Talks about Constitution, secularism will last only till Hindus in majority in India: Gujarat Dy CM
Ahmedabad(PTI): Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel has said that talks about India's Constitution, laws and secularism will last only as long as Hindus are in majority in the country, and none of the country's "courts, Lok Sabha, Constitution, secularism" will remain in case Hindus are reduced to a minority.
"Those talking about the Constitution, laws, secularism will continue to do so only as long as Hindus are in majority in this country. May god prevent this from happening, but if in another 1,000-2,000 years, the number of Hindus reduces, and (the number of) people from another religion increases, there will be no courts, Lok Sabha, Constitution, secularism...they will all vanish in thin air, nothing will remain," he said.
Addressing an event on Friday to mark the idol installation ceremony at a temple of goddess Bharat Mata in Gandhinagar organised by Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), he added that he was not talking about all the Muslims or Christians, as a large number of them are patriots.
"I do not talk about all of them. Thousands and lakhs of Muslims, Christians are patriots. Thousands of Muslims are in the Indian Army, hundreds of Muslims are in Gujarat police force. They are all patriots. But (I am talking about those) who are not," he said.
Patel criticised a Muslim organisation (Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind) for challenging the Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act, 2021 - that seeks to stop religious conversions through interfaith marriages using force - and wondered why it was troubled by the law even when it is not religion-specific.
He said that the government brought an amendment to the Act after much deliberation due to the concerns raised over cases of "love jihad".
"I have to ask those who have moved writ in the court, will you still challenge the Act if somebody (from another religion) takes away your daughter (for forcible marriage and converts her religion)?...I have to ask that organisation as to what is their objection to Hindu girls marrying Hindus, Muslim girls marrying Muslims, Christian girls marrying Christians, Sikh girls marrying Sikhs," he said.
Patel said that when the law applies equally to a Hindu boy forcibly entering into a marriage and converting a Muslim girl, then why only the Muslim organisation was troubled by the law.
The Gujarat High Court had recently stayed several sections of the controversial Act till the pendency of the case.
"People of their community should (rather) issue public statements, hold press conferences, and thank (state Home minister) Pradipsinh (Jadeja), the BJP government, and say they support and welcome the law for ensuring the unity, safety of Gujarat and protection of its daughters from every religion. Why are they troubled, this I do not understand," he said.
The BJP leader said that because of the landmark works of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the Centre, like removing Article 370, ensuring construction of Lord Ram temple, strengthening every religion.
Patel also thanked Jadeja for ensuring that Lord Jagannath Yatra in Ahmedabad and 157 other Yatras across Gujarat were taken out this year by taking precautions so that the number of COVID-19 cases do not go up.
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Money laundering case: SC rejects bail plea of suspended Jharkhand cadre IAS officer
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea of suspended Jharkhand cadre IAS officer Puja Singhal seeking bail in a money laundering matter, observing it is an "extraordinary case".
A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta refused to interfere with the Jharkhand High Court order denying her bail.
The top court noted that out of 17 prosecution witnesses, 12 have been examined by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and hoped that the trial in the case is concluded expeditiously.
"You wait for some more time for bail. This is not a normal matter but an extraordinary case. There is something seriously wrong in this case. We are not inclined to entertain the instant petition. We hope the trial will be concluded expeditiously," it observed.
The bench, however, gave liberty to Singhal to revive her bail plea, if the trial is prolonged or is there any other change in circumstance.
Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the ED, opposed the bail plea and said that out of the total custody period, she has spent most of the time in a hospital at Ranchi.
On February 10, 2023, the top court had granted Singhal interim bail for two months to enable her to take care of her ailing daughter.
Singhal has been in custody since May 11, 2022 after raids were conducted at properties linked to her in connection with the money laundering case.
The case relates to alleged corruption in the implementation of MGNREGA, the Centre's flagship scheme for rural employment.
The ED has accused Singhal, a former state mines department secretary, of money laundering and said its team seized more than Rs 36 crore cash linked to alleged illegal mining as part of two separate money laundering investigations.
Apart from the 2000 batch IAS officer, her businessman husband, a chartered accountant associated with the couple, and others were also raided by the ED as part of the money laundering probe.
Singhal was suspended following her arrest.
