New Delhi [India], March 19 (ANI): A Trinamool Congress (TMC) delegation comprising Saugata Roy, Mahua Moitra and Yashwant Sinha met the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday in Delhi to discuss issues related to free and fair conduct of elections in West Bengal.
Speaking to ANI, TMC MP Mahua Moitra said: “We met Election Commission today and raised three points – the rule under which they are proposing to put only central forces within 100 metres of the polling booth, only five per cent of VVPAT checking as supposed to 100 per cent and the incident involving the attack on chief minister on March 10.”
On March 10, Mamata Banerjee had alleged that she was pushed by a few unidentified people during her election campaigning. Banerjee sustained “severe bone injuries” on her left foot and ankle as well as bruises and injuries on her shoulder, forearm and neck, according to the report of her initial medical examination. She was discharged from the hospital on March 12.
West Bengal is witnessing a high-octane battle between the BJP and the TMC for the upcoming Assembly polls.
Elections to the 294-member state Assembly will be held in eight phases starting from March 27 with the final round of voting taking place on April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 2. (ANI)

New Delhi [India], March 19 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Friday posted after four weeks for hearing a plea challenging the legislative competence of diverse State Assemblies in adopting ‘Resolutions’ against central statutes like CAA and farm laws which fall under the Union List of the Seventh Schedule.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde asked advocate appearing for petitioner Samta Andolan Samiti (SAS) to do more research.
“Do some research on the other aspects, we will see, we don’t want to create more problems,” the top court bench said.
The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by SAS has raises a question of law as to whether within the Constitutional framework, more particularly Article 213(2)(a) and Article 246(1), any State Legislature can adopt ‘Resolution’ adversely criticising a central Statute which falls in List I of the Seventh Schedule.
The plea impugning the legislative actions of four different State Legislative Assemblies of Rajasthan, Kerala, Punjab and West Bengal which according to the petitioner, have infringed Fundamental Rights of all Indian citizens.
The State Legislatures of Rajasthan, Kerala, Punjab and West Bengal purportedly adopted resolutions condemning and adversely criticising the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 even after it was passed by both the Houses of the Parliament and received Presidential assent being duly notified in the Gazette of India, stated the petition.
“The Legislative Assembly of West Bengal adopted a Resolution against three Central Legislations (farm laws). Rules of Procedure of the these Legislative Assemblies framed under Article 208 contain chapters titled ‘Resolutions’ and the same, apart from imposing a precondition upon the Speakers to decide the admissibility of the Resolution before allowing the same to be placed in the Assembly, also prohibit subjects which are not primarily the concern of the state government and on which litigations are pending,” the plea added. (ANI)

New Delhi [India], March 19 (ANI): The Delhi High Court on Friday refused to grant a stay on the fresh Enforcement Directorate (ED) notice issued against Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mehbooba Mufti in a money-laundering matter.
Division Bench of Justice DN Patel and Justice Jasmeet Singh, while posting the matter for April 16 for further hearing, asked the respondents to file a compilation of related judgements.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for ED and Union of India, submitted that Mehbooba Mufti has to appear before the agencies.
According to the ED, Mehbooba Mufti has been served with a fresh notice seeking her presence on March 22 before the agency.
PDP Leader approached the Delhi HC against the summons in the money laundering matter.
Mufti has also challenged the constitutional vires of section 50, and any incidental provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA). Senior Advocate Nitya Ramakrishnan has appeared for Mufti in the court.
Mehbooba Mufti, after receiving the notice of summon, had tweeted that “GOI’s tactics to intimidate and browbeat political opponents to make them toe their line has become tediously predictable.They don’t want us to raise questions about its punitive actions and policies. Such short-sighted scheming will not work”.
Section 50 of the PMLA empowers the ‘authorities’ (officers of the Enforcement Directorate), to summon any person to give evidence or produce records. All persons summoned are bound to answer questions put to them, and to produce the documents as required by the ED officers, failing which they can be penalised under the PMLA.
Mufti’s petition stated that she has not been informed she is being summoned either as an accused or as a witness. She has also not been informed of what she is being summoned in connection with.
Plea added that the petitioner (Mehbooba Mufti) is not the subject of investigation, nor is she an accused, in any of the scheduled offences under the PMLA, to the best of her knowledge.
The petitioner also wrote a letter to the ED pointing to the roving nature of the inquiry undertaken in the case thus far and that in the event of she being questioned, she will insist on the legitimacy of the process.
“As a responsible member of society, the petitioner is always ready and willing to aid the process of law. However, it is equally her duty to bring to the notice of this Court, deviations from due process in legislative and executive acts. The petitioner apprehended that the ‘Impugned Summons’ is a means of bringing undue pressure and harassment upon her and therefore, the petitioner wishes to assert her constitutional rights in this regard,” read the petition. (ANI)

