Murderer of democratic institutions (Modi)’s creative destruction

https://www.ndtv.com/…/modi-second-to-none-in-fake-news-by-…

[While things indeed are looking somewhat grim for the Modi-Shah duo, right at this moment, two things must be kept in mind.

One, another one year is still to go; and that’s a long time in politics.

The readiness with which he, in a jiffy, cooked up a charge of
*treason*, nothing less, against his predecessor and the previous Vice
President of the nation (ref.: <https://twitter.com/officeofrg/status/946038581306441728…>), just to garner some extra votes in a medium-sized state poll, should be enough of an indicator.

Not to forget, he has the whole of the state machinery, with the
autonomy of its various wings severely undermined, at his command.
One must be extra vigilant, not too complacent.

《And things have turned sour. Alwar, Ajmer, Gorakhpur and Phulpur show
that the game’s over. In a year from now - perhaps sooner - the legacy
he leaves behind will be a trail of falsehoods marking the first time an
Indian Prime Minister has turned his high office into an unending
flowing stream of fake news.》]

https://www.ndtv.com/…/modi-second-to-none-in-fake-news-by-…

Modi Second To None In Fake News

Mani Shankar Aiyar

Published: April 05, 2018 13:35 IST

The really unexplained thing about the Modi-Irani kerfuffle over fake
news is that it was Modi, none other, who over-ruled his Minister of
Information & Broadcasting, emerging as the knight in shining armour
slaying the dragon breathing fire against freedom of expression. Has
Modi suddenly become our democracy’s last beacon of hope?

I yield
to none in acknowledging Modi’s expertise in fake news. For surely no
one in our contemporary politics has propagated and profited more from
fake news than Modi has. Three incidents involving me would help me rest
my case.

In December 2017, with the election campaign in Gujarat
in full cry, he got the golden opportunity to turn a losing election
battle in his home state into a marginal victory by uninhibited resort
to fake news. First, when I used the expression “neech kisam ka aadmi”
(a low kind of person) about him, within seconds he distorted it from a
public platform to proclaim - quite falsely - that I had described him
as belonging to a “neech jaati” (lower caste). I had said no such thing.
I would never have said any such thing. But with Goebbelsian genius, he
told that the lie often enough for even my own party to take it to be
the truth.

Hard on the heels of that came the bizarre story,
propagated by Modi himself from election platforms, that I had invited
the Pakistan High Commissioner and a former Foreign Minister of Pakistan
to my home to hatch a conspiracy to foist Ahmed Patel as Chief Minister
of Gujarat - a totally bogus tissue of untruths. He had the gall to
further embellish the fake news by implicating my other guests, who
included a former Prime Minister, a former Vice-President, a former
Chief of Army Staff, a former Minister of External Affairs, a number of
our most distinguished diplomats, and a clutch of highly-respected
professional journalists, in this totally weird and utterly false
conspiracy theory. Indeed, he went so far as to claim that I had gone to
Pakistan to take out a “supari” on him. Rubbish, sickening rubbish.
Yet, the man gets away with it.

Murderer of democratic institutions (Modi)

Modi has cancelled an order that sought to punish journalists for fake news (File photo)

In January 2014, on the eve of the general elections, a TV agency put a
few questions to me about Modi at the on-going plenary session of the
All-India Congress Committee. My comments became “breaking news” as I
was alleged to have called him a “chaiwallah”. The clip is still on
YouTube. You are welcome to see it.

I never used the word
“chaiwallah”. I never said a chaiwallah could not become Murderer of
democratic institutions. I did indeed say I thought Modi unfit for the
job and that, therefore, he would “never, never” be PM.

The one
person who did say he had been a chaiwallah was not me but Modi himself!
I have never believed that to be true. So I ended my interview with a
jibe that if, after losing the coming election, he wanted to resume life
as a tea-vendor, we might be able to make some arrangement for him.

