War of words between ruling, oppn MLAs over Nitish 'insulting' national anthem rock Bihar assembly
Patna(PTI): War of words between the ruling and opposition MLAs over Bihar Chief Nitish Kumar allegedly "insulting" the national anthem rocked the assembly on Friday.
As the proceedings began, opposition members trooped into the Well with placards and raised slogans, demanding an "unconditional apology" from Kumar.
Some members also demanded the resignation of the CM, alleging that he insulted the national anthem at an event on Thursday.
Despite repeated requests from Speaker Nand Kishore Yadav that they could raise the issue during the Zero Hour, the protests went on.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary also intervened, stating that the government can give its reply on the issue but it should be raised as per the existing provisions.
As the opposition MLAs refused to budge, the speaker adjourned the House till 2 pm.
At the inaugural ceremony of Sepak Takraw World Cup 2025 at the Pataliputra Sports Complex on Thursday, the CM left cabinet colleagues and officials flummoxed when he abruptly got up from his seat and walked down the dais, as soon as the moderator announced it was time for the national anthem.
After the adjournment of the House, Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav said, "It's a serious matter as it is an insult to the national anthem by the CM. This is also an insult to the countrymen by the CM. This shows that CM is not fit to run the state."
"The CM should resign from the post. We demand an unconditional apology from him. It is surprising that the CM is not saying even a single word on the issue. Why are NDA leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, maintaining a stoic silence over it?" he asked.
Some opposition MLAs also told reporters they may meet Governor Arif Mohammed Khan over the issue.
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36 ex-judges slam Opposition move to impeach Justice Swaminathan
New Delhi (PTI): Thirty-six former judges on Saturday gave a call to people, including parliamentarians, to denounce opposition leaders' move to impeach Madras High Court judge Justice G R Swaminathan, saying such an attempt, if allowed to proceed, would cut at the very roots of democracy and independence of the judiciary.
On December 1, Justice Swaminathan held that the Arulmighu Subramania Swamy Temple was duty-bound to light the lamp at the Deepathoon, in addition to the customary lighting near the Uchi Pillaiyar Mandapam.
The single-judge bench said that doing so would not encroach upon the rights of the adjacent dargah or the Muslim community.
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The order sparked a row, and on December 9, several opposition MPs, led by the DMK, submitted a notice to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to move a motion for the removal of the judge.
Taking serious exception to the move, the former judges in a joint statement said this is a "brazen attempt to browbeat judges who do not fall in line with the ideological and political expectations of a particular section of society".
"If such an attempt is permitted to proceed, it would cut at the very roots of our democracy and the independence of the judiciary," they said.
"We therefore call upon all stakeholders -- Members of Parliament across party lines, members of the Bar, civil society, and citizens at large -- to unequivocally denounce this move and ensure that it is nipped in the bud at the very inception," they added.
The statement emphasised that the judges must remain answerable to their oath and to the Constitution of India, not to "partisan political pressures or ideological intimidation".
"The message from all constitutional stakeholders must be clear and firm: in a republic governed by the rule of law, judgments are tested by appeals and legal critique, and not by threats of impeachment for political nonconformity," it said.
The statement was signed by former Supreme Court judge Krishn Murari J as well as ex-chief justices and former judges of different high courts.
The statement said the opposition party's move is not an "isolated aberration". It fits into a "clear and deeply troubling pattern" in India's recent constitutional history, where sections of the political class have sought to discredit and intimidate the higher judiciary whenever outcomes do not align with their interests, it added.
"The unprecedented bid in 2018 to initiate impeachment proceedings against then Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, the sustained campaigns of vilification directed at Chief Justices Ranjan Gogoi, S A Bobde and D Y Chandrachud while they were in office," the statement noted.
"The targeted attacks now being mounted against the incumbent CJI, Justice Surya Kant, whenever a judgment/remark displeases a political constituency, are all manifestations of the same trend," it said.
"This is not principled, reasoned criticism of judicial decisions; it is an attempt to weaponise impeachment and public calumny as instruments of pressure -- a practice that strikes at the heart of judicial independence and the basic norms of constitutional democracy," the statement added.
