Issue too academic,so PIL on socialism in statute withdrawn

A challenge on the inclusion of the word socialism in the Indian Constitution was withdrawn on Monday after the Supreme Court said the issue is too academic. NGO Good Governance Foundation,represented by senior advocate Fali S Nariman,withdrew its petition against the 42nd Amendment to the Constitution,by which socialism was added to its Preamble. The NGO,in […]

A challenge on the inclusion of the word socialism in the Indian Constitution was withdrawn on Monday after the Supreme Court said the issue is too academic.

NGO Good Governance Foundation,represented by senior advocate Fali S Nariman,withdrew its petition against the 42nd Amendment to the Constitution,by which socialism was added to its Preamble. The NGO,in 2008,had also challenged Section 29A(5) of the Representation of People Act,1951,a rip-off from the 42nd amendment which mandates political parties to adhere to the principles of socialism for getting registered with the Election Commission.

Nariman on Monday argued that the 42nd Amendment was superfluous.

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The Preamble is not capable of amendment. In this case,it is the purpose of the Constitution. Can you change the purpose of the Constitution? he said.

Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium countered that there is till date not a single case of complaint by a political party. This question is highly academic. Let us not go into it now, the Bench observed.

Cell for info to media,public

For a Chief Justice of India who keeps his distance from publicity and media,Justice S H Kapadia has announced the creation of a new outlet meant to give all necessary information about the judiciary to both the media and the public. The announcement,though short in length,is being prominently displayed on the top scroll of the official website of the Supreme Court of India.

This is the first time in the history of the Supreme Court that a CJI has created a separate cell to directly pass on information about the judiciary to both the media and the public. The cell has been rather officiously christened as the Media,Information and Statistics Secretariat.

Cant give Knaebel asylum: AG

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Attorney General of India G E Vahanvati informed the Supreme Court on Monday of the government’s decision against giving political asylum to American Jeff Knaebel,a self-professed disciple of Mahatma who shred his US passport to live in India.

He is hostile to the American government,the American government is not hostile to him. There is no question of political asylum, the AG submitted. Holding that Knaebel is not entitled to get asylum,the court gave him two weeks’ time to apply for Indian citizenship. The bench asked the government to look into his application as expeditiously as possible.

Knaebel,who presents his own case,told the court that his is a country of war and he does not want to return to the US. Extinguish my life,put me in jail. But I do not want to go back, Knaebel said.

The court had on May 15,2010,asked the AG to verify Knaebels antecedents and plea for asylum.

The theft prompted an immediate shutdown of the Louvre museum in Paris. (Pixabay)

Louvre Museum in Paris shut after thieves armed with chainsaws loot Napoleon-era jewels

World1 hr ago

Thieves armed with chainsaws stole nine pieces of jewelry, including items belonging to Napoleon and Empress Joséphine, from the Louvre Museum. The museum was immediately shut down and a police investigation is underway. French Culture Minister Rachida Dati confirmed the incident and the Louvre remains closed. The robbers used a freight elevator and broke through glass displays.

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