National
Conviction for false affidavit does not attract disqualification, EC tells SC
New Delhi, Sep 7 (IANS) The Election Commission on Thursday told the Supreme Court that a candidate who files a false affidavit at the time of filing his nomination paper does not attract disqualification even if convicted for the offence by a court.
The Election Commission told the bench of Justice J.Chelameswar and Justice S. Abdul Nazeer that under Section 125A of the Representation of People Act, the total punishment for filing a false affidavit at the time of filing nomination is six months, or fine or both and this is well short of the requirement of minimum of two years of sentence for attracting disqualification under Section 8A of the electoral act.
The commission told the court that as a part of electoral reforms, it had, on February 3, 2011, recommended to the Central government to amend Section 125A and enhance the sentence for filing a false affidavit to two years but nothing has been done so far.
Senior counsel Meenakshi Arora said that the punishment of six months does not attract Section 8A, even as under Section 193 of the Indian Penal Code, a person is who gives or fabricates false evidence is punishable with a sentence of up to three years.
The only distinction between two situations is that before a regular court, it is treated as a judicial proceedings, which is not the case at the time of filing false affidavit before the returning officer at the time of elections, she said.
The court was hearing a PIL by NGO Lok Prahari seeking wide range of direction including the disclosure of the sources of income of the candidate, his spouse and dependent children including any subsisting contracts with the government, so that a voter can make an informed choice at the time of elections.
The NGO and the Association of Democratic Reforms have cited instances of lawmakers in parliament and in the state assemblies whose assets increased many folds during their tenure as law makers.
–IANS
pk/vd
National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.