
Babasaheb laid foundation to nation's reconstruction: JK LG Manoj Sinha
Noting Babasaheb's efforts to put women and the marginalised on the societal map, Sinha said that it must be the responsibility of every section of society to give priority to the 'deprived'.
'Through the creation of the Constitution, Babasaheb had laid the foundation of the reconstruction of the nation through values like selfless service, perseverance and sacrifice. I believe it is the responsibility of every section of society to give the highest priority to the deprived. He did a great job to ensure that women get their rightful place in society,' Sinha said while addressing a gathering at the Women Empowerment Program at Organized At Army Goodwill School.
He remembered Babasaheb for his struggles in eradicating all social and economic discrimination decades ago.
'I believe that Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar was a shining star in the galaxy of thousands of great men in India. The way he had resolved to eradicate all social and economic discrimination seven decades ago through his struggle, sacrifice, dedication and loyalty, those values are still guiding the entire country,' Sinha said.
'It is definitely necessary to remember that the Constitution made by Babasaheb was the first Constitution in the whole world, which gave equal rights to women without any discrimination,' he added.
Earlier on July 10, Sinha inaugurated the grand exhibition Bharat Sanrachna Jammu & Kashmir in Srinagar and highlighted the transformative journey of the region in recent years.
LG Sinha said that Jammu and Kashmir was witnessing a transformation that, according to many, is unprecedented even in the past fifty years and is a precedent to the fact that 'terrorism will not sustain here.'
He said, 'A significant and profound transformation has taken place in Kashmir. I have completed five years, but people say that even in the last fifty years, such a change has never occurred. On April 22, when innocent civilians were targeted in Pahalgam, the way Kashmir rose against the barbarism, against terrorism, against Pakistan, I believe such a moment has never occurred in history. This clearly shows us that terrorism will not be able to sustain itself here.'
He also added that while police and security forces are carrying out their responsibilities, it is the people's rejection of terror that signals a decisive shift. (ANI)
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The Print
28 minutes ago
- The Print
Anti-sacrilege bill likely to tabled in Punjab Assembly
The draft bill may propose life imprisonment for sacrilege acts against religious scriptures, sources said. Ahead of the third day of the special session of the state assembly, a cabinet meeting was held here in which the anti-sacrilege bill was given nod by the council of ministers, the sources said. Chandigarh, Jul 14 (PTI) A draft bill seeking stricter punishment for acts of sacrilege is likely to be introduced in the Punjab Assembly on Monday, sources said. There may also be a provision for setting up special courts to deal with cases pertaining to desecration of scriptures. There will be no parole for those guilty of sacrilege acts, they further said. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had earlier said the state government would seek the opinion of all stakeholders and religious bodies for the proposed legislation, indicating it would not be enacted immediately. 'We are drafting it. A law is going to be enacted. But for this, we will talk to stakeholders, religious organisations. We will present the draft legislation (in the assembly). 'But for the final draft, we will require time. After presenting it in the Vidhan Sabha, we will seek public opinion,' he had said. 'We will speak to religious bodies about how the law should be. We will take the (draft) bill to the public to seek their opinion for any amendments,' he had then said. Mann had said the government would consult leading legal experts to ensure that a robust state legislation is enacted – one that prevents offenders from evading strict consequences, including the possibility of capital punishment for such heinous crimes. Reaffirming his government's commitment to justice, Mann had stated that every person involved in these sacrilegious acts, either directly or indirectly, would face exemplary punishment. Mann had highlighted that while the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) provides clear provisions regarding religious places, it remains silent on holy 'granths'. He had also said that as the subject falls under the concurrent list, the state has the authority to enact such legislation, and legal opinions would be sought accordingly. It is not the first time that a law was being brought in the state for stricter punishment for perpetrators of sacrilege acts. In 2016, the then SAD-BJP government brought in the IPC (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2016 and CrPC (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2016 recommending life sentence for sacrilege acts against Guru Granth Sahib. The Centre later returned the bill, saying all religions should be treated equally given the secular nature of the Constitution. In 2018, the Amarinder Singh government had passed two bills –the Indian Penal Code (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2018′, and 'the Code of Criminal Procedure (Punjab Amendment) Bill 2018', which stipulated a punishment of up to life imprisonment for injury, damage or sacrilege to Guru Granth Sahib, Bhagavad Gita, Quran and the Bible. However, the two Bills did not get the President's assent. Acts of sacrilege against religious scriptures has been an emotive issue in Punjab and there has been a demand from various quarters for stringent punishment for the acts of sacrilege against religious texts. The incident related to the theft of a 'bir' (copy) of Guru Ganth Sahib from Burj Jawahar Singh Wala gurdwara, putting up handwritten sacrilegious posters in Bargari and Burj Jawahar Singh Wala and torn pages of the holy book found scattered at Bargari, had taken place in Bargari in Faridkot in 2015. These incidents had led to anti-sacrilege protests in Faridkot. In the police firing at anti-sacrilege protesters in October 2015, two persons were killed in Behbal Kalan while some persons were injured at Kotkapura in Faridkot. PTI CHS VSD DV DV This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.


