Police have registered criminal cases against 42 individuals, including BJP functionaries and local residents, in connection with protests condemning the permission granted for flag-hoisting related to the Sandhanakoodu festival at the Sikandar Dargah, while Hindu devotees were allegedly denied permission to light the Karthigai Deepam at the Deepathoon on the same hill despite a court order permitting the ritual.

According to police records, 35 people, including BJP district leaders Marisakkaravarthi, Sivalingam, and Rajasimman, have been booked by the Thirunagar Police Station for staging a road-block protest on the Thirunagar–Thirupparankundram Road. The protest was held to demand the release of residents and women who had earlier been arrested during demonstrations on the hill. Traffic on the arterial road was disrupted for over half an hour due to the sit-in.

The Thirupparankundram Police Station has registered cases against 17 residents of Palani Andavar Koil Street, including women, in connection with protests on the hill itself. Police allege that these individuals argued with officers over the permission granted for the Dargah flag-hoisting, violated police instructions, and attempted to carry traditional clay lamps up the hill to light the Deepam.

Police further stated that some protesters placed the clay lamps in front of the Palani Andavar Temple and performed worship there, which authorities have described as part of an unauthorised protest.

The protests trace back to 21 December 2025, when residents alleged that police failed to implement a court order allowing the lighting of the Deepam at the Deepathoon, while simultaneously granting permissions for Sandhanakoodu-related activities at the Dargah. Following demonstrations by local residents, many of them women, police arrested several participants and confined them in a private marriage hall in Thirunagar.

In response, more than 200 people staged a road-block protest demanding their release. Those detained were released later that night, around 11 p.m. However, police subsequently registered FIRs against those who took part in both the hill protest and the road blockade.

The registration of cases has drawn criticism from various quarters, with those booked stating that their agitation was aimed at asserting what they describe as their constitutional right to worship. Protesters have alleged selective enforcement of law, claiming that police action favoured one religious group while proceeding against another.

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The post Cases Filed Against 42 For Protesting DMK Govt’s Decision To Deny Deepam And Kasi Vishwanathar Temple Access While Allowing Muslims For Sikandar Dargah Event appeared first on The Commune.

At a time when the nation reels from the bomb blast on a crowded Monday evening killing atleast 8 people, a blast that is now being probed as a terror attack, one would expect some decency from the breed of journalists we have in India.

But Dravidianist supporters and stooges of the ruling party are a different breed altogether. Right when you think, you have seen the lowest of their behaviour, you’ll be surprised to see them fall even lower than that. And that is exactly what happened when DMK stooge, The Week journo, Lakshmi Subramanian, commented about the blast on her X handle.

Barely a couple of hours after the blast, she wrote, “Tomorrow, the second phase of polling in Bihar. Today: Car bomb explosion in Delhi.”

It takes an extraordinary amount of mediocrity to link an election in a state to a bomb blast and indirectly accuse the central government of orchestrating it.

This comes right after a fellow propagandist who masquerades as an ‘investigative’ journalist, Ravi Nair did the same. He deleted his post after backlash and calls to arrest him. However, Subramanian continues to let the post remain on her profile.

The Red Fort Blast

The explosion, which took place around 7:15 p.m. on November 10 near Red Fort Metro Station (Subhash Marg), involved a Hyundai i20 car that detonated with massive force, killing eight and injuring several others. The blast also set nearby vehicles ablaze and caused panic in the heavily patrolled area.

An FIR has been registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and various provisions of the Explosives Act. Multiple agencies including the National Investigation Agency (NIA), National Security Guard (NSG), and Delhi Police Special Cell are jointly investigating the incident.

Suspected Terror Module and Early Findings

Preliminary investigations suggest that the car was linked to a “white-collar” terror module originating from Pulwama. Sources say the suspects have links to the Jaish-e-Mohammed network, with one identified as Dr. Umar Mohammad, allegedly involved in planning and logistics.

Forensic analysis has confirmed the use of ammonium nitrate-based explosives, while CCTV footage reportedly shows the suspect vehicle loitering in the vicinity for several hours before the explosion. Three occupants of the car were killed instantly.

