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New Delhi, Sep 19 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Monday sought response from the Centre on a plea seeking a direction to declare "Talaq-e-Ahsan" and all other forms of unilateral extra-judicial dissolution of marriages under Muslim personal laws as illegal, arbitrary, void, and unconstitutional being irrational and in contravention of Articles 14, 15, 21 and 15 of the Constitution.

A bench of Justices S.K. Kaul and A.S. Oka agreed to hear the petition and issued notices to the Centre and others, including the National Commission for Women.

The plea, filed by a Pune-based woman, said she was divorced by her husband by "Talaq-eAhsan" procedure by sending a letter through Speed Post after being driven out of her matrimonial home after she refused to pay them money for down payment for purchasing a new car and to avail loan for making payment of the balance amount and repay the same in full on her own.

The petition said per the customs and procedure, "Talaq-e-Ahsan" requires pronouncement of Talaq once followed by abstinence from conjugal relation for three lunar months or 90 days and thereafter, if the parties to the marriage do not resume their conjugal relationship with 90 days, the marriage is dissolved.

The plea also sought directions to the Centre and others to frame guidelines for a gender neutral, religion neutral uniform ground, and procedure for divorce.

The plea, filed through advocate Nirmal Kumar Ambastha, said: "The petitioner tried to approach the local police against the atrocities and harassment by her husband and in laws and also against the unilateral dissolution of marriage, but the local police did not register the case on the ground that 'Talaq-e-Ahsan' is a recognised process for dissolution of Muslim marriages".

The plea contended that all the procedure for dissolution of marriages like Talaq-e-Ahsan and others are available to Muslim men only as an extra-judicial unilateral procedure for dissolution of marriage, which is neither harmonious to modern day principles of gender equality nor an essential religious practice.

The plea submitted that petitioner's husband sent her a letter of divorce on July 16, through Speed Post, levelling various baseless and untrue allegations against her.

"Muslim personal law insofar as it allows the men to unilaterally dissolve marriage by 'Talaq-e-Ahsan' and all other forms of unilateral extra-judicial dissolution of marriages, but does not allow the women to do the same, is void being violative of fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14, 15, 21 and 25 of the Constitution of India. Since Muslim Personal Law is a law within the expression 'Law in force' as contained in Article 13(1) of the Constitution of India and it must be void for contravening any rights under Part III thereof," said the plea.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 19 (IANS) Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez left the office of Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Delhi Police late on Monday evening after day-long grilling in connection with the Rs 200 crore extortion-cum-cheating case involving multimillionaire conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar.

Jacqueline was confronted with the testimonies of Bollywood personality Nora Fatehi and an aide of Chandrashekhar, Pinky Irani, who were questioned by the EOW last week.

Last Wednesday, the EOW had grilled Jacqueline for over eight hours in connection with the case. As per sources, Jacqueline was summoned again on Monday as the EOW it found contradictions in her earlier statements.

According to the ED chargesheet, Jacqueline knew about Chandrashekhar's involvement in criminal activities but she chose to overlook them and indulged in financial transactions with the conman.

Chandrashekhar was arrested for allegedly cheating and extorting money from some high-profile people, including former Fortis Healthcare promoter Shivinder Mohan Singh's wife Aditi Singh. Many Bollywood actors and models have been questioned by the Enforcement Directorate for their alleged links to Chandrashekhar.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 19 (IANS) Party sources said on Monday that interim Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has hinted that she does not have any reservations against senior party leader Shashi Tharoor running for Congress President's post.

Sonia Gandhi gave her nod shortly after meeting Tharoor and a few other Congress leaders on her return following a medical check-up abroad. Tharoor, who was one of the G-23 members of the party who had demanded sweeping reforms in the Congress, is now likely to throw his hat into the ring for the race to the top party post, voting for which will be held on October 17.

Meanwhile, Congress' state units have been passing resolutions to make Rahul Gandhi the next party President, including in Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, among others. However, Congress' Central Election Authority (CEA) has said that such resolutions will not have any bearing on the election process.