The Print
30 minutes ago
- The Print
No legal, valid ‘citizenship' document that's issued—how it puts big question mark on ECI's Bihar exercise
The special intensive revision in Bihar involves an indicative list of 11 documents provided by the ECI to be submitted by eligible voters. Several petitioners before the Supreme Court have objected to the non-inclusion of documents like Aadhaar and voter ID in the list of acceptable documents. The last such intensive revision was carried out in the state in 2003. In its order directing the revision last month, the ECI had cited Article 326 of the Constitution, according to which elections to the Lok Sabha and legislative assemblies shall be on the basis of adult suffrage. This provision says, 'Every person who is a citizen of India and who is not less than eighteen years of age…shall be entitled to be registered as a voter at any such election.' New Delhi: The Election Commission of India's special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar has raised several questions over the scope of the exercise, and the impact that it may have on the citizens' right to vote. While the petitions challenging the ECI's revision were being heard by the apex court Thursday, the poll body asserted that Aadhaar cannot be accepted as a proof of citizenship. Courts have, in the past, also ruled the same with respect to Aadhaar. So, is there a specific document issued under Citizenship Act, 1955, specifically certifying Indian citizenship? Experts say there isn't. Former election commissioner Ashok Lavasa told ThePrint that there is no clear document issued under the Citizenship Act, certifying that a person is a citizen. This means that while there are documents like the passport, which may serve as proof of a person being an Indian citizen, there isn't a document certifying such citizenship exclusively under the 1955 law. A lawyer familiar with the petitions challenging the revision of electoral rolls in Bihar explained, 'All the documents that they are asking for are going to show only the date and place of birth. Through that, you may extrapolate and say—okay, you're a citizen. But none of the documents, except the passport, is proof of citizenship. None of the others are indicative of citizenship at all.' The lawyer further told ThePrint that there is no document in India, which is a proof of citizenship per se, like a national citizenship card. 'The only document which is proof of citizenship in that sense is the passport, and the proof of citizenship in passport is ancillary to its main purpose, which is that it is a travel document for an Indian citizenship. And because it is such a travel document only for Indian citizens, it is considered a proof of citizenship, but it is not per se a proof only of citizenship.' Also Read: SC invokes 'document starvation' to suggest EC accept Aadhaar for special roll revision in Bihar What is a 'citizenship' proof? Citizenship in India is determined by the Citizenship Act, 1955, which lists down different methods of acquiring Indian citizenship—by birth, by descent, by registration, and by naturalisation. While citizenship by descent is for a person born outside India, citizenship by registration is for people including those of Indian origin, or those married to an Indian citizen. Citizenship by naturalisation is for foreigners. 'There is nothing called a 'citizenship certificate' for those who are citizens of India since the commencement of the Constitution or their descendants. There is also no stand-alone document for Indian citizens to prove their citizenship,' Guwahati-based lawyer Aman Wadud, who has worked on citizenship cases, told ThePrint. 'The group of people who have 'citizenship certificate' are those who get Indian citizenship by naturalisation, by registration, by descent, and those who have been granted citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.' The 1955 Act talks about such a certificate only in cases of citizenship by descent, naturalisation and registration. As for the documents required, the Citizenship Rules, 2009 only talk about specific applications for registration under Sections 4 (descent), 5 (registration) and 6 (naturalisation). No such specific application is required to be submitted in case of citizenship by birth. 'Not citizenship, only identity' That most of the documents on the list provided by the ECI may not be proof of citizenship was highlighted by the Supreme Court Thursday as well. In case of Bihar, the 11 acceptable documents listed by the ECI are birth certificate, passport, matriculation certification, permanent residence certificate issued by a state authority, forest rights certificate, caste certificate, National Register of Citizens or NRC (wherever it exists), family register prepared by state/local authorities, any land/house allotment certificate by the government, any identity card or pension payment order issued to a regular employee or pensioner of central government/state government/PSU, or any such identity card/certificate/document issued by the government/local authorities/banks/post office/LIC/PSUs prior to 1 July, 1987. During the hearing, senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, appearing for the ECI, assured the court that the only purpose behind the exercise was to ensure that everyone who was eligible is on the electoral roll, and that it was looking at the aspects of citizenship and age. However, the court immediately pointed out, 'All the documents you have listed are related to identity.' Justice Joymalya Bagchi was quoted as saying, 'Why citizenship? Only identity. None of these illustrative documents that you listed or