Subsequent raids in Faridabad led to the recovery of explosives and arms from a residence rented by one of the accused. Delhi remains on high alert, with heightened security at transport hubs, government buildings, and major landmarks.

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Chennai’s prestigious Loyola College, long celebrated as a premier Jesuit institution, is once again under a cloud of controversy after the Catholic Minority Welfare Society (CMWS) lodged a formal complaint alleging a “cash for marks” scandal and accused the college’s management of shielding tainted faculty members, manipulating internal processes, and undermining academic integrity.

In a strongly worded letter addressed to the Superior General of the Society of Jesus in Rome, the CMWS, a registered Catholic advocacy body, accused Rev. Dr. J. Antony Robinson, S.J., the Rector of Loyola College, of misuse of power, academic cover-ups, and shielding faculty involved in illegal academic practices.

Misuse Of Power And Academic Negligence

The CMWS letter names Dr. J. Merline Shyla, Associate Professor of Physics, and Dr. S. Arul Mozhi, Assistant Professor, as central figures in the alleged scandal. It also accuses Rector Rev. Dr. Robinson of abusing his authority and ignoring internal regulations to protect favoured colleagues.

According to the complaint, despite being assigned 16 hours of teaching work per week, Dr. Robinson has not taken classes for over a year, allowing proxies to sign attendance registers on his behalf. The CMWS notes that such conduct “has never happened in the 100-year history of Loyola College,” calling it “a shameful breach of Jesuit academic integrity.”

The letter further alleges that Dr. Robinson has “usurped the powers of the Secretary and the Principal” by unilaterally making appointments and granting favours to loyalists, undermining the administrative framework of the autonomous institution.

Multiple Roles And Irregular Appointments

The CMWS also highlighted serious irregularities in the appointments of Dr. Merline Shyla, who currently holds multiple administrative roles, including that of Research Dean and Director of Entomology—a position unrelated to her academic background in Physics. The letter states that this violates UGC workload and specialization norms, and alleges that the appointments were made purely due to personal favouritism.

“It is humanly impossible for a person to handle these many responsibilities with integrity,” the letter says, calling it “an academic farce that reduces Loyola’s legacy to a political playground.”

‘Cash for Marks’ Allegation And Suspension Cover-Up

The most damning charge concerns Dr. S. Arul Mozhi, who allegedly tampered with student answer scripts during the November 2023 semester exams by altering evaluated papers and awarding higher marks to select students in exchange for favours.

The malpractice was reportedly identified by an external examiner and escalated to the Controller of Examinations, Rev. Dr. A. Irudaya Raj, S.J., leading to Dr. Mozhi’s suspension on February 15, 2024. However, the CMWS alleges that she was quietly reinstated within weeks, without a proper inquiry, due to her personal proximity to the Rector.

“Without conducting any formal investigation, the accused faculty member was taken back to teaching,” the complaint notes, calling it “a disgraceful example of Jesuit partiality.”

Jesuit Leadership Accused Of Shielding Offenders

The letter accuses Rev. Dr. J. Antony Robinson, S.J., of “despotic conduct” and “unprecedented misuse of power,” asserting that his leadership has “demoralised sincere academic staff” and “tarnished the Jesuit brand that once stood for discipline and moral uprightness.”

“Jesuits have stood for justice worldwide. Ironically enough, this inexperienced and immature Jesuit has usurped authority and committed acts of crime,” the letter declares.

The CMWS has also submitted copies of the complaint to the Directorate of Collegiate Education, urging a government inquiry into what they describe as a “Cash for Marks” scandal and systematic academic fraud at Loyola College.

Earlier Allegations Resurface

This controversy comes barely a year after Savukku Shankar’s explosive report — published by The Commune Mag — which linked Loyola College to another academic scandal involving DMK leaders, including the now Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin.

In that report, Savukku Shankar had alleged that academic credentials and internal evaluations were being manipulated for political protégés, hinting at a “cash and connection” economy within Loyola College.

The new allegations by CMWS appear to corroborate Savukku’s warnings, suggesting a deeper, systemic rot where Jesuit administrators, faculty, and politically connected students operate through networks of favouritism and financial quid pro quo.

