1. BJP Retains Vijay Rupani in Gujarat, but Is Undecided in Himachal
Four days after Gujarat returned the BJP to power for a record sixth straight term, Vijay Rupani and Nitin Patel were retained by the party as Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, setting at rest speculation on their continuance. The BJP decision was formally announced Friday, 22 December, by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who, along with party leader Saroj Pandey, came to Gandhinagar as observers for the election. This will be the second term for Rupani and Patel.
For us, winning the election with a majority continuously after 22 years was a challenge and we are happy that we got a clear majority.Vijay Rupani, Gujarat Chief Minister
Nitin Patel too thanked the party leadership and the elected MLAs for choosing him and Rupani as Deputy Chief Minister and Chief Minister respectively.
Rupani said formation of the state Cabinet and the date and venue of the swearing-in ceremony would be declared after consulting the Governor. In the Assembly elections, the BJP won 99 seats and the Congress 77 in a House of 182.
(Source: The Indian Express)
2. TV Channels Told to Verify Content Taken From Social Media
The Centre wants television channels to authenticate reports before broadcasting so that false or doctored material sourced from social media does not pass off as news, government officials said on Friday, 22 December.
Following reports of unverified feed aired by television channels causing unrest and panic among the public, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry plans to issue an advisory requiring television channels to run scrolls that alert viewers to the source of their information, the officials added on condition of anonymity.
They will also have to issue a disclaimer if the content is derived from individuals or social media platforms, the officials said.
Earlier this week, the Ministry took Gujarat-based VTV off the air for a day after it broadcast controversial footage showing children being beaten purportedly at a state orphanage. The incident had actually occurred in Egypt.
In some cases, the so-called news items were later found to be untrue, as was the case with VTV, or shown with the intent to sensationalise or create panic, as was done by the Assam-based DY365.Official
(Source: Hindustan Times)
3. Sealing in Delhi's Defence Colony; Social, Moets, Aka Saka, 4S Among Eateries Hit
Sealing of unauthorised commercial establishments returned in the national capital after a decade on Friday, 22 December, with municipal authorities shutting down more than 50 shops and restaurants in south Delhi’s Defence Colony market and Chattarpur.
The establishments operating ‘illegally’ from residential premises that were sealed during the drive included popular joints such as Social, Moets, Aka Saka, and 4S.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) sources privy to the exercise said the next sealing drive will be carried out on Tuesday, 26 December, in other prominent markets of the national capital such as South Extension, Green Park, Hauz Khas and Greater Kailash, where commercial units, according to them, are also operating violating building norms.
There are 51 commercial units in Defence Colony market and most of the commercial units at first and second floor had not deposited conversion charges.SDMC Official
(Source: Hindustan Times)
4. BJP MP Demands Population Control Policy
Thee BJP on Friday, 22 December, moved a private member resolution in the Lok Sabha seeking implementation of a stringent population control policy to rein in an "impending demographic catastrophe.”
The resolution for population control was moved in Parliment by BJP MP Raghav Lakhanpal, who cited a PEW research report to suggest that the Hindu population in India will face a sharp decline between 2055 and 2060, and that Muslims will likely overtake the Hindu majority in India.
Citing the instance of eight western Uttar Pradesh districts, including his home district of Saharanpur, Lakhanpal said these districts already had a large chunk of Muslims with their population in some breaching 50 percent.
Lakhanpal's reference to the PEW research report, however, was off the mark. In 2015, new religious projections by the Pew Research Centre had said that in the coming decades, India will have the distinction of having the largest populations of two of the three largest religions in the world – Islam and Hinduism.
(Source: The Times of India)
5. Everyone Has Right to Celebrate Festivals Peacefully, Says Allahabad HC
The Allahabad High Court on Friday, 22 December, said every citizen had the right to celebrate festivals in a peaceful manner and the authorities should not be reluctant in giving their consent, if permitted by law.
The bench comprising Chief Justice DB Bhosale and Justice MK Gupta made the observation while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by Sanjay Singh and 34 members of the Christian community from Birner village in Kaushambi.
