The vice president acknowledges the U.S. has lagged behind on testing.
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Sunday, March 1, 2020
Four times Karnataka Chief Justice Oka has stood with freedom of expression
From upholding a citizen’s right to protest, to condemning a Bar Association for boycotting sedition accused, Chief Justice Abhay Oka has delivered judgements that are crucial in today’s times.
For the past few months, the nation has been witnessing massive country-wide protests against the government — right from August 5, when Article 370 was abrogated, to the protests against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act, the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the National Population Register (NPR). Many citizens of India have been demanding that the CAA and the possibly upcoming exercise of NRC and NPR be scrapped. However, protests have also been accompanied by a clampdown by the authorities to quell any form of dissent. The state of Karnataka has also witnessed a number of cases where individuals have been charged with anti-government activities for voicing their opinion and using their freedom of expression. However, one voice that cut through the noise and confusion over rights vs patriotism was that of the Karnataka High Court — specifically that of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka. From upholding a citizen’s right to protest, to condemning a Bar Association for boycotting people accused of sedition, Chief Justice Abhay Oka has delivered judgements that are crucial in today’s times. Here are four times that the Karnataka Chief Justice upheld the right of freedom of expression as absolute: ‘Protest a fundamental right, Sec 144 was illegal’ When protests against the CAA reached the city of Bengaluru, around 200 people, including eminent historian Ramachandra Guha, were detained by the police for defying prohibitory orders under Section 144 and staging a protest at Town Hall. Bengaluru police had clamped down prohibitory orders for three days, which was then challenged in the court. A bench headed by Chief Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Hemant Chandanagoudar stated that the fundamental right to hold peaceful protests is the basic feature of democracy. “It is the fundamental rights conferred on the citizens to express a voice of dissent. It is irrelevant whether the dissent is right or wrong. When such a valuable fundamental right which an essential part of democracy is said to be taken away by a prohibitory order issued under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973,” the court said. “Can you ban each and every protest?” Hearing a batch of petitions challenging the imposition of Section 144 in Bengaluru, a bench led by Justice Oka pulled up the state government, asking if the state intends to ban each and every protest and if the state can assume that every protest will become violent. The bench also asked whether authors or artists can stage protests if they disagree with a decision made by the government. "Can state go under the assumption that every protest will disturb the peace? Are you going to ban each and every protest? How can you cancel permission of a previously granted order?” the court asked. Pulling up Bar Associations for ‘boycott’ resolution In February, Chief Justice Abhay Oka criticised the Hubballi Bar Association’s resolution barring its members from representing three Kashmiri students accused of sedition. The High Court also took a strict view of the heckling faced by advocates from Bengaluru when they approached the registration counter inside the court premises in Dharwad to file the bail applications for the students, who were charged with sedition after a video of them allegedly saying 'Pakistan Zindabad' went viral. Criticising the Hubballi Bar Association, Oka described the actions of lawyers in Dharwad as ‘sheer militancy’, “Barring advocates from appearing for the accused gives a bad name for the judiciary. A lawyer not allowed to approach the filing counter to apply for bail should not happen in this state,“ Oka said in the Karnataka High Court. He was hearing a petition filed by advocate BT Venkatesh challenging the HubballiBar Association's resolution. Following the rap from the High Court, the Hubballi Bar Association changed its resolution. The High Court has further directed the bar association to revoke its earlier resolution. Recognising citizens’ right In February, Chief Justice Abhay Oka questioned the Karnataka government and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) while hearing a case related to the demolition of migrant settlements in Bengaluru over fears that illegal Bangladeshi immigrants stayed there. "By looking at the face of a person, can one be identified as being a Bangladeshi national?” questioned Abhay Oka when the case was heard. The Chief Justice further directed the Karnataka government to rehabilitate those who were rendered homeless in the demolition drive within a month. The state government was also directed to compensate residents of the settlements who lost their homes. On January 19, migrant settlements in Bellandur were demolished by an excavator in the presence of Bengaluru police officials. However, following the incident, the police, state government and the BBMP attempted to distance themselves from the incident. All three parties made submissions in the Karnataka High Court stating that they had not ordered the demolition which had occurred on private land. But Chief Justice Abhay Oka was relentless in questioning the police and civic officials and asked in court whether “a mysterious force” had demolished huts in the settlements. A citizen’s judge, before Karnataka HC too Before he was transferred as the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court, Justice Oka was a part of the Bombay High Court for 16 years. His tenure in Mumbai was marked by landmark judgements similarly upholding the fundamental rights of the citizens — including issues of noise pollution, illegal hoardings, roads, unauthorised constructions, and the like. He was also known for holding the government accountable. In August 2016, the Maharashtra government had accused Justice Oka “harbouring serious bias” against it and filed an application asking Justice Oka to be transferred from hearing a case on the increasing menace of noise pollution in Mumbai. The application triggered a massive row and later the Maharashtra government had to tender an unconditional apology for making such allegations. Justice Abhay Oka was sworn in as the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court on May 10, 2019. With inputs from Prajwal Bhat
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'Inciting people': Lawyers seek action on BJP minister who said shoot anti-nationals
Lawyers suggested that such provocative statements by BC Patil, Minister of Agriculture, set a dangerous precedent and that he should be booked for his statements.