Madhusudan Mistry, Chairman of CEA, said, "These resolutions have no bearing on the election process."

While the notification for the Presidential election will be issued on September 22, there is still suspense over the candidates who will contest for the top party post.

While the G-23 group is gearing up to field a candidate and Thiruvananthapuram MP Tharoor is its top choice, for party loyalists, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is the preferred choice, sources said.

However, Gehlot is reportedly reluctant to leave chief ministership and move to Delhi. In that scenario, former Union minister Mukul Wasnik or leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, could emerge as the front-runners, as both belong to the Scheduled Caste community.

The nominations are to be filed between September 24 and September 30.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 19 (IANS) India needs to remain India instead of following any other country for development, said Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat on Monday.

"If we start following other nations like China, Russia, America, it will be an imitation. The nation can develop in its originality", said Bhagwat. To achieve the long-term goal of development, it is necessary to take pride in the geography and history of India.

The RSS Chief was speaking at the launch of a book titled 'Connecting with the Mahabharata' here on Monday. While launching the book, he said that there have been efforts to make Indians forget their 'itihaas' (history) for their selfish motives.

"India's history and civilization is extremely old, but for our colonialists it was necessary to make us believe that no culture in the world is older than theirs. They preached that our ancestors were fools and our holy literature is wrong, it was our folly to continue believing them", he said.

Talking about climate change and the issue of zero emissions, he said that the world needs to learn from India's scriptures and the centuries-long tradition. However, the world is now coming to that stage again, but it will take time, Bhagwat added.

While speaking about India's two epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, he said that we are told that these are just imagined stories and poetry. But it is important to understand that does any imagination last so long?

"It is now considered that Ramayana and Mahabharata are not historical texts, but just mahakavyas or epic poems. However, for a text to continue to be relevant and persistent in popular memory as Mahabharata and Ramayana are, there have to be facts in them. It is considered that history has no use. The 'itihaas' in these epics has been narrated like a story, not for entertainment or information, but so it continues to be told and people continue taking lessons from history to better their present and future," the RSS Chief said.

The book 'Connecting with the Mahabharata' has been authored by research scholar Neera Misra and Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Rajesh Lal, son of Indian archaeologist Prof BB Lal.

The book is dedicated to the late Prof BB Lal whose first set of excavations was at Hastinapur followed by Indraprastha in 1952-53, when he went on a journey to discover the historicity of the Mahabharata.

The book is divided into eight sections, where the authors introduce the storyline and contents of the 18 parvas, connecting them to the vast geospatial landscape covered in the narrative. The book highlights the significant Mahabharata locations excavated by prominent archaeologists.

--IANS
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Mumbai, Sep 19 (IANS) The Congress' Maharashtra unit on Monday passed a unanimous resolution urging Rahul Gandhi to accept the post of party President, top leaders said here.

At a meeting of the newly-elected state representatives of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, two separate resolutions were unanimously accepted.

A resolution, moved by former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, and seconded by former ministers Chandrakant Handore and Naseem Khan, requesting Rahul Gandhi to accept the responsibility of Congress President was passed unanimously.

Another resolution, moved by state Congress President Nana Patole and seconded by Congress Legislative Party Leader Balasaheb Thorat, authorised the Congress President Sonia Gandhi with all powers to choose the state President, office-bearers, treasurer and AICC delegates, which was approved by all present.

State Election Officer and former Union Minister M.M. Pallam Raju said that the entire election of the Congress has been conducted properly with the full cooperation of all and this will help strengthen the party organisation.

He also appealed to the Congressmen and people to join Rahul Gandhi's ongoing Kanyakumari-Kashmir 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' in large numbers.

Presided over by Raju, the meeting - held at the Y.B.Chavan Centre - also discussed in detail the preparations for the Yatra which is expected to enter Maharashtra on November 7.

