News update

The Varanasi court has sacked the commissioner of the team appointed to survey the Gyanvapi mosque complex for allegedly leaking information to the media. The court commissioner, Ajay Kumar Mishra, had also allegedly hired a private cameraman, who has now been accused of leaking to the press. The court, while axing the top official it had appointed weeks ago, termed his conduct ‘irresponsible’ and emphasized that any court-appointed official must act like a public servant. But Mishra appointed a private cameraman who leaked information, it noted. The other two members of the team, Ajay Pratap Singh and Vishal Singh, will continue at their posts and they have been asked to submit the report of the survey within two days. The Muslim side has been persistently accusing Ajay Mishra of being biased and there was a call to remove him earlier as well. The Supreme Court also heard the Muslim side’s plea this afternoon and ordered authorities in Varanasi to protect the shivling found inside the...

Minutes after the Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed Madhya Pradesh to hold local body elections with reservations for other backward classes (OBC), Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched a blistering attack on the Congress which he said, had conspired to block OBC quotas and now stood exposed. “Congress leaders and Kamal Nath (state Congress president) hatched a conspiracy to create trouble for common people and blamed BJP for failing to provide OBC reservation. But, now they are exposed,” Chouhan said after the top court’s order in Delhi. “After the Supreme Court’s judgement on holding election without reservation, Congress leaders were saying that nothing will happen. But we fought because we resolved that the election to local bodies and panchayats will not be held without OBC reservation,” Chouhan said. A bench of justices AM Khanwilkar, AS Oka and CT Ravikumar allowed the Madhya Pradesh government to issue the order notifying OBC seats in line with the repor...

The Congress on Wednesday accused Hardik Patel of singing BJP's tune as the Patidat leader resigned from the Grand Old Party writing a caustic letter addressed to party president Sonia Gandhi. Congress MP Shaktisinh Gohil said these are not the allegations of someone who has quit the Congress, but of the BJP. Youth Congress national president Srinivas BV posted a message of Rahul Gandhi with a cryptic message saying those who are scared, 'hardik' gratitude to them. In his letter, Hardik Patel said the Congress did not care about the country and Gujarat. The party had insulted Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. He and his community faced ridicule and contempt and he feels 'sad and disgusted' at the same time. "Over the last 3 years I have found that the Congress party and its leadership both at central and state level have been merely reduced to opposing everything, whereas the people always seek an alternative that thinks of their future and is capable of taking India a...

Hours after the Supreme Court   ordered his release ,   A G Perarivalan , convicted in 1998 for the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, said his victory was a result of his mother’s struggle over the last three decades. Speaking to the media outside his house in Jolarpettai, Tamil Nadu, Perarivalan said the “honesty in (the) case” was what gave him and his mother, Arputhammal, the strength to fight for so long. Following the verdict, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin spoke to Perarivalan’s mother over a call. While ordering the release, the Supreme Court used its powers under Article 142 of the Constitution. A bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and B R Gavai said that the Tamil Nadu Cabinet had in September 2018 recommended his release to the Governor taking into account relevant considerations. Article 142 enables the court to pass orders to do complete justice in a case. It said that any delay on the part of the Governor to decide on the exercise of powers under Article 161 to g...