Month: August 2022

Amid threats from various terror organizations warning of disrupting the Independence Day celebrations, the Delhi Police has decided to install more than 1,000 Internet Protocol (IP) based CCTV cameras in and around Red Fort here.

On Thursday, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) issued an alert for possible attacks by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) ahead of the 75th Independence Day celebration on August 15.
The 10-page report by IB mentions the recent attack on Japan’s former PM Shinzo Abe who was shot dead at a public event in Japan recently and requested Delhi police to enforce strict entry rules at the venue on August 15.

The document accessed by ANI reads that out of the total requirement, 80 per cent CCTV Cameras of IP-based 2-megapixel and 20 per cent CCTV cameras of IP-based 4-megapixel will be installed at each and every corner of the venue.

These 20 per cent CCTV cameras of IP-based 4-megapixel will be installed at the strategic locations which will be intimated by DCP concerned at the time of installation and the rest 80 per cent locations will be covered by IP-based 2-mega pixel CCTV cameras.

These cameras will be installed at New Delhi District, North District, South-East, Central District, Security Unit and North West District. A large number of cameras will be installed in the North district and Central district that covers the periphery of Red Fort, where Independence Day celebrations with be held.

These IP-based cameras will be equipped with features like face detection, people movement detection, tripwire, audio detection, intrusion, defocus, abandoned/missing object. And will provide Full HD 1080P live view of the locations. It will also share data on a real-time basis for face recognition server.

For better detection, these cameras will incorporate a built-in 30X optical, auto-focus zoom lens, and will have 12X digital zoom capability. The camera should have inbuilt Infra Red (IR) and cover distance up to 150 metres for better viewing during night, the document reads.

Last year on Republic Day, protestors did not follow the prearranged route and broke barricades to enter Delhi, clashed with police, and vandalised property in several parts of the national capital during the farmers’ tractor rally. They also entered the Red Fort and unfurled their flags from its ramparts. (ANI)

The tourism sector in Jammu and Kashmir has got a boost after the abrogation of Article 370 and 35(A) on August 05, 2019.

The Union Territory witnesses an upsurge in tourists’ inflow due to the development of infrastructure, improvement in connectivity and better law and order.

This year, the tourism sector in J-K also got a major boost as the government made a record budgetary allocation of Rs. 786 crores, an increase of 184 per cent over the allocation for the previous year.

Tourists not only preferred to visit the Kashmir valley for leisure but the majority of them visited the UT for religious and adventure activities.

In April this year, the Srinagar International airport recorded the highest ever 102 to and fro daily flights as well as the highest footfall of 15,199 daily passengers. Seeing the year’s footfall, the government is planning to build another terminal at Srinagar International Airport to cater to the increased rush in the future.

Kashmir’s iconic Tulip Garden, one of the biggest in Asia which was opened on March 13 witnessed an all-time high number of arrival of visitors, locals as well as domestic tourists, this year since its establishment in 2007.

Thrilled by the inflow of tourists, various adventure activities have picked up in the valley resulting in creating more jobs and business opportunities for the locals.

Recently, the thrilling and adventurous Jet Ski rides attracted tourists at world famous Dal Lake.

Jehangir, a jet rider said, this is adventurous and tourists enjoy it. We started this two years ago as the number of tourists has increased. This year the tourist flow is tremendous”.

A tourist said, “Kashmir is really a paradise and we are very lucky to visit here and enjoy the mesmerising beauty of the valley including this thrilling Jet Ski riding. So people don’t need to go to Switzerland or any other place in Europe,”.

The UT administration has also taken several measures to attract tourists and get a mesmerising experience of visiting the Kashmir valley.

At Ganderbal’s Manasbal lake, the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism department organised a festival to promote local art and culture, food and water sports activities.

Dr. G N Itoo, director, of tourism in Kashmir, said, “Manasbal being an offbeat destination we have organised a day-long festival in which water sports and other activities were organized to attract more and more tourists”.

