Jallikattu likely in two days: CM Panneerselvam

January 20, 2017

New Delhi, Jan 20: In a bid to defuse the swelling street protests, Tamil Nadu government today said it will issue an ordinance to ensure the conduct of Jallikattu sport in a day or two and has submitted a draft of it to the Union Home Ministry.

Panneerselvam
After discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and consultations with legal experts, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam announced this morning that the state government will amend a Central act on Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to allow conduct of Jallikattu in the state with Centre's backing and urged protestors across the state to withdraw their agitation following the likelihood of the bull taming sport to be held in a "day or two."

Panneerselvam, who stayed back in Delhi yesterday to discuss the matter with legal experts and government officials, said the draft ordinance has been prepared and sent to the Union Home Ministry today, and after Centre's approval, it will be sent for Presidential assent.

"I stayed back in Delhi yesterday and discussed with legal experts and senior government officials the matter of making amendments to Centre's animal cruelty prevention act (Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960) at the state level. On the basis of that it was decided to bring an amendment to the Act at the state level," he told reporters here.

"It was also decided to issue an ordinance to make this amendment. Under the Constitution of India, this draft ordinance has to be sent to Union Home Ministry and on Centre's recommendation it has to be sent to the President for his approval," he said.

After securing a Presidential order, Tamil Nadu Governor can issue an ordinance on the matter, he said, adding, he had asked his senior officials to liaison with their Central government counterparts on the matter by staying put in Delhi.

Panneerselvam sounded confident of seeing the matter through as he recalled the Prime Minster's assurance of support to any legal steps by his government to allow the bull taming sport in the state and said the ordinance will be issued in a day or two.

"As said by the Prime Minster, we will get full Central cooperation on this matter. So, with the ban about to be removed and Jallikattu likely in a day or two, I request the public, students and other organisations who have been protesting to withdraw their agitation," he said, flanked by among others, state Animal Husbandry Minister P Balakrishna Reddy.

Panneerselvam recalled the sustained efforts by his predecessor J Jayalalithaa as well as by himself with regard to the conduct of Jallikattu. He said though the Centre had issued a notification last year for its conduct, various organisations had moved the Supreme Court which issued an interim stay even as it was yet to pronounce the verdict.

Panneerselvam pointed out at his meeting with Modi yesterday here, saying the PM had assured Centre's support to the state government in its legal efforts to allow Jallikattu, as the the case was pending in the apex court. "The Prime Minister, who gave a patient hearing, said he respects the sentiments of Tamil people. He gave a guarantee that Central government will be supportive of the state government in its legal endeavours towards ensuring Jallikattu," he added.

Tamil Nadu is witnessing massive protests over the issue of Jallikattu. Lakhs of students and youths are holding peaceful protests across the state, while agitators in Madurai, the main area which has been hosting Jallikattu sport for centuries, have stopped trains pressing for their demand. Businesses, theatres, schools and transporters have declared a day-long strike today supporting the demand for immediate permission to allow Jallikattu.

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News Network
March 14,2024

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The high-level committee on simultaneous elections, chaired by Ram Nath Kovind, on Thursday met President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan and submitted its report on 'One Nation, One Election'. The report comprises 18,626 pages.

Home Minister Amit Shah was also present at Rashtrapati Bhawan when Kovind led panel submitted the report.

"Simultaneous polls to Lok Sabha and state assemblies can be held in first step, followed by local body polls within 100 days in second step," reported PTI quoting the panel.

"Synchronised polls for all three tiers of government to improve governance architecture, in line with quest of aspirational India," it added.

The report has been submitted 191 days after the constitution of the panel on September 2, 2023.

It's further reported that the proposal also puts focus on having a singular electoral roll for holding Lok Sabha, state assembly and local body polls.

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News Network
March 27,2024

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New Delhi, Mar 27: The government has objected strongly to remarks by a US State Department spokesperson on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's arrest last week in connection with the alleged liquor policy scam.

