Modi targets Congress over 26/11 attacks, warns against INDIA bloc's 'mission cancel'
Ahmednagar/Beed (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday targeted the Congress over a senior leader's remarks on the 26/11 terror attacks and claimed if voted to power, the grand old party will reverse the Supreme Court verdict on Ram temple like it did in the 1985 Shah Bano case.
The BJP's star campaigner asserted the Congress's one point agenda on coming to power is to "cancel" landmark decisions taken by his government like scrapping Article 370, bringing a new citizenship Act, banning the instant triple talaq, and declared June 4, the day when votes polled in the Lok Sabha will be counted, will be the "expiry" date for the opposition INDIA bloc.
Addressing two poll rallies in Maharashtra in support of BJP-Shiv Sena candidates, Modi accused the Congress of playing a dangerous game of appeasement politics on 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, Ram temple and religion-based quota.
Speaking in Ahmednagar and Beed districts, the BJP stalwart hit out at the Congress over its Maharashtra leader Vijay Wadettiwar's comments that then-ATS chief Hemant Karkare was not killed by Pakistan terrorist Ajmal Kasab during the 26/11 attacks.
Quoting a senior Congress leader who recently resigned, the PM noted that "shehzada" (referring to Rahul Gandhi) had told a select group of people that if his party was voted to power, it will reverse the 2019 Supreme Court verdict on Ram temple like the Rajiv Gandhi government did in the 1985 Shah Bano case.
Modi asked people to be alert to Congress designs to "snatch" the SCs/ST/s/OBCs quota in jobs and education and give it to Muslims, saying this has been done in Karnataka, where the grand old party is in power.
The BJP stalwart maintained that while he is on a mission to realize the goal of Viksit Bharat (developed India), the INDIA alliance will be on a "mission cancel" if voted to power.
Modi claimed the opposition bloc will bring back Article 370 (which granted special status to J&K), restore instant triple talaq practice, scrap measures like the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), free ration for the poor, free medical treatment up to Rs 5 lakh for 55 crore poor people and pro-farmer steps such as Kisan Samman Nidhi.
"A former Congress leader has revealed that after the 2019 Supreme Court verdict on Ram mandir, 'shehzada' called a meeting and said if the Congress returns to power, it will overturn the Ram mandir ruling," the PM noted.
Speaking in Ahmednagar, Modi said June 4 will be the "expiry date" of the INDIA bloc.
"This grouping will disperse like sand. The Congress-led bloc is indulging in appeasement politics, while BJP-led NDA wants to make everyone happy. BJP-led NDA works for development, national security, welfare of the poor, self-respect of the nation, while the Congress manifesto has the Muslim League's stamp. The party has made false promises of poverty alleviation and betrayed the poor," he emphasised.
Modi pointed out that he has provided four crore homes to the poor, while 50 crore people have been brought in the banking system through the Jan Dhan scheme and 80 crore people are getting free ration.
In Beed, Modi noted the Congress neglected the arid Marathwada region for long, while his government worked on expediting irrigation projects and solving water scarcity issue.
At one point, the PM got emotional and recalled that in the last 10 years, he had lost party colleagues like Gopinath Munde (who hailed from Beed), Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Manohar Parrikar and was feeling their absence now.
Remembering BJP leader Gopinath Munde, who was a member of his first cabinet in 2014, Modi said, "He used to often discuss about development of Marathwada. I took people like Gopinath Munde to Delhi."
The PM warned the Congress wants to replicate the "Karnataka model" of reservation politics, which involves including Muslims in OBC quota, in the entire country.
"Till Modi is alive, no power in the world can take away reservation granted to Dalit, tribals and OBCs," he declared.
Modi said the "real" NCP and "real" Shiv Sena were with the BJP, while the 'nakli' (bogus) Shiv Sena and 'nakli' NCP were with the Congress.
"The Congress can only make 'nakli' promises and 'nakli' videos. Its agenda is that it will not work and not let others work. The Congress will stop the (Mumbai-Ahmedabad) bullet train project if it comes to power. Can we trust such anti-development people?" he asked.
He took a dig at the Congress over its stand on terrorism.
"It seems the Congress is maintaining some relationship with these people (terrorists). The country has not forgotten that terrorists were welcomed in the PM's residence (during Congress rule). A big Congress leader cried when terrorists were killed in Batla House encounter (in Delhi)," Modi noted.
Criticizing RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav over his remarks favouring quota for Muslims, Modi said, 'Another leader of INDI alliance said today morning that reservation that has been given to SCs/STs/ OBCs should be given to Muslims too. This is against Dalit and adivasis."
The state government led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, in which the BJP and the NCP are also allies, is bringing development projects in Marathwada, the PM said.
Shinde, Union minister Ramdas Athawale, Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde, BJP's Beed Lok Sabha candidate Pankaja Munde were present at the rally.
Voting in Ahmednagar, Shirdi and Beed seats will take place on May 13.
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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.