Loyola’s Response

When The Commune reached out to Loyola College for comment, Principal Rev. Dr. A. Louis Arockiaraj, S.J., responded via email stating:

“The issue concerns disciplinary proceedings involving a staff member. There cannot be a public discussion on the issue. We inform you to refrain from scandalising individuals and institutions.”

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The post ‘Cash for Marks’ Scandal Rocks Loyola College: Jesuit Management Faces Fresh Allegations Of Academic Fraud appeared first on The Commune.

Image Source: Al Jazeera

A court in Manchester, United Kingdom, has sentenced seven men to lengthy prison terms for the sexual grooming – systematic sexual abuse of two teenage girls in Rochdale between 2001 and 2006. The sentencing, delivered on 2 October 2025, marks a significant development in a series of historical child sexual exploitation cases that have plagued the area.

The ringleader, 65-year-old market trader Mohammed Zahid, received the longest sentence of 35 years after being convicted on multiple counts of rape and other sexual offences. The six other convicted men, aged between 39 and 67, were given minimum prison terms ranging from 12 years. The verdict followed a four-month trial that concluded in June.

The court heard that the two victims, who were both 13 years old when the abuse began and did not know each other, were targeted due to their troubled family backgrounds. The perpetrators used a grooming process, luring the girls with gifts, money, and offers of shelter. The abuse escalated as the girls were transported to various locations in Rochdale, plied with alcohol and drugs, and then sexually assaulted by multiple members of the group.

During the three-day sentencing hearing, both victims provided impact statements detailing the profound and lasting damage caused by the abuse. One woman described how the experience had affected every facet of her life, including her physical and mental health and her ability to form relationships. The other victim stated that the abuse had led her to believe, at the time, that all men would expect sex from her, and she courageously urged other survivors to come forward no matter how much time had passed.

This case is part of a wider pattern of historical child sexual exploitation in Rochdale that first came to significant public attention in the early 2010s. Authorities, including the Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and local council, have since acknowledged major failures in protecting the victims. In April 2022, GMP Chief Constable Stephen Watson issued a public apology, admitting the force had been borderline incompetent in its handling of the issue. A government-commissioned report that same year concluded that authorities had failed to act despite warnings and had downplayed the ethnic dimensions of the exploitation.

Estimates from a 2014 report suggested that at least 1,400 children may have been exploited in such cases in Rochdale, with perpetrators primarily identified as being of Pakistani heritage. This aspect has often been central to the toxic public discourse surrounding these crimes, with far-right elements using it to demonize British Asian and Muslim communities.

The issue regained prominence in the UK earlier in 2025 when US tech billionaire Elon Musk used his platform, X, to accuse Prime Minister Keir Starmer of complicity due to his former role as head of the Crown Prosecution Service. The government rejected these allegations. The case was also leveraged by far-right agitator Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson, who received backing from Musk for his campaigns blaming the UK’s Muslim community and alleging a government cover-up.

Calls for a new national inquiry into so-called “grooming gangs” grew, leading Prime Minister Starmer to reverse his initial position and support such an investigation, stating it would help restore public confidence in the authorities.

A preliminary report released in June 2025 by Baroness Louise Casey highlighted the poor quality of data on the issue, making it difficult to determine if any ethnic group was overrepresented. The report noted that while data on child exploitation suspects shows a disproportion of Asian heritage individuals, data for overall child abuse does not, with white men being the predominant offenders.

Following the report’s findings, the then-Home Secretary Yvette Cooper stated the government had accepted its recommendations, which included strengthening rape laws and enhancing child protection measures. She emphasized in the House of Commons that while more robust data is needed, the findings must not be ignored, as failing to expose these issues allows the crimes of a minority to be used to marginalize entire communities.

(With inputs from Al Jazeera)

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The post Manchester Court Sentences Seven Men In Rochdale Grooming Gang Case, Ringleader Gets 35 Years appeared first on The Commune.

When reason fails, some people resort to the cheapest trick in Indian public discourse: blaming Brahmins. Actor Vinodhini Vaidynathan, a former member of Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam, has once again revealed the depths of her obsession with identity politics. In a bizarre and bigoted rant posted on X, she claimed that the opposition to stray dogs in Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) comes primarily from “upper caste, mostly Brahmin boomers.”

