This is murder of democracy, we are appalled: CJI on Chandigarh Mayor Polls
New Delhi, Feb 5: Appalled by the alleged defacing of ballot papers in the Chandigarh mayoral polls, the Supreme Court on Monday said this is a mockery of democracy and ordered that the ballots and the video of the electoral proceedings be preserved.
Taking note of a plea of an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor alleging wrongdoing in the polls, the court issued notices to the Chandigarh authorities, including the civic body.
A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra expressed annoyance after watching the video of the electoral proceedings and said that, prima facie, the returning officer was "defacing" the ballot papers.
"This is a mockery of democracy. We are appalled by what has happened. We will not allow democracy to be murdered like this," the CJI said.
The bench ordered that the ballot papers and the video recordings of the proceedings be preserved.
One of the AAP councillors had moved the top court challenging a Punjab and Haryana High Court order that refused to grant any interim relief to the party seeking fresh mayoral polls in Chandigarh.
The BJP on January 30 swept the Chandigarh mayoral polls against the Congress-AAP alliance.
Manoj Sonkar of the BJP had defeated the AAP's Kuldeep Kumar for the mayor's post, polling 16 votes against his rival's 12. Eight votes were declared invalid.
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Shaheen Group announces free education for SSLC toppers scoring 95% and above
Bidar: Shaheen Group of Institutions has announced free education for students across Karnataka who have secured 95 per cent and above marks in the SSLC examinations.
The announcement was made by Dr. Abdul Qadeer, Chairman of the institution, as part of an initiative aimed at encouraging academic excellence and supporting deserving students.
According to the institution, eligible students from across the state will be provided free education for both First Year and Second Year PUC at Shaheen institutions.
The initiative is expected to benefit a large number of meritorious students by helping them continue higher education without financial burden.
In addition, Dr. Abdul Qadeer announced special scholarships for Kannada medium students and those studying in government schools, recognising their efforts and encouraging them to pursue further studies.
Speaking on the occasion, he said the initiative reflects Shaheen’s continued commitment to inclusive education and merit-based support, ensuring that talented students from all backgrounds receive opportunities to progress.
