Govt to move apex court on sub-quota order

May 30, 2012

New Delhi, May 30: The Centre will move the Supreme Court against the order of the Andhra Pradesh High Court striking down provision to provide 4.5 per cent sub-quota for the minorities.

Strongly defending its decision to earmark sub-quota for minorities within the 27 per cent reservation for Other Backward Classes in Central educational institutions and jobs, Law Minister Salman Khurshid said on Tuesday that the Centre would file a special leave petition before the apex court at the earliest. “We will address the issue with a sense of urgency.”

The minister was answering questions by journalists over the AP High Court order quashing the Centre’s order on sub-quota for minorities. The High Court had observed that there was no evidence to justify the classification of these religious minorities as a homogeneous group or as more backward classes deserving some special treatment.

The Union government’s order on December 22, 2011, providing the quota within quota had evoked strong criticism as it came just before the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and other states. Khurshid was a strong votary of the decision. While the BJP and other parties had criticised the government’s move, the Left parties had supported it – with the CPM even demanding enhancement of the sub-quota to 10 per cent. States such as Karnataka and Bihar have already provided sub-quota for minorities.

Referring to the HC order, Khurshid said the Centre’s order was not based on religion but it also considered linguistic minority status. He said the HC had rightly stated that community cannot be given reservation only on the basis of religion and added: “Yes in the Constitution you cannot make religion the only criteria for giving reservation to a community. Minority is not just a religion. It is also linguistic. The expression of the word minority is both religious and linguistic.”

Defending the Centre’s decision, he said the move was based on the Mandal Commission report.

He added that the government did not include any new caste from the minorities in the OBC list (basing its report on the 1931 caste census, the Mandal Commission, set up in 1978, submitted its report in 1980, recommending for 27 per cent quota for the OBCs).

On the impact of the HC order on the students – those in Central institutions such as the IITs – Khurshid said Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal has informed him that selection process was still on. This is the fourth time that the HC has struck down minority reservation. The court hammer on the order issued by late Rajasekhara Reddy government fulfilling a poll promise by setting aside 5 per cent reservation came within three months saying that it was totally unconstitutional.

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Bomb threats target CRPF schools across India, 2 days after blast at Delhi institute

News Network

October 22,2024

Several Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) schools across India were hit with hoax bomb threats on Tuesday, just days after an explosion occurred near a CRPF school in Delhi. The threats, sent via email late Monday night, targeted schools in Delhi and Hyderabad, according to sources.

Earlier this week, a bomb exploded outside a CRPF school in Delhi’s Rohini area, causing significant damage to nearby vehicles and property. Fortunately, no casualties or injuries were reported.

In response to the blast, Delhi Police confiscated CCTV footage from nearby markets as part of their investigation. Sources indicate that surveillance footage captured a suspect at the scene, wearing a white T-shirt, displaying suspicious behavior the night before the explosion.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the explosive device had been hidden in a polythene bag, buried in a shallow pit, and covered with garbage. The blast caused a hole in the school's boundary wall and shattered the window panes and signboards of nearby shops.

Following the incident, the Delhi Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) under Section 4 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, Section 3 of the Indian Explosives Act, and other relevant sections.

The FIR states, "A case of an explosion caused by an unknown explosive substance has been registered, and the investigation continues." It also details the damage, noting that the blast left a hole in the boundary wall and affected nearby structures.

The targeted schools serve children from CRPF and other paramilitary families, and the recent threats have heightened concerns. In response, Delhi authorities have placed the city on high alert, ramping up security measures, especially in markets, ahead of the Diwali festival.

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‘Don't fly Air India from Nov 1 to 19’: Khalistani terrorist Pannun's fresh threat

News Network

October 21,2024

Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on Monday warned passengers not to fly on Air India flights from November 1 to 19. He asserted that an attack could take place on an Air India flight during the specified dates, which coincide with the "40th anniversary of the Sikh genocide".

The founder of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), who holds dual citizenship in Canada and the US, had issued a similar threat around the same time last year.

Pannun's fresh threat comes amid several airlines in India receiving multiple threat calls about potential bombings, all of which turned out to be hoaxes. It also occurred at a time when India and Canada are engaged in a murky diplomatic row following Canada's allegations of India targeting Khalistani elements in the country, including the murder of another terrorist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

In November 2023, Pannun released a video claiming that Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport would be renamed and would remain closed on November 19, warning people against flying on Air India that day. The National Investigation Agency charged him with criminal conspiracy, promoting enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion, and various offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

In December last year, Pannun threatened to attack the Parliament on or before December 13, following reports of an alleged foiled plot to kill him. December 13 marks the anniversary of the terrorist attack on the Parliament in 2001.

He also threatened to kill Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Director General of State Police Gaurav Yadav on Republic Day this year. He also urged gangsters to unite and launch an attack on Mann on January 26.

Pannun has been designated a terrorist by the Ministry of Home Affairs since July 2020 on charges of sedition and secessionism, as he leads SFJ, a group advocating for a separate sovereign Sikh state. A year prior to this, India banned SFJ as an "unlawful association" for engaging in "anti-national and subversive" activities.

In another development, on October 17, the United States charged a former officer of India's spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) for allegedly directing a foiled plot to murder Pannun, a charge New Delhi has rejected as baseless allegations.

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