New Delhi [India], March 19 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Friday refused to issue notice, but asked the petitioner, BJP leader and lawyer, Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, to serve a copy to the Attorney General (AG) K K Venugopal, on his plea seeking a direction to use the name, age, qualification and photograph of contesting candidates on electronic voting machines in place of political party symbol.
A three-judge bench of the Apex Court, headed by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad Arvind Bobde and also comprising Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian, asked the Bharatiya Janata Party leader and lawyer, Upadhyay, to serve a copy to the AG, Venugopal on the said issue.
“The party symbol is the root cause of corruption, and criminalisation, and thereby he sought appropriate orders and or directions to use name, age, qualification and photograph of contesting candidates on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in place of a political party symbol,” the plea stated.
Former Additional Solicitor General (ASG) and Senior Supreme Court lawyer, Vikas Singh, appearing for the petitioner, Upadhyay, today told the Apex Court that he had checked and found that in Brazil, you just get numbers to contest and no symbols.
Singh also submitted to the Apex Court bench led by the CJI Bobde that in the Representation of People’s (RP) Act, when any political party is registered only these details are asked for.
To this, the CJI Bobde asked Singh, how does a symbol can prejudice the electronic voting process in any way?
While responding, Singh said that the intrinsic value of the candidates can be taken and measured by the voters if these can be taken into consideration.
The CJI, however, said that we will not issue a notice at this stage. “But, you please serve a copy to the AG, Venugopal” in the issue.
“You (petitioner) serve a copy on the Attorney General and then we will see. No notice now,” the CJI Bobde said.
Singh also submitted to the Apex Court that he had sent a letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI) and other authorities, but they didn’t get any response yet in the matter. (ANI)

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], March 19 (ANI): Actor-turned-politician Krishna Kumar who was BJP’s star campaigner in the recently concluded local body polls on Friday began campaigning for the upcoming Assembly elections in Kerala.
Kumar who is contesting from Trivandrum central constituency is going from door to door and meeting people.
Associated with the film industry for the past 31 years, Kumar had joined the BJP recently.
Speaking to ANI, Kumar said, “Trivandrum is one of the most neglected areas of Kerala. We have the airport, we have the most famous Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, the secretariat and even the Parvathy Puthanar artificial canal, but it is one of the most polluted water bodies of Kerala. So we need lots of changes in Trivandrum.”
“Look at the plight of Shangumugham Beach, it was a beautiful area. Every evening families used to come and enjoy. It has been blocked for two-and a half years. It is the main route to international airport. Nobody can go to the airport freely because of these issues. The common people don’t need big things. They need small things. Look at the bus stops here, there are no enough facilities at bus stops,” stated the BJP leader.
The actor further said, “We need a closed bus stop with toilet facilities, especially feeding centres for women and children. So many things can be done because we have a wonderful Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He gives facilities to all the states. But since there is a non-BJP government here the projects and schemes launched under the prime minister have not been implemented in Kerala. So I am promising the people that elect BJP MLAs and see a huge change in Kerala and especially in Trivandrum central.”
“People need a change, especially in this area. For the past 60 years, it is ruled by LDF and you can see the narrow line. We need infrastructure change everywhere. Issues like drinking water and garbage need to be addressed,” he added.
V S Sivakumar from the United Democratic Front (UDF) is the sitting MLA and UDF candidate from Trivandrum central, while the CPI-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) has fielded Advocate Antony Raju from the assembly constituency for the upcoming Assembly elections.
The election for 140-member Kerala Assembly will be held on April 6. The counting of votes will take place on May 2. (ANI)

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], March 19 (ANI): Terming Trinamool Congress (TMC) Chief Mamata Banerjee as “queen of rigging”, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari alleged that even now she is misusing the administration and using ghuspaitheye (intruders) and Pakistanis and police are acting as a mute spectator.
Speaking to ANI over allegations by Banerjee that voting in Assembly elections in the state would be rigged, Adhikari said, “Queen of rigging is saying that vote rigging will happen. The election will happen in a democratic way and that is why she is disturbed. Even now she is misusing administration, police and using ghuspaitheye (intruders) and Pakistanis. Police is a mute spectator. But the people are with us.”
Alleging that there was a wider conspiracy behind the political violence that took place on Thursday, Adhikari said, “They aren’t TMC workers. Few people of a particular community have been instigated. They are doing it daily and it’s not a new thing. They are Pakistanis. Bharatiya will win against Pakistani.”
The comments of Adhikari came after Mamata Banerjee, earlier this month, stated, “Those who are playing the Hindu-Muslim card, I would like to tell them clearly that I am also a girl from a Hindu family. Don’t play the Hindu card with me.”
Reacting to Banerjee’s statement about removing BJP from Centre after winning Bengal elections, the BJP leader said, “She said the same thing before 2019 and spoke about United India. The more she speaks, the more seats will go to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. ‘2019 mein half hua iss baar saaf hua’.”
West Bengal is witnessing a high-octane battle between the BJP and the TMC for the upcoming Assembly polls.
Elections to the 294-member state Assembly will be held in eight phases starting from March 27 with the final round of voting taking place on April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 2. (ANI)