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Old photo of Baba Ramdev in hospital circulated with false claim that he fell ill after overdosing on cow urine to prevent Coronavirus

OpIndia Staff
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Old photo of Baba Ramdev in hospital circulated with false claim that he fell ill after overdosing on cow urine to prevent Coronavirus

A photograph of Baba Ramdev admitted in a hospital is being circulated on social media with the claim that the yoga guru had to be hospitalised after he overdosed on cow urine. But no such thing has happened, and an old photograph is being circulated to mock Baba Ramdev using the cow urine drink jibe, which is a favourite tool used by Jihadi terrorists and Islamic fundamentalists to mock Hindus.

The photo shows a weak-looking Baba Ramdev in a hospital, surrounded by several people including doctors. A Twitter user (@rehman_5) shared the photo claiming that he drank “too much cow urine to show resistance power to corona virus”.

Similar claims were made by many other users, including users named ‘Areba Noor Wazir’ and ‘Bleed Green’ who identify themselves on Twitter as a Pakistani Muslims.

What’s the Truth?

Using the photograph to do a reverse image search on the Internet shows that the photograph is from 2011, when the health of Baba Ramdev had deteriorated following a hunger strike. The photograph was published by India Today in June 2011, which says that Baba Ramdev was admitted to the Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences on Friday after his condition deteriorated at his ashram in Haridwar. He was on a fast for nine days to protest against corruption and black money issues, after which he was hospitalised.

The Photograph was taken on June 12, 2011, when Baba Ramdev had broken the fast after staying two days at the hospital. He had broken the fast on the appeal of spiritual leaders.

Debunking the misleading claims on March 5, the official spokesperson of Baba Ramdev, Tijarawala SK, said, “This is stupid and shameful. He (Ramdev) is perfectly healthy. He has been interviewed by several news channels in the past 2 days. Today he is travelling to Bangalore.”

Therefore, the claim that Baba Ramdev has been hospitalised recently for overdosing on cow urine is false.

The spiritual leader has often been the target of fake news. Earlier, an activist doctor had posted a confidential medical report of a private individual to falsely claim that the associate of Baba Ramdev consumes ganja (Marijuana). Dr Anand Rai, who is known as a whistleblower of the Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh, posted the copy of a medical test report on his verified Twitter handle making the claim.

Dr Rai is close to senior Congress leaders, who wanted to contest Madhya Pradesh assembly elections in 2018 on a congress ticket. In the medical report that he posted on Twitter, the name of the patient is mentioned as Acharya Balgovind Ji, and the report indicates that urine test of the person is positive THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), which is an active ingredient of Marijuana.

Viral tweets and social media frenzy: The unjust hype behind ex-CJI Gogoi’s Rajya Sabha nomination

Abhinav Khare
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Viral tweets and social media frenzy: The unjust hype behind ex-CJI Gogoi’s Rajya Sabha nomination

Many former judges have joined politics post their retirement. That is nothing new. So, why are we hyping the nomination of former Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi to the Rajya Sabha and calling his judgments partial?

Yesterday, President Kovind nominated former Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi to the Rajya Sabha. Ranjan Gogoi was the 46th Chief Justice of India who is credited for passing many a fearless judgment. He is also the one who helped us solve the centuries-old political and religious dispute of the Ram Janmabhoomi before he retired! He also was responsible for allowing women to enter Kerala’s Sabrimala temple. 

Before I address the social media frenzy over the appointment of former Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi to the Rajya Sabha, we need to understand the role and importance of the nominated members in the Rajya Sabha. Article 80 (1)(a) when read with Article 80 (3) of the Constitution of India provides that the President can nominate 12 members to the upper house of the parliament i.e. Rajya Sabha, that has 250 members in all. These members shall be from amongst persons who have special knowledge or practical experience in respect of such matters as literature, science, art, and social service.

