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Manipur: CM Biren Singh announces he is not resigning after thousands of women blocked him from going to Raj Bhawan & tore resignation letter

OpIndia Staff
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Manipur: CM Biren Singh announces he is not resigning after thousands of women blocked him from going to Raj Bhawan & tore resignation letter

Manipur CM N Biren Singh has announced that he will not resign from the post when the state is facing massive violence for almost two months. Amid reports that he will resign today and protest against the decision to resign by his supporters, Biren Singh tweeted that he is not resigning.

The Manipur CM tweeted, “At this crucial juncture, I wish to clarify that I will not be resigning from the post of Chief Minister.”

This comes after the CM had already printed and signed his resignation letter.

Amid opposition demands for his resignation, it was widely reported today that he is likely to tender his resignation today. The reports claimed that Biren Singh will reach the governor at 1 PM today and tender his resignation.

Following the reports, thousands of his supporters, mostly women, gathered in support of him and urged him to not resign. They even blocked the road preventing him from going to the Raj Bhawan. They were carrying banners and placards in support of the CM, asking to remain in the post.

The women said that the CM has done a lot for them, and he should not resign. Responding to the demands of his supporters, Biren Singh took an u-turn and decided not to resign.

In a dramatic development, when an MLA of the party brought the resignation letter and read it out in front of the protesting women, one of them grabbed it and tore it down.

An image of the letter, torn into pieces and crumbled, has appeared on media and social media. The letter on the official letterhead of the CM, dated 30 June, reads, “I hereby submit my resignation as Chief Minister of Manipur. I thank you for your cooperation and guidance during the past few months.”

A meeting between Chief Minister Biren Singh and Govorner Anusuiya Uikey was scheduled to take place between 2:00-3:00 PM, when the CM was to submit his resignation. Reportedly, the decision to resign was his own, and he was not asked by the central leadership to quit. It is being reported that Singh was hurt by the protest held by women in Imphal holding dead bodies on June 29.

Manipur has been burning amid conflict between the two ethnic groups, Meiteis and Kukis. Tensions flared up on May 3 following a ‘Tribal solidarity march’ which was organised against the Meitei community seeking ST status.

Meiteis account for the majority of the Manipur population whereas Nagas and Kukis account for about 40% of the population. About 130 people have been killed in the clash and several have been displaced after their houses were torched and razed.

On June 29, armed rioters opened fire towards Haraothel village amid ongoing security operations. The troops deployed in the area immediately mobilised to prevent the escalation of the situation. While en route to the site, the forces drew effective fire from armed rioters.

The Spear Corps tweeted, “Own troops responded in a calibrated manner to prevent any collateral damage. Swift action by troops resulted in cessation of firing. Additional columns moved to the area. Unconfirmed reports indicate some casualties. Build up of large crowds in the area also reported.”

Meanwhile, some groups have also reportedly blocked the forces from discharging their duties.

PM Modi 3 days ago chaired a high-level meeting to take stock of the situation. On June 25, Singh briefed Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the situation in the state, and an all-party meeting was also chaired last week.

Rahul Gandhi in Manipur

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi today visited relief camps in Manipur. He said he is “ready to do whatever it takes to reinstate peace in the state.”

The BJP has termed his visit as “irresponsible” saying that the local administration had asked Gandhi to visit Churanchandpur in a chopper in view of the prevailing tension in the state, but he refused and went on to visit the area by road.

“Rahul Go Back” slogans were reportedly raised in Imphal. The BJP has hit out at the Congress for politicising the tense situation in the state.

Russian President Putin hails PM Modi’s Make In India initiative, tells Russia should follow similar ideas

OpIndia Staff
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Russian President Putin hails PM Modi’s Make In India initiative, tells Russia should follow similar ideas

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s flagship ‘Make In India’ initiative aimed at giving an impetus to manufacturing in India and transforming India into a global manufacturing hub has drawn global attention for its remarkable success. On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin lauded the “impressive” impact of PM Modi’s Make In India initiative on the Indian economy. 