Yes, you read that right. In her worldview, complaints about stray dogs have nothing to do with public safety, sanitation, or the genuine fears of parents whose children have been bitten. No, according to her, it’s a grand Brahmin-Bania conspiracy against the oppressed and even against animals.

She wrote, “This is my understanding. Most of the RWA (Resident Welfare Associations) and gated community uncles and aunties shouting against street dogs are from the boomer generation and mostly Upper Caste, most of them Brahmins. They are retired or about to retire, jobless, so they get active on resident welfare WhatsApp groups and want to create some problem or the other. The India they grew up in, old-world, post-colonial streets, going to either Brahmin run schools or convent schools, streets mostly sheltered and homogenous, their friends from similar backgrounds, playing gully cricket, rarely meeting a person from an oppressed caste, is no longer the India that we know today. Oppressed people have educated themselves and become a formidable force in society. These boomer uncles and aunties cannot digest this change. They are not able to rule over the world, their nexuses are disappearing. Yet, the judiciary has a lot of them in very high positions and influence everything, creating laws that benefit only their own. Stray dogs, are, according to these boomers, part of a world they do not have to deal with. Some of them even feed curd rice for their imported Labradors and apply sacred ash on their “cute” husky’s forehead for Ganesh Chathurthi, but do not want to acknowledge the street dog. The Brahmin-Bania (read: OBC) nexus that rules India will always favour the social-capital-rich decisions and will always be against the interests of the marginalised, whether it be human or animal. In Tamilnadu, it is hence nothing surprising that the Brahmin-advised, Brahmin-adjudicated, OBC-run governments will join forces with the (otherwise hated) BJP at the centre in matters of dealing with the marginalised. End of day, in India, it matters not what you are, but who you are. And if you’re a street dog, god forbid, your life will be a living hell simply because you don’t matter in the least to people who still make their domestic help get into their houses through a separate entrance.”

This is my understanding.

Most of the RWA (Resident Welfare Associations) and gated community uncles and aunties shouting against street dogs are from the boomer generation and mostly Upper Caste, most of them Brahmins. They are retired or about to retire, jobless, so they get…

— Vinodhini Vaidynathan (@VinodhiniUnoffl) September 13, 2025

From Debate to Demagoguery: The Anatomy of Hate

Her argument is not just flawed; it reeks of prejudice.

India has seen an alarming rise in dog-bite cases. Children mauled to death, elderly people attacked, daily wage workers injured, these are not upper-caste inventions. They are hard realities documented across states. RWAs raising concerns about stray dog menace are fulfilling a civic responsibility, not indulging in “caste supremacist nostalgia.” To reduce this serious issue to caste hatred is not just foolish, it is dangerous.

Vinodhini goes further, stereotyping entire communities as curd-rice-feeding, husky-worshipping hypocrites who secretly control the judiciary and the government. This isn’t social critique. This is textbook hate speech targeting Brahmins, something she knows will get her applause from a certain echo chamber online. By painting them as villains even in matters of stray dogs, she exposes her inability to engage with reality outside her caste obsession.

She paints an entire generation and community as “jobless,” with nothing better to do than create problems on WhatsApp groups. This is not criticism; it is a lazy, ageist, and casteist caricature designed to dehumanize rather than engage. Since when did concern for one’s family’s safety become a sinister plot born of idleness?

She romanticizes a supposedly homogenous, caste-pure past for this community, which she claims is threatened by the education and rise of “oppressed people.” This is not just factually incorrect but dangerously divisive. It manufactures a majoritarian victimhood for a community she simultaneously accuses of ruling the judiciary and creating self-serving laws. The cognitive dissonance is staggering.

The pièce de résistance of her rant is the claim of a “Brahmin-Bania nexus that rules India.” This sentence alone exposes the intellectual bankruptcy of the argument. It is a convenient boogeyman, a catch-all conspiracy where any government action she dislikes can be blamed on this shadowy, ill-defined cabal.

The most grotesque part of her post is the performative concern for street dogs, which is immediately undermined by her own hatred. She attacks people for applying sacred ash on their pets while, in the same breath, applying the digital equivalent of a caste mark on an entire section of society to mark them for abuse. She claims to speak for the “marginalized,” yet her language is dripping with the very same majoritarian prejudice she pretends to oppose.

