CONTROVERSIAL MOVIE: 'Aarakshan' neither anti-Dalit nor anti-quota: plea in court!

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Legal Correspondent, The Hindu / NEW DELHI, August 12, 2011.

Bahujan Samaj Party activists protest against the film, Aarakshan, at a cinema in Thane on Friday. But the screening of the film in several cinemas in Mumbai went on smoothly - PTI.

Producer-director Prakash Jha has moved the Supreme Court challenging the ban on the release of his film Aarakshan in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab and suspension of its exhibition in Andhra Pradesh

Though a mention was made before a Bench headed by Justice Altamas Kabir for urgent hearing of the petition on Friday itself, the Registry, after the completion of formalities, has listed it for August 16.

The petitioner said the Hindi film, starring Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone, was given a U/A certificate by the Central Board of Film Certification for release all over India. The impugned order issued by the three States was based on an apprehension that the film was likely to hurt the feelings of weaker sections and lead to agitations, causing a breach of the peace and tranquillity.

Denying the charge that the film was anti-Dalit, the petitioner said he was always compassionate to the cause of that caste and it was amply demonstrated in his films. “Aarakshan uses the issue of reservation only as a landscape or backdrop on which the story and journey of the protagonist, who is the principal of an institution, is based. The film highlights commercialisation of the education system in the present society. It is not anti-reservation and/or anti-Dalit.”

Mr. Jha said, “Freedom of expression is constitutionally protected and cannot be held to ransom by an intolerant group of people.”

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http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2350010.ece?homepage=true

CONTROVERSIAL MOVIE: Prakash Jha moves SC to lift ban on 'Aarakshan'!

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CNN-IBN / Updated Aug 12, 2011 at 01:32pm IST.

New Delhi: Filmmaker Prakash Jha on Friday moved Supreme Court to lift the ban on his movie 'Aarakshan' that released on Friday across India, except for some states. The court will hear Jha's plea at 2 pm on Friday. While Uttar Pradesh has banned the screening of the movie, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh have imposed an interim ban on the movie.

Both states have formed a committee to look into any anti-Dalit references that the film may have, before giving it a green signal. In Punjab, the screening of the film for government officials turned into a family outing, even though it was supposed to be a restricted preview.

The seven-member panel in Punjab extended the ban on the film in the state on Friday till further notice.

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http://ibnlive.in.com/news/prakash-jha-moves-sc-to-lift-ban-on-aarakshan/175038-8-66.html

2001 PARLIAMENT ATTACK CASE: Reject Afzal Guru's mercy petition, Home Ministry tells President!

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NDTV Correspondent / Agencies / Updated: August 10, 2011 18:51 IST.

New Delhi:  The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has asked President Pratibha Patil to reject Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru's mercy petition.

The ministry had sent Guru's file to the President's Secretariat for a decision last week.

"The mercy petition case of death convict Mohd. Afzal Guru has since been submitted to the President's Secretariat on July 27, 2011 for a decision," Minister of State for Home Mullappally Ramachandran informed Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

He was responding to a question on why the government is not taking steps with regard to expediting the pending mercy petition of death row convict Guru.

Asked whether there is any provision under the Constitution for deciding upon any "clemency petition" against capital punishment as per sequence of its submission, the Minister said, "There is no Constitutional provision. It was an administrative decision to ensure fair and urgent treatment of all cases".

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http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/reject-afzal-guru-s-mercy-petition-home-ministry-tells-president-125742

Madras High Court dismisses P Chidambaram's 2009 election petition!

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Press Trust of India, Updated: August 04, 2011 15:55 IST.

Chennai:  The Madras High Court has dismissed a petition by Home Minister P Chidambaram against a plea challenging his election in 2009.

In his application, Chidambaram had contended that there were some defects in the petition filed by his immediate AIADMK rival R S Raja Kannappan Kannappan, who lost the election by just 3,354 votes.

Chidambaram had claimed that the high court registry had noted the defects when the petition was filed by Kannappan. 

Dismissing Chidambaram's application, Justice K Venkatraman said, "There cannot be any doubt that an Election petition filed with defects which cannot be curable cannot be considered as an election petition at the end. However, in the case on hand, the defects pointed out by the officer concerned are not defects which are not curable warranting dismissal of the election petition."

Kannappan in his petition filed on June 25, 2009 alleged that Chidambaram's election 'deserved' to be declared void due to 'manipulation' of votes and 'corrupt practices' committed by him, his election agents and others, with his consent.

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http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/madras-high-court-dismisses-p-chidambaram-s-2009-election-petition-124236

KARNATAKA MINING SCAM: Yeddy challenges Lokayukta report in HC, says he will return to CM post in six months!

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August 2, 2011 / PTI, Bengaluru / DC.

Former Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa flashes the victory sign before a meeting with BJP bosses in New Delhi - PTI file photo.

Outgoing Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa on Tuesday moved the Karnataka High Court for quashing the Lokayukta's report which indicted him in the illegal mining case that eventually cost his job.

He even added that he'll return to the CM post in six months. 68-year-old Yeddyurappa, who is the first BJP chief minister of a southern state, made this remark at an informal meet with state government officials.

Video footages beamed by TV channels showed one unidentified official telling Yeddyurappa how it had been a pleasure to work with him. And the BJP leader's response was that he would be back as the state chief minister in six months.

The remark by Yeddyurappa, who was forced to step down on Sunday, set tongues wagging as to whether it was said in jest or seriousness.

The crucial Chapter 22

In his petition, Yeddyurappa, who resigned following a directive by the party's central leadership in the wake of the submission of the report, questioned the recommendation of the Lokayukta for his prosecution under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

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http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/nation/south/yeddy-challenges-lokayukta-report-hc-says-he-will-return-cm-post-six-months-77

TELENGANA TANGLE: Plea against formation of Telangana rejected!

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Legal Correspondent / The Hindu /  NEW DELHI, July 16, 2011.

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed as premature a public interest litigation petition seeking to declare as unconstitutional the demand for Telangana State.

A Bench of Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia and Justices K.S. Radhakrishnan and Swatanter Kumar dismissed — at the admission stage itself — the petition filed by S. Rama Chandra Rao of Hyderabad, who also sought an interim stay on any action on the Justice Srikrishna Committee report.

When the petitioner submitted that a civil war-like situation prevailed in the State, Justice Kapadia said that since the petition was premature, it was being dismissed, and not on merits.

CREATING CONFUSION

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http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2230915.ece