The reason behind these nominations is that distinguished people who have the experience and have prospered in their respective fields can serve the country without having to undergo the grueling election process. Nomination to the Rajya Sabha is not just a recognition of their merit but it also will help the parliament in terms of adding knowledge and diversity during the debates and discussions. If I may quote our first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in one of his addresses in Lok Sabha on the 13th of May 1953, “They do not represent political parties or anything, but they represent really the high watermark of literature or art or culture or whatever it may be”.

Read: Former CJI Ranjan Gogoi’s nomination to the Rajya Sabha is not ‘unprecedented’ – Here’s why

Former Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi’s appointment to the Rajya Sabha has caused quite a furor on social media who have now questioned the independence of the judiciary. The opposition leaders have also hinted that all the “judgments” passed by former Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi in favor of the government were done in exchange for this Rajya Sabha seat. But, I think they forgot that the father of Ranjan Gogoi is Kesab Chandra Gogoi who was a Congress leader and he had also served as the Chief Minister of Assam for two months in the year 1982. As of the Ayodhya verdict, wasn’t it a unanimous verdict of a 5 judge bench which consisted of Justice Bobde (our present Chief Justice of India), Justice Chandrachud (Our future Chief justice of India), Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice S. Abdul Nazeer? Similarly, wasn’t Rafale a verdict of a three-judge bench?

No judge in a judicial bench can determine the judgment alone. Also, none of the judgments can be politically motivated or be done to one’s whims and fancies. All judgments are the courts’ decision of the rights and liabilities of the party in a legal action or proceeding. The judgments also need to include the reason for a particular decision being taken. It gives you all the reasons as to how the judicial bench came to the final conclusion. And to say the least, all of the judgments should uphold our law of the land, the Constitution of India. So, to say that our judgments are partial is basically disregarding the Constitution of India. Just because a judicial bench delivers an unpopular judgement doesn’t make them partial. All those judgments are legally and constitutionally viable and will be added to precedents for the future!

Read: Bengal based Telegraph displays hate for Dalits, equates President Kovind to coronavirus

As for former judges being a part of the political system doesn’t violate any legal or constitutional provisions. Actually, there are no provisions for the same. And before our oppositions point fingers at us, there have been many ex-judges who have joined political parties in the past, including their own party. We have seen Retired judge Justice Abhay Thipsay join the Indian National Congress in 2018. There are many more such cases in the past like Chief Justices of India Ranganath Misra and P Sathasivam, Justices Baharul Islam, KS Hegde, Vijay Bahuguna and M Rama Jois who have joined different parties across the spectrum post their tenures as judges.

If I may remind my readers of another incident. It is the infamous story of Justice Baharul Islam. He was first elected to the Rajya Sabha as a member of the Indian National Congress in 1972. Then he resigned from the Rajya Sabha to become a judge in the Gauhati High Court. After he retired as the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court, he was made a judge in the Supreme Court! This was absolutely unprecedented! He had passed a judgement absolving the then Congress Bihar Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra in the urban cooperative bank scandal. He then resigned from the Supreme Court and contested elections as a Congress candidate and was elected as a member of the Rajya Sabha. I think this incident got buried as history was being written by the biased historians!

But here, Justice Gogoi hasn’t even joined a party. He just is a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha. So, I guess it is just unnecessary sensationalization of the appointment of former Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi to the Rajya Sabha just to win a few viral posts and some social-media hype!

Lucknow: Fresh FIR registered against anti-CAA protesters for damaging Ghanta Ghar and raising ‘inciting slogans’

OpIndia Staff
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Lucknow: Fresh FIR registered against anti-CAA protesters for damaging Ghanta Ghar and raising ‘inciting slogans’

Lucknow police registered a fresh FIR against 22 people and 100-150 unidentified persons on Monday for allegedly rioting, damaging Ghanta Ghar (Clock Tower) monument and raising “inciting slogans” against the police and administration in connection with the Lucknow anti-CAA riots in December last year.

The FIR read that several women defaced and damaged the historical Ghanta Ghar monument and organised an illegal protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) at the spot on January 17, 2020.

According to the FIR, two persons who were out on bail in connection with the December 19 arson and rioting in the state were felicitated by the protestors at Ghanta Ghar on Saturday.

