Regional

New Delhi, April 8 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Tuesday closed a plea filed by the Jharkhand government challenging the Jharkhand High Court order barring power cuts during Ram Navami and other festivals.

A bench of CJI Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar decided to close the proceedings after senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the Jharkhand government, submitted that the state discom kept power cuts restricted only to procession routes in terms of the previous order of the apex court.

Sibal said that an affidavit of the Managing Director of the Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited (JBVNL) regarding compliance with the directives issued by the top court will be placed on record.

On Friday, the CJI Khanna-led Bench stressed that power cuts should be kept to a minimum duration during festivals and ordered restricting power cuts be limited to procession routes during Ram Navami this year. It modified the Jharkhand High Court order barring power cuts during Ram Navami and other festivals, clarifying that essential services, including hospitals, must not be affected by the power cuts.

In its special leave petition filed before the Supreme Court, the Jharkhand government had argued that temporary power cuts were a necessary safety measure as long flags carried during processions posed a risk of electric shocks.

The JBVNL has been routinely suspending power supply for several hours on festival days to prevent accidents.

The issue gained attention after a five-to-ten-hour power outage in Ranchi during the Sarhul festival on April 1. Taking suo motu cognisance, a bench of Chief Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao and Justice Deepak Roshan of Jharkhand High Court on April 3 stayed the state government’s practice, questioning the lack of alternative safety measures and the hardships caused to residents. It expressed concern about the effects of the outages on local businesses, which faced forced closures and revenue losses. Such disruptions, the Jharkhand HC said, not only cause inconvenience to the residents but also pose safety risks.

The Chief Justice Rao-led Bench had ordered the JBVNL not to undertake long power cuts unless absolutely necessary.

Aggrieved with the directives, the Jharkhand government petitioned the Supreme Court, saying that past electrocution incidents during Ram Navami and other religious processions justified these precautionary power cuts.

--IANS

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Srinagar, April 8 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday emphasized completely eradicating terrorism from Jammu and Kashmir and ensuring zero infiltration from across the border during a high-level meeting of the Unified Headquarters at Raj Bhawan here, the highest security grid in the union territory.

He was chairing the meeting on the security situation after reviewing the various developmental projects in the UT on Tuesday,

Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Deka, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, GoC Northern Command Lt. General Suchindra Kumar, deputy chief of Army staff, GoC 15 corps, GoC 16 corps, GoC 9 corps, Jammu and Kashmir chief secretary, J&K DGP, chiefs of paramilitary forces, including BSF and CRPF, among others attended the meeting.

“The Home Minister is reviewing the security scenario, law and order situation and other security relates aspects in J&K at the unified headquarters meeting today,” officials said.

Sources said the Union Home Minister directed the unified headquarters to act in complete synergy to ensure zero infiltration from across the border and zero tolerance for terrorists in the hinterland.

While expressing satisfaction at the operational efficiency of the forces, Amit Shah emphasized eradicating terrorism from J&K, with special mention of doing so in the Jammu division, the sources added.

The Home Minister also reviewed the preparedness for the coming summer months when Amarnath Yatra takes place and tourism reaches its peak in the UT.

HM Amit Shah arrived in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday for a three-day visit.

Earlier in the day, he reviewed the progress of various developmental projects in the UT in a high-level meeting here attended by L-G Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Chief Secretary Atul Dulloo, additional chief secretaries and administrative secretaries of various departments.

Before the meeting, Amit Shah had a one-on-one meeting with the chief minister.

The home minister is also likely to meet some delegations before he departs for Delhi later in the day.

He posted on X that three more organisations have left the separatist Hurriyat Conference and declared their allegiance to the Constitution of India.

He said this is the growing endorsement of the Prime Minister’s vision about the Naya Kashmir, where violence and hatred would have no place.

After his arrival here on Monday, Amit Shah went to the Humhama area near the Srinagar International Airport to meet the family of martyred J&K Police Dy SP, Humayun Bhat. The home minister offered his condolences to the family. He stayed for nearly 20 minutes with Ghulam Hassan Bhat, retired IGP, father of Humayun. He also offered condolences to Fatima, wife of the martyred police officer and blessed the 20-month old child of the officer.

L-G Manoj Sinha and CM Omar Abdullah accompanied the home minister during his visit to the martyr’s family. Humayun was killed on September 13, 2003, while fighting a group of terrorists in the forests of Kokernag Tehsil in the Anantnag district. Known for his professionalism and bravery, the officer was posthumously awarded the Kirti Chakra.

