No Muslim in India descendant of Aurangzeb: Maharashtra Deputy CM Fadnavis
says, nationalist Muslims don't recognise him as their leader
Akola, Jun 18: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said no Muslim in India is a descendant of Aurangzeb and nationalist Muslims in the country do no recognise the Mughal emperor as their leader.
He also hit out at Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar for visiting Aurangzeb's tomb in Aurangabad district and questioned Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray whether he approved his act.
Earlier this year, Thackeray and Ambedkar forged an alliance.
The VBA leader's visit to the tomb on Saturday took place against the backdrop of protests and clashes in parts of Maharashtra recently over social media posts glorifying Aurangzeb.
"What happened in Akola, Sambhajinagar and Kolhapur was not a coincidence, but it is an experiment. How come so many sympathisers of Aurangzeb surface in the state?" Fadnavis asked while addressing a public rally in Akola as part of completion of Narendra Modi government's nine years in office.
"How can Aurangzeb be our leader? Our king is only one and that is Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj...The Muslims in India, even they are not descendants of Aurangzeb. Tell me who is the descendant of Aurangzeb? Aurangzeb and his forefathers came from outside," he said.
"The nationalist Muslims in this country do not endorse him and they recognise only Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as their leader," he added.
Targeting Ambedkar for visiting Aurangzeb's tomb, Fadnavis asked him what was the need to do so.
"Ambedkar says Aurangzeb ruled our country for a long period. So Hitler also ruled Germany. Many people used to revere Hitler like a God...It was not expected from you. Uddhav Thackeray has allied with Ambedkar. So do you (Thackeray) accept Ambedkar's act?" he asked.
Who is creating the descendants of Aurangzeb in the state. Those who try to disturb the peace will be dealt with sternly, Fadnavis said.
Criticising Thackeray, the senior BJP leader said the Sena (UBT) president has borrowed "script writers" from his allies Congress and NCP as nobody seems to be left in his own faction to write speeches for him.
"But Uddhav ji, we know where and what is burning and how he feels. Whenever he is afraid of a leader, he claims that the latter is going to break Mumbai from Maharashtra. He keeps saying it all the time. But I can tell you one thing, nobody can break Mumbai from Maharashtra," he said.
"When Thackeray backstabbed the BJP and joined hands with Congress-NCP to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, I had said that I will come back. I not only returned to power, but brought Eknath Shinde as CM along with me," he said.
Late Balasaheb Thackeray had once said that rather than joining hands with Congress and NCP, he would close down his party, Fadnavis said.
"But Uddhav ji kept his ideology aside and indulged in loose talk against PM Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah," he alleged.
He also taunted Thackeray saying those who sit at home all the time will never be able to understand the charisma of Modi and Shah.
Talking about the upcoming meeting of anti-BJP parties in Bihar, he said. "Several opposition leaders are going to share the stage in Patna on June 23. A photo of the same leaders taken in 2019 had 52 leaders but the main opposition party Congress could win only 48 seats. No matter how many creepers come together, it cannot be an alternative to a banyan tree."
PM Modi worked to give rights to the people's in the country. India was one of the only five countries in the world that produced anti-coronavirus vaccines. The PM sent these vaccines to 100 countries, Fadnavis said.
Farmers in Maharashtra are benefiting from several central government schemes like the Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission, Ujjwala Yojana, he added.
Speaking on the occasion, state BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said that in the last nine years, India became self-sufficient and PM Modi has emerged as the most popular leader in the world today.
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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.
