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Despite political uproar, PIL in Raj HC, Raje govt tables immunity Bill in Assembly

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9 years ago

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Vasundhra Raj

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Centre has defended the controversial Bill while Congress, a section of jurists and the Editors Guild have called it illegal

Amid a huge political uproar and even dissent within its own legislators, the Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government in Rajasthan, on Monday, tabled a controversial Bill for passage in the state Assembly. The move came on a day when senior lawyer AK Jain filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Rajasthan High Court challenging the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017 on the ground that its provisions are “unconstitutional”.

The controversial Bill, which if enacted would replace an ordinance of the same title that was promulgated by the Raje government on September 7, seeks to protect serving and former judges, magistrates and public servants in the state from being investigated for on-duty action, without prior sanction to prosecute being granted by the Rajasthan government. The Bill also proposes a gag on the media from reporting on such cases against former and serving babus and the state’s judiciary till such a time when sanction to prosecute the public servant is granted by the state.

The Congress, which is the principal Opposition party in the state, along with a section of jurists, the Editors Guild of India, and even BJP legislators Ghanshyam Tiwari and Narpat Singh Rajvi have slammed the Vasundhara Raje government over the ordinance (now a Bill), terming it “unconstitutional” and “reminiscent of the days of Emergency”.

However, the BJP-led central government has come out in support of the ordinance with minister of state for law and justice, PP Choudhary – a Lok Sabha MP from Rajasthan’s Jodhpur constituency – terming the proposed legislation as one that is “very much needed in these times”. Speaking to news agency ANI, Choudhary said about the proposed Bill: “This is a perfect and balanced legislation. It takes care of the media as well as rights of an individual. This legislation was very much needed in these times.”[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]On Monday, as the Bill was tabled in the Rajasthan Assembly, the Congress announced that it would fight against the Raje government’s “attempt to cover up their own corruption” and that the party will submit a memorandum to President Ram Nath Kovind over the issue. Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot along with several other party members, who were carrying out a peaceful protest march to the Raj Bhavan in Jaipur to submit a memorandum to the Governor challenging the ordinance, were detained by the police earlier in the day.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]Interestingly, the political opposition to the immunity ordinance has come not just from Congress but also from a section of BJP legislators. Soon after the Bill was tabled in the Rajasthan Assembly on Monday morning, BJP MLAs Ghanshyam Tiwari and Narpat Singh Rajvi termed it “a black law” and said that the “legislation seeks to grant immunity to the corrupt”.

Tiwari, senior BJP MLA from Sanganer constituency and a former state education minister, said: “The law ushers in an era of emergency and violates the basic freedoms guaranteed to a citizen. They (the government) issued this ordinance, a month ago. They have granted immunity to themselves, their ministers, and the members of the CMO who have been involved in corrupt practices. This black law, which is unconstitutional and reminiscent of the days of the Emergency, will protect those in power.”

Meanwhile, in a statement issued late on Sunday night, the Editors Guild of India termed the ordinance as a “pernicious instrument” to harass the media and asked the Rajasthan government to “withdraw the harmful ordinance” that bars the media from reporting on accusations against public servants, judges and magistrates without its sanction.

“The ordinance promulgated by the State government last month was ostensibly done to protect the judiciary and the bureaucracy against false FIRs. But in reality it is a pernicious instrument to harass the media, hide wrongful acts by government servants and drastically curb the freedom of the press guaranteed by the Constitution of India,” the Guild said in its statement.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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In Manipur, Kuki-Zo groups launch counter-economic blockade

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58 mins ago

on

July 27, 2026

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Kuki-Zo organisations on Thursday launched a counter-economic blockade in Manipur, demanding that the Centre and the state government ensure uninterrupted movement of essential commodities to the hill districts amid renewed tensions over access to the highways.

The counter-blockade comes in response to the ongoing disruption of traffic on Manipur’s major transport routes with Kuki-Zo groups alleging restrictions on goods have hit residents of hill areas. They urged authorities to restore the free movement of food, medicines, fuel and other essential supplies, saying civilians should not bear the weight of the ongoing ethnic conflict.

