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Supreme Court puts sedition law on hold, no new FIRs to be lodged till review is complete

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The Supreme Court on Wednesday urged the Centre and state governments to refrain from registering any FIRs invoking sedition provision, Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code, till review of the law by the Centre is complete.

A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and comprising Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli said till the review of the sedition provision by the Centre is complete, the governments should not use the sedition provision.

In an interim order, the bench said no new FIRs should be lodged under the sedition provision and those already in jail can approach courts for relief.

The Centre proposed issuing an advisory to the state governments that only a police officer of the rank of Superintendent of Police (SP) — who may record in writing the reasons for a case involving sedition provision (Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code) — as it cannot prevent police from registering a cognizable offence under sedition provision.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, submitted that the government proposes that a police officer of the level of SP or above should decide, for now, on whether a sedition charge should be filed in future FIRs. He added that as the government reviews the sedition law, pending sedition cases can be reviewed, and the courts can decide on the bail application of those under Section 124A IPC, expeditiously.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing one of the petitioners, contended that Section 124A has become prima facie unconstitutional and the apex court must stay application of the sedition provision, till the Centre reviews the provision.

Mehta submitted that as far as pending cases are concerned, gravity of each case is not known, maybe there is a terror angle, and also the pending cases are before judicial forum. “We need to trust the courts,” he added.

Justice Kant told Sibal, “What is this argument…Can it be struck down today?” The bench added that it is looking for an answer who can be an impartial authority, in the view of Centre’s proposal, and asked Sibal what an arrangement in the interregnum can be done.

On Tuesday, the top court had sought the Centre’s response on pending and future cases registered under the sedition law.

The Ministry of Home Affairs in its affidavit said the Prime Minister of India has been cognizant of various views expressed on the subject and has also periodically, in various forums, expressed his clear and unequivocal views in favour of protection of civil liberties, respect for human rights and giving to the constitutionally cherished freedoms to the people of the country.

The home ministry added that the Prime Minister has repeatedly said that one of India’s strengths is the diverse thought streams that beautifully flourish in the country. The ministry said the Prime Minister believes that at a time when the nation is marking Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (75 years of Independence), as a nation it is essential to work harder to shed colonial baggage that passed its utility, which includes outdated colonial laws and practices.

“The Government of India, being fully cognizant of various views being expressed on the subject of sedition and also having considered the concerns of civil liberties and human rights, while committed to maintain and protect the sovereignty and integrity of this nation, has decided to re-examine and re-consider the provisions of Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code, which can only be done before the competent forum,” said the affidavit.

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Mumbai Metro 2A & 7 Connecting Andheri To Dahisar Records Highest 2,87,073 Daily Ridership

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Mumbai: Amid heavy rainfall, the Mumbai Metro had an significant achievement. The Metro 2A and 7 Lines connecting Andheri to Dahisar surpassed highest daily ridership, reaching to 2,87,073 number of passengers the Maha Mumbai Metro Operations Corporation Limited (MMOCL) informed on Thursday.

“We are thrilled to share that Maha Mumbai Metro has proudly surpassed highest daily ridership, reaching an incredible 2,87,073 passengers on Mumbai Metro Line 2A & 7! Even amidst heavy rain, Maha Mumbai Metro remained your steadfast companion, ensuring seamless journeys for all.” the MMOCL posted on its official X handle.

MMOCL also said that it operated two extra services one each from Gundavali & Andheri West, whereas, Monorail operated six services to accommodate and effectively manage the surge in ridership.

However, the activist continue to highlight that the ridership of Mumbai Metro is at least 50 per cent less than planned and expected by the authorities.

In August this year, Mumbai’s first Metro line- the Ghatkopar-Andheri-Versova route achieved a record of carrying more thann 500,000 commuters in a single day. On August 13, 2024, Mumbai Metro One carried 500,385 commuters, surpassing the pre-covid ridership, the authorities informed.