On March 14 (Saturday), two of the 57 people, whose photographs have been plastered across the city by the administration for recovery of money for the damage to public properties, were felicitated by the protesters at Ghanta Ghar.

“An illegal protest against CAA and NRC is going on by some women and women’s organisations at Lucknow’s Ghanta Ghar, which is in a heritage zone. These people are damaging the beauty of the monument by hijacking the stairs there and by putting nails in the walls there for their posters and banners. Encouraged by these women, several men are also raising inciting slogans against police and the government. These acts are affecting the parks and environment around Ghanta Ghar. There are a lot of tourist spots and religious places near Ghanta Ghar and several tourists from the country and outside come there. We have also received complaints from tourists of misbehaviour, fights and looting by those protesting. The complaints are under investigation,” the FIR registered on a complaint of Pramod Kumar Mishra, Station House Officer of Thakurganj police station stated.

Police said that two accused named in the FIR registered on Monday, Ebad Khan and Nitin Raj, have been arrested. In the last seven days, Uttar Pradesh police have arrested 23 people involved in the Lucknow anti-CAA riots perpetrated in December last year. Moreover, action against 27 people has been taken under the Gangster Act.

The Lucknow police on March 14 imposed the the “Gangster Act” against those arrested for violence during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh on December 19 last year.

On lines of Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh, groups of Muslim women with children had squatted near the Ghanta Ghar (Clock Tower) in Lucknow’s old quarters protesting against CAA, NRC on December 19, last year. Despite efforts by the police, the women have refused to budge from the site.

Besides Delhi, protests had unfolded in several parts of the country over the Citizenship Amendment Law since it was passed on December 11 and has led to clashes at several places including Uttar Pradesh.

Fight, fight, fight! ‘Journalist’ Swati Chaturvedi attacks Islamist Rana Ayyub, calls her ‘vile person’ and ‘leper journalist’

OpIndia Staff
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Fight, fight, fight! ‘Journalist’ Swati Chaturvedi attacks Islamist Rana Ayyub, calls her ‘vile person’ and ‘leper journalist’

In a strange turn of events, ‘journalist’ Swati Chaturvedi today attacked Islamist Rana Ayyub for her insensitive tweet on the coronavirus outbreak in India.

On 16th March, Ayyub took to Twitter to say out aloud that everyone in India is so ‘dead’ from inside because of being morally corrupt, what can a virus kill. As many as 126 people including foreign nationals have been tested positive in India for the COVID-19 coronavirus. This has resulted in three deaths till now. States have been taking precautionary measures to contain the spread of the disease. The bizarre rant as the world battles the pandemic made people call out her hate.

Shockingly, she was also called out by other people who have in the past themselves displayed their abusive and hateful behaviour.

Swati Chaturvedi calling Rana Ayyub ‘disgusting person’

Swati Chaturvedi, an abusive troll herself masquerading as a journalist, called Ayyub a ‘disgusting person’.

Rana Ayyub ‘vile person’

She tweeted another tweet referring to Ayyub as as person having empathy of a doorknob and called her a vile person. Furthering her attack on Ayyub, Chaturvedi said she feels sorry for those who consider her a ‘journalist’.

Amusingly, tables seems to have turned recently as till few years back, she thought quite highly of Ayyub.

Oops. Clearly, the feelings were mutual.

But then it seems Chaturvedi pointed out Ayyub that she was factually incorrect somewhere after which Ayyub blocked her.

Now that friends have turned foes, we leave it to our readers to tell us who won this fight.

Get your popcorns out

World Health Organisation lauds India’s efforts to contain Coronavirus, says the commitment of govt and PMO is enormous, very impressive

OpIndia Staff
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World Health Organisation lauds India’s efforts to contain Coronavirus, says the commitment of govt and PMO is enormous, very impressive

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has praised India’s efforts in containing the spread of coronavirus that has claimed around 7000 lives and infected 1.82 lac people worldwide. The virus that originated from Wuhan, China has affected 125 people in India, leading to 3 casualties so far.

