SC issues notice to Rajasthan govt on plea challenging validity of anti-conversion law
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Monday sought response from the Rajasthan government and others on a petition challenging the validity of the Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2025.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta issued notice to the state and others, seeking their replies on the plea filed by the Jaipur Catholic Welfare Society.
"We have raised issues of legislative competence as well as excessiveness in terms of constitutional limitations," senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, appearing for the petitioner, said.
The bench observed that petitions raising similar issue were pending consideration before the top court.
"We have raised an entirely different question," Dhavan said.
"We will issue notice and call the other side and then we will hear you," Justice Nath said, as the bench issued notice on the plea and posted the matter for hearing after four weeks.
It also tagged the plea with the pending petitions raising similar issue.
On November 3, the top court agreed to hear two petitions challenging the validity of several provisions of the law against illegal religious conversions that came into force in Rajasthan.
It issued notice to the Rajasthan government seeking its response within four weeks on the pleas against the 2025 Act that was passed by the state Assembly in September.
Also in September, another bench of the apex court sought the stand of several states on separate pleas seeking a stay on their respective anti-conversion laws.
The top court had then made it clear that it would consider the prayer for staying the operation of such laws once the replies were filed.
The bench was then dealing with a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of anti-conversion laws enacted by several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand and Karnataka.
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Justice Swarana K Sharma starts contempt case against Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia over excise posts
New Delhi (PTI): Delhi High Court judge Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma on Thursday initiated criminal contempt proceedings against AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Durgesh Pathak, Sanjay Singh, Saurabh Bhardwaj and others over their "vilifying" social media posts against her in relation to the excise policy case.
Justice Sharma said the former Delhi chief minister "orchestrated a calculated campaign" of vilification against her on social media instead of pursuing his legal remedies and clarified that the CBI's petition against the discharge of all accused persons would now be taken up by another bench.
The judge took exception to several social media posts by the proposed contemnors that attributed "political allegiance" to her and allegedly targeted her by posting a misleading "edited" video of a speech given by her at an educational institution in Varanasi.
"Arvind Kejriwal sought to destroy my reputation instead of availing legal remedies after I refused to recuse and a deliberate attempt to lower the court's authority can't be permitted in guise of free speech," Justice Sharma said.
She clarified that she was not recusing herself but was only transferring the case to another bench as she has initiated the contempt proceedings.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for CBI, thanked Justice Sharma for upholding the institution's dignity.
