BJP govt asked 'X' to delete Amit Shah's RS speech, claims Cong
New Delhi (PTI): Citing an email, the Congress on Thursday claimed that the BJP government has asked social media platform 'X' to remove the speech of Home Minister Amit Shah made in the Rajya Sabha, which it said "insulted" Babasaheb Ambedkar.
There was no official confirmation from either the BJP or X on the Congress' claims.
The party reiterated that Shah had committed an "unforgivable crime" for which the Home minister should apologise to the nation and resign.
Addressing a press conference here, Congress spokesperson and chairperson of the Social Media and Digital Platforms Supriya Shrinate claimed that Congress leaders, its MPs and the party's official handle, including herself, had received an email from the 'X', saying the government of India had asked it to delete Shah's speech shared by them.
She, however, added that the 'X' platform had refused to delete it in the spirit of freedom of speech. She said if Shah thinks there is nothing wrong in his speech, why has his ministry asked the 'X' to delete it.
Shrinate made it clear that what they had shared was the original speech of Shah and it was not edited or distorted.
Besides, she also showed the 34-page unedited text of his speech available on the Rajya Sabha website where in he clearly says, that "it has become a fashion to mention the name of Dr Ambedkar and if they (the opposition leaders) take the name of God those many times, they will get to heaven for seven births".
Claiming this was "insulting and disrespectful" to the architect of the Constitution, the Congress spokesperson said Shah revealed the same mindset of his ideological ancestors who always opposed Ambedkar and condemned him as "anti-Hindu".
Shrinate also condemned the BJP and its 'X' handlers for distorting a picture of the Congress leaders carrying the photographs of Ambedkar while protesting against Shah's insult of him.
She pointed out how on the BJP 'X' handle Ambedkar's picture was replaced with that of George Soros, whom the BJP calls "anti-national".
"How dare the BJP replace Dr Ambedkar's picture? This is the same ease with which they think they can replace India's Constitution," she asserted.
Reiterating her party's demand that Shah must apologise to the nation and tender his resignation, Shrinate said, the Congress will not be intimidated or cowed down with such arm twisting tactics by the BJP.
She alleged that BJP leaders like Shah and their official social media account are displaying the same disregard and hatred towards Ambedkar that their forefathers and the RSS have always had.
The opposition party's attack came over a social media post by the BJP in which it posted a photograph from the INDIA bloc MPs' protest in Parliament on Wednesday against Shah's remarks.
However, the images of Ambedkar that the MPs were holding during the protest were edited out and replaced with a picture of US billionaire George Soros. Also, the backdrop was changed with 'We Love Soros' written on it.
"Hello, Congress and INDI alliance. We fixed the image for you. You're welcome," the BJP said in its post.
The BJP has been on the offensive as it has claimed that Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi had links with George Soros-backed outfits allegedly involved in anti-India activities.
Sharing the screenshot of the BJP's social media post and also the original photograph from the protest, Congress general secretary in-charge organisation K C Venugopal said, "The BJP is brazen in its insult and ridicule of Dr Ambedkar."
"Instead of ensuring the home minister is removed from his post for the immense hurt caused to the crores of Babasaheb's followers by Amit Shah's statements, they are doubling down on the ridicule."
Is standing up for Ambedkar against the insult to him a matter of joke for the BJP? he posed.
"They are bringing in their rotten falsehoods even on a sensitive matter like Dr Ambedkar's legacy because they do not respect him and want to diminish his stature for their narrow political goals," Venugopal said in his post on X.
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CJI's advice to aspirant: Join the bar, become a lawyer, don't hanker for judicial services post
New Delhi (PTI): She came to the Supreme Court seeking a re-evaluation of her paper in the examination for joining judicial services as a magistrate. What she got instead was a rejection — and a candid confession by the Chief Justice that he too had wanted to join the judicial services in his youth but was advised by a senior judge to become a lawyer instead.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi on Friday dismissed a plea filed by Prerna Gupta, the judicial services aspirant.
As Gupta pressed her case, the CJI intervened and said, "Let me share my personal story and I hope you will go happily as we cannot allow your petition."
He recounted his time as a final-year law student in 1984 when he wanted to become a judicial officer. As per requirement, he cleared the written test and was set to appear for an interview.
Judicial services is one of the two routes to become a judge after initially joining as a magistrate in lower court and thereafter rising through the ranks to become judge in a high court and possibly the Supreme Court.
The other route is to join the Bar, which means becoming a lawyer, and after building a reputation be picked from the Bar to become a judge at a senior level.
By the time the CJI's exam results came out, he had started practising at the Punjab and Haryana High Court when he was called for the interview.
The senior-most judge on the interview panel happened to be a judge before whom he had recently argued two significant matters.
"One of the matters was Sunita Rani vs Baldev Raj, where he had allowed my appeal in a matrimonial case and set aside the decree of divorce granted by the District Judge on the ground of schizophrenia," he noted.
Before the interview could take place, the judge called the young Surya Kant to his chamber and asked, 'Do you want to become a judicial officer?'
"I said 'yes.' He immediately said, 'Get out from (my) the chamber.'"
The courtroom fell silent as the CJI Justice described his initial heartbreak.
“I came out trembling. All my dreams were shattered. I thought he had snubbed me and that my career was over,” the CJI said.
However, the story took another turn the following day and the judge summoned him again, this time offering a piece of advice that would change the trajectory of his life.
“He said, ‘If you want to become (a judge), you are welcome. But my advice is, don’t become a judicial officer. The Bar is waiting for you,’” Justice Surya Kant recalled.
The CJI said he decided to skip his interview and didn't even tell his parents at first, fearing their disappointment, and instead chose to dedicate himself to his practice as an advocate.
“Now tell me did I make a bad right or bad decision,” the CJI asked and the litigant lawyer left the court with a smile on her face despite her case being dismissed.
Encouraging the petitioner to look toward the future rather than dwelling on the re-evaluation of a single paper, Justice Surya Kant said, "The Bar has much to offer."