While addressing the audience at an event organized by Russia’s Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI) President Putin stressed the need of offering support tools for Russian companies to market their products much more efficiently by articulating their mission, the value of the good, and a sense of positive emotion—pride among Russians regarding the Russia-made products. For this, Putin cited the example of his “great friend” Prime Minister Narendra Modi and how his concept of Make In India launched several years ago has had an impressive effect on the Indian economy. 

“Our friends in India and our great friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, launched the ‘Make in India’ initiative several years ago. It has had a truly impressive effect on the Indian economy. It would do no harm to emulate what is working well, even if it was not us but our friends who created it,” the Russian president asserted.

This, however, is not the first time that Putin has lauded the Make In India initiative. In October last year, President Putin hailed PM Modi as a patriot and pointed out the economic and ethical significance of PM Modi’s ambitious Make In India initiative.

“A lot has been done under the leadership of PM Modi. He is a patriot of his country. His idea of ‘Make in India‘ matters both economic wise and in ethics. Future belongs to India, it can also be proud of the fact that it’s the largest democracy in the world,” Putin said back then.

Make In India

As part of India’s renewed focus on manufacturing, the ‘Make in India’ initiative was launched in September 2014. The Initiative’s goal is to promote India as the most preferred global manufacturing destination. Since the launch of this historic initiative, the Narendra Modi government has implemented a number of reform initiatives to create a conducive environment for manufacturing, design, innovation, and startups. 

As the program completed eight years in September 2022, the government released numbers indicating the accomplishments of Make In India. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows totaled $45.15 billion in the first year of the ‘Make in India’ scheme.  The fiscal year 2021-22 saw the highest-ever FDI inflows of $83.6 billion. 

Supreme Court stops same-day mentioning of fresh cases, issues new rules for prior verification of mentions, announces weekly schedule

OpIndia Staff
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Supreme Court stops same-day mentioning of fresh cases, issues new rules for prior verification of mentions, announces weekly schedule

New guidelines for mentioning cases for urgent listing before benches have been issued by the Supreme Court of India. The new rules adopted by CJI DY Chandrachud disallow advocates to mention cases on the same day after submitting them in court. A weekly schedule has been fixed for registering and hearing for mentioning cases for urgent listing before the benches.

According to new rules, fresh cases that are verified by the registry on a Saturday, Monday, or Tuesday will be scheduled for a hearing before the benches on the following Monday, and the attorneys do not need to bring them before the Chief Justice of India. Similarly, matters verified from Wednesday to Friday will be listed the next Friday.

The bar and other parties were informed of the mechanism that CJI D.Y. Chandrachud will use to mention cases for their urgent listing commencing on 3 July through a circular that the registrars of judicial administration published on June 28. The supreme court will reopen on July 3 following the summer break.

The circular read, “Miscellaneous fresh matters which are verified on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday shall be automatically listed on the following Monday. Miscellaneous matters which are verified on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday shall be automatically listed on the following Friday.”

The circular further stated that counsels intending to have their cases heard the next day must now submit their mentioning pro forma by 3 p.m. on the day previous to the scheduled hearing in order to be listed for consideration. The pro forma and a letter of urgency must be provided to the mentioning officer by 10:30 a.m. for those who want to be listed that day, according to the statement.

Afterwards, the CJI will make a decision on the matter during lunchtime or “as the exigency may warrant.” The lawyers must first appear before the mentioning officer with the pro forma and urgency letter for after-notice and regular hearing items that are requested to be mentioned promptly. It informed, “No mentionings other than those in the mentioning lists uploaded a day prior shall be permitted for such matters.”

In accordance with protocol, advocates and litigants are permitted to mention their cases for out-of-turn listing and hearing before the CJI’s court by advancing the basis of urgency. The highest court has announced a new roster for the allocation of new cases to 15 benches beginning on July 3. PILs will be heard in the first three courts presided over by the CJI and the two senior-most justices.

Earlier, advocates could submit mentioning proformas by 10.25 for all fresh cases or for cases not allowed to a bench, and the CJI used to hear the mentionings 10.30 am onwards and allot dates. In some days, as many as 300 items were mentioned by the lawyers.

Women who applied for jobs at private office of Bill Gates were asked sexually explicit questions including porn habits, extramarital affairs: Report

OpIndia Staff
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Women who applied for jobs at private office of Bill Gates were asked sexually explicit questions including porn habits, extramarital affairs: Report

According to a Wall Street Journal report, female candidates who applied for jobs at the private office of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates made shocking claims and told that they were questioned about their sexual history, drug use and other portions of their private lives during the interview process.

