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SC notices to Gujarat, Sardar Sarovar Nigam
HC upholds tendering process for airports
No place for fatwas in secular country: SC
SC no to urgent hearing on opinion, exit polls |
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Only a select few to campaign for Sonia
N-deal flawed, says Jaswant Singh
Trafficking case: CBI grills Rakesh Kumar
Udit Narayan’s first wife surfaces
NBWs against Shilpa, Reema
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SC notices to Gujarat, Sardar Sarovar Nigam
New Delhi, April 21 Taking cognisance of a special leave petition (SLP) by Kutch Jal Sankat Nirvaran Samiti (KJSNS) against the Gujarat High Court order, rejecting its petition on the issue, a Bench of Ms Justice Ruma Pal, Mr Justice C.K. Thakker and Mr Justice Markandey Katju, issued notices to the state government and the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd (SSNNL), seeking their replies as to why the Tribunal’s award was not implemented properly. Senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for the nigam along with its counsel Rupinder Singh Suri, contended that the High Court without going by letter and spirit of the tribunal’s award, had taken into consideration certain “irrelevant” facts while rejecting the public interest litigation (PIL) of the samiti. While the people of the Kutch region were in the forefront of their fight for raising the height of the dam, they were being denied their due share of water, allocated by the tribunal. The question before the court was whether the Gujarat Government had “failed to treat drought-prone or barren areas of Kutch for special consideration while distributing 9 MAF of water among different regions of the state as per the award,” the SLP said. Mr Salve alleged that in the two affidavits, which were filed by the Gujarat Government before the High Court, it had not disclosed the criteria, fixed by it for allocation of water to Kutch, Central and Northern Gujarat both for drinking and irrigation purposes. The state government on the other hand had stated before the High Court that the demand of Kutch was being met as per the availability of water from Narmada, the only source of supply, but to make it available for irrigation purposes was difficult at this state, considering the topography and desert area in the region. The samiti said as per the award, the Kutch had to be allocated 0.15 MAF for irrigation apart from meeting its drinking water needs. |
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HC upholds tendering process for airports
New Delhi, April 21 Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Airport Developers had challenged the award of tenders to the GMR and GVK, alleging that the rules of tenders were changed hours before their opening for the Delhi and Mumbai airports. The government had approved contracts for modernisation of the Delhi and Mumbai airports with the GMR and GVK consortia, rejecting the tender of the Reliance. Dismissing the Reliance petition, a Bench of Mr Justice Tirath Singh Thakur and Mr Justice B.N. Chaturvedi said there was no "discrimination" or "illegality" in the award of tenders as was alleged by the Reliance. But the court restrained the two consortia from claiming any equity and implementing upon the contracts for two weeks enabling the Reliance to file an appeal in the Supreme Court. Reacting to the high court's verdict, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said it had vindicated the government's stand. "We welcome and respect the high court decision. The verdict will be abided by us," he said. The minister, earlier in the day, had indicated that there would be no obstacles in the way of airports' modernising process. |
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No place for fatwas in secular country: SC
New Delhi, April 21 The apex court observed that fatwas could not be allowed as in a secular nation, every one was bound to follow the law laid down within the Constitutional framework. The strong observation on the issue was made by a Bench of Ms Justice Ruma Pal, Mr Justice C.K. Thakker and Mr Justice Markandey Katju, while hearing a petition of Orissa-based Nizama Bibi. Nizama accused a mufti, belonging to her village — Mahala — in Bhadrak district, of sanctioning the divorce given to her by her husband Ser Mohammad, who pronounced “talaq” thrice. Incidentally, Ser Mohammad was in an inebriated condition when he uttered the word "talaq" three years ago, she said in her petition. The couple was forced to live separately by some conservative persons of the community after the fatwa, which they had sought, even when the matter was pending before a family court in Cuttack, Nizama said. She said it was done despite Ser Mohammed’s willingness to accept her as his wife when he realised his mistake the next morning. “This is a secular country, we will not allow this whether Hindus, Muslims or other communities are concerned. “No one can behave like this and no one can force them (couples) to live separately. Every community has to live in a civilised way,” the court said. The strongly worded observation came from the court when Orissa Government's counsel sought more time to submit a reply, despite the court issuing notices to the govt and Ser Mohammed three months back on January 4. The notices were issued following Nizama’s appeal against the Orissa High Court order which rejected her petition. Nizama had alleged that she was not only facing hardships for being forced to live separately even when her husband was willing to take her back, they were also facing threats to life. She further alleged that the mufti, who had okayed the talaq, gave the fatwa after another mufti of the village, to whom the matter was taken first by some people of the community, had rejected it. On a separate public interest litigation (PIL) raising the issue of alleged functioning of “parallel Islamic courts” and application of “Shariat” laws in some states, the apex court had issued notices to the Union and state governments, All India Muslim Personal Law Board and Islamic Seminary, Darul-ul-Uloom, Deobandh, seeking their replies. In the PIL, it was alleged that Muslim clerics were issuing fatwas mainly to decide civil matters, including matrimonial disputes, which amounted to running a parallel judicial system outside the ambit of the country's Constitutional framework. |
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SC no to urgent hearing on opinion, exit polls
New Delhi, April 21 “There is no urgency and it will be heard in normal course,” a Bench, headed by Ms Justice Ruma Pal said. The court had listed for hearing another PIL on the same issue on May 5 and it said the new petition could he heard along with it. The PIL had sought to restrain media from
