RSS, Jana Sangh were not foremost fighters of Emergency: CPI-M
New Delhi, June 28 : The BJP seeks to project the RSS and the Jana Sangh as the foremost fighters against Emergency but this amounts to economising with the truth, the CPI-M has said.
"While it is true that a large number of RSS leaders and workers were put in jail (during Emergency), it is also a fact that a number of them tendered apologies and declared support for the 20-point programme of the Indira government to facilitate their release," said an editorial in the CPI-M journal "People's Democracy".
"They did so, probably taking the cue from the RSS sarsanghchalak Balasaheb Deoras who (from) jail wrote two letters to Indira Gandhi offering to cooperate with the government and declaring support for the `constructive programmes' of the government." it said.
"Thus, the doughty fighters against the Emergency were shown to be craven and vacillating in the face of State repression."
The editorial follows the 43rd anniversary of the 1975-77 Emergency rule when thousands of political activists of all hues were jailed and fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution were suspended.
The CPI-M editorial said that the occasion "became, as usual, an occasion for the BJP leadership to put out its own distorted and boastful version of this eventful period in post-independent India".
It said that the four years of Modi government had witnessed an "'undeclared Emergency' which is nothing but the institutionalisation of an authoritarian regime.
"When the BJP talks about the Emergency era of four decades ago, it blithely sidesteps the fact that a far worse authoritarian regime has been put in place marked by a systematic encroachment of civil liberties and democratic rights; subversion of the institutions under the Constitution; State-aided vigilantism and lynch mobs; and intimidation of the media and suppression of dissent."
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K’taka HC judge whose controversial remarks triggered controversy expresses regret before open court
Bengaluru: Karnataka High Court judge, Justice V Srishananda, on Saturday expressed regret in open court after facing backlash over his controversial remarks in his recent court hearings, reported Bar and Bench.
Two purported video clips from Justice V Srishananda’s court hearing that show him making inappropriate comments went viral across social media platforms.
On Saturday, Justice Srishananda invited members of the Advocates Association, Bengaluru, and senior lawyers to his courtroom at 2:30 PM, where he read out a note expressing regret for inappropriate comments.
Quoting Advocates Association President Vivek Subba Reddy, Bar and Bench wrote, “He expressed regret for the comments and clarified that it was not his intention to offend any community or members of the Bar. He also requested the association to relay this message to all members of the Bar.”
Reddy further stated, “We also advised him to encourage young lawyers in the courtroom and refrain from making any irrelevant remarks during hearings.”
Another senior lawyer present during the session confirmed to the legal news portal that Justice Srishananda also addressed comments directed at a woman lawyer, who was seen in one of the videos being reprimanded by the judge. The judge Justice Srishananda clarified that his remarks were not intended to target her (woman lawyer) specifically, but rather pertained to the appellant she was representing. “He explained that his comment was meant to imply that the appellant seemed to know a lot about the other party,” said the lawyer.
In addition, Justice Srishananda assured those present that he would avoid making such comments in the future.
The controversy came to light on September 19, when a video clip from an August 28 Court hearing surfaced on social media, showing Justice Srishananda referring to a Muslim-majority sub-locality in Bengaluru’s Goripalya as "Pakistan." Hours later, another video from the same courtroom emerged, in which the judge was seen making a gender-insensitive remark.
Following outrage over the viral videos, a Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, along with Justices Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, Surya Kant, and Hrishikesh Roy, on September 20 took a suo motu cognizance and sought a report from the Karnataka High Court Registrar General in connection with the viral video.
