Judiciary has no right to give verdict on religious issues: Justice Santosh Hegde
Bengaluru, October 30: Former Supreme Court Judge Justice N Santosh Hegde opined that the judiciary has no right to give verdict on religious issues as they have to respect the community rights in a democratic system.
Speaking at a symposium on the impact of Supreme Court verdicts on socio-economic and political fields in the country, here on Tuesday, Justice Hegde said that in recent years, the courts have been giving judgements beyond their limitations. Fifteen days back, the Supreme Court has taken up two important issues like allowing women to Shabarimalai temple and Rama Mandir. But the religious issues should be left to the community or society. Interference of courts in such issues was not acceptable, he said.
“The courts should give interim verdicts on religious issues and then, they should direct the Legislative and Executive to solve the problem by giving time to decide what is wrong and what is not. The recent Supreme Court verdict on banning crackers is also out of its purview. Crackers have been bursting in the country since many years. There was no need for court intervention in this issue. It could have directed the Legislature to manufacture green crackers and distribute them”, the Justice said.
When Kings were ruling the country, there was no option for the subjects to speak against the rulers. Even after the independence, there was no freedom for courts to give verdicts against the governments. But later, the judiciary had become stronger. There was a good opinion on the Supreme Court in the country as well as in abroad. But the recent incident of three SC Judges’ press conference had affected the reputation of the Apex Court and it was not a good development. He was proud for working for more than 35 years in the judiciary. But he was not happy for the present developments, he said hoping that the glory of the Supreme Court would return in future.
Political analyst Prof Sandeep Shastry said that the Judiciary has to intervene if the Legislature and Executive failed in their responsibility. But in India, the system was in ICU. So, the Supreme Court has to work as a doctor. Both the estates of the country should get fast recovery. The ruling and opposition parties have been trying to keep the system in ICU for their personal gains. So, they were against to take many issues front. Emotional issues like Shabarimalai and Rama Mandir of Ayodhya would not have any solution from the courts, he added.
Bantwala first Grade College principal Dr Ajjakala Girish Bhat, Arts College principal Prof Malleshwarappa and others were present.
“After the establishment of the Supreme Court, it has given thousands of verdicts in favour of the general public and thus ensured the peace in the country. So, such a judicial system should remain forever. It should further strengthen the public belief and confidence on judiciary. Judges should not bring their personal agenda in the verdicts”.
- Justice N Santosh Hegde, Former SC Judge
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Israel launches first airstrike on Lebanon since ceasefire, accusing Hezbollah of breaching truce
Beirut, Nov 28: The Israeli military on Thursday said its warplanes fired on southern Lebanon after detecting Hezbollah activity at a rocket storage facility, the first Israeli airstrike a day after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took hold.
There was no immediate word on casualties from Israel's aerial attack, which came hours after the Israeli military said it fired on people trying to return to certain areas in southern Lebanon. Israel said they were violating the ceasefire agreement, without providing details. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said two people were wounded.
The back-to-back incidents stirred unease about the agreement, brokered by the United States and France, which includes an initial two-month ceasefire in which Hezbollah members are to withdraw north of the Litani River and Israeli forces are to return to their side of the border. The buffer zone would be patrolled by Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers.
On Thursday, the second day of a ceasefire after more than a year of bloody conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanon's state news agency reported that Israeli fire targeted civilians in Markaba, close to the border, without providing further details. Israel said it fired artillery in three other locations near the border. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
An Associated Press reporter in northern Israel near the border heard Israeli drones buzzing overhead and the sound of artillery strikes from the Lebanese side.
The Israeli military said in a statement that “several suspects were identified arriving with vehicles to a number of areas in southern Lebanon, breaching the conditions of the ceasefire.” It said troops “opened fire toward them” and would “actively enforce violations of the ceasefire agreement.”
Israeli officials have said forces will be withdrawn gradually as it ensures that the agreement is being enforced. Israel has warned people not to return to areas where troops are deployed, and says it reserves the right to strike Hezbollah if it violates the terms of the truce.
A Lebanese military official said Lebanese troops would gradually deploy in the south as Israeli troops withdraw. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media.
The ceasefire agreement announced late Tuesday ended 14 months of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah that began a day after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack out of Gaza, when the Lebanese Hezbollah group began firing rockets, drones and missiles in solidarity.
Israel retaliated with airstrikes, and the conflict steadily intensified for nearly a year before boiling over into all-out war in mid-September. The war in Gaza is still raging with no end in sight.
More than 3,760 people were killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon during the conflict, many of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The fighting killed more than 70 people in Israel — over half of them civilians — as well as dozens of Israeli soldiers fighting in southern Lebanon.
Some 1.2 million people were displaced in Lebanon, and thousands began streaming back to their homes on Wednesday despite warnings from the Lebanese military and the Israeli army to stay out of certain areas. Some 50,000 people were displaced on the Israeli side, but few have returned and the communities near the northern border are still largely deserted.
In Menara, an Israeli community on the border with views into Lebanon, around three quarters of homes are damaged, some with collapsed roofs and burnt-out interiors. A few residents could be seen gathering their belongings on Thursday before leaving again.