Vinodhini Vaidynathan’s post is not just crass, it is deeply irresponsible. By dragging Brahmins, OBCs, and even the BJP into something as straightforward as RWAs dealing with stray dogs, she has displayed the intellectual bankruptcy of identity politics. This is social poison.

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The post Anti-BJP ‘Actor’, Ex-MNM Member Drags Caste Into Stray Dog Debate, Peddles Brahmin Hate appeared first on The Commune.

One would have expected that there would be an interim government in place in Nepal at the earliest. The nation descended into chaos following a massive uprising which led to the ouster of the Prime Minister and several other ministers who have been accused of large scale corruption.

Swearing in an interim Prime Minister faces a constitutional hurdle as it allows only for a sitting member of Parliament to become one. While the experts are trying find ways to abide by the Constitution and have an interim government in place, fears have set in about the country being run by an army backed caretaker regime.

The army is completely on the side of Gen Z. It has made it clear that the GenZ which carried out the protests will have a say in any future dispensation. While they were united during the protest some divisions have been found when it comes to finding a leader who would lead the negotiations. While one section is in favour of former Chief Justice Sushila Karki, the others are backing Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah.

This has led to a delay in the negotiations, which has raised fears about a possible army-backed caretaker government. What Nepal cannot afford at this moment is a prolonged political vacuum. If an interim government is formed, several other parties such as the Communist UML and the Nepali Congress would want some space in the same.

The problem, however, is that the Gen Z would reject this, which would again prolong the negotiations. Like many, even the army wants radical change in the country and has made it clear that those who fought for it must have the major say in any future dispensation. Even those who were backing the return of the monarchy are in the mix today. However, a return of the monarchy is highly unlikely, Nepal watchers would say as this would require amendments to the Constitution.

Intelligence agencies say that for now the protests are limited to Kathmandu, Biratnagar and Pokhara, which are urban areas. There is a danger of the protests spilling into the rural areas as well and if this takes place, it would hard to control. In the midst of all, the economy of Nepal cannot afford a crisis and if shops and establishments are shut for a prolonged time, it would take a toll on the common man.

While in Bangladesh, following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, a caretaker government was put in place, the scenario in Nepal is slightly more complex than that. One option is to declare an Emergency Rule under Article 273 when Parliament is dissolved. Further, the President can appoint anyone under articles 76 and 77.

This appointment of a neutral figure can take place only if no party is able to form a majority government. While the army backs the Gen Z, it has, however, made it clear that it is not interested in a military takeover. It wants a quick resolution so that law and order can be restored. The Nepal Army, currently, does have enough power to force the political parties to reach a deal and find a suitable candidate to be the interim chief.

While this is a possibility, there is also the risk of other political parties moving the court challenging this decision. At this moment, to overcome these challenges, a Constitutional amendment, too, is not a possibility as for it to be enforced, a two-third majority in Parliament would be needed. Under the current circumstances, that is impossible. Declaring an Emergency would have other repercussions and the situation could get worse.

Currently, the only option available is to have a consensus candidate as the interim chief and for this all parties need to be on the same page.

-IANS

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The post Nepal In Limbo: Constitutional Hurdles Stall Interim Government Formation appeared first on The Commune.

Air India has announced that it is operating special flights on Wednesday and Thursday from Delhi to Kathmandu and back to help passengers who have been stranded due to the recent developments in Nepal.

“Our scheduled operations will also resume from tomorrow,” the Tata Group airline said in a statement issued late in the evening. Air India has asked passengers to check the status of the flights on its website. “We thank the government and other agencies for the quick coordination to facilitate this in the interest of our passengers,” the Air India statement added.

Passengers are requested to check the status of their flights here https://airindia.com/in/en/manage/flight-status.html before proceeding to the airport. For further assistance, please contact our 24×7 Call Centre at 011-69329333 / 011-69329999, the airline said. Air India had earlier in the day announced that its flights to and from Kathmandu would remain cancelled on Wednesday as the airport continues to remain closed.

“We are closely monitoring the situation and will share further updates. At Air India, the safety of our passengers and crew remains top priority,” the airline spokesperson said. Air India and low-cost carrier IndiGo first cancelled their flights between Delhi and Kathmandu on Tuesday as Nepal plunged deeper into chaos after pressure from Gen-Z protests escalated following the killing of 19 people, including school children, in police firing, while 200 others were injured.

