News Analysis India

Tag: BJP

  • ‘What about Adhikaris, Scindias and Vijayvargiyas?’ Trinamool mocks Shah’s vow to end ‘dynasty rule’

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Slamming Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his comment that the BJP will end “family rule” in West Bengal and Telangana, the TMC on Sunday asserted that people of the eastern state rejected the “divisive politics” of the saffron camp in the assembly elections last year and voted the Mamata Banerjee-led party to power for the third consecutive term.

    In his address at the BJP national executive meeting in Hyderabad, Shah called for ending the politics of dynasty, casteism and appeasement.

    He also said the party will end “family rule” in Telangana and West Bengal and form governments in states where power has so far remained out of its reach.

    Reacting to Shah’s comments, TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said, “If the BJP holds a mirror to itself, the party will see how it has been abetting politics of dynasty. It inducted the entire Adhikari family of Bengal’s Purba Medinipur district in its fold – Suvendu and his two brothers – and Amit Shah had invited Suvendu’s father Sisir Adhikari in his public meeting. And what about the Scindia family and Kailash Vijayvargiya’s son? In Trinamool Congress, no such things happen.”

    He also claimed that “Shah, whose dream to occupy power in West Bengal was not fulfilled in 2021”, is yet to “digest the humiliating defeat” in the last year’s assembly polls.

    “His comments stem from frustration and desperation,” the TMC leader said.

    The TMC won 213 assembly seats in the last year’s polls, while the BJP bagged 77.

    Later, several saffron camp legislators joined the ruling party.

    Briefing reporters on the Shah’s speech, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the union home minister cited the BJP’s win in a series of polls to assert that it underlined people’s approval of the party’s “politics of development and performance”.

    Ghosh also criticised Sarma for “making political statement at the BJP’s national executive meeting at a time when people of his state are affected by floods”.

    “When Assam is reeling under major floods, and lakhs of people are hit by the deluge, the chief minister of the state is busy with making political statement at his party’s meet instead of standing by the side of those who elected him. Here lies the difference between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP”.

  • Eknath Shinde government clears Maharashtra Speaker poll test, trust vote on Monday

    Express News Service

    MUMBAI:  Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday won the first round of his fight against the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena in the state Assembly when his government managed to get the ruling coalition’s candidate elected as Speaker. 

    The government is scheduled to take its confidence vote on Monday. BJP’s candidate Rahul Narwekar won by 57 votes against Maha Vikas Aghadi’s joint candidate Rajan Salvi.

    Narvekar was supported by the Shinde group. He got 167 votes against Salvi’s 107. SP and MIM members abstained. Besides, seven NCP MLAs were absent, including Nawab Malik and Anil Deshmukh, who are in jail. Two members each from BJP and Congress failed to show up.

    Thackeray’s Sena asked acting speaker Narhari Zirwal to take on record that 39 Sena MLAs in the Shinde camp cross-voted against the party whip. Parallelly, the Shinde camp put on record that 16 Sena MLAs crossed-voted. Deepak Kesarkar, spokesperson of the Shinde camp, said its chief whip Bharat Gogawale had asked all Sena MLAs to vote Narwekar, who has become the youngest Speaker of Maharashtra. 

    Constitutional experts said since both camps have complained against cross-voting, the Speaker will hear the matter and give his verdict. “Only after that can they can approach a court against the Speaker’s decision, if necessary,”

    Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant on Sunday wondered whether the proper Constitutional procedure was followed to elect the new Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly and said questions are raised regarding how the Shiv Sena rebel faction is trying to appropriate the original party.

    Rahul Narvekar of the BJP was on Sunday elected Speaker on the first day of its special session with MLAs from the Eknath Shinde faction also voting in his favour.

    Narvekar, who polled 164 votes, defeated Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena candidate Rajan Salvi, who got 107 votes.

    “The dispute between the 39 rebel MLAs of Shiv Sena and 16 legislators who stayed with the original party will be resolved only in the Supreme Court. There are several questions of legitimacy the way the Eknath Shinde government came to power (in alliance with BJP) and carried out the Speaker’s election. Did the entire procedure take place within the framework of the Constitution?” Sawant, also chief spokesperson of Shiv Sena, questioned.

