Kolkatta: Senior Advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya brought a plea before the Calcutta High Court, urging it to take suo moto cognizance of purported remarks attributed to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The plea contends that Banerjee's comments implied bias on the part of High Court judges and suggested that the institution had been compromised.

These remarks surfaced following a recent ruling by the High Court nullifying approximately 24,000 teaching and non-teaching positions implicated in the notorious cash-for-jobs scandal.

Addressing a division bench comprising Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya, Bhattacharya stressed on the gravity of the situation, asserting, "This is criminal contempt." He further stressed the need for the Court to intervene, given the Attorney General's reluctance to provide consent for proceeding against the Chief Minister.

The plea underscored the damaging effect of Banerjee's alleged statements on the credibility of the judiciary, stating, "Everyone is laughing at us, this has put us into ridicule." Bhattacharya supported his argument with newspaper clippings from various publications, both regional and English, which highlighted the controversial remarks.

Acknowledging the sensitivity of the matter, the Court has directed for affidavits to be filed and has scheduled a hearing accordingly.

Meanwhile, another plea has been filed challenging the same remarks attributed to the Chief Minister.

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Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka School Education Department has issued a circular strictly prohibiting children from being made to dance to obscene songs in educational and cultural programmes.

It stated that such dances would negatively impact students' mental health and moral values. It will create indiscipline and harm the sanctity of education.

"All the Deputy Directors (Administration) of the state's School Education Department have been asked to take strict measures to prevent children or students from dancing to obscene songs in all government, aided and unaided schools in the state," the office of the commissioner of the School Education Department said in a recent circular.

"If it is found that children are being made to dance to obscene songs, appropriate action will be taken against the headmaster or management of such school," it added.

The department also listed certain measures in this regard, which include: strictly prohibiting children from being made to dance to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes; selecting songs that are inspiring, positive, instilling national pride in children and reflecting the greatness, dignity, values, culture, and morality of the state.

Stating that the school headmaster and management are responsible for selecting songs and dances for cultural programmes, it said, they should also ensure that students wear decent clothes in dance or cultural programmes.