“This is the first time ridership of Mumbai Metro One has crossed milestone figure of 500,000 without impact of external factors. There is only one occasion when ridership of Mumbai Metro One had crossed 5 lakh when BEST buses went on strike for 9 days (8 January to 16 January 2019)”, the Metro One had said in its press statement.

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‘Spider-Man’ Spotted Begging At Kalyan Railway Station

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An influencer posed as a man begging in a Spiderman costume at Kalyan Junction. The incident was staged for a reel, which the influencer posted on Instagram sooner. It showed ‘Spiderman From Mumbai’ sitting outside the railway station and seeking money from passersby. The caption of the reel, read in a beggar tone’s, “Spider-Man ko dedo bhai koi.”

The video opened showing the man sitting below the stairs of the railway station. He was seen wearing a Spider-Man costume to capture the attention of train passengers towards him. he repeatedly extended his hand forward begging for some money while being seated at the railway premises.

It wasn’t a real case of someone begging by wearing the superhero costume, but an act performed by the Instagram-based content creator for the craze of reels. As he performed as a beggar there, many people looked at him and one of them also approached him with some money. The reel recorded people at the railway station witnessing the reel act. One of the persons there stepped into the video to offer a coin to the ‘Spider-Man’ beggar.

This video is now going viral on Instagram. It was uploaded on the online platform in August, however, it has reached netizens and caught their attention in the recent days. So far, the reel, which shows the influencer posing as a beggar dressed up in a superhero costume, has attracted 2.8 million views and more than one lakh likes. People reacted to the video and hilariously wrote, “Spider man no money at home.” “We got Spider-Man in kalyan before GTA,” they added.

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Pongal 2024: Mumbai Celebrates Harvest Festival Reflecting Rich Tamil Culture

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Nearly 2000 people participated in Pongal festivities in and around Antop Hill on Monday. Mass Pongal celebration was carried out across various locations of the Sion Koliwada constituency and was facilitated by MLA Captain R Tamil Selvan who continues to organise these events embracing the harvest season and Tamil culture for more than a decade now.

In a beautiful display of cultural richness, locals dressed in traditional attires prepared Pongal reciting folk songs, raising the festival mood. The event saw them setting up their Pongal pots in the midst of sugarcane, flowers, and rangolis. The celebration was notably marked at the Antop Hill Cement Ground with about a thousand people lifting the festival spirit on the auspicious day. Other areas that observed Pongal on a grand scale included New 90 Feet Road, Kamaraj Nagar, Vijay Nagar, and the Malai Mariamman temple in Naik Nagar among a few others.

Captain Selvan was seen visiting the spots and joining the public in the celebration. “Pongal is associated with agriculture. Tamilians of various religious beliefs celebrate this festival together without any discrimination. This is the significance of Pongal,” he said while extending Pongal greetings.

The event was not confined to only the Tamil-speaking people celebrating the occasion as it saw women from diverse cultural backgrounds mark the festival. While Tamilians gathered there to celebrate Pongal, others enjoyed the Makar Sankranti festivities in the region with similar rituals involving boiling water and preparing food in their pots.

Pongalo Pongal” chants were heard during the celebration as women prayed to seek prosperity for their families while boiling and expecting their pots to overflow with the Pongal preparation.

Throwing more light on the harvest festival, the MLA acknowledged that the first dam built in the world was built by Karikala, a Tamilian. “Tamilians introduced the concept of building dams to stop running (river) water and distribute it for agricultural usage. Karikala from the Chola Dynasty constructed the Kallanai Dam over the Kaveri River running in Trichy.”

Several people admire the Tamil language and its treasurable culture, including PM Narendra Modi who recently inaugurated the Kashi Tamil Sangamam at Namo Ghat in Varanasi and mentioned about Pongal and remembered prominent Tamil personalities like Subramania Bharathiyar, Bharathidasan, and Thiruvalluvar.

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