KERALA HC: PFI, SDPI EXTREMIST ORGANISATIONS

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court has observed that Popular Front of India (PFI) and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) were “extremist organisations” but not banned. “No doubt, SDPI and PFI are extremist organisations indulging in serious acts of violence. All the same, those are not banned organisations,” Justice K Haripal observed in a recent order while rejecting a plea seeking CBI probe into the killing of an RSS worker in November last year in Palakkad.

Reacting to the court’s adverse remarks against it, the SDPI said it would file a plea seeking to expunge those observations. “This is a very serious observation. The court’s observations should be reasonable. Here, it did not happen,” SDPI state president Muvattupuzha Ashraf Moulavi said on Friday.

Echoing the SDPI’S views, the PFI said the court’s observations against it were unjustifiable.

We don’t even know what is the matter. I don’t know anything...how can I pass an order? I will read and then pass orders...let me see.” On a suit filed jointly by five Hindu women, the Varanasi court last month ordered an inspection of the premises through an advocate commissioner, Ajai Kumar Mishra. The civil court order was affirmed by the Allahabad high court on April 21.

Later, Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee filed a plea before the civil court to remove the advocate commissioner. However, on Thursday, the Varanasi civil court ordered a full survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex, rejecting the demands of the mosque management to limit the inquiry to certain parts of the precincts and remove the present surveyor. The civil judge retained Ajai Kumar Mishra as the advocate commissioner, who was appointed last month to carry out the survey, while adding two more lawyers, Vishal Singh and Ajay Pratap Singh to the commission that will inspect, conduct videography and collect evidence regarding the alleged existence of Hindu deities inside the mosque located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple. It directed that Ajai Kumar Mishra and Vishal Singh will conduct the survey.

In its order, the civil judge clarified that the advocate commissioners will have the right to collect evidence from any part of the mosque complex and that no hindrance shall be caused by anyone in the conduct of this exercise. Making the Varanasi district magistrate and police commissioner personally accountable, the court further directed that the district administration and the police must render all cooperation to the advocate commissioners and ascertain that the survey is completed as soon as possible. It ordered that the district officials and police be authorised to break open any lock, if required.

“In any condition, the court commissioner’s exercise shall not stop,” stated the court order, seeking the commission’s report on May 17. The civil court also pulled up the district administration for not complying with the court’s order in letter and spirit, adding the survey would have been concluded by now had the district administration rendered its full cooperation. A day after the civil court order,

GYANVAPI SURVEY

Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee sought an intervention of the SC as it mentioned an appeal filed by the mosque management against the April 21 order of the Allahabad HC.

In its appeal, the Committee has argued that the suit filed by the five Hindu women is barred by the provisions of the Places of Worship Act, 1991. It added that the mandate of the Places of Worship Act received the approval of the five-judge bench in its Ayodhya verdict of 2019.

This law, introduced on July 11, 1991, placed a status quo retrospectively on the character of places of worship as existing on August 15, 1947. Only the Ram Janmabhoomi-babri Masjid site in Ayodhya was kept out of the purview of the law. The 2019 Ayodhya judgment by the Supreme Court encompassed a message against attempts to alter the religious nature of a place of worship and about “non-retrogression”, as it noted that “historical wrongs cannot be remedied by the people taking the law in their own hands.”

Defining the contours of the Act, the top court held that the law prohibits the conversion of any place of worship and in doing so, it speaks to the future by mandating that the character of a place of public worship shall be preserved and not be altered.

The law protects and secures the fundamental values of the Constitution, said the apex court, adding that the Act is a constitutional basis for healing the injustices of the past by providing the confidence to every religious community that their places of worship will be preserved and that their character will not be altered. “The law addresses itself to the State as much as to every citizen of the nation. Its norms bind those who govern the affairs of the nation at every level. Those norms implement the fundamental duties under Article 51A and are hence, positive mandates to every citizen as well. The State, has by enacting the law, enforced a constitutional commitment and operationalised its constitutional obligations to uphold the equality of all religions and secularism which is a part of the basic features of the Constitution,” read the Ayodhya judgment.according to the bench, the Places of Worship Act is a legislative instrument designed to protect the secular features of the Indian polity, which is one of the basic features of the Constitution. gan of “minimum government, maximum governance”, Gandhi said, “It means more empty slogans, diversionary tactics and utter silence on the part of an ever-so-eloquent Prime Minister when a healing touch is most needed,” in an apparent reference to the economic woes triggered by food inflation and high fuel prices.

