Month: September 2021

‘Highways Can’t Be Blocked Perpetually’: SC on Plea Over ‘Commute Troubles’ Due to Farmers’ Protest

‘Redressal can be through judicial forum agitation or parliamentary debates but how can highways be blocked and this cannot be a perpetual problem,’ Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul has said.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court made oral remarks on the farmers’ sustained protests against the three farm laws brought by the Union government last year.

Hearing a public interest litigation by a Noida resident who complained of alleged delays caused in daily commute due to the protest of the farmers that occupies a section of the roadways connecting Uttar Pradesh to Delhi, the Supreme Court said, “Highways cannot be blocked perpetually.”

“Redressal can be through judicial forum agitation or parliamentary debates but how can highways be blocked and this cannot be a perpetual problem,” Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul has said, according to a report by LiveLaw. Also on the bench was Justice M.M. Sundresh.

Justice Kaul had also headed the Supreme Court bench which had, in October 2020, delivered the order that public places cannot be occupied indefinitely, in a petition that sought the Shaheen Bagh protest in New Delhi against the Citizenship Amendment Act be moved to a designated location.

Also read: SC’s Shaheen Bagh Order: Fundamental Rights for Commuters, No Country for Protesters

“Dissent and democracy go hand in hand but protests must be carried out in designated area,” the bench, also comprising Justices Aniruddha Bose and Krishna Murari, had said.

Justice Kaul, on Thursday, made mention of this ruling and said that the Supreme Court has already “laid down the law” and that it was the duty of the Union government, and the state governments of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi to implement it as executives.

“The solution lies in the hands of the Union of India and state governments. They should coordinate with each other to ensure that if the protests are on, the traffic should not be stopped in any manner so that to and fro for people is not disturbed and does not cause any inconvenience to them,” the apex court had said on August 24, hearing the same petition.

Farmers, however, have repeatedly insisted that it is police barricades that are causing the “blockade” and that they themselves have streamlined the protest site enough to allow traffic to pass smoothly.

Writing for The Wire, Rohit Kumar has highlighted:

The police and security forces are the ones who have blocked the highways to prevent the farmers from coming into Delhi and protesting peacefully for their rights. The protestors, on the other hand, have set up camp in such a way as to leave ample room for traffic to pass as freely as possible, especially ambulances and other vehicles performing essential services.

Those who complain about the ‘inconvenience’ caused by traffic diversions fail to see that the farmers are not sitting on their roads because they want to, but because they are compelled to. They have no other way to convince the government to take back laws they never wanted in the first place. For them, it is a matter of survival as farmers.

The Solicitor General Tushar Mehta on September 30, however, told the bench that a high-level committee was constituted to hold talks “but the protesting organisations refused to participate.”

Talks have not taken place between the Union government since the protests in Delhi on January 26, 2021, when, faced with police barricades, a section of protesters clashed with police in places. In the talks before, the Union government had been unwilling to grant farmers their steadfast demands – the repeal of the laws and a guarantee of Minimum Support Price.

Also read: Ten Months Since Farmers’ Protests Began, Haryana Govt Announces ‘Alternative Routes’ to Delhi

When the SG asked the Supreme Court to implead the farmers’ unions in the matter, the court asked for a written application.

Earlier this month, The Wire had reported how 10 months after the farmers’ agitation began at the borders of Delhi, the Haryana government announced it would repair roads to ensure alternative routes to Delhi became operational.

Farmers protesting at the Kundli-Singhu and Tikri borders of Delhi and Haryana have insisted that it is not them but the government that has blocked approach roads to Delhi and have rejected talks with the government on the issue.

Without Clear Data Law, Right to Privacy By and Large a Dead Letter: Justice Ravindra Bhat

The Supreme Court judge also asserted that it is the need of the hour to enact a universal law to enforce the principles of equity, equality and non-discrimination in the private sector.

New Delhi: Supreme Court Justice Ravindra Bhat has said that in the absence of clearly enunciated legislation on data, the right to privacy has become “somewhat academic.” In the same speech on Saturday, September 25, the judge ascribed to the state the responsibility of proactively taking measures as the enforcer of fundamental rights to ensure that all private individuals or entities, who are not directly bound by fundamental rights are compelled to respect them through the law, LiveLaw reported.

Justice Bhat, while speaking at the second Professor Shamnad Basheer Memorial Lecture, expressed that the role of the state has shifted from being the provider to a facilitator of services in the age of liberalised global economy, thus making it necessary for the state to nurture a culture of respect towards fundamental rights.

He said, “The state must act actively engage in the promotion of fundamental rights, in upholding the freedom of thought, expression, and of legitimate speech which can be contrary to the dominant discourse, freely expressed without fear of reprisal by private entities or collectives.”

Data law

The judge discussed the right to privacy which has now become a fundamental right following the ruling in the Puttaswamy case, where a retired high court judge approached the Supreme Court in 2012 questioning the constitutional validity of the Aadhaar scheme implemented by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

According to the report, he emphasised the role of the private sector in providing data-related services and expressed helplessness in enforcing the fundamental right to privacy due to the lack of any effective mechanism except the Supreme Court ruling in the above-mentioned case. The fundamental rights of the Indian constitution are directly only enforceable against the state.

Also read: Health IDs: Unpacking the Narrative That Underpins India’s New Digital Superstructure

“The absence of legislation makes this right somewhat academic. In the absence of a clearly enunciated data law, which sets out the norms, rights and rights and remedies, the nature of that right is rendered, by and large, a dead letter, except in cases where the individual can approach the court and seek enforcement against the state,” the judge said.

Discrimination

Justice Bhatt stated that it is the need of the hour for the state to enact a universal law for enforcing the principles of equity, equality and non-discrimination in order to protect large segments of the Indian population who face injustice and discrimination in the private sector.

“We would not be the first if we enact such a law. The first was the South African legislature which enacted the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act in 2000,” the judge said.

However, the judge said that until a universal law is made on the subject, it is only through fair sectoral regulations by an independent regulator that we can ensure that constitutional rights and values do not become defunct and ineffective in today’s private sector-driven age, LiveLaw reported.

Justice Bhat further stressed the violations of the fundamental rights occurring in the unregulated private sectors of mining, physical infrastructure, energy, telecom, internet and e-commerce related services where recruitment policies are often discriminatory since private employers are not directly liable under Article 15 (1) of the constitution.

“It is possible for them to blatantly discriminate against people on the basis of gender, caste, religion, language or any other ground including age. Sometimes, employment is denied for no ostensible reason… Industrial workmen often face arbitrary dismissal. Private entities hire workers on a contractual basis to keep costs low,” the judge said.

According to him, the use of the word ‘shall’ in Articles 14 and 15 (1) of the constitution should be understood broadly to impose an obligation upon the state to ensure constitutional values and guarantees are upheld everywhere rather than only in the direct provision of services by the state. Such an interpretation is consistent with the constituent assembly debates and several court decisions.

Assam: Paper Mill Workers Reach Agreement Over ‘Relief Package’, to Continue Legal Battle

The Rs 570 crore relief package is meant for 1,200 beleaguered employees of the two public sector units.

Guwahati: In the wee hours of Wednesday, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted that his government, just a while ago, “finally reached an agreement with the workers and employees” of the Hindustan Parer Corporation Limited (HPCL) in order to “resolve long pending issues of their salaries and dues”.

“Discussion lasted for four hours in my office and concluded at 2 a.m.,” Sarma tweeted.

Members of the employees’ unions of the two defunct HPCL mills of the state – one in Nagaon and one in Cachar – who took part in that discussion told The Wire that their agreement with the chief minister was only on a “relief package but not a total settlement.”

The Rs 570 crore relief package, they say, is meant for 1,200 beleaguered employees of the two public sector units.

The Nagaon paper mill has been closed without notice since March 13, 2017, while the Cachar mill has been closed – also without notice – since October 20, 2015. HPCL was considered to be a profit-making and dividend-paying entity from 2005-06 to 2008-09, and also bagged the MoU Excellence Award from the Government of India for FY 2005-06 and 2007-08.

The two paper mills were rendered defunct over lack of working capital as HPCL owes Rs 98 lakh in unpaid dues to Alloys and Metals (India), a private company.

The total dues owed to the mills’ employees until December 2019 was over Rs 620 crore.

Members of both the Nagaon and Cachar paper mills’ unions have accepted the deal – which comes with some technical hurdles – due to a compulsion, as the more than 1,200 employees and their families have run out of options.

The leaders said they were worried about more future deaths of employees – 95 workers have died so far, with four dying by suicide.

