HC asks woman to demonstrate she is her same-sex partner's 'next best friend'
Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has asked a woman, who has filed a habeas corpus petition for her same-sex partner, to demonstrate that she is her ''next best friend'', and posted the matter for further hearing on Monday.
The petitioner alleged that her 19-year-old partner had been held captive by her parents and sought the court's intervention.
Hearing the petition on Friday, Justice Pankaj Jain asked how the petitioner has assumed the role of next best friend of the alleged detenue who belongs to Unnao district in Uttar Pradesh.
The counsel for the petitioner referred to the transcription of a telephonic conversation between her mother and partner.
''On being asked that apart from the said conversation what material petitioner has to demonstrate that the petitioner is a person who can act as next best friend of detenue, counsel for the petitioner prays for time,'' according to the order.
''The query has assumed significance in view of the fact that there are two Aadhaar cards on record. One shows the date of birth of detenue to be June 15, 2007, whereas the petitioner claims that detenue is born on June 14, 2004,'' the judge said.
The same has also been noticed in the order passed by another bench on January 4.
Justice Jain then fixed January 15 as the next date of hearing.
This matter was earlier heard by Justice Sandeep Moudgil.
During the previous hearing, Justice Moudgil directed the Union Ministry of Electronics and IT and the regional office of Unique Identification Authority of India in Chandigarh to provide details of the Aadhaar cards issued in the name of the detenue.
The Aadhaar cards -- one produced by the petitioner and another by the detenue's parents -- record different dates of birth of the detenue.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