A joke - you might not like the joke, you might even find it in poor
taste - but the fact is that Modi has never really been a chaiwallah:
this is yet another example of Modi-style fake news. (The Vadnagar
railway station at which he claimed to have sold tea was not even built
till 1973, when he was 23!) But over the last four years, I have been
the target of vicious calumny for allegedly saying what he said I had,
and pilloried for what I never said. And all because Modi and his cohort
are the most effective manufacturers and purveyors of fake news that
this country has ever seen.

Seizing the opportunity to claim I
had said what I never had, he started a series of “chai pe charcha”
sessions with holograms of himself at tea-shops that was hailed as a
brilliant example of technology-driven instant political management.
Rajdeep Sardesai went so far as to suggest that I should have been the
recipient of a “thank you” note from Modi for his election victory.
Perhaps. But nothing was more “fake” than attributing to me what I never
said and then going to town with that lie. Of course, he found in
sections of the media willing collaborators to spread the canard. But
the primary propagator of that bit of fake news was none other than the
man who was to go on to score a dramatic upset victory at the polls.
Mussolini would have been proud.

modi chai pe charcha afp 650
Modi had wooed voters in 2014 with his Chai Pe Charcha campaign

Why then is this master generator and propagator of fake news
transmogrifying into a champion of letting everyone have his or her own
democratic say? For fear, I suspect, of getting caught out and becoming a
victim of Irani’s circulars!

That this hypothesis is not quite
as far-fetched as it might appear at first sight is shown by what has
happened to Modi-Shah’s discovery, in 2013-14, of the electoral
potential of social media. Well before any of the other parties lumbered
into spotting the mass reach of social media, the Modi team ratcheted
up the technology to spread its enticing, if wholly false, tale of
“achhe din” and 15 lakhs in every pocket to befool the public into
giving Modi his startling mandate. Indeed, even opposition parties,
including the Congress, were so impressed by these hijinks that they in
turn hired (for a while) the same instrument of propaganda that had
brought Modi to high office.

But communications technology, like
any weapon of war, can be turned into the very instrument of the first
user’s own destruction. So, as political parties, and, far more
importantly, the common garden or average netizen, began realizing that
the Prime Minister and his cohort had no monopoly over social media,
they started using the same technology to take down and mock Modi and
his government. The jokes circulating now on a daily basis in their
hundreds are no more about “Pappu” but principally about Modi and his
Sancho Panza. (My current favourite is that things are in such a mess,
it should be called the “Modi “!) The first users of social media to
spread fake news now find themselves hoist with their own petard. The
world is now sneering at them.

So, if the Irani circular had been
allowed to prevail, the principal instrument of Modi’s electoral appeal
- lies, their manufacture and dissemination - is, after four years of
jumlas, jugaad, incumbency and failure to deliver, being turned on the
originator. Modi, therefore, wary of saving what remains of his
political skin, turned Irani into his scapegoat after first, in all
probability, putting Irani up to her tricks (for not a leaf moves in
this dispensation but with the nod of He Himself). I am, of course,
guessing but I can think of no other convincing reason for Modi
abandoning his protégé the instant matters began turning sour.

And things have turned sour. Alwar, Ajmer, Gorakhpur and Phulpur show
that the game’s over. In a year from now - perhaps sooner - the legacy
he leaves behind will be a trail of falsehoods marking the first time an
Indian Prime Minister has turned his high office into an unending
flowing stream of fake news.

(Mani Shankar Aiyar is former Congress MP, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.)

—
Peace Is Doable

https://www.livemint.com/…/Narendra-Modi-govts-creative-des…
Murderer of democratic institutions (Modi)’s creative destruction
The Narendra Modi government’s aim is a radical right-wing
revolution—in the economy, in society, in culture. The current
disruptions are a symptom of that revolution

[A case for Murderer of democratic institutions (Modi).

He’s, at the end of the day, an ardent and ruthless champion of large
capital and out to smother everybody else with an iron hand, in the
process.

And, for heaven’s sake, don’t crib about democracy and all that trash!
Remarkable indeed!