On September 21, Shyama Kanta Kurmi, a former worker in his late 50s died on account of prolonged health ailments – including diabetes, cardiac, kidney and liver diseases. According to JACRU, his family couldn’t avail of treatment due to limited financial resources brought about by being deprived of his pending monetary dues. With his death, the death toll now stands at 95.

With the threat of eviction looming large over the remaining workers, union members say the Rs 570 crore ‘relief’ package deal would cover 27-28 months’ salary and dues out of the total 57 months’ salary and dues that they have been deprived of for more than four years.

With a case already pending before the Delhi high court for the workers’ total claims, the key point in the six-page agreement signed between Sarma and representatives of all unions and associations says:

“The understanding and arrangement which have been arrived today in the meeting with the Employees Association and Workers Unions of HPC Ltd will be implemented without prejudice to petitioners claims made in various legal cases for different relief, excluding their claims on land, buildings and all other assets of HPC. They shall ensure that the possession of land, buildings and other assets is smoothly taken over by govt of Assam without any hindrances and obstacles and the same will not be disputed in any court of law.”

Manabendra Chakraborty, president of Joint Action Committee of Recognised Unions (JACRU) told The Wire that the relief deal is a flicker of light at the end of a tunnel.

“Out of a total 57 months’ worth of pending salaries and other dues, the relief deal covers somewhere between 27 to 28 months of salaries and other dues. It is possible that a section of the mills’ workers and employees may even face displacement in the near future. We have clearly stated that since there is a case pending before the Delhi high court, which was filed to cover all our legitimate dues and claims, we will continue our fight for the complete realisation of all the legitimate claims and we will not withdraw the case until we get what is rightfully ours. The relief deal is not a full settlement,” said Chakraborty.

File image of the interiors of the one of the paper mills in Assam. Photo: Gaurav Das

The relief package also includes key provisions such as an assurance that the assets of HPCL will remain with the government of Assam; an assurance that the package shall be disbursed within two months on approval of the proposal by the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) submitted by the Assam government; permanent employment for 100 workers and employees in state government entities be given through a special recruitment drive; all the doctors, including auxiliary nurses midwives (AMN) and other paramedical staff, will be given employment; and the relief package so offered shall not prejudice the claims of workers in legal cases pending at various courts.

Chakraborty added, “It is a welcome move that through this relief package, there could be employment generation for some. But what about the three lakh ancillary labourers and the small bamboo suppliers and growers who are considered the backbone of Assam’s rural economy? A deal should cover all aspects and factors that are associated with both the paper mills.”

The relief package comes four weeks after the employees were slapped with an eviction notice asking them to vacate their living quarters. Served on September 3, the notice asked former workers and officers of HPCL mills to leave their accommodations. The notice was served on them by an HPCL liquidator.

Watch | ‘Hit By a Mob While Reporting a Protest’: Behind The Wire with Mukul Singh Chauhan

Mukul had a camera with him – and for a mob that did not want the eyes of the public on their actions, he became a target.

Mukul Singh Chauhan was on his eleventh day as an intern at The Wire, and was covering the farmer’s protest on January 26. On what should have been an unremarkable day, matters suddenly took a turn for the worse when a mob, armed with iron rods and wooden sticks, decided to turn violent.

Mukul had a camera with him – and for a mob that did not want the eyes of the public on their actions, he became a target.

Mukul’s story is not uncommon. Journalists are constantly in the line of fire, as the job by definition involves making sure that difficult, hidden stories are uncovered.

Real journalists manage risks, and get you the story. Like we do. This is the work you believe in – these are the people you support.

Support real journalism. Support real journalists. Support The Wire.

HCs Can Quash Criminal Proceedings Using Inherent Powers Even in Non-Compoundable Offences: SC

The apex court observed that handing out punishment is not the sole form of delivering justice.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday said high courts can quash criminal proceedings exercising inherent powers under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) even if the offences are non-compoundable while bearing in mind the nature of the offence and voluntary settlement of the dispute between the parties.

The apex court, observing that handing out punishment is not the sole form of delivering justice, said the extraordinary power enjoined upon a high court or vested in the top court under Article 142 of the Constitution can be invoked beyond the metes and bounds of section 320 of the CrPC which deals with compounding of offences.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana and Justice Surya Kant said such powers of wide amplitude ought to be exercised carefully in the context of quashing criminal proceedings, bearing in mind the nature and effect of the offence on the society; seriousness of injury, if any; voluntary nature of compromise between the accused and victim and conduct of accused; prior to and after the occurrence of the purported offence or other relevant considerations.

