The Supreme Court has passed an order staying demolitions across the country without its permission till October 1. The directive came on a batch of pleas against “bulldozer actions” by authorities and does not apply to illegal constructions in public spaces.
There are no provisions in Indian law that allow for the demolition of property as a punitive measure, but the practice has become commonplace in Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states. It has been used to target Muslims in particular.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta objected to the court’s order, saying it unduly restricts the powers of statutory authorities. The bench remained firm, saying that even one instance of illegal demolition would be against the “ethos of the Constitution”. Read on.
Also read: The dark carnival of ‘bulldozer politics’ celebrates the relentless oppression of India’s Muslims
Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal has resigned as the Delhi chief minister. Delhi minister Atishi will take over the post till the next Assembly elections in the capital.
Kejriwal had said on Sunday that he would quit the post in two days and return to the office only if elected again. This came two days after he was released on bail in the Delhi liquor policy case.
The Aam Aadmi Party has demanded that the Delhi Assembly elections be held in November instead of February. More on Scroll.
Also read: Why has Arvind Kejriwal decided to resign as Delhi chief minister?
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said that the “one nation, one election” plan will be implemented in the current term of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance government. Shah also said that the Census would be conducted soon.
The BJP has been pushing for simultaneous elections, arguing that holding the Lok Sabha and the state polls at different times is a burden on the government, businesses, courts, political parties, contesting candidates and civil society.
In September 2023, the Centre set up a committee to assess the feasibility of simultaneous elections. The committee said in March that there is a need to bring back the cycle of simultaneous elections as had been held during the initial decades after Independence. Read on.
Also read: Simultaneous polls will weaken the only check on Indian politicians: Elections
The Supreme Court has told the West Bengal government that women doctors cannot be restricted from working night shifts or in shifts longer than 12 hours. This came after the state government said it had notified such rules to ensure the safety of medics.
The court was hearing a suo motu case concerning the rape and murder of a 31-year-old resident doctor at a state-run hospital in Kolkata in August. The state government said it would correct its notification.
Junior doctors in the state, who have been on strike for over a month to protest the rape and murder, told the court that they were willing to return to work after meeting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday.
After the meeting, Banerjee announced that Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal and other senior officials would be removed from their posts as per the doctors’ demands. Read on.
The Supreme Court has closed criminal proceedings against 30 Indian Army personnel accused of killing 13 civilians during a military operation in December 2021. The court said the case could proceed only if the Centre grants sanction to prosecute them under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act.
The Centre has previously refused to do so. A Court of Inquiry by the Army in 2022 concluded that the killings were “a case of mistaken identity and error of judgement”. The Nagaland Police has maintained that the deaths were due to “indiscriminate and disproportionate firing” by Army officers.
The Army’s 21 Para Special Force had opened fire at a pick-up van carrying coal miners in Mon district, killing six of them. They had allegedly mistaken the workers for insurgents. A crowd of protestors responded by setting fire to Army vehicles. The soldiers opened fire again, killing seven more civilians. More on Scroll.
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