The representative of WHO to India, Henk Bekedam said, “The commitment from the Indian government and the Prime Minister’s Office has been enormous, very impressive. It is one of the reasons why India is still doing quite well. I am very impressed that everyone has been mobilised.”

He added, “We have very good research capacity in India and especially at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and department of health research. They have been able to identify the virus. Now India will continue to be part of the research community.”

“We have a simple message to all countries – test, test, test. All countries should be able to test all suspected cases, they cannot fight this pandemic blindfolded.” WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had said earlier.

India had become the fifth country in the world after Japan, Thailand, USA and China to successfully isolate the life-threatening Covid-19 strain. The feat was achieved by the scientists at the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune where 11 strains of the Covid-19 were isolated from a patient.

“The strains are the prerequisite for conducting any research related to viruses,” said Raman R. Gangakhedkar, head of the epidemiology and communicable diseases division of the Indian Council of Medical Research. This is hailed as the first step towards the development of drugs and vaccines against the pandemic by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

According to reports, the isolated strain has a 99.98% match with the virus in China’s Wuhan. This significant medical breakthrough will help India in developing a vaccine for the deadly Coronavirus. Although it will still take one and a half to two years to develop a vaccine, even if the trial procedures are expedited.

From dead infants to circumventing Delhi govt directions on coronavirus, Shaheen Bagh ‘protestors’ have zero respect for public safety

OpIndia Staff
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From dead infants to circumventing Delhi govt directions on coronavirus, Shaheen Bagh ‘protestors’ have zero respect for public safety

Following the passage of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which speeds up Indian citizenship for persecuted religious minorities of the three neighbouring Islamic countries, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, violent protests had erupted in the national capital and other parts of the country. Following a call of Sharjeel Imam, the radical Islamist and JNU student who is currently arrested on charges of sedition, few women belonging to Muslim community sat on a protest at Shaheen Bagh. They blocked a bus stop and a main road causing severe problems to the public of Delhi. For about three months now, these so-called ‘protesters’ in Shaheen Bagh have blocked one of the busiest thoroughfares in the national capital in protest against the enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Even as the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has called off all religious, family, social, political or cultural gathering in the wake of threat due to Coronavirus in the national Capital, the iconic Shaheen Bagh ‘protest’ site is not going to get empty anytime soon. The ‘protestors’ have refused to follow the containment orders and decided not to curl off their protest. 

The Muslim women sitting there, carrying on the feigned peaceful protest to supposedly save the constitutional rights of the (so-called) minorities in the country by shouting pro-Pakistan and Hinduphobic slogans like “Jinnah Wali Azadi”, demanding another partition of the country, have said blatantly that the protest will go on undeterred and that they will not comply with the Delhi government’s orders.

From what is coming across, the ‘protestors’ present at Shaheen Bagh have made this demonstration more into an ego tussle. As days pass, it is panning out to be indeed not the “right to dissent”, as initially claimed, but an attempt to tyrannize their views on others, which is indeed anti-India and blatantly Hindophobic in nature. And to do so, these protestors are ready to go to any extreme lengths. Even the death of an infant has not deterred these people from carrying out the diabolic agenda.

In one of the most heart-wrenching of recent times, four-month-old infant Mohammed Jahan lost his life after suffering from severe cold and congestion during anti-CAA protests in Shaheen Bagh. However, Nazia, the mother of the four-month-old infant Mohammad Jahan, has been unapologetic about her son’s death. Instead, she had chosen to ignore his death and rejoin the ‘protests’ at the Shaheen Bagh.

A shocking video had also gone viral across social media platforms in which kids are seen holding posters of the four-month-old infant Mohammed Jahan who died at Shaheen Bagh. One of the protestors in the background had claimed that the death of the four-month-old kid was nothing but a ‘Qurbani’ or sacrifice for the anti-CAA movement. They have used small kids, who seem to have no idea regarding the Citizenship Amendment Act, as ‘props’ at these protests.