There are several unexplored destinations in Jammu and Kashmir which remained unreachable for tourists in the past. As the law & order situation is improving drastically in J-K since 2019, more tourists are heading to explore the beautiful Kashmir valley.

Tourists can discover places like Watlab in Baramulla or can enjoy Golf at Pahalgam.

The UT’s tourism department even promotes rural tourism with an aim to show Kashmir’s village life to tourists. Recently, J&K Tourism tweeted, “Sagg eco-village in Ganderbal integrates rural life, heritage & culture creating a platform for sustainable economic models to benefit the local community. It facilitates interaction between the tourists and the locals for a more enriching tourism experience”.

Over 79 lakh tourists visited J&K between October 2021 to March 2022, which indicates that the prevailing situation is favourable to the growth of the tourism sector in the Union Territory. (ANI)

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) over the last eight years has carried out 3,010 raids and attached proceeds of crime worth ₹99,356 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, during the ongoing Monsoon Session, informed the Rajya Sabha that since the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government came to power in 2014, the ED has attached proceeds of crime worth Rs 99,356 crore and filed charge sheets in 888 cases, resulting in the conviction of 23 accused.

The ED has carried out several raids this year, these include:

1. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi National Herald Case

The ED carried out raids at 12 locations in the national capital and at other places on August 2 in connection with the National Herald case in which Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi, party leader Rahul Gandhi and others are accused of financial irregularities. The case pertains to the alleged financial irregularities under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and was registered about nine months ago after a trial court took cognizance of an Income Tax department probe carried out on the basis of a private criminal complaint filed by former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Subramanian Swamy in 2013. Following this, the ED on Wednesday sealed the Young Indian office at the Herald House building in the national capital.

2. Bhupinder Singh Honey in sand mining case

The ED conducted raids on the premises of property owned by former Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi’s nephew Bhupinder Singh Honey in an alleged illegal sand mining case. Honey was arrested by ED on February 3 from Jalandhar. The agency seized more than Rs 10 crore, gold worth above Rs 21 lakh and a Rolex watch worth Rs 12 lakh from the residential premises of Honey. This was one of the biggest raids of 2022. Channi was also questioned by the ED in connection with an alleged illegal sand mining case.

3. IAS Pooja Singhal in Jharkhand Mining case

IAS officer Pooja Singhal, an aide of Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren was raided in a money laundering case linked to the alleged embezzlement of MGNREGA funds in state’s Khunti and Chatra districts. She was arrested in May this year. Around 20 crore cash was recovered from Pooja Singhal and her Chartered Accountant. ED had also raided Ranchi’s Pulse Hospital, owned by her husband Abhishek Jha. Pooja Singhal was the secretary of the Department of Mines and Geology and the Managing Director of Jharkhand State Mineral Development Corporation Limited (JSMDC).

4. Partha Chatterjee and Arpita Mukherjee in SSC Recruitment scam

The ED, last month, recovered around Rs 50 crore in cash, along with jewellery, from former Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee’s associate Arpita Mukherjee’s residence–one in southwest Kolkata and other in Belghoria while investigating the West Bengal SSC recruitment scam. The arrest of Partha Chatterjee followed the recovery of Rs 21 crore in cash and jewellery from the Kolkata residence of Arpita Mukherjee, a close aide of the former education minister. Trinamool Congress, which has distanced itself from Chatterjee, axed him as a minister and suspended him from the party. The investigation is on and the ED is still searching other properties linked to both the accused. The ED has seized the maximum till now this year in this scam. However, Chatterjee had denied his involvement in the School Service Commission (SSC) scam and asserted that the “money does not belong to him”.

5. Satyendar Jain in money laundering case

AAP leader and Delhi’s Health Minister Satyendar Jain was arrested under provisions of PMLA by the ED in May this year after CBI registered an FIR against him in a Disproportionate Asset case on August 24, 2017. The ED said it seized various incriminating documents and digital records. The ED said that the total movable assets were seized from an “unexplained source” and were “found to be secreted” in the raided premises. More than Rs 2 crore in cash and gold weighing 1.8 kg were seized by the ED after raids against Jain and those linked to him, in a money laundering case. Last month, ED questioned Satyendar Jain’s wife Poonam Jain in connection with the alleged money laundering case. She has also been named in the FIR along with the Delhi Minister.

