Rajasthan: Five BJP MLAs' resort visit sets off speculations amid suspense over CM pick
Jaipur (PTI): Amid suspense over whom the BJP will pick for the chief minister's post in Rajasthan, a visit by five BJP MLAs to a resort on the outskirts of the city created a buzz.
The father of MLA Lalit Meena claimed the newly elected legislator from Kishanganj had been confined there by the other four. After his father informed the party office, Meena was brought there on Wednesday morning.
It was not immediately clear whether the other four stayed back at the resort on Sikar Road.
Meena, however, refused to elaborate on the incident, which is seen as as attempt at 'badabandi' -- holing up elected leaders in resorts as a show of strength.
The Kishanganj MLA's father Hemraj Meena claimed his son was called by another legislator, Kanwar Lal Meena, to the resort for a meeting and was not allowed to leave. Lalit Meena then informed his father about the situation.
"When I got the call, I immediately informed the party leaders. We went to the resort where there was an altercation with Kanwar Lal Meena. However, we brought Lalit to the party office," Hemraj Meena told reporters.
When asked on whose directions the MLAs were staying there, Hemraj Meena said he had no idea about it and Kanwar Lal Meena could explain this. Kanwar Lal Meena could not be contacted for comments.
According to party sources, the five MLAs from the Kota division had checked into the resort on Tuesday night and had plans to shift to another resort in Kotputli.
When contacted, Lalit Meena refused to divulge details. "Whatever happened that night, I informed the party leaders. The party is my family and it is our family matter," he told PTI.
Meanwhile, the BJP's Rajasthan unit president CP Joshi said, "There is no 'badabandi'. The MLAs are in their constituencies," he said, adding that any decision on who will the chief minister will be taken after the legislature party meeting.
"The meeting will be called after the observers are appointed," he told reporters.
Meanwhile, two big posters showing Vasundhara Raje congratulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the party's victory in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh were put up outside the residence of the former chief minister on Thursday.
Raje, an MLA from Jhalrapatan in Jhalawar district under the Kota division, reached Delhi on Wednesday night.
Suspense over the chief ministerial face in Rajasthan prevailed ever since the party swept the Assembly poll in the state, winning 115 seats. Former chief minister Vasundhara Raje, and Union ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Arjun Ram Meghwal are considered among the frontrunners for the chief minister's post.
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Deep societal faultlines persist despite 75 years of independence: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan
Judge cites denial of home to Muslim girl, opposition to Dalit women cooking mid-day meals
Hyderabad, February 23, 2026: Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan has said that despite repeated affirmations of constitutional morality by courts, deep societal faultlines rooted in caste and religious discrimination continue to shape everyday realities in India.
Speaking at a seminar on “Constitutional Morality and the Role of District Judiciary” organised by the Telangana Judges Association and the Telangana State Judicial Academy in Hyderabad, Justice Bhuyan reflected on the gap between constitutional ideals and social practices.
He cited a recent instance involving his daughter’s friend, a PhD scholar at a private university in Noida, who was denied accommodation in South Delhi after her surname revealed her Muslim identity. According to Justice Bhuyan, the landlady bluntly informed her that no accommodation was available once her religious background became known.
In another example from Odisha, he referred to resistance by some parents to the government’s mid-day meal programme because the food was prepared by Dalit women employed as cooks. He noted that some parents had objected aggressively and refused to allow their children to consume meals cooked by members of the Scheduled Caste community.
Describing these incidents as “the tip of the iceberg,” Justice Bhuyan said they reveal how far society remains from the benchmark of constitutional morality even 75 years into the Republic. He observed that while the Constitution lays down standards of equality and dignity, the morality practised within homes and communities often diverges sharply from those values.
He emphasised that constitutional morality requires governance through the rule of law rather than the rule of popular opinion. Referring to the evolution of the doctrine through judicial decisions, he cited Naz Foundation v Union of India, in which the Delhi High Court read down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, holding that popular morality cannot restrict fundamental rights under Article 21. Though the judgment was later overturned in Suresh Kumar Koushal v Naz Foundation, the Supreme Court ultimately restored and expanded the principle in Navtej Singh Johar v Union of India, affirming that constitutional morality must prevail over majoritarian views.
“In our constitutional scheme, it is the constitutionality of the issue before the court that is relevant, not the dominant or popular view,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also addressed the functioning of the district judiciary, underlining that trial courts are the first point of contact for most litigants and form the foundation of the justice delivery system. He stressed that due importance must be given to the recording of evidence and adjudication of bail matters.
Highlighting the role of High Courts, he said their supervisory jurisdiction under Article 227 of the Constitution is intended as a shield to correct grave jurisdictional errors, not as a mechanism to substitute the discretion or factual appreciation of trial judges.
He recalled that several distinguished judges, including Justice H R Khanna, Justice A M Ahmadi, and Justice Fathima Beevi, began their careers in the district judiciary.
On representation within the judicial system, Justice Bhuyan noted that Telangana has made significant strides in gender inclusion. Out of a sanctioned strength of 655 judicial officers in the Telangana Judicial Service, 478 are currently serving, of whom 283 are women, exceeding 50 per cent representation. He added that members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minority communities, and persons with disabilities are also represented in the state’s judiciary.
He observed that greater representation of women, marginalised communities, persons with disabilities, and sexual minorities would help make the judiciary more inclusive and reflective of India’s diversity. “The judiciary must represent all the colours of the rainbow and become a rainbow institution,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also referred to the recent restoration by the Supreme Court of the requirement of a minimum three years of practice at the Bar for entry-level judicial posts. While acknowledging that the requirement ensures practical exposure, he cautioned that its impact on women aspirants, especially those from rural or small-town backgrounds facing social and financial constraints, would need to be carefully observed over time.
Concluding his address, he reiterated that the justice system must strive to bridge the gap between constitutional ideals and lived realities, ensuring that the rule of law remains paramount.