These unsympathetic and hard-hearted ‘protestors’ seem to have zero respect for public safety and human life. The selfish ‘protestors’ do not care whether their own children are dying. And now, amidst coronavirus outbreak, they will sit in for protests in groups of 45 people to circumvent the Delhi government order prohibiting gathering of 50 or more people. This just goes out to show that they do not care for public health and safety either.

This more so when their protests are misplaced. Their protest against the CAA is not to protect themselves because CAA is not applicable to Indians, Muslims or otherwise. The women are protesting because they do not want the persecuted religious minorities of neighbouring Islamic countries to get faster Indian citizenship. And now after the deaths of the infants, they don’t care whether their selfish ‘protests’ are creating a health hazard.

Supreme court grants permanent commission of women in Navy, says objecting will be stereotyping

OpIndia Staff
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Supreme court grants permanent commission of women in Navy, says objecting will be stereotyping

In a progressive development, the Supreme Court on Tuesday paved the way for the Grant of Permanent Commission for women officers in the Indian Navy. The top court said that objecting to a permanent commission for women in the Indian Navy will be gender stereotyping and that there should be no discrimination between men and women on the issue of grant of permanent commission in the Navy.

The Bench headed by Justice D Y Chandrachud upheld the Delhi High Court order of granting permanent commission to women officers and rejected the Union government’s plea referring to the physiological limitations of women officers in granting a permanent commission marking it as a reflection of gender stereotyping on the part of the government.

The bench ruled that “women officers can sail with the same efficiency as their male counterparts and there should be no discrimination. Denying women officers an opportunity for the permanent commission would result in a serious miscarriage of justice to those SSC women officers who have served the nation.”

The court ruled that the application of permanent commission-based will be considered based on the availability of vacancies and recommendations of Chief of naval staff.

The women officers whose Short Service Commission (SSC) came to an end before 2008 would be deemed to have been considered for Permanent Commission as a one-time measure. Rest, all the service of women officers who are not in service and those who are denied permanent commission shall be deemed pensionable service.

The Bench added that women officers in the Commodore position shall be entitled pensionary benefits and Rs 25 lakh compensation each.

The Court order came as a result of the petition of Union Government against the Delhi High court 2015 order of granting the permanent commission to women officers.

In February this year, the top court had ordered the centre to grant permanent commission to women in the Army and directed to comply with the ruling within three months.

A Permanent Commission entitles an officer to serve in Navy/Army till he/she retires unlike Short Service Commissions (SSC) which is currently of 10 years and will be extended to four more years.

Bengal based Telegraph displays hate for Dalits, equates President Kovind to coronavirus

OpIndia Staff
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Bengal based Telegraph displays hate for Dalits, equates President Kovind to coronavirus

Bengal-based media house The Telegraph, in full display of casteism, has shown its hate for the Dalits. In an article on ex-CJI Ranjan Gogoi’s nomination to Rajya Sabha by the President, The Telegraph compared him to ‘covid’.

The Telegraph’s article on ex-CJI Gogoi

“Kovind, not Covid, did it’, the headline read. Covid-19 is a pandemic, a coronavirus disease which has impacted lakhs of people globally as of this moment. In its bid to make a wordplay on President’s name by comparing it to the deadly virus, The Telegraph just hit a new low.

Read: Model-actress and cancer survivor Lisa Ray exposes Telegraph for inherent sexism

Netizens pointed out how President Ramnath Kovind is a Dalit by caste and comparing him to the virus would be an insult to the Dalits who have been facing years of oppression in India. They expressed disappointment at the way the President was targeted.

Even as twitterati expressed shock at the horrifying insult to the President, there were others who deemed the headline which insults Dalits ‘brilliant’. Faulty ‘fact-checker’ AltNews Director Nirjari Sinha thought this insult to the Dalits is ‘bold and brilliant’.

Aam Aadmi Party leader Prithvi Reddy too called President Kovind a ‘virus’ which is ‘more dangerous’.