The bench said this in its judgement on two separate appeals, arising out of the orders passed by the high courts of Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka, involving identical question of law pertaining to compounding of offence.

Also Read: How a Trafficked Woman’s Petition Is Being Used to Push for Detention of ‘Illegal Migrants’

The apex court noted it is true that offences which are non-compoundable cannot be compounded by a criminal court in purported exercise of its powers under section 320 of CrPC and any such attempt by the court would amount to alteration, addition and modification of the provision, which is the exclusive domain of the legislature.

It said the limited jurisdiction to compound an offence is not an embargo against invoking inherent powers by the high court under section 482 of CrPC.

The bench said the high court, while keeping in view the peculiar facts and circumstances of a case and for justifiable reasons, can press section 482 CrPC in the aid to prevent abuse of the process of any court or to secure the ends of justice.

The high court, therefore, having regard to the nature of the offence and the fact that parties have amicably settled their dispute and the victim has willingly consented to the nullification of criminal proceedings, can quash such proceedings in exercise of its inherent powers under section 482 CrPC, even if the offences are non-compoundable, it said.

The high court can indubitably evaluate the consequential effects of the offence beyond the body of an individual and thereafter adopt a pragmatic approach, to ensure that the felony, even if goes unpunished, does not tinker with or paralyse the very object of the administration of criminal justice system, it said.

The apex court observed that societal method of applying laws evenly is always subject to lawful exceptions and it goes without saying that cases where compromise is struck post-conviction, the high court ought to exercise such discretion with rectitude keeping in view the circumstances surrounding the incident, the fashion in which compromise has been arrived at and the conduct of accused before and after the incidence.

The touchstone for exercising the extraordinary power under section 482 CrPC would be to secure the ends of justice. There can be no hard and fast line constricting the power of the high court to do substantial justice. A restrictive construction of inherent powers under section 482 CrPC may lead to rigid or specious justice, which in the given facts and circumstances of a case, may rather lead to grave injustice, it said.

Also Read: As Courts ‘Constrain to Recognise Problems’, Rights-Based Jurisprudence Takes the Backseat

It noted that grave offences or offences which involve moral turpitude or have a harmful effect on the social and moral fabric of society or involve matters concerning public policy, cannot be construed betwixt two individuals or groups only as such offences have the potential to impact the society at large.

Effacing abominable offences through quashing process would not only send a wrong signal to the community but may also accord an undue benefit to unscrupulous habitual or professional offenders, who can secure a settlement’ through duress, threats, social boycotts, bribes or other dubious means. It is well said that let no guilty man escape, if it can be avoided’, the bench said.

It also dealt with nature of powers vested in the apex court under Article 142 with an intent to do complete justice.

It noted that even in the absence of an express provision akin to section 482 CrPC, the jurisdiction exercisable under Article 142 embraces the top curt with scopious powers to quash criminal proceedings also, so as to secure complete justice.

It said that doing so, due regard must be given to overarching objective of sentencing in criminal justice system, which is grounded on the sub -lime philosophy of maintenance of peace of the collective and that the rationale of placing an individual behind bars is aimed at his reformation.

We thus sum-up and hold that as opposed to section 320 CrPC where the court is squarely guided by the compromise between the parties in respect of offences compoundable’ within the statutory framework, the extraordinary power enjoined upon a high court under section 482 CrPC or vested in this court under Article 142 of the Constitution, can be invoked beyond the metes and bounds of section 320 CrPC, it said.

The bench, while dealing with the appeals, said it is inclined to invoke powers under Article 142 and quash the criminal proceedings.

(PTI) 

French Ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy Found Guilty of Illegally Financing 2012 Election Bid

It was the second guilty verdict this year for Sarkozy, who led France from 2007 to 2012 and retains influence among conservatives despite falling from grace over his legal woes.

Paris: Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was found guilty of illegal campaign financing over his failed 2012 re-election bid by a Paris court on Thursday.

It was the second guilty verdict this year for Sarkozy, who led France from 2007 to 2012 and retains influence among conservatives despite falling from grace over his legal woes.

The court is yet to say what sentence he would receive.

Prosecutors were seeking for a one-year prison sentence, however, half of it suspended, for the 66-year old former president. He is in any case unlikely to go to jail immediately as he would be expected to appeal the sentence.

