Front Page
The Times of India, The Hindu and The Indian Express lead with the reinstatement of Cyrus Mistry as the chairman of the Tata Group on their front pages Thursday. Hindustan Times leads with the Supreme Court dismissing a petition filed by one of the four convicts in the 16 December gangrape-murder case.
Hindu also features a photograph of the “historic” Jama Masjid in Srinagar, which was opened for the public “after a gap of four and a half months”.
Cyrus Mistry back as Tata chairman: “In a complete reversal of a July 2017 tribunal order, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) Wednesday restored Cyrus Pallonji Mistry as Executive Chairman of Tata Sons and director in the Tata Group,” reports Express. TOI says this “stunning move” comes “three years after he was sacked as chairman” and Hindu notes how NCLAT has ruled that the “unceremonious” removal of Mistry was “illegal”.
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Death penalty review: HT notes that the Supreme Court’s ruling meant “the review petitions of all four death row convicts stood dismissed in the top court”. However, it adds, “the convicts can still file curative petitions, which are considered the last legal recourse in the court and are generally heard in-chamber”.
TOI focuses on a different set of proceedings related to the same case, where a Delhi court “directed Tihar Jail authorities…to issue a notice to the four Nirbhaya convicts — who are facing the death sentence — mentioning their remaining legal remedies and asked it to collect the convicts’ responses within a week of issuing the notice”.
SC refuses to stay Citizenship (Amendment) Act: Hindu writes that the Supreme Court has “refused to stay the implementation” of the CAA and Chief Justice S.A. Bobde “orally suggested to the government to publicise the actual intent of the Act so that there was no confusion among the public about its objectives and aims”. TOI, where the story is a lead on the flap, highlights that the bench sought a reply from the central government by 22 January 2020. Both HT and Express gives the news a brief mention on Page 1.
Others
Express reports that for the first time, the GST Council went in “for a vote on the issue of imposing a uniform tax of 28 per cent for both state-run and state-authorised lottery”. Hindu provides the detail that the council “broke its tradition of taking decisions by consensus”.
In an exclusive story, HT reports that the “Delhi Police fired at least 450 tear gas shells over the past five days to quell protests in Jamia Nagar and Seelampur”. It adds that police sources admitted “it could be the largest quantity of the ordinarily non-lethal ammunition used in a comparable time span in recent history in the Capital”.
Opinion
The Indian Express: Express writes that the death sentence a special court has given to former Pakistan President and military ruler Pervez Musharraf marks a “significant moment in the country’s history”. He was tried for the charge for treason because in 2007 he suspended the Constitution and declared Emergency. The “coup within a coup” was carried out at the same time when the Supreme Court was deliberating the “validity” of Musharraf’s bid for a second presidential term, after it had already declared his 2007 Emergency as unconstitutional and illegal in 2009. But the death sentence is “unlikely to be carried out”, explains Express, as Musharraf lives in “self-exile” in the UAE.
Additionally, “the security establishment will ensure this does not happen”, as the army has declared Musharraf could “never be a traitor”. The Imran Khan-led government is also “on the same page” as the army, and the Opposition, too, is “likely to be muted”. More importantly, “will the verdict change existing equations?” Express asks, pointing out that the Pakistani Army is “capable of ditching individuals to safeguard its institutional interests”.
The Hindu: The Right to Information Act’s role in “fostering more informed citizenry and accountable government” has never been doubted since it was first implemented in 2005, writes Hindu, but there have been “growing misgivings”. Even though Section 4 of the Act calls for “pro-active and voluntary dissemination of information”, only a few central and state institutions, like Rajasthan’s Jan Soochna portal, have published relevant information.
The CJI had observed recently that officials were ‘scared’ because of the RTI and said some queries were not always in “public spirit” and were posed by people who had no “locus standi” in the matter. This argument is “difficult to accept”, writes Hindu, since Section 6(2) explicitly states that an applicant “shall not be required to give any reason for requesting the information”. Authorities should instead focus on “greater voluntary dissemination” of information on government portals.
The other big misgiving in RTI implementation is the “persisting problem” of vacancies in the Central Information Commission and State commissions, which needs to be addressed by the government urgently, concludes the Hindu.
Prime Time
Prime Time debates revolved mostly around two issue — the protests against Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the Supreme Court’s rejection of the review petition of Akshay Kumar Singh, a convict in the 16 December gangrape and murder case.