They disclosed that they were asked inappropriately about their sexual preferences, extramarital affairs, whether they had nude photos on their phones and other similarly uncomfortable queries. Some recalled being asked if she had ever “danced for dollars,” and one remembered being quizzed about her history of sexually transmitted disease.

There is no information that male applicants for employment were asked similarly awkward inquiries when they tried out for positions and the media house alleged that only females were made to go through this.

Concentric Advisors, a security consulting company charged with interviewing job candidates for Gates Ventures, is accused of asking these questions to several women while performing background checks.

A Gates Ventures representative stated to the newspaper that she was unaware of any such inquiries being made by Concentric Advisors during background checks, but added that the “line of questioning would be unacceptable and a violation of Gates Ventures’ agreement with the contractor.”

“We have never received information from any vendor or interviewee in our 15+ year history that inappropriate questions were asked during the screening process. We can confirm, that after a comprehensive review of our records, no employment offer has ever been rescinded based on information of this nature,” her statement read.

She emphasised that pre-employment screening legislation and other state and federal laws and regulations must be followed by contractors. A Concentric Advisors spokesperson also refuted the charges that the business asked interviewees these kinds of questions during screenings. However, the spokesperson proclaimed that the company’s security checks determine “a candidate’s truthfulness and vulnerability to blackmail, which often starts with voluntary statements by the candidate and follow-up questions by company interviewers.”

Candidates who reported that these questions were posed by interviewers thought that the latter was looking for information that could be used to blackmail those who would be closely collaborating with Bill Gates. They claimed that they were required to pass the employer’s exam in order to be hired and did not volunteer the sensitive information they were asked about.

According to a consent form seen by the outlet, the behavioural evaluation, which is meant to “assess suitability for employment,” inquires about past use of drugs, alcohol, prescription medications, and mental health issues.

Candidates who signed the agreement authorised the release of the findings, including “highly sensitive information,” to Bill Gates’ private office, per the article. The “re-disclosure of sexually transmitted diseases,” however, is not allowed.

Bill Gates’ Tryst with Controversy

The newspaper revealed last month that notorious billionaire Jeffrey Epstein had threatened to reveal Bill Gates’ alleged affair with Russian bridge player Mila Antonova in 2017. The email seemed to suggest that if a connection between the two men was not kept up, the former, who committed suicide while awaiting trial on federal conspiracy and sex trafficking charges, may reveal the purported link.

Another Wall Street Journal report alleged that Bill Gates was also under investigation by Microsoft for an ongoing relationship with a staff member that was brought to light in 2019 by the latter whom he started dating in 2000.

Bill Gates resigned from the Microsoft board, but he insisted that this was not because of the probe. His representative responded, “In fact, he had expressed an interest in spending more time on his philanthropy starting several years earlier,” in a statement in May 2021.

In a statement released on Thursday, the spokesperson for Bill Gates asserted that “any implication of a connection between Bill Gates’ personal history” and the background investigation procedure in question “is outrageous.”

Iraq: Protesters break into Swedish embassy in Baghdad after ex-Muslim Iraqi refugee burns Quran in front of a mosque in Stockholm

OpIndia Staff
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Iraq: Protesters break into Swedish embassy in Baghdad after ex-Muslim Iraqi refugee burns Quran in front of a mosque in Stockholm

A day after an ex-Muslim Iraqi refugee Salwan Momika residing in Sweden lit several pages of the Quran on fire in front of a mosque in Stockholm, hundreds of Moqtada Sadr’s followers broke into the Swedish embassy in Baghdad. Moqtada Sadr is a firebrand Iraqi Shiite cleric. After about 15 minutes of heated protests, the gathering of Muslims started to disperse as tight security was put in place. The Quran was burnt in Sweden on June 28. The violent attack on the Swedish embassy in Baghdad took place on June 29.

The protesting Muslims’ pamphlets had the phrase, “Our constitution is the Quran.” “Yes, yes to the Quran,” was another statement spray-painted on the embassy compound’s gate.

