. He urged fellow actor and Nirdiganta founder Prakash Raj to focus on creating plays that address social issues rather than getting involved in politics.

Highlighting the significance of teamwork in theatre, Patekar emphasized the importance of actors overcoming language barriers to portray diverse roles. He recounted his experience working on the film ‘Nat Samrat’ and how it inspired him to establish the ‘Naam Foundation’ to support farmers in need.

Addressing the audience, Patekar emphasized the importance of voting, condemning those who neglect this civic duty as traitors. He also reflected on the significance of religious harmony, reminiscing about the pleasant memories of hearing the Azan during his childhood.

Actor Prakash Raj discussed the growth of Nirdiganta over the past nine months, emphasizing its inclusivity and talent from across the country. The event commenced with a musical recitation of the song ‘Haduva Mara’ followed by a rendition of the Preamble to the Constitution.

Several dignitaries, including Vice Chancellor Dr. Praveen Martis, Dr. Sripad Bhat, Rev. Alvin Serrao, Chandrahas Ullal, and Christopher, attended the inauguration ceremony. The event drew a large crowd, including members of the public, who witnessed the opening ceremony at the college’s open theatre. Subsequently, the play ‘Bob Marley from Kodihalli’ was staged at the LCRI auditorium.

Udupi: State Congress spokesperson Sudhir Kumar Murolli opined that the electoral bond scam revealed by the Supreme Court of India is the greatest corruption the country has ever seen. He was addressing the media at District Congress office at Bramhagiri in Udupi before a meeting convened on upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Congratulating the Supreme Court for this daring disclosure, Murolli stated that Centre had accumulated thousands of crores through electoral bonds from companies which were threatened by CBI, IT and ED raids. He expressed shock about nationalistic BJP obtaining bonds from a Pakistani company. “The information shows that most of the fraudulent companies in the country have donated to BJP”, he added.

Quoting Supreme Court lawyers Prashant Bhushan and Kapil Sibal, Murolli said that 90% of donations in the yet undisclosed electoral bonds procured in 2018-19 belonged to BJP. “If SBI follows the deadline given by the court, more details of the scam shall be out”, he hoped.

Sudhir Kumar Murolli explained how the then Finance Minister Arun Jaitley under the Modi government had brought changes in the donations act by introducing Finance Bill-2017 which ended transparency in the process. “This horrifying scam has seen light only due to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) put in the Supreme Court by Association for Democracy Reforms and CPM. 14 out of 30 major companies were raided by IT, ED or CBI before they purchased the bond”, he added. A company building the faulty tunnel which trapped 41 workers and Chennai ‘Lottery King’ Martin’s company which showed only 220 crore profit has also donated thousands of crores to BJP, Murolli said.

When asked about his aspiration to get ticket for Udupi-Chikkamagaluru constituency, Murolli said that his aspiration would end once the name of the candidate was announced and he would work for anyone named by the party. “It is all a part of internal democracy of the party”, he stated.

Speaking on Kota Srinivas Poojary’s candidature, Murolli said “BJP has given tickets to many like Poojary who didn’t ask for it. Even if he loses, he still has the constitutional duty of being the opposition leader”.

KOLKATA: Senior TMC leader Derek O’Brien on Tuesday said the party wants Supreme Court-monitored Lok Sabha polls as BJP’s tricks are “destroying” institutions like the Election Commission.

The TMC party leader in Rajya Sabha wondered whether the BJP is so nervous of facing the people that it is turning the EC into “its party office”.

“BJP’s filthy tricks destroying institutions like Election Commission of India. Are BJP so nervous to face people that they are turning ECI into a party office to target Opposition? ECI or His Master’s Voice?” He posted on X.

“Transferring officers of elected state governments! For free and fair elections. We want Supreme Court-monitored Election 2024”, he further said.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) directed the removal of West Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar and mandated the appointment of Vivek Sahay, once suspended by the poll panel, as the new state police chief, with the TMC accusing the BJP of controlling the constitutional body.

The decision by the EC prompted a political duel between the ruling TMC and the opposition BJP, with the saffron camp welcoming the move.