Also Read: Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy Stands Trial for Corruption

Sarkozy has denied the wrongdoing. He told the court in June that he had not been involved in the logistics of his campaign for a second term as president nor in how money was spent during the election run-up.

But the court said that Sarkozy was made aware of the overspending, that he did not act on it, and that it was not necessary for him to approve each individual spending to be responsible.

Sarkozy was found guilty in a separate trial in March of trying to bribe a judge and peddle influence in order to obtain confidential information on a judicial inquiry. He also denied any wrongdoing in that case.

Petrol and Diesel Rates Near Record High as Fuel Rates Hiked Again

The price of petrol was hiked to Rs 101.64 a litre in Delhi and to Rs 107.71 per litre in Mumbai; diesel rates increased to Rs 89.87 a litre in Delhi and Rs 97.52 in Mumbai.

New Delhi: Petrol and diesel prices on Thursday neared record levels across the country after rates were hiked by 25 paise and 30 paise a litre respectively.

The price of petrol was hiked to Rs 101.64 a litre in Delhi and to Rs 107.71 per litre in Mumbai, according to a price notification of state-owned fuel retailers. Diesel rates increased to Rs 89.87 a litre in Delhi and Rs 97.52 in Mumbai.

Prices differ from state to state depending on the incidence of local taxes.

This is the second price increase in petrol since the ending of a three-week-long hiatus in rate revision and the fifth in the case of diesel.

International oil prices are at three year high with global benchmark Brent trading at USD 78.64 per barrel. International crude oil prices have reached a nearly three-year high as global output disruptions have forced energy companies to draw more crude oil out of their stockpiles.

Also read: Rahul Gandhi Slams Centre for Hiking Lpg Prices Since 2014 Despite a Fall in Global Oil Prices

This spurt in global rates led to state-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) resuming daily price revisions on September 24, ending the pause in rates that came into effect from September 5.

In five price increases since September 24, diesel rates have gone up by 1.25 paise per litre, negating all of the price reductions that happened between July 18 and September 5. Petrol price has increased by 50 paise per litre in two instalments this week.

When international oil rates fell in July and August, retail prices of petrol and diesel in the Delhi market were reduced by Rs 0.65 and Rs 1.25 per litre.

India is dependent on imports to meet nearly 85% of its oil needs and so benchmarks local fuel rates to international oil prices.

As Captain Announces Decision to Quit Congress, Is Stage Set for BJP Entry?

His statements having long since fallen in line with the BJP’s politics of nationalism, the former Punjab chief minister’s meeting with Amit Shah and Ajit Doval has set off speculation.

Chandigarh: Days after the Gandhis are believed to have led him to quit the post of Punjab chief minister, Captain Amarinder Singh announced that he would leave Congress, saying that he can no longer tolerate ‘humiliation’.

“I have not resigned from the Congress yet, but I will resign very very soon,” he said in an interview to NDTV on Thursday, September 30.

Earlier too, in 1984, Amarinder had left Congress and joined Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), in protest against Army operations at the Golden Temple. Later, breaking away from SAD in 1992, Singh formed a splinter group called the SAD (Panthic) that later merged with the Congress in 1997.

His statement of leaving Congress where he has spent almost 24 years since he rejoined the party comes a day after his meeting with Union home minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Amit Shah and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.

Although the meeting had set off buzz in the national capital, it is not clear whether Amarinder is switching sides as he had said that he is not joining BJP. But even if he enters into a ‘hidden’ pact with BJP, it will not be surprising, given than Captain has a moderate image and a Hindu base as well.

His military background as well as his views on national security have blended with BJP’s politics of nationalism before.

Also read: After Resigning as Punjab CM, What Options Lie Before Amarinder Singh?

For instance, when the Balakot strike took place in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack in 2019, as Congress sought proof of the strike and announcement of the number of terrorists killed, Captain Amarinder Singh sided with BJP’s narrative by stating that whether one was killed or 100, the right message was sent to Pakistan. After Balakot, BJP came back to power with a thumping majority in 2019 general elections.

During his tenure as CM, there were also allegations by his opponents including Sukhpal Khaira (then AAP MLA who has joined Congress recently) that the Modi government’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval influenced the appointment of top officers during his government. Khaira refused a statement when contacted for this story.

