New Delhi, March 19: Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday condemned Israel’s latest military strikes on Hamas targets in Gaza, calling them an act of “cold-blooded murder.”

Israel launched heavy airstrikes on multiple locations across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, marking its first major offensive since the ceasefire that began on January 19. The renewed assault followed the collapse of negotiations between Israel and Hamas.

According to medical officials in Gaza, over 350 people were killed and more than 150 others injured in strikes in northern Gaza, Deir al-Balah, Khan Younis, Rafah, and Gaza City.

Expressing her outrage on X, Priyanka posted, “The cold-blooded murder of over 400 innocent civilians, including 130 children, by the Israeli government shows that humanity means nothing to them. Their actions reflect an inherent weakness and inability to face their own truth.”

She further criticised the response of Western nations, stating, “Whether Western powers choose to recognise this or to acknowledge their collusion in the genocide of the Palestinian people or not, all citizens of the world who have a conscience (including many Israelis), see it.”

“The more criminally the Israeli government acts, the more they reveal themselves for the cowards they truly are. On the other hand, the bravery of the Palestinian people prevails. They have endured unimaginable suffering, yet their spirit remains resilient and unwavering,” she added.

Israel defended its military action, attributing the offensive to Hamas’s refusal to release hostages and its rejection of ceasefire proposals from US Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff and other mediators.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Tuesday stated, “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have instructed the IDF to take strong action against the Hamas terrorist organisation in the Gaza Strip.”

The statement further noted that Israel was intensifying its military campaign to achieve its war objectives, which include securing the release of hostages held by Hamas.

“Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength. The operational plan was presented by the IDF over the weekend and approved by the political leadership,” it said.

The latest escalation comes as ceasefire negotiations broke down over disagreements on the next phase of the truce.

Israel sought to extend the initial phase of the three-stage agreement, while Hamas insisted on progressing to the second phase, which was scheduled to begin on March 2 and involve further hostage exchanges.

During the first phase of the ceasefire, Hamas released 33 Israeli hostages and five Thai nationals in exchange for around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. However, Hamas is still holding approximately 59 hostages.

New Delhi, Mar 19: The Supreme Court on Wednesday fixed April 16 for hearing on a clutch of petitions challenging the law passed by the Parliament, which excludes the Chief Justice of India (CJI) from the process of appointment of top officials of the Election Commission.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N. Kotiswar Singh decided to defer the hearing for four weeks after advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing on behalf of the Association for Democratic Reforms, an NGO, mentioned that the matter is listed at serial number 38 and is not likely to reach for hearing during the course of the day.

The Justice Kant-led Bench added that it would ensure that not many urgent cases are listed on the fixed date and the pleas challenging the validity of the Chief Election Commissioner and the other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Condition of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023 are listed high on board on April 16.

In March 2023, a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court had held that the appointment of top officials of the Election Commission shall be done by the President on the advice of a panel comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, and the Chief Justice of India (CJI).

“We declare that the appointment of the CEC and the other ECs shall be made on the recommendations made by a three-member Committee comprising the Prime Minister, LoP of the Lok Sabha and in case no LoP is available, the leader of the largest opposition party in the Lok Sabha in terms of numerical strength and the Chief Justice of India,” said the apex court, clarifying that its guidelines shall be in effect until Parliament makes a law in consonance with Article 324(2) of the Constitution.

After the apex court verdict, the Parliament introduced legislation providing that the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and the other Election Commissioners (ECs) will be appointed by the President on the recommendation of a Selection Committee consisting of the PM, the Leader of the Opposition (or the largest opposition party) in the Lok Sabha, and a Union Cabinet Minister to be nominated by the PM.

Several PILs were filed before the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of the Chief Election Commissioner and the other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Condition of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023.

One of the pleas filed by a Noida-based lawyer sought directions to set aside the gazette notification issued by the Union government on December 28, 2023, and to include the Chief Justice of India in the selection committee for the appointment of the CEC and ECs. Further, it sought direction to the Union of India for implementing an independent and transparent system of selection constituting a neutral and independent selection committee for appointment of the CEC and other ECs.

On February 19, the hearing was adjourned by the Justice Kant-led Bench after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta requested to defer the proceedings as he was on his legs before the Constitution Bench dealing with the question of whether courts can modify arbitral awards under the provisions of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996.

Kolkata, March 19: Approximately 46,000 active police posts are lying vacant in West Bengal as of now, according to information provided by the state police directorate to the Election Commission of India (ECI) through the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal.

Of the total 46,000 vacant posts, around 30,000 vacancies are for constables who form the backbone of the police force in the state, while the remaining vacancies are for other ranks.

According to sources from the state police, among the posts of other ranks the maximum vacancies are for the sub-inspector or equivalent ranks, who represent the lowest officer level in the force.

The ECI recently requested details of the current police strength, including vacancies, as part of its early preparations for the state assembly election scheduled for next year. In response, the state police directorate reported that the force’s existing strength stands at approximately 80,000 personnel, while vacancies account for over one-third of the total sanctioned posts.

The state police directorate has already forwarded the data to the Election Commission through the office of CEO, West Bengal. It has stated that the existing strength of the forces, including officers and lower ranks stands at around 80,000, while the total number of vacant posts stands at 46,000.

Statistically, this means that over one-third of the strength in the state police forces is lying vacant as of now.

However, the list provided by the state police authorities to the ECI does not include data on civic volunteers attached to the forces since as per rule civic volunteers cannot be used in election-related duties.

Furthermore, a directive from the Calcutta High Court prohibits their deployment in law and order operations. The state government has faced criticism in the past for using civic volunteers in roles beyond their authorized scope.

Meanwhile, sources from the office of the CEO of West Bengal said that based on the available strength of the state police forces, the Election Commission will decide on the security arrangements for the polls and more especially on the ratio of state police forces and central armed police forces (CAPF) for the election purpose.