Supreme Court declines urgent hearing on plea against PM’s chadar offering at Ajmer Dargah
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New Delhi: A petition to prevent Prime Minister Narendra Modi from performing a ceremonial chadar at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah during the 814th annual Urs of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Hasan Chisti was rejected by the Supreme Court for immediate hearing.
The plea was mentioned for urgent listing before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, as reported by Hindustan Times. Making his position clear, the Chief Justice said on Monday that the court would not list any matter on the same day merely on oral mentioning. The bench indicated that if the petition met the required threshold of urgency, it could be considered for listing on a later date, possibly December 26 or December 29.
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“No listing today,” the bench said, refusing the request for an immediate hearing. The petition challenges the proposed ceremonial offering at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah. This offering is a tradition that has been followed by successive Prime Ministers since Independence and according to media reports Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju is scheduled to offer the chadar on behalf of the Prime Minister as part of the Urs observances.
During the brief exchange, counsel for the petitioner argued that a similar matter relating to the Sankat Mochan Mandir was already pending before the court.The bench was not convinced that the situation required immediate judicial action when the attorney requested an urgent stay on the chadar offering.
The petition has been filed as a public interest litigation by Jitender Singh, president of the Vishwa Vedic Sanatan Sangh, through advocate Barun Kumar Sinha. It questions what it describes as “state-sponsored ceremonial honours, official patronage and symbolic recognition” extended to Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti by Union government authorities.
The plea contends that such practices are unconstitutional and arbitrary, and claims they run contrary to the constitutional ethos, dignity and sovereignty of the nation. Referring to historical accounts, the petitioner has argued that Chisti arrived in India during the 12th century, around the time of invasions led by Shahabuddin Ghori, and was allegedly linked to foreign conquest and religious conversion, with the institutionalisation of the dargah occurring much later.
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8 children between ages of 1 and 14 dead after mass shooting in Louisiana, police say
Shreveport(US) (AP): A gunman in Louisiana killed eight children in shootings at two different homes early Sunday in the nation's deadliest mass shooting in more than two years, police in Shreveport said.
The victims ranged in age from one to about 14 years old, said Shreveport police spokesperson Chris Bordelon. A total of 10 were shot and some of the children were related to the suspect, Bordelon said.
The gunman later died after a chase with officers who fired at the suspect, Bordelon said. The suspect stole a car while leaving the scene of the shootings and was followed by police, according to Bordelon.
Police did not release the name of the suspect but did say he was an adult male. The shootings were the result of a “domestic disturbance,” Bordelon said.
Officials said they were still gathering details at the crime scenes south of downtown Shreveport — the two homes and a third location.
“This is an extensive scene unlike anything most of us have ever seen,” he said.
It was the deadliest mass shooting in the US since eight people were killed in a Chicago suburb in January 2024, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.
At a news conference outside the residence where one of the shootings occurred, officials appeared stunned, requesting patience and prayers from the community as they sorted through multiple crime scenes.
“I just don't know what to say, my heart is just taken aback,” Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said. “I cannot begin to imagine how such an event could occur.”
“This is a tragic situation — maybe the worst tragic situation we've ever had,” said Tom Arceneaux, mayor of the city in northwestern Louisiana with about 180,000 residents. “It's a terrible morning.”
Louisiana State Police say their detectives have been asked by Shreveport police to investigate. In a statement, state police say no officers were harmed in the shooting that involved an officer after a police pursuit into Bossier City on Sunday morning.
State police are asking anyone with pictures, video or information to share it with state police detectives.
Louisiana Gov Jeff Landry said in a statement that he and his wife were heartbroken. “We're deeply grateful to the law enforcement officers and first responders working tirelessly on the scene,” he added.