During his visit to Jammu, Amit Shah met the families of four policemen martyred while fighting terrorists in the Kathua district. He gave compassionate appointment orders to the next of kin of the martyrs.

HM Shah said during his interaction in Jammu that terrorism was down but not yet fully out in J&K and assured that the situation would soon be brought to complete normalcy.

He had a closed-door meeting with members of the BJP and RSS at the Jammu residence of Sunil Sharma, the Leader of Opposition in the J&K Assembly.

During his visit to the border outpost of the BSF in Kathua on Monday, the home minister praised the BSF for being an elite border sentinel force of the country. He told the deployed BSF jawans that the country holds the force in high esteem because of their commitment to duty and protection of the country’s frontiers. “You discharge duties round the year, 24 hours a day and in torrential rain, extreme cold or 45-degree heat. BSF has a glorious past, and you genuinely deserve the prestige the force has earned among the countrymen,” he told the BSF officers and jawans.

--IANS

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Patna, April 8 (IANS) In its first cabinet meeting after the Budget Session of the Bihar Legislature, the Nitish Kumar-led government on Tuesday approved 27 major proposals including the creation of over 25,000 posts in various departments, signaling a focus on employment generation ahead of the Assembly elections to be held later this year.

The meeting, held at the Cabinet Secretariat under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, saw the participation of a majority of state ministers.

Among the significant decisions was an amendment to the 2006 rules governing the salary and allowances of ministers -- a move seen as politically crucial in an election year.

In a major recruitment drive, the cabinet approved the creation of 2,590 posts in the Agriculture Department; 3,306 posts for Urdu translators; 35 Data Entry Operator posts in the Staff Selection Commission; 36 positions in AYUSH hospitals; 48 new posts in the Liquor Prohibition Department; and over 20,000 additional positions in the Health Department.

Within the Health Department, the sanctioned posts include government doctors and staff nurses for medical colleges, Sadar Hospitals, Community Health Centres, and Primary Health Centres.

To push digital governance, the cabinet approved Rs 38 crore for setting up video conferencing facilities across all revenue courts in the state.

Several new administrative rules were also cleared, including the Bihar Education Administration Relation Rules, 2025; the Bihar Drug Laboratory Technical Shortage Contract Rules, 2025; and the Bihar Dental Education Service Rules, 2025.

Other key decisions include land approval for Guru Gobind Singh Hospital, increasing the Bihar Contingency Fund to Rs 10,000 crore, and extending the Bihar Industrial Investment Promotion Policy, 2016, until 2025.

Additionally, two officers -- Baidyanath Yadav and Pankaj Kumar -- were appointed as consultants in their respective departments, while Dr Ramraj Raman was dismissed from service.

These approvals underscore the government’s emphasis on strengthening public services and infrastructure while laying the groundwork for an electorally significant year.

--IANS

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Jaipur, April 8 (IANS) BJP's senior leader Gyan Dev Ahuja has been suspended from the primary membership of the party after sprinkling Ganga jal following the visit of Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, Tika Ram Jully, to a Ram Mandir.

A show cause notice has also been issued, and the BJP has demanded a response from Ahuja within three days.

The suspension of Ahuja from the BJP and the show cause notice come days after he sprinkled Ganga jal at a temple in Alwar to 'purify' the premises after Congress leader Tikaram Jully, a Dalit, attended the temple's consecration ceremony.

Determined not to let Ahuja's 'purification' stunt harm its prospects in eastern Rajasthan, where Dalit voters play a key role, the Rajasthan BJP leadership has sent a notice to Ahuja.

The notice, issued by BJP MP and senior Rajasthan leader Damodar Agarwal, has sought an explanation from Ahuja within three days.

The notice warns that if the former MLA does not send his response to state party chief Madan Rathore within three days, he will face disciplinary action.

Meanwhile, Congress workers across the state held protests against Ahuja on Tuesday.

In a symbolic act of dissent, late on Monday night, activists of an organisation smeared the nameplate outside Ahuja’s residence in Mansarovar, Jaipur, with soot.

LoP Jully visited the Ramlala temple in Alwar’s Shalimar area on April 6.

Following this, Ahuja made the following statement: “Tika Ram Jully is anti-Hindu. He visited the Karni Mata temple and also the Shri Ram temple. After he leaves, I will go to those places and wherever his unholy feet fell, wherever his hands touched the idols, I will sprinkle Ganga jal and offer my prayers to Lord Shri Ram.”

The very next day, on April 7, former Ramgarh MLA Ahuja visited the Ram temple and sprinkled Ganga jal.

