NO PROOF OF SEDITION AGAINST AMU STUDENTS IN EARLY PROBE: POLICE
A day after filing a sedition case against 14 students of Aligarh Muslim University, the Uttar Pradesh police February 14 said there is no primary evidence against them and if the accusation cannot be justified, the charges will be dropped. The case – filed on February 13 following a complaint by a BJP leader – has triggered a political row, with the opposition leaders accusing the state’s BJP government of bias.
Mukesh Kumar Lodi, a BJP youth wing leader, had alleged that he was attacked outside the university on Tuesday. The students beat him up after seeing BJP stickers on his two-wheeler, he said. They also shot at him and his associates, and shouted pro-Pakistan, anti-India slogans, his complaint read. But no slogans can be seen in the video evidence he submitted, the police said. “If there is no evidence, sedition charges dropped,” an officer told the media. The police action had drawn widespread criticism from the opposition. Calling it an example of “state terror”, the state’s key opposition leader Mayawati had called it “condemnable”.
‘PROTECT AMU FROM BEING MALIGNED’, PRESIDENT URGED
AMU Alumni associations in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and in the United Arab Emirates have written to the President of India Shri Ramnath Kovind regarding the incident that occurred on February 12 at the University campus wherein the crew of Republic Bharat news channel labelled the prestigious Aligarh Muslim University as the ‘University of Terrorists’. The Alumi associations requested the President to intervene and conduct a fair enquiry in to the matter and take action against those maligning the honour of the University and causing communal disharmony.
When the news of the incident and the subsequent firing by a relative of the BJP MLA and charging 14 students of the AMU under sedition reached the alumni of the University in different parts of the world, the Alumni associations were quick to conduct emergency meetings to decide on the plan of action to protect their alma-mater.
KASHMIRI STUDENTS ASKED NOT TO MOVE OUT OF AMU CAMPUS
The AMU has issued an advisory to its Kashmiri students asking them “not to move out of the campus” as a precautionary measure after protests broke out in this city in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack, varsity authorities was reported as saying on February 17.
AMU Proctor Professor Mohsin Khan told PTI, “The university authorities are maintaining constant vigil on law and order situation on the campus, especially in the wake of highly inflammatory social media posts emanating from the city.” Khan added, “We are very clear that there is going to be zero tolerance on our part towards any act of lawlessness, especially one which smacks of anti-national activity even remotely.” The AMU proctor said it suspended a Kashmiri student for his alleged objectionable tweet in connection with the Pulwama attack.
SC TO HEAR JAFRI’S PLEA AGAINST CLEAN CHIT TO MODI
Zakia Jafri’s plea in the Supreme Court, challenging the SIT’s clean chit to the then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi in connection with the 2002 Godhra riots, will be heard in July, the apex court said on February 11. A bench headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar listed the matter for hearing in the month of July.
Zakia, the wife of ex-MP Ehsan Jafri who was one of the 68 killed in Ahmedabad’s Gulberg society, has challenged the Gujarat High Court’s October 5, 2017 order rejecting her plea against the SIT’s decision. On February 8, 2012, the SIT filed a closure report, giving a clean chit to Modi and 63 others, including senior government officials, saying there was “no prosecutable evidence” against them.
‘THE MAN WHO LEFT HIS WIFE’: NAIDU BITES BACK
Moments after Prime Minister Narendra Modi completed his speech at a rally in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh on February 10, chief minister Chandrababu Naidu went on an offensive to counter Modi’s scathing charges. Responding to Modi’s claim that Naidu was only interested in his son Lokesh’s rise and not the state’s development, the Telegu Desam Party (TDP) chief said the Prime Minister wouldn’t understand much as he didn’t even give due respect to his wife.
Stating that he was against personal attacks, but was compelled to do so, Naidu said, “Yes Lokesh is my son. I am proud of my family – as husband of Bhuvaneswari, father of Lokesh and grandfather of Devansh. Modi would not understand as he doesn’t value family life. Though he is married, he ignored his wife and did not even give her a divorce.”
DECIDE ON ‘MINORITY’ DEFINITION: SC
The Supreme Court on February 11 asked the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) to take a decision in three months on a representation seeking guidelines for defining ‘minority’ – a term which has not been defined either under the Constitution or any other law. The direction came from a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on a petition filed by Delhi BJP leader and advocate Ashwini Upadhyay, who was earlier asked to approach the NCM. He moved court again as the NCM did not take a decision.
Now the top court has asked him to re-file his representation before the NCM, which has to take a decision on it in three months. NCM chairperson Syed Ghayorul Hasan Rizvi reportedly said, “A committee was set up to examine the issue and the decision would be communicated. But the final decision would be taken by the government only.”
2 SC OFFICIALS SACKED FOR TAMPERING WITH ORDER
Following an inquiry, the Supreme Court has sacked its two assistant registrars who were found involved in tampering with a court order which appeared favourable to Reliance Communication chairperson Anil Ambani in a contempt case. On February 13, Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi issued the order to summarily dismiss the two court officials, who were responsible for taking down the judge’s orders and getting them uploaded on the website.
The CJI, acting on a complaint by Justice Rohinton F Nariman, who has been hearing the contempt case, used his powers under Article 311 of the Constitution and Section 11(13) of the Supreme Court which empower the CJI to dismiss any employee under “extraordinary” circumstances without resorting to normal disciplinary proceedings. What prompted the extraordinary step from the CJI was an instance of tampering with Justice Nariman’s order in January when a show-cause notice of contempt was issued to Anil Ambani over alleged failure to clear outstanding dues to Ericsson India despite categorical undertakings to the top court.
SURVEY BY DIBRUGARH UNIVERSITY ON TOBACCO SELLING
According to a survey by 9th semester BA.LLB (H) Centre for Juridical Studies, Dibrugarh University, 55.87% vendors sell non-smoking tobacco selling products and 62.5% vendors sell smoking tobacco products around the educational institutions in Guwahati. 59.54% vendors around the educational institutions advertise tobacco products and brands. But no person shall offer for sale, or permit the sale of, cigarette or any other tobacco product to any person who is less than eighteen years of age and in an area within a radius of one hundred yards of any educational institution according to Cigarette and other Tobacco Products Act, 2003.
The Students of Centre for Juridical Studies, Dibrugarh conducted a sample survey “Selling of Tobacco products near Educational Institutions in Guwahati” in Guwahati City under the guidance of Consumer Legal Protection Forum from January 22, 2019. The Sample survey covered shops, vendors, mobile vendor, street vendors etc around the 43 educational institutions in 22 wards in Guwahati city. According to the survey report, 87.72% vendors openly display tobacco products to attract the consumers. But this kind of activities is strictly provided under Cigarette and other Tobacco Products Act, 2003. There are no pictorial health warning signs displayed in 91.74% vendors who sell tobacco products around the educational institutions.