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Chief Justice to meet revolting judges on Sunday to resolve judicial crisis (Roundup)
New Delhi, Jan 13 (IANS) As the crisis triggered by the revolt of four Supreme Court judges lingered, Chief Justice Dipak Misra and the rebel judges may meet on Sunday to resolve the problems raked up by them as two of the dissenting judges on Saturday sought to play down the issue.
Three of the four judges, who had attacked the Chief Justice at a press conference here on Friday, were away from the capital and are expected to return on Sunday afternoon. There was no official confirmation about reports that Justice Misra will be meeting with the rebel judges.
But indications were available that a resolution could be worked out from the remarks made by Justices Kurian Joseph and Ranjan Gogoi and Attorney General K.K. Venugopal, the government’s highest law officer.
Justice Joseph said in Kochi that there was no constitutional crisis in the apex court and the issues they had raised appeared to have been sorted out.
“We did this for a cause and I think (the) issues appear to have been sorted out. This was not against anyone nor are we having anything personal. It was meant to see that more transparency is there,” said Justice Joseph.
He, however, did not elaborate.
Justice Joseph said the issues they had raised in an unprecedented press conference on Friday triggered no constitutional crisis.
“There will be no constitutional crisis and there are only problems in procedures and that will be corrected.”
He said the judges had “written everything in the letter” they released on Friday and which they had sent to Justice Misra a couple of months ago.
Asked whether he felt that the judges should not have come out in the open with their grievances against the Chief Justice, he said: “Any problem, everyone can see two sides. Whatever we have to say we have written in the letter.”
In reply to a question on why they failed to brief the President of the issues, he said the President is only the appointing authority.
Ranjan Gogoi, who was in Kolkata for a meeting of legal services authorities, also ruled out any crisis hitting the top court. “There is no crisis,” he said, but refused to make any further comments.
The Attorney General, meanwhile, expressed the hope that the problems in the top judiciary would be “settled” by Monday.
“Unity among Supreme Court judges will return by Monday. We hope the entire issue will be settled in the larger interest of the institution. Judges are persons of wisdom and statesmanship and experience. We hope they won’t allow the issue to escalate,” Venugopal said here.
Venugopal on Friday had said the judges could have avoided going public with their complaints against Justice Misra.
The Bar Council of India (BCI) met here on Saturday and unanimously decided that a seven-member delegation of the bar would try to meet majority of Supreme Court judges on Sunday in an attempt to persuade them to resolve the issue at the earliest.
“We are ready to offer our mediation,” Manan Misra, BCI President, told the media after the meeting. He said the matter should not be politicised.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Principal Secretary Nripendra Misra was on Saturday morning seen driving to the residence of the Chief Justice. He was seen sitting inside his official car which returned from the gate of the Chief Justice’s residence without entering the premises.
The Congress asked Modi to explain why he sent his aide to Justice Misra’s residence.
“As PM’s Principal Secretary, Nripendra Misra visits CJI’s residence at 5, Krishna Menon Marg. (The) PM must answer the reason for sending this special messenger to (the) Chief Justice of India,” tweeted Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala.
The revolt by Justices J. Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, Kurian Joseph and Madan B. Lokur surfaced in a press conference in which they accused the Chief Justice of not strictly adhering to the rules in assigning cases to appropriate benches, which they said could create “doubts” about the integrity of the top court.
Senior BJP leader and former minister Yashwant Sinha said on Saturday said it was “our bounden duty to take note of what the judges have said and raise our voice for corrective action”.
Sinha, who finds himself at variance with his party’s stand and policies, said fear stopped people from speaking out.
“If four senior judges have gone public then how is it a Supreme Court matter? It is a serious matter. If they say anything to the people of the country, it is our bounded duty to take note of that.”
–IANS
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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.