Wishing you all a Happy New Year 2021.
#HappyNewYear2021

Here is a thread of the LiveLaw annual round up stories of major developments of 2020.

1. Good & Bad : 65 Important Supreme Court Judgments Of

Supreme Court to consider shortly the petition filed by the Buffalo Traders Welfare Association against the 2017 Cattle Rules brought by the Centre under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

On the last hearing date, January 4, the CJI had warned that the Court will stay the Rules if the Centre does not withdraw them. The CJI observed that the Rules are contrary to the parent

Matter taken.

"What are you going to do about the rules", CJI asks the Solicitor General.

'We told you last time that Rules are in dissonance with the Sections. The animals are the source of livelihood for people. The section is clear that only after conviction that animals can be taken away. The Rules permit to take away animals even before conviction' - CJI

Solicitor General : The petitioner has confused between seizure and confiscation. An animal subject to cruelty cannot be allowed to be maintained by the person. As in the case of any seizure, the party can approach the court for custody.

Kerala High Court resumes hearing of Bail Application of M Sivasankar, Former Principal Secretary of Kerala Chief Minister

Sivasankar is presently in ED's custody for alleged involvement in the Kerala Gold Smuggling case. He is also being investigated by the NIA and Customs Department.

Senior Advocate Jaideep Gupta is arguing for Sivasankar.

He denies ED's allegations that Sivasankar contacted customs officials to clear the baggage alleged to be containing smuggled gold.

Gupta claims statement made by co-accused Swapna Suresh about Sivasankar's involvement are not credible as the same were made after her arrest.

Gupta points out that the correspondence between Sivasankar and Swapna does not disclose any knowledge on the latter's part.

He also tells Court that all of Swapna's statements categorically denied his client's involvement in gold smuggling, until before her arrest.

Supreme Court takes up the petitions challenging the constitutionality of farmers laws.

Adv P Wilson @PWilsonDMK says he is appearing in one of the petitions challenging the Acts.

CJI : All the advocates who appeared yesterday(in PILs against farmers protests) are not seen today except for Mr. Dushyant Tiwari

Dushyant Tiwari : I have impleaded the farmers unions.

Solicitor General : There is a confusion. The first item is the petitions challenging the validity of laws.

CJI : We will not decide the validity of the laws today. The first and the only thing we will decide today is regarding the farmers protest and the fundamental right of citizens to move. The question of validity of laws can wait.

CJI : We will hear Mr. Salve, Mr. Parihar and other petitioners (in PILs against farmers protest)

#FarmersProtest

Crucial hearing in the farmers protests cases in the Supreme Court today.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India will hear the cases post 11 AM.

#FarmersProtest
#FarmLaws

The Delhi police has filed an injunction application to stop the proposed tractor rally by protesting farmers on the Republic Day.

On January 12, the SC had issued notice on the petition. It will be considered today.

#FarmersProtest

In another significant development, one farmers' union, Bhartiya Kisan Union Lokshakti, filed an application seeking the complete reconstitution of the Committee constituted by the SC for negotiations. One member, BS Mann, had recused earlier.

On Jan 12, the top court had stayed the implementation of the farm laws after observing that the Centre has failed in its negotiations. The SC also constituted a committee for talks. However, the protesting unions said they will not appear before the committee.

#FarmersProtest

The SC observed in its order that the staying the implementation will "assuage hurt feelings of farmers" and will "encourage them to return".

Read Summary Of Supreme Court Directions

#FarmersProtest #FarmLaws

Supreme Court Bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan will hear today pleas filed by director, producer, writer & actors of the web series Tandav to quash criminal proceedings initiated against them for allegedly hurting religious sentiments.

#Tandav @Mdzeeshanayyub @aliabbaszafar

The petition has been filed by Director @aliabbaszafar, Producer @iHimanshuMehra, Writer @_gauravsolanki, Actor @Mdzeeshanayyub and @PrimeVideoIN @amazonIN Original Head @aparna1502.

#Tandav #WebSeries #SupremeCourt

Last week, the Bombay HC had granted transit anticipatory bail to Tandav web series director Ali Abbas Zafar, producer Himanshu Mehra, Amazon content head Aparna Purohit and writer Gaurav Solanki enabling them to seek regular pre-arrest bail from Uttar Pradesh.

