Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court Monday declared the monthly allowances given to Imams and muezzins by the West Bengal government as unconstitutional. A division bench of Justices Pranab Kumar Chattopadhyay and Murari Prasad Shrivastava made the observation while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). “We always believed that the move to pay monthly honorariums only to Imams was discriminatory and unconstitutional and the court today (Monday) upheld our contention,” state BJP president Rahul Sinha said. The Mamata Banerjee government last year had announced a monthly stipend of Rs.2,500 for the about 30,000 Imams in the state. Following the announcement, the BJP filed the PIL challenging its legality. Both the Communist Party of India-Marxist and the Congress welcomed the court’s verdict, saying it has foiled the “state government’s move to discriminate between people on the basis of religion”. (IANS)
BJP protests against petrol, diesel price hike in Jammu
Jammu: BJP on Monday held a protest demonstration against the recent hike in prices of petrol and diesel and burnt an effigy of the UPA government in Jammu city. Over 100 party activists led by BJP’s Talab Tillo mandal president Ayodhya Gupta demonstrated against the hike and accused the UPA government for total failure in controlling prices. “The country is passing through hard times as the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre has pushed it to an economic crisis,” Gupta told reporters here. There has been a rise in prices of almost all essential commodities since 2004 when Congress formed the coalition government at the Centre and the trend still continues, he said adding that, hike in petrol and diesel prices lead to rise in inflation. (PTI)
Nigerian natl held with cocaine worth Rs 2 crore
New Delhi: A Nigerian national has been arrested and 190 gram cocaine worth Rs two crore in the international market seized from him, police said on Monday. Acting on a tip-off that he would come to deliver a consignment of cocaine at ITBP School at Sector 16-B in Dwarka, the Crime Branch of Delhi Police laid a trap and arrested Abdul Raheem Kamalideen Kehine (39) yesterday and seized 190 gram cocaine from him, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime and Railways) Ravindra Yadav said. During interrogation, Kehine told police that he had first come to India in May 2010 on a business visa to start garment business. He had earlier been arrested by staff of Vasant Kunj (North) police station in case of cheating and impersonation. He got bail in that case in April 2011 and his passport was deposited in the court. Soon after coming out on bail, he met a fellow Nigerian Kahyodey in INA market and both of them started indulging in drug trafficking. Kehine used to get commission on every delivery, police said. “The seized contraband is worth Rs two crore in international market. It is one of the biggest hauls of cocaine in recent times,” Yadav said. Police have registered a case under section 21 of NDPS Act against Kehine. (PTI)