The petitioners said the local administration had imposed Section 144 of the CrPC during the local bodies’ election prohibiting assembly of more than four people in the village.
They alleged that the administration officials were not allowing them to celebrate Christmas on the pretext that prohibitory orders were still in force.
Earlier, the Hindu Jagran Manch (HJM) had asked Christian missionary schools in Agra and Aligarh not to ‘force’ Hindu students to celebrate Christmas.
The RSS, however, distanced itself from the advisory.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
6. Opt for Made-In-India Goods, PMO Tells Departments
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has asked all government agencies to prefer domestically manufactured products over imports for public-funded programmes as the Steel Ministry raised red flags over the railway's global tender for purchasing rails as part of its track replacement programme.
On 10 December, Nripendra Misra, Principal Secretary to the PM, asked government departments to ensure that tender conditions are sensitive to the Centre’s “Make in India” push and those not in line “deserve scrutiny.”
"It is very disturbing that the broad message has not been appreciated by various departments," Misra said in a letter to Industrial Policy and Promotion Secretary Ramesh Abhishek that was posted on the Steel Ministry's website.
It was the first time that the government had opted for a scheme like this, as it wanted to encourage domestic manufacturing and create jobs. With India not signing a global agreement on public procurement, the government is free to stipulate such conditions.
(Source: The Times of India)
7. Saffron Coaches Will Keep Women Safe in Mumbai Locals: Railway
To ensure the safety of women on Mumbai suburban trains, the Central Railway (CR) has suggested that the exterior of ladies compartments be painted in “soothing saffron” to inspire “courage and valour” among women and “sacrifice and chivalry” among men.
In a concept note submitted to the Railway Board on Thursday, 21 December, Pranav Kumar, Additional Chief Security Commissioner, Railway Protection Force (RPF), Central Railway, stated:
Exterior of coaches/compartments reserved for women passengers should bear different colour from other coaches of the train. Soothing saffron colour is suggested.
This was one of the six new measures suggested by the CR to strengthen security of women commuters.
“Saffron colour, which signifies courage, valour and sacrifice, will inspire women passengers to rise against male encroachers, and male passengers will desist from entering into coaches reserved for women passengers as sacrifice and chivalry on their part,” the one-page note read.
(Source: The Indian Express)
8. MNC Staffers Marry, Ghaziabad BJP Cries 'Love Jihad'
They had met five years ago. The boy, a Muslim, is 30, an MBA who lives in Noida. The girl, a Hindu, is 28, a doctor of psychology. Both work in MNCs. On Friday, 22 December, the two got married at a Ghaziabad court under the Special Marriage Act. On Friday, a reception was planned at the girl's house. But right-wing fanatics had other ideas.
By noon, right-wing activists, led by BJP Ghaziabad city president Ajay Sharma, descended on the reception venue at Raj Nagar, calling this a “love jihad.”
He was joined by Bajrang Dal, Hindu Raksha Dal and Dharam Jagran Manch men. For over five hours they created a ruckus, leading to a police lathicharge.
No religious conversion has taken place as being alleged by these organisations...Both families have known each other for years now. Our children informed us of their decision and we gave our consent.Girl’s uncle
(Source: The Times of India)
9. Relief for Ashok Chavan as Bombay HC Rejects Governor's Prosecution Order in Adarsh Scam
The Bombay High Court on Friday, 22 December, ruled that the order passed by the Maharashtra Governor granting sanction to prosecute former state chief minister Ashok Chavan in the Adarsh housing society scam “cannot be sustained.” A bench of Justice Ranjit More and Justice Sadhana Jadhav quashed and set aside the sanction order.
The court was hearing a petition filed by Chavan challenging the decision of Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao granting sanction to the CBI to prosecute him in the case. The bench had earlier made Rao a respondent in the matter.
On 8 October 2015, the CBI sent a fresh proposal in the form of a second application seeking sanction to prosecute Chavan, which was granted by the Governor.
The CBI had relied on the report submitted on 19 April 2013 by a two-member judicial commission set up by the government to inquire into the Adarsh scam and a previous order of the court passed in November 2014.
(Source: The Indian Express)
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