Mehbooba Mufti seeks EC intervention over 'harassment', 'arrest' of PDP workers
Srinagar (PTI): PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday sought intervention of the Election Commission to stop the alleged harassment and arrest of her party workers, a day ahead of the polls in Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency.
The People's Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Srinagar Lok Sabha seat Waheed Para has accused a senior IPS officer of trying to engineer a low voter turnout in areas where the party has a strong support base.
"I am writing to you with a profound sense of urgency and grave concern regarding the troubling developments in the run-up to the elections in the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency, scheduled for May 13. It has come to my attention that the state administration, under the control of the Union government, is shamelessly engaged in activities aimed at intimidating voters and supporters of the People's Democratic Party," Mufti said in the letter to the commission.
She referred to the 1987 assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir saying it is distressing to witness history repeating itself, reminiscent of the 1987 rigged elections that caused immense suffering and political disillusionment in the region.
The former chief minister said she was "deeply troubled" by reports that the security agencies were conducting raids and harassing PDP workers in Pulwama and Shopian districts.
"Numerous party members, sympathisers, and activists have been arbitrarily detained without justification, apparently as punishment for their efforts to organise public rallies and encourage voter turnout. In a democratic society, it is imperative that both election authorities and state officials promote political participation and ensure a fair electoral process," she said.
"Regrettably, the current situation in these areas is far from conducive to such principles," she added.
Mufti pointed out that as the custodian of democracy, the Election Commission plays a crucial role in upholding the integrity of the electoral process and ensuring a level playing field for all political parties.
"However, recent actions, such as the delay in (elections in) the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency, have raised serious concerns about the commission's impartiality and emboldened those who seek to manipulate the electoral outcome through coercion and intimidation," her letter read.
"The situation has escalated to a point where the security establishment is instilling a climate of fear in areas slated for elections on May 13. This appears to be a direct result of public threats made by the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party, which has openly called for the arrest of PDP supporters," she added.
Mufti said the imposition of Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, prohibiting the assembly of people in areas witnessing high political activities, is "shocking and deeply concerning".
"This arbitrary restriction stifles democratic participation and violates fundamental rights, solely based on anticipated political preferences. Citizens are being deprived of their right to express their democratic voice, simply because they are expected to support the PDP," she said.
"I must emphasise that similar concerns have been raised regarding the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency. If the Election Commission of India is unwilling to address these issues and uphold the integrity of the electoral process, it would be tantamount to condoning electoral malpractice and betraying the very essence of democracy," she added.
The PDP chief made an "urgent appeal" to the Election Commission to take immediate action to thwart any attempt at rigging the polls.
"Through this urgent appeal, I seek not only to convey the apprehensions of my party but also to articulate the sentiments of the broader populace. I implore your office to take immediate and decisive action to thwart any attempts at election rigging and safeguard the democratic values that define our nation," she said.
Meanwhile, her party's Srinagar candidate took to social media to claim that a senior IPS officer was trying to engineer a low voter turnout.
In a post on X, Para said, "In the past, Kashmir has experienced boycotts at the behest of separatists. Today, we're witnessing a similar scenario, with an IPS officer of ADGP rank, Mr. Vijay Kumar, allegedly directing officials to minimize voter turnout by detaining, harassing our workers. Such actions serve the interests of anti-national elements, not India."
"@PMOIndia @HMOIndia We're reaching out to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to urgently address and relocate the official from his sensitive position," he added.
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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.
