VK News Today https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html A hidden cave in Norway protected a 75,000-year-old Arctic world until scientists finally uncovered it | World News CM Suvendu Adhikari has defended the provision, saying it is intended to target habitual offenders. NEW DELHI: Bengal’s controversial Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Act, popularly dubbed the ‘Goonda Bill’, came into force after midnight on Monday. The Act empowers the BJP government with sweeping powers including preventive detention, property confiscation and the removal of suspected troublemakers from specific areas. The government says the law is aimed at tackling organised crime and anti-social activities, while the Opposition has criticised it as draconian and vulnerable to misuse.The West Bengal Assembly passed the Bill on June 29 and received the Governor’s assent soon afterwards. With its notification now in force, authorities can begin implementing its provisions across the state.The government says the legislation is designed to strengthen public safety, improve law and order and crack down on organised criminal networks, illegal mining, unauthorised sand extraction, wildlife-related offences and other activities that create fear or disrupt normal life.Why the controversyOne of the law’s most debated provisions allows the government to order preventive detention for up to one year if it believes a person’s activities pose a threat to public safety.The provision has drawn criticism from opposition parties and sections of civil society, which argue that it could be misused to detain political opponents or critics without trial. The BJP, however, has rejected those concerns, maintaining that the law contains safeguards against arbitrary action.Under the Act, every preventive detention order must be reviewed by an advisory board headed by a serving or former Calcutta High Court judge, along with two members qualified to become High Court judges. A detained person will also have the right to present a defence before the board.CM Suvendu defends the ActChief minister Suvendu Adhikari has previously defended the provision, saying it is intended to target habitual offenders rather than ordinary citizens.The legislation also empowers the state to confiscate the property of individuals accused under the Act by invoking relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Another key feature is the power to issue externment orders. District magistrates, police commissioners and senior police officers can direct a person to leave a particular area or even an entire district for up to one year if they believe the individual could disturb public order.The law further authorises police to prohibit certain individuals from entering specific areas and provides legal protection to government officials involved in implementing its provisions.Defending the legislation after it came into force, West Bengal minister Dilip Ghosh said the government had introduced the law to deal with politically backed criminal elements that, according to him, had operated in the state for years.”The people of West Bengal are agitated and tired of the hooliganism they have had to witness for so many years now, especially since most of these thugs were politically connected. To curb this menace, we had to bring in a new law, and it will be strictly implemented… Common people who are still scared to speak out must come forward and file FIRs. The law will take its course,” he told news agency ANI.While introducing the Bill in the assembly last month, Adhikari had argued that similar laws already exist in several states and accused previous governments of failing to tackle political violence effectively.”Before this is implemented, let me point out that the previous government took no action. The people of Bengal have rejected you through EVM. You have managed to form an opposition, but it is not a strong one. This bill has already been introduced in several states under different names; Maharashtra, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Jharkhand have implemented it,” he had said.The government has maintained that the Act is aimed solely at protecting public safety, maintaining law and order and preventing organised criminal activity, while opposition parties continue to argue that its wide-ranging powers require close scrutiny to prevent potential misuse.Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.About the AuthorTOI News DeskThe TOI News Desk comprises a dedicated and tireless team of journalists who operate around the clock to deliver the most current and comprehensive news and updates to the readers of The Times of India worldwide. With an unwavering commitment to excellence in journalism, our team is at the forefront of gathering, verifying, and presenting breaking news, in-depth analysis, and insightful reports on a wide range of topics. The TOI News Desk is your trusted source for staying informed and connected to the ever-evolving global landscape, ensuring that our readers are equipped with the latest developments that matter most.”Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosHealth Camp Horror? 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Richard Feynman’s unsent love letter to his late wife shows that love doesn’t always end with goodbye NEW DELHI: BJP on Monday stepped up its attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, demanding that he explain his recent foreign trip while also accusing him and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of neglecting the constituency after a landslide in Kerala’s Wayanad claimed eight lives.The landslide occurred on July 7 at the site of the Anakkampoyil-Meppadi twin-tube tunnel project, which is being built to connect Wayanad and Kozhikode districts.Launching a fresh attack, BJP IT department chief Amit Malviya questioned Rahul Gandhi’s overseas visit. “Rahul Gandhi’s foreign trip between 22 June and 13 July remains shrouded in mystery. Where did he go? Who did he meet? Who sponsored his travel and stay?” Malviya wrote on X.”These are legitimate questions that the Leader of the Opposition should come clean about. The public is entitled to know whether his overseas engagements involved meetings that could have a bearing on India’s political or strategic interests,” he added.”Does anyone know where Rahul Gandhi is? Which country is he holidaying in? Who is he with? Whom does he travel to meet so often? He has been away from India for an extended period, and no one knows his whereabouts,” Malviya had asked in another post on X.The BJP also questioned why neither Rahul , who earlier represented Wayanad in Parliament, nor Priyanka, the constituency’s current MP, had visited the affected area after the landslide.BJP national spokesperson Guru Prakash said the visuals from Wayanad were “horrifying and deeply disturbing.” “It is a Congress government there, and the MPs are from the Congress party. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi come to India only during holidays; otherwise, they mostly stay in Europe, the United States, or England…” he said.BJP spokesperson C R Kesavan further alleged that Priyanka, “the current MP from Wayanad, has totally neglected and abandoned Wayanad…””It has been six days since the devastating landslide in Wayanad. Until now, it has claimed about eight lives, but Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has not even bothered to visit the constituency and meet the grieving families of the victims and console them. Instead, she has just done a token tweet… This was the same pattern when Rahul Gandhi represented Wayanad before…” he added.BJP leader Syed Shahnawaz Hussain also targeted the Congress leader, saying, “Rahul Gandhi is on vacation. He seems to be troubled by India’s heat, rain, and monsoon, and is busy travelling abroad…”Earlier on Sunday, BJP national spokesperson Tuhin Sinha had accused both Rahul and Priyanka Vadra of failing to stand with the affected families.”They are merely political tourists. Apart from a single condolence post on social media, neither of them has shown any interest in reaching out to the affected families. This is shameful and reflects that both of them are part-time politicians,” Sinha said.Sinha also claimed Rahul had been missing from public engagements for nearly two weeks and said three of his scheduled student outreach programmes had to be postponed due to his continued absence.The BJP also linked Rahul Gandhi’s absence to the postponement of the Congress’ proposed student outreach programme, “Chhatron Ki Goonj”. As per the campaign schedule released by the Congress, the rallies initiative were scheduled in Prayagraj on July 10, Patna on July 11 and Delhi on July 14, before the next major event in Dehradun.However, the BJP alleged that the programmes were deferred because Rahul extended his foreign visit and is expected to return only around July 17. The Congress has not officially disclosed the purpose of Rahul Gandhi’s foreign trip.Sinha said Rahul’s prolonged absence had raised questions, particularly with the Monsoon Session of Parliament set to begin on July 20.Earlier, Amit Malviya had also questioned the leader of opposition’s absence in a post on X on June 23. “Rahul Gandhi has gone abroad. Again. At a time when Parliament, party organisation, and public life demand constant engagement, his repeated departures raise an obvious question: what is so compelling that it keeps taking precedence over his responsibilities in India? One wonders,” Malviya wrote on X.The party further alleged that Rahul has remained missing from public events even as Congress faces internal challenges in states such as Punjab and with Parliament set to convene later this month.Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.About the AuthorTOI News DeskThe TOI News Desk comprises a dedicated and tireless team of journalists who operate around the clock to deliver the most current and comprehensive news and updates to the readers of The Times of India worldwide. With an unwavering commitment to excellence in journalism, our team is at the forefront of gathering, verifying, and presenting breaking news, in-depth analysis, and insightful reports on a wide range of topics. The TOI News Desk is your trusted source for staying informed and connected to the ever-evolving global landscape, ensuring that our readers are equipped with the latest developments that matter most.”Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosHealth Camp Horror? 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The Supreme Court on Monday set aside Gauhati high court’s judgments that upheld declarations of 27 appellants as foreigners, noting that citizenship and foreigner status must be decided through a “fair, lawful and reasonable” process.The ruling came from a Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, which remanded the cases to the concerned Foreigners Tribunals for fresh adjudication.The court allowed the appeals while observing that questions relating to citizenship carry “profound constitutional significance” and require adherence to procedural fairness, according to LiveLaw.“Citizenship and foreigner status occupy a field of high constitutional and legal significance,” the bench observed.The Supreme Court, however, acknowledged the government’s interest in preventing misuse of citizenship claims. It said the State has a “legitimate and compelling interest” in ensuring that individuals who are not legally entitled to Indian citizenship do not obtain such status through false claims or procedural delays.“The State has a legitimate and compelling interest in ensuring that persons who are not legally entitled to claim Indian citizenship do not secure such status by misuse of process, by false claim or by taking advantage of delays,” the Bench said.At the same time, the court emphasised that such concerns cannot override the requirement of a fair hearing.“At the same time, the determination of such status must be made through a process which is fair, lawful and reasonable. The statutory burden under Section 9 of the Foreigners Act, 1946 remains fully applicable,” the Bench observed.The court clarified that it had not examined the merits of the appellants’ citizenship claims or the documents submitted by them.“We have not examined the merits of the claims of citizenship by the appellants or expressed any opinion on the genuineness, admissibility, relevance or sufficiency of any document relied upon by them. Those questions must be decided by the concerned Tribunal independently,” it said.The Bench also clarified that the remand order should not be treated as providing any relief on the citizenship claims.“The remand being directed is not intended to confer any equity in favour of a person who is unable to establish his or her claim. It is only to ensure that the serious consequence of being declared a foreigner follows from an adjudication which satisfies the requirements of the Foreigners Act, 1946, the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964, and the constitutional mandate of fairness,” the Court said.The Supreme Court directed the Foreigners Tribunals to reconsider the cases independently, without being influenced by previous findings of the high court or the tribunals.“The concerned Tribunals shall decide the cases afresh and uninfluenced by any of the observations made by the high court or by the Tribunals in the earlier opinions,” the Bench directed.Relying on Section 9 of the Foreigners Act, 1946, the Gauhati high court had held that the burden of proving Indian citizenship rests entirely on the proceedee, as the relevant facts are considered to be within their special knowledge. The high court observed that this burden does not shift even in ex parte proceedings.Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.About the AuthorTOI News DeskThe TOI News Desk comprises a dedicated and tireless team of journalists who operate around the clock to deliver the most current and comprehensive news and updates to the readers of The Times of India worldwide. With an unwavering commitment to excellence in journalism, our team is at the forefront of gathering, verifying, and presenting breaking news, in-depth analysis, and insightful reports on a wide range of topics. The TOI News Desk is your trusted source for staying informed and connected to the ever-evolving global landscape, ensuring that our readers are equipped with the latest developments that matter most.”Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosHealth Camp Horror? 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