Ahuja defended his actions, saying: “During the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at the Ramlala temple on Ramnavami, Congress leaders were invited, which I believe led to the temple being defiled. I have now purified it by sprinkling Ganga jal.”

The show cause notice issued to Ahuja on Tuesday by Damodar Agarwal condemned the BJP leader’s actions, stating that after Jully’s visit, Ahuja’s act of sprinkling Ganga jal at the Ram temple had tarnished the party’s image and was a clear instance of gross indiscipline.

In the notice, Damodar Agarwal also reminded Ahuja of the historical significance of the Ram Mandir’s foundation stone laying ceremony.

He emphasised that the first stone of the temple was laid by Dalit leader Kameshwar Chaupal, underscoring the inclusiveness of the temple's construction.

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 8 (IANS) Congress MP Rahul Gandhi wrote a letter to President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday and sought her intervention in West Bengal teachers’ crisis, emanating from a Supreme Court verdict, which dealt a big blow to the recruitment of more than 26,000 teachers in the state.

In his two-page letter to President Murmu, Rahul said that treating the teachers selected through fair means on par with tainted ones will be a serious injustice to them and therefore it was important to draw a distinction between the two – one selected via fair means and the tainted, selected through unfair means.

Drawing President’s attention to the crisis arising from 26,000 job losses, he urged the President to take stock of it and take some steps for 'redressal'.

“I request you to kindly consider their request favourably and urge the government to intervene in the matter to ensure that candidates selected through fair means are allowed to continue,” Cong MP wrote in the letter.

He further wrote, “Most untainted teachers have served for nearly a decade. Terminating them will force lakhs of students into classrooms without adequate teachers. Ther arbitrary termination will destroy their morale and deprive their families of what is often the sole source of income.”

Notably, the Supreme Court, on April 3, upheld an earlier verdict of the Calcutta High Court, leading to invalidation of 25,752 appointments of teaching and non-teaching staff. These appointments were made by a recruitment panel set up by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) in 2016.

The court observed that the entire selection process of TMC government was “vitiated and tainted beyond resolution”.

The SC verdict came as a blow to the ruling party and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee particularly in light of the fact that it comes ahead of party’s poll preparations for the 2026 Assembly elections.

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 8 (IANS) As Leader of the Opposition (LoP) stated that the Constitution was "thousands of years old", BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi derided Rahul Gandhi, questioning whether his remarks stem from ignorance or a lack of knowledge about the Constitution drafted by Dr B.R. Ambedkar.

This controversy follows LoP Gandhi's comments on Monday during the Samvidhan Suraksha Sammelan in Patna.

Speaking in a rhetorical manner, Rahul Gandhi said, "People say that the Constitution was drafted in 1947. However, I believe that this Constitution is thousands of years old. It includes the thoughts of Ambedkar ji, Phule ji, Gandhi ji, Nehru ji, Guru Nanak ji, and Sant Kabir. The Constitution contains the ideas of those whom India respects."

Speaking to IANS, Sudhanshu Trivedi responded, "Look, there are people who always keep the Constitution in their pockets. Whatever Rahul Gandhi has said about the Constitution clearly shows that he probably never takes out a copy of the Constitution from his pocket to read it.

"He does not even know that the Constitution was adopted on November 26, 1949 and came into force on January 26, 1950. He is saying it was drafted in 1947, whereas the Constitution was not even prepared at that time. The process of its preparation was still in its early stages, which is why the Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to celebrate November 26, 1949—the day the Constitution was adopted—as Constitution Day."

Sudhanshu Trivedi further said that it shows that he lacks prior knowledge of the Constitution and its historical context.

"Now it’s very clear. There are many misguided youth, and perhaps Rahul Gandhi represents one of them—someone who lacks prior knowledge of the Constitution and its historical context. That is why the Prime Minister has taken the initiative here. After his remarks, he said that the Constitution is thousands of years old. I don’t understand whether this reflects his ignorance about the Constitution drafted by Baba Saheb Ambedkar or if he genuinely believes this. Is this just ignorance about the Constitution, or is it contempt for it," he stated.

Sudhanshu Trivedi further appreciated that the Congress finally acknowledged that India is thousands of years old.

"However, one thing pleasantly surprised me: This party, which used to argue that India is not thousands of years old—that it came into existence during the Mughal period and became a country during the British period—has now acknowledged that it is thousands of years old. I want to remind them that India is indeed thousands of years old and is the only surviving prehistoric civilisation in the world. We are the land where knowledge first emerged. The sad part is that the Congress party, which has always denied India’s ancient civilisation, has now inadvertently admitted it," he claimed.