In this file image dated Thursday, June 27, 2019, Home Minister Amit Shah meets with Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, in New Delhi. Singh reached the residence of Home Minister Amit Shah, Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2021. Photo: PTI

Even the appointment of Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan and her husband, DGP Dinkar Gupta, who were recently replaced after new CM Charanjit Singh Channi took over, was alleged to have been linked to Doval, even though the Captain, during a press conference last year, denied it.

His recent rant against Sidhu who is believed to be responsible for the fall of his government also utilised the language of hyper-nationalism that the BJP has frequently used.

Amarinder called Sidhu “anti-national, dangerous, unstable, incompetent”. He also sought to highlight to how Sidhu was seen hugging (Pakistan prime minister and his one-time fellow cricket) Imran Khan and (Pakistan Army chief) General Bajwa – three years ago during a trip to that country – and has sung praises for the Pakistan PM at the opening of the Kartarpur corridor while Indian soldiers were being killed at the borders every day.

In a post-resignation letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Amarinder also raised the issue of the challenges of being a chief minister in a border state that “has many geo-political and other internal security concerns, which [he] tried to handle effectively without any compromise.”

Farm laws pose a hurdle 

Sources said that BJP leadership is keen on Amarinder’s induction in the party, given that in the Captain, the saffron party will get a famous Sikh face. But the prolonged farmers’ issues continue to pose major hurdles.

BJP has reiterated several times that they are not in favour of repealing the Central farm laws and want to reach middle ground,

But Amarinder’s tweet after meeting with Shah, noting that he has been pushing for the resolution of the crisis with repeal of the laws, indicates that both sides are yet to decide on the rule of engagement.

Also read: Punjab CM Asks Farmers to Avoid Protests in the State, But Unions Aren’t Convinced

Although this is a separate matter, his recent statement asking farmers to stop protesting in Punjab and shift agitation to Delhi drew a lot of criticism. Farmers’ unions lashed out at him, calling it a “pro-corporate” line.

Doval

Meanwhile, Amarinder’s meeting with NSA Doval is of great political interest and lends credence to the notion that negotiations are still open between two sides.

Journalist Coomi Kapoor recently wrote in her column ‘Inside Track’ that when Sidhu had joined Congress, Amarinder had turned to BJP’s Arun Jaitley, whom he had defeated in the Amritsar MP elections, for advice. The latter had warned him that Sidhu would undermine him, Kapoor wrote. The Captain was so enraged by Sidhu’s entry into the Congress that he even contemplated floating his own political party if he could forge a tie-up with the BJP. The plan never fructified since the BJP stuck with the Akalis.

As far as Amarinder is concerned, he said in the NDTV interview that he discussed emerging security challenges in Punjab, especially with the smuggling of ammunition through drones through Pakistan with Doval.

“It does not matter than I may not be a chief minister, Punjab will continue to be my priority,” he said in the interview.

Amarinder has been in active politics since 1970. After 51 years in politics, he has limited political options, given the kind of stature he holds and the limited leadership opportunities he can get in other political parties.

Rumours are also rife that Amarinder may float his own party on October 2.

‘Seniors sidelined’

In a reference to the G-23 which has raised its voice in the Congress again, the Captain said the younger leadership should be promoted to implement plans which senior leaders are best equipped to formulate.

“Unfortunately, the seniors were being completely sidelined,” he said, adding this was not good for the party. He also condemned the protests at Kapil Sibal’s house by Congress workers after Sibal expressed views that the Captain said were not palatable to the party leadership.

Also read: Amidst Exits, G-23 Raises Question of Congress’s Internal Democracy, Faces Flak

Expressing the hope that Punjab would vote for the future of the state, he said his experience has showed that the people of Punjab tend to vote for a single party or force, irrespective of the number of parties in the fray. “Mis-governance in Punjab would give Pakistan the opportunity to create trouble in the state and in the country,” he said, stressing that his meeting with NSA Ajit Doval had centred around this issue.

Taking a dig at those who undermine what he said was the growing Pakistani threat in Punjab, he said that such people were playing into the hands of anti-India forces by being in denial mode. “They (Pakistan-backed elements) are killing our soldiers every day, they are pushing weapons into the state through drones. How can we overlook these dangers?” he added.

Reiterating his opinion on Sidhu, Amarinder described him as a “crowd-puller who does not know how to carry his team along.” Pointing out that he had personally worked with many PPCC chiefs, besides himself having been one, the Captain said he had always resolved issues amicably, without indulging in theatrics like Sidhu.