6. Karti Chidambaram in Chinese Visa case

The Enforcement Directorate has booked Congress MP Karti Chidambaram in a money laundering case connected with the Chinese Visa case. This came soon after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in May this year conducted nationwide searches at various premises linked to P Chidambaram and his son Karti in connection with the case. The FIR is based on allegations that Karti accepted a bribe of Rs 50 lakh from the Vedanta Group to facilitate visas for 300 Chinese nationals of a company working in collaboration with a Vedanta subsidiary for a power project in Punjab.

7. Sanjay Raut in Patra Chawl Scam

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut is currently in ED custody in a money laundering case related to irregularities in connection with the Patra Chawl case. The ED raided Raut’s Bhandup bungalow and seized of Rs 11.5 lakh in cash. It also recovered several important documents during raids including records that Raut paid Rs 3 crores in cash to the sellers for 10 plots of land in Alibaug. The Court sent Raut to ED custody till August 4. The agency has also accused Raut of trying to tamper with the evidence and influence key witnesses.

8. Yes Bank- DHFL Fraud case

The Enforcement Directorate has attached assets totalling Rs 415 crore in Yes Bank- DHFL Fraud case. Of the total, Rs 251 crore assets were of Sanjay Chhabria and Rs 164 crore of Avinash Bhosale. The ED issued two provisional attachment orders under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) against the duo. With this latest attachment, the total goes up to Rs 1,827 crore, the enforcement agency said. The attached assets of Sanjay Chhabria are in the form of a land parcel located in Santacruz, Mumbai worth Rs 116.5 crore, 25 per cent equity shares of Chhabria’s company held in the land parcel, located at Bengaluru worth Rs 115 Crore, a flat located at Santacruz, Mumbai worth Rs 3 crore, profit receivable from hotel belonging to Chhabria located at Delhi Airport worth Rs 13.67 crore and three high-end luxury cars worth Rs 3.10 crore. Further, attached assets of Avinash Bhosale were in the form of a duplex flat belonging to Bhosale, located in Mumbai worth Rs 102.8 crore, one land parcel located at Pune worth Rs 14.65 crore, one more land parcel located at Pune worth Rs 29.24 crore, a land parcel located at Nagpur worth Rs 15.52 crore and another portion of land located at Nagpur to the extent of Rs 1.45 crore. The ED has also arrested Sanjay Chhabria and Avinash Bhosale in June and both are in judicial custody.

9. Nawab Malik

Maharashtra Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik has had links with fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim’s D-company for a long time, according to the investigation of the Enforcement Directorate against him in connection with a money laundering case. The ED has filed a prosecution complaint (chargesheet) before the Special PMLA court in Mumbai. In the prosecution complaint, the ED mentioned Malik’s alleged link to the D-company, and purported conspiracy to “usurp” the Goawala building compound in Kurla West in 1996. Malik is in ED custody.

10. Farooq Abdullah

The Enforcement Directorate filed a supplementary chargesheet against former J-K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah in the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association Fund scam. The case relates to the siphoning-off of Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) funds by way of transfer to various personal bank accounts of unrelated parties including those of office bearers of JKCA and by way of unexplained cash withdrawals from JKCA bank accounts. The ED initiated a money laundering investigation on the basis of a chargesheet filed by the CBI on July 11, 2018, against office bearers of JKCA in the case dated September 21, 2015. The quantum of proceeds of crime identified by ED in this case so far is Rs 51.90 crore out of which assets worth Rs 21.55 crore have been attached by ED.