telecating, broadcasting and publishing opinion and exit poll results in the five states, particularly in Kerala, till the elections are over. The unregulated telecast and publication of the result of opinion poll survey and the results of exit polls, would have direct effect on the election process. |
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Only a select few to campaign for Sonia
New Delhi, April 21 Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has drawn up a list of 20-odd Congress leaders, belonging largely to Uttar Pradesh, who may be asked to assist in the campaign. She is playing a critical role in supervising the campaign although it is her brother, Rahul Gandhi, Lok Sabha MP from neighbouring Amethi, who is Ms Gandhi’s official election manager. Among those who are likely to be drafted include Union Ministers from Uttar Pradesh Sriprakash Jaiswal and Mahabir Prasad, seniors like Mohsina Kidwai and Motilal Vora and a host of younger faces like PCC chief Salman Khursheed, Rita Bahuguna Joshi, Rashid Alvi, R.P.N. Singh, Jitin Prasad and Sachin Pilot. However, it is still unclear whether Uttaranchal Chief Minister N.D.Tiwari, whose stature as the party’s tallest Brahmin leader in UP still remains undiminished, will be involved in this project. Although Rahul Gandhi is camping in Rae Bareli, the campaign is expected to pick up momentum after April 24, the last date for the withdrawals. The Congress president, who will be campaigning in Tamil Nadu on April 25, is likely to visit her constituency on April 27 or 28. Well known for their blatant display of sycophancy, party workers from Uttar Pradesh to Andhra Pradesh have been flooding the Congress office with requests that they be assigned some work in this high-profile campaign. Usually, both Rae Bareli and Amethi, known as the pocket borough of the Nehru-Gandhi clan, are out-of-bounds for Congress leaders so as to ensure that the spotlight remains firmly on the party’s “first family”. An exception may be made this time round as next month’s Rae Bareli byelection has become a highly prestigious contest for the Congress. The party has to make sure that Ms Gandhi wins by a record margin. Even if she does not break any records, it is imperative that she improves on her 2004 performance when she won by a margin of 2.5 lakh votes, failing which her second renunciation may prove to be futile. It will also rob the party of an opportunity to project her as a principled politician, who is a cut above the rest. |
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N-deal flawed, says Jaswant Singh
New Delhi, April 21 Former External Affairs Minister and presently Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Jaswant Singh told mediapersons here that the agreement was not in accordance with India’s national interest. “What the government has offered to the US, results in a significant erosion of our strategic space, an abandoning of our autonomy of action, placing 90 per cent of our nuclear plants on surveillance by an intrusive IAEA regime, and all this for just about 8 per cent of our energy requirements of around (the year) 2025 which, too, will become operational (in about 15-20 years) only if all goes well. This is a very costly, ill-advised and an imbalanced agreement,” he said. Saying that he had already written to the Prime Minister, seeking certain clarifications about the deal, Mr Jaswant Singh said: “There has not been any reply so far.” Refuting the government’s assertion that under the agreement, India would not be signing the CTBT through the backdoor, Mr Jaswant Singh said: “The agreement would prohibit any kind of nuclear testing by India. The government should clarify (on this issue) and take the country into confidence.” He said the government had explained that it was not accepting the CTBT in disguise but the government had affirmed its commitment to the July 18 statement. |
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Trafficking case: CBI grills Rakesh Kumar
New Delhi, April 21 Mr Rakesh Kumar, who was summoned by the CBI, appeared for interrogation at 10.15 a.m. The questioning lasted for several hours, agency sources said. Mr Rakesh Kumar, Special Secretary for Economic Relations in the Ministry of External Affairs, had returned to India from Munich in Germany a few days back and gone to Rishikesh despite a notice by the CBI to appear before it for questioning. The official “surfaced” in Delhi yesterday and informed the CBI of his
availability in cooperating with the agency in the matter, the sources said. His name had cropped up after Shiv Kumar Sharma was questioned in connection with the case. Shiv Sharma was arrested by the CBI on March 31, two days after raids were conducted by it at several places, including the residence of Mr Rakesh Kumar, the 1972 batch IFS officer. As per the CBI case, he is accused of facilitating the entry of nine illegal immigrants under the cover of a dance troupe to Germany in 2005, when he was the Director-General of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations. |
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Udit Narayan’s first wife surfaces
Patna, April 21 These were the cries of Ranjana Narayan from Supaul, in her late thirties, who claimed herself to be the first wife of the Bollywood singing star, Udit Narayan. Udit Narayan, now settled in Mumbai, originally hails from Saharsha, a district adjoining Supaul. Ranjana, who surfaced here today after 22 years of her marriage with Udit Narayan in 1984, staged a dharna for five hours in front of room No. 401 of a private hotel in the city, where the singer, with his second wife Deepa Narayan, had been staying since yesterday to attend a marriage ceremony. In front of mediapersons and cameras, Ranjana displayed the photographs of her marriage with Udit Narayan and other documents pertaining to the marriage, alleging that he had deserted her since 1994.
— TNS |
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NBWs against Shilpa, Reema
Chennai, April 21 Judicial Magistrate Seetharaman had been issuing summons on a petition filed by a lawyer in Madurai, Mr Dhakshinamoorthy, since February 15. The Magistrate had earlier ordered them to appear on March 10. Subsequent summons also did not elicit any response. Hence, non-bailable warrants were issued today. The petitioner submitted that the paper had carried “very sexy blowups of the two”. He said this violated the Sections 3 and 4 of the Indecent Representation of Women (prohibition) Act, Section 3 of the Young Persons Harmful Publications Act and Section 292 (sale of obscene books) of the IPC.
— TNS |
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