The Supreme Court on Monday refused to stop the ongoing Hindu prayers within the southern cellar of the Gyanvapi Masjid in Varanasi and ordered a “status quo” on the religious observances by both Hindu and Muslim devotees inside the mosque precincts. HT brings you a round-up of the most important and interesting stories, so you don’t miss your daily dose of news. |
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THE BIG STORY SC refuses to stop prayers at Gyanvapi southern cellar The Supreme Court on Monday refused to stop the ongoing Hindu prayers within the southern cellar of the Gyanvapi Masjid in Varanasi and ordered a “status quo” on the religious observances by both Hindu and Muslim devotees inside the mosque precincts. A bench led by Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, noted that both the Muslim and Hindu sides were conducting their respective religious observances unhindered” inside the mosque premises and therefore, a status quo would serve the ends of justice for now. “Bearing in mind the fact that namaz is being offered by the Muslim community unhindered after the orders of the district court and the high court, and that puja by the Hindu devotees is confined to the tehkahna (cellar), it would be appropriate to maintain status quo so as to enable both the communities to offer religious worships in the above terms,” stated the bench, also comprising justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, in its order. Read more. |
THE BIG QUESTION Kejriwal sent to judicial custody: How will this impact AAP's chances in LS polls? A Delhi court on Monday remanded chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to judicial custody till April 15 in connection with the now-scrapped 2021-22 excise policy, making him the fourth prominent lawmaker from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to be lodged in Tihar Jail just three weeks before general elections. The arguments before special judge Kaveri Baweja also shed light on the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) questioning and the role of Vijay Nair, a key figure in the case who allegedly played a significant role in facilitating allegedly illicit activities and connections within the liquor industry, and whether he reported to Delhi ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bhardwaj. Read more. |
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FROM THE EDIT PAGE It's a battle of narratives The well-attended rally of the INDIA bloc in Delhi on Sunday gave a hint of what is likely to be the basic thrust of the Opposition campaign. The Ramlila Maidan function saw attendance from at least a dozen parties, including the Aam Aadmi Party, the Congress, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Shiv Sena-UBT, and various Communist parties, which alleged the Opposition has been denied a level-playing field. They demanded that the Election Commission of India intervene and stop central agencies from alleged targeting of Opposition leaders and the “financial strangulation” of Opposition parties. They also demanded the release of former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, as well as a probe monitored by the Supreme Court into the BJP’s use of election funds. The pitch was that democracy was under threat from the ruling party, which was using State institutions to choke the Opposition. Besides major Opposition leaders, Kejriwal’s wife, Sunita, and Hemant Soren’s wife, Kalpana, addressed the crowd. If optics mattered, the Loktantra Bachao Rally was a success. Read more. |
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Photo of the Day Midnight’s lane |
HT This Day: April 2, 2004 India as dangerous as a bubbling volcano  (Click to expand) INDIA CAME INTO the Test at Multan with the momentum of a one-day series victory under their belt. From the time Virender Sehwag launched a blistering attack on the new ball they rapidly built on that psychological advantage. Read more. |
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