Poojary holds Siddu govt responsible for SC's adverse directive

New Delhi, Feb 21: A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the sedition case registered against a Karnataka school management for allegedly allowing students to stage an anti-CAA, anti-NRC drama that 'portrayed Prime Minister Narendra Modi in poor light'.

The petition seeks quashing of the FIR against the principal and other staff of the Shaheen School at Bidar who have been booked under sections 124-A (sedition) and 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups) of the Indian Penal Code.

In the petition filed on Thursday, social activist Yogita Bhayana has also sought an apex court direction for a proper mechanism to deal with alleged government misuse of the sedition law.

Section 124A of the IPC says that "whoever brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards... the Government shall be punished with imprisonment for life...".

Bhayana, in the plea, has sought a direction to the Centre and the Karnataka government "to quash the FIR registered in connection of seditious charges against the school management, teacher and a widowed parent of a student for staging a play criticizing CAA, NRC, and NPR."

The petition claimed the police "also questioned students, and videos and screenshots of CCTV footage showing them speaking to the students were shared widely on social media, prompting criticism."

It further quoted the school principal, alleging that "on one occasion, police in uniform questioned students, with no child welfare officials present".

The plea said that the "proceedings were violative of Article 21 (right to life and personal liberty) of the Constitution and abuse of process of law."

"Issue an order directing the Centre to constitute a committee to scrutinise complaints under 124-A IPC and adhere to judgments by the apex court before registering the FIR under the section 124-A IPC," the petition said.

The drama was staged on January 21 by students of fourth, fifth and sixth standard.

The sedition case was filed based on a complaint from social worker Neelesh Rakshyal on January 26.

The complainant has alleged that the school authorities "used" the students to perform a drama where they "abused" Modi in the context of the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens.

Lucknow, Feb 4: Even as anti-NRC protests continue to rage across the country, the Lucknow University has queered the pitch by demanding citizenship proof from RTI applicants.

The Lucknow University (LU) refused to provide the information sought by the people who filed the Right to Information (RTI) unless they furnished the proof that they were Indian citizens.

Alok Chantia, one of the RTI applicants who was refused information by the varsity, said that he had lodged a complaint with the vice-chancellor of the varsity but even then he could not get the desired information.

"It is shocking how the university has twisted the RTI law as per its whims and fancy. It does not have any authority to do so," said the RTI applicant.

Chantia, also a faculty member at a degree college here, had sought details of appointment of teachers for self-financed courses and their pay scale.

"It is possible that some applicants who may not be familiar with the provisions of the RTI, may have furnished proof of their citizenship to the varsity to get the information but that cannot become a rule," he pointed out.

When contacted, university officials admitted that such a practice had been going on in the varsity for the past few years.

"This practice started during the tenure of the former vice-chancellor S.P. Singh and still continues," said a senior varsity official.

Shivamogga, Jan 2: A large number of farmers who wanted to stage a demonstration against Prime Minister Narendra Modi protesting the non-implementation of the 'Swaminathan Report' were detained at Bengaluru, Tumakuru and Shivamogga, police said on Thursday.

According to police, the detentions have taken place in certain parts of Tumakuru, near Bengaluru as well as in Shivamogga.

As part of his two-day visit to Karnataka, Modi is scheduled to visit Tumakuru on Thursday to pay his obeisance to the departed seer of Siddaganga Math Shivakumara Swamiji and meet the present pontiff Siddalinga Mahaswamiji.

Later, he would address a mega public meeting where he will give away the Krishi Karman awards.

In the evening he will reach Bengaluru to visit the DRDO facility to dedicate five DRDO Young Scientists Laboratories to the nation.

Pressing implementation of the Swaminathan Report, which recommends a holistic national policy, the farmers under the leadership of Kodihalli Chandrashekar had planned to stage a demonstration at Tumakuru.

Before they could leave for Tumakuru, the police detained them.

According to Chandrashekar, the farmers have been arrested at Nelamangala, Herohalli near Magadi, Kunigal and Koratagere in Tumakuru district and Shivamogga.

Speaking to PTI, Chandrashekar said the BJP has betrayed farmers by not implementing the Swaminathan report.

"The BJP could implement all the agenda such as abrogation of Article 370, paving way for Ram Temple in Ayodhya and various other poll promises but it ignored its promise of implementing the Swaminathan report," the farmer leader said.

Chandrashekar also said he has been detained at a ground on Magadi Road along with two others while farmers who wanted to take part in the protest have been detained in different parts of the state.