Besides these cases, the Enforcement Directorate in February attached Rs 1.77 crore of Washington Post columnist Rana Ayyub in a money laundering case. According to an official, Ayyub allegedly utilized the parts of donations meant for three campaigns, for personal expenses. (ANI)

Who’s the hottest girl in the world? Oh desi girl — Priyanka Chopra’s fans must have screamed this hook line from the actor’s hit song after seeing her unseen picture with her husband Nick Jonas.

Taking to Instagram, Nick shared the image from Priyanka’s 40th birthday bash. In the picture, Priyanka is seen standing in front of Nick and holding one of his hands as she looked away from the camera smiling. Nick held her from behind.

The duo looks super stylish. Priyanka opted for a red dress paired with matching heels. On the other hand, Nick wore a pink and black outfit.

“Lady in red,” Nick captioned the post, adding a red heart emoji to it.

Earlier on the occasion of Priyanka’s 40th birthday on July 19, Nick posted a bunch of pictures for his wife and attached a sweet note with it. He wrote, “Happiest birthday to my (heart emoji) the jewel of July. So honored to be on this crazy ride called life with you. I love you. @priyankachopra.”

Priyanka and Nick got married in a Christian and a Hindu ceremony in Jodhpur’s Umaid Bhawan Palace on December 1 and 2 in 2018. Later, the couple also hosted two receptions in Delhi and Mumbai. The two are parents to a daughter named Malti Marie.

In January 2022, the two announced that they welcomed daughter Malti Marie via surrogacy.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Priyanka will be seen in international projects such as ‘It’s All Coming Back To Me’, and the series ‘Citadel’. Produced by Russo Brothers, ‘Citadel’ will hit the OTT on Prime Video. The upcoming sci-fi drama series is being directed by Patrick Morgan and stars Richard Madden alongside Priyanka.

In Bollywood, she will be starring with Alia Bhatt and Katrina Kaif in Farhan Akhtar’s ‘Jee Le Zaraa’, which promises to be another tale of friendship following the lineage of ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ and ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’, both of which have become cult classics over the years.’Jee Le Zaraa’ is reportedly going on floors around September 2022 and will be ready for release in the summer of 2023. (ANI)

The Bigg Boss 13 sensation Shehnaaz Gill, who has a massive fanbase on social media and is adored by millions of fans, shared glimpses of her “spa time”, taking a mud bath in her recent post.

Shehnaaz took to her Instagram handle and dropped a string of pictures in which she was seen cuddling in the muddy field and enjoying her own company near a construction site.

The ‘Punjabi Kudi’ sported a black tee and matching shorts and smeared herself in mud. She could be seen gazing directly into the camera in one of the photos, while in another, the actor choose to sit with a JCB in the backdrop.

Captioning the post, she wrote, “spa time #off roading”.

As soon as she posted the pictures, fans flooded the comment section with red heart emojis.

One of the fans joked and called her “Literally down to earth”. Another one wrote, “Only this munchkin can do this.” “Kuch toh baat hai @shehnaazgill main warna khuda Etna khubsurat Dil kis ko deyta hai,” a third comment read.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Shehnaaz was last seen in the Punjabi film, ‘Honsla Rakh’ opposite Diljit Dosanjh. She is reported to make her Bollywood debut very soon. Due to Shehnaaz’s close proximity to Actor Salman Khan, fans have been speculating that she will be seen in his next film ‘Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali’. (ANI)

Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday sealed the Young Indian office at the Herald House building in the national capital.

ED sealed the Young Indian office at the Herald House building in Delhi as no one was available in the office during the search and thus they were not able to complete the search.
The probe agency took action a day after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out raids at 12 locations in the national capital and at other places in connection with the National Herald case in which top Congress leaders are accused of violating norms.

“Delhi Police blocking the road to AICC Headquarters has become a norm rather than an exception! Why have they just done so is mysterious…,” Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said.

The National Herald case pertains to the alleged financial irregularities under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and was registered about nine months ago after a trial court took cognisance of an Income Tax department probe carried out on the basis of a private criminal complaint filed by former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Subramanian Swamy in 2013.