    He said the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena had even issued a whip (asking all the MLAs to vote in favour of Salvi) but the rebel MLAs did not budge.

    “We have complained against them to the Speaker,” he said.

    Commenting on Shinde-led Sena MLAs’ stand, Sawant said, “This may be the first such case wherein the rebels are calling their faction as the original party.”

    Shiv Sena factions led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray, who heads the party, had issued separate whips to the party legislators to vote in favour of their respective candidates during the state Assembly Speaker’s election.

    (With PTI Inputs)

  • Next 30-40 years will be era of BJP: Amit Shah at party’s national executive meet

    By PTI

    HYDERABAD: Asserting that the next 30 to 40 years will be the era of the BJP which will make India a “vishwa guru” (world leader), its senior leader Amit Shah said on Sunday the party will end “family rule” in Telangana and West Bengal and also form governments in states where power has so far remained out of its reach.

    In his address at the BJP national executive meeting while proposing political resolution, the Union home minister called for ending the politics of dynasty, casteism and appeasement and cited the party’s win in a string of recent polls as an endorsement of its “politics of development and performance”.

    He identified southern India as the region for its next round of growth, and said the opposition had become disjointed and dispirited with members of the Congress fighting for democracy within their organisation as its ruling family clung to its position.

    He also hailed as “historic” the recent Supreme Court verdict dismissing a plea challenging the Special Investigation Team’s (SIT) clean chit to 64 people, including then chief minister Narendra Modi, in the 2002 Gujarat riots case.

    The court had also come down hard on the petitioners. The apex court has exposed opposition parties, a section of media and some NGOs for their conspiracy to defame Modi, he said.

    The BJP leader said Modi received insults, maintained silence while facing the SIT and kept his faith in the Constitution while contrasting this with the Congress’ attempt to spread “anarchy” after its leader Rahul Gandhi was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate in the National Herald case.

    The opposition party had launched nationwide protests, blaming the ruling party’s vendetta for the probe against its top functionaries.

    Briefing reporters on Shah’s speech, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Modi never did the kind of “drama” that Gandhi has done while facing a lawful investigation.

    The home minister said Modi drank all the poison thrown at him like Lord Shiva and faced the probe.

    Sarma parried queries on whether the killing of Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Lal, who was hacked to death by two Islamic fanatics, or the row involving suspended BJP member Nupur Sharma over her objectionable remarks against Prophet Mohammad was part of deliberations at the national executive meet, but added that specific incidents are generally not discussed at such a conclave where the focus is on “macro” issues.

    He, though, alleged that had the Congress not started politics of appeasement, incidents like Udaipur killing might not have happened.

    The home minister in his address called for ending “dynastic politics, casteism and politics of appeasement” and termed them “greatest sins” and the reason behind the country’s sufferings over the years.

    Communalism and fundamentalism are products of appeasement, Sarma said.

    The home minister in his nearly hour-long speech cited the BJP’s win in a series of polls to assert that it underlined people’s approval of the party’s “politics of development and performance”. He also sought an end to political violence. Sarma, though, did not elaborate on this.

    The BJP has in the past accused parties such as the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and the Left in Kerala of resorting to violence against its workers.

    The party’s political resolution also praised the Agnipath scheme for short-term recruitment in armed forces which had sparked public protests and criticism from opposition parties, and lauded the government’s courage for taking a host of initiatives for the country’s development, Sarma said.

    Claiming that the BJP will end family rule in states like Telangana and West Bengal, Shah said it will come to power in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Odisha, states which have so far remained out of the saffron party’s power march since it formed government at the Centre in 2014.

    There was a “collective hope and finding” at the meeting that the BJP’s next round of growth will come from south India, Sarma added.

    Slamming Shah for his remarks, the Trinamool Congress said the people of West Bengal rejected the BJP’s “divisive politics” in the assembly elections last year.

    TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh claimed that “Shah, whose dream to occupy power in West Bengal was not fulfilled in 2021”, was yet to “digest the humiliating defeat”.