Gandhi alleged that the PM and the ruling side were “keeping the country in a state of permanent polarisation, compelling our people to live in a constant state of fear and insecurity”. She accused Modi and the government of “viciously targeting, victimising and often brutalising minorities” and “threatening and intimidating political opponents, maligning their reputations, jailing them on flimsy pretexts, and misusing investigative agencies against them.”

Gandhi spoke about how the BJP government’s faulty policies have led to economic woes. She said the public sector companies set up by Congress governments were being sold off to select industrialists. Alongside this frontal attack against the Centre, Gandhi was equally mindful of the uphill task of reviving the Congress. “The circumstances that have arisen before our organisation today are unprecedented. Extraordinary situations can be dealt with only in extraordinary ways,” she said, underling the occasion for chintan as well as atma-chintan (self-introspection). Sonia reminded the party that every organisation needs to change itself with time, and reiterated that it’s time to repay the debt of the party and keep personal ambitions subservient to collective changes. The Chintan Shivir will see many of the G23 leaders involved in the discussions. The so-called G23, or group of 23, leaders have raised pertinent questions about the party’s ability to negotiate current political challenges. In the end, Gandhi sought frank opinions during discussions but cautioned that the central message to emerge out of the conclave must be one of unity.

Hitting back, BJP’S national media incharge Anil Baluni said Sonia Gandhi should invest her energy in reviving her party. “Rather than ‘chintan’ about the country, Congress should do “aatma-chintan’ about its survival, as the party is totally disconnected from both the ground and the masses,” he said.

CONG CHINTAN SHIVIR

Family member of those who worked at the building gathered at the hospitals where the injured were taken to, with several unable to trace their kin. Suraj Tiwari, the brother of 21-year-old Monika Tiwari, said he was unable to find his sister and was not yet allowed to see the bodies. “The company used to ask employees to submit their phones in the morning, return them during lunch and then finally return when they would leave,” he said, adding that he set out to look for her when she did not return by 7pm.

Another man, who identified himself only as Sukhbir, was at the Sanjay Gandhi Hospital looking for his 19-year-old son. “I have been to Ambedkar Hospital, Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital and have now come here. But policemen here have told us to come in the morning when all bodies come. I hope my son is not one of them,” he said.

The building till recently housed a vehicle showroom and currently served as an office for multiple firms spread over different floors. The deputy commissioner of police said the first floor office was that of a company making CCTV cameras and Wi-fi routers. All of the injured people were rushed to the Sanjay Gandhi Hospital and the Baba Saheb Hospital. “More bodies are coming in. People are coming with severe burn injuries. The death count is likely to increase. They have been admitted to critical care unit,” said a doctor at Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital, adding that all hospital staff had been called in to deal with the number of cases.

Officials were yet to comment on what sparked the fire, and whether there were any fire safety violations. In all three major fire incidents in the last five years, the owners and those that maintained the facilities were found to have violated rules that civic agencies should have enforced. Sharma said an investigation has been opened.

“Shocked and pained to know about this tragic incident. I am constantly in touch with officers. Our brave firemen are trying their best to control the fire and save lives. God bless all,” chief minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who too condoled the deaths, said ₹2 lakh will be paid to the families of those killed and ₹50,000 to people who were injured.

MUNDKA FIRE

President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi too tweeted their condolences. “Distressed by the tragic fire accident at a building near Mundka Metro Station in Delhi. My condolences to the bereaved families. I wish for speedy recovery of the injured,” the President wrote.

“Pained by the loss of lives in a tragic fire incident in Mundka, New Delhi. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families and prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured,” Naidu tweeted.

“Extremely saddened by the loss of lives due to a tragic fire in Delhi. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. I wish the injured a speedy recovery,” the PM wrote. “Pained by the tragic loss of lives in the Delhi fire near Mundka Metro station. Heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and wishing the injured a speedy recovery,” Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet.