Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday criticised former Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, accusing him of undermining the rule of law for politicians who switched parties in Maharashtra.

This statement from Raut follows his party’s disappointing performance in the recent state Assembly elections, where they secured only 20 out of the 95 seats contested within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance. The results for the alliance’s partners were similarly poor, with Congress winning 16 of 101 seats and the NCP (SP) claiming just 10 of the 86 seats they contested for.

Raut asserted that by failing to rule on the disqualification petitions, Chandrachud enabled defections to occur freely.

Speaking to reporters, Raut said: “Chandrachud has eradicated the fear of the law among defectors. His actions will be remembered negatively in history.”

After the split of the Shiv Sena in 2022, the faction led by Uddhav Thackeray filed petitions in the Supreme Court seeking the disqualification of MLAs who defected to join Eknath Shinde. The Supreme Court subsequently assigned the responsibility to the Assembly Speaker, who earlier this year ruled that the Shinde-led faction represented the real political party.

Raut said the result of the Maharashtra Assembly election 2024 could have been different if Chandrachud had not delayed the decisions regarding disqualification petitions.

 “If he would have given a timely verdict in disqualification petition of Shiv Sena (UBT), the scenario in Maharashtra would have been different. History will never forgive him,” he said. 

“The choice of Maharashtra’s Chief Minister will be dictated by the Gujarat lobby. Perhaps the swearing-in ceremony should take place in Gujarat instead of Maharashtra,” he said. Additionally, Raut credited the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for their role in the success of the Mahayuti coalition, alleging that their aggressive campaigning techniques significantly influenced the election results.

The Uttar Pradesh Police on Sunday used tear gas to disperse the crowd after it got violent and started stone pelting as tension escalated during a second survey of the Mughal-era mosque, claimed to be originally the site of an ancient Hindu temple. At least ten people were detained following the violent clash.

According to reports, a probe was launched into the violence. An official said that some people even tried to set fire to some motorcycles parked on the roadside.

Speaking on the matter, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said a mosque survey team was sent to Sambhal again on Sunday morning, even after the survey was already done.

Citing the information, Yadav said a clash broke out and many have been injured and one youth has been killed. He alleged that the government, administration, and BJP have done this intentionally so that there can be no discussions on the irregularities that happened during the bypolls.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Dushyant Gautam said: “It is worrying, people say that they follow constitution, law, court, and when there is court-ordered survey, people are protesting against it. Court order should be respected.”

Another party leader Nalin Kohli said nobody has the right to break the law. The court order should be followed. “If they want a change, then the procedure for it is also through the court. Police will take action. If somebody had to put forward their point, they can do it through court,” he added.

Tensions have escalated in Sambhal recently following a survey of the Jama Masjid, conducted on local court orders last Tuesday after a petition claimed the site was originally home to a Harihar temple.

The local administration said that a second survey, led by an “Advocate Commissioner” as part of a court-mandated examination of the disputed area, commenced around 7 AM, attracting a gathering crowd.

Superintendent of Police Krishna Kumar Vishnoi stated, “Some miscreants in the crowd began pelting stones at the police team. The police employed minor force and tear gas to regain control of the situation.”

He mentioned that those involved in the stone-pelting and those who incited the violence would be identified and face legal action.

District Magistrate Rajendra Pesia said, “While some miscreants resorted to stone-pelting, the situation is now peaceful and the survey continues.” He also stated that approximately ten individuals had been detained in connection with the incident and were currently being interrogated.

Speaking to PTI, Uttar Pradesh Police chief Prashant Kumar said that the situation remained under control in Sambhal. “We are closely monitoring the situation. All police and civil administration officials are present and conducting patrols in the affected areas. Anti-social elements will be identified promptly, and strict measures will be enforced against them,” he added.

Videos circulating online show youths throwing stones at police, allegedly near the survey site in Sambhal.

Supreme Court lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain, the petitioner in the matter, informed that the Court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) had ordered the formation of an “Advocate Commission” to survey the mosque. The court instructed that a report be submitted following a comprehensive videography and photography survey conducted by the commission.

According to Jain, the Central and UP governments, the mosque committee, and the district magistrate of Sambhal have all been included as parties in the petition regarding the mosque. Vishnu Shankar Jain and his father, Hari Shankar Jain, have represented the Hindu perspective in numerous cases related to places of worship, including the ongoing Gyanvapi Mosque-Kashi Vishwanath temple dispute.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed the Chennai library which is created for children, saying it has become a hub of creativity and learning. He also mentioned the “Prayog Library” in Bihar’s Gopalganj district for its service to the people of 12 villages.

Addressing the 116th episode of his monthly “Mann Ki Baat” radio broadcast, PM Modi said these days many experiments are being conducted for the education of children and the effort is to enhance the creativity of children and their love for books.

PM Modi noted that books are humans’ best friends and what better place than the library to strengthen this friendship?

Sharing one such example from Chennai, PM Modi said the “Prakriti Arivagam” library which has become a hub of creativity and learning, was the idea of of Shriram Gopalan, who is associated with the world of technology.

PM Modi said during his work abroad, he remained connected with the world of the latest technology. But, he also kept thinking about developing the habit of reading and learning in children, Modi added. After returning to India, Shriram Gopalan established “Prakrith Arivagam,” he said.

The “Prakriti Arivagam” has more than three thousand books, which children eagerly wait to read. Apart from books, different types of activities being organised in this library also attract children. Be it Story Telling sessions, Art Workshops, Memory Training Classes, Robotics Lessons or Public Speaking, there is something or the other, to the liking of everyone.

The Prayog Library in Bihar, which has been talked a lot about in many cities in the neighbouring states, facilitates youths of around 12 villages to read books. Apart from this, the library is also providing other important facilities to the students in preparing for competitive examinations.

“It is indeed very heartening to note that the library is being used in the best possible way to strengthen the society. You too should develop friendships with books and see how it brings a change in your life,” PM Modi said.

Speaking on the issue of sparrows extinctions, PM Modi reminded people of how seeing sparrows chirping on rooftops or in trees during childhood was not so rare but due to rapid urbanisation, sparrows have become rare and many children today may only know them from pictures or videos.

It is known as “Kuruvi” in Tamil and Malayalam, “Pichhuka” in Telugu, and “Gubbi” in Kannada, these birds play an essential role in maintaining biodiversity, PM Modi noted.

The Prime Minister said, fortunately, efforts are being made to reintroduce sparrows to children. In Chennai, the “Kudugal Trust” engages schoolchildren in campaigns to increase the sparrow population by teaching them to build wooden nests, he added. Over the past four years, they have helped create thousands of nests, leading to a rise in the local sparrow population, said Modi.

In Mysuru, Karnataka, the “Early Bird” campaign educates children about birds through a library and a Nature Education Kit filled with storybooks and games, he said. “This organization takes children from cities to villages, helping them recognise various bird species.”

“Through these initiatives, we can encourage children to understand and appreciate their environment, helping sparrows once again become a part of our lives,” PM Modi said.