Category: India

Karnataka vote of confidence

Posted on by Vincent Augustine D'Souza

On 11/10/2010 Karnataka Legislative Assembly witnessed some unusual scenes and BJP government survived. Congress and JD(S) screamed murder of democracy.

The Speaker had disqualified 11 BJP and 5 independent MLAs before the vote. He did what a Congress Speaker had done in Maharashtra some years back when Shiv Sena had support of some Congress MLAs. That time the Speaker had disqualified the Congress MLAs who were to vote with Shiv Sena. Now for Congress to claim BJP acted unconstitutionally does not make sense. Congress must remember the role its Speakers like Shivraj Patil, Madhukarrao Chowdhury, Pratapsingh Rane have played. What is sauce for goose is sauce for gander. However the Speaker disqualifying 5 independent MLAs is not justified though V. S. Acharya said that Supreme Court in its judgment in 2005 said independent MLAs could be disqualified.

Read More: http://go4quiz.com/vincent/2010/india/karnataka-vote-of-confidence/ ?

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Death penalty in all cases of murder

Posted on by Vincent Augustine D'Souza

Judgments in cases of Priyadarshini Mattoo and Pratibha have raised questions about what is a rarest of rare case. Supreme Court in 1980 restricted death penalty to rarest of rare cases. It usurped the function of legislature.

The government must act and bring a law that makes death penalty mandatory in all cases of murder, attempted murder, abduction, hijacking, kidnapping and other such high crimes.

In Priyadarshini’s cases the criminal had committed house breaking, rape and murder. High Court had awarded death penalty. Supreme Court reduced it life imprisonment. As Adiya Nath Kaul said on CNN-IBN on 8/10/2010 life sentence in India is a joke. He gave the example of Manu Sharma.

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Singhvi silenced

Posted on by Vincent Augustine D'Souza

Congress member Abhishek Manu Singhvi has been silenced as Congress spokesperson.

There are many politicians who are lawyers. They make a distinction between personal life and professional life, between personal view and party view. Sometimes they represent companies or persons who are criticised by their parties.

Abhishek Manu Singhvi had taken up the case of Samuel Martin of Megha Distributors dealing in lotteries of Sikkim and Bhutan and Kerala. Congress leaders in Kerala had accused LDF government of corruption in lottery and Abhishek Manu Singhvi’s appearance on behalf of the lottery company undermined Congress efforts. Kerala has local body elections.

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Young India and moving on

Posted on by Vincent Augustine D'Souza

While discussing Babri Mosque demolition in 1992 some people have said that young people have no memories of 1992, they do not care about mosque or temple, they have moved on and India has to move on. It is one thing for anchors and panelists to say so, but when the Home Minister of India says that it has serious implications.

What about 1984? Should victims of Anti-Sikh riots not get justice because young people have no memories of 1984? Will cases against criminals be closed because India has moved on?

Should victims of Bhopal gas tragedy not get justice because young people have no memories of 1984? When Bhopal case was discussed some months back no one talked about young people and moving on. There was lot of discussion about who let Warren Anderson go and how he can be extradited. What about Indians convicted? Some wanted Keshub Mahindra be let off because he is a respected industrialist and 82 years old. Warren Anderson is older than Keshub Mahindra.

Continue Reading: http://go4quiz.com/vincent/2010/india/young-india-and-moving-on/ ?

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Judgment delayed is justice denied

Posted on by Vincent Augustine D'Souza

Justice delayed is justice denied. Judgment delayed is justice delayed. Therefore, judgment delayed is justice denied.

Judgment on Babri Mosque land was due on 24/9/2010. Uttar Pradesh government had made arrangements for maintaining law and order. Leaves of police personnel were cancelled. I&B Minister Ambika Soni and PM Manmohan Singh had appealed for calm. There were advertisements in newspapers appealing to maintain calm. Suddenly someone filed a petition that judgment be deferred to bring reconciliation. On 17/9/2010 the petition was dismissed and petitioner was fined Rs.50,000/-. TV channels first reported that the fine was Rs.10,00,000/-. How the figure came down from Rs.10,00,000/- to Rs.50,000/- is not known.

Read complete article here: http://go4quiz.com/vincent/2010/india/judgment-delayed-is-justice-denied

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Commonwealth Games falling apart

Posted on by Vincent Augustine D'Souza

Commonwealth Games are falling apart.

