SC summons officials of Delhi civic bodies on sealing issue
New Delhi, July 11: The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought presence of Deputy Commissioners of Delhi's South, West and Central zones for not complying with its order to seal unauthorised constructions.
A bench of Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta also summoned chairman of Special Task Force (STF), constituted to monitor issues relating to unauthorised constructions in Delhi, to appear before it on July 18.
The monitoring committee - mandated to identify and seal unauthorised structures in the national capital - alleged non cooperation by the civic agencies in a report filed before the bench.
The bench while perusing the report, took into note a media report submitted by the committee, as per which Union Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had rapped the officials for carrying out the drive without using "common sense".
"You (government) have no intention to work, which even the monitoring committee has informed. Your minister said that the monitoring committee had no common sense in sealing the properties. Monitoring committee was constituted by us, that means the court has no sense as per you," said the bench.
"We do not have common sense. We do not know how to work. Please ask him where should we get common sense. Is it available in the market? Ask him so that we can get some common sense also," Justice Lokur told Additional Solicitor General A.N.S. Nadkarni, who was appearing for the Centre.
"We are being told that we lack common sense. If something is there in the newspapers, you say it is false. That is why we do not have common sense.
"See how your department is making hurdles in the working of the committee," said the anguished bench.
The report said that pubs and dancing clubs are working in illegal properties and the SDMC has not taken any action, added the bench.
The court was earlier told that the municipal bodies was refusing to carry out the directions of the committee on the grounds that the amendments to the Master Plan-2021 were yet to be finalised.
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Two FIRs lodged against Mithun Chakraborty for 'provocative' speech
Kolkata, Nov 6: Two FIRs have been lodged against actor-turned-politician Mithun Chakraborty for allegedly making provocative statements during a BJP event in Salt Lake area near Kolkata last month, police said on Wednesday.
The complaints pertain to Chakraborty's speech on October 27 at the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC) in Salt Lake, during a BJP programme attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was in Kolkata to launch the party's West Bengal membership drive.
The first FIR was filed at the Bidhannagar South police station based on a complaint by an individual, while the second was lodged at Bowbazar police station.
"We have started an investigation into the case," a senior officer of Bidhannagar police said.
Shah was also present at the programme, which was organised to kick off the West Bengal leg of the BJP's membership drive. Shah had also felicitated Chakraborty for being honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award this year.
Although Chakraborty was unavailable for comment, BJP state president and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar described the FIRs a result of "vendetta politics.".
Majumdar alleged that the TMC government "has once again used the police to unfairly target well-known actor and senior BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty".
He accused the chief minister of employing such tactics "to serve political interests" and claimed that the state government's actions were part of an ongoing attempt to discredit political opponents.
"There is nothing provocative in his speech. These are nothing but attempts to intimidate him by using police as a political tool," he said.
TMC leader Kunal Ghosh dubbed the BJP's allegations as baseless.
"The allegations of political vendetta are baseless. He shouldn't have made such provocative remarks. The law will take its own course," he said.
Chakraborty, who received India's highest film honour, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, earlier this year, had asserted on October 27 that the 'masnad' (throne) of West Bengal would belong to the BJP after the 2026 assembly elections, promising to do whatever it takes to achieve the goal.
While speaking at the programme, Chakraborty, a BJP leader, said, "In 2026, the 'masnad' will be ours, and we will do everything to achieve the goal."
In an apparent reference to TMC MLA Humayun Kabir's communal remarks aimed at BJP workers during the Lok Sabha elections, Chakraborty had allegedly made provocative remarks.
Chakraborty cautioned that no one should attempt to intimidate saffron party voters into abstaining from voting in the next assembly elections.
He called upon the booth-level workers of his party to resist any such attempts.
