Govt decides to shield convicted MPs, MLAs

September 25, 2013

Govtshield_convictedNew Delhi, Sep 25: The Union Cabinet on Tuesday decided to promulgate an ordinance to negate a Supreme Court order which sought to disqualify an MP or an MLA/MLC convicted for crimes with jail term of two years or more.

An immediate beneficiary of this ordinance could be Congress MP Rasheed Masood who was convicted by a CBI court in a corruption case. The court is set to pronounce the quantum of punishment next month.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a fodder scam case involving Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad on September 30. He also faces the prospect of disqualification as Parliament could not pass the Representation of the People (Second Amendment and Validation) Bill during the Monsoon Session.

At an all-party meeting, political parties had agreed to pass the bill, but differences cropped up when it was introduced in the Rajya Sabha. Some political parties were skeptical on rushing through the legislation fearing a public backlash.

The Supreme Court said on July 10 that lawmakers convicted of crimes with jail term of two years or more face immediate disqualification.

The ordinance seeks to negate the apex court judgment from the day it was pronounced if the lawmaker concerned appeals against his conviction within 90 days and gets a stay from a higher court.

However, the lawmaker will not be eligible to vote in Parliament or legislature of a state or draw salary and allowances till his conviction is set aside by the court.

He may continue to take part in the proceedings of the House. The government had also filed a review petition in the Supreme Court in connection with the July 10 judgment after consultations with the attorney general. But it was strongly felt that a bill be brought in Parliament to negate the apex court ruling without waiting for the outcome of the review petition given parties demand.

Congress spokesman P C Chacko defended the decision to promulgate an ordinance and rejected suggestions that the government was resorting to “backdoor methods” to shield convicted MPs.

“Ordinance is not an undemocratic act by the government. It is not a backdoor method. It has to have the nod of Parliament. It will be placed before Parliament in the very next session,” he said.

BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman slammed the government for deciding to promulgate the ordinance to protect convicted MPs and MLAs.

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Agencies
February 8,2020

New Delhi, Feb 8: A 26-year-old woman sub-inspector (SI) of the Delhi Police was shot dead near Rohini East Metro station on Friday night, officials said.

The SI, Preeti Ahlawat, was posted in Patparganj Industrial Area Police Station, police said.

A call about the incident was received around 9.30 pm, they said, adding she received gunshot wounds on her head.

"We have identified the suspects and CCTV footage of the area has been collected," said SD Mishra, Additional Commissioner of Police (Rohini).

Three empty cartridges were found from the spot, the officer said, adding a case has been registered and a probe is on.

Personal enmity is suspected to be the reason behind the killing, the officer said.

Ahlawat joined the Delhi Police in 2018.

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News Network
May 12,2020

Ahmedabad, May 12: The Gujarat High Court on Tuesday declared state BJP minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama's election in 2017 as void on grounds of malpractice and manipulation.

Justice Paresh Upadhyay cancelled Bhupendrasinh Chudasama's election in an order passed on a petition filed by Congress candidate Ashwin Rathod, challenging the BJP leader's victory from Dholka constituency by a margin of 327 votes in the 2017 Gujarat Assembly polls.

In his election petition, Ashwin Rathod alleged that Bhupendrasinh Chudasama indulged in "corrupt practice and breach of many of the mandatory instructions of the Election Commission, at various stages of the election process, more particularly at the time of counting of votes".

Bhupendrasinh Chudasama currently holds charge of the education, law and justice, legislative and parliamentary affairs, and some other departments in the Vijay Rupani government.

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News Network
April 17,2020

New Delhi, Apr 17: A total of 3,336 Indians tested positive for coronavirus in 53 countries while 25 others died of the infection, government sources said on Thursday.

They said the Indians stranded abroad will have to be patient as the government is not evacuating them as part of a larger policy decision to check the spread of the coronavirus in the country.

"They need to be patient and stay where they are. Our missions have been told to extend all possible help to the stranded Indians," said a source.

According to the sources, evacuation of around 35,000 foreign nationals from 48 countries has been facilitated so far from India.

The sources said the majority of Indians who tested positive for the coronavirus infection are living in the Gulf region. A sizeable number of Indians staying in France and the US have also tested positive.

They said that Indian missions in the Gulf region have been told to extend all possible assistance to the Indians in distress.

Around eight million Indians are living in the Gulf countries and there has been growing anxiety among them over their livelihood in view of the pandemic as it has majorly impacted the oil-driven economy of the region.

Almost all Gulf countries have taken a series of drastic measures including imposing total lockdown, travel restrictions and even closing borders to stem the spread of the coronavirus infection.

The United Arab Emirates has already warned of possible action against countries refusing to allow their citizens to return.

Around 3.3 million Indians are living in the UAE and they constitute roughly 30 per cent of the country's population. Among the Indian states, Kerala is the most represented followed by Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

A large number of Indians are working in the construction sector in Qatar which is hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2022.

As a matter of policy, India has decided not to bring back the stranded Indians from abroad till the nationwide lockdown ends.

The issue of Indians in Gulf region figured prominently during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's video conference with heads of Indian missions abroad on March 30.

Welfare of Indians in the Gulf was the major focus area in the discussions Modi had with leaders of countries in the region over the last few weeks, officials said.

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