PM's 'Babri lock' remarks absolute lie: Priyanka Gandhi
Raebareli (UP) (PTI): Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday termed as an "absolute lie" Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks that her party will put a "Babri lock" on the Ram temple in Ayodhya if it is voted to power, saying court judgements will be honoured.
Prime Minister Modi had recently stated at a rally in Madhya Pradesh that he wants the BJP-led NDA to win 400 seats in the Lok Sabha polls to ensure the Congress does not bring back Article 370 in Kashmir and put a "Babri lock" on the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
"This is an absolute lie ('yeh ekdum jhooth hai'). The Congress party had said a number of times that it will honour the judgement of the court. We have done this (in the past), and will do so in the future," she told reporters here
On Modi's Adani-Ambani jibe, she said Prime Minister Modi has been forced to take their names.
Rahul Gandhi, she noted, mentions the names of Adani and Ambai in his speeches every day.
Modi had on Wednesday accused the Congress of having a nexus with "Ambani and Adani", and asked if the party has received "tempo loads of black money" from the two businessmen for its leader Rahul Gandhi to stop "abusing" them.
Priyanka Gandhi also said that she wants the prime minister to read the Congress manifesto before commenting on it.
"Though he is the prime minister and elder to me...my advice is that he should first read the (Congress) manifesto, and then comment on it. He has not read it. Whatever comes to his mind, he says that it is written (in the manifesto). All the things that he is saying are written in manifesto are (actually) not written."
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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.