    “If the BJP holds a mirror to itself, the party will see how it has been abetting politics of dynasty. It inducted the entire Adhikari family of Bengal’s Purba Medinipur district in its fold — Suvendu and his two brothers — and Amit Shah had invited Suvendu’s father Sisir Adhikari in his public meeting. And what about the Scindia family and Kailash Vijayvargiya’s son? In Trinamool Congress, no such things happen,” Ghosh said.

    Targeting the Congress, Shah said it has become a party of family with the Gandhi family not letting internal organisational elections happen because it fears losing its control of the party.

    The opposition is disjointed and has been opposing everything good the government does, he said, referring to issues such as the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, construction of Ram temple, surgical strikes and abrogation of Article 370. “The Congress has been affected by ‘Modi phobia’ and opposes every decision of the Modi government taken in national interest,” he said.

    Lauding the prime minister’s leadership, the home minister said he is now considered as “one of the top leaders” in the world and is sought out for his views on a host of issues ranging from environment to terrorism.

    Referring to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance’s presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu, he said the saffron party under the Modi government chose a Dalit, incumbent President Ram Nath Kovind, and now a Scheduled Tribe during the two elections for the top constitutional post and asked party members to publicise the story of Murmu’s life and struggle.

    With the BJP in power in all the northeastern states either on its own or as part of alliances, Shah said the region will remain a stronghold of the party. All disputes in the region will be resolved by 2024, he added, a reference to boundary conflicts and militancy there.

  • Maharashtra CM Shinde passes first hurdles, BJP gets speaker in state assembly 

    Express News Service

    Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde won the first litmus test of state assembly speaker elections on Sunday. The floor test has been scheduled for July 4. 

    BJP nominated and Shinde camp supported candidate Rahul Narvekar won the assembly speaker elections by 57 votes against Shiv Sena’s Rajan Salvi. 

    Out of 288 members of the House, Narvekar got a total of 167 votes including independent MLAs and smaller parties votes while Maha Vikas Aghadi’s joint candidate Rajan Salvi got 107 votes. In this voting, the Samajwadi Party and the MIM voters were absent. Besides, seven NCP MLAs including Nawab Malik and Anil Deshmukh were absent while two BJP MLAs and two Congress MLAs were absent. 

    Shiv Sena asked the acting speaker Narhari Zirwal to keep on record that 39 Shiv Sena MLAs who are with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde cross-voted against the party whip. He said all voting of these cross-voted Shiv Sena MLAs are kept aside and video recorded. Shiv Sena MLA and chief whip Sunil Prabhu said that these 39 rebelled Sena MLAs violated the party’s whip and crossed voted to BJP’s candidate in speaker post-elections. He said that all these MLAs who cross-voted should be disqualified for anti-party activities. 

    “This is nothing but murder of democracy. MLAs are not listening to the party on which ticket they elected. This fit to disqualify them under anti-defection laws. We will approach the court against it,” Prabhu said. 

    After the speaker election, the Shinde camp also put on record in the state assembly that the 16 Shiv Sena MLAs crossed voted against the Shiv Sena whip. Deepak Kesarkar, the spokesperson of the Shinde camp, said chief whip Bharat Gogawale had asked all the Shiv Sena MLAs including Uddhav Thackeray and Sena MLAs to vote for the BJP’s candidate Milind Marvekar, but Thackeray group voted another Shiv Sena candidate Rajan Salvi. 

    The constitutional experts said both the camp of Shiv Sena has complained against each other over cross-voting against each other candidates. “Now, both parties asked disqualification of each other MLAs. The speaker will take this matter on hearing and give his verdict. After that only, they can approach to court against the speaker’s decisions,” they added. 

    Interestingly, while counting the numbers in the state assembly, many MLAs were not able to pronounce the right numbers which created a lot of confusion and laughter. Treasury benches hurled slogans hailing Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, while the opposition shouted ED when rebelled Shiv Sena MLAs counted the numbers. The head was counted to check which side how many MLAs there in speaker post-elections. After the voting, the Shinde camp and the BJP asked its MLAs to go back to the hotel Taj presidency in Mumbai. They will be again brought back on Monday for the floor test. 