Congress state in charge H. K. Patil, top state leaders including Patole, Chavan, Thorat, Handore, Khan, Prithviraj Chavan, Vijay Wadettiwar, Sunil Kedar, Madhukar Chavan, Manikrao Thakre, state women President Sandhya Savvalakhe, AICC Secretary Sonal Patel, Sampath Kumar, Basavaraj Patil, A. Kunal Patil, Dinesh Kumar, Naresh Rawat, Siddharth Hattambire, Vishal Muttemwar, Pramod More, Devanand Pawar, Mohan Joshi and others were present.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 19 (IANS) Two-time Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Monday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in presence of Union Ministers Narendra Tomar and Kiren Rijiju.

Among those present included senior leaders Ashwani Sharma, Sunil Jakhar and others.

Besides Capt Amarinder Singh, others who joined the BJP included former Deputy Speaker Ajaib Singh Bhatti, former MPs Amrik Singh Aliwal, and Kewal Singh, former MLAs Prem Mittal, Harchand Kaur, Harjinder Thekedar, Balbir Rani Sodhi, former Punjab Mahila Congress President, Raninder Singh, Beeba Jaya Inder Kaur, Nirvan Singh, Kamaljit Saino and Farzana Alam, who was represented by her daughter.

Earlier, Amarinder Singh met union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP President J.P. Nadda.

Welcoming Amarinder Singh and others into the party, Tomar said he had always kept national interests above partisan interests. He said with his joining the party, the BJP will be strengthened further in Punjab.

Amarinder Singh expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Shah and BJP chief Nadda for reposing trust and confidence in him.

He assured that he will give in his best to strengthen the party in Punjab.

Amarinder Singh, a veteran of many political and military battles, left the Congress last year after resigning as the Chief Minister.

He set up his own political outfit, the Punjab Lok Congress, which fought February 2022 Assembly elections in alliance with the BJP. However, it did not win any seat.

--IANS
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Leicester, Sep 19 (IANS) Fifteen people have been arrested in an operation to "deter further disorder" in Leicester, a media report said.

There was large-scale unrest on Saturday amid tensions involving mainly young men from sections of the Muslim and Hindu communities, BBC reported.

The police said it had been sparked by an "unplanned protest". Another protest involving about 100 people followed on Sunday.

Leicestershire Police said there had been no further disorder overnight. The force added that all 15 people arrested on Sunday remained in custody.

Leicester's elected mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby, said he and community leaders were "baffled" by the events, saying they had been "fanned by some very distorted social media" and "a lot of people who came in from outside", BBC reported.

During Sunday's protest, people congregated on Belgrave Road, with members of the crowd telling the BBC they were on the streets as a result of the recent unrest.

Officers closed the road and some of the crowd briefly tried to push through police lines, complaining they were being prevented from marching.

Later, the protesters walked along Green Lane Road in the North Evington area, followed by officers.

There was also police presence on Humberstone Road, with several nearby streets closed off.

The force said in a statement: "Officers became aware of groups of young men gathering on Sunday afternoon in the North Evington area of the city. Officers spoke to them and took steps, including putting in place a temporary police cordon, to minimise harm and disturbance to communities."

The police have said they wanted to avoid a repeat of Saturday night's confrontations, and that dispersal powers would be used to break up any further gatherings, BBC reported.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 19 (IANS) Senior advocate Dushyant Dave, representing some petitioners challenging the Karnataka High Court judgment on hijab, on Monday told the Supreme Court that there is a pattern to marginalise a community and citing the Pulwama attack, added that only one suicide bombing took place in India, which shows minorities have placed their faith on the country.

Dave submitted before a bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia that more than 10,000 suicide bombings have taken place in Islamic world and this country only faced one suicide bombing in Pulwama, which shows minority communities' faith in the country.

He added that religion is a very difficult frame of mind to guide the masses and it is leaders who can guide them.

Dave said the whole issue of "love jihad" and now, the prevention of Muslim girls from wearing hijab in educational institutions, reflects a pattern to marginalise the minority community, and Muslim girls wearing hijab cannot hurt anybody's sentiments and hijab is their identity.

