Page 2 - Kapil Sibal

Good if he is going for 'prayashchit': Kapil Sibal on PM's meditation plan

Raising questions over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meditation at Rock Memorial from May 30 to June 1, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Wednesday said it is good if he is going to Kanyakumari for "prayashchit" (atonement). "The person who does not understand the meaning of 'vivek' (wisdom), what 'dhyan' (meditation) he will do. "If he is going for 'prayashchit', then it is a good thing or if he is going to take inspiration from writings and speeches of Swami Vivekanand, even then it is good," said Sibal. The prime minister will meditate from the evening of May 30 to the evening of June 1 at Dhyan Mandapam, the place where Vivekananda a spiritual icon admired by PM Modi is believed to have had a divine vision about Bharat Mata', BJP leaders said on Tuesday. Sibal alleged the BJP-led government at the Centre does not talk about its achievements because it has "nothing to show". "What have they done for the last 10 years? Has the prime minister said during his speeches what he did .

Probe agencies acting at his behest, Sibal slams PM Modi for jail barb

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Sunday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his veiled 'jail' swipe at RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and claimed that this was a "confession" that probe agencies were acting at the PM's behest. Sibal also slammed Modi for his 'mujra' remark and said that even though this was a violation of the model code of conduct but no one, including the Election Commission, will act as they are "hand in glove" with the PM. The prime minister has stated in his speeches that the INDIA bloc will take away water taps, electricity, money from banks and also taken "mujra" jibe, the former Union minister said at a press conference here. "He is sitting in a high office that has dignity. If you reduce the dignity of the PM's post to such a level, look at what is being said on social media. It is an insult to women also," Sibal said, hitting out at the PM for his 'mujra' remark. "What do you want to say? You are insulting women, you are insulting opposition leaders. If y

SC slams Hemant Soren for suppressing facts, JMM leader withdraws plea

The Supreme Court on Wednesday pulled up former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren for suppressing facts regarding filing of regular bail plea in trial court in a money laundering case, prompting the JMM leader to withdraw his petition challenging arrest by the Enforcement Directorate. A vacation bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma allowed Soren's counsel Kapil Sibal to withdraw his plea after warning that if the court goes into the details of the case it will be damaging for the former chief minister. Your conduct tells a lot. We expected your client to come up with candour but you suppressed material facts, the bench told Sibal Your conduct is not without blemish, the bench told Sibal, after he tried to defend Soren saying he is in custody and does not have any knowledge about the petitions being filed in courts. He is not a layman, the bench observed and said it will dismiss his plea against arrest without going into the merit of the case. Sibal then ..

Supreme Court denies bail to Hemant Soren, postpones hearing to Wednesday

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren whether a writ court can examine the legality of his arrest after the trial court has taken cognisance of the prosecution complaint filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the money laundering case against him related to an alleged land scam. A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma, which posted the matter for further hearing on Wednesday, asked Soren's counsel to first satisfy the court as to how interim bail can be granted to him for campaigning in the Lok Sabha poll when his application for regular bail has been dismissed. Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Arunabh Chowdhury, appearing for Soren, sought time till Wednesday to respond to the court's queries. Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the ED, opposed Soren's interim bail plea, contending his case was different from that of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was granted interim bail on May 10 for

CJI Chandrachud congratulates Kapil Sibal on being elected SCBA president

Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud on Friday congratulated senior advocate Kapil Sibal on being elected as the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA). "Mr Sibal, heartiest congratulations on our behalf for being elected as the president of the SCBA. We look forward towards your cooperation and (that of) the members of the executive committee," the CJI said while holding a ceremonial bench. Thanking the CJI, Sibal said, "It is my honour that after 22 years, I have been given this opportunity to serve the bar. From our side, you will have complete cooperation and that's our commitment to the bench. It is through this cooperation that we can take the agenda forward." Sibal was elected as the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Thursday. Besides Sibal, senior advocates Adish C Aggarwala, Pradeep Kumar Rai, Priya Hingorani and advocates Tripurari Ray and Neeraj Srivastava were in the running for the post of SCBA president. According to sources, S

Amit Shah's statement on bail to Kejriwal 'objectionable', says Kapil Sibal

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Thursday hit out at Home Minister Amit Shah over his reported "special treatment" remarks on the interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, saying it was an "objectionable statement" that questioned the intention of the Supreme Court judges. Sibal's remarks came after Shah, while referring to the interim bail granted by the Supreme Court to Kejriwal, reportedly said many in the country believed he was given special treatment. The Supreme Court on Thursday steered clear of the political talk about it having made an exception for Kejriwal in granting him interim bail for campaigning in the Lok Sabha polls but said "critical analysis of the judgement is welcome". Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Sibal said, "Shah has made an objectionable statement and questioned the intention of the Supreme Court judges." Shah has stated very cleverly that many people are saying the Supreme Court's decision to grant interim bail to Kejriw

