Will seek time from Raj Bhavan on Saturday for staking claim to form govt: Farooq
Srinagar (PTI): National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah Friday said the INDIA bloc will seek time from the Raj Bhavan on Saturday for staking claim to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir.
"The LG is coming (to the Valley). We will ask for time tomorrow and present the letter of support and seek a date for swearing-in ceremony for the new government," he told reporters here.
He expressed hope the NC-Congress alliance, of which CPI(M) is also a part, will get the time so that "we can inform our friends to attend the ceremony".
In response to a question about the lone AAP MLA-elect extending support to the NC, Abdullah said the alliance needs to win the hearts of the people of Jammu and overcome the "false propaganda" that has been spread there.
"It is not their (people of Jammu) fault, they have been fed that stone-pelting will start and terrorism will increase, but they have not realised that their lands have been taken, jobs have been taken, everything has vanished, but they have still fallen for their propaganda. We want to clear this propaganda from their hearts.
"We want to live in prosperity. There are many big problems which we are facing which we have to counter together. And in this we need the cooperation from the Central government," he said.
"The statehood should be restored so that the government can work. After all, this is the crown of India. If the crown is not shining, how will the country shine," the NC chief added.
Abdullah agreed there are apprehensions that the government in a union territory setup might have limited powers. "That is why we are seeking restoration of statehood so that the government is able to work."
He said there were no differences with the alliance partner Congress on the government formation.
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SC refuses to adjourn hearing on pleas against EC law, says this matter is more important
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to accede to the Centre's request to adjourn the hearing on pleas challenging the constitutional validity of a 2023 law that removed the CJI from a committee responsible for appointing the chief election commissioner and the deputies, saying the matter is "more important" than the Sabarimala case.
A nine-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant is currently hearing petitions regarding discrimination against women at religious sites, including the Sabarimala temple in Kerala, as well as the scope of religious freedom across various faiths.
A bench comprising justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma turned down the request by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, to adjourn the hearing on the ground that he was currently occupied before a nine-judge bench in the Sabarimala reference case.
Referring to the gravity of the current challenge to the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, Justice Datta said, "This matter is more important than any other matter."
"Let your (solicitor general's) associates take notes today. Let the petitioners start. All matters are important. We read in the newspapers that there is an observation that the PIL in Sabarimala should not have been entertained by the court. So, with due respect to the judges, nine judges are occupied in a matter where there is an observation that it should not have been entertained in the first place," Justice Datta said.
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The bench then directed the petitioners to conclude their arguments by Thursday, allowing the Centre to present its submissions on a subsequent date. The bench then proceeded with the hearing which is underway.
Earlier on March 20, CJI Surya Kant recused himself from hearing the petitions. "I will be accused of conflict of interest. There is a conflict of interest," the CJI had said. The law, enacted by Parliament in December 2023, came months after a landmark verdict by which the apex court directed that election commissioners be appointed by a committee comprising the prime minister, the leader of the Opposition, and the chief justice of India.
The bench had said that the system will remain in force till a law is enacted.
Under the 2023 Act, the selection committee consists of the prime minister, a Union minister nominated by the prime minister and the leader of Opposition (or leader of the largest opposition party in the Lok Sabha).
The PILs said the exclusion of the CJI from the panel undermines the independence of the appointment process.
The law has been challenged by multiple petitioners, including Congress leader Jaya Thakur and the Association for Democratic Reforms.
Earlier, the Centre defended in the Supreme Court the appointment of two new election commissioners under the 2023 law that excludes the chief justice of India from the selection committee, saying the independence of the Election Commission does not arise from the presence of a judicial member on the committee.
In an affidavit filed in the apex court, the Union law ministry rejected the petitioner's claim that the two election commissioners were hastily appointed on March 14, 2024, to "pre-empt" the orders of the top court the next day, when the matters challenging the 2023 law were listed for hearing on interim relief.
The apex court also refused to stay the appointment of new election commissioners under the 2023 law.
A five-judge constitution bench had in March 2023 ruled that the chief election commissioner and election commissioners shall be appointed on the advice of a committee comprising the prime minister, the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the chief justice of India.