In another provocative statement, Karnataka Agriculture Minister BC Patil likened those who say 'Pakistan Zindabad' to the coronavirus, which has claimed the lives of close to 3,000 people around the world. The minister's statement comes just days after he called for a law to shoot 'anti-nationals'. "If anyone in Pakistan says 'Jai Bharat Mata', the person will be beheaded in five minutes. The people who are in our country, eat our food and drink our water and say Pakistan Zindabad. Are they not traitors? They are like coronavirus," BC Patil said speaking to reporters. He added that he will request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring in a law to shoot 'anti-nationals' who raise slogans against India on sight. Though the minister has not taken any names, a college student named Amulya was arrested in Bengaluru for saying 'Pakistan Zindabad' and has been dominating headlines in Kannada media. Many lawyers in Bengaluru said that leaders who make such provocative statements are setting a dangerous precedent and that they should also be booked by the police. "It is a dangerous trend that is developing. A lot of people are saying that 'anti-nationals' should be shot, cut into pieces. Statements like these are an incitement to commit an offence under the penal code. But in some cases, complaints are not registered against those who make these statements," says Maitreyi Krishnan, a Bengaluru-based advocate. Section 505 in the Indian Penal Code (statements conducing to public mischief) details punishment of fine or imprisonment up to three years for making provocative statements. Section 153A of the IPC (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc) also applies in some cases, Maitreyi adds. "It is shocking that a minister in the state government is saying this and that the police and the Chief Minister is mum about it. He has said 'Goli Maaro Saalon ki' should become a law. It is a ridiculous statement," says advocate Vinay Sreenivasa with the Alternative Law Forum (ALF). "There is a pattern of suppressing dissent in Karnataka. The charges against the poet Siraj Bisaralli and the women in Bidar's Shaheen School show that any kind of critical voices will be suppressed by booking cases and issuing threats," Vinay adds. Apart from BC Patil, Sri Rama Sene leader Sanjeev Maradi from Ballari was booked by police for suggesting that student protesters like Amulya should not be given bail and that if they are given bail, members of the Sri Rama Sene will do an 'encounter' on her. An FIR was registered at Hospet Town Police Station under sections 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), based on a complaint by Bhaskar Reddy, a CPI(M) leader in Ballari city. However, police are yet to make an arrest in the case.
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Pence: It’s OK for local schools to shut down over the coronavirus
But the vice president also cautioned against overreacting to the epidemic.
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Health kiosks installed at Hubli railway stations for quick check-up
Named Pulse Active Station and equipped with Internet of Things (IoT), the medical kiosks generate reports on 21 body parametres and risk indicators for lifestyle diseases.
