Prashant Kishor 'thanks' Congress for resolution against CAA, NRC; BJP fumes
Patna, Jan 12: JD(U)'s Prashant Kishor on Sunday thanked Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for "formal and unequivocal" rejection of the NRC and reassured the people of Bihar, ruled by his party, that CAA and NRC will not be implemented in the state.
The BJP, an ally of the JD(U) headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, got rankled by the commendation of the opposition party by the former election strategist.
The saffron party came out with a statement criticising "over intelligent and super knowledgeable people" for their propaganda on NRC and asserted that the CAA was passed in Parliament with JD(U)'s support and "it will be implemented in all concerned states, including Bihar".
"I join my voice with all to thank #Congress leadership for their formal and unequivocal rejection of #CAA-NRC. Both @rahulgandhi & @priyankagandhi deserve special thanks for their efforts on this count," Kishor tweeted reacting to the Congress Working Committee (CWC) resolution.
The CWC has demanded that the CAA be withdrawn and the process of NPR stopped forthwith, accusing the BJP-led government at the Centre of using its brute majority to impose a "divisive and discriminatory" agenda.
Forty two-year-old Kishor, whose first claim to fame was the management of Narendra Modi's election campaign in 2014, said, "Also would like to reassure to all -- Bihar mein CAA-NRC laagu nahin hoga (CAA-NRC will not be implemented in Bihar)".
Kishor had joined the JD(U) in September 2018 as a full-time member and has been elevated to the post of national vice president of the party.
His relationship with the BJP has remained uneasy since the 2014 Lok Sabha polls after which he has offered his professional services to parties like the Congress (in UP and Punjab), Trinamool Congress (West Bengal) and the Aam Aadmi Party (Delhi) -- all bitterly opposed to the saffron party.
Kishor's recent tirades against his party for supporting the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and his vociferous opposition to NPR and NRC had raised the hackles of the BJP.
The saffron party's Bihar unit spokesperson Nikhil Anand came out with a statement in response, dripping with sarcasm but without mentioning Kishor by name.
"Some over intelligent and super knowledgeable people are creating propaganda on NRC. But the fact is that there is no initiative by the central government on the issue. We thank the PM, the HM for bringing such much-needed legislation of CAA.
"We appreciate the support of our NDA allies including CM Nitish Kumar Ji in passing the Bill in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The CAA will be implemented in all the concerned states including Bihar and there is no question on this matter. Bihar government has already notified start of the NPR in May 2020," Anand said.
The BJP spokesperson said that those opposing CAA must know that India is not like the United States of America which has dual citizenship.
"The right to enact legislation related to Census and Citizenship comes within the ambit of Union Govt only and every state has to follow the law created by parliament on these issues.
"Do these people want the state governments to take independent decisions on issues related to citizenship and Census which is the sole jurisdiction of the union government and Parliament as per the Constitution of India?" he said.
Anand said such thought is a disrespect to the federal structure and Constitution of India.
I join my voice with all to thank #Congress leadership for their formal and unequivocal rejection of #CAA_NRC. Both @rahulgandhi & @priyankagandhi deserves special thanks for their efforts on this count.
— Prashant Kishor (@PrashantKishor) January 12, 2020
Also would like to reassure to all - बिहार में CAA-NRC लागू नहीं होगा।
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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.