Air India on Tuesday said in a statement that in view of the current situation prevailing in Kathmandu, “flights AI2231/2232, AI2219/2220, AI217/218 and AI211/212 operating on the Delhi-Kathmandu-Delhi route have been cancelled today”. “We are closely monitoring the situation and will share further updates. At Air India, the safety of our passengers and crew remains top priority,” said an Air India spokesperson.

IndiGo said that in view of the prevailing situation in Kathmandu, the airport has been closed for operations. “We are closely monitoring the developments and coordinating with local authorities to resume operations at the earliest. Customers are advised to keep checking our official channels for the latest advisories and updates. We look forward to the restoration of normal operations and sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding,” IndiGo added.

-IANS

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The post Stranded Flyers Get Relief: Air India Runs Special Services To Kathmandu appeared first on The Commune.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta on Thursday, 21 August 2025, confronted the Supreme Court with a pointed analogy, asking whether the legislature could fix a timeline for the judiciary to complete a trial, while defending the governor’s discretion in acting on bills passed by state assemblies.

The remarks came during a hearing on the ongoing disputes between several states and their governors over delays in granting assent to legislation.

On the third day of the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, submitted that a governor’s options on a bill – whether to grant assent, withhold it, return it to the assembly, or reserve it for the President’s consideration, were “non-justiciable” matters that should be resolved through political mechanisms rather than judicial scrutiny.

Mehta argued before a five-judge bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, P S Narasimha and A S Chandurkar that “there are hundreds of aspects that a governor examines while taking a decision on a bill and SC does not have the wherewithal to examine the validity of such considerations while arriving at a decision.”

This prompted the CJI to ask: “If a governor does not do what the Constitution mandates him to do and sits over a bill without taking a decision for years, should courts be powerless to examine such inaction? What will happen to the federal democratic set-up? What happens to the will of the people? And, what does an elected govt in a state do?”

Justices Surya Kant and Narasimha also questioned the implications of indefinite inaction. “The court may not go into the aspect of why a governor takes a particular action on a bill. But if the governor does not take any action for a very long period, can the situation be remediless? If the aggrieved state moves SC, should it keep silent? There cannot be a vacuum in the Constitution,” they observed.

Responding, Mehta said that constitutional impasses of this nature had historically been resolved through political channels. “There had been such impasses between governors and states. They were resolved through political statesmanship of the CM concerned, the PM and the President. Solutions have been found in the political set-up. If a timeframe is required to be prescribed for a governor to act on a bill, Parliament will decide,” he said.

The solicitor general added: “Every problem of the country need not have to be resolved by SC. The political set-up and heads of the other branches of governance are equally capable of resolving political issues through a collaborative exercise.”

While agreeing that courts must exercise restraint, the CJI cautioned against judicial overreach. “If SC, as custodian of the Constitution, finds a constitutional functionary refusing to discharge his/her functions without valid reasons, should it be powerless to act? Judicial activism should not become judicial adventurism or judicial terrorism. I have always said separation of powers must be respected,” Chief Justice Gavai remarked.

Mehta maintained that while the apex court had the authority to interpret the Constitution, it could not impose timelines where the Constitution was silent. He asked rhetorically: “If a trial in a criminal case is pending for decades and a person approaches the President saying justice has been denied to his son, should the President declare him innocent and end the trial? Can the legislature fix a timeline for the judiciary to complete a trial in a case?”

He further argued: “Whether the governor should grant assent, withhold, return the bill to assembly or reserve it for President’s consideration are all actions which are non-justiciable. There are no judicial standards by which the SC can test the validity of governor’s action on Bills. SC does not have the wherewithal to decide the validity of political decisions.”

Citing the principle of separation of powers, Mehta underlined that no organ of governance should intrude upon the core functions of the other. “The National Judicial Appointments Commission was unanimously passed by Parliament and ratified by two-thirds of the state and yet it was struck down by SC terming the presence of a single member from the executive in the panel for selection of judges as an interference in judicial independence,” he said, adding that if even one executive presence was deemed interference, it would be impermissible for the judiciary to impose deadlines on governors.