Representative Image
Aimed at enhancing passenger amenities in railway stations, South Western Railway's (SWR) Hubli division has allotted space for medical kiosks at five places. "In busy life, finding time for a health check-up is difficult. Many times we all postpone it. Now with medical kiosks at stations, passengers can check their health during waiting time," said SWR General Manager A.K. Singh in a statement. Space for medical kiosks has been allotted at Dharwad, Belagavi, Vasco Da Gama, Ballari and Hosapet railway stations. The health check-up service, costing up to Rs 100 is also expected to augment non-fare revenue generation at the five railway stations Initially, a single medical kiosk was installed at Hubli station in January which received good public response. Named Pulse Active Station and equipped with Internet of Things (IoT), the medical kiosks generate reports on 21 body parametres and risk indicators for lifestyle diseases. The body parametres include height, weight, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure (BP), pulse rate, body fate percentage, mineral count and others. Lifestyle disease indicators include diabetes, osteoarthritis, cardiac issues and others. SWR was created combining the reorganized Hubli division from South Central Railway (SCR) with Bengaluru and Mysuru divisions of Southern Railway. In operation since April 1, 2003, SWR is headquartered in Hubli.
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Bengaluru student who raised ‘Pak Zindabad’ slogan to be in judicial custody till Mar 5
Amulya was in police custody for the last five days and she will now be returned to judicial custody for the next five days.
Journalism student and protester Amulya Leona will be in judicial custody till March 5 after a magistrate court in Bengaluru ruled against her on Saturday. The fifth Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) court in Bengaluru extended Amulya's judicial custody for a further five days after it initially remanded her to judicial custody for 14 days. Amulya was in police custody for the last five days and she will now be returned to judicial custody for the next five days. In police custody, the accused is in the physical custody of the police, while in judicial custody, the accused is in the custody of the court. The Special Investigation Team interrogated her over the last five days. Amulya, a journalism student from NMKRV College in Bengaluru, was charged with sedition after saying 'Pakistan Zindabad' in a rally in Bengaluru in the presence of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi. Amulya was slated to speak at the event in which Owais was the guest speaker. The event was held at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on February 20. A video from the event showed Amulya saying 'Pakistan Zindabad' thrice on stage. This prompted AIMIM members to rush towards her and grab her mic. Following this, Amulya tried to complete her statement and said 'Hindustan Zindabad' but the organisers of the event and AIMIM members are still seen trying to get her to step off the stage. A visibly upset Owaisi was heard telling Amulya that she cannot say such things. A suo motu case was registered against Amulya under section 124A (sedition), 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups and imputations) and 153 B (assertions prejudicial to national integration) at the Upparpet Police Station in the city. A few days before she was charged, Amulya had written a Facebook post which said, “Hindustan Zindabad, Pakistan Zindabad, Bangladesh Zindabad, Sri Lanka Zindabad, Nepal Zindabad, Afghanistan Zindabad, China Zindabad, Bhutan Zindabad, No matter which country, Zindabad to all countries.” Following her arrest, political leaders from across parties condemned her statement. Karnataka Agriculture Minister BC Patil stated that there needs to be a law to kill ‘anti-nationals’ referring to the sedition charges that have cropped up in Karnataka. Sanjeev Maradi, a Sri Rama Sene leader in Ballari, also called for an 'encounter' to be done on Amulya if she is granted conditional bail.
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Bengaluru metro worker falls to his death, police register negligence case
This is the fourth fatal accident reported from BMRCL construction sites in four months.
A man working on construction at the Pattanagere metro station near Kengeri in Bengaluru fell to his death on Friday morning, allegedly due to negligence. The man was conducting chipping work on the elevator shaft when he fell from a height. According to the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), Yerappa, the victim was a 56-year-old skilled worker and a native of Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh. He worked for Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Engineering and Construction Company Limited, a multinational construction company. Yerappa was working on the concourse floor, reportedly nearly eight metres above the ground, at the escalator shaft of the station when he fell to the ground around 11 am on February 28. He was taken to a nearby private hospital and later shifted to Victoria hospital around 11.45 am. He was declared brought dead at the hospital. According to reports, he had a jackhammer in hand and crashed through the safety net provided below. A case has been registered with the Kengeri Police under Section 304A (Causing death by negligence). The Kengeri police said that four people from the contractor company have been arrested, and were released on bail. Sources told TNM that the contract worker was not given adequate safety training or equipment, such as a harness or belt. This follows a series of accidents on Metro construction sites around the city. The Times of India reported that two other fatal fall accidents occurred in Electronic City, and Kanakapura main road. Another vehicular accidental death was reported in Cantonment. Following this, the BMRCL said that they were planning to have a dedicated safety cell at all its sites, TOI reported.
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