"I would like to say that when Prime Minister Modi declared this as Amrit Kaal, he set a 25-year agenda. He mentioned that these 25 years will lay the foundation for India’s future for the next 1,000 years. We draw inspiration from our thousands of years of history, set a vision for the next 25 years, and plan for the next millennium. Meanwhile, others are the ones who don’t even know the basics—keeping the Constitution in their pockets without understanding when it was drafted or implemented," he concluded.

--IANS

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Ahmedabad, April 8 (IANS) Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday claimed that a deliberate conspiracy was underway to distort the contributions of national heroes.

After opening the Extended Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Ahmedabad, Kharge said: "A false narrative was being built to pit Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel against each other, as if they were adversaries."

Asserting that the two leaders were two sides of the same coin, he recalled a speech by Patel delivered on March 7, 1937, at Gujarat Vidyapith, when Nehru was Congress President and the state's youth wanted him to campaign during provincial elections.

"Patel had said, 'The day Gujarat wins this electoral battle and proves its loyalty to the Congress, that day we shall welcome Congress President Nehru with pride'. This shows how deeply Patel believed in Nehru's leadership," Kharge noted.

He sharply criticised the current political environment, warning against "rising communal division" and "corporate control" over national resources.

"On one hand, efforts are being made to divert public attention from core issues by spreading communal hatred. On the other hand, oligarchic monopolies are capturing the country's resources and threatening to dominate governance," he said.

He credited Patel's leadership during the 1931 Karachi session for shaping the soul of the country's Constitution through the resolution on Fundamental Rights.

"For the past several years, efforts are being made to malign the Congress - a party with 140 years of history in nation-building and sacrifice - by those who have little to show in terms of their own achievements or contribution to the freedom movement," he said.

Invoking the legacies of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and Dadabhai Naoroji - three iconic leaders born on Gujarat's soil who once led the Congress and helped shape India's political and moral foundations, Kharge said they not only led the Congress but illuminated its path.

"Gandhiji gave us the unshakable weapons of truth and non-violence to fight injustice, tools no power can withstand," Kharge stated.

In December 1924, Gandhi ji presided over the Congress Session in Belgaum, Karnataka - my home state. We celebrated this centenary with due reverence on December 26 last year."

With the national convention returning to Gujarat after 64 years- the last one held in Bhavnagar in 1961 - Kharge said it was only fitting that the party reflect on its ideological roots and historical role in shaping modern India.

Reminding the gathering of Gujarat's proud legacy of grassroots struggle, he said: "Just as Champaran Satyagraha under Gandhi ji’s leadership strengthened the Congress in rural India, the Bardoli Satyagraha and farmers’ movements led by Sardar Patel remain immortal in our history."

Kharge highlighted the upcoming 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on October 31, calling him "the architect of India's unity", echoing Pandit Nehru’s description of Patel’s unifying role.

Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi were also present on the occasion.

With over 3,000 delegates in attendance, including chief ministers of Congress-ruled states, state unit presidents, and senior leaders, the two-day conclave is expected to craft the party's roadmap for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 8 (IANS) Social activist Medha Patkar got relief on Tuesday from a Delhi court in a decades-old defamation case filed by Delhi Lt Governor V.K. Saxena as it changed the jail term to a year's probation and reduced the fine imposed on her from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 lakh.

The Saket court directed Patkar’s release on probation for good conduct, noting her clean record and contribution to social causes.

Patkar appeared before the court via video conferencing.

While the court had earlier sentenced her to five months of simple imprisonment and imposed a Rs 10 lakh fine, it reconsidered the punishment on account of her age, clean past, and the non-grave nature of the offence.

Additional Sessions Judge Vishal Singh of the Saket court observed that Patkar is a well-known social activist who has received several awards and that the offence did not merit imprisonment.

"The court decides to release her for good conduct. She is being released on probation of one year," the judge said.

On April 2, the court had dismissed Patkar’s appeal challenging her conviction in the defamation case.

Last year, on July 1, Metropolitan Magistrate Raghav Sharma sentenced her to five months in jail and ordered her to pay Rs 10 lakh as compensation to Saxena. Advocate Gajinder Kumar, along with advocates Kiran Jai, Chandra Shekhar, Drishti, and Somya Arya, had argued the case for Saxena.

The defamation case dates back to 2001, when Saxena -- then chief of the Ahmedabad-based NGO National Council for Civil Liberties -- filed two defamation suits against Patkar. One pertained to allegedly derogatory remarks she made during a television interview, while the other involved a press statement.

