Oppn tears into Govt over fake news guidelines

NEW DELHI: Opposition parties on Tuesday attacked the central government over the now-withdrawn guidelines on fake news, with the Congress saying fascism has touched its peak and the AAP and the CPI(M) likening the prevailing situation to the Emergency.

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry yesterday announced measures to contain fake news, saying the accreditation of a journalist could be permanently cancelled if the scribe is found generating or propagating fake news.

The guidelines were withdrawn after the prime minister's office intervened, following sharp criticism from the media fraternity and the opposition parties.

"Fascism reaches its nadir as a shaky Modi government, caught in its web of lies, seeks to muzzle all independent voices in media through fallacious rules! Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala tweeted.

Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel asked whether the move was an attempt to prevent reporters from reporting news uncomfortable to the establishment.

He also asked who would determine whether a news was fake and wondered if the rules were to be misused to harass reporters.

West Bengal Chief Min- ister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee termed the attempt as a brazen and draconian move to curb press freedom and said it showed the government "has lost its way".

"What about fake news spread by a political party on a regular basis?" she asked on Twitter, without naming any party.

Recalling the fight for press freedom during the days of the Emergency in 1970s, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said his party condemned the duplicitous move.

He accused the government of attacking the media in the garb of fake news over news it finds uncomfortable.

"We stand for, and are committed to a free and independent Press, the Left leader tweeted.

"It is like an undeclared emergency. The Government wants to gag the Press. They want the Press to write what the Government wants," said Cpi-leader Md Salim.

Former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said the issue could have been handled in a dignified manner through a law but the attempt undermined democracy. NEW DELHI: The government on Tuesday made it clear that it was not responsible for the dilution of the SC/ ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and asserted that it was fully committed to protect the interest of the backward communities and appealed to the people to maintain peace and harmony.

Making a suo motu statement in Lok Sabha during the Zero Hour on the large scale violence during yesterday's Bharat Bandh, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said there has been widespread anger amongst the people following the March 20 order of the Supreme Court and the people have taken to the streets.

"I wish to inform the House that the Government of India was not party in that case. KAGINELE: BJP President Amit Shah on Tuesday assured Other Backward Classes that the Narendra Modi government would ensure passage of the OBC Bill in Parliament despite Congress' opposition to it.

"How much ever the Congress tries to oppose or create an obstacle, the Narendra Modi government at the Centre will pass the OBC Bill in both houses of Parliament.this is our decision and we will see to it that the community gets justice," he said addressing an Other Backward Classes convention here. Shah said Through the House, I want to assure the people that there has been no dilution whatsoever by my government, rather after coming to power and examining the SC/ST prevention Atrocities Act, we have taken a decision to strengthen it," he said.

The Supreme Court had on March 20 "diluted" the provisions of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, ruling that government servants should not be arrested without prior sanction and private citizens too, can be arrested only after an inquiry under the law.

Opposing the verdict, several Dalit organisations had called for a nationwide strike yesterday in which violent incidents and blockades of roads and rail tracks were reported from several states. the Congress had created an obstacle in passing the bill in the Rajya Sabha, demanding induction of an OBC representative in the Commission.

He said the Modi government, which believes in the welfare of all communities, had done enough for OBCS.

"We have brought several schemes for all communities, including OBCS. Schemes such as Mudra Bank, Ujwal, Saubhagya and Pradhan Mantri Yojana,among others, have been implemented.

These schemes have reached the beneficiaries," he said.

Eight people were killed, including six in Madhya Pradesh and one each in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, during the bandh which witnessed clashes between the police and the protesters, arson and incidence of violence, the Home Minister said.

Singh said there have been widespread rumours on the issue of reservation which were "false and baseless" and the government was fully committed to protect the interests of the SC/ST communities.

"I wish to assure you that our government is fully committed to the welfare of SCS and STS. Our government is fully committed to protect the interest of the SC/ST community," he said.

The minister said immediately after the judgement of the Supreme Court, a decision was taken by the government NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday said Article 370 of the Constitution which gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir is not a temporary provision.

The apex court said in its earlier verdict of 2017 in the SARFESI case, it has been already held that Article 370 was "not a temporary provision".

"The issue concerned is covered by the judgement of this court in the 2017 SARFAESI matter, where we have held that despite the headnote of Article 370, it is not a temporary provision," a bench of justices A K Goel and RF Nariman said.

During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Tushar to file a review petition in the Supreme Court.

The Attorney General has made an appeal in the Supreme Court for an urgent hearing and the Supreme Court has agreed to hear the matter today itself.

"This shows the prompt action by the government and does not leave any doubt regarding the intention of the government to protect the interest of the SC/ST," he said.

Singh said after the Supreme Court order on March 20, within a span of only six working days, without losing any time and acting swiftly, the government has filed a review petition in the apex court.

"We have issued advisory to all the states to ensure that no breach of law and order takes place and safety of the lives of citizens and properties are ensured," he said. Mehta appearing for the Centre said the matter be heard after some time as similar matters are pending before the court and are to be listed shortly.

Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan and advocate Shoeb Alam appearing for the J&K government clarified that other matters which are pending before the apex court relates to Article 35 A of the Constitution and not Article 370 as submitted by the ASG. Dhavan said those matter cannot be heard along with the present case, which only deals with Article 370. The bench then adjourned the matter for hearing by three weeks on the insistence of the ASG. The top court was hearing an appeal filed by petitioner NEW DELHI: Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu had a spate of meetings with regional party leaders here today, but was "in no mood" to join a united opposition front at this juncture, a senior TDP leader said on Tuesday.

The Telugu Desam Party chief would take a decision on a front only after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the TDP leader added.

"Naidu is in no mood to commit himself right now. He would rather wait for the results of the Lok Sabha polls and then decide his move. Right now he just wants to focus on Andhra Pradesh," the senior TDP leader, who has been accompanying the party chief, told PTI.

The chief minister met leaders from parties across the Kumari Vijayalakshmi Jha, against the Delhi HC'S April 11, 2017 order dismissing the plea seeking a declaration that Article 370 is temporary in nature. The petitioner had claimed before the high court that Article 370 was a temporary provision that had lapsed with the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly in 1957. The petition had said that the continuance of the temporary provision of Article 370 even after dissolution of Constituent Assembly of J&K, and that of J&K Constitution which has never got the assent of the President of India or Parliament or the government of India, "amounts to fraud on the basic structure of our Constitution". political spectrum in a bid to garner support for the TDP'S move to introduce a no-confidence motion against the NDA government in Parliament.

He had talks with leaders of the TMC, NCP, DMK, AIADMK, SP and BSP. He met leaders from the Congress and NDA allies.

Though at political loggerheads with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, he also met K Kavitha of the TRS.

"It seems he is interested in looking at the numbers in a non-bjp non-congress faction at the moment. He is not in a hurry to join any faction right away," an opposition leader.

Naidu wanted to know more about the political alliance between the Samajwadi Party and the BSP, which led to the SP winning two seats in recent by-elections in Uttar Pradesh, a leader added.