Will lend support to INDIA bloc from outside to form govt at Centre: Mamata Banerjee
Kolkata, May 15: West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said her party will extend support to the opposition INDIA bloc from outside to form the government at the Centre and vowed to repeal the CAA, NRC and UCC once the BJP government is voted out of power.
Expressing skepticism about the BJP's ambitious target of achieving 400 seats in the Lok Sabha elections, she said people will reject them totally.
"BJP is claiming that it will win 400 seats, but people are saying it will not happen. The entire country has understood that the BJP is a party full of thieves. We (TMC) will support the INDIA bloc from outside to form a government at the Centre. We will extend our support so that in (West) Bengal, our mothers and sisters never face a problem... and those who work in the 100 days' job scheme, also do not face problems," Banerjee said.
The TMC supremo, who was addressing an election rally at Chinsurah, Hooghly district, however, clarified that in West Bengal, her party will not support the Congress and CPI(M). Banerjee alleged that both the parties, who are part of the INDIA alliance, have joined hands and helping the BJP in the state.
"Do not count on the CPI(M) and the Congress in Bengal. They are not with us, they are with the BJP here. I am talking about that (INDIA bloc) in Delhi," she clarified.
The Chief Minister also referred to Atal Bihari Vajpayee's defeat in the 2004 elections, despite the BJP's 'India Shining' slogan.
"They (BJP) are desperate to win. But the country's voice is also united in calling for their defeat. Nobody was able to predict Atal Bihari Vajpayee's defeat in 2004. He gave the slogan 'India Shining' but the winds changed and the people didn't vote for him," she added.
Addressing the rally, Banerjee criticised the EC for scheduling the polls over a period of two months, alleging that this decision favoured the saffron party while disregarding the hardships faced by the common people due to excessive heat.
"The Election Commission is a puppet and operates according to Modi's directions. Poll is being held for two-and-half months, have you (poll officials) ever realised the struggle of the common people," Banerjee said.
Accompanying the party's Hooghly nominee actress Rachana Banerjee, the CM accused Modi of violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by allegedly announcing plans to expand the Ayushman Bharat Yojana to cover senior citizens over 70 years of age during the ongoing elections.
"Why are you saying this now when the elections are on? You should have announced this earlier... Modi babu, you are violating the MCC," she said.
Banerjee declared her party's unwavering stance against the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC), and Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Bengal.
Later, Banerjee participated in a roadshow from Ichapur Water Tank to Pilkhana More in Howrah in support of the party's Howrah Lok Sabha candidate Prasun Banerjee.
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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.
