Delimitation shouldn't diminish representation of any state in LS, RS, says Jagan to PM
Amaravati(PTI): Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to carry out the delimitation exercise in such a manner that no state would suffer any reduction in representation in the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha, especially in terms of the share of total number of seats in the House.
In a letter to the Prime Minister dated March 21, a copy of which was shared with the media on Saturday, the YSRCP chief highlighted that the gravity of the delimitation issue has the potential to disrupt the social and political harmony of the country.
"Request for the delimitation exercise to be conducted in such a manner that no state would have to endure any reduction in its representation in the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha, in terms of its share in total no. (number) of seats in the house," said Jagan Mohan Reddy.
The opposition leader emphasised that the Constitution should be amended in such a fashion that no state would have to encounter any reduction in its representation in the House of the People.
Calling delimitation exercise a matter of utmost importance for the entire nation with the potential to have far-reaching impact, he said it not only affects the political representation of some states in policy and law-making but also affects the deep sentiments of vast sections of India's population.
"Sir, in light of this, I strongly emphasize the need for extreme caution while initiating the delimitation exercise," said Jagan Mohan Reddy, adding that the imbalance in population control between different states is a major issue.
His letter comes at a time when several parties are convening in Chennai at the invitation of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin to brainstorm on the delimitation exercise.
The 84th Constitutional amendment had extended the existing embargo for the delimitation process, which would rearrange the number of seats in the Parliament for states, till 2026.
YSRCP Parliamentary leader YV Subba Reddy forwarded Jagan Mohan Reddy's letter to the PM, to DMK party leaders, emphasising the need for a fair and balanced approach in the delimitation process.
However, YSRCP did not mark its attendance at the all-party meeting on delimitation organised by DMK, though two DMK leaders, Tamil Nadu Public Works Minister EV Velu and DMK Rajya Sabha member P Wilson, had personally called on Jagan Mohan Reddy and invited him recently.
Further, Jagan Mohan Reddy underscored that an assumption that the delimitation exercise would follow a likely census in 2026 has caused 'severe anxiety for several states', especially southern states, which fear that their representation would be diminished.
Though the 42nd and 84th Constitutional amendments had frozen the delimitation exercise with the hope that states would demonstrate a similar level of success with respect to family planning, the YSRCP chief observed that the 2011 census had proved it wrong.
"The share of the southern states in the country's population has reduced over the 40-year period between 1971 and 2011. We believe that the share has reduced even further over the last 15-year period," he said, noting that the southern states sincerely followed population control programmes.
Consequently, Jagan Mohan Reddy drew the attention of Modi to the potential erosion of southern states' participation in national policy-making and legislative process if the delimitation process is conducted on the basis of population as it stands today.
Hence, the YSRCP supremo noted that Modi's leadership and guidance at this crucial juncture is most vital and an assurance from the PM would contribute greatly to allaying the fears of several states.
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36 ex-judges slam Opposition move to impeach Justice Swaminathan
New Delhi (PTI): Thirty-six former judges on Saturday gave a call to people, including parliamentarians, to denounce opposition leaders' move to impeach Madras High Court judge Justice G R Swaminathan, saying such an attempt, if allowed to proceed, would cut at the very roots of democracy and independence of the judiciary.
On December 1, Justice Swaminathan held that the Arulmighu Subramania Swamy Temple was duty-bound to light the lamp at the Deepathoon, in addition to the customary lighting near the Uchi Pillaiyar Mandapam.
The single-judge bench said that doing so would not encroach upon the rights of the adjacent dargah or the Muslim community.
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The order sparked a row, and on December 9, several opposition MPs, led by the DMK, submitted a notice to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to move a motion for the removal of the judge.
Taking serious exception to the move, the former judges in a joint statement said this is a "brazen attempt to browbeat judges who do not fall in line with the ideological and political expectations of a particular section of society".
"If such an attempt is permitted to proceed, it would cut at the very roots of our democracy and the independence of the judiciary," they said.
"We therefore call upon all stakeholders -- Members of Parliament across party lines, members of the Bar, civil society, and citizens at large -- to unequivocally denounce this move and ensure that it is nipped in the bud at the very inception," they added.
The statement emphasised that the judges must remain answerable to their oath and to the Constitution of India, not to "partisan political pressures or ideological intimidation".
"The message from all constitutional stakeholders must be clear and firm: in a republic governed by the rule of law, judgments are tested by appeals and legal critique, and not by threats of impeachment for political nonconformity," it said.
The statement was signed by former Supreme Court judge Krishn Murari J as well as ex-chief justices and former judges of different high courts.
The statement said the opposition party's move is not an "isolated aberration". It fits into a "clear and deeply troubling pattern" in India's recent constitutional history, where sections of the political class have sought to discredit and intimidate the higher judiciary whenever outcomes do not align with their interests, it added.
"The unprecedented bid in 2018 to initiate impeachment proceedings against then Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, the sustained campaigns of vilification directed at Chief Justices Ranjan Gogoi, S A Bobde and D Y Chandrachud while they were in office," the statement noted.
"The targeted attacks now being mounted against the incumbent CJI, Justice Surya Kant, whenever a judgment/remark displeases a political constituency, are all manifestations of the same trend," it said.
"This is not principled, reasoned criticism of judicial decisions; it is an attempt to weaponise impeachment and public calumny as instruments of pressure -- a practice that strikes at the heart of judicial independence and the basic norms of constitutional democracy," the statement added.
