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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said Emergency was a direct assault on the Constitution as the period witnessed the suspension of civil liberties, curbs on freedom of expression, and an assault on institutions that are the bedrock of Indian democracy. Paying homage to all those who steadfastly defended democratic values during one of the "darkest chapters in India's history", Modi said Emergency also revealed the extraordinary courage of countless citizens who refused to remain silent and upheld the ideals enshrined in the Constitution. "The Emergency was a direct assault on our Constitution. It witnessed the suspension of civil liberties, curbs on freedom of expression, arrests of political leaders, journalists, social workers and an assault on institutions that are the bedrock of our democracy," he said in a post on X referring to the proclamation of Emergency on this day in 1975. The prime minister said for people, the Constitution is an embodiment of the aspirations, ..
The Supreme Court on Friday batted for a regulatory body to effectuate the fundamental right to walk on demarcated footpaths. A bench of Justices P S Narasimha and A S Chandurkar, which ruled that the right to walk on a demarcated footpath is a fundamental right and has priority over movement by motorised vehicles, said the citizen is entitled to enforce restitutionary remedy in case of violation of his right to walk. "To enhance and effectuate the fundamental right to walk on demarcated footpaths, it is necessary to establish a regulatory body. Working with perpetual seal and succession, such a regulator will develop and retain institutional memory so that it can act on the basis of the experience, data and information it has gathered and processed," the bench emphasised. It said institutional expertise was critical, and such a regulator will employ human resources with domain expertise and talent. "The regulator will maintain institutional integrity by taking independent and ...
Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said the Constitution is under attack and called it a document that represents the voices of Dr B R Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi that must be protected. He was addressing a 'Bahujan Swabhiman Sabha' in Raebareli, his parliamentary constituency, in memory of revolutionary Veera Pasi who belonged to the district. "While listening to other speakers, I felt that we remember Veera Pasi and Dr Ambedkar, but the ideology they stood for is not being protected properly because, in front of our eyes, an attack is being made on the Constitution," Gandhi said. The Congress leader said the Constitution is not an ordinary document, but one that carried the ideology of Ambedkar, Veera Pasi and Mahatma Gandhi, along with the contributions of several reformers such as Narayana Guru in Kerala and Basavanna in Karnataka. Gandhi also referred to Buddha, Guru Nanak, and Kabir, saying their voices were reflected in the Constitution. He alleged tha
The Supreme Court on Thursday said free and fair elections are a part of the basic structure of the Constitution, and this cannot be ensured unless the Election Commission is independent and also appears to be independent. A bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma made the observations during the final hearing on a batch of six petitions challenging the constitutional validity of a new law governing the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and the Election Commissioners (EC). The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, which came into force on January 2, 2024, mandates that the CEC and the ECs are appointed by the President on the recommendation of a Selection Committee consisting of the Prime Minister, a Union Cabinet Minister, and the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha. The law replaces the Chief Justice of India with a Union Cabinet Minister on the
President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday said she hoped that Indians would exercise their right to vote by employing wisdom and shunning allurement, prejudice and misinformation, to strengthen the country's electoral system. She also lauded women electors for coming out in large numbers to exercise their franchise in the elections. Addressing the 16th National Voters' Day event held in Delhi, Murmu asserted that while the right to vote was important, it was also imperative that all citizens exercise it by keeping in mind their constitutional duties. For the last 16 years, the foundation day of the Election Commission has been celebrated as the National Voters' Day. On November 26, 1949, when the Constituent Assembly adopted the Indian Constitution, 16 of its Articles came into force immediately. One pertained to the creation of the Election Commission. The Election Commission came into existence on January 25, 1950, a day before India became a Republic. The remaining part of the ...
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged people to take part in democratic processes, saying being a voter is not just a constitutional privilege, but an important duty that gives every citizen a voice in shaping India's future. "Greetings on #NationalVotersDay. This day is about further deepening our faith in the democratic values of our nation," Modi said in a post on X. He complimented all those associated with the Election Commission of India for their efforts to strengthen democratic processes. "Being a voter is not just a constitutional privilege, but an important duty that gives every citizen a voice in shaping India's future," Modi said. "Let us honour the spirit of our democracy by always taking part in democratic processes, thereby strengthening the foundations of a Viksit Bharat," the prime minister said. National Voters' Day is celebrated annually in India on January 25 to mark the foundation day of the Election Commission of India.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday accused the Modi government of weakening the Constitution whose foundation is social justice and said its policies have reversed previous Congress governments' initiatives on education and jobs for Dalits. Addressing the Congress party's first meeting of its Scheduled Castes (SC) Advisory Committee, he said the BJP government has weakened reservations, does not promote equality, instead justifies discrimination. "We will not allow Baba Saheb (Ambedkar)'s Constitution to be weakened at any cost," Kharge said. He said the Congress, even before Independence, pledged to mitigate the discrimination prevalent in society and recognised that the state's role in eradicating it. It was with this thinking that two major laws were enacted: the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955, which made untouchability and all its forms punishable offences, and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, Kharge said. The government of Rajiv Gandhi enac