US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dies at 87
Washington, Sep 19 (PTI): US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the history-making jurist, feminist icon and a champion of women's rights and social justice, has died of cancer at the age of 87.
Ginsburg became only the second woman ever to serve as a justice on the nation's highest court. A lifelong advocate of gender equality, she acquired the reputation of a cautious or moderate judge and will be remembered as a legal colossus.
"Our nation has lost a justice of historic stature. We at the Supreme Court have lost a cherished colleague. Today we mourn but with confidence that future generations will remember Ruth Bader Ginsburg as we knew her a tried and resolute champion of justice," Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts said in a statement.
Ginsburg's death on Friday, less than 50 days before the November 3 presidential election, could open up another battlefront between President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival and former vice president Joe Biden.
Nominated by the former Democratic president Bill Clinton, Ginsburg served in the US Supreme Court for 27 years. She was battling cancer for the past several years.
President Donald Trump, who was campaigning in Minnesota, said that she led an amazing life.
She led an amazing life. What else could you say, she was an amazing woman. Whether you agree or not, she was an amazing woman who led an amazing life," he told reporters immediately after he concluded his speech on Friday.
News about the death of Ginsburg came after Trump had started his well-attended crowd of several thousand people, during which he mentioned nominating Republican Senator Ted Cruz among his shortlist of next Supreme Court judge nominee.
As one of four liberal justices on the Supreme Court, Ginsburg's health was watched closely. Her death raises the prospect of President Trump, a Republican, trying to expand its slender conservative majority, even before the presidential election.
So far, Trump has nominated two judges to the Supreme Court Neil Gorsuch in 2017 and Brett Kavanaugh in 2018. US Supreme Court justices serve for life or until they choose to retire.
"Today, our Nation mourns the loss of a titan of the law. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg served more than 27 years as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States -- notably just the second woman to be appointed to the Court. She was a loving wife to her late husband, Martin, and a dedicated mother to her two children, Trump said in a statement later.
Biden, who was also in Minnesota as part of his campaign told reporters that Ginsburg was not only a giant in her own profession but also a beloved figure.
She practiced the highest American ideals as a justice. Equality and justice under the law and Ruth Bader Ginsburg stood for all of us, as I said, a beloved figure, he said.
Biden said that her replacement would be picked up by the winner of the November 3 elections. Let me be clear: that the voters should pick the President and the president should pick the justice for the Senate to consider, he said.
This was the position of Republican Senate took in 2016. When there were almost 10 months to go before the election. That's the position the United States Senate must take today. And the election is only 46 days off. I think the fastest justice ever confirmed was 47 days. And the average is closer to 70 days. And so, we should do this with full consideration. And that is my hope and expectation of what will happen, Biden said.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said that President Trump's nominee will receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate.
The Hill newspaper, quoting unnamed sources, said that the Republican leadership in the Senate expects Trump to put forward a nominee and Circuit Judges Amy Coney Barrett and Amul Thapar are among the front-runners.
Indian-American Thapar was among the first shortlist of individuals for the Supreme Court nominee that he announced in 2016, before the elections.
Currently, a judge in the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, Thapar, 51, was one of the seven judges that Trump had interviewed in 2018 to replace Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, after he announced his retirement. He finally nominated Kavanaugh.
Former president Barack Obama, in a statement mourning Ginsburg, described her as a "relentless litigator and an incisive jurist."
"Over a long career on both sides of the bench -- as a relentless litigator and an incisive jurist -- Justice Ginsburg helped us see that discrimination on the basis of sex isn't about an abstract ideal of equality; that it doesn't only harm women; that it has real consequences for all of us. It's about who we are -- and who we can be," he said.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, "We must honor Justice Ginsburg's trailblazing career and safeguard her powerful legacy by ensuring that the next Associate Justice of the Supreme Court upholds her commitment to equality, opportunity and justice for all".
Senator and Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris said that for all who believe in the power of the law as a force for change, Ginsburg was and will always be a titan.
She was a relentless defender of justice in our country and a legal mind for the ages. She also remained, throughout her life, a proud daughter of Brooklyn, with immigrant roots and a fire lit from an early age as a champion for progress and equality, she said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
No stubble burning now, why air pollution crisis in Delhi: Mann takes dig at BJP
Chandigarh (PTI): Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday slammed the BJP saying its leaders used to "defame" Punjab farmers over stubble burning and blame them for Delhi's poor air quality and questioned why is there pollution crisis in national capital despite no farm fires now.
Mann said that as soon as paddy harvest takes place, BJP leaders blame Punjab and its farmers for Delhi's poor air quality.
He said they used to claim that stubble burning by Punjab farmers causes Delhi's pollution.
Mann said at present, the Air Quality Index in major Punjab cities is between 70 and 130.
"At present, Delhi's AQI is between 450 and 500 and no smoke is coming from Punjab. But the situation in Delhi is worse. At least now they should agree that there is no role of Punjab for Delhi's poor air quality," Mann said in a video message.
Mann's remarks came on a day Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa apologised for the air pollution crisis in the national capital and acknowledged its impact on children's health.
Sirsa, however, asserted that it was the result of the policies pursued by the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi.
ALSO READ: Goa nightclub fire: Luthra brothers deported from Thailand, taken into police custody
Last month, the BJP had trashed the Punjab CM's previous claim that stubble burning in the state has no role in the high levels of air pollution in Delhi as "ridiculous".
Dismissing Mann's claim, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva had last month said it is certain that stubble burning is a "major" factor (for the air pollution in Delhi).
Meanwhile, Mann in his video message said, due to severe floods which Punjab witnessed this year, paddy harvesting got delayed, "despite this, many Delhi ministers had already started blaming Punjab".
"I want to praise Punjab farmers, NGOs and efforts of the Punjab government have also paid off in controlling stubble burning this time. The cases of stubble burning in Punjab have reduced by 70-80 per cent and this has been acknowledged by the Central Government and the Union Agriculture Minister," Mann said.
The CM further said that after paddy harvest even the wheat crop has been sown and now, there is no incident of stubble burning.
He said BJP leaders used to claim that Punjab's smoke from stubble travels to Delhi.
"Now, there is no stubble burning, but Delhi is facing very poor air quality. This proves that earlier too Punjab's smoke had no role for Delhi's poor air quality. Only accusations were made by the BJP to defame Punjab. At least now the Centre should praise the farmers of Punjab," he said.
"Meanwhile, Delhi's AQI is between 450 and 500, flights are being cancelled, and breathing has become difficult," said Mann.
He asked both the BJP government in Delhi and the BJP led Centre to address Delhi's air pollution, saying citizens cannot even venture out for a walk due to air pollution.
He also asked the BJP that Punjab should not be dragged into this political battle, instead, Punjab's farmers should be appreciated, and the Delhi and Central governments should focus on addressing Delhi's air pollution.
Mann further said that farmers of Punjab are 'anndatas' (food providers) and they meet the country's food needs, they should not be defamed.