The protesters initially gathered outside the embassy in reaction to al-Sadr’s call for the Swedish ambassador to be expelled, which echoed fury in other Muslim nations over the Quran’s blazing in Stockholm on Wednesday.

After the influential cleric said this would be “the best way to provoke” people who support Quran burnings, Al-Sadr’s followers also set fire to rainbow flags that stand for LGBT people.

The foreign ministry of Stockholm stated that it was “well informed about the situation” in a statement. Sweden cleared that all its diplomatic personnel in Iraq are secure.

On June 28, a few pages of the Quran were lit on fire in front of Stockholm’s largest mosque by Salwan Momika, 37, who escaped from Iraq to Sweden some years ago. In accordance with the right to free expression, the police had given him special permission for the protest after a court struck down a police order prohibiting such protests. According to the foreign ministry of Iraq, such actions would simply “inflame” the sentiments of Muslims all over the world.

Salwan Momika said late on Thursday that he will repeat the protest in spite of the opposition. He said, “Within 10 days I will burn the Iraqi flag and the Quran in front of Iraq’s embassy in Stockholm.”

The Swedish Quran burning episode, which occurred at the same time as the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha and the conclusion of the yearly pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, was followed by outrage throughout the Middle East and beyond.

Not a farmer or ordinary person unfamiliar with law: Karnataka High Court dismisses Twitter’s petition against Indian govt, imposes a cost of ₹50 lakhs

OpIndia Staff
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Not a farmer or ordinary person unfamiliar with law: Karnataka High Court dismisses Twitter’s petition against Indian govt, imposes a cost of ₹50 lakhs

On Friday (June 30), the Karnataka High Court dismissed a petition filed by Twitter, challenging the directive of the Union government to take down 39 URLs between February 2021 and 2022. It also imposed a cost of ₹50 lakhs on the social media platform.

The matter was heard by Justice Krishna S Dixit of the Karnataka High Court. Twitter argued that the government cannot issue ‘general orders’ to block social media accounts and that such orders must be backed with reasons for communication to the affected users.

The social media giant suggested that if blocking orders are not accompanied by reasons, then, the Indian government could ‘manufacture’ them at a later stage. It also claimed that the nature of the flagged content must be in line with Section 69 of the Information Technology Act.

It also alleged that account-level blocking by the Indian government is supposedly a ‘disproportionate measure’, which somehow violates the rights of users as ensured by the Indian Constitution.

The Union government argued that Twitter has no locus standi on the platform and that it cannot speak on behalf of the account holders. It pointed out that the social media giant is a foreign company and that the directives of the government were not arbitrary.

It stated that Twitter thus cannot seek refuge in fundamental rights, as guaranteed to Indian citizens under Article 14 and Article 19 of the Indian constitution.

The Union government had directed Twitter to block 175 tweets and 1474 accounts in total between February 2021 and 2022 in both national and public interest and prevent incidents of mob violence and lynching. The social media giant had challenged the blocking of 39 URLs in total.

The government has expressed its commitment to providing safe and accountable internet to Indian citizens. It stated that it has limited scope when it came to blocking information.

Justice Krishna S Dixit reserved the judgment in the order on April 21, 2023, after hearing both parties. On Friday (June 30), the Karnataka High Court noted that Twitter is a billionaire company and not a farmer/ ordinary person, who is unfamiliar with the law.

It upheld that the Centre has the power to direct Twitter to block both tweets and individual accounts. The court also stated that the social media giant did not provide reasons for not complying with the blocking orders of the Union government in a timely fashion.

Justice Dixit imposed a cost of ₹50 lakhs on Twitter, which is to be paid to the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority within 45 days. While dismissing the petition, he added that an additional cost of ₹5000 per day will be levied for delay in making the payment.

Maharashtra: Gaurakshak attacked with rods and sharp weapons for inquiring about sacrifice of 2 bulls on Bakrid in Nanded; Salim, Asif, Anis and 7 others booked

Siddhi Somani
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Maharashtra: Gaurakshak attacked with rods and sharp weapons for inquiring about sacrifice of 2 bulls on Bakrid in Nanded; Salim, Asif, Anis and 7 others booked

On Friday, the Maharashtra Police booked an FIR against 10 identified Muslim persons and other unidentified persons for brutally attacking a Hindu activist named Pradyumn Chaudhari alias Sonu with iron rods and sharp weapons in the Mahur region of the Nanded district. The accused persons also threatened the activist after he tried to stop the sacrifice of bulls on the occasion of Bakrid on June 29.