by themselves proof of citizenship.' This is why the petitioners have challenged the selection of documents by the ECI, alleging that the exercise is 'arbitrary, because the inclusions and the potential exclusion of documents do not make sense from the perspective of what they claim they are trying to do, that is to authenticate citizenship', the lawyer quoted earlier asserted, speaking to ThePrint. The Aadhaar dichotomy There seems to be a dichotomy between the ECI's resistance towards accepting Aadhaar for the revision in Bihar, and its past actions. ECI's manual on electoral rolls issued in March 2023 mentions the Aadhaar as an acceptable document to be attached with Form 6, the official application form used for new voter registration, or for those voters who may be shifting their residence from one constituency to another. It says that Aadhaar may be furnished, both as proof of age and proof of ordinary residence. Back in 2015, the commission had launched a nationwide comprehensive programme, National Electoral Roll Purification and Authentication Programme (NERPAP) with an objective of bringing an 'error-free and authenticated electoral roll' by linking EPIC (Electoral Photo Identity Card) data of electors with Aadhaar number, mobile number and e-mail. However, on 11 August that year, the Supreme Court passed an interim order in the petitions challenging the Aadhaar scheme, asserting that the production of an Aadhaar card would not be mandatory for obtaining any benefits, and that it would not be used for any purpose other than the PDS and LPG distribution schemes. Post this order, the poll body had halted its Aadhaar programme, directing its Electoral Officers to suspend all activities to collect and feed Aadhaar numbers of voters. 'Henceforth, no more collection of Aadhaar numbers from electors or feeding/seeding of collected Aadhaar data shall be done by any election authority or official connected with NERPAP,' the commission's directive had reportedly read. In 2021, on the ECI's recommendation, the government had amended the Representation of People Act, 1950, introducing a new form 6B to collect Aadhaar numbers from existing electors on voluntary basis for authentication of his entries in the electoral roll. Also Read: Congress, TMC oppose EC's 'special intensive revision' of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar What is ECI's mandate? The revision exercise in Bihar has triggered concerns over the commission indirectly entering the domain of determining citizenship of citizens through the revision of voter rolls. During the latest hearing in the top court in the case, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Kumar Jha, asserted that it is only the Government of India that can contest a person's citizenship, and not a 'small officer of the EC'. 'The Supreme Court has said in many cases that it is not the remit of the Election Commission to go into the citizenship aspect. That is creating a little problem here,' Former Lok Sabha secretary general and Constitutional expert P.D.T. Achary told ThePrint. 'The job of preparing or revising the voters list is with the ECI. When the ECI is preparing the list, the question is whether they have the power to go into the question of citizenship. How will they decide whether a person is a citizen of India or not? What are the guidelines or the documents which the ECI can ask for, that is not clear at all.' Achary pointed out that the Representation of Peoples Act does not deal with this aspect at all. 'That means, the Election Commission does not have the remit to decide this question, because it can only be decided by the Home Ministry, which administers the Citizenship Act,' he said. 'ECI is thinking about this only because Article 326 stipulates citizenship as one of the conditions of eligibility, and its question is genuine. But I don't know why they are thinking about it now, when all these years they have not been doing it. There is a presumption that a person is a citizen.' The inclusions and exclusions The 1995 Citizenship Act is administered by the Ministry of Home Affairs, which is tasked with framing the rules under the law and overseeing its implementation. During the hearing Thursday, when advocate Dwivedi asserted that Aadhaar isn't proof of citizenship, Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia shot back saying, 'But citizenship is an issue to be determined not by the Election Commission of India, but by the MHA.' Former EC Lavasa also points out that it is the MHA which is tasked with determining citizenship under the 1955 law. 'Every Act has its own administrative mechanism. That administrative mechanism is supposed to carry out the functions that it is responsible for,' he told ThePrint. Apart from exclusion of Aadhaar, Achary is also troubled by the fact that the commission isn't accepting voter ID cards as well. 