All this is underpinned by the ruling party’s ideology, which aims to
restore the lost manusmriti glories of stealth,shadowy, discriminatory
hindutva cult, but is, at the same time, a modernizing rather than a
conservative movement. Their use of religion and chauvinism has been a
potent weapon of mass mobilization. It’s a way of papering over the
cracks in a society riven by the fissures of caste, class, language and
culture. It’s a great way to sell capitalism to the masses.
…

But these are transient issues. It is far more important to realize that
the Modi is a fundamental break with the past. Its aim is a radical
right-wing revolution—in the economy, in society, in culture. The
current disruptions are a symptom of that revolution.

https://invalid.invalid/…/Narendra-Modi-govts-creative-dest…

Narendra Modi’’s creative destruction

Modi’s aim is a radical right-wing revolution—in the economy, in
society, in culture. The current disruptions are a symptom of that
revolution

Modi is a fundamental break with the past.

Support for Modi is not what it used to be. The Reserve Bank of India’s
(RBI’s) survey of consumer confidence found that in December 2017, 50.7%
of those surveyed expected their incomes to increase a year ahead; in
September 2014, 63.9% had said they expected their incomes to go up a
year later.

There are other straws in the wind—farmers and SC/STs
are restive, while the middle-class mood is reflected in the profusion
of jokes about the Prime Minister on WhatsApp messages, a marked change
from earlier.

Public memory of the corruption, weakness and the
dithering on policy of UPA-II, so reminiscent of the Weimar Republic,
seems to be dimming.

RBI’s consumer confidence survey found that
in December 2017, 50.7% of those surveyed expected their incomes to
increase a year ahead. In September, 2014, that percentage stood at
63.9%

And yet, Modi has set the stage for ushering in a mature
capitalism in the country. The initiatives taken in the last four years
will change the face of the Indian economy. Modi’s demonetisation
gambit, together with the introduction of the goods and services tax
(GST), has dealt a huge blow to petty commodity production and paved the
way for an expansion of the formal sector, as gleeful brokerage reports
never tire of pointing out. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code will
lead to a rapid turnaround of stranded assets. The Real Estate
(Regulation and Development) Act, or RERA, besides cleaning the Augean
stables in the sector, will eliminate the smaller and shadier operators.
Extending contract labour to all sectors of the economy will increase
“labour flexibility”. Environment restrictions and regulations have been
whittled down and there has been a massive programme of building
infrastructure.

Consider the changes on the macro front, such as
the decision to bring in an inflation targeting regime at RBI, bringing
down inflation, keeping the fiscal deficit in check, laying down the red
carpet for foreign direct investment (FDI).

In politics, Modi
has taken steps to transform India into a hard state, emulating the East
Asian model. Not all his policies are working, of course, but it isn’t
for want of trying. No wonder foreign investors are all praise for him.

Modi has taken steps to transform India into a hard state, emulating
the East Asian model. Not all his policies are working, but it isn’t for
want of trying
All this is underpinned by the ruling party’s
ideology, which aims to restore the lost manusmriti glories of
stealth,shadowy, discriminatory hindutva cult, but is, at the same time,
a modernizing rather than a conservative movement. Their use of
religion and chauvinism has been a potent weapon of mass mobilization.
It’s a way of papering over the cracks in a society riven by the
fissures of caste, class, language and culture. It’s a great way to sell
capitalism to the masses.

Why then the recent doubts? One, the
party has had to make several populist concessions, such as loan
waivers. The uneasiness is underlined by utterances such as those of RSS
chief Mohan Bhagwat, who last year made the mystifying statement that
only RSS/BJP (Rowdy Rakshasa Swayam Sevaks /Brashtachar Jiyasdha
Psychopathsould rescue the world from the clutches of capitalism. But
this is rhetoric—governments today have little choice but to put in
place the policies that will make them attractive to global capital. A
strong economy is, after all, essential for Bhagwat’s vision of a strong
manusmriti glories of stealth,shadowy, discriminatory hindutva cult

The recent sops have been doled out solely on electoral considerations.
Recall that Modi used to have nothing but ridicule for the national
employment guarantee programme. Experts say his promise of higher
minimum support prices for farms may not translate into major gains for
farmers. And note that his ambitious Modicare scheme has private sector
participation.

A strong Indian economy is, after all, essential
for just 0.1% intolerant, cunnib=ng, crooked , number one terrorists of
the world, violent, militant, ever shooting, lynching, lunatic, mentally
rertarded chitpavan brahmin Rowdy Rakshasa Swayam Sevaks (RSS) chief
Mohan Bhagwat’s vision of a manusmriti glories of stealth,shadowy,
discriminatory hindutva cult.

The main problem is the reforms
being undertaken have a short-term cost. GST, for instance, has caused a
lot of disruption. Cleaning up the banks is proving to be a Herculean
task and it could lead to more caution on lending, affecting smaller
businesses. The spate of scams in banks hasn’t helped. The bankruptcy
code, like GST, is a messy work-in-progress. The informal economy has
been badly hit.

True, finding decent jobs for people moving away
from unviable farming is a huge challenge, but it’s one common to Third
World countries and has led to what Mike Davis calls a “Planet of
Slums”. The global landscape is fraught with risk, with rumblings of
trade wars and lower liquidity in the markets.

On the other hand,
the economy has turned the corner, investment demand is picking up and
company bottom lines are growing fatter, which should encourage job
growth.

But these are transient issues. It is far more important
to realize that the Modi is a fundamental break with the past. Its aim
is a radical right-wing revolution—in the economy, in society, in
culture. The current disruptions are a symptom of that revolution.

Manas Chakravarty looks at trends and issues in the financial markets. Respond to this column at manas.c@livemint.com

First Published: Tue, Apr 03 2018. 08 08 AM IST

—
Peace Is Doable

http://indianexpress.com/…/sc-st-act-govt-told-apex-court-…/
The Cat Just Leaps Out Of The Bag! ‘SC/ST act: Govt told apex court to
keep anticipatory bail clause (diluting the Act), says amicus curiae’

[《The Centre may have tried to distance itself from the Supreme Court
ruling on the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of
Atrocities) Act but senior advocate Amarendra Sharan, amicus curiae in
the matter, Tuesday said it was the government which told the apex court
that anticipatory bail should be given in case no prima facie case is
made out under the Act.》]

http://indianexpress.com/…/sc-st-act-govt-told-apex-court-…/

SC/ST act: Govt told apex court to keep anticipatory bail clause, says amicus curiae
In the Supreme Court Tuesday, Attorney General K K Venugopal urged the
bench to reconsider its directions which decreed that permission should
be taken before making an arrest under the Act.

Written by Seema Chishti | New Delhi | Published: April 4, 2018 3:41:06 am

“The Union of India had submitted that anticipatory bail could be given
in case there is no prima facie case being made out under the Scheduled
Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Even the
data regarding misuse of the Act was provided by the learned ASG,”
Sharan told The Indian Express.

The Centre may have tried to
distance itself from the Supreme Court ruling on the Scheduled Castes
and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act but senior advocate
Amarendra Sharan, amicus curiae in the matter, Tuesday said it was the
government which told the apex court that anticipatory bail should be
given in case no prima facie case is made out under the Act.

“The
Union of India had submitted that anticipatory bail could be given in
case there is no prima facie case being made out under the Scheduled
Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Even the
data regarding misuse of the Act was provided by the learned ASG,”
Sharan told The Indian Express.

Referring to the protests Monday
by Dalits who alleged dilution of the Act, Sharan underlined the role of
the state and said: “No court can have verdicts issued under pressure
from a mob or political compulsions of any sort… reports from Madhya
Pradesh say that the police didn’t fire — someone else did and lives
were lost. We need to be able to protect our SC and ST citizens too. The
state must take responsibility for it and no innocent life must be
lot.”

In the Supreme Court Tuesday, Attorney General K K
Venugopal urged the bench to reconsider its directions which decreed
that permission should be taken before making an arrest under the Act.

