Subramanium opts out to be appointed a Supreme Court judge,
26062014Subramanium opts out, says judiciary failed to assert its independence
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Senior counsel Gopal Subramanium, who has withdrawn his consent to be appointed a Supreme Court judge, on Wednesday regretted that “the judiciary has failed to assert its independence by respecting the likes and dislikes of the executive”, and said he had opted out as a matter of principle and to protect his “honour and dignity” as a lawyer.
Queried on the issue, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad refused to comment, saying: “The appointment of Supreme Court judge being a sensitive issue, its not right for me to speak on it.”Describing the development as “sad”, Congress leader Manish Tewari said: “This is a very sad day for the legal fraternity in India. He (Subramanium) is very respected counsel… he has been a victim of alleged character assassination and has been compelled to take this step.”
In response, Prasad said: “I don’t wish to make any comment except to gently remind that 40 years ago Emergency was imposed and how were judges superseded.”
Expressing displeasure over the development, former Chief Justice of India MN Venkatachaliah said: “Although the government has the right to express its opinion, it was not fair. This development is not good for the healthy growth of any institution in the country.”
Subramanium, meanwhile, told reporters at his office: “I am not here to offer myself for continuous scrutiny. I have established my credibility. Intelligence Bureau cleared my name on May 15. I don’t want any character certificate from anyone except myself”.
“My character and integrity do not need to be proved every morning. As long as persons like Justices Krishna Iyer and M.N. Venkatachaliah stand by me, I do not need to seek further fortification,” he said.
“Nobody could have withstood to such a rubbish like this,” Subramanium said, refuting media reports vilifying him in matters relating to 2G cases, staged shoot out cases of Sohrabbudin Sheikh and Tulsiram Prajapati, and the case relating to Bharatiya Janata Party general secretary Amit Shah.
He termed the media reports about the government’s reservations on his appointment as “malicious insinuations based on half-truths” and “carefully planted leaks aimed at generating doubts” in the collegium and of the people about his suitability for the post.
In his nine-page letter Wednesday to Chief Justice R.M.Lodha withdrawing his consent, Subramanium said: “It appears I am being targeted because of this very independence and integrity.”
“I am fully conscious that my independence as a lawyer is causing apprehension that I will not toe the line of the government. This factor has been decisive in refusing to appoint me. I have no illusion that this is so,” he said.
Subramanium, senior counsel Rohinton Nariman and two others were recommended for appointment as apex court judges.
However, the government cleared all names except his. Had he become an apex court judge, Subramanium would have gone on to become the Chief Justice of India and the second Tamilian to occupy the position after Chief Justice P.Sathasivam, who retired May 26 this year.
Subramanium appeared baffled with the silence of the Supreme Court collegium on the government’s response to its recommendations.
Describing the government action as an impediment to judicial independence, he told media persons: “I was invited to be a judge. I was not longing to be a judge. Having accepted the invitation to be on the bench, I wanted to do some good work.”
“The government has to be told that independent judges are not its enemy and they have to be independent to be in judiciary,” he asserted.
Subramanium contended that the government’s refusal to clear the recommendations has reduced to insignificance the 1993 apex court verdict in second judges case giving primacy to the advice of the apex court collegium headed by the Chief Justice of India and comprising four other senior most judges on the appointment of judges.
“I am, however, unable to dispel the sense of unease that the judiciary has failed to assert its independence by respecting the likes and dislikes of the executive. While harmony between different organs of the state is a desirable feature, the functionality of each organ is meant to have different, defining characteristics,” Subramanium said in his letter.
Asked why he withdrew his consent even though the collegium had yet to meet and consider government returning his name, Subramanium said that “if I had stood the ground, it would have been that I had an agenda. I don’t have an agenda”.
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Ansari on China visit
26062014Ansari on China visit, to hold substantive talks
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Vice President Hamid Ansari on Thursday leaves on a five-day official visit to China, during which he will attend a trilateral summit in Beijing to mark the 60th anniversary of the Panchsheel and also hold bilateral talks of “substantive outcome” with Chinese leaders. | |
Ansari will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman, as well as Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh, external affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said at a briefing here Wednesday. The visit comes as the union cabinet approved in principle a memorandum of understanding for China to set up industrial parks in India. Ansari’s visit to China is the first by an Indian leader after the Narendra Modi government came to power a month ago. His visit will also be the first by an Indian vice president to China since 1994, when K.R. Narayanan travelled to Beijing. Ansari will also visit the historic city of Xian, in Shaanxi province, where celebrated Chinese Buddhist monk Huen Tsang translated Buddhist scriptures brought from India in the seventh century. Akbaruddin said Ansari would be participating in delegation-level talks with “substantive outcome”. The vice president, who is visiting China on the invitation of his counterpart Li Yuanchao, would meet Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and call on President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People. He would participate in a trilateral summit along with China and Myanmar to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Panchsheel. Akbaruddin said the visit is expected to “add new content and substance to our bilateral relations with specific outcome”. China is celebrating the 60th anniversary of Panchsheel, the five principles for peaceful coexistence, over two days. President Xi Jinping, his Myanmar counterpart U Thein Sein and Ansari will take part in the events. Ansari’s trip comes days after the Indian visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to establish contact with the government of Prime Minister Modi. | |
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Bomb blast in Nigeria capital kills 21, wounds 17
26062014
ABUJA: Nigerian authorities have arrested one suspect, and killed another, after a bomb claimed 21 lives in a shopping centre in the capital Abuja, a city gripped by fear of attacks by Boko Haram.