The accused persons have been identified as Salim Qureshi, Babu Thekedar, Asif Hasan, Salim Autowala, Anis, Shoaib Sheikh, Ejaz, Sohail Sheikh, Moin and Sanjay. These 10 and other unidentified persons have been booked under section 307, 395 of the Indian Penal Code and under section 5A, 5B of the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act, 1976 and also under section 11(1)(d) of the Animal Cruelty Act, 1960

As per the FIR copy obtained by OpIndia, the incident is said to have happened yesterday ie June 29 at around 6:30 pm. The victim was informed by an unidentified person over a phone call that Muslims in the Tipu Sultan Chowk area of Nanded were planning to sacrifice a pair of bulls on the occasion of Bakrid. Sonu then reached the spot with his friend and began inquiring about the matter. Meanwhile, he also called up the Mahur Police Station for help.

FIR copy obtained by OpIndia

On inquiring, Sonu learned that the bulls were purchased by one Salim Qureshi and that he was going to slaughter them on Bakrid. Later Salim Qureshi reached the spot and also called other community members for help.

As per the FIR, one of the accused persons identified as Salim Autowala could be heard saying, “It’s too much now. He’s (Sonu) way more interfering in our matter. Let’s just finish him.” After this, the accused persons attacked the victim with an iron rod and sharp weapons. Many Muslims had gathered at the spot and ran away after they saw the Mahur police approaching.

FIR copy obtained by OpIndia

Meanwhile, someone also snatched away the gold chain Sonu was wearing while he was being attacked. The Police took cognizance of the incident and tried to pacify the matter. The Hindu activist was also immediately taken to the hospital and is being treated under professional medical care.

Atish Shankar Rathod, a friend of Sonu who filed the complaint in the case stated that Sonu had been on target of the accused Muslim persons. Sonu had posted some Facebook posts recently which had irked the Muslims. Also accused Shoaib and Sonu had engaged in a short brawl a few days ago and so the former was already pissed off at the latter.

Gaurakshak was murdered in Kinwat, Nanded on June 19

Earlier, a similar case was reported from Kinwat taluka in Maharashtra’s Nanded district where around 8 gaurakshaks were brutally attacked by Muslims with sharp weapons and sticks on the night of June 19 killing one and injuring five. The accused had been booked under sections 302, 307, 143, 147, 148, 159, and 427 of the IPC and sections 4 and 7 of the Arms Act.

The victims were attacked while they stopped a car on suspicion of beef transport. Around 15-20 Muslims got down the car and then attacked the Hindu activists. Later the police arrested Sheikh Isaak Sheikh Chand (38), Sheikh Amer Sheikh Alim (30), Sheikh Mujahid Sheikh Isak (22) and Sheikh Mujemir Sheikh Fayaz (23) in the case.

Cow protection has been painted as a ‘communal’ issue where gaurakshaks are depicted as rogue groups that attack ‘innocent’ Muslims transporting cows to slaughterhouses.

The government has imposed a ban on cow slaughter as per the Animal Welfare Act. In spite of this, numerous cows, bullocks, cattle, and other animals are smuggled across Telangana state at night in both large and small vehicles from the state of Maharashtra.

In the given case, the police has booked around 10 persons for launching an attack on a Hindu activist who initiate to protect the bulls scheduled to be slaughtered on the occasion of Bakrid. Further investigations in the case are underway.

UCC bill likely to be tabled during the monsoon session in the new parliament building, standing committee to chair meeting on July 3

OpIndia Staff
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UCC bill likely to be tabled during the monsoon session in the new parliament building, standing committee to chair meeting on July 3

In a big development, a report has emerged claiming that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) bill will likely be tabled in the monsoon session of the Parliament. The session is likely to begin on July 20 in the new Parliament building which was inaugurated by the Prime Minister on May 28. Notably, this will likely be the first historic bill to be introduced in the newly-inaugurated Parliament building.