Emphasising the significance of liberal aspect of Indian civilisation, Dave said the country is built on liberal tradition and there is unity in diversity. He submitted that if a Hindu girl asks a Muslim girl wearing hijab "why is she wearing it? And, she talks about her religion. This is really beautiful".

Dave added that the West has already permitted hijab and the American army has also allowed turbans. He said as one cannot quarrel with right of Sikhs to wear turbans, similarly, one should also have no quarrel with right of Muslim women to wear hijab, and stressed that for centuries, Muslim women have been wearing hijab in countries across the world.

He contended that hijab is important for Muslim women and it is their faith and added that somebody wants to wear tilak, somebody wanting to wear cross, everybody has the right and that is the beauty of social life.

"How would wearing hijab threaten the unity and integrity of the country?" he said. At this, the bench replied that even the Karnataka High Court judgment does not say that and nobody is saying that.

The bench also said the argument here could be self-contradictory, saying the right to wear hijab flows from Article 19 and it can be restricted only under 19(2) only by a statutory law. Dave submitted that fundamental rights, in this case under Article 25, can be exercised anywhere.

The bench said some judgments talk about religious practice inside the religious places. Dave said Article 25 uses the words freely practice, profess, and propagate religion, and a person can exercise fundamental rights anywhere, be it a classroom too.

He said if a Muslim woman thinks that wearing of hijab is conducive for her religion, no authority, or no court can say otherwise.

The hearing on the petitions challenging the Karnataka High Court's judgement of March 15 upholding ban on hijab in pre-university colleges will continue on Tuesday.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 19 (IANS) Congress leader Deepender Singh Hooda on Monday termed former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's decision to join the BJP as a wrong decision as after the farmers' protest it will not be appreciated by the people.

Amarinder Singh was asked to step down as the Chief Minister of Punjab in September last year by the Congress following a power tussle within the party, and in subsequent Assembly election the party was wiped out.

Ahead of his joining the BJP, Singh met the party president J.P. Nadda.

Speculation of Amarinder Singh joining the BJP had grown stronger after he met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on September 12.

"Had a very productive meeting with Hon'ble Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Discussed various issues pertaining to national security, the rising cases of narco-terrorism in Punjab and the future roadmap for the overall holistic development of Punjab," Singh had tweeted after meeting Shah.

Singh had floated his own party after quitting the Congress last year citing humiliation by the grand-old party.

The two-time chief minister of Punjab had fought the Assembly elections in the state earlier this year in alliance with the BJP as well as Akali Dal (Sanyukt).

His party -- Punjab Lok Congress -- had failed to get even a single seat during the Assembly elections.

Singh himself lost from his hometurf Patiala urban constituency.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 19 (IANS) A court here on Monday stayed the trial court proceedings and bail hearings of arrested Delhi minister Satyendar Jain and others in a money laundering case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Hearing the September 15 application moved by the ED for the transfer of the bail plea of Jain from the present court, the District Judge of Rouse Avenue Court also issued notice in the matter.

Earlier, Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, representing the ED, submitted that he has instructions to move an application for transfer of the bail application (of Jain) and he has requested a short adjournment for the same.

Jain, whose bail has been denied in various hearings since his arrest in the PMLA case on May 30, is presently lodged in Tihar jail.

As per the earlier submissions of the ED, Jain was in de facto control of shell companies used for alleged money laundering, and co-accused Ankush Jain and Vaibhav Jain were just dummies.

On the other hand, Jain's counsel argued that the alleged role attributed to him doesn't fall in the ambit of Section 45 of the PMLA.

Earlier, the CBI had accused Jain, his wife, and others of offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act. On March 31, the ED provisionally attached immovable properties worth Rs 4.81 crore belonging to companies beneficially owned and controlled by the minister.

On June 6, the ED conducted raids at multiple locations belonging to Jain, his wife and his accomplices, who had either directly or indirectly assisted him or participated in the processes of money laundering. A recovery of Rs 2.85 crore in cash and 133 gold coins weighing 1.80 kg was made during the raid.

--IANS
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