EC must act, give notice to Modi, says Sibal on PM's Rajasthan speech

Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his 'Congress will redistribute wealth' remarks, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Monday said political discourse had never sunk to such a low in India's history and urged the Election Commission to take action in the matter. Sibal's attack came a day after Prime Minister Modi suggested that if the Congress comes to power, it would redistribute wealth of people to Muslims and cited former PM Manmohan Singh's remark that the minority community had the first claim on the country's resources. "After the PM's speech, crores of people will be disappointed. Probably no other prime minister has given such a statement since 1950. The speech points out that our minorities who have been living in India for years are infiltrators. What kind of politics is this?" Sibal said at a press conference here. "What kind of culture is this? You talk of Ram Mandir, inaugurate the temple, talk about Ram's ideals and on the other hand you spread hate. Where is

Polling in 7 phases in West Bengal proves EC is 'long arm of govt': Sibal

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Sunday said the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal is an evidence that the Election Commission is "a long arm of the government". Sibal also raised questions over the appointment of two election commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu recently, saying they were appointed despite the fact that there is a Constitution bench judgment stating that the Chief Justice of India (CJI) should also be a member of the committee that recommends the names of appointees. "As far as the seven phases (of the Lok Sabha polls in the country) are concerned, that was expected," he told PTI Videos. "In fact the way they appointed these two election commissioners despite the fact that there is a Constitution bench judgment saying that the CJI should also be a member of the committee. The way they have discarded the Constitution bench decision despite the challenge pending in the Supreme Court and the way they preponed the appointment, only shows that

Sibal demands investigation into electoral bonds, calls it 'big scam'

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Friday described the electoral bonds scheme as a "very big scam" and demanded that a special investigation team (SIT) be set up with court-appointed officials to probe the alleged quid pro quo and wrongdoings under it. Sibal, a senior advocate who is leading the arguments for the petitioners in a case in the Supreme Court against electoral bonds, alleged at a press conference here that the scheme was "illegal" and aimed at enriching a political party in such a manner that no other political party can compete with it. His remarks came a day after the Election Commission (EC) put up the data on electoral bonds on its website. Attacking the BJP-led Centre over the issue, Sibal said, "The person who started this scheme was our former finance minister (Arun Jaitley) and he thought that in this manner, no political party would be able to compete with us (BJP) and he was proven right. The one who has money can play the game." The Rajya Sabha MP said it has to

SC's responsibility to protect its dignity: Sibal on electoral bonds issue

'The government in power does not want the names to be declared before the election is over. It is as simple as that,' Sibal said

PM Modi, what he stands for, will be at centre of LS polls: Kapil Sibal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be at the centre of the Lok Sabha polls and whether what he stands for is for the good of the people of the country would be the subject matter of the elections, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal said on Sunday. In a video interview with PTI, Sibal also said the opposition INDIA bloc needs to come out with a joint vision document which entails what key issues are there before the country which need to be addressed. Asserting that no election is a done deal, Sibal quipped, "I don't know whether picture baki hai ki nahi lekin jo picture chal rahi hai woh desh ke liye theek nahi hai (I don't know whether or not there is more to the film but the one that is playing is not good for the country)." Asked about the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) losing its way with JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar crossing over to the NDA and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee saying her party will go solo in the polls, Sibal said negotiations with Banerjee were still o

Sibal deplores British-era origin of criminal laws, says it quelled dissent

Senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Saturday deprecated the practice of arresting persons on the ground of suspicion, saying he had problems with the British-era origin of criminal procedures which was used to "quell dissent". Sibal was speaking at a seminar organised by NGO 'Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms- (CJAR)'. "When we adopted the Constitution of India, it was based on the 1935 (Government of India) Act. When we adopted the criminal laws, that was the same (British-era) Indian Penal Code (IPC), the same Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). When the British had this provision that you can arrest anybody on the basis of suspicion," the senior advocate said. He said the British adopted the rule of arresting anyone based on suspicion to quell dissent and many atrocities were committed based on the provision. "I have a problem with this provision. How does it pass the test of constitutionality? You cannot be deprived of your life and liberty, save in