    Narvekar got elected from the Colaba constituency in Mumbai. He is one of the youngest speakers of the state assembly. It is to be noted that his father-in-law Ram Raje Nimbalkar is NCP MLC and chairman of the state legislative council.

    Narvekar is a lawyer by profession. Earlier he was very close to Shiv Sena leader Aditya Thackeray, Narvekar later joined the NCP and was very close to NCP leader Ajit Pawar. He contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections on an NCP ticket from the Mawal constituency, later he became the NCP MLC. After which he joined the BJP and got elected in 2019 and is now elected as speaker of the state assembly. 

  • ‘Crossing that ‘Lakshman rekha many times’: SC judge who heard Nupur Sharma’s plea bats for mandatory regulation of social media

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Digital and social media need to be mandatorily regulated in the country to preserve the rule of law under the Constitution, Supreme Court Judge Justice J B Pardiwala said on Sunday, terming as “dangerous” the crossing of ‘Lakshman rekha’ on these platforms for “personalised, agenda-driven attacks” on the judges.

    The remarks by Justice Pardiwala at an event here come amid an uproar by a section over the strong oral observations of a vacation bench, in which he was a member, against suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma for her controversial comments against Prophet Mohammed.

    The apex court had said that her “loose tongue” has “set the entire country on fire” and she should apologise.

    The observations of the bench, which had also refused to club the FIRs lodged against Sharma across the country, sparked a debate, including on digital and social media platforms, leading to some uncharitable comments against the judges also.

    “In India, which cannot be classified as mature and an informed democracy, social and digital media is employed frequently to politicise purely legal and constitutional issues,” Justice Pardiwala said and gave the illustration of the Ayodhya land dispute case.

    He said the trials by digital media are an undue interference in the justice dispensation system.

    “Crossing that ‘’Lakshman rekha’ many times, this is especially more worrisome,”” the judge, who has recently been elevated to the top court, said.

    ALSO READ | Nupur Sharma row elgulfs assembly proceedings of Budget session in Odisha

    Justice Pardiwala was speaking at the second Justice HR Khanna Memorial National Symposium organised by Dr Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, Lucknow & National Law University, Odisha along with the Confederation of Alumni for National Law Universities (CAN Foundation).

    “Digital and social media needs to be mandatorily regulated in the country to preserve the rule of law under our Constitution.

    “Attacks attempted at our judges for the judgements will lead to a dangerous scenario where the judges will have to pay greater attention as to what the media thinks rather than what the law actually mandates. This puts the rule of law on the burner ignoring the sanctity of the respect for the courts,”” he said.

    Speaking on the subject of ‘Vox Populi vs.Rule of Law: Supreme Court of India’, Justice Pardiwala said, “Judicial verdicts cannot be the reflection of the influence of public opinion”.

    Observing that the rule of law has to prevail over the popular public sentiment, the apex court judge said that balancing the intent of the majority populace on one hand and meeting its demand and affirming the rule of law on the other is an “arduous exercise”.

    “It requires extreme judicial craftsmanship to walk the tightrope between the two that is where people think ‘’log kya kahenge, log kya sochenge’ (What will people say, what will people think) is an enigma which haunts each and every judge whenever he is to pen down a judgement,” he said.

    Talking about digital and social media, he said these sections possess only the half-truth and start scrutinising the judicial process.

    “They are also not aware of the concept of judicial discipline, binding precedents and inherent limitations of judicial discretion,” he said.

    ““This section of people, the half-truth knowledgeable, is the real challenge to the dispensation of justice through the rule of law,”” he said.

    ALSO READ | Letter plea to CJI seeks withdrawal of adverse remarks by SC against Nupur Sharma

    “Social and digital media is nowadays primarily resorted to expressing personalised opinions more against the judges per se rather than a constructive critical appraisal of their judgements.

    This is what is harming the judicial institutions and lowering this dignity,” he said.