The legal tussle arose from an earlier suit filed by Patkar in 2000, accusing Saxena of publishing defamatory advertisements targeting her and the Narmada Bachao Andolan.

--IANS

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Srinagar, April 8 (IANS) Senior legislator and Peoples Conference (PC) Chairman Sajad Lone said on Tuesday that his party has moved a notice for a no-confidence motion against the Speaker of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.

In a post on his X handle, Lone said the Speaker has not allowed them to discuss the Waqf Amendment Act, hence, they are moving the motion.

"We have presented a no confidence motion against the Honble Speaker. He has become an impediment in voicing our opinion against the Waqf bill. J&K is the only Muslim province in India. History will hold us in contempt if we do not send a strong message against this bill," Lone said in the post.

He also posted the letter on his X handle, which is signed by two other MLAs, both from the PDP, besides Lone. The notice has been submitted under Rule 215(A) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business.

The letter addressed to the Secretary of the Legislative Assembly says, "In accordance with Rule 215(A) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly, we hereby submit this notice of our intention to move a resolution for the removal of the Speaker of the Assembly."

"This decision stems from widespread outrage within the House over the Speaker's actions, including the rejection of discussions on an adjournment motion and the refusal to entertain a resolution brought forward by opposition parties. Such conduct undermines the democratic principles and procedures governing this esteemed institution, prompting this resolution to address the matter," the letter states.

The move has sent ripples through the region's political corridors, signaling deep unrest within the legislative framework.

A letter, signed by multiple MLAs, expressed serious concern over the Speaker’s actions, particularly his refusal to allow discussion on an adjournment motion and his rejection of a resolution proposed by opposition members concerning the Waqf Amendment Bill.

Joining Sajad Lone in this step are Mir Mohammad Fayaz, MLA from Kupwara and Rafiq Ahmad Khan, MLA from Tral. They are from Mehbooba Mufti's People's Democratic Party (PDP).

"Their collective signatures reflect a growing unity among opposition voices who feel sidelined and silenced in the current legislative environment," the party's statement added.

On Monday, Lone had raised questions about the ruling party NC’s commitment to both opposing the contentious Waqf Amendment Act and pursuing the restoration of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir.

He had dissected what he described as the contradictory actions of the NC, questioning the authenticity of their opposition to the Waqf Act while highlighting procedural inconsistencies in their approach.

--IANS

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Chennai, April 8 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu Agriculture Department is taking urgent measures to tackle a severe whitefly infestation that has affected 1.9 lakh acres of coconut farms in the state.

Out of the 12 lakh acres under coconut cultivation in Tamil Nadu, approximately 1.9 lakh acres have been impacted by the rugose spiraling whitefly, an invasive species known for its rapid spread.

These pests produce a thick sap on the surface of leaves, inhibiting plant growth and threatening coconut yields.

Officials from the Agriculture Department emphasised that only natural and integrated pest management methods can effectively control the infestation.

The Union Government’s Department of Agriculture has also advised against the use of chemical pesticides, warning that they may exacerbate the whitefly problem.

To raise awareness and guide farmers, the state has conducted 330 camps across various districts.

A joint field study conducted by scientists from the Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI) in Kasaragod, Kerala, the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), and the state’s Horticulture Department led to the implementation of several control measures last year, which helped contain the spread.

Research by the Agriculture Department has identified several effective strategies to manage the whitefly population include installation of light traps (one per hectare), use of yellow sticky traps (20 per acre), release of Encarsia parasitoids (100 per plantation), deploying green lacewing insects also called Apertochrysa (400 per acre), spraying a 0.5 per cent neem oil solution and power-spraying water on the underside of coconut leaves.

Meanwhile, farmers in Dharmapuri district — where coconut cultivation spans around 5,578 hectares —have raised concerns over the growing presence of whiteflies.

They have urged the Horticulture Department to increase awareness efforts and supply biological control agents such as Encarsia formosa, a parasitic wasp known to be effective against whiteflies.

“A coconut tree can grow up to 50 feet, so conventional pest control methods are ineffective,” said K.R. Muthumaran, a farmer from Pappireddipatti.

“We need Encarsia mites to control the infestation, but they are not available in our region. The department must step in and provide them,” he said.

Agriculture officials said they are promoting awareness through farmer groups and social media campaigns. They have also recommended regular water spraying under the leaves of saplings and young trees up to five years old.

Additionally, a mix of castor oil and water has been suggested as a viable solution, though it is mainly applicable to younger plants.

—IANS

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