He concluded by stating that the deliberate silence of the Constitution on fixing any timeframe for a governor’s action on bills could not be altered by judicial intervention.

(With inputs from Times of India)

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The post “Can The Legislature Fix A Timeline For Judiciary To Complete Trial In A Case?” SG Tushar Mehta Shows The Mirror To Supreme Court appeared first on The Commune.

As tensions increase between Washington and New Delhi over US tariffs related to India’s purchase of Russian oil, former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has issued a firm warning.

She believes the bilateral relationship is at serious risk and called for a course correction, emphasising that strengthening ties with India is crucial if the US aims to counter China’s growing global influence. In an opinion piece published in Newsweek on Wednesday, Haley stressed that India should not be treated in the same category as China.

She cautioned the Trump administration against allowing disputes –such as tariff conflicts or the US role in India-Pakistan peace talks — to fracture the bond between two of the world’s largest democracies. The past few weeks have seen heightened strain in India-US relations.

The Trump administration recently imposed a 25 per cent tariff on India in response to its ongoing oil trade with Russia — this is in addition to existing duties on Indian imports. This move follows a period of growing disagreement, including India’s refusal to recognise a US role in mediating ceasefire efforts between India and Pakistan.

“To achieve the Trump administration’s foreign policy goals-outcompeting China and achieving peace through strength-few objectives are more critical than getting US-India relations back on track,” she wrote.

Nikki Haley criticised the Trump administration’s 25 per cent tariff threat on Indian goods and Russian oil imports, calling it counterproductive. “Trump is right to target India’s massive Russian oil purchases,” she noted, but warned that treating India like an adversary instead of a partner would be “a massive – and preventable – mistake”.

Though Haley has endorsed Trump for the 2024 election, she has continued to voice concerns when necessary. She noted that “India must be treated like the prized free and democratic partner that it is, not an adversary like China, which has thus far avoided sanctions for its Russian oil purchases, despite being one of Moscow’s largest customers.” “Scuttling 25 years of momentum with the only country that can serve as a counterweight to Chinese dominance in Asia would be a strategic disaster,” she warned.

She highlighted India’s role in diversifying global supply chains away from China, which is crucial for US economic resilience in the short term. “While the Trump administration works to bring manufacturing back to our shores, India stands alone in its potential to manufacture at a China-like scale for products that can’t be quickly or efficiently produced here, like textiles, inexpensive phones, and solar panels,” she wrote.

Haley also underlined India’s value in the defence sphere. Its deepening military ties with US allies, such as Israel, make India a key customer for American defence exports and a strategic asset for global security. India’s influence in the Middle East was also noted as significant.

As the US looks to reduce its military presence and expenditure in the region, India’s growing involvement could help stabilise the area. Additionally, India’s geographic position — critical to China’s trade and energy routes — adds to its long-term strategic importance, especially in the event of conflict.

“In the longer term, India’s significance is even more profound. Home to more than a sixth of humanity, India surpassed China as the world’s most populous country in 2023, with a young workforce that contrasts with China’s ageing one,” she wrote in Newsweek.

With the fastest-growing major economy, India’s ascent is shaping up to be the most geopolitically significant shift since China’s rise. Haley asserted that this growth presents one of the biggest challenges to China’s attempt to reshape the global order.

“Simply put, China’s ambitions will have to shrink as India’s power grows. Yet, unlike Communist-controlled China, the rise of a democratic India does not threaten the free world,” she added.

Earlier this month, on August 6, Haley also criticised the US for treating India unfairly while giving leniency to China. She argued that Washington should not risk damaging its relationship with a dependable ally. “India shouldn’t be buying oil from Russia, but China — our adversary and the leading buyer of both Russian and Iranian oil — received a 90-day break from tariffs,” Haley posted on X.

“Why penalise India while giving China a free pass?” Haley served as the US ambassador to the UN from January 2017 to December 2018 during Trump’s first term, becoming the first Indian American to hold a cabinet-level position in the US government. In 2023, she launched a bid for the presidency but ended her campaign in March 2024.

