SC posts petition on foreign origin issue for final disposal

NEW DELHI, July 14: A petition on whether a person of foreign origin can hold public office was today posted by the Supreme Court for final hearing after eight weeks.The order came on the petition filed by Rashtriya Mukti Morcha (RMM), a socio-political organization, taking exception to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi being invited to form Government at the Centre by the then President in 1999 after NDA lost a no-confidence motion in Parliament.The apex court had in April last year issued notices to the Centre and the Election Commission on the issue.However, the Centre did not file any affidavit and asked a bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan to post the matter for final hearing.The Election Commission said that its stand will be the same as that of the Centre.The Court posted the matter for hearing after eight weeks. When the matter had come for hearing on April 14, last year, the court had said that an important Constitutional issue had been raised in the petition.However, the apex court had made it clear that it would examine the issue in context of the persons who are citizens by registration.The Bench had said: “We will confine the question whether the person who is not born in the country can be appointed to a public office.” The RMM, in its petition, has challenged the Delhi High Court verdict which had dismissed its plea on the ground that it lacked merit.Senior advocate P N Lekhi, appearing for the RMM, had submitted, Gandhi, a citizen by registration, was invited to form the Government when she was not even an MP.The petition had contended that a political party cannot be headed by a person who has assumed citizenship by registration.Lekhi had claimed that after the last general election Gandhi wanted to be Prime Minister but the President perhaps had said that the question of foreign origin was before the court. PTI source: sentinel assam

AGP may move SC over Govt inaction

NEW DELHI, July 12 – Accusing the Congress-led Central and Assam Governments of disregarding the Supreme Court's verdict on detection and deportation of illegal migrants, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) today said that they are looking at the option of moving the Apex Court, alleging non-implementation of its orders. Addressing a press conference here today, to mark the completion of three years of the historic order of repealing the controversial IM (DT) Act, AGP MPs Biren Baishya, Sarbananda Sonowal and Kumar Deepak Das today slammed the Congress Government both at the Centre and the State for indulging in vote bank politics.The Government is yet to start the process of identification of the foreigners and the tribunals are yet to function. The updated National Register of Citizens (NRC) is not yet ready. The Home Ministry has failed to keep its own deadline of sealing the Indo-Bangladesh border by December 2006, said Sonowal, who was the main petitioner, on whose plea the Act was scrapped.He said he was going to consult senior legal counsel, Ashok Desai on moving the Supreme Court yet again pleading that the Government, despite lapse of three years, has not carried out its orders.The AGP leaders conceded that not much impact has been made by the repeal of the IM (DT) Act because of the Congress Party's attitude. The State Government has not taken any steps to implement the orders in toto, he alleged. Added Deepak Das, the Congress Party has disregarded the Accord signed during Rajiv Gandhi's regime. Unabated influx is still on and along with migrants, fundamentalist elements are also infiltrating. Assam today has as many as 14 fundamentalist outfits, he added.Though the foreigners' issue has always assumed centre stage in every election, Biren Baishya said raking the issue would not have any impact on its relations with the AUDF. The BJP has already made its intensions clear by declaring that the Bangladeshi immigration problem was going to be one of their major election planks."All political parties have agreed that March 25, 1971 is the cut-off date and any foreigners who has entered the State after that have to go. There should be no dispute over the Assam Accord," Baishya said, mindful that his Party is also talking to AUDF.Asked about the AGP's strategy for the forthcoming polls, he said it would be endeavour of his Party to ensure that all the anti-Congress votes are intact.The AGP, meanwhile, has declared that they are vote against the UPA Government and the nuclear agreement in the Lok Sabha during the Confidence Motion. source: assam tribune

Peace with Gujjar

Peace with Gujjar

The Gujjars finally called off their 27 day-long violent agitation, disrupting road and train communication, inflicting untold hardship to common men and loss of 39 lives, after extracting several benefits for the community excepting their major demand of ST status to the community. The Rajasthan Chief Minister, Vasundhara Raje announced 5 per cent reservation for Gujjars along with Banjara, Gadia, Luhars and Raikas as special category in government jobs and educational institutions, Panchayats and local self bodies. She has agreed to pay compensation of Rs 5 lakh to each of the deceased family killed during the agitation, provide job to one member of the deceased family and also compensation ranging from Rs 25,000 to Rs 1 lakh to the injured depending on the severity of the injury. She has also agreed to follow up with the Union Government for granting ST status to the Gujjars. Col (rtd) KS Bainsla, leader of the Gujjars appeared satisfied with the generous offer of the Rajasthan Chief Minister. The Chief Minister, to satisfy the higher castes also announced 14 per cent reservation for Economically Backward Communities such as Brahmins, Vaishyas and Kayasthas including Bohra Muslims, setting a precedence, raising the total reservation to 68 per cent in violation of Supreme Court’s ruling that reservation should not exceed 49 per cent.From the beginning the Rajasthan Government’s dealing with the Gujjar agitation shows lack of firmness. It allowed the situation to drift out of control resulting in complete break down of law and order allowing the agitators to damage national high ways, railway lines, burn police stations and public property. Now the Rajasthan government has agreed to withdraw cases against those involved in such mayhem. The State government appeared spineless and allowed the agitators to dictate terms. The Chief Minister’s announcement of 14 per cent reservation for high classes would open similar demands in other States. She has bought peace temporarily to face the coming Assembly elections, but her reservation policy of 68 per cent would be subject to judicial scrutiny and likely to be declared unconstitutional, which would result in fresh bout of agitation. Already, the Meena Community is dissatisfied with Vasundhara Raje’s dealing with the Gujjars. They are not likely to offer support to the Vasundgara Raje’s scheme of 68 per cent reservation. This is a classic case of a State caught in its own quagmire abandoning its constitutional role in the compulsions of vote bank politics. Source: assamtribune editorial 21.06.08

Gujjars call off Bharat bandh, agree on further talks

The first round of talks between Gujjars agitating for Scheduled Tribe status and Rajasthan Government ended here today as the community withdrew its countrywide general strike tomorrow and agreed to attend next round of negotiations in Jaipur. Emerging from the over three-hour talks here, the Gujjar leaders said the exercise was held in an “amicable” atmosphere.The talks were attended by two ministers of Vasundhara Raje government — L N Dave and S M Jat — and a 37-member Gujjar delegation at a government school. The Gujjar delegation with representatives from all districts also included V S Choudhary, agitation spearhead Kirori Singh Bainsla's doctor, and Delhi MLA Ramveer Singh Vidhuri. The over fortnight-long Gujjar agitation, which began on May 23, has left 43 people killed in police firing and clashes in Rajasthan and Haryana. PTI Sentinel Assam