HC verdict on Sehajdhari voting rights case today

Chandigarh, December 19
The Punjab and Haryana High Court will on Tuesday deliver verdict on the Sehajdhari Sikhs voting rights issue.

A three-Judge Bench of the High Court is scheduled to pronounce the orders on a bunch of three petitions filed by the Sehajdhari Sikhs Federation and other petitioners.

They are seeking directions to the Union of India and other respondents for quashing the impugned notification issued in on October 8, 2003.

The notification debars Sehajdhari Sikhs from voting in the SGPC elections was issued.

HC rap for Punjab rights commission

Says SHRC only a recommendatory institution

Chandigarh, December 19
Finding fault with an order of the Punjab State Human Rights Commission against a DSP and two other police officials, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has ruled that the commission is only a recommendatory institution. It does not have the jurisdiction to reject defence version furnished by the police officers.
The ruling came on a petition filed by DSP Balwinder Singh, Barjinder Kumar and Sanjeev Kumar Goel against the State of Punjab and other respondents.
In the petition placed before the Bench of Justice MM Kumar and Justice Rajiv Narain Raina, challenge was thrown to the order dated November 12, 2009, passed by the Punjab State Human Rights Commission.
In its order, the Commission had rejected the defence pleas of the three police officers and recommended to the State Government to initiate department action against them. An interim compensation of Rs 25,000 was also recommended for Vishal Kumar, the victim of police harassment.
Challenging the order, counsel for the petitioner submitted: “Once the commission decides that the defence raised by the three petitioners was rejected, this would certainly prejudice their rights before the regular courts of law where they may have to face criminal or civil proceedings.” The counsel added the rest of the order was recommendatory and there could not be “any possible objection”.
After hearing the rival contentions, the Bench asserted that it was of the view that the submission made by the petitioner’s counsel on the offending portion of the order deserved to be accepted.
“Once the commission is found to be a recommendatory institution by the Division Bench of this court and the commission is only to act as a catalytic body, it would not have any jurisdiction to reject the defence version posed by the petitioner before the commission.”

“If such a course is adopted, it would amount to adjudication of the rights of the parties and their case before the regular courts might be prejudiced…. The following portion of the order is set aside: The commission rejects the defence pleas of the three police officers. The writ petitions are partly allowed. However, rest of the recommendations would stand”.

The rulebook

• The commission had rejected the defence pleas of the three police officers in a case
• It also recommended to the State Government to initiate departmental action against the trio
• The High Court, however, ruled that the commission did not have the jurisdiction to reject defence version as furnished by the police officials
• The ruling came on a petition filed by DSP Balwinder Singh, Barjinder Kumar and Sanjeev Kumar Goel against the State of Punjab and other respondents

Ruckus in LS over move to ban Bhagvad Gita in Russia

RAISING THE PITCH: ISKCON followers hold placards during an agitation in front of the Russian Consulate in Kolkata on Monday. — PTI

New Delhi, December 19
The Lok Sabha today had RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav raising the slogan ‘Bhagwan Sri Krishna ki jai,’ and the entire House reverberated with ‘jai’ as he rose to condemn the Russian court’s act of banning the Russian translation of Bhagvad Gita by International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), while SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav wanted the Bhagvad Gita to be taught in all schools.
The House was earlier adjourned for two hours from 2 pm as SP and BSP rushed into the Well of the House and BJP members were on their feet, demanding the government explanation.
When the House reassembled after the adjournment, the chair allowed SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav to raise the issue, who praised the Bhagvad Gita and said that it is revered in India across the board and the Dharma that Sri Krishna mentioned in the Gita is acceptable to people all over the world. Mahatma Gandhi was inspired by Gita. He regretted that the government was not taking it seriously.
He was followed by RJD chief Lalu Yadav, JD (U) president Sharad Yadav and BJP leader Hukumdev Narain Yadav, who all took serious exception to the disrespect caused to the Gita and Bhagwan Krishna and demanded government statement.
The matter was finally settled only when Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal assured the House that External Affairs Minister SM Krishna may make a statement perhaps tomorrow upon his return to the country.

Russian court verdict on Dec 28 MOSCOW: A Russian court on Monday suspended its verdict till December 28 on the demand for banning Hindu scripture Bhagvad Gita, which a group linked to the Christian Orthodox Church has described as ‘extremist’. “The ruling has been postponed till December 28, as the lawyer of the local chapter of ISKCON requested the court to seek opinion of Russian ombudsman and experts from Moscow and St Petersburg - the main centres of Indology in Russia”, Sadhu Priya Das of ISKCON said in the Siberian city of Tomsk.

Cabinet clears Food Security Bill, to be tabled in Parliament this week

NEW DELHI: After a prod by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, the Cabinet on Sunday cleared the National Food Security Bill at a specially convened meeting to table it in Parliament this week.

The bill, meant to provide subsidized foodgrains to people, brought to the Cabinet by food and public distribution minister K V Thomas, was approved without a hitch in a meeting that lasted under an hour.

The bill, which the UPA will table in Parliament in the hope of gaining some political dividend in the crucial Uttar Pradesh elections, seeks to cover 75% of the rural population and 50% of urban population in the country. Initial estimates suggest that the food subsidy bill could be upwards of Rs 1 lakh crore.

A minimum of 46% of the rural population and 28% urban population will get 7 kg of foodgrains per month per person. Rice would be provided at Rs 3 a kg, wheat at Rs 2 and coarse grains at Rs 1 a kg.

The rest of the targeted population would get 3 kg of grains per person per month at half the minimum support price offered to farmers by government during procurement. Existing nutrition and select social security schemes would also be brought under the legislation as an entitlement.

After having ensured clearance for a bill seen as the Congress president's pet project and a key element in the party's strategy for 2014 general elections, Thomas said, "With this, we fulfill our commitment to the people of India made first in the Congress manifesto in 2009."

Thomas met PM Manmohan Singh on Sunday just ahead of the Cabinet meeting and explained in detail the proposals as well as responses that had been elicited from various states. Thomas explained the financial ramifications of the bill to the PM as well as the foodgrain requirements and storage capacities that would need to be built up in the coming days. The inclusion of existing social security and nutrition schemes under the bill was also discussed with the PM with the cabinet secretary and V Narayanasamy, minister of state in the PMO.

The fact that Congress wants the bill tabled as soon as possible was evident when minutes of the Cabinet meeting and the final decision were communicated within minutes of the meeting's end.

The total number of beneficiaries to be covered by the bill would depend upon the results of the delayed Socio-Economic and Caste Census currently underway. While the government had moved closer to the recommendations of Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council, it has left the door open to play with the absolute numbers through the use of 'deprivation parameters' in the census data.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Need for multi-sectoral approach

Chandigarh, December 17
The Chandigarh Police organised a one-day workshop on ‘Anti-Human Trafficking’ at the ICA in Sector 26 in collaboration with the Institute of Correctional Administration, Chandigarh.

Around 35 officers from police, health, labour, prosecution and social welfare departments attended the event.

The workshop was inaugurated by Dr KP Singh, Inspector General of Prisons, Haryana, Panchkula. He said human trafficking was increasing worldwide with its presence at trans-state, trans-border and trans-national level. He also briefed the participants about the provisions of Prevention of Immortal Trafficking Act, 1986.

Dr Upneet Lalli, deputy director, ICA, said a multi-sectoral approach was essential to deal with human trafficking. A panel discussion on labour trafficking also took place.