Cong leader moves SC seeking to restrain Centre from appointing new ECs
New Delhi (PTI): A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking to restrain the Centre from appointing new election commissioners as per a 2023 law, the provisions of which have been challenged in the apex court.
Two vacancies of election commissioners have arisen following the resignation of Election Commissioner Arun Goel and Anup Chandra Pandey's retirement.
The plea has been filed by Congress leader Jaya Thakur, who has challenged the provisions of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and terms of office) Act, 2023.
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In her application, Thakur informed the court that during the pendency of her plea, in which a notice was issued on January 12, "one member of Election Commission namely Arun Goel gave resignation on March 9, 2024, which has been accepted by the President".
"That petitioner most respectfully submitted that in view of facts that election for Lok Sabha Election 2024 may be announced shortly, therefore appointment of member of new election commissioners is required immediately, for that this court has given clear verdict in the case of 'Anoop Baranwal Versus Union of India' (March 2, 2023 verdict) about the appointment process...," the plea said.
"It is, therefore, most respectfully prayed that this Court may graciously be pleased to direct the respondents to immediately appoint the member election commission of India, as per verdict/judgments passed by this court in the case of Anoop Baranwal Versus Union of India...," it said.
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The plea sought a direction to "restrain the Respondents to not appoint the member as per Section 7 and 8 of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and terms of office) Act, 2023".
According to the new law, "Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation of a Selection Committee consisting of (a) the Prime Minister Chairperson; (b) the Leader of Opposition in the House of the People Member; (c) a Union Cabinet Minister to be nominated by the Prime Minister Member."
The opposition has accused the Modi government of having defied the Supreme Court by dropping the CJI from the selection panel.
In its March 2023 order, the Supreme Court had said the prime minister, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and the CJI would pick the CEC and the ECs.
#WATCH | Petitioner Jaya Thakur says, "I have filed a petition that they should be restrained and the appointment of all Election Officers should be done in a transparent manner. Also, a committee should be formed which should have the Prime Minister, LoP and Chief Justice, so… https://t.co/vVEB05seYr pic.twitter.com/ETLxGKdIZk
— ANI (@ANI) March 11, 2024
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Kejriwal resorting to 'vendetta politics', says BJP after MP Sandeep Pathak booked
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Saturday accused Aam Aadmi Party's national convenor Arvind Kejriwal of vendetta politics after Punjab Police booked Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak, who recently defected to the BJP.
In an X post, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla claimed that Kejriwal is misusing the Punjab Police to settle political scores, and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has become a party to it.
"Two FIRs have been filed against Sandeep Pathak, who until recently was in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a Rajya Sabha MP and general secretary (organisation). What is baffling is the shameless, brazen vendetta politics being pursued by Arvind Kejriwal, with Bhagwant Mann complicit in it," Poonawalla said.
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"It is clear this has been done out of vendetta politics by Kejriwal, who is extremely vengeful and vindictive, and misuses the Punjab Police to pursue such political vendetta," he alleged.
Questioning the timing of the FIRs, Poonawalla said, "If these cases existed from the beginning, why were FIRs not filed earlier? If he was corrupt, why was he kept in the party for so long, especially when he was the general secretary (organisation)? Has any new material surfaced in the last few days, or has the alleged corruption occurred only now?"
He alleged that Kejriwal has an "old habit" of targeting political opponents and dissenters.
"We have seen how he has used the police against rivals, including Congress leaders. This is his old habit," Poonawalla said, referring to the withdrawal of Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh's security.
Poonawalla claimed that several leaders who had left AAP over the years, including Yogendra Yadav, Mayank Gandhi, Ashish Khetan, Ashutosh and Alka Lamba, were "hounded".
He accused the party of failing to introspect.
"Instead of introspecting on how they have changed -- from Anna to Lalu, from Lokpal to corruption -- they are indulging in vendetta politics, trying to victimise people using the strong arm of the law. This reflects an Emergency-like mindset and a dictatorial, Hitlerian mindset," he said.
According to sources, two FIRs have been lodged against Pathak under non-bailable sections.
No further details about the FIRs have been disclosed yet.
On April 24, the AAP suffered a jolt when seven of its 10 Rajya Sabha MPs quit, alleging that Arvind Kejriwal's party has strayed from its principles, values and core morals.
Of the seven MPs -- who were Pathak, Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Rajendra Gupta, Vikramjit Sahney and Swati Maliwal -- six were from Punjab.
Later, Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan officially accepted their merger with the BJP, reducing AAP's strength in the Upper House to three.