The petitioner had approached the court alleging that the assets of Associated Journals Limited (AJL), which published the National Herald newspaper, were fraudulently acquired and transferred to Young Indian Pvt Limited (YIL), in which Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi owned 38 per cent shares each.

Swamy had alleged that the Gandhis cheated and misappropriated funds, with YIL paying only Rs 50 lakh to obtain the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore that AJL owed to Congress.

The raids were conducted days after the investigative agency questioned Congress interim-president Sonia Gandhi for nearly three hours on July 27. It was the third round of questioning of the senior leader in the case.

Following the summoning of Sonia Gandhi by the ED, Congress workers and leaders staged protests in various parts of the country alleging misuse of probe agencies by the government. Sonia Gandhi was questioned by ED on July 26 also. She had reached the ED office accompanied by her daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

Officials said on that day, the party president’s response was sought to around 30 questions regarding her involvement with the National Herald newspaper and Young Indian Pvt Ltd.

During her questioning, the Lok Sabha MP from Rae Bareli was asked about the functioning and running of the newspaper, the role of its various office bearers. Prior to that, she was also questioned by ED on July 21.

Meanwhile, in June, the ED questioned Rahul Gandhi for five days. Rahul Gandhi was questioned by the ED for over 27 hours for three straight days from June 13 to June 15 and was again summoned on June 20. On June 20, he was questioned for around 14 hours.

The Congress leader deposed before the ED investigators in the case for the first time on June 13.

He initially sought an exemption from appearance on June 16, following which he was called on June 17. But the senior Congress leader wrote to the ED to postpone his questioning citing the illness of his mother Sonia Gandhi. The ED then allowed him to join the probe on June 20 at his request. (ANI)

The government on Wednesday withdrew the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 and has decided to come up with a new legislation in view of a large number of amendments suggested by the Joint Committee of Parliament towards a comprehensive legal framework on the digital ecosystem.

Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw moved the motion for withdrawal of the bill in Lok Sabha.
“The Data Protection Bill 2021 as reported by the Joint Committee may be withdrawn,” he said. The House adopted the motion.

The minister later said that Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 was deliberated in great detail by the Joint Committee of Parliament and 81 amendments were proposed and 12 recommendations were made towards a comprehensive legal framework on the digital ecosystem.

“Considering the report of the JCP, a comprehensive legal framework is being worked upon Hence, in the circumstances, it is proposed to withdraw ‘The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019’ and present a new bill that fits into the comprehensive legal framework,” he said.

The Government had July 31, 2017 constituted a “committee of Experts on Data Protection” chaired by Justice BN Srikrishna to examine the issues relating to data protection. The committee examined the issues on data protection and submitted its report on July 27, 2018. The 2019 bill sought to bring a strong and robust data protection framework for India and to set up an Authority for protecting personal data and empowering the citizens’ with rights relating to their personal data ensuring their fundamental right to “privacy and protection of personal data”. The bill was sent to a Joint Committee of Parliament which gave its report on December 16, 2021. (ANI)

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement on Wednesday in which she described her high-stakes trip to Taipei as a “strong statement that America stands with Taiwan.”

She said that visit is part of broader travels in the Indo-Pacific, focused on security, prosperity and governance – on which Taiwan is a global leader.

The US House Speaker, who is second in line to the Oval Office after the US vice-president, said Taiwan is a very special place and added that America’s solidarity with the people of Taiwan is more important today than ever.

“Our congressional delegation’s visit should be seen as a strong statement that America stands with Taiwan,” Pelosi said in the statement. “We came to Taiwan to listen to, learn from and show our support for the people of Taiwan, who have built a thriving democracy that stands as one of the freest and most open in the world.”

“Throughout our visit, we highlighted Taiwan’s many successes on those three important priorities. On security: we reaffirmed Congress’ ongoing commitment to helping Taiwan defend its freedom in the face of aggression. On economy: we conveyed how our CHIPS and Science Act will go a long way to strengthening both our economies, as well as expressed our support for a 21st Century trade framework. On governance: we congratulated them on their robust response to the pandemic, one of the most successful in the world.