Wednesday´s blast shook the Emab Plaza at 4:00 pm (1500 GMT), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said, as shoppers were buying groceries ahead of the country´s World Cup match against Argentina, which kicked-off an hour later.
“The casualty figure for now is 21 persons dead, 17 injured,” national police spokesman Frank Mba said, adding that a suspect had been arrested.
Later the National Information Centre said a second suspect had been shot dead by troops as he tried to escape on a motorbike.
Senior government spokesman Mike Omeri confirmed that the blast was the result of “a bomb attack”.
Rescue teams were deployed to the scene and evacuated the victims from the area, NEMA spokesman Manzo Ezekiel told.
“The explosion struck at peak business time,” he said, adding that the area was busy at the time of the blast and that 40 cars had been destroyed.
The blast, at the entrance to the mall, was powerful enough to blow out windows in buildings on the opposite side of the street, an AFP correspondent on the scene in the immediate aftermath said.
The area, sandwiched between two other shopping centres and one of the busiest in central Abuja, was littered with the burnt out wreckages of cars and soaked in pools of congealed blood.
Rescue workers could be seen picking through what appeared to be the scorched body parts of victims.
An employee of the nearby Newcastle Hotel in the Wuse II area of the city, who did not want to be named, said she clearly heard the explosion.
Soldiers and police cordoned off the scene of the blast and firefighters were at the location, as thick smoke billowed into the sky, an AFP reporter said.
A soldier close to the scene but who demanded anonymity told reporters that two suspects who tried to flee the scene were caught.
One of them who was shot by soldiers as he was fleeing later died from his injuries. Media agencies
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Govt defers decision on natural gas prices by 3 months
26062014
UIn a setback to gas producers like Reliance Industries, the government on Wednesday postponed revision in natural gas prices by three months pending a “comprehensive” review to make a controversial pricing formula more palatable.
The current USD 4.2 per million British thermal unit rate for gas, which would have jumped to USD 8.8 if a formula approved by the previous UPA government was implemented on July 1, will continue till September-end, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said.The first revision in rates in four years was originally to take effect from April 1 but with general elections being declared it was postponed by three months.
“The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs today decided that comprehensive discussions were necessary on the issue. It was decided that consultations would be held with all stakeholders and it was important to keep public interest in mind,” he told reporters after the CCEA meeting.
Pradhan, who had held three rounds of discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue since Friday, did not say if a new expert committee or a ministerial group will be constituted for the review.
In course of these discussions, it was clear that the new government was looking at making some changes in the formula, proposed by a panel headed by C Rangarajan, as it would have led to Rs 2 per unit increase in power tariff and Rs 12 a kg hike in CNG rates besides jump in fertiliser subsidy outgo.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said a review mechanism will have to be decided by the Prime Minister’s Office and the Oil Ministry.
“There have been one or two meetings. The mechanism in the government which will review the whole thing and come to an opinion, I think now needs to be finalised,” he said.
Neither Pradhan nor Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad who briefed media persons on the cabinet decision, would say if a new formula altogether was being considered or whether the Rangarajan formula will be amended to bring down the rates to acceptable levels.
“The matter needs extensive consultations keeping the public good in mind with all the stakeholders… the new government must be given time to take a call on what should be the mechanism (of review),” Prasad said.
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Dipika-Joshana win women’s doubles title in Malaysia
26062014
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India bagged its second title at the Tri-Nation squash doubles tournament in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday when Dipika Pallikal and Joshana Chinappa emerged winners in the women’s doubles final. | |
Pallikal and Joshana rallied to beat New Zealand’s Joelle King and Amanda Landers Murphy 8-11, 11-5, 11-1 at the National Squash Centre. Hosts Malaysia was the the other country to participate in the three-day event, seen as a warm-up to the next month’s Commonwealth Games. It was Pallikal’s second title in as many days after she won the mixed doubles with Saurav Ghosal. The Indians put up a commendable show considering they are busy playing singles for major part of the season. Pallikal said it was good practice for the Glasgow Games beginning July 23. “I am glad to have won the doubles too. We started off slow today but got better as the match progressed. Joshana played some amazing shots to shock our opponents,” Pallikal said. She alongside Joshana stunned the mighty Malaysian pair of Nicol David and Low Wee Wern in the semifinals yesterday. “The win here does a lot of good to our confidence going into the Commonwealth Games. Winning there is our main aim and this tournament helped us understand where we stand in the pecking order. In top Commonwealth nations, only England and Australia were not here. It was a good test overall,” said the singles World No.10. How tough is it switch to doubles while playing singles on the professional tour? “It is tough but you have to switch off switch on when necessary,” Pallikal added. | |
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Firing on PIA plane: over 200 suspects held
26062014
More than two hundred suspects were rounded up in a search operation conducted in Budh Ber amid investigations into the incident of firing on a plane of the national flag carrier in Peshawar Tuesday night.
Now not even the passenger planes are safe anymore in Peshawar.
A flight of Pakistan International Airline (PIA) came under fire attack by the terrorists in Mashokehl in the outskirts of Peshawar. More than twelve bullets hit the plane.
Following the incident, Police and security forces launched a joint search operation in Mashokhel and Salman Khel areas and took into custody over 200 suspects.