Castes of SCs, STs may not be homogenous in terms of social status: SC

The Supreme Court, examining whether states can sub-classify scheduled castes and scheduled tribes for grant of quota inside quota, on Wednesday said all SCs and STs may not be homogenous in terms of their sociological, economic, education and social status. "They (SCs and STs) may be a class for a certain purpose. But, they may not be a class for all the purposes," a seven-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud observed while hearing as many as 23 petitions on the issue. The top court is hearing references to revisit a five-judge constitution bench judgement of 2004 in the case of 'EV Chinnaiah vs. State of Andhra Pradesh' in which it was held that SCs and STs are homogenous groups and hence, states cannot further sub-classify inside SCs and STs to grant quota inside quota for more deprived and weaker castes in these groups. "Therefore, there is homogeneity in the sense that each one of them belongs to the scheduled castes. But your argument is that there i

ED 'fabricating evidence' against Hemant Soren: Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal

Soren was on Friday remanded to five days' ED custody by a special PMLA court in Ranchi in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged land fraud

Talk of Ram Rajya in Ayodhya, showing 'Aaya Ram Gaya Ram' in Bihar: Sibal

Taking a swipe at the BJP over the Bihar political developments, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Sunday said while there was talk of Ram Rajya at the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, "Aaya Ram Gaya Ram" was being showcased in Bihar. Sibal's dig in the morning came just ahead of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's volte-face from the opposition INDIA bloc to the BJP-led NDA. In a post on X, Sibal said, "Ayodhya, Bihar. Talk of: Ram Rajya at Ayodhya and showcase 'Aaya Ram Gaya Ram in Bihar'!" "What say you Modi ji?" said Sibal, a prominent voice in the opposition. Aaya Ram Gaya Ram' was an expression used widely in politics in the 1990s referring to the frequent floor-crossing and switching of parties. Later in the day, Chief Minister Kumar submitted his resignation to Governor Rajendra V Arlekar. The governor accepted Kumar's resignation, and asked him to continue as caretaker CM till a new government is formed. A new government with the support of the BJP is likely to be in place

Sibal slams Maharashtra Speaker Narwekar's ruling over Shiv Sena feud

A day after Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led faction was declared the "real" Shiv Sena, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Thursday said the "play was scripted long ago" and what was watched was the "farce" being played out with no recourse. In a big political win for Shinde, assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar on Wednesday held that the Shiv Sena faction led by him was the "real political party" when rival groups emerged in June 2022, and did not disqualify any MLA from the two camps. The ruling cemented Shinde place in the top job, 18 months after his rebellion, and added to his political heft in the ruling coalition which also consists of the BJP and the NCP (Ajit Pawar group) ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. In a post on X, Sibal said, "Speaker (as Tribunal): Shindes faction is real Sena. The play was scripted long ago. We watch the farce being played out with no recourse." "That is the tragedy of this 'mother of democracy'," the former Union minister said. In his 105-minute-l

New criminal laws 90% same, more rigorous than 'colonial' ones: Kapil Sibal

The former Union Minister said that the new laws are more rigorous than the 'colonial' ones and they don't have any 'Indian-ness' in them

For most pathbreaking, for some heartbreaking: Sibal on Article 370 verdict

He claimed, however, that the apex court ruling had nothing to do with the Centre's understanding of Article 370, which accorded special constitutional privileges to the erstwhile state

Kapil Sibal slams BJP for boycotting Telangana MLAs' oath-taking ceremony

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal slammed the BJP on Sunday after its MLAs boycotted the oath-taking ceremony of the newly-elected legislators in Telangana over AIMIM's Akbaruddin Owaisi being made pro-tem speaker, saying such "public expression of hate" makes him wonder where the country is heading. The first session of the third Telangana Legislative Assembly began on Saturday with the oath-taking ceremony of the newly-elected MLAs. The BJP MLAs, however, stayed away from the House, alleging that AIMIM MLA Owaisi was appointed as pro-tem speaker in violation of rules. In a post on X, Sibal said, "Telangana, Protem Speaker Akbaruddin Owaisi -- 8 BJP MLAs boycott oath. Such public expression of hate makes me wonder where my country is heading!" "Is this the Mother of Democracy we publicly proclaim to be!" the former Union minister said. Before the commencement of the Telangana Assembly session, Owaisi was administered the oath by Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan as the pro-tem speaker at

Shareholders do not become owners: Sibal on ED order on Herald case

Earlier, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party over ED's action to attach properties worth 751 crores in the National Herald Case