Maulana forgot who is in power, no one can hold system hostage: Adityanath on Bareilly violence
Lucknow (PTI): With a crackdown by Uttar Pradesh police after violence in Bareilly during protests related to the "I Love Muhammad" campaign, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said his government has sent a firm message that disruptions to law and order will not be tolerated.
"Whenever there were festivals, there was some upheaval, but now rioters will be taught a lesson in the language they understand so that their future generations will also remember (not to indulge in such actions).
"Sometimes people are not able to shun their bad habits easily. For that,
denting-painting are required... You saw this in Bareilly yesterday. A Maulana forgot who is in power," Adityanath said, without taking any names.
The comments, made while speaking at a 'Viksit UP' event of a media house, appear to be directed at cleric Tauqeer Raza Khan, the chief of the Ittehad-e-Millat Council, who had initially called for a protest in support of the "I Love Muhammad" campaign and was arrested on Saturday for allegedly masterminding the violence.
"He thought he could halt the system by issuing threats whenever he wanted, but we made it clear that there would be neither a roadblock nor a curfew. However, you will be taught such a lesson that your future generations will never indulge in rioting," CM Adityanath said.
The chief minister questioned the intent behind the public gathering. "What kind of way is this to halt the system? This was the trend in UP before 2017, but after 2017, we have not allowed even a curfew."
He said such "barriers" in the state's development were dealt with aptly. "The story of Uttar Pradesh's development begins here."
He also defended bulldozer action against people booked in criminal cases. "There are people who incite sentiments based on caste, exploit people... we made the bulldozer for such people," the firebrand BJP leader said.
The chief minister's statement came as tension escalated in Bareilly after clashes between police and a large crowd of people carrying "I Love Muhammad" posters outside a mosque in the Kotwali area after Friday prayers. The crowd was reportedly angry over the last-minute cancellation of a proposed demonstration by Khan, who claimed that authorities had denied permission.
The police carried out overnight house-to-house raids to nab the culprits and arrested eight people, including Khan, who were on Saturday sent to judicial custody for two weeks.
They said over 500 people are being identified through various videos and CCTV footage in Bareilly.
District Magistrate Avinash Singh said that Section 163 of the BNSS (power to issue order in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger) was in effect, requiring written permission for any march or demonstration. Despite this, some individuals took to the streets, attempting to disrupt peace, leading to strict police action and the detention of over two dozen people.
DIG Ajay Kumar Sahni said the clashes hinted at a "pre-planned conspiracy". He vowed to identify all perpetrators using video evidence and ensure "exemplary punishment" to deter any future repeat of such episodes.
The Uttar Pradesh government's Information Department had issued a statement condemning the Bareilly violence as a "well-planned conspiracy" aimed at creating a negative atmosphere in Western UP to "undermine the Noida International Trade Show" and prevent foreign investment, thereby thwarting the state's development efforts.
The controversy erupted on September 9, when police in Kanpur filed an FIR against 24 persons for allegedly installing boards with ‘I Love Muhammad’ written on them during an Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi procession on September 4. Some Hindu groups had objected to the installation of boards, calling it "deviation from tradition" and a "deliberate provocation".
Muslim groups objected to the FIR and soon protests spread to several Uttar Pradesh districts and to states like Uttarakhand and Karnataka.
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Judiciary needs to function like 24x7 hospitals to address common man's pain, aspirations: CJI
Jabalpur (PTI): Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Saturday said it was time for the judiciary to address the pain and aspirations of the common man through an immediate relief-giving mechanism, and stressed the need for the judicial system to function like hospitals that work round-the-clock.
He said technology was the only effective answer to wastage of judiciary's time, and called for deepening technology and artificial intelligence (AI)-based judicial architecture to expedite justice delivery.
The CJI was speaking at a programme organised by the Madhya Pradesh High Court on "Fragmentation to fusion, Empowering justice via united digital platform integration". He also launched the high court's newly-developed digital platforms.
"Indian judiciary is committed to ensuring optimum utilisation of not only technological advancements that have been going on and which are integral part of our system since 1990, but also of latest AI designs and how we can use them for the benefit of the common man," he said.
"We should think of deepening technology and AI-based judicial architecture. Technology is the only effective answer to wasting judicial time," CJI Kant said.
The time has come when the judiciary needs to address the aspirations, requirements, demands, pain and agony of the common man through an immediate relief-giving system, he said.
"For that, the judiciary needs to work like hospitals that function 24x7," he added.
Recalling the COVID-19 pandemic, the CJI said the Indian judiciary was praised globally for discharging its constitutional duties during difficult times.
"We did not close our courts," he said, elaborating on how technology enabled courts to conduct urgent hearings during the pandemic.
He stressed the need to make use of technological advancements in judiciary for expediting the justice delivery system.
Praising Madhya Pradesh HC for developing digital platforms, the CJI said that as stated by the Union Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal, there was a need to roll out these technological advancements at the pan-India level.
A committee has been constituted by the Supreme Court on how to use AI for the benefit of the judicial system, especially in speedy disposal of cases, according to him.
Minister Meghwal, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and MP High Court Chief Justice Sanjeev Sabharwal also spoke on the occasion.
