Judiciary has no right to give verdict on religious issues: Justice Santosh Hegde
Bengaluru, October 30: Former Supreme Court Judge Justice N Santosh Hegde opined that the judiciary has no right to give verdict on religious issues as they have to respect the community rights in a democratic system.
Speaking at a symposium on the impact of Supreme Court verdicts on socio-economic and political fields in the country, here on Tuesday, Justice Hegde said that in recent years, the courts have been giving judgements beyond their limitations. Fifteen days back, the Supreme Court has taken up two important issues like allowing women to Shabarimalai temple and Rama Mandir. But the religious issues should be left to the community or society. Interference of courts in such issues was not acceptable, he said.
“The courts should give interim verdicts on religious issues and then, they should direct the Legislative and Executive to solve the problem by giving time to decide what is wrong and what is not. The recent Supreme Court verdict on banning crackers is also out of its purview. Crackers have been bursting in the country since many years. There was no need for court intervention in this issue. It could have directed the Legislature to manufacture green crackers and distribute them”, the Justice said.
When Kings were ruling the country, there was no option for the subjects to speak against the rulers. Even after the independence, there was no freedom for courts to give verdicts against the governments. But later, the judiciary had become stronger. There was a good opinion on the Supreme Court in the country as well as in abroad. But the recent incident of three SC Judges’ press conference had affected the reputation of the Apex Court and it was not a good development. He was proud for working for more than 35 years in the judiciary. But he was not happy for the present developments, he said hoping that the glory of the Supreme Court would return in future.
Political analyst Prof Sandeep Shastry said that the Judiciary has to intervene if the Legislature and Executive failed in their responsibility. But in India, the system was in ICU. So, the Supreme Court has to work as a doctor. Both the estates of the country should get fast recovery. The ruling and opposition parties have been trying to keep the system in ICU for their personal gains. So, they were against to take many issues front. Emotional issues like Shabarimalai and Rama Mandir of Ayodhya would not have any solution from the courts, he added.
Bantwala first Grade College principal Dr Ajjakala Girish Bhat, Arts College principal Prof Malleshwarappa and others were present.
“After the establishment of the Supreme Court, it has given thousands of verdicts in favour of the general public and thus ensured the peace in the country. So, such a judicial system should remain forever. It should further strengthen the public belief and confidence on judiciary. Judges should not bring their personal agenda in the verdicts”.
- Justice N Santosh Hegde, Former SC Judge
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NATO, others turn down US call for help in Hormuz: Trump
Washington (PTI): President Donald Trump on Tuesday said NATO and most of US' other allies have rejected his calls to help secure the Strait of Hormuz as the war with Iran entered the third week.
In a social media post, Trump asserted that Iran’s military has been “decimated” and he no longer felt the need for assistance from NATO countries or anyone else.
Last week, Trump had sought help from European nations and others who depend on oil supplies transiting from the Hormuz Strait to safeguard the critical waterway.
“The United States has been informed by most of our NATO “Allies” that they don’t want to get involved with our Military Operation against the Terrorist Regime of Iran, in the Middle East, this, despite the fact that almost every Country strongly agreed with what we are doing, and that Iran cannot, in any way, shape, or form, be allowed to have a Nuclear Weapon,” the US President said in a post on Truth Social.
Iran's attacks on Gulf nations and its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil is transported, have sparked increasing concerns of a global energy crisis and are unnerving the world economy.
“I am not surprised by their action, however, because I always considered NATO, where we spend Hundreds of Billions of Dollars per year protecting these same Countries, to be a one-way street — We will protect them, but they will do nothing for us, in particular, in a time of need,” Trump said.
He said Australia, Japan and South Korea too have turned down his call for help.
“Fortunately, we have decimated Iran’s Military – Their Navy is gone, their Air Force is gone, their Anti-Aircraft and Radar is gone and perhaps, most importantly, their Leaders, at virtually every level, are gone, never to threaten us, our Middle Eastern Allies, or the World, again,” Trump said.
He said that given the scale of recent military successes, the US no longer "need" or desires assistance from NATO countries, adding that it never relied on such support in the first place.
Speaking as President of the United States, the "most powerful" country in the world, "we do not need" help from anyone, Trump said.
The West Asia conflict began on February 28 when the US-Israeli combine conducted airstrikes on Iran.
The Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that connects the Persian Gulf to the open ocean, has effectively been shut following the US and Israel attack on Iran and Tehran's sweeping retaliation.
However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had said that from Tehran's "perspective", the strait is "open". "It is only closed to Iran's enemies, to those who carried out unjust aggression against our country and to their allies.”
Earlier in the day, a second Indian-flagged LPG tanker, Nanda Devi, reached the country after safely sailing from the war-hit Strait of Hormuz. On Monday, the first ship, Shivalik, reached Mundra port in Gujarat.
As of now, 22 Indian vessels remain on the west side and two on the east side of the strait.
Indian authorities are in constant touch with all the relevant stakeholders in the region to secure the safe passage of the remaining ships, officials said.