    Justice Pardiwala said the constitutional courts have always graciously accepted informed dissent and constructive criticism and the legal ethos always debarred the “personalised, agenda-driven attacks” on the judges.

    He said the judges must not participate in social media discussions as “judges never speak through their tongue, only their judgements.”

    He concluded his address by saying “judiciary cannot exist independent of society but the rule of law is insurmountable.”

  • Udaipur killing: Some forces want to humiliate India in world, says BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya

    By PTI

    INDORE: Expressing outrage over the killing of a tailor in Udaipur allegedly for supporting former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya on Sunday said some forces want to humiliate India as its global reputation has gone up under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    He also targeted Congress saying the grand old party is dismissing the Udaipur incident as a normal murder and not a terrorist act which has exposed its “real face”.

    “India’s reputation has increased globally under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership but some forces want to humiliate the country and they should not get political patronage,” Vijayvargiya told reporters when asked about the brutal killing of Kanhaiya Lal by some persons.

    Nupur Sharma was suspended by the BJP for making controversial comments about Prophet Mohammad.

    He said Congress is considering the gruesome incident as a normal murder, which is a terrorist act.

    “Making a video of the incident and circulating it means that the killers wanted to spread terror in society. I ask you had this incident happened in Uttar Pradesh (which is ruled by BJP) what would have happened? It is a question of the policy and intention of the government and a political party. After this incident, the real face of Congress has been exposed,” the BJP leader said.

    Queried on Congress’ claim that one of the accused in the murder case, Riyaz Akhtari, is linked to the BJP, Vijayvargiya said, “Now it is understood that there was a conspiracy behind this murder. If a person has to commit any (criminal) act in this office (BJP’s Indore office), he will first take online membership of BJP and then visit the party office by posing as a BJP member”.”

    A day earlier, the BJP had dismissed the Congress’ allegation that Akhtari was a member of the saffron party.

    Vijayvargiya also proposed imparting computer training in madrasas along with the Quran to help students of the Islamic seminaries to become doctors and engineers.

    “”We have no objection to the Quran being taught in madrasas. But computer training should also be imparted so that students get modern education,”” he said.

    Vijayvargiya said a person studying in a madrasa doesn’t become a doctor or an engineer.

    “”We want students of madrasas to become doctors or engineers as well, so education other than the Quran should also be imparted to them,”” he added.

    Vijayvargiya also said the experiment of providing modern education in madrasas has been started in Assam and Uttar Pradesh.

    He, however, termed the issue of madrasa education as a “broader subject” and said the government, as well as society, will have to ponder over it.

    “The society may allege that there is a need to control the education being imparted in madrasas, but we do not want to control it,”” he said.

  • ‘Next 30-40 years to be era of BJP’: Amit Shat at party’s national executive meet

    By PTI

    HYDERABAD: Senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted on Sunday that the next 30 to 40 years will be the era of his party and India will become a “vishwa guru” (world leader).

    While proposing the political resolution at the BJP national executive meeting here, Shah said “dynastic politics, casteism and politics of appeasement” were the “greatest sins” and the reason behind the country’s sufferings over the years.

    Briefing reporters on his speech, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that Shah cited the BJP’s win in a series of polls to assert that it underlined people’s approval of the party’s “politics of development and performance” and called for ending the politics of family rule, casteism and appeasement.

    The home minister said the BJP will end family rule in states like Telangana and West Bengal and also come to power in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Odisha among other states which have so far remained out of the saffron party’s power march since it formed government at the Centre in 2014.

    There was a “collective hope and finding” at the meeting that the BJP’s next round of growth will come from south India, Sarma added.

  • Amravati killing: NIA team visits for probe into chemist’s murder; hunt for prime accused Irfan Khan on

    By PTI

    AMRAVATI: A team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) visited Amravati city in eastern Maharashtra on Saturday for probe into the killing of a chemist after it emerged that the crime might be linked to his social media posts supporting suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma.

    The chemist, Umesh Prahladrao Kolhe (54), was killed on June 21, and Maharashtra police have arrested five persons in connection with the incident.