She said that the US will continue to work together on its priorities, including collaborating to combat the climate crisis, which is an imperative for our mutual security, economic growth and to honor our responsibility to future generations.

US has said this trip in no way contradicts longstanding United States policy on the self-governed island. China, meanwhile, has said Pelosi’s Taiwan visit was a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the joint communique signed between the two countries.

In a statement today, Pelosi also slammed China for preventing Taiwan from participating in world forums.

“Sadly, Taiwan has been prevented from participating in global meetings, most recently the World Health Organization, because of objections by the Chinese Communist Party. While they may prevent Taiwan from sending its leaders to global forums, they cannot prevent world leaders or anyone from travelling to Taiwan to pay respect to its flourishing Democracy, to highlight its many successes and to reaffirm our commitment to continued collaboration,” she said.

During her brief Taipei visit, the US delegation held two bilateral meetings with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and Foreign Minister Joseph Wu.

They also had an interparliamentary meeting with the Vice President of the Legislative Yuan Tsai Chi-chang and leaders of other parties in the Parliament. Pelosi described these meetings as “very positive and productive.” (ANI)

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde faction on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that the rebel MLAs never left the Shiv Sena while emphasising that there was no split in the party.

The Shinde faction said it was “not anti-party, but intra-party” dispute after Uddhav Thackeray-led camp claimed that these MLAs stand disqualified for anti-party activities.

A bench of Chief Justice Justice NV Ramana, Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli was informed there is no split in the political party and rather, there is a dispute over its leadership, which can be said to be an “intra-party” dispute.

The apex court was hearing arguments in the cases filed by Uddhav Thackeray-led camp and the Eknath Shinde group relating to Maharashtra political crisis. The bench heard detailed arguments from both sides and posted it for further hearing on Thursday.

Senior advocate Harish Salve appearing for the Shinde group argued that the anti-defection law is not a weapon for the leaders who have lost the numbers to lock their members.

Salve said, “In India, we confuse political parties with some leaders. I belong to Shiv Sena. My Chief Minister refuses to meet me, I am not arguing facts, giving theoretical facts. I want a change of Chief Minister. That is not anti-party, that is intra-party. If there are a larger number of MLAs who are not satisfied with the way the Chief Minister is functioning and want a change, why can they not say that there should be a fresh leadership contest?”

To this, the CJI asked Salve why cannot these members form a new party saying the leader did not meet them.

Salve replied that Shinde and others are within the party. “I am a dissenting member within the party. I am part of Shiv Sena. Within the party, there has to be a democracy. I am saying that there are two groups within the Political Party,” Salve said representing the Shinde group.

CJI Ramana asked Salve what is the purpose of the Shinde group approaching the Election Commission.

Salve said after the Chief Minister’s resignation, there are political developments. “Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election is near… Who should get the symbol?” he said.

Shinde group had approached the Election Commission claiming recognition as ‘real’ Shiv Sena. The move was challenged by Uddhav Thackeray’s camp in the apex court and they sought to stay on the proceedings before the poll panel.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the Thackeray camp, said that the Shinde group’s argument claim that they are the original party is “not permissible”. “They admit before the Election Commission that there is a split,” he said.

Sibal said the Shinde group was called for a party meeting, they went to Surat and then to Guwahati. “They wrote to Deputy Speaker, they appointed their Whip. By their conduct, Shinde group has given up the party membership, they cannot claim to be an original party, the tenth schedule does not allow that,” Sibal submitted.

“You cannot claim that you are the political party. You say you are the political party sitting in Guwahati. A political party is decided by the Election Commission. You cannot declare that sitting in Guwahati,” he further said.

Shinde group’s argument is that they have the majority, but the majority is not recognised by the tenth schedule. Any form of a split is violative of the tenth schedule, he added.

“Even today they recognised Uddhav Thackeray as the President of the official party. Even in the petition, they recognise that” he argued.

