SC Rejects PIL for Digital Monitoring of MPs & MLAs

Posted on by Vividh Bharthi

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking digital monitoring of the activities of all elected Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs), citing concerns over privacy and personal lives.

Chief Justice of India, D.Y. Chandrachud, leading the bench, emphasized the right to privacy and rejected the notion of electronically monitoring lawmakers. The bench, including Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, expressed astonishment at the petitioner’s plea for 24 x 7 CCTV surveillance of all legislators, acknowledging that elected representatives also have their own private lives.

Initially, when the petitioner, appearing in-person, requested 15 minutes to present the case, the apex court warned of imposing a hefty fine of Rs 5 lakh. The court emphasized the value of public time and national resources, cautioning that costs could be imposed as arrears of land revenue if the petition was dismissed.

The petitioner argued that MPs and MLAs, as salaried representatives under the Representation of the People Act, initially represent the people’s opinions but later behave like rulers post-election.

Despite the petitioner’s arguments, the Supreme Court refused to entertain the PIL filed under Article 32 of the Constitution. However, it chose not to levy any costs on the petitioner.

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Three labourers killed as slab of under-construction bridge collapses in MP’s Budhni

Bhopal, Dec 23 (IANS) At least three labourers were killed and one was severely injured after a large concrete slab of an under-construction bridge fell on them in Madhya Pradesh’s Sehore on Monday.

One labourer rescued was rushed to a nearby hospital in the critical stage but was later referred to Narmadapuram for further treatment. The incident occurred in Budhni, under Shahganj police station, around 60 km from Bhopal.

Budhni Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDOP) Shashank Gurjar said the construction of the new bridge adjacent to an old bridge on a road was underway, and four labourers were carrying out the construction work.

“When the labourers were digging soil under the bridge, a large concrete slab of the old bridge collapsed and all of them were buried. One out of four labourers could be rescued alive, while three were dead,” SDOP told the media persons.

The deceased persons have been identified as Karan (18), Ramkrishna (32) and Bhagwanlal (35). The only labourer who was rescued alive and was recuperating at the hospital has been identified as Sukhram (25).

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has expressed his grief over the tragic incident and has instructed the Sehore district administration to provide better medical treatment to save the life of the injured person. He also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the kin of each deceased in the incident.

“The news of the untimely death of three workers due to the collapse of the soil of a culvert under construction in Budhni is very sad. I pray to God to grant peace to the souls of the deceased. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families,” the Chief Minister said.

He also informed that the Sehore district administration has been directed to extend whatever other financial help is required to the families of the deceased and the injured persons as per the rules.

Notably, Buddhi is the home town of four-time former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

–IANS

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Fake passport racket: Another contractual staff of Postal Department held in Bengal

Kolkata, Dec 17 (IANS) Another contractual staff of the Postal Department was arrested from West Bengal on Tuesday in connection with arranging fake Indian passports for illegal Bangladeshi residents.

The person arrested has been identified as Taraknath Sen.

Sen is the second contractual staff attached to the Postal Department who was arrested by the Special Task Force (STF) of Kolkata Police during the last 48 hours.

On December 15, two people, namely Samaresh Biswas and Deepak Mondal, were arrested in connection with the fake passport racket. Mondal was also a contractual staff of the Postal Department.

Sources from the city police said the consecutive arrests of two contractual staff of the Postal Department have made the hunch stronger that such rackets have developed a network among some insiders in the said department.

An investigation is on to find out whether some permanent employees of the said department were too involved in such rackets.

The investigating officials have already identified several common patterns in the functioning of these rackets involved in arranging fake Indian identity documents for the Bangladeshi infiltrators.

Most of these rackets have been operating from villages adjacent to districts having international borders, both land and coastal, with Bangladesh. Recently, Selim Matabbar, a former associate of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was arrested at a hotel in the Park Street area in central Kolkata.

The police also recovered a fake Indian passport from his possession. Investigation revealed that Matabbar after illegally crossing the borders managed to get his fake Indian documents from a racket operating from the Indo-Bangladesh bordering district of Nadia.

–IANS

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Ex-CM, Padma Vibhushan Krishna’s funeral held with state honours in K’taka

Mandya (Karnataka), Dec 11 (IANS) The funeral of veteran politician, former Karnataka Chief Minister and Padma Vibhushan S.M. Krishna was held on Wednesday.

The funeral of the statesman was held as per Hindu Vokkaliga traditions and with government honours at his native place Somanahalli near Maddur town in Mandya district of Karnataka.

S.M. Krishna’s grandson and Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar’s son-in-law Amartya Hegde performed the final rites and lit the sandalwood pyre.

Sources stated that 1,000 kilos of sandalwood logs were used to prepare the funeral pyre.

Dy CM Shivakumar himself monitored the funeral arrangements of his close relative S.M. Krishna.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his Cabinet ministers, Congress MLAs, former CM B.S. Yediyurappa, state BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra, Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka and other dignitaries were present during the final rites.

Vokkaliga seer Nirmalanandanatha Swami and other religious saints were also present.

Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel, H.D. Kumaraswamy and Union Minister for Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Pralhad Joshi had come down to attend the funeral and paid their respects to the mortal remains of the departed leader.

S.M. Krishna passed away on Tuesday at the age of 93 after a prolonged illness.

Before quitting the grand old party in 2017, S.M. Krishna, who spent 46 years with the Congress, served in various capacities as a member of the Legislative Assembly, Legislative Council, Lok Sabha, and Rajya Sabha, and held key positions as the Chief Minister of Karnataka, External Affairs Minister, and Governor of Maharashtra.

S.M. Krishna, a nonagenarian veteran politician, is hailed for his contributions to the state by one and all, irrespective of their political affiliations.

S.M. Krishna’s efforts for the state, right from launching the Mid-Day Meal (MDM) Scheme in Karnataka for students, to building ‘Brand Bengaluru’ are hailed across the political spectrum.

The Congress government introduced the MDM Scheme in the state during the year 2002-03 under S.M. Krishna’s leadership.

The Yashasvini health insurance scheme launched by S.M. Krishna is considered another major contribution to the people of the state. Until then, there was no such health insurance scheme.

S.M. Krishna contested the Legislative Assembly elections independently as early as 1962. He was a rare politician who served in all four legislative bodies: Legislative Assembly, Legislative Council, Rajya Sabha, and Lok Sabha.

After a long political career with the Congress, he joined the BJP and announced his retirement from politics within a year.

S.M. Krishna’s efforts are hailed for bringing the international airport to Bengaluru and for playing a key role in bringing the Metro project to the city.

In recognition of his contributions, the Modi government had honored S.M. Krishna with the Padma Vibhushan in 2023.

It is a known fact that during his tenure as the CM, the IT/BT companies came to Bengaluru in large numbers.

He is also known as an internationally-renowned statesman who brought the Silicon City tag to Bengaluru.

–IANS

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