False, outrageous: Chidambaram slams PM's 'Cong wanted to allocate 15 pc budget to Muslims' remark
New Delhi(PTI): Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday termed "totally false" Prime Minister Narendra Modi's claim that the previous Congress government wanted to allocate 15 per cent of the budget for Muslims, and said the PM's statements have been "increasingly bizarre".
Chidambaram said the prime minister claimed on Tuesday that if he played the Hindu-Muslim divide, he would not be fit to be in public life but the very next day, "he played his usual game of dividing Hindus and Muslims".
"Hon'ble Prime Minister's statements are increasingly bizarre and show that his speech writers have lost their balance," the Congress leader said in a post on 'X'.
"The Hon'ble PM's accusation that Dr Manmohan Singh had drawn up a plan to spend 15 per cent of the Union Budget exclusively on Muslims is totally false. His further allegation that Congress will present a Muslim budget and a Hindu budget is so outrageous that it can be only characterised as a hallucination," the former finance minister said.
Article 112 of the Constitution of India contemplates only one Annual Financial statement, which is the Union Budget, Chidambaram said and asked how can there be two budgets.
"In the remaining days of the election campaign, it is my fervent hope that the Hon'ble PM will abandon the path of false accusations and outrageous claims," he said.
"Not only the Indian people, the world is watching and analysing the Indian prime minister's statements, and they do not bring glory to India," Chidambaram said.
Prime Minister Modi on Wednesday alleged that the Congress during its previous rule wanted to allocate 15 per cent of the government budget for Muslims, and vowed not to allow splitting of the budget or reservation in jobs and education on the basis of religion.
Addressing an election rally at Pimpalgaon Baswant in north Maharashtra's Nashik district, the PM said splitting the budget on religious lines was dangerous.
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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.