    Earlier in the day, a Union Home Ministry spokesperson tweeted that the probe of the case has been handed over to the NIA.

    An NIA team has reached Amravati, said a senior police official in Mumbai.

    A team of Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of state police from Aurangabad is also visiting the city, said an official.

    Kolhe’s killing had taken place a week before two men hacked to death a tailor in Rajasthan’s Udaipur before posting videos online saying that they were avenging an insult to Islam.

    The NIA is also probing the killing of the Udaipur tailor, Kanhaiya Lal.

    As per state police, Kolhe was killed between 10 pm and 10.30 pm on June 21 when he was returning home on a two-wheeler after closing his shop.

    “Five persons have been arrested in connection with the murder and search is on to trace prime accused Irfan Khan (32), who runs an NGO,” Amravati commissioner of police Dr Aarti Singh had said earlier.

    “Kolhe ran a medical store. He had allegedly shared a post on some WhatsApp groups in support of Nupur Sharma for her comments (against Prophet Mohammad),” an official of the City Kotwali police station said.

    Khan allegedly hatched a conspiracy to kill Kolhe and roped in five others, promising to pay them Rs 10,000 and safe escape in a car after the killing, he said.

    Police arrested Muddsir Ahemad (22), Shahrukh Pathan (25), Abdul Thoufique (24) Shoaib Khan (22) and Atib Rashid (22), all residents of Amravati and daily wage workers.

    They also seized the knife used in the crime and obtained CCTV footage that captured the sequence of events.

    The BJP on June 5 suspended its national spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled Delhi BJP media head Navin Jindal after their alleged derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad led to outrage in India and also in some Muslim countries.

  • Letter plea to CJI seeks withdrawal of adverse remarks by SC against Nupur Sharma

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: A letter petition was filed on Monday before Chief Justice N V Ramana seeking withdrawal of adverse remarks made by a Supreme Court bench against suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma while declining her plea seeking clubbing of the FIRs against her at various places over alleged controversial remarks made on the Prophet.

    Earlier in the day, a vacation bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and J B Pardiwala came down heavily on Sharma for her comments against the Prophet, saying her “loose tongue” has “set the entire country on fire” and that she is “single-handedly responsible for what is happening in the country”.

    Refusing to entertain Sharma’s plea for clubbing of FIRs lodged in various States against her for the remark, the bench held that the comment was made either for cheap publicity, political agenda, or some nefarious activities.

    The letter petition, filed by Delhi-based Ajay Gautam, who claims to be a social activist, said, “issue appropriate orders or directions to withdraw their observations in the matter of Nupur Sharma so that Nupur Sharma gets a chance of fair trial.

    ”The letter petition said that it be treated as a PIL and the adverse remarks made during the hearing be declared as “uncalled for”.

    During the hearing, the apex court observed that “she actually has a loose tongue and has made all kinds of irresponsible statements on TV and set the entire country on fire. Yet, she claims to be a lawyer of 10 years standing. She should have immediately apologised for her comments to the whole country.”

    The letter petition also sought the transfer of all the cases lodged against Sharma to Delhi.

    The VHP on Friday too expressed disappointment over the and said its critical observations against the suspended BJP spokesperson are not part of its order.

    Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) working president Alok Kumar said the apex court should have allowed clubbing of FIRs as Sharma faces a threat to her security.

    “Several FIRs have been lodged against her (Nupur Sharma) across the country. She will have to travel in connection with all these cases, which is unnecessary. There is a threat to her safety and security as well,” Kumar told PTI.

    “When M F Hussain made indecent cartoons, all of the cases lodged against him were clubbed. She should also have got such a relief. I am disappointed that she did not get it,” he said.

    The court’s observations came in the backdrop of the brutal murder of a tailor in Udaipur by two men who had posted videos online claiming that they were avenging an insult to Islam.

    “Whether Nupur Sharma committed an offence under law or not was not the issue before the Supreme Court.

    It will be decided by a magistrate (court) after recording deposition of witnesses and hearing arguments of the parties involved in the case,” Kumar said.

