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Congress attacks government's move to appoint Justice P Sathasivam as Kerala Governor

September 2, 2014

Kochi, Sept 2: Slamming the move to appoint Justice P Sathasivam as Kerala Governor, Congress on Tuesday wondered whether there was anything in the former CJI's "persona, functioning or decisions" that "pleased" Prime Minister Narendra Modi or BJP President Amit Shah.

P SathasivamNoting that Sathasivam was the first former Chief Justice set to be appointed as Governor, Congress wanted to know from the government whether it was moving to a system where "we expect judiciary to be committed to government for political patronage post retirement".

The question comes in the view of the fact that there were several former Chief Justices of India in the country, including two who retired in the last one and half years but the government selected the latest to retire, Party spokesperson Anand Sharma

He said that the move to appoint Sathasivam as Governor of Kerala raises many questions and makes the post of CJI smaller.

"Two people have gone beyond the post of CJI but that was to be Vice Presidents. And if you see the warrant of precedence, then Vice President comes after President and then the Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India. But Governor is below. Why was he made?

"This raises a question if he has done some work, for which they are pleased. Prime Minister Modi is pleased, Amit Shah is pleased and that is why he is being honoured," Sharma told reporters during a briefing at the AICC headquarters.

He was replying to a question about the government's move to appoint the former CJI as a governor.

"Because an exception is being made, and the question is about why, is there anything in his persona, functioning or his decisions, which has really attracted very warmly, very positively, the acceptance of Prime Minister and BJP President. It is but natural that these questions would be asked".

Stressing that he is not casting any aspersions, Sharma said, "I am sure there is something which has gladdened the hearts of Prime Minister and BJP leadership".

The former Union Minister said BJP, particularly, Arun Jaitley, then Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and now Leader of Rajya Sabha, is on record saying that retired judges of the Supreme Court, let alone Chief Justice, should not be given any office or position.

"So BJP should clarify whether they have made a departure from what was their stated position? If so, why? And why only an exception here," he questioned. Sharma said that Chief Justices of India and Judges of the High Court should not be open to political patronage.

"It again sends a wrong signal and raises doubt. The independence of the judiciary is sacrosanct and nothing should be done...it is not the question of office of Governor but it is the office of the former CJI and when they are so many our our respected former CJs, living their life with dignity, why the most recent retired judge is chosen? That raises a question," he said.

"Are we no moving to a system where we expect judiciary to be committed to the government for political patronage post retirement," he said.

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News Network
March 25,2020

Chennai, Mar 25: Tamil Nadu reported its first Covid-19 death at the Rajaji Government Hospital in Madurai this morning. The 54-year-old man from Madurai had no history of travel to any coronavirus-affected state or country.

However, he did have contact with two Thai nationals who had tested positive for Covid-19 and are undergoing treatment in isolation in Erode.

"Despite our best efforts, the #COVID-19 +ve Pt at MDU, #RajajiHospital, passed away few minutes back. He had medical history of prolonged illness with steroid-dependent COPD, uncontrolled Diabetes with Hypertension,” Tamil Nadu health minister C. Vijayabaskar tweeted.

The patient tested positive for the coronavirus on March 23. Yesterday the minister had disclosed that the patient had not responded well to treatment due to his medical condition. “He has a medical history of prolonged illness with steroid dependent COPD, uncontrolled diabetes with hypertension,” he said.

As of Wednesday morning, the total number of Covid-19 infected patients in Tamil Nadu was 18, including one patient who has recovered.

The latest patients include a 65-year-old man who returned from New Zealand and is currently in isolation at a private hospital, a 55-year-old woman from Saidapet who is currently in quarantine Kilpauk Medical College Hospital, and a 25-year-old who returned from London and is undergoing treatment at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital.

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News Network
January 22,2020

New Delhi, Jan 22: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said Indian values consider all religions equal, and that is why the country is secular and never became a theocratic state like Pakistan.

Speaking at the NCC Republic Day Camp in Delhi, Singh said: "We (India) said we would not discriminate among religions. Why did we do that? Our neighbouring country has declared that their state has a religion. They have declared themselves a theocratic state. We didn't declare so."

"Even America is a theocratic country. India is not a theocratic country. Why? Because our saints and seers did not just consider the people living within our borders as part of the family, but called everyone living in the world as one family," the minister said.

Singh underlined that India had never declared its religion would be Hindu, Sikh or Buddhist and people of all religions could live here.

"They gave the slogan of 'Vasudev Kutumbakam' -- the whole world is one family. This message has gone to the whole world from here only," he added.

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A Member of Va…
 - 
Thursday, 23 Jan 2020

 

Very thoughtful and eye-catching statement by Defense Minister, Rajnath Singh.

Sir, I kindly request you to convey this beautiful message to your Party’s comrades, who are deprived of this dosage for long times and are badly need of this.  

Also, for those from your Party, who are, time and again, spitting the venomous rhetoric against Dalits, Muslims, Christians and others alike.

Yashwant Sinhaji is now doing a wonderful job in this regard.

You will also follow his suit for sure in the days to come; that’s what your honest statement indicates.

    

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Agencies
July 30,2020

Kochi, Jul 30: The Kerala High Court on Thursday refused to grant the extension for the stay of a 74-year-old US citizen, Johnny Paul Pierce, who had earlier said that he felt safer to remain in India than in the United States amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The single-judge bench of Justice CS Dias, which considered the writ petition, observed that the grant or extension of visa to foreign nationals fall exclusively within the domain of the Government of India (GoI) and that judicial review in such matters is minimal.

The power of the GoI to expel foreigners is absolute and unlimited, the bench said.

"In view of the categoric declaration of law by the Supreme Court, the plea of the petitioner to permit him to stay back in India cannot be accepted, as it falls within the purview of the guidelines and the discretion of the Government of India," the order said.

"The petitioner cannot be heard that the guidelines/policies/regulations formulated by the Government of India, that an American national though has been granted a visa having validity of five years has to leave India within 180 days, is irrational or unreasonable," it added.

The High Court, which was hearing a plea to permit the US citizen to stay in India for a further period of six months, said that the petitioner does not have a case that there is an infraction of Article 21 of the Constitution of India.

"The petitioner was well aware of the visa conditions when he arrived in India, and it is too late in the day for him to raise a grievance on the visa conditions," the bench said noting that the petitioner's love for India was heartening.

The High Court also directed the Foreigners Registration Officer to consider the petitioner's representation within a period of two weeks in accordance with the applicable guidelines and policies.

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