Meeting with PM fruitful: Kerala CM
New Delhi, Sep 25 : Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday night expressed happiness after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he had "very fruitful" discussions on how to rebuild the flood-battered state.
Vijayan called on Modi seeking the full support of the Centre in rebuilding the state in the aftermath of the worst ever floods in a century that ravaged the state.
"Eighty per cent of Kerala's population has been directly or indirectly affected by the tragedy. The state alone cannot handle the crisis. Hence the complete support of the Centre is required and this has been brought to the attention of the Prime Minister," he said.
"The meeting was very fruitful and we have a lot of expectations," he told the media.
Among the demands he has raised with Modi is a 10 per cent increase in all central schemes, a sum of Rs 4,796 crore from the National Disaster Fund and Rs 5,000 crore of special grant.
The May-August disaster claimed 483 lives and at the height of the deluge there were 14.50 lakh people in over 3,000 relief camps.
"We have sought the help of the Centre to get assistance from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. The PM has expressed all support in the demands that we raised."
He said there were issues in accepting help from foreign countries. "But there is no bar in accepting help from the diaspora."
Vijayan returned from the US on Sunday after being treated for an undisclosed ailment.
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BCI urges CJI to take action against Andhra HC judge for sending young lawyer to 24-hour custody
New Delhi (PTI): The Bar Council of India on Wednesday sought the urgent intervention of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant following a "deeply disturbing" incident where a judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court reportedly sent a young advocate to
24-hour judicial custody over a procedural lapse.
The Bar Council of India (BCI) Chairperson and senior advocate Manan Kumar Mishra, in a formal representation, termed the conduct of Justice Tarlada Rajasekhar Rao "grossly inappropriate" and "damaging to the confidence of the Bar".
“I most respectfully request your Lordship to kindly take immediate institutional cognizance of the matter and call for the video recording of the proceedings, the order passed, and the surrounding circumstances.
“I further request that appropriate administrative action may kindly be considered, including withdrawal of judicial work from the learned Judge pending review, his immediate transfer to some far off High Court, and his nomination for appropriate judicial training/orientation on court management, judicial temperament, Bar-Bench relations, and proportional exercise of contempt/judicial authority,” Mishra wrote.
This representation is made to preserve the “dignity, moral authority and public confidence of the judiciary”, he said, adding, “Judges command the highest respect not by fear, but by fairness, patience, restraint and constitutional humility”.
The communication urged the CJI to intervene at the earliest to ensure that the faith of Bar, particularly young advocates, in the protective and corrective role of the judiciary is restored.
The controversy stems from proceedings on May 5.
According to the BCI, a video circulating online shows Justice Rao rebuking a young advocate who was unable to produce a specific order copy during a hearing.
The letter said that despite the advocate "repeatedly seeking pardon and mercy" and claiming he was in physical pain, the judge remained "unmoved".
The judge allegedly told the lawyer, "now you will learn," and mocked his experience before directing the Registrar and police personnel to take him into custody for 24 hours.
The BCI chairperson said that the judge’s actions lacked proportionality and fairness.
"The dignity of the court is not enhanced when a lawyer is made to beg for grace in open court and is still sent to custody for a procedural lapse," the letter said.
"A young lawyer... is an officer of the Court, still learning, still growing, and entitled to correction without humiliation," it added.
The bar body said that such actions create a "chilling effect" on the legal fraternity, particularly among junior members, and undermine the mutual respect required between the Bench and the Bar.