    He said the apex court’s observations during the hearing were “informal” and they cannot be considered as its decision.

    “The court says such kind of things and asks questions during the hearing of matters but that does not become the court’s order. The Supreme Court has also said this several times in various judgements. The court’s order is that which is in writing,” he said.

    “The oral observations made by the Supreme Court judges during the hearing on Nupur Sharma’s plea are not part of the order,” he added.

    Kumar, however, refused to comment on the possible implications of the court’s observations.

    There is no point in making any comment when they are not part of the court’s order in the matter, he said.

    Sharma’s remarks on the Prophet during a TV debate triggered protests across the country and drew sharp reactions from many Gulf countries.

    The BJP subsequently suspended her from the party.

  • Prophet remarks: Lookout notice issued for Nupur Sharma after she fails to appear before Kolkata Police

    By Online Desk

    KOLKATA: The Kolkata Police on Saturday issued a lookout notice for suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma after she failed to appear before its sleuths fourth time in a row over her controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammad that triggered widespread violence in parts of West Bengal, a senior officer said Saturday.

    She had skipped summons issued by officers of Amherst Street and Narkeldanga police stations, he said.

    “A lookout notice has been issued today after she failed to appear before our officers despite being summoned several times,” the police officer told PTI.

    She was summoned by each of the two police stations twice, he said.

    Amherst Street and Narkeldanga police stations had separately summoned her after FIRs were lodged against her last month, the officer said.

    Sharma had cited apprehensions of a possible assault on her if she visited Kolkata and sought four weeks’ time to appear before the police officers.

    The development came a day after the Supreme Court came down heavily on Sharma for her controversial comments, saying her “loose tongue” has “set the entire country on fire” and that she is “single-handedly responsible for what is happening in the country”.

    Refusing to entertain Sharma’s plea for clubbing of FIRs lodged in various states against her for the remark, the bench held that the comment was made either for cheap publicity, political agenda or some nefarious activities.

    “She actually has a loose tongue and has made all kinds of irresponsible statements on TV and set the entire country on fire. Yet, she claims to be a lawyer of 10 years standing. She should have immediately apologised for her comments to the whole country,” the court said.

    Sharma’s remark against the Prophet during a TV debate triggered protests across the country and drew sharp reactions from many Gulf countries.

    The BJP subsequently suspended her from the party.

    “These remarks are very disturbing and smack of arrogance. What is her business to make such remarks? These remarks have led to unfortunate incidents in the country. These people are not religious. They do not have respect for other religions. These remarks were made for cheap publicity or political agenda or some other nefarious activities”, the bench said.

    The court’s observations against the suspended BJP leader come in the backdrop of the brutal murder of a tailor in Udaipur by two men, who had posted videos online, claiming that they were avenging an insult to Islam.

    While refusing to entertain Sharma’s plea for clubbing of FIRs, a vacation bench of Justices Surya Kant and JB Pardiwala allowed her to withdraw the plea.

    ALSO READ | Ruckus in Odisha Assembly as Congress, BJP attack each other over Nupur Sharma remark

    “She has a threat or she has become a security threat? The way she has ignited emotions across the country… this lady is single-handedly responsible for what is happening in the country,” the bench said when Sharma’s lawyer Maninder Singh pointed out that she was facing threats to life.

    The bench further said,”the way she ignited emotions across the country has led to unfortunate incidents. This lady is single-handedly responsible for what is happening in the country. We saw the debate”.

    After the court’s unsparing criticism of Sharma, the Congress said the Supreme Court has rightly called out Sharma for being responsible for igniting emotions across the country with her remark against the Prophet, and that the ruling party should hang its head in shame.

    In a statement, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the court has made crucial and far-reaching observations and strengthened the party’s resolve to fight “destructively divisive ideologies”.

    “These remarks by the Supreme Court, which resonate with the entire country, should make the party in power hang its head in shame,” he added.

    AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi demanded the immediate arrest of Sharma and said rule of law should prevail.

    Senior advocate Maninder Singh, appearing for Sharma, said she had indeed apologised for her remarks and there are several judgments that say there cannot be two FIRs for the same incident.

