Lokayukta: HC to hear Modi govt plea against appointment

Govt challenges Lokayukta appointment as 'unconstitutional',faces questions on vacant post.

A division Bench of the Gujarat High Court will on Monday hear the state governments petition challenging Governor Kamla Beniwals move to appoint a Lokayukta.

The government has challenged the Governors decision to appoint Justice (Retd) R A Mehta as the Lokayukta,calling the act as unconstitutional and naming Justice Mehta and Beniwal as the respondents to the petition. This is for the first time that the Governor has issued warrant under its name without consulting the elected government.

On Friday,the government had hurriedly moved the petition soon after learning about the Governors decision. Subsequently,the petition was listed for hearing before the Division Bench of Justices Akil Kureshi and Sonia Gokani. The Bench is also hearing a PIL which had been demanding a direction to the government to appoint a Lokayukta as the post had been lying vacant for over seven years.

Meanwhile,another Division Bench is likely to pronounce its judgment on the appeals of 12 convicts in the 2003 Haren Pandya murder case.

Speaking to the BBC's Fame Under Fire podcast, Macrons' lawyer Tom Clare detailed the latest development, and illustrated how the claims were "incredibly upsetting" for the French First Lady and a "distraction" to the President.

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French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte have filed a defamation suit against American podcaster Candace Owens for spreading false claims that Brigitte is a man. Macron's lawyer plans to present evidence, including scientific testimony and photos, to prove the allegations are false. The Macrons hope the lawsuit will end the "relentless bullying" and set the record straight.

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