#Tandav

Details of the Bombay HC order can be found here. 👇🏽

‘Tandav' Series Row : Bombay High Court Grants Transit Pre-Arrest Bail To Director, Producer, Writer, Amazon Content Head

#Tandav #SupremeCourt @Mdzeeshanayyub @aliabbaszafar

Sr. Adv. Fali S. Nariman will be appearing in the matter.

#Tandav #SupremeCourt @PrimeVideoIN @Mdzeeshanayyub @aliabbaszafar

Republic Day: The Lawyers who helped draft the Constitution of India


Our Constitution was handwritten by Shri. Prem Behari Raizada who took 6 months and used 254 various nibs to write the Constitution. (Image Source - Prem Foundation)

Our original constitution copy was then sent to Survey of India office where these handwritten copies were copied and distributed to its members. Even now, very few copies are freely available in the market.

Constitution of India is not only a beautiful document but a beautifully presented document too. Illustrations include Mohenjodaro period to Vedic and Epic periods to that of Maurya and Gupta Empire.

What is the Gujarat Model of ‘development’? Thread.

1. Gujarat spends less than 2% of its income on education (the norm is 5-6%) with the result that 45% workers in Gujarat are illiterate or studied up to the fifth standard with the quality of education very poor. (The Wire)

2. Public expenditure on health is 0.8% of the state income, well below the norm of 4-6%. Gujarat is decelerating very fast in almost all health indicators.

3. Forty-five percent children in the state are undernourished and the decline of maternal mortality rate has decelerated.

4. Close to 93-94% workers are in informal and traditional sectors with low incomes and low social security.

One of the reasons it attracts businesses is because of the low wage rates, which are comparable to that of Uttar Pradesh.

5. The Gujarat government's cumulative public debt has shot up to an astronomical ₹2,40,651 crore in 2018-19 and estimated to rise to ₹2,66,990 crore in the current financial year, which is ₹62,000 crore more than the total budget of ₹2,04,815 crore.

6. During the Vibrant Gujarat investors’ summits held between 2003 and 2011, MoUs were signed pledging investment totalling ₹40 lakh crore. However, only 8 per cent of the promised investment, amounting to just ₹3 lakh crore actually came.

#Thread on "Kashi (Varanasi), From Birth to Death and Death to Moksha."

Located on the left bank of the Ganga, Varanasi is one of the 7 holy cities of the Hindus. According to the Vamana Purana, two rivers named Varuna and Assi originated since the beginning of the timei

The name Varanasi originates from the two tributaries of the Ganges, the Varuna &the Assi, which flows at its northern & southern boundaries. The land lying between them was named 'Varanasi'. Its original name was derived from the word 'Kashi', 'Kaasha', which means brightness.

By the way, kashi is mentioned in many Vedic literatures. Kaushitaki Upanishad mentioned about the places like Kashyas and Videhas. Ajatashatru has been declared as the ruler of Kashi or Videha in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. Apart from this, Kashi &Videha are also mentioned in

Shankhayan & Boudhayan Srotasutra.

It also mentions about Kashi joining the Kosala after the independent state got destroyed. It is often referred as adjectives such as 'city of temples', 'religious capital of India', 'city of Shiva', 'city of lamps', 'city of knowledge' etc.

Famous American writer Mark Twain writes: " banaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together.”

In the Middle Ages it was a part of the Kannauj kingdom and later it was ruled by Pala kings of Bengal.

Many have accused the Narendra Modi government of not doing enough to change the biased historical narratives set in motion during the 54 years of Congress rule.
The #ChauriChaura centenary celebrations is one such initiative to set right, a historical wrong.

Thread begins.

What is the Chauri Chaura incident?
On February 4, 1922 at Chauri Chaura in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, a procession was taken out in support of Gandhi's Non-Cooperation Movement.
The police, on orders from the British government, fired on the peaceful march, triggering an outrage.

First a little background to the incident and why the face-off happened with the British administered police.
The protest was called against the atrocities that was unleashed on the locals when the Non Cooperation movement started in Gorakhpur. Several leaders were arrested.

A group of 2,000 people gathered to protest as part of Gandhi's call for Non Cooperation with the British. The crowd swelled soon.
The police were ordered to fire in the air to disperse the crowd. This further agitated them.
Then the police fired at the protestors, injuring many.