Human Rights

Kolkata, August 5; GANASHAKTI: Leaders of Left parties in West Bengal on Monday termed the scrapping of Article 370 of the Constitution as an "attack on the country's integrity, democracy and federal structure" as they took out a rally here accusing the Centre of "further complicating" the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Modi government on Monday took  decision by revoking Article 370 of the Constitution that grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

New Delhi, Aug 6 (PTI) Nirmohi Akhara, one of the parties in the politically sensitive case of the Ayodhya land dispute, told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that no Muslims were allowed to enter the structure since 1934 and it has been in exclusive possession of the Akhara.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, was told by senior advocate Sushil Jain, appearing for Nirmohi Akhara, that it was seeking management and possession of the area.

Srinagar/Jammu, Aug 6 (PTI) The situation in all three regions of Jammu and Kashmir is totally peaceful, amid unprecedented security cover and restrictions, top officials said on Tuesday.

There are no untoward reports from anywhere in the state, Director General of Police Dilbagh Singh said from Srinagar, a day after the Centre revoked Jammu and Kashmir's special status and proposed to bifurcate the state into two union territories.

The law and order situation in Jammu and Kashmir is "totally peaceful", Singh said.

New Delhi, Aug 6 (PTI) The Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Tuesday sought to know from the government whether Jammu and Kashmir was an internal matter or a bilateral issue, saying the United Nations has been monitoring the situation there since 1948.

Chowdhury's remarks triggered protests from treasury benches.

New Delhi, Aug 5 (PTI) The Delhi High Court was informed on Monday by the Election Commission of India (ECI) that prisoners do not have voting rights under the Representation of People Act and it has been upheld by the Supreme Court.

The poll panel said the right to vote is a statutory right created under Section 62 of the Representation of People Act, and the law is settled that the "right to vote being a statutory right is subject to the restrictions prescribed in the RP Act".

Jaipur, Aug 5 (PTI) The Rajasthan legislative assembly on Monday passed a Bill providing for life imprisonment and a fine from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh to those convicted in cases of mob lynching leading to victim's death.

'The Rajasthan Protection from Lynching Bill, 2019' was passed by the Vidhan Sabha by a voice vote amid vociferous protest by the opposition BJP, which wanted the Bill to be referred to a select committee.

Kohima, Aug 5 (PTI) Following the abolition of Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, there are apprehensions in Nagaland about the possibilities of a similar action against its special provisions that are enshrined in Article 371A.

Political parties and tribal organisations, however, said they were confident that the Centre "will not dare" to make a similar move in the state as it would jeopardise the ongoing peace process and hurt the sentiment of the Nagas.

Mumbai, Aug 5 (PTI) The Bombay High Court on Monday dismissed a plea filed by a witness in the alleged fake encounter case of suspected gangster Sohrabuddin Sheikh, his wife Kasuar Bi and their aide, challenging the acquittal of 22 people in the case by a special court here.

The witness, Mahendrasinh Zala, had challenged the December 2018 order of the sessions court acquitting 22 accused, 21 of them junior-level policemen from Gujarat and Rajasthan, in the case, which was probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Panaji, Aug 5 (PTI) Right-wing organisation Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) on Monday said the Centre's move to abolish Article 370, that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, was the "beginning of establishing a Hindu Rashtra".

The Centre on Monday abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution and proposed that the border state be bifurcated into two union territories, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

New Delhi, Aug 6 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Tuesday commenced hearing in the politically sensitive case of Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute in Ayodhya after the efforts to arrive at an amicable settlement through mediation have failed.

"Let us begin the hearing," said a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi.