New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Gujarat government to give within two weeks Rs 50 lakh compensation, a job and an accommodation of choice to Bilkis Bano, who was gang raped when she was five months pregnant during the 2002 riots in the state.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi asked the Gujarat government as to why it has not given the compensation, job and accommodation to Bilkis despite the apex court's April 23 order.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state, told the bench that compensation of Rs 50 lakh was not provided in the victim compensation scheme of Gujarat and they would also file a plea seeking review of the top court's April order.

"Should we note in the order that the compensation has been ordered keeping in view the peculiar facts of the case," the bench, also comprising justices S A Bobde and S A Nazeer, observed and asked the state government to give the compensation, job and accommodation to Bilkis within two weeks.

Later, Mehta gave an undertaking in the court that the compensation, job and accommodation would be given to her within two weeks.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Bengaluru (PTI): BJP leader R Ashoka on Friday claimed that the ongoing power struggle between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar has created massive confusion in Karnataka.

He remarked that the proverb “when two people fight, the third one benefits” has come true, as AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge is also now making efforts to become Chief Minister.

Speaking to reporters here, Ashoka said the entire government has turned into a house of confusion due to the alleged power tussle.

Kharge’s new statement has only added to the chaos, he said.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge had on Friday said that no date has been fixed yet to discuss possible leadership change in Karnataka.

This came a day after Kharge said there was no change of CM in Karnataka "for now" and that the leadership issue in the state would be resolved soon.

The BJP leader said that Kharge too has aspirations and that he was cheated earlier.

"Perhaps he has received a green signal from the Congress high command to become CM. Everyone is already saying Kharge should become CM. Kharge himself has declared, “I am ready to become CM.” Despite many attempts in the past, he never became CM. Now he is trying to seize the opportunity," the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly said.

According to him, the situation in Congress has perfectly become a case of “two people fighting, third one benefits.”