'That is a very strange position to take, that you have given the voter identity card, which is given to a person who is enrolled as a voter, and that voter's list was prepared under the law and the Constitution. What question remains after that? What is the value of this document?' he remarked. Besides, the petitions filed by the top court point to several issues that emerge from each of the 11 documents. For instance, Rajya Sabha MP Jha's petition cites various government surveys and data to highlight that a negligible part of Bihar's population holds several of these documents, including birth certificate, passport, permanent residence certificate, and identity card/pension payment order issued to regular government employees. It also points out that at least two in this list—NRC and family register—do not apply to Bihar. How have revisions been done before? Intensive revisions have taken place ever since the first general elections in the country. For instance, the preparation of first electoral rolls began in 1947, well before the 1950 Act, or the establishment of the ECI. However, it was noticed that in the rolls used for the first elections, several names of women electors had to be deleted because they were enrolled as 'mother of' or 'wife of', instead of their proper names. To fix this, after the first election in 1952, the ECI had directed revision of electoral rolls in 1/5th of each state annually from 1952 to 1956 to finish the exercise before the Lok Sabha polls in 1957, and 1/3rd of each state annually from 1957 to 1961 to complete the exercise before the 1962 polls. Post this, the commission had said that summary revisions should be sufficient in 1962 and 1964, while intensive revision was conducted once again in 1965 in 40 percent of the country, and in 1966 in the remaining 60 percent areas. Lavasa explained that the approach in earlier intensive revision exercises was 'very simple'. 'In case of intensive revision, it was done as a fresh exercise. During house-to-house verification, the head of the family gave the names of the people who lived in the same house. The ERO would then put out a draft roll, and the expectation was that if a person had given false information, somebody would object to it,' he said. In the normal course also, if someone objects to a person's eligibility as a voter, it is on the objector to prove the claim that a voter is not eligible, unlike the current exercise in Bihar, where the burden of proof of citizenship has been placed on the already-enrolled voters. However, Lavasa asserted, the old 2003 order directing intensive revision should be made available to check how that exercise had been undertaken. 'Till that notification is available, it is difficult to say with certainty how it was done in 2003.' (Edited by Mannat Chugh) Also Read: 'Arbitrary, to be replicated in Bengal.' What pleas by ADR, Mahua challenging EC's Bihar exercise say


NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
"They Should Invite Us, Right?" Peeved Siddaramaiah On BJP's Bridge 'Snub'
Bengaluru: The opening of a bridge in Karnataka Monday has created a divide between the ruling Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party that is in power at the centre, after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah objected to the lack of representatives from the state government at the inaguration ceremony. The government responded by sharing a July 11 letter - from three days before the opening - inviting the Chief Minister. The Kalasavalli-Ambargondlu, or the Sigandur bridge - India's second-longest cable-stayed bridge, 2.44km long and built at a cost of Rs 473 crore - in Shivamogga district is to be inaugurated later today, but the Chief Minister, his Public Works Minister, and local Congress MLAs will stay away. "They should invite us right? Who created this centre-state tussle? They created it ... they should follow protocols. It's happening in our state," a peeved Siddaramaiah told reporters. The Congress leader - also battling a power grab by his deputy, DK Shivakumar - said he spoke to Nitin Gadkari, the Union Ministe for Road Transport and Highways, and asked him to postpone the programme. "He said he would... but now, bowing to the pressure from local BJP leaders, they are going ahead with the event," Siddaramaiah complained. Bengaluru | Regarding the controversy about his absence from the inauguration of the Kalasavalli-Ambargondlu Bridge, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah says, "I had called Nitin Gadkari and asked him to postpone the program. He said he would postpone it. But now, bowing to the pressure... — ANI (@ANI) July 14, 2025 "I have not received any invitation. We always extend cooperation to railway projects... they invite us for those. But here, protocol has been violated. They are deliberately creating a rift between the central and state governments," he said, pointing also to scheduling conflicts. On Sunday too the Chief Minister had said it would have been appropriate for Mr Gadkari's office to contact him and plan the event at a mutually convenient time, given he is expected to attend various programmes in Vijayapura district, which is over 400km from Shivamogga. It wasn't just the Chief Minister questioning the apparent lack of protocol from the federal government; the Congress' Shivamogga district-in-charge Madhu Bangarappa said he too had not been invited. Mr Bangarappa also criticised the Road Transport Ministry for "disrespecting" Siddaramaiah. However, this morning the Mr Gadkari's office released copies of two letters, dated July 11 and July 12 - each signed by the Union Minister - that invited the Chief Minister to the inauguration. The second letter also invited Siddaramaiah to join via a video link if he could not make it to the ceremony itself. In a major step towards boosting regional connectivity, the inauguration and foundation stone laying ceremony for multiple key infrastructure projects is being held today in Shivamogga, Karnataka. An official invitation was duly extended to the Chief Minister of Karnataka, Shri… — Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) July 14, 2025 "The central government continues to uphold established protocols and has consistently appreciated the contributions and cooperation of the Government of Karnataka and the Chief Minister. It remains committed to cooperative federalism and close coordination with all states," Mr Gadkari said on X.