Today in Politics: SC to hear pleas challenging validity of Waqf Act

A total of 10 petitions have been listed for hearing with the lead petition being the one filed by AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi.

In his plea, Owaisi contended that the law is “manifestly arbitrary, perpetuates discrimination on grounds of religion, violates the Shariat Act and strips the Muslim community of the right to manage its own religious institutions”.

On Tuesday, the Centre had approached the top court with a caveat, which is a request to hear it before passing any order on the pending batch of writ petitions challenging the Act.

Several petitions have been filed before the SC challenging the constitutional validity of Waqf Act, including by AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan, RJD MP Manoj Jha, Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama, and the Association for Protection of Civil Rights.

Mayawati meet party leaders from UP, Uttarakhand

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati will preside over a crucial meeting of senior party leaders from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand here on Wednesday.

The meeting, to be held at the BSP’s state office in Mall Avenue, will be attended by senior office-bearers and all district presidents of the party from the two states, according to a media invite.

“The focus of the session will be to review grassroots-level preparations, assess the progress of key organisational tasks assigned so far, and chalk out future strategies to strengthen the party’s presence among the masses,” it said.

Rahul to address Aravalli district workers convention

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday will address party workers at Modasa town in Arvalli district and kickstart the pilot project of selecting district unit chiefs.

“A nine-member committee appointed by the AICC had recommended strengthening district units and giving more powers to its presidents. The Congress Working Committee (CWC) has given its nod to these recommendations. On my request, the party has decided to launch the pilot project for the implementation of the recommendations in Gujarat,” state Congress chief Shaktisinh Gohil said.

A five-member committee, comprising one AICC observer and 4 state (PCC) observers, will oversee the process of appointing the new district unit chiefs for each of the 41 district units, he said, adding the entire process in Gujarat will be completed in 45 days.

SC may hear plea on ‘clearing’ of University of Hyderabad land

The Supreme Court may hear a matter in which it had asked the Telangana government to explain the “compelling urgency” for clearing a large tree cover on a land parcel near the University of Hyderabad.

While taking suo motu cognisance of the deforestation activities in the Kancha Gachibowli forest, the apex court on April 3 directed that until further orders, no activity of any sort, except the protection of the trees already existing there, shall be undertaken by the state or any authority.

The matter is slated to come up for hearing before a Bench of Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih. The apex court took cognisance of the matter after it was brought to its notice by senior advocate K Parameshwar, who is assisting it as an amicus curiae in forest-related matters.

– With PTI inputs