The Telegraph takes pride in ‘in your face’ headlines except when it comes to reporting on things happening in its own backyard in West Bengal. The Telegraph is more of an advocacy group than an actual media organization. During the elections, its editor had claimed in an article removing Narendra Modi from power was the only hope for India’s redemption. This is not how a news organization functions or is supposed to function.

If The Telegraph concerned itself more with journalistic integrity and chose to ally itself more with truth instead of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), its standards will without a doubt improve drastically. But it appears the editors of the newspaper will be more willing to accompany Frodo Baggins to Mordor than that. In the meantime, journalism will continue to suffer. Perhaps, The Telegraph can find its spine in Mamata Banerjee’s purse.

Former CJI Ranjan Gogoi’s nomination to the Rajya Sabha is not ‘unprecedented’ – Here’s why

Dibakar Dutta
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Former CJI Ranjan Gogoi’s nomination to the Rajya Sabha is not ‘unprecedented’ – Here’s why

The nomination of former Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi, to the Upper House of the Parliament by the president has sparked a controversy with the left-liberal jamaat engaging in character assassination and casting aspersions about his “objectivity” in the Ram Janambhoomi case. While such a meltdown was not unexpected from the vicious group, Gogoi’s appointment to the Rajya Sabha is not “unprecedented” for two primary reasons.

First, while the Indian Constitution (Article 220) restricts a retired Judge from practising law in the same Court in which he was a judge, there are no restrictions that bar him from seeking employment, joining a political party or getting elected/nominated to the Indian Parliament. It is important to mention that there is no minimum time-limit (commonly referred to as the “cooling period”) before a Judge can ride the political bandwagon, following his retirement.

However, this is not the case with everyone. The “cooling period” applies to Group “A” Government officers who cannot seek commercial employment within 2 years, post their retirement, without the permission of the government. It must be clear by now that there are no legal hurdles that can prevent the nomination of Ranjan Gogoi to the Rajya Sabha.

Second, India has a long history of judges becoming governors, contesting on the tickets of political parties, becoming Vice President and so on. For instance, the 9th Chief Justice of India, Koka Subba Rao who was at the helm of safeguarding the Fundamental Rights of citizens from the Legislature in the infamous Golaknath Vs State of Punjab case resigned 3 months before his scheduled retirement on July 14, 1967, to contest for the post of President. He was backed by the leader of the Opposition, Minoo Masani and secured 44% votes.

Mohammed Hidayatullah, the 11th Chief Justice of India, served as the Acting President from 20 July 1969 to 24 August 1969 and from 6 October 1982 to 31 October 1982. He also served as the Vice President of India between 1979 to 1984, despite having turned down requests for Presidential candidacy on three occasions.

Justice Kawdoor Sadananda Hegde served as a member of the Rajya Sabha prior to his joining the Madras High Court. He was sworn into the Supreme Court in 1967 where he became a part of the majority judgement that laid down the “basic structure doctrine” in the Kesavananda Bharati vs the State Of Kerala case.

The judgement in the case asserted that any amendment that is directed to alter the basic structure of the Constitution can be nullified by the apex court. An agitated Indira Gandhi thus superseded him to make AN Ray the Chief Justice. Hegde resigned during the Emergency and contested from a Janata Party ticket to defeat Congress candidate from North Bangalore in 1977 Lok Sabha elections.

Rangnath Mishra, the 21st Chief Justice of India, who gave a clean chit to the Congress party in the 1984 Anti-Sikh riots served as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha from the Congress Party between 1998 and 2004.

Justice Baharul Islam was a member of the Rajya Sabha from the Congress Party between 1962 to 1972. Following his resignation, he became a judge in the Guwahati High Court. After his retirement from the High Court, he was appointed to the Supreme Court by Indira Gandhi in 1980. He then resigned in 1983 to become a Rajya Sabha member again from the Congress party.