In a 35-page report, the amicus curiae had argued for Section 18 of the
Act to be struck off as it was not in consonance with the Constitution.
According to the report, Section 18 did not stand the test of
constitutionality as enshrined under Articles 14 and 21 and was to be
declared ultra vires.

The report of the amicus curiae was in
three parts — the first part dealt with the merits of the case in
question; part two on guidelines to be followed before making an arrest
under the Act; and, part three that contested the constitutionality of
Section 18.

—
Peace Is Doable

https://theprint.in/…/smriti-iranis-ib-ministry-medi…/46941/

>
> The RFID proposal, or the now-aborted move to regulate fake news,
are not the first such by the NDA government that gives the impression
it wants to regulate the media.
>
> Earlier, the I&B
ministry had issued an order warning officers to refrain from talking to
the media without permissions from relevant authorities or face action,
citing the PIB’s Information Dissemination Manual of 2017.
>
>
> https://theprint.in/…/smriti-iranis-ib-ministry-medi…/46941/
> Journalists participate in a protest | Burhaan Kinu/Hindustan
Times via Getty Images Journalists participate in a protest | Burhaan
Kinu/Hindustan Times via Getty Images
>
> Press
Information Bureau wrote to the home ministry in January asking if media
accreditation cards could be replaced with RFID cards to enhance
security.
>
> New Delhi: The Press Information Bureau, the
central government’s nodal body for official communication, is working
on a proposal to track the movement of journalists at government
buildings and offices through radio-frequency identification (RFID)
cards, ThePrint has learnt.
>
> The PIB is the
government’s media wing under the Smriti Irani-led information and
broadcasting ministry. The ministry triggered a huge controversy with
its order Monday to punish journalists for publishing or propagating
“fake news”. The furore against the move caused Prime Minister Narendra
Modi to order a roll-back in less than 24 hours.
>
> In
another proposal that is certain to raise the hackles of journalists in
the national capital, the PIB wrote to the union home ministry in
January asking if the accreditation cards it issues to journalists could
be replaced with RFID cards.
>
> The home ministry is
considering the proposal, although top ministry sources told ThePrint
that it could be impractical to implement.
>
> Frank
Noronha, the Principal Director-General of PIB, confirmed the move. But
he also said there has been no progress on the proposal. PIB, he said,
is only exploring options available for improving the security, use,
look and other features of the existing accreditation card.
>
> “We routinely explore what options are available to improve the
card to facilitate free and easy entry and exit into government
buildings on the basis of different technological advances,” Noronha
told ThePrint in response to queries. “However, nothing has been done to
this effect as yet.”
>
> A home ministry spokesman did not respond to queries until the time of publication of this report.
> What is RFID and how can it track journalists?
>
> Press accreditation cards are issued by the government-appointed
Central Press Accreditation Committee, which is headed by the
director-general of the PIB. Nearly 3,000 cards are issued annually to
reporters, photographers, TV cameramen and editors after a stringent
vetting process.
>
> RFID technology uses electromagnetic
fields to identify and track tags attached to objects. The tags contain
electronically-stored information. The technology is used in smart cards
and tags such as modern-day vehicle registration certificates, driving
licences, metro rail cards and even toll tags.
>
> At
present, journalists visiting government buildings have to only show
their accreditation cards to the security guards. If ‘passive’ RFID is
implemented, they would need to swipe/punch the card at the entrance. On
the other hand, ‘active’ RFID technology would mean that a sensor picks
up the frequency of the card and either lets one pass through or alerts
security. Either way, the government can track journalists’ entry, exit
and possibly who they are meeting.
>
> The PIB has been
contemplating increasing the security features of the card after several
confidential documents were leaked from the petroleum ministry in 2015.
> Problems in implementing RFID proposal
>
> Home ministry sources said carrying out such an exercise would
need massive new infrastructure and a huge budget. Security turnstile
gates and other infrastructure work would have to be put in place for
all the 56 buildings under the MHA’s ambit, apart from procuring RFID
cards for thousands of journalists.
>
> There would be
other logistical difficulties too, such as differentiating journalists
from the lakhs of other government employees accessing the buildings
every day, the sources said.
>
> The RFID proposal, or the
now-aborted move to regulate fake news, are not the first such by the
NDA government that give the impression it wants to regulate the media.
>
> Earlier, the I&B ministry had issued an order warning officers
to refrain from talking to the media without permissions from relevant
authorities or face action, citing the PIB’s Information Dissemination
Manual of 2017.
>
__._,_.___
Posted by: Rebecca Kurian
Reply via web post • Reply to sender • Reply to group • Start a New Topic • Messages in this topic (1)
Have you tried the highest rated email app?
With 4.5 stars in iTunes, the Yahoo Mail app is the highest rated email
app on the market. What are you waiting for? Now you can access all
your inboxes (Gmail, Outlook, AOL and more) in one place. Never delete
an email again with 1000GB of free cloud storage.