“What is being done today is to use the tenth schedule to encourage defection. If this is permitted, the majority can be used to topple any government. Is that the purpose of the tenth schedule? To instigate and legitimise defections,” asked Sibal.

Every act of theirs amounts to voluntary giving up party membership, Sibal said. If they are defectors, it will relate back to their conduct when they first gave up party membership, so all the subsequent proceedings will be illegal – the election of Speaker, Chief Minister, calling of house, etc, all illegal, Sibal argued.

Sibal said he hasn’t seen in the history of this court that in the tenth schedule case a party comes and says they have given membership of the party. That is why conduct has to be seen to decide whether membership has been given up, he contended.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi also representing the Thackeray camp argued that defection is a Constitutional sin. “The game plan (of Shinde camp) is not only to run a government in Maharashtra but also to get legitimacy by getting some orders from the Election Commission and delaying the present proceedings. They are trying to legitimise all this by seeking a declaration from ECI that they are the real party,” Singhvi added.

He contended, “The Speaker has not moved a small finger on our complaints pending since June 21, but the Speaker promptly acts on their complaints. The Speaker deciding the disqualification is worse than having a premeditated result.”

Senior advocate Neeraj Kishan Kaul representing the Shinde group said an application has been moved by the Thackeray camp to restrain the Election Commission from deciding who is the ‘real Shiv Sena’, it is the Commission’s exclusive jurisdiction to decide.

An argument is sought to be made by the other side that just because the disqualification is pending, which is the sole jurisdiction of the Speaker, in the meantime the Election Commission should not exercise its jurisdiction, but these two are unrelated issues, Kaul argued.

Senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, also appearing for the Shinde group argued that the new government came in not because the Chief Minister was defeated in the floor test, it was because he resigned. If a Chief Minister refuses to take the floor test, it has to be presumed he does not have the majority, he said.

The previous government did not elect a Speaker for over one year, he said. The Constitution mandates that the new government must elect Speaker and it elected a Speaker after a contest, it was a majority of 154-99, said Jethmalani.

“The decision of the full house cannot be a matter for judicial review. Let the constitutionally and lawfully elected Speaker decide,” he said.

Earlier, the Supreme Court three-judge bench had said that some of the issues involved in the Maharashtra political crisis may require to a larger Constitutional bench for consideration

It had also asked the Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, Rahul Narwekar not to take any action on the new disqualification notices issued against the members of Shiv Sena.

There are various petitions pending before the apex court filed by both the factions of Shiv Sena.

Uddhav Thackeray-led faction had approached the top court challenging the Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari’s decision to invite Eknath Shinde to form the government and also the Speaker’s election and floor test. Recently they had challenged the Shinde group approaching poll panel claiming they are ‘real Shiv Sena’.

They had also challenged the newly appointed Maharashtra Assembly Speaker’s action recognising the whip of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde group as the whip of Shiv Sena. The plea said the newly appointed Speaker has no jurisdiction to recognise whips nominated by Shinde as Uddhav Thackeray is still the head of the Shiv Sena official party.

Thackeray camp’s Sunil Prabhu had filed plea seeking suspension from the Maharashtra Assembly of new Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and 15 rebel MLAs against whom disqualification pleas are pending.

Shinde group’s challenged the disqualification notices issued by the Deputy Speaker to 16 rebel MLAs as well as the appointment of Ajay Choudhary as Shiv Sena Legislature Party leader, is also pending before the apex court.

On June 29, the top court gave a go-ahead to the floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly on June 30. Refusing to stay the Maharashtra Governor’s direction to the then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to prove his majority support on the floor of the House on June 30, the bench had issued notice on Prabhu’s plea against floor test.

After the apex court’s order, Uddhav Thackeray announced his resignation as the Chief Minister and Eknath Shinde was later sworn in as the Chief Minister.

On June 27, the top court granted interim relief to Shinde and other rebel MLAs to file their reply on disqualification notices issued to them by Deputy Speaker by July 12. Earlier, Deputy Speaker had granted them time to file a reply by June 27. (ANI)