    The bench said,”her apology came too late and that too conditionally saying if religious sentiments are hurt and so on. She should have been on TV immediately and apologised to the nation”.

    The court said her petition smacks of arrogance and that she thinks that the magistrate of the country is too small for her.

    “When an FIR is registered and you are not arrested, this shows your clout. She thinks she thinks she has the power to back up and goes on to make irresponsible statements”, the bench said.

    Singh said Sharma was a spokesperson of a political party and her unintentional comments were in relation to a debate.

    “If you are a spokesperson of a party, it is not a license to say things like this,” the bench said, adding, “if there was a misuse of the debate, the first thing she should have done was to file an FIR against the anchor”.

    Singh said she had reacted to the debate initiated by other debators and pointed to the transcript of the debate.

    He said that there were serious debates on the issue within the same community and Sharma’s remarks were made in that context only.

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    The bench said, “what was the TV debate for? Was it to fan an agenda and why did they choose a sub-judice topic? What is the business of the TV channel to discuss the matter which is sub-judice, except to promote an agenda?” Referring to various apex court verdicts, Singh said there cannot be a second FIR on the same cause of action.

    Justice Kant said she has remedy before the high court and can very well approach it, if there is a second FIR.

    Singh then referred to the Arnab Goswami case of 2020 and TT Antony case of 2001, and said the law has been laid down by the apex court that multiple FIR on the same configuration can be clubbed and there can be no second FIR on the same cause.

    The bench said,”the case of a journalist expressing his right on a particular issue is on a different pedestal from a spokesperson of a political party who is lambasting others with irresponsible statements without thinking of the consequences”.

    Justice Kant said, “Yes. In a democracy everyone has the right to speak. In a democracy grass has the right to grow and donkeys have the right to eat”.

    Singh said she has joined the investigation being conducted by the Delhi Police and not running away and multiple FIRs are lodged against her in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Nagpur to Jammu and Kashmir for the same cause of action.

    The bench said, “what has happened in the investigation so far? What has Delhi Police done so far? Don’t make us open our mouth? They must have put a red carpet for you.”

    Observing that in this case a special treatment was meted out to an individual, the bench said when an FIR is registered against someone he is arrested but Sharma was not arrested.

    After the hearing which lasted for nearly 30 minutes, the bench said it is not convinced with her bonafide and the conscience of the court is not satisfied and refused to entertain the petition saying “you avail other remedies”.

    The Left parties also hit out at the government over the Supreme Court’s observations.

    “We hope that beyond words, if according to the Supreme Court, Ms Sharma is responsible for starting the hate spiral & most recent reprehensible cycle of violence, she will be proceeded upon as per law,” CPI general secretary Sitaram Yechury said in a tweet.

    “But if the law does not act against her and others like her promoted by the party, who sow discord, separatism and damage India, the wrong message would go out. We would find many more like her mushrooming from the RSS/BJP’s hate factory and on vitriolic TV debates,” he said.

    ALSO READ | Ruling party should hang head in shame: Cong on SC observations against Nupur Sharma

    CPI MP Binoy Viswam tweeted, “Red carpet for Nupur Sarma, prison cells for Teesta and Sreekumar! Comments from Supreme Court should alert Modi Govt. Irresponsibility, driven by bigotry shouldn’t be the hallmark of any spokesperson. Such elements caused Udaipur incident. They should apologise to People & Nation.”

    Meanwhile, a letter petition was filed before Chief Justice N V Ramana seeking withdrawal of adverse remarks made by a Supreme Court bench against Sharma.

    The letter petition said that it be treated as a PIL and the adverse remarks made during the hearing be declared as “uncalled for”.

    The Delhi Police Friday said it had issued a notice to Sharma on June 18 and questioned her the same day for allegedly hurting religious sentiments.

    Deputy Commissioner of Police (Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations) KPS Malhotra Friday said a notice under section 41A CrPC (notice of appearance before police officer) was served on Sharma on June 18.

    She joined the investigation and her statement was recorded the same day, he said.

    (With PTI Inputs)