Quoting highly-placed sources, the report says that the bill may be sent to the parliamentary standing committee which will gather views from various stakeholders on UCC.

This comes after the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice called representatives from the Law Commission and the Law Ministry for a meeting on July 3 regarding the notice released by the Law Commission seeking inputs on UCC from stakeholders. The Law Commission on 14 June asked the public and religious organisations to submit their views on the UCC within 30 days, and as on June 28, the commission has received 8.5 lakh responses.

The committee’s agenda reads, “To hear views of representatives of the following organisations on public notice issued by the Law Commission of India on June 14, 2023, inviting views from the various stakeholders on the Uniform Civil Code, under the subject ‘Review of Personal Laws’.”

BJP leader Kapil Mishra took to tweet and dropped another big hint. He pointed out that the foundation stone-laying ceremony of Ram Mandir was held on 5 August 2020, and Article 370 was also revoked on 5 August 2019, thereby hinting that the UCC bill will also be tabled on August 5.

PM Modi bats for UCC

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 27 raked up the subject of UCC during his address to party workers in Bhopal.

Claiming that political parties are trying to mislead Muslims, PM Modi strongly batted for equal rights and Uniform Civil Code enshrined in the Constitution. He dropped a major hint that UCC may be on the cards in the upcoming Parliament session. For those unversed, the 22nd Law Commission had recently, on the 14th of June, asked for suggestions from the general public on the UCC draft bill within a stipulated time period of 30 days. 

Batting in favour of UCC, the PM said, “Today people are being instigated in the name of UCC. How can the country run on two laws? The Constitution also talks of equal rights. Supreme Court has also asked to implement UCC. These (Opposition) people are playing vote bank politics.”

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami today said that the state’s UCC draft is now in the making. Dhami said, “”The UCC drafting committee went among people and worked for over a year. It spoke to more than 2 lakh people – several stakeholders, organisations & intellectuals. After this, their draft is in the making. It is about to complete, once we get it we will examine it. We will discuss with the experts and take further course of action…”

‘Affirmative Action’, race-based admission in Harvard and North Carolina universities struck down by US Supreme Court

ANI
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‘Affirmative Action’, race-based admission in Harvard and North Carolina universities struck down by US Supreme Court

US Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday (US local time) said the US Supreme Court’s decision to end “affirmative action” in college admissions is “a denial of opportunity”.

The US Supreme Court on Thursday struck down race-based admissions at the University of Harvard and the University of North Carolina. “The highest court in our land just made a decision today on affirmative action and I feel compelled to speak about it. It is in so very many ways a denial of opportunity,” the US Vice President said.

Harris further added that it is a complete misnomer that this is about being color-blind. “It is being blind to history, blind to empirical evidence about disparities, and blind to the strength that diversity brings to classrooms, to boardrooms,” she said.

The US Supreme Court on Thursday struck down race-based admission at the University of Harvard and the University of North Carolina, The Washington Post reported.

This comes amid reports of the university’s policies discriminating against White and Asian applicants by giving preference to Black, Hispanic, and Native American ones.

In a 6-3 judgment, the apex court gutted affirmative action in college admissions, that use race as a factor.

“The student must be treated based on his or her experiences as an individual, not on the basis of race,” Chief Justice John G Roberts said in the ruling while writing for the majority.

Earlier, President Joe Biden also said that the US Supreme Court has “effectively ended affirmative action in college admissions,” by striking down race-based admissions in colleges.

“The Court has effectively ended affirmative action in college admissions. And I strongly, strongly disagree with the Court’s decision,” Biden said.

He said today’s decision rolls back decades of precedent and momentous progress.

He added that “I’ve always believed that the promise of America is big enough for everyone to succeed and that every generation of Americans, we have benefitted by opening the doors of opportunity just a little bit wider to include those who have been left behind.”

The US President said he believes colleges are stronger when they are racially diverse. “Our nation is stronger because we are tapping into the full range of talent in this nation,” he said.

“I also believe that while talent, creativity, and hard work are everywhere across this country, not equal opportunity. It is not everywhere across this country,” he added.

Biden said: “We cannot let this decision be the last word. I want to emphasize: We cannot let this decision be the last word.” 

