CAA-NRC just a pretext, anarchy real agenda

After futile wailing in Parliament and having crest-fallen in their sinister designs to cow down the pro-CAA- NRC lobby, at last the Jehadi-Tukde,Tukde combine has been successful in engineering riots, violence and arson in several States during the last few days.

This is, indeed, a serious development. By defying the duly passed law, called the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the organisers of country-wide violent protests have openly thrown a challenge to the duly elected Central as well as the State governments.

The large-scale destruction of public and private property and murderous attacks on police forces amply prove that the rioters, some in the garb of students have a definite agenda of treason.

They are hell-bent upon creating anarchy in the country and throw out the democratically elected governments at the State as well as Central levels.

This is perhaps for the first time since Independence that the fanatic Muslims with the active connivance of the marginalised political parties and so-called human right groups have openly raised the banner of revolt against the Central government elected by the people with thumping majority.

And such a misadventure has got overt and covert support from Pakistan and other anti-India quarters. In such a situation, obviously no government worth its salt can sit silent.

In the name of freedom of expression and freedom to protest by peaceful means, the communal and secessionist elements cannot be allowed to hold the world's largest democracy for a ransom.

Further, it is the constitutional duty of the government to protect the life and property of the people and sovereignty and integrity of the nation at any cost.

Therefore, now it is the time to show all the criminals and anti-nationals, by whatever label they are known, their right places.

The emperor i.e. the powers that be in the government, must strike and strike back hard on the face of such disruptive elements in the right earnest and rest of the country would solidly stand behind such a bold response by the democratically elected government.

True, if the rule of law has to prevail, any act of lawlessness has to be dealt with an iron will.

Former Pak premier to be hanged

In a rare show of guts, the Pakistan's judiciary has pronounced death sentence on its former President Pervez Musharraf.

The Army General turned dictator, Musharraf, has been awarded the capital punishment for declaring Emergency during his rule and thereby committing the heinous crime of treason.

Musharraf is at present in Dubai battling with illness. Thankfully, our home-grown dictator of yesteryears, Indira Gandhi, escaped the death penalty for the similar crime because of the magnanimous attitude of the Janata party government that followed the Emergency days.

Death awaits Nirbhaya rapists

All the four convicts of the sensational gang-rape and murder of Nirbhaya case are virtually near the hangman's noose now.

The apex court has dismissed the review plea of one of the convicts, Akshay Kumar Singh, and the Delhi High Court has dismissed the petition of another convict, Pavan Gupta, who claimed to be a juvenile on the day of the offence.

Now, only two last legal remedies remain open to the convicts, namely, filing of the curative petition before the Supreme Court and on its dismissal to pray for mercy of the President of India.

If, however, the mercy petition is filled first without exhausting the remedy of curative petition, the convicts cannot file the curative petition subsequently, if the mercy petition is rejected.

This case has raised quite a few very serious questions on the justice delivery system of the country. The long delay (7 years in the instant case) and half-baked investigation coupled with poor quality of prosecution service, are a few among them.

Hope the much-awaited reforms in the Indian Penal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure would appropriately address these contentious points.

Re-marriage of woman no ground to deny equal compensation

The Delhi High Court in a recent judgement, Dincy Devassy vs.United India Insurance Company Ltd has held that under the Motor Vehicles Act, in case of accidental death of her husband, there is no provision to deny equal share in compensation to her even if she re-marries subsequently.

Justice Nazmi Wazri writing judgement in an appeal against the verdict of the Motor Vehicles Tribunal, said: " RE-MARRIAGE of a window has nothing to do with her right to and claim for compensation, for the loss which accrued to her on account of unusual demise of her husband."

The MV Tribunal had awarded Rs 1,68,39,642 along with interest in favour of deceased claimants, i.e. his widow and parents.

However, the widow was awarded only Rs. 3,91,054.47 as she had remarried. The High Court enhanced the claim amount in her favour and granted 1/3 share totalling Rs 56,13,214 to her on a par with the parents of the deceased.

Hotels can't deny room to unmarried couple

This judgement comes to the rescue of several unmarried couples who are not only denied hotel rooms but also harassed by the police.

The Madras High Court in a judgement dated November 26 delivered in the case, My preferred Transformation and Hospitality Private Ltd, vs. The District Collector & Others has held as follows: " Apparently, there are no laws or regulations forbearing unmarried persons of opposite sex to occupy hotel rooms as guests.

While live-in relationship of two' adults is not deemed to be an offence, terming the occupation of hotel room by an unmarried couple an offence is not permissible."

However, on moral grounds people in our country still might have reservations.

Goons in the garb of lawyers!

What transpired on December 19 in the First Court of Delhi High Court after the division bench headed by the Chief Justice D N Patel rejected the plea for protection to the students of Jamia Millia Islamia University, is a shame on the hitherto considered noble profession of advocacy.

The goons in the garb of shouted slogans in the court and outside the Court which prompted the Chief Justice to express his displeasure in strongest words. The court also asked the Bar Council of Delhi to look into the matter in right earnest.

Obviously, when we put one plus one together, in the light of recent violent protests by the vandals masquerading as students, the slogan shouting in the top court of the national capital is nothing but a premeditated act aimed at undermining the supremacy of Law in the country.

If such tendencies are not nipped in to the bud, they are likely to escalate in to an uncontrollable monster eager to eat away the very judicial fabric.