Gautam Adani Now Asia’s Second Richest Man After Mukesh Ambani: Hurun India Rich List

For the first time, both Adani brothers feature in the top 10 list, with Vinod Shantilal Adani breaking in after his wealth tripled to Rs 1.31 lakh crore.

New Delhi: The wealth of Indian billionaire Gautam Adani and his family nearly quadrupled over the last year, growing from Rs 1.40 lakh crore to hit Rs 5.05 lakh crore, according to new data put out by the Hurun India rich list.

This massive increase in wealth allowed Adani to become Asia’s richest man after Mukesh Ambani, the ‘IIFL Wealth Hurun India Rich List’ showed, overtaking China’s bottled water king Zhong Shanshan.

“With Rs 7,18,000 crore, Mukesh Ambani, 64, retains the richest Indian title for the 10th year running,” the wealth assessment exercise noted.

For the first time, both Adani brothers feature in the top 10 list, with Vinod Shantilal Adani breaking in after his wealth tripled to Rs 1.31 lakh crore.

The Adani group has a combined market capitalisation of Rs 9 lakh crore. Except Adani Power, all listed companies are valued at more than Rs 1 lakh crore.

“Gautam Adani is the only Indian to build not one, but five Rs 1 lakh crore companies,” said Anas Rahman Junaid, MD and chief researcher, Hurun India.

Cyrus Poonawalla, whose vaccine manufacturing company Serum Institute of India has supplied nearly 90% of the COVID-19 doses that have been administered in India, also saw his family wealth increase by 74% during the past year. Their collective wealth stands at Rs 1.63 lakh crore, according to the list.

Others who make up the top ten are HCL’s Shiv Nadar, Hinduja group’s S.P. Hinduja, ArcelorMittal’s Lakshmi Mittal, Radhakishan Damani of Avenue Supermarket, Aditya Birla Group’s Kumar Mangalam Birla and Zscaler’s Jay Chaudhry.

Broader wealth also up

The IIFL Wealth-Hurun India Rich List 2021 also notes that 1,007 individuals across 119 Indian cities have a net worth of Rs 1,000 crore or more.

The report cited that cumulative wealth was up 51%, while average wealth increased by 25%.

Besides this, it showed that 894 individuals saw their wealth increase or stay the same over the last year, while 113 saw their wealth drop and there were 51 dropouts.

Currently, India has 237 billionaires, up 58 compared to last year.

With an increase of 293%, Jayant Shamji Chheda and family of Prince Pipes and Fittings are the biggest gainers this year on the Hurun list, followed by Yadu Hari Dalmia and family (286%) of Dalmia Bharat.

The tenth annual IIFL Wealth Hurun India Rich List 2021 used September 15, 2021 as the cut-off date and the rate of exchange to the dollar was taken at Rs 73.46. The list features only Indians, defined as those born or brought up in India.

As Gulab Impacts Western States, It Could Generate Another Cyclonic Storm

Jayant Sarkar, head of the Regional Meteorological Department of the IMD, said such a phenomenon does not happen very frequently, “though it is known among our fraternity.”

Mumbai: After remnants of cyclone Gulab that hit the eastern coast of the country brought torrential rains to central Maharashtra, a senior Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) official said on Wednesday that the country is witnessing a “rare occurrence” as the weather system might generate another cyclonic storm.

Jayant Sarkar, head of the Regional Meteorological Department of the IMD, said such a phenomenon does not happen very frequently, “though it is known among our fraternity.”

“It did bring excess showers over Maharashtra and put most of the regions such as Konkan, Madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada into surplus precipitation category,” he told PTI.

Also Read: Odisha, Andhra Pradesh Brace as Cyclone Gulab Advances; Landfall Likely at Midnight

A cyclone begins with a ‘depression’. Generally, a cyclonic system loses its severity once it makes landfall because the supply of moisture reduces. Cyclone Gulab made landfall between Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam on the eastern coast. However, despite losing moisture supply, the system kept moving on westwards and brought intense showers over Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and later Gujarat in the last three days, said Sarkar.

“The weather system received some moisture and it accelerated towards the Arabian Sea. It is expected to leave the land from the Saurashtra region. With more moisture, it would get intensified from depression to deep depression to cyclone,” he said.

“At the same time, it will take away moisture from the coastal areas and reduce the rainfall over Gujarat’s Saurashtra region as well as north Madhya Maharashtra and Konkan region,” he said.

If it transforms into a new cyclone, it will be named ‘Shaheen’, he said.