Justice A.P. Shah terms 'One Nation, One Election' unconstitutional
New Delhi: Former Delhi High Court Chief Justice A.P. Shah has told a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) that the proposed 'One Nation, One Election' (ONOE) Bill is unconstitutional and violates democratic principles and the federal structure, sources said.
Justice Shah, who is also a former chairman of the Law Commission, submitted a 12-page report while deposing before the JPC on Monday (March 18), The New Indian Express reported. He raised concerns over the bill, particularly regarding the power it grants to the Election Commission to recommend postponing state assembly elections.
Assembly elections must be held for full term: Justice Shah
Justice Shah stated that assembly elections should be held for a full five-year term and expressed skepticism over the claim that simultaneous elections would significantly reduce public expenditure. When asked about alternatives to the bill, he said he would present his views to the committee at a later stage.
Harish Salve defends the bill
Senior advocate Harish Salve also appeared before the JPC and supported the bill, arguing that it aligns with constitutional requirements.
ONOE bills introduced amid opposition resistance
Despite strong opposition citing threats to federalism and the basic structure doctrine, the bills facilitating 'One Nation, One Election' were introduced in the Lok Sabha in December 2023.
Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024 after a division vote. The introduction was approved with 269 votes in favour and 198 against.
The bills were subsequently referred to a JPC for further examination.
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Forty years on, 3 gets death for killing 24 Dalits in UP village
Mainpuri (UP), Mar 18 (PTI): A special court in UP's Mainpuri district on Tuesday sentenced three persons to death in the 1981 Dehuli massacre which saw 24 Dalits, including women and two children, being killed.
On March 12, special judge Indira Singh convicted the trio, namely, Kaptan Singh (60), Rampal (60) and Ram Sevak (70).
Aside from the capital punishment, the court imposed a Rs 50,000 fine on the convicts, government counsel Rohit Shukla told PTI.
A gang of 17 dacoits led by Santosh Singh alias Santosha and Radhey Shyam alias Radhey dressed in khakis stormed Dehuli at around 4.30 pm on November 18, 1981.
They targeted Dalit families, gunning down 24 people, including the toddlers aged six months and two years, respectively.
The original FIR named 17 accused under Sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), and 396 (dacoity with murder), among others offences of the IPC.
Of the total accused, 14 persons died during the pendency of trial whereas one was declared an absconder.
The FIR was filed by Laik Singh, a local resident, on November 19, 1981, and following a detailed investigation, the dacoits, including gang leaders Santosh and Radhey, were chargesheeted.
Shukla said he pleaded for capital punishment in view of the gruesome massacre and the case falling in the rarest of rare category.
He said the judge after considering the evidence and hearing the arguments of the prosecution and the defence at length passed the verdict.
Initially the trial of the case began in the court of special judge dacoity affected (DAA) area Mainpuri but was later transferred to a sessions court in Allahabad where the evidence of the witnesses was recorded.
In December 2024, the trial records were sent back from the Allahabad sessions court to special judge (DAA) Singh to decide the case, Shukla said.
During the trial, of the 17 undertrials, 13 accused including Santosh and Radhey died whereas one person remained untraced.
In response to the tragedy, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi met the affected families whereas Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the leader in the opposition, undertook a pad yatra from Dihuli to Sadupur in Firozabad, offering solidarity with the grieving families.
