Owaisi criticizes retired SC Judge who upheld Hijab verdict for attending VHP meet
Says "Sab 'BeNaqab' ho raha hain"
Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has sparked a debate with his remark, "Sab 'BeNaqab' ho raha hain" (Everyone’s mask is coming off), in response to the participation of former Supreme Court judge, Justice Hemant Gupta, in a "Judges Meet" event organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). Owaisi shared the comment on X (formerly Twitter) after The News Minute reported on the gathering held on September 8, where Justice Gupta and at least 30 other retired judges from the Supreme Court and various High Courts were present.
The meeting, hosted by the legal wing of the VHP in New Delhi, reportedly focused on topics that resonate with Hindutva groups, such as the status of the Varanasi and Mathura temples, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, and issues surrounding religious conversions.
Owaisi's critical remark came in the wake of Justice Gupta’s previous involvement in high-profile cases, including his decision to uphold the Karnataka High Court's verdict in the controversial Hijab ban case. In that case, Justice Gupta sided with the Karnataka High Court's ruling, stating that wearing the hijab was not an "essential religious practice" under Article 25 of the Constitution. His stance on the matter led to a split verdict in the Supreme Court, where Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia dissented. The case was referred to a larger bench, and the matter remains unresolved.
Responding to the criticism surrounding his attendance at the VHP event, Justice Gupta defended his participation, emphasizing his rights as a retired judge and citizen of India. He told The Quint, "I cannot comment about others but I have the liberty to associate with platforms and forums to discuss and deliberate upon current issues and topics as any other citizen of the country." He further added that he attended the event to engage in discussions on "current events and affairs."
Justice Gupta’s judicial career has included several high-profile and often controversial rulings. Before retiring, he upheld the Karnataka High Court’s decision on the Hijab ban case. His final judgment raised significant public debate, given the delicate balance between religious freedom and state regulations.
Apart from his involvement in the Hijab case, Justice Gupta was also part of a 2022 split verdict on the use of Eidgah Maidan in Bengaluru for Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. The case was later referred to a larger bench. Additionally, in 2020, he delivered a notable ruling stating that caste-based slurs made in private, rather than in public view, do not constitute a punishable offense under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Justice Gupta also served on the constitutional bench that declared Maratha reservations unconstitutional in 2019 for exceeding the 50% cap on reservations, a decision that stirred significant debate across the country.
Two months after his retirement from the Supreme Court, Justice Gupta was appointed as the Chairperson of the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (NDIAC) by the central government.
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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.