Justice Abhay Thipsay, who heard cases such as Sohrabuddin fake encounter case and retired in 2017, announced his decision to join the Congress party in 2018. Justice Thipsay was the same judge who convicted 9 out of the 17 accused in the Best Bakery case. Justice Thipsay claimed that the Hindus carried out the 2008 Malegaon blasts. There was absolutely no need for him to say so when nothing has been proven in this case yet, and Islamic radicals were initially suspected to have carried out the 2008 blasts. Thipsay said that we should accept that Hindu organizations carry out bomb blasts.

Other examples include that of Palanisamy Sathasivam, the 40th Chief Justice of India, who was appointed the Governor of Kerala by the BJP Government in September 2014. When the Congress made a hullabaloo over the issue, Manish Tewari publicly acknowledged that there was “no constitutional or legal bar” on a former Chief Justice of India to accept the position of a governor. Vijay Bahuguna who became the 6th Chief Minister of Uttarakhand from a BJP ticket also served as a Judge in Allahabad High Court and Bombay High Court.

In his last week of tenure as the CJI, Ranjan Gogoi passed a slew of key landmark judgments pertaining to government matters, religion, politics, and the applicability of the law to his own office. He etched his name in the annals history when a five-judge bench headed by him on November 9, 2019, brought an end to the Ayodhya land dispute, which dates back to even before the Supreme Court came into existence in 1950.

Ranjan Gogoi also headed a bench which, by a majority 3-2 verdict, referred to a larger seven-judge bench the pleas seeking review of the apex court’s historic 2018 judgement allowing women and girls of all ages to enter Kerala’s Sabarimala temple.

Justice Gogoi’s name will also be remembered for heading a bench which gave a clean chit to the Modi government twice — first on the writ petition and then on the pleas seeking review of the December 14, 2018 verdict, in the Rafale fighter jet deal with French firm Dassault Aviation. It also censured Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for wrongfully attributing the “Chowkidar chor hai” remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the top court.

Although Congress party and others are accusing quid-pro-quo citing the Ayodhya and Rafale judgements, it is important to note that these judgments were not delivered by CJI Gogoi alone. The Ayodhya verdict was given by a 5 judge bench, and the bench that heard the Rafale petition had 3 judges. Therefore, it is an insult to the other judges of those benches to allege quid-pro-quo.

Another important point to be noted is, while the previous judges were elected to the legislature by the Congress party, Ranjan Gogoi has been nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the president, as one of the 12 nominated members of the upper house. He has neither joined the BJP, nor BJP voted for him an election. Although it will be argued that it is still a political decision as the President acts on the advice of the Council of ministers, there is a crucial difference between elected and nominated members. Those who are elected to a house from a party are subject to whip of that party. They are bound to vote the way the party directs them, and in general, they can’t criticise the party and the govt if the party is in power. On the other hand, a nominated member is an independent member, not subject to any party whip. Therefore, if Ranjan Gogoi speaks against the BJP government in the Rajya Sabha, the government or the BJP will be able to do nothing to him.

#NoToSavarkar: JNU ‘students’ deface V D Savarkar Marg signboard, put up ‘Mohammad Ali Jinnah Marg’ poster

OpIndia Staff
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#NoToSavarkar: JNU ‘students’ deface V D Savarkar Marg signboard, put up ‘Mohammad Ali Jinnah Marg’ poster

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) ‘students’ allegedly defaced the newly put up V D Savarkar Marg signboard on campus and put up a poster calling it ‘Mohammad Ali Jinnah Marg’. JNUSU President elect Aishe Ghosh took to Facebook last night to show that the defaced signboard was changed to ‘B R Ambedkar Marg’.

“We can never ever accept apologists and stooges of the British who undermined our secular fabric. Let’s respect those who gave us our constitution,” She posted. However, later even the B R Ambedkar Marg signboard seems to have been defaced. A poster calling it ‘Mohammad Ali Jinnah Marg’ has now been stuck next to it.

Read: Read Indira Gandhi’s letter referring to Veer Savarkar as ‘remarkable son of India’

The decision to name the road on campus as ‘VD Savarkar Marg’ was taken in November last year.

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