https://www.urdumediamonitor.com/…/everyone-praised-the-im…/

Are these double standards or not? How tragic that everything that happens in our country is
coloured in “religious” prejudices! Human Rights or plain “good conscience” seem to be missing!
Are lives of citizens of the minority communities without any value? Will we ever get out of this
crazy mindset?

>
> Indeed the police has ultimately now registered the case. But if
the case is not fought strongly in the court of law one wonders how many
more innocent youths would be preyed upon by the terrorists. Therefore,
this is the duty of Muslim organisations to respect the bereaved Imam’s
feelings and pressurise the administration and the police to meet the
demand of justice and bring the killers to book and make sure that they
get death sentence for mob lynching and burning the deceased so that no
one is mob lynched and killed again as brutally as Sibghatullah was and
no other father has to shed tears on the death of his minor son and no
brother has to bear the loss of a brother like Ataullah has had to.
>
>
>
> https://www.urdumediamonitor.com/…/everyone-praised-the-im…/
>
> alt
>
> By Mahdi Hasan Aini Qasmi
>
> The only thing that is being reported by the media is the appeal
to his followers by Maulana Imdadullah Rashidi, the Khateeb of Noorani
Masjid Asansol to remain calm and maintain peace and not to retaliate
following the brutal killing of his son Hafiz Sibghatullah Rashidi.
However no one seems to have felt his pain; nor has anyone taken notice
of what he had said as a mourning father.
>
> Describing
the cold blooded murder of his minor son he said, ‘On 28 April he had
gone to the mosque to read Qur’an. Upon hearing the commotion he went
out to find out what was going on. The mob then dragged and took him
away with them.’
>
> ‘My elder son went to police
station to report the incident and seek their help in recovering his
brother. But the police after verifying the identity of the child taken
away, instead of helping him in anyway behaved in objectionable manner
and locked him up in the prison cell. Our local councillor somehow
managed to have him released by the night.
>
> The Imam
added, ‘My elder son went to police station to report the incident and
seek their help in recovering his brother. But the police after
verifying the identity of the child taken away, instead of helping him
in anyway behaved in objectionable manner and locked him up in the
prison cell. Our local councillor somehow managed to have him released
by the night.
>
> ‘In the morning we were informed that a
dead body had been brought in the hospital. That dead body was of my
son. I am trying to resist my tears but cannot do so. My son’s finger
nails were pulled and torn off and he was burnt. He was attacked with
knives. Blood was still oozing out of his body even he was dead. They
had killed my son no doubt but at least they should not have burnt his
body.’
>
> Even after going through such a tragedy, the
Imam tried to and succeeded in mollifying the angry mob [that was bent
upon retaliating] and led it by example. It was an example of great
self-control and nerves and mountain-like strong character and faith he
displayed was exemplary. But should the case file relating to the murder
of Sibghatullah Rashidi be now closed? Should his family maintain
silence and say nothing more without his murderers being brought to
justice?
>
> How outrageous and shameful has been police’s
conduct in this whole episode? Should the culpability of the murder of
this innocent teenager not be determined? Why are human rights bodies
and advocacy groups silent?
>
> Indeed the police has
ultimately now registered the case. But if the case is not fought
strongly in the court of law one wonders how many more innocent youths
would be preyed upon by the terrorists. Therefore, this is the duty of
Muslim organisations to respect the bereaved Imam’s feelings and
pressurise the administration and the police to meet the demand of
justice and bring the killers to book and make sure that they get death
sentence for mob lynching and burning the deceased so that no one is mob
lynched and killed again as brutally as Sibghatullah was and no other
father has to shed tears on the death of his minor son and no brother
has to bear the loss of a brother like Ataullah has had to.
>
> Translated by Urdu Media Monitor.Com from UNA News