On Aaj Tak, anchor Rohit Sardana asked if politicians were behind the violence in Delhi’s Jamia and Seelampur areas. Ravish Kumar brought women students of Jamia to his show on NDTV India. They students spoke about the night when police allegedly entered the campus of Jamia Millia Islamia and beat up students.
Zee news: Anchor Aman Arora asked when will the culprits of the 16 December gangrape and murder case be punished with death sentence, now that the review petition of Akshay Singh has been rejected by the top court.
The victim’s lawyer, Seema Smriti, explained the legal process and said 98 per cent of the procedure was done. Since the winter vacations have started, the court has given a date on 7 January for the next hearing, she said.
Lawyer Abha Singh stated that filing a mercy petition is a convict’s right “…but seeing the public agitation, the President might take a quick decision on that”.
She added: “However, the procedures are complex. The mercy petition of Indira Gandhi’s killers was pending for 10 years and that’s why their death sentence later changed to life imprisonment.”
“This is a wake-up call for us,” said lawyer Subuhi Khan. “Most of our laws are from the colonial era and internally clash with different books of law. We require a mass level amendment in our laws. The criminal procedure should change in the court. Everything should be time-bound,” she added.
Republic Bharat: Anchor Arnab Goswami asked why Delhi has been burning right before the elections. “If AAP and Congress are not involved in fuelling the riots, then why aren’t they saying anything against those who started the violence,” he said.
Meanwhile, the channel ran visuals of Kanhaiya Kumar addressing the gathering at Jamia and called him “the leader of the tukde-tukde gang”.
Goswami, referring to the Jamia and Seelampur violence, said “the protests were not done by students but goons…and the goons should be lathi-charged.”
NDTV: Anchor Sanket Upadhyay debated whether “India can afford the nationwide NRC (National Register of Citizens) process and if the entire exercise was worth it?”
BJP MP Rakesh Sinha said, “The NRC is essential to create a national citizens’ register, it has absolutely nothing to do with a communal bias.”
TMC MP Derek O Brien, who appeared on the show in a white shirt saying ‘No CAB-No NRC’, remarked, “If the CAA is so important why didn’t PM Modi come to the Rajya Sabha for even nine minutes to hear the debate?….we have a federal structure, you cannot bulldoze other states with CAB and NRC.”
Republic TV: After the President rejected the mercy petition for the convicts of 16 December 2012 Delhi gangrape-muder case, Arnab Goswami debated #NooseNotDelay. As it was stated that the rapists will not be hanged in 2019, he asked if “India has let down Nirbhaya?”
BJP Spokesperson Shaina NC said, “You are making all exceptions for the convicts. Where are the exceptions for the victim?”
Supreme Court lawyer Shilpi Jain said, “We should all hang our heads in shame, the whole system needs an overhaul.”
The Appeasement people of india are lumpen elements indulging in violence or instigating violence by spreading false narrative. People like mamta, gandis should be dealt with an iron fist. It is people like mamta, gandis who are dividing india on religious lines. Indian Muslim is my brother but not a pukestani muslim. A pukestani barbaric muslim cannot be allowed into india. Forget 1947, what about 1971? Such protests show the moral, ethical degradation of india when the indian muslim is 100% safe yet the persecution complex remains. Pathetic! Try this stunt in australia. Gaan mein full full danda daal denge. Tamasha of Strife? SCI will surely support the Govt. Otherwise, Liberals like me also have the Right to Protest for India’s Safety. I dont want a mass Exodus of bhooka – nanga foreign muslim into india. I cant afford it. Tommo, my friends & relatives will decide for me as to who will enter my house? Pathetic. Whom india allows or does not allow into india, is india’s perogative. No muslim from puke, afghan, b’deshi into india without india’s permission. Its my country. I will decide. These violent people are anti nationals in my eyes including mamta & gandis. Give them good good treatment. Call out the Army if necessary. I repeat, fiercely loyal indian muslim is my brother but certainly not a foreign muslim. I dont trust them. Its as simple as that. Where is the issue?
It is the same people who were praising demonisation as the step that would erase all evils in the society now trying to defend cab etc.
Most times there foul language is the only weapon to emphasise there ignorance.
Arnab should stop talking after the hangover of drinking cow-urine
Sarv Dharm Sambhav but No Appeasement! India will decide who is allowed or who is forbidden to enter into india. Whats your problem? Tommo, you punks will decide who will enter my house and who will not? You guys have gone insane?