Kiren Rijiju shunted out of law ministry, Siddaramaiah is next Karnataka CM: Top 5 stories today

Among other top headlines is the Supreme Court upholding the amendments made by the legislatures of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Karnataka to The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, allowing bull-taming sports like jallikattu, kambala, and bullock-cart races.

Scroll down for a quick look at the top five national headlines:

1. 01

   Kiren Rijiju removed as law minister

   Kiren Rijiju has been removed as the Union Minister for Law and Justice after a fiery two-year stint, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi allocating the Ministry of Earth Sciences portfolio to him Thursday. Rijiju has been replaced by Arjun Ram Meghwal as the Law Minister. As the Law Minister, Rijiju took on the judiciary on several issues, ranging from judges’ appointment to their accountability, and often in language that did not go down well with the legal fraternity.

   Sources said that the frequent stirring of tensions between the government and the judiciary has had a negative impact and could have been a factor in the portfolio rejig.

2. 02

   SC stays Bengal govt order banning film ‘The Kerala Story’

   The Supreme Court stayed the May 8 order of the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government banning the screening of the controversial film ‘The Kerala Story’ in the state. The bench which was headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, and comprising Justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala, said it is the duty of the state government to maintain law and order as the film has been granted certification by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), news agency PTI reported. 

   The Supreme Court will now hear pleas that challenge the grant of CBFC certification to ‘The Kerala Story’ in the second week of July. The court said it would like to watch the film before proceeding to decide pleas challenging the grant, PTI reported.

3. 03

   Siddaramaiah is next Karnataka Chief Minister

   After four days of hectic negotiations, the Congress central leadership announced its decision to appoint Siddaramaiah as the Chief Minister and D K Shivakumar as his deputy. AICC general secretary in charge of organisation K C Venugopal told reporters, “(We will) share the power with the people of Karnataka. Only that is there. Nothing else”. 

   “We decided to make Siddaramaiah the Chief Minister of Karnataka. D K Shivakumar will be the only one Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka. He will continue as the PCC president till the Parliament election is over,” he said. A group of ministers will be sworn in on May 20 at 12.30 pm, he added.

    

4. 04

   SC upholds Tamil Nadu law allowing jallikattu

   A five-judge Bench of the Supreme Court, came out with the verdict which upheld the amendments made by the legislatures of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Karnataka to The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, which allow bull-taming sports like jallikattu, kambala, and bullock-cart races. 

   The five-judge bench overruled the verdict given by a two-judge Bench of the court in its 2014 ruling in ‘Welfare Board of India v. A. Nagaraja’, banning such sports including jallikattu. The Bench has now ruled that the changes in the law were valid — but the issue of jallikattu must be decided by Parliament.

5. 05

   Minister of State Law, S P Baghel moved to Health Ministry

   The Centre announced that it has now shifted Union Minister of State for Law and Justice Satya Pal Singh Baghel to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, hours after Kiren Rijiju was moved from the law ministry.

   A Rashtrapati Bhavan communique stated that President Droupadi Murmu, as advised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been pleased to direct that “Prof S P Singh Baghel, Minister of State be assigned as Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in place of Minister of State in the Ministry of Law and Justice."