https://scroll.in/…/reading-list-eight-articles-on-the-judi…

7 hours ago
Updated 7 hours ago.
Scroll Staff

JUDICIAL SYSTEM
Reading list: Eight articles on the judicial crisis that has led to an impeachment campaign
The CPI(M) has been lobbying for an impeachment motion against the
chief justice of India after four senior judges expressed concern over
his administration.

Reading list: Eight articles on the judicial crisis that has led to an impeachment campaign
Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra | PTI

Several Opposition parties in the country are likely to introduce an
impeachment motion against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra in the
Rajya Sabha on Thursday, reports said. On Tuesday, top Opposition
leaders held a meeting to formulate their stand on the proposal, The
Times of India quoted unidentified party officials as saying.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) chief Sitaram Yechury has been
lobbying to garner support for an impeachment motion after four senior
judges of the Supreme Court – Jasti Chelameswar, Rajan Gogoi, Madan B
Lokur and Kurian Joseph – held an unprecedented press conference on
January 12 to express concerns about the court’s functioning under
Misra.

Most parties, including the Congress, have been
tight-lipped about their role in the impeachment motion. The Nationalist
Congress Party and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) are two of
the few who have gone on record to acknowledge their participation.
Nationalist Congress Party leader DP Tripathi said he had signed draft
petition, ANI reported.

An impeachment motion requires the
signatures of at least 50 members in the Upper House or 100 MPs of the
Lok Sabha and must be submitted to the presiding officer of either
House, who will set up a committee to examine it. Only if the committee
is convinced that the motion has merit will it be debated and voted on.
To pass, the motion must be supported by the majority membership of the
House and not less two-thirds of the members present and voting.

Here are eight articles on crisis in the Indian judiciary.

1. What happened in the Supreme Court on Friday (and what is the MCI
bribery case)?: In a heated proceedings on November 10, Chief Justice
Dipak Misra said a bench would be formed to hear petitions seeking
independent probe into the case.

2. ‘The Supreme Court has
ended as an institution’: 10 reads on November’s judicial drama:
Allegations of impropriety and heated arguments gave legal commentators
plenty to chew on this week.

3. Full text: ‘The Chief Justice is
only the first amongst the equals – nothing more or nothing less’: Four
Supreme Court judges wrote this letter to the Chief Justice of India
asking him to address a crisis, but they say it has remained unanswered.

4. Chelameswar letter text: ‘Bonhomie between judiciary,
government sounds death knell to democracy’: In a letter to Chief
Justice Dipak Misra on March 21, Justice Chelameswar sought a full court
sitting to discuss government interference in the judiciary

5.
Congress considering option of moving impeachment proceedings against
Chief Justice Dipak Misra: A senior lawyer who the Congress consulted
said the party would back the four judges who revolted on Friday.

6. The crisis in the Supreme Court will not just blow over. Staying
silent is not the answer: The potential of the judges’ press conference
to become the beginning of a deep introspection and structural reform
seems to be withering away.

7. It isn’t just the Supreme Court
that’s divided – the Bar is, too: While most of lawyers’ associations
wanted the matter to be resolved internally, the solutions suggested
differed.

8. As Chief Justice Dipak Misra is backed into a
corner, the Indian judiciary’s authority is at stake: The Congress is
moving to impeach him while Justice J Chelameswar wants a full court
sitting to discuss the executive’s interference in judicial functioning.

—
Peace Is Doable