The External Affairs Ministry summoned Gloria Berbena, the US' Acting Deputy Chief of Mission, to a 40-minute meet at its office in Delhi on Wednesday afternoon. In a brief statement released shortly afterwards, the MEA warned of "unhealthy precedents and against "unwarranted aspersions".

"States are expected to be respectful of the sovereignty and internal affairs of others, and this responsibility is even more so in case of fellow democracies. It could otherwise end up setting unhealthy precedents," the External Affairs Ministry said.

"India's legal processes are based on an independent judiciary which is committed to objective and timely outcomes. Casting aspersions on that is unwarranted," the statement stressed.

On Tuesday the US State Department said it is monitoring reports of Mr Kejriwal's arrest, and called on New Delhi to ensure "a fair and timely legal process" for the jailed Aam Aadmi Party leader.

The US State Department's comments came, in turn, days after Germany's Foreign Office stressed that Mr Kejriwal, like any other Indian citizen facing charges, is entitled to a fair and impartial trial.

The Indian government reacted strongly to the comment, summoning the German envoy and labelling the Foreign Office spokesperson's remark "blatant interference in internal matters".

"We see such remarks as interfering in our judicial process and undermining the independence of our judiciary," the External Affairs Ministry said, "Biased assumptions are most unwarranted."

Asked about India's protest to Germany, the State Department spokesperson told Reuters, "We refer you to the German Foreign Ministry for comment on their discussions with the Indian government."

Earlier this month the Modi government also took exception to comments by its counterpart on the changes to the citizenship law, calling them out as "misplaced, misinformed, and unwarranted".

Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate last week in connection with the alleged liquor policy scam that has roiled his AAP and provoked furious protests from the opposition ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Mr Kejriwal was this week sent to jail till March 28.

The Enforcement Directorate believes the now-scrapped liquor policy provided an impossibly high profit margin of 185 per cent for retailers and 12 per cent for wholesalers. Of the latter, six per cent - over ₹ 600 crore - were bribes and the money was allegedly used to fund the AAP's poll campaigns.

The ED has labelled the Chief Minister as a key conspirator in this case, but Mr Kejriwal and party colleagues arrested in this matter - ex-Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, and former Health Minister Satyendar Jain - have all denied the charges.

The AAP and the opposition have hit out at the BJP-led central government for using central agencies, like the ED, to target rivals and critics before the general election. The AAP has criticised Mr Kejriwal's arrest on grounds it was timed to interfere with his plans to campaign for the party.

The BJP has dismissed claims it uses central agencies as described by the opposition.

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News Network
March 17,2024

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New Delhi: The Election Commission on Sunday made public fresh data on electoral bonds, which it had submitted in sealed covers to the Supreme Court and was later asked to put it in public domain.

These details are believed to be pertaining to the period before April 12, 2019. Electoral bond details after this date was made public by the poll panel last week.

The BJP encashed electoral bonds totalling Rs 6,986.5 crore; maximum Rs 2,555 crore received in 2019-20, as per the EC data.

The Trinamool Congress received Rs 1,397 crore through electoral bonds, second largest recipient after BJP, as per the EC data.

On the other hand, the Congress redeemed a total of Rs 1,334.35 crore through electoral bonds.

DMK received Rs 656.5 crore through electoral bonds, including Rs 509 crore from lottery king Santiago Martin's Future Gaming.

BJD encashed electoral bonds worth Rs 944.5 crore, YSR Congress Rs 442.8 crore, TDP Rs 181.35 crore.

Political parties had filed data on electoral bonds in sealed cover as directed by the Supreme Court's interim order dated April 12, 2019, the poll panel said in a statement.

"Data so received from political parties was deposited in the Supreme Court without opening sealed covers. In pursuance of the Supreme Court's order dated March 15, 2024, the Registry of the Supreme Court has returned physical copies along with a digitized record of the same in a pen drive in sealed cover. The Election Commission of India has today uploaded the data received in the digitized form from the registry of the Supreme Court on electoral bonds on its website," EC said.

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