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SC to hear plea against Mamata Banerjee granting govt fund for Durga Puja committees

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SC to hear plea against Mamata Banerjee granting govt fund for Durga Puja committees

The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear on Friday an appeal challenging decision of Mamata Banerjee’s government in Bengal to grant Rs 10,000 each to puja committees in the state for Durga Puja celebrations.

The Calcutta High Court had on Wednesday refused to interfere with the Mamata Banerjee government’s decision of granting funds to 28,000 Durga Puja committees in the state, saying the legislature is the appropriate forum to decide on such expenditure. A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and justices SK Kaul and KM Joseph was apprised about the same Thursday.

Lawyer Saurabh Dutta, who had filed an appeal against the high court’s decision, told the bench that the decision of the state government was against the established principle of law and sought an urgent hearing on his plea.

The petition assails the decision of the state government to grant a total of Rs. 28 crore to Puja organizers as being against the principles of secularism, which is a part of the Basic Structure of the Constitution of India. It is contended that there is no public purpose involved in organizing Durga Puja, which is a religious programme.

On September 10, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had declared that Rs 10,000 would be given to each of the 28,000 puja committees across the state — 3,000 in the city and 25,000 in the districts, costing the government an amount of Rs 28 crore.

However, the petitioners said there were no guidelines for disbursing the Rs 28 crore the state had earmarked for this purpose. The High Court had asked the state’s counsel if the distribution of such a large amount of money involved any guidelines.

The High Court had refused to go into the challenge against the state government’s decision to grant money to Durga Puja committees, stating that it would not want to interfere with the manner in which the Executive utilised government funds.

The State in turn had submitted before the High Court that the funds will be used for assisting the police under its Traffic Safety Campaign, and not for religious purposes.

The petitioner argued, “Since no public purpose would be served by granting money and/or handing out concessions to Durga Puja organizers, the said decision of the state violates the provision of Article 282 of the Constitution of India and thus, the said decision of granting money to the puja committees is liable to be set aside. There is no provision of law by which State exchequer could be utilized for giving gift to puja organizer.”

Further, it argued that the use of tax payers’ money for repair or construction of any religious place offends the spirit and object of Article 27 of the Constitution. Article 27 of the Constitution of India says no person shall be compelled to pay any taxes, the proceeds of which are specifically appropriated in payment of expenses for the promotion or maintenance of any particular religion or religious denomination.

Lawyer Saurav Datta, in his plea in the Supreme Court, alleged that the Mamata Banerjee-led government’s decision was against the established principle of law, and sought an urgent hearing, PTI reported. “The High Court failed to appreciate that there is no public purpose involved in organising Durga Puja, rather, it is a religious programme,” the plea said.

The matter was mentioned before Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, who agreed to list the case tomorrow.

2024 Lok Sabha Elections

Rahul Gandhi clarifies on wealth survey remark, says aim is to identify injustice

Gandhi further added that everyone should look at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reaction and said that the moment he said let’s test how much injustice has been done the BJP started saying that this is an attempt to break down the country.

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday took a U-turn on his wealth survey remark and said he only wanted to find out the amount of injustice the nation was facing. Rahul Gandhi was addressing Congress’s Social Justice Conference at Delhi’s Jawahar Bhawan where he clarified that he has not said Congress will take action yet. He said   that he was just saying that they will find out how much injustice has been done.

Gandhi further added that everyone should look at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reaction and said that the moment he said let’s test how much injustice has been done the BJP started saying that this is an attempt to break down the country. The former Congress chief said through the X-ray (wealth survey), the Congress will get to know the root cause of problem.

Gandhi said it is his life’s mission to ensure justice for the 90 % of the population against whom injustice has been done. He alleged Injustice is being done to 90 percent of Indians and the moment he called for checking this injustice, PM Modi and the BJP started attacking him. Gandhi further added that as soon as the INDIA Bloc will form its government the first thing that would be done is caste census.

