Chairmanship Archives - Lokmarg

As the high-level committee on simultaneous elections constituted under the Chairmanship of former President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday met President Droupadi Murmu and submitted its report, Union Home Minister Amit Shah called it a “historic day for the country’s democratic system.”

“It is a historic day for the country’s democratic system. Today, the High-Level Committee formed by the Modi government on One Nation One Election, chaired by Shri @ramnathkovind Ji, presented its report before the Hon’ble President,” the Home Minister posted on his ‘X’ handle.

The report, comprising 18,626 pages, is an outcome of extensive consultations with stakeholders, experts and research work of 191 days, since the constitution of the High-Level Committee on September 2, 2023.

Shah was among the other members of the Committee that included Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha; N K Singh, former Chairman, 15th Finance Commission; Subhash C Kashyap, former Secretary General, Lok Sabha; Harish Salve, Senior Advocate; and Sanjay Kothari, former Chief Vigilance Commissioner. Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State (Independent Charge) Ministry of Law and Justice was a Special Invitee and Niten Chandra was the Secretary of the Committee.

The committee held extensive consultations to understand the views of different stakeholders. 47 political parties submitted their views and suggestions, out of which 32 supported simultaneous elections. Many political parties had extensive discussions with the committee on this matter.

In response to a public notice published in newspapers in all the States and Union territories, 21,558 responses were received from citizens from all over India. Of them, 80 per cent of the respondents supported simultaneous elections.

Experts on law such as four former Chief Justices of India and twelve former Chief Justices of major High Courts, four former Chief Election Commissioners of India, eight State Election Commissioners, and the Chairman, of the Law Commission of India were invited by the committee for interaction in person. Views of the Election Commission of India were also sought.

Apex business organisations like the CII, FICCI, ASSOCHAM and eminent economists were also consulted to present their views on the economic repercussions of asynchronous elections. They advocated the economic imperative of simultaneous elections on account of the effect of asynchronous elections on fuelling inflation and slowing down the economy. The committee was briefed by these bodies that intermittent elections had adverse consequences on economic growth, quality of public expenditure, and educational and other outcomes, besides upsetting social harmony.

After careful consideration of all suggestions and viewpoints, the Committee recommends a two-step approach to lead to simultaneous elections. As the first step, simultaneous elections will be held for the House of the People and the State Legislative Assemblies. In the second step, elections to the Municipalities and the Panchayats will be synchronized with the House of the People and the State Legislative Assemblies in such a way that Municipalities and Panchayats elections are held within a hundred days of holding elections to the House of the People and the State Legislative Assemblies.

The committee also recommends that there should be a single electoral roll and Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) for use in elections to all three tiers of Government.

In tune with its mandate to explore the mechanism for simultaneous elections, and keeping in view the existing framework of the Constitution, the Committee has crafted its recommendations in such a way that they are in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution of India and would require bare minimum amendments to the Constitution.

Upon all-inclusive deliberations, the committee concludes that its recommendations will significantly enhance the transparency, inclusivity, ease and confidence of the voters.

Overwhelming support for holding simultaneous elections will spur the development process and social cohesion, deepen the foundations of our democratic rubric, and realize the aspirations of India, that is Bharat, it said. (ANI)

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Uttar Pradesh Government has moved a caveat application in Supreme Court on a petition seeking to constitute an Independent Expert Committee under the Chairmanship of a former Supreme Court judge to inquire into the killing of Atiq and Ashraf amid police presence.

The Supreme Court on Monday said that it will list the plea seeking to constitute an Independent Expert Committee under the Chairmanship of a former Supreme Court judge to inquire into the killing of Atiq and Ashraf amid police presence.
A Caveat application is filed by a litigant to ensure that no adverse order is passed against them without being heard.

Earlier, advocate Vishal Tiwari moved a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in Supreme Court seeking to constitute an Independent Expert Committee under the Chairmanship of a former Supreme Court Justice to inquire into the 183 encounters which had occurred since 2017 as stated by Uttar Pradesh Special Director General of Police (Law and Order) and also to inquire into the murder of gangster turned politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf who were in police custody.

In his plea, Tiwari also sought to constitute an Independent Expert Committee under the Chairmanship of a former Supreme Court judge to inquire into Atiq and Ashraf killings.

Advocate Vishal Tiwari mentioned before the bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud seeking an urgent hearing of his plea and apprised the court that the matter be listed today. CJI Chandrachud said that some matters could not be listed as five judges are not available as they are unwell.

Advocate Vishal Tiwari, in his public interest litigation, has also sought to issue direction to unearth the fake encounters by directing the Central Bureau of Investigation to investigate, collect and record the evidence in the Kanpur Bikru Encounter case 2020 in which Vikas Dubey and his aides were killed by a police encounter. As the inquiry commission could not record the evidence in rebuttal of the police version and filed the inquiry report in the absence of that.

“The Uttar Pradesh police tried to become the Daredevils,” the petition said

The petitioner said that his public Interest Litigation is against the violation of the rule of law and oppressive police brutality being perpetrated by Uttar Pradesh.

The petitioner has apprised the court that he has approached the court in a matter pertaining to the Kanpur encounter on Vikas Dubey and said that a similar incident was repeated by Uttar Pradesh police that the encounter killing of Azad, son of Atiq Ahmad, a gangster turned politician and killing of Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf by private assailants when they were in police custody and were taken for medical examination.

The petitioner said that such incidents are a severe threat to democracy and the rule of law, and such acts are establishments of anarchy and prima facie development of the police state.

He also mentioned that extra-judicial killings or fake police encounters have been very severely condemned under the law and such things cannot exist in a democratic society. The police cannot be allowed to become a mode of delivering final justice or to become a punishing Authority, the petitioner said.

“The power of punishment is only vested in the Judiciary. The police when becomes DARE DEVILS then the entire Rule of law collapses and generates fear in the mind of people against the police which is very dangerous for Democracy and also results in further crime,” the petitioner said.

On April 15, the gangster turned politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf were killed when being taken for medical examination by the Uttar Pradesh Police. They were in the UP police custody and the police had the duty of providing the highest safety to the accused, the lawyer said.

The lawyer said that however few private assailants disguised as media journalists killed and shot dead Atiq and Ashraf in front of the police personnel with no protection given by the police.

“Such is a direct attack on Indian democracy and the rule of law. Later the assailants were arrested but during the commission of the offense, there was no protection and retaliation by the police. Such imposes a question on the transparency and proves this matter as a pre-planned attack with no redressal for the accused,” Advocate Vishal Tiwari said in his petition. (ANI)

Tag: Chairmanship

Historic Day For Democratic System: Shah On Submission Of One Nation One Election Report

Atiq Murder: UP Govt Files Caveat in SC To Hear Its Side Before Giving Orders