In a joint statement, the organisations said the protest would continue until the government took concrete steps to guarantee safe passage for essential commodities and secure national highways. They also appealed to the authorities to prevent any further obstruction to the supply chain and ensure that relief and emergency services remain unaffected.

The development follows heightened tensions over the movement of vehicles on Manipur’s trunk routes, which serve as the primary lifeline for transporting goods across the state. The blockade is expected to impact logistics and transportation if the deadlock continues.

Security has been tightened along vulnerable stretches of highways, with additional personnel deployed to maintain law and order and facilitate the movement of essential supplies. Officials said the administration is monitoring the situation and is making efforts to prevent further escalation while ensuring that basic commodities continue to reach affected areas.

Manipur has witnessed repeated disruptions to road connectivity since ethnic violence erupted in the state, with competing blockades affecting supply of essential goods and normal life. The latest counter-blockade highlights the continuing challenges facing the administration in restoring stability and maintaining uninterrupted access to critical transport routes.

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India News

Can’t lathicharge a peaceful protest, says Supreme Court

Published

1 hour ago

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July 27, 2026

By

Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Monday questioned the Delhi Police action leading to lathicharges during the student protest at Jantar Mantar on July 20.

The bench of Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana observed that a peaceful protest can’t be net with a lathicharge. The court made the remarks while hearing petitions against excessive force used by Delhi Police against students protesting irregularities in the NEET-UG 2026 examination and other public examinations.

The court said the right to peaceful and lawful protest is under the protection of the Constitution. The court observed that the presence of a protest can’t be a ground for police action and said that any allegation of police excess has to be independently examined.

The petitions concern the events of July 20, when thousands of students and supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party tried to march from at Jantar Mantar to Parliament as the Monsoon Session opened. The protesters were demanding action on paper leaks, examination system reforms and government accountability.

Police said they had stopped the march because of security concerns and restrictions in central Delhi. There was a clash later and police used tear gas and lathi charge to disperse the crowd. Over a 100 protesters and a similar number of police were injured in the incident.

The petitioners had sought an independent probe into the police action during the hearing. They also demanded the retention of CCTV footage, body-camera recordings and other electronic evidence, as well as compensation for those injured in the crackdown.

The case comes amid a nationwide debate over reforms of examinations and the handling of student protests. The Centre has brought in legislative measures to strengthen anti-paper leak laws, even as student organizations continue to demand greater accountability.

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Bill against paper leaks eclipsed by Opposition push for Amit Shah reply

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2 hours ago

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July 27, 2026

By

Amit Shah

The Monsoon Session of Parliament witnessed Opposition-Government scenes on Monday as Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh introduced the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha.

The Bill aims to strengthen laws against examination paper leaks and organized cheating following the NEET-UG 2026 controversy.

During the discussions, the Opposition Congress demanded Home Minister Amit Shah’s reply to allegations of police excesses on July 20 during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) march to Parliament. Over 100 students were treated for injuries ranging from fractures to pellet wounds. CRPF personnel have confirmed seven rounds of pellets were fired and five rounds were fired at the students.

Congress leader Pawan Khera said such force should not have been used against the students and the Home Minister must reply to the allegations. Following disruptions, the House was adjourned several times.

The legislation seeks to impose stricter penalties for paper leaks, organized examination fraud, and other unfair practices. It also provides for faster investigations, time-bound trials, and the establishment of a STF to investigate major examination-related offenses. According to the government, the amendments are intended to improve transparency, protect the credibility of public examinations, and restore students’ confidence in the system.

The Congress and several Opposition parties demanded a detailed discussion in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, arguing that the government must be held accountable for both the examination irregularities and the police response.

The debate comes days after the resignation of former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, following weeks of nationwide protests over paper leaks and examination malpractice. While the Centre has announced reforms and introduced the amendment Bill, Opposition leaders maintain that legislative changes alone are insufficient without fixing responsibility for the controversy and the police action against students.

The government defended its response, stating that it has initiated investigations into examination fraud, introduced stricter legal provisions, and taken steps to strengthen the security of public examinations. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju urged MPs to participate in the debate and allow the House to function smoothly instead of disrupting proceedings.

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