On April 7, Rahul Gandhi said Congress, if voted to power, would conduct a financial and institutional survey to ascertain the distribution of wealth among the people in the country. Rahul Gandhi was addressing a public rally in Hyderabad after releasing the Congress’s manifesto where he said the survey will be conducted apart from a nationwide caste census that the party has promised if voted to power.

The former Congress chief also spoke about the Ram Mandir inauguration, and said, not a single Dalit, or a tribal was seen at the temple, or during the inauguration of the new Parliament building. He said 90% of the population understands this.

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2024 Lok Sabha Elections

PM Modi says Congress leaders consider themselves above Lord Ram

PM Modi slammed Congress during a rally in Chhattisgarh, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections 2024

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed the Congress party for declining to attend the pran pratishtha ritual at the Ayodhya Ram temple on January 22 this year.

The prime minister said Congress leaders consider themselves above Lord Ram and denied invitation for Pran Pratishtha at Ram Temple, while speaking at a rally in Janjgir-Champa, Chhattisgarh. The PM question the people present at the rally that is it not a disrespect of Mata Shabri? Congress leaders inclination toward appeasement politics runs in their family.

For political appeasement, they won’t think twice about stealing the rights of Adivasis, the poor, and Dalits. Poor, young, and women are BJP’s top priorities, Modi said.

PM Modi criticized the Congress again during the rally for claiming that the BJP would alter the constitution.

The leaders of Congress recite the same old phrases whenever an election is about to happen, the PM said. He also said they claim that if the BJP wins power, it will renounce the constitution and abolish reservations. For how long will you continue selling lies?” he asked.

The prime minister continued saying that nobody can change the Constitution, even if Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar were to come and insist on it, it wouldn’t happen.

Those in the Congress threaten to break Modi’s head. Nobody can harm Modi as long as the mothers and sisters of this county stands by him. These mothers and sisters are Raksha Kavach, Modi remarked.

The prime minister further attacked the Congress after Viriato Fernandes, the party’s candidate for South Goa, asserted that Goa was forced to adopt the Indian Constitution.

Referring to his conversation with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Fernandes said he had told him, when Goa was liberated in the year 1961, the Indian Constitution was forced upon us.

The prime minister said, Congress candidate from Goa says Constitution was forced upon Goans; is this not an insult of Ambedkar and Constitution.

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2024 Lok Sabha Elections

Amit Shah says neither Congress nor Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee can interfere with CAA

Amit Shah revealed the BJP’s target for West Bengal and said they have set a target of winning 35 Lok Sabha seats from West Bengal.

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Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said neither Congress nor Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee can interfere with the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). He was speaking at the Karandighi rally in West Bengal where he also made the prediction as to how many seats BJP will win in the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal.

The union home minister asked the masses to cut the money culture. Amit Shah revealed the BJP’s target for West Bengal and said they have set a target of winning 35 Lok Sabha seats from West Bengal. In 2019 Lok Sabha elections the BJP had won 18 out of 42 seats in West Bengal. He asked Mamata Banerjee, what problem will she have if the Buddhist and Hindu refugees from Bangladesh get citizenship in India?

Shah further added if the people of West Bengal want to stop infiltration in the state, then they will have to make Narendra Modi the Prime Minister of India again. He said if the people of West Bengal want to free Bengal of violence, stop infiltration in the state, give citizenship to refugees, to stop disrespecting mothers and sisters of the state as it happened in Sandeshkhali, then  only way is to make Narendra Modi the Prime Minister.

Amit Shah said that PM Modi had sent Rs 7 lakh crore to West Bengal but the TMC indulged in corruption. He said one can see the houses of Trinamool Congress leaders; 10 years ago they used to live in a hut, moved on cycle and now all of them have 4-storey houses and move around in big cars. He added this is the money of people of West Bengal.

The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), will make it easier for non-Muslim refugees from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh to get Indian citizenship, was enacted in 2019. But the rules were notified in March this year by the Centre.

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