Proposal to name metro station after St Mary elicit objections from BJP, some sections
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's positive response to a proposal to name the upcoming metro station near Shivajinagar here, after St Mary, has elicited objections from some sections, including opposition BJP, which has termed the move as appeasement.
Participating in the inauguration of the annual feast at St Mary's Basilica on September 8, Siddaramaiah said his government would recommend to the Centre on the request made at the function.
The metro station is part of an under construction on the Pink Line in the city.
"A request has been made to name the metro station (after St Mary). I have spoken to Rizwar (Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad), who is from the constituency. If told as to which station should be named, we will send a recommendation to the central government," Siddaramaiah had said.
Accusing the Congress government of "appeasement politics", Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy said, the naming of the metro station should not be on religious basis and his party is going to oppose it.
"Will they remove the name Shivajinagar? They should not go beyond the limits for pleasing someone. Appeasement has become the first choice of the Congress party. Because of appeasement, the party has gone to dogs now, still they are doing appeasement politics. It will not work. We will not allow it," the BJP leader told reporters.
Reacting to objections, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said, "We have just discussed it. There is a request (to name after St Mary). There is nothing wrong in the request. We will take a call on that."
There were also demands by some to name the station after late Kannada actor Shankar Nag, who is credited for his vision regarding having a rapid transit system for Bengaluru in the 1980s.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also slammed the Congress government's proposal.
"I condemn the Karnataka government's move to rename Shivajinagar metro station in Bengaluru after St Mary. Its an insult to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The Congress has continued its tradition of insulting the Maratha warrior king since the time of Nehru who made comments against Shivaji Maharaj in his book Discovery of India," he told reporters in Mumbai on Thursday.
Fadnavis said he was praying that the Almighty gives Siddaramaiah sense to not go ahead with such a decision that is based on religion and was against the Maratha warrior king.
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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.
