BJP woman councillor in Indore removes poster promoting NOTA option from rickshaw, draws Cong's ire
Indore, May 8: A woman councillor of the BJP in Madhya Pradesh's Indore removed a poster stuck on an autorickshaw encouraging the NOTA option during elections, saying that promotion of this voting option was not in the interest of democracy.
Councillor Sandhya Yadav's act drew the Congress' flak, which approached the Election Commission (EC) and lodged a complaint against her.
The Congress received a jolt in Indore after its candidate Akshay Kumar Bam withdrew his nomination on April 29, the last date of the withdrawal of nominations. Bam later joined the BJP, prompting the Congress to appeal to the people to press the NOTA (none of the above) option during polling in Indore on May 13 to teach the saffron party a lesson.
The Congress lodged a complaint with the EC after a video showing Yadav removing a poster of an organisation named Loktantra Bachao Samiti, asking people to support NOTA, surfaced on social media.
Asserting that she will continue to do so, BJP councillor Yadav told PTI that she fulfilled her "duty of being a conscious citizen" and removed the poster promoting NOTA from an autorickshaw.
She said that promoting this voting option is not in the interest of democracy.
While claiming that angry voters are running the NOTA campaign, state Congress committee general secretary Rakesh Singh Yadav alleged that Sandhya Yadav threatened the autorickshaw driver and forcibly removed the poster promoting the NOTA option from his three-wheeler and during this she was accompanied by some goons.
The Congress functionary said he has filed a complaint to the EC by submitting a video of the incident, urging it to take appropriate steps in this matter.
इंदौर में चल रही नोटा की लहर से बौखलाईं वार्ड क्रमांक-6 की भाजपा पार्षद संध्या यादव ऑटो रिक्शाओं से नोटा के बैनरों को जबरदस्ती निकलवा रही हैं।
— Shobha Oza (@Shobha_Oza) May 8, 2024
आठ लाख मतों से जीत का दावा करने वाली भाजपा में नोटा को लेकर आखिर इतनी बेचैनी और घबराहट क्यों है! pic.twitter.com/I0yTQsDVTT
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Ordinance issued to increase number of Supreme Court judges from 34 to 38
New Delhi (PTI): The government has promulgated an ordinance to increase the strength of the Supreme Court from the present 34 judges to 38, including the Chief Justice of India.
The law ministry notified the ordinance on Saturday, which amended the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, to increase the sanctioned strength of the top court.
So far, the sanctioned strength of the top court was 34, including the Chief Justice of India (CJI). Now, the number of judges has been increased by four, taking the sanctioned strength to 38.
The top court will now have 37 judges, other than the CJI.
With the apex court having two vacancies at present, and the ordinance coming into force immediately, the Supreme Court Collegium will now have to recommend six names for appointment as judges in the top court.
A bill will be brought in the Monsoon Session of Parliament to convert the ordinance – an executive order – into a law passed by Parliament.
The Union Cabinet had cleared a draft bill on May 5 to increase the number of apex court judges.
The strength of the Supreme Court was last increased from 30 to 33 (excluding the CJI) in 2019.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, as originally enacted in 1956, put the maximum number of judges (excluding the CJI) at 10.
This number was increased to 13 by the Supreme Court (Number of Judges), Amendment Act, 1960, and to 17 by another amendment to the law.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 1986, augmented the strength of judges from 17 to 25, excluding the CJI.
A fresh amendment in 2009 further increased the strength from 25 to 30.
Article 124(3) of the Constitution lists the qualifications required to become a Supreme Court judge.
An Indian citizen who has either served as a high court judge for at least five years, or as an advocate for 10 years, or is a distinguished jurist, can be appointed to the top court.
The strength of the Supreme Court is increased based on the recommendations of the CJI, who writes to the Union law minister. After consulting the finance ministry, the Department of Justice under the law ministry moves the Cabinet with a draft bill.