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Chidambaram temple row: Plea filed in Madras HC challenging govt order allowing devotees to climb Kanakasabhai Mandapam

OpIndia Staff
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Chidambaram temple row: Plea filed in Madras HC challenging govt order allowing devotees to climb Kanakasabhai Mandapam

In the latest development in the controversy over the Tamil Nadu government interfering in the religious activities of the Chidambaram Natarajar temple, a petition opposing a government order issued in May 2022 allowing pilgrims to ascend the Kanakasabhai Mandapam for a glimpse of the deity at Sri Sabhayagar Temple in Chidambaram has been filed with the Madras High Court.

During the Aani Thirumanjanam festival, just for four days from June 24 to 27, priests who oversee the Thillai Nataraja temple had prohibited pilgrims from ascending the golden platform due to security concerns. The temple administration takes the step to ensure large crowds are managed smoothly, as a lot of devotees visit the temple during the annual festival. However, the state government has tried to overturn this decision of the temple using the order.

The priests argued that it would be challenging to protect the gems and carry out the puja while dealing with the big number of devotees present on this particular occasion. Consequently, a board was set up with the restrictions written on it. However, the board was removed by the HR and CE officials on 26 June.

TR Ramesh, the president of the Temple Worshippers Society and the Indic Collective Trust has filed the petition. Ramesh asserts in the plea that a Tamil-speaking Vedic Saivite group known as the “Chidambaram Dikshitars” had been conducting deity worship and managing the temple for close to two thousand years. In addition, he said that on May 17, 2022, the State of Tamil Nadu’s Principal Secretary for Tourism, Culture, and Religious Endowment Department issued a Government Order allowing universal authorization to pilgrims visiting the Chidambaram Temple.

This is a day after the Chidambaram temple priests were booked by the Police for restricting the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department (HR&CE) officials from offering prayers on the sacred stage kanagasabai mandapam inside the temple. The government of Tamil Nadu’s Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department oversees and supervises administration of a large number of Hindy temples throughout the state. However, the Chidambaram temple is not under their jurisdiction. It has been alleged that the govt is trying to take over the temple currently managed by the Dikshitars.

Ramesh argued in the plea that while the contested order is stated to have been approved based on recommendations from the Commissioner, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Department, and after consultation with the District Collector, it omits to mention consultation with the Secretary to Podhu Dikshitars. Ramesh continued by saying that the authorities had also neglected to mention the authority they had in order to issue such instructions.

“I respectfully submit that the 1st Respondent has failed to mention as to the powers, if any, available to him to pass any orders concerning a denominational institution, especially when Sections 105(a) and 107 of the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act 1959 preclude every authority from passing any orders in violation of the established usage of an institution and in violation of the rights of a religious denomination guaranteed under Article 26 of the Indian Constitution”, the plea read as quoted by the Live Law.

Ramesh continued, “The contested GO has directly interfered with the performance of rituals in the Kanaka Sabhai, a raised platform immediately beneath the temple’s sanctum sanctorum.” He further said that, in the past, devotees who wished to do particular archana were permitted entry inside the Kanaka Sabhai only at specific times, but even this practice was discontinued after the epidemic broke out.

He added that after some motivated and non-believers started raising issues, the Secretary of Podhu Dikshitarts made the decision to forbid anyone from receiving Darshan from the Kanaka Sabhai, which resulted in the passing of the contested GO.

The argument further asserts that it is impractical to accommodate devotees in the Kanaka Sabhai, which only has room for 7 to 10 devotees, and that giving preferential treatment to select people could harm the temple’s atmosphere of peace and secrecy and invite criticism and accusations from the general public.

Additionally, it claims that the contested GO was made without power and in violation of Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution because the Principal Secretary could not locate any reference to it in the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Act.

Therefore, the plea asks that the contested GO be declared ultra vires, unlawful, arbitrary, and without authority, and it also asks for a suspension of its implementation while the case is being resolved.

Kanagasabai is a combination of two Tamil words, kanagam meaning gold and sabai meaning court. Since the idol is believed to be performing Bharathanatyam, one of the traditional Indian dance forms, in the court made of gold, the court is called Kanagasabai.

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