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Political Notes |
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Assembly Speakers support Somnath Chatterjee
An emergency meeting of the Presiding Officers of state legislature held in New Delhi on Saturday, February, 4 has endorsed the decision of Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee not to accept the Notices issued by courts on expulsion of Members of Parliament. Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Lok Sabha Speaker sought to dispel the motion that there was a confrontation between the judiciary and the legislature. He said neither he nor Parliament challenged courts. It was the courts which challenged Parliament by deciding to take up the matter of expulsion of MPs decided by the House. Several presiding officers recalled the “humiliating” treatment they suffered at the hands of the judiciary and encouraged the Speaker to stand up to any encroachment by the judiciary on the areas under the sole jurisdiction of the presiding officers.
Chatterjee later said that barring perhaps, matters of the Tenth Schedule (dealing with defections and splitting of parties) and Article 356 (dissolution of Assemblies), courts had no jurisdiction over any issue decided by the legislature. He quoted jurist Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer, who said: “The judiciary is not a super legislature or a super executive.”
The expulsion of Lok Sabha MPs in the cash-for-query scam figured again in the Supreme Court on Feb. 2. But unlike last time, the Court did not issue a notice to Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee., The court, however, issued notices to nine former MPs expelled from Parliament, the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Secretariats and the Election Commission on a petition filed by the Centre seeking transfer of the ex-MPs petitions before the Delhi High Court challenging the power of the two Houses to expel their members.
Communal tension in Madhya Pradesh town
In Madhya Pradesh, the police burst tear gas shells and resorted to a lathicharge at Dhar to disperse miscreants at a shrine claimed both by the Hindus and the Muslims on Friday, Feb. 3. Curfew was imposed for a short duration to prevent worsening of the situation. The Archaeological Survey of India which is entrusted with the care of the historic Bhojshala had drawn up a programme for offering of prayers by both Hindus and Muslims at different times. It had said the Hindus would be allowed to perform Saraswati Vandana till 12.30 p.m. and the Muslims Friday Namaz between 1 and 3 p.m.
To allow the Muslims to enter the premises, a two-hour curfew was imposed in the afternoon. Confusion arose as a television channel began telecasting news that devotees were being thrown out of the shrine and the Muslims brought in to offer prayers. This led to commotion, protest and stone throwing, a police spokesman said.
Some persons were injured including Deputy Inspector General of Police, Parmod Phalnikar, who was hit in the eye. The situation was, however, brought under control soon and the people continued to offer prayers. The Muslims, small in number, offered Namaz. The Hindus were again allowed entry into the premises and at 5.30 p.m., over 6,000 devotees had offered prayers at the monument.
Jayalalithaa searches for allies
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and All India Anna-DMK chief, J. Jayalalithaa has issued an open invitation to prospective allies to join hands with her party to take on the seven-party alliance led by her arch-rival DMK chief M. Karunanidhi. The state is to have Assembly elections later this year. Speaking in Chennai on Feb. 1, Jayalalithaa said, “Our door is open. Talks are on with others.”
About an alliance with the Vaiko-led MDMK and the DMDK of actor Vijayakant, she said, “I cannot say anything now.”
Vaiko, currently with the DMK-led Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA), was reportedly upset at Karunanidhi’s “meager offering of seats” and was toying with the idea of crossing over to Jayalalithaa’s Amma’s side. The DPA includes the Congress, the PMK, the MDMK, the Left and the Indian Union Muslim League, whereas the AIADMK which had a tie-up with the BJP in the 2004 Lok Sabha election, does not have any allies at present.
West Bengal : Over 1,00,000 fake ration cards found
Election Commission observer K.J. Rao has found over one lakh fake ration card holders in Kolkata, creating acute embarrassment for the West Bengal Government. Earlier, during a tour of Nadia district, Rao had ordered the deletion of over 94,000 ghost names from the electoral rolls. Reports say that while the population of West Midnapur was 52 lakhs as per the 2001 census, the number of ration card holders as of date comes to about 56 lakhs. Another Election Commission observer, Sudhir Kumar, found a lot of discrepancies in Gaighata, Bagda area of Hooghly district, sources said, adding more than 88,000 false names have been deleted from the electoral rolls. No wonder, the Chief Electoral Officer earlier guessed that more than 10 lakh names would go off the voters’ list by February 22, the extended date that has been fixed for the publication of the revised rolls.
RSS to set up university
The RSS has decided to set up its first university in the country on the outskirts of the Rajasthan capital, Jaipur. This became possible after the State Government’s decision to allow private universities in the state. The self-financing varsity, to be named Keshav Vidyapeeth Vishwavidyalya (KVV) would become functional from the next academic session. RSS chief K.S. Sudarshan would dedicate the new educational institution to the nation at a function on February 18.
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