Commonwealth Games Village are filthy. Electrical appliances are unsafe. Doors do not close. Bathrooms fixtures do not work. Stray dogs and faeces are everywhere. Canada, New Zealand, England, Scotland and Wales delegates have told their athletes will not stay in the Village. They want hotel accommodation. Foot over bridge at Jawaharlal Nehru has collapsed and 23 labourers injured.

The mayor of the Village blamed MCD for the dogs. It was mayor’s responsibility to see that the Village was safe and secure.

Jaipal Reddy, Urban Development Minister and in-charge of the Games, said the bridge collapse is a minor incident. For him lives of labourers do not matter. The bridge was not for athletes or officials. Delhi’s PWD minister said the bridge is not necessary and it does not matter if the bridge is not ready for the Games. People can use the road.

http://go4quiz.com/vincent/2010/india/commonwealth-games-falling-apart

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House for Muslims

Posted on by Vincent Augustine D'Souza

May be for CNN-IBN it was urban India’s worst kept secret but others knew about the difficulties Muslims face and other communities face. Emran Hashmi, Saif Ali Khan and Shabana Azmi had problems in getting houses. However there are many builders and owners who sell flats to Muslims and the reporter did not contact them. Some housing societies are for Muslims only and others can not get flats there. If the reporter had gone there and had asked whether they would sell flats to people of other communities the answer would have been no.

http://go4quiz.com/vincent/2010/india/house-for-muslims

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Corrupt Chief Justices of India

Posted on by Vincent Augustine D'Souza

Shanti Bhushan, for law minister of India, has said eight of the 16 former Chief Justices of India were corrupt, six were honest and about two he is not sure. It means 50% of CJIs were corrupt. It means 50% of Supreme Court judges and High Court judges are corrupt. When S. P. Bharucha was CJI he had said 20% of the judiciary is corrupt. By Shanti Bhushan’s reckoning 50% of the judiciary is corrupt. It means 50% of judgments were wrong.

Shanti Bhushan must make public the names of CJIs who were corrupt. He must also reveal whatever he knows about their misdeeds. That will be a great service to the nation and help in cleaning the augean stables of corruption.

Some years ago chairman of Punjab Public Service Commission was under investigation for corruption. He, as per reports, took 75 lakh rupees each for appointment as DSP or judge. If someone pays 75 lakh rupees to become a judge what fairness can be expected of that judge?

Judges have used contempt of court provision to silence people from mentioning corruption in judiciary by holding that truth is not a defence in case of contempt of court. There was one magistrate who issued four arrest warrants for Rs.10,000/- each. The four to be arrested included the then President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam and the then CJI Vishwanath N. Khare.
Read complete article here: http://go4quiz.com/vincent/2010/india/corrupt-chief-justices-of-india

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Haryana Burning

Posted on by Vincent Augustine D'Souza

India continues to pay a price for persisting with reservations.

Jats in Haryana want OBC status. They have resorted to arson, looting and vandalism. They have threatened to disrupt Commonwealth Games if their demand is not met. Trucks and buses have been set on fire. Hissar railway station has been set on fire. Transportation disrupted. Banks looted.

Jats in Rajasthan got OBC status. Then Gujjars in Rajasthan who were OBCs wanted ST status and resorted to violence. Meenas opposed ST status to Gujjars.

It seems rule of law has no meaning in Haryana. Khap panchayats murder people and government does nothing. Haryana chief minister Bhoopinder Singh Hooda’s surrender to violence is shameful. He has said the damage to government and private property is done by anti-social elements instead of holding leaders of Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti responsible for damage.

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Kashmir Burning

Posted on by Vincent Augustine D'Souza

Three months back Kashmir was peaceful. There were not many reports in TV news channels about Kashmir. A minister told TV news channels to report good things that happen in Kashmir. After that Kashmir changed.

After three months of violence there was all-party meeting in Delhi on 15/9/2010. It decided to send an all-party delegation to Kashmir.

AFSPA is a contentious issue. Some want to dilute it. Army is against dilution. Army is called when state police and paramilitary forces fail to control the situation. There was talk of withdrawing AFSPA from four districts of J&K. Increased violence made it impossible.

Continue Reading: http://go4quiz.com/vincent/2010/india/kashmir-burning/

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