Her latest remarks come shortly after Trump criticised India as an unreliable trade partner and announced plans to impose significantly higher tariffs within 24 hours, citing India’s Russian oil purchases as support for the “war machine.”

However, on August 19, the Centre had said almost $50 billion worth of Indian goods will be affected once the 50 per cent tariff comes into effect on August 27. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha regarding a question on the impact of Donald Trump’s tariffs, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada said that around $48.2 billion of India’s merchandise exports will be subject to the additional tariffs.

-IANS

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The post Nikki Haley Warns Trump Against Damaging US-India Ties Over Tariffs, Russia Oil appeared first on The Commune.

In a move set to reshape India’s digital entertainment landscape, the Modi government has introduced the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, paving the way for a blanket ban on online money games, including all betting and gambling services hosted electronically. The bill marks a decisive intervention in an industry that has exploded in popularity, drawing over 450 million Indian users into real-money gaming platforms, and has become a lightning rod for social and economic alarm.

BREAKING: “There is a political depth of feeling across the aisle,” said a government official familiar with the drafting of the online gaming bill. “The political class is getting its reading from the ground, and they feel strongly about the societal harm and debt spiral.”… https://t.co/hf0X7f8dZa pic.twitter.com/RwxGgZyBY1

— Chandra R. Srikanth (@chandrarsrikant) August 20, 2025

Online Money Gaming: The Scale and Societal Costs

While employment generated by online gaming platforms is notable, policymakers argue that the number of jobs, estimated in the low thousands, pales in comparison to the “distress across households” now sweeping the nation because of gambling-induced debt and addiction. “There is a political depth of feeling across the aisle,” said a government official familiar with the drafting of the bill to MoneyControl. “The political class is getting its reading from the ground, and they feel strongly about societal harm and debt spiral.” State after state has attempted piecemeal bans, but these have been rendered toothless in the face of digital borderlessness and offshore operators, motivating calls for strong central control.

Jobs Vs. Social Harm: The Stark Divide

The government acknowledges the sector’s employment potential, especially in e-sports, educational, and social gaming segments. However, the bill’s architects maintain that this opportunity does not justify the rampant harm inflicted by real-money gaming apps. “There is a lot of money sloshing around, much of it targeting vulnerable and lower-income groups,” one official told reporters, pointing to aggressive, celebrity-driven marketing and opaque algorithms designed to maximize user losses.

Platforms often exploit addictive psychological mechanisms, leading to compulsive gambling, financial ruin, and severe mental health impacts. Reports link real-money gaming services to a surge in family breakdown, suicide attempts, and an overall erosion of public trust. “This has become a cause of distress across households,” noted the official.

Central Government Steps In

State-level bans have offered little protection, with offshore websites and payment processors routinely routing bets beyond local regulators’ reach. “State bans have been ineffective, which only reinforces the need for stronger central regulation,” said a senior official, reflecting the urgency behind the new legislation.

The bill envisions the creation of a national regulatory authority to distinguish between permissible games (like e-sports and educational software) and money games, and to police compliance and advertising. It categorically prohibits offering, promoting, facilitating, or advertising any online money gaming services, and makes financial transactions towards gambling platforms illegal, even criminally punishable with jail time and steep fines.

Foreign Investment: Stopping the Wrong Kind of FDI

Another sore point is foreign direct investment. With global investors flocking to Indian gaming startups, officials worry about an influx of “unproductive FDI”. “We need clarity on what kind of foreign investment and FDI we want in this space. This is not productive FDI. The industry is making outsized profits by preying on the Indian population,” a government source warned.

Not Just Regulation: Protecting Vulnerable Indians

The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill aims to preserve the creative and competitive promise of India’s gaming sector, e-sports, educational and social games, while putting an end to what officials call the “predatory” real-money gaming segment. “Millions of Indians, especially youth and vulnerable groups, are being systematically targeted,” said an official. “The government cannot let a few thousand jobs come at the cost of societal welfare and financial security.”

With its sweeping scope and tough enforcement provisions, the bill sends an unambiguous message – when it comes to the social costs of online gambling, the Modi government is prepared to act.

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The post A Few Thousand Jobs Vs Millions Of Indians Gambling: Why Modi Govt Is Banning Online Money Gaming appeared first on The Commune.