The Evening Wrap: Devendra Fadnavis to take oath as Maharashtra Chief Minister on December 5

Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan has invited the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance to form the government on December 5, paving way for Devendra Fadnavis to take over as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra for the third time. Earlier in the day, Maharashtra BJP Legislature Party Leader Devendra Fadnavis was unanimously elected to the position after his name was finalised during a BJP core committee meeting held in Mumbai on Wednesday. The leaders of the Mahayuti coalition, Fadnavis, caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and NCP leader Aji Pawar met Radhakrishnan at 3.30 p.m. on Wednesday to stake a claim to form the government. Speaking at Raj Bhavan after staking claims to form the government, Fadnavis confirmed that a letter of support signed by all BJP MLAs and legislators from alliance partners was submitted to the Governor. “I thank the caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and NCP leader Ajit Pawar for their letters supporting my candidature as Chief Minister,” he said. Outgoing Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde expressed his full support for Chief Minister-designate Devendra Fadnavis, stressing on the spirit of teamwork and collective decision-making. “Two and a half years ago, Devendra Fadnavis gave a letter to the Governor supporting my candidature as Chief Minister. Today, I have done the same for him,” Shinde said. When asked if he would take the oath as Deputy Chief Minister, Mr. Shinde responded, “That will be revealed soon.” However, Mr. Ajit Pawar quickly interjected, saying, “I’m going to take the oath.” Pawar’s remark prompted a burst of laughter from both the leaders and journalists present at Raj Bhavan. Shinde quickly responded saying “Dada has the experience of taking Oath in the morning and in the evening as well.” The swearing-in ceremony will take place at the Azad Maidan in Mumbai in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Several Union Ministers and 19 Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers from across the country are expected to attend the event with over 40,000 supporters and 2,000 VVIPs. Rahul Gandhi says ‘ready to go alone’ after being stopped at Ghazipur border on way to Sambhal With prohibitory orders in place in Sambhal, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi was stopped at the Ghazipur border in Ghaziabad on Wednesday on his way to the district, a senior police officer said. In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi said, “The police stopped us from going to Sambhal. Being the Leader of the Opposition, it is my right and duty to go there. Yet I was stopped.” “I am ready to go alone, but they did not agree to that either. This is against the Constitution. Why is the BJP scared? Why is it using the police to hide its failures? Why is it suppressing the message of truth and brotherhood?” Rahul Gandhi, his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other senior Congress leaders reached the Ghazipur border in the morning where heavy police force was deployed and barricades put up to stop them from entering Sambhal. Curbs under Section 163 (power to issue an order in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which were set to expire on Sunday, have now been extended till December 31 in Sambhal. The Congress alleged that Sambhal violence was well-planned conspiracy by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and more such communal flare up can be instigated in U.P. before 2027 assembly polls. U.P. police placed barricades at various locations on the Delhi-Sambhal route and vehicle inspections have been initiated in every checkpoint. It led to massive traffic jams at different locations on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, especially at the Ghazipur border, which connects Delhi to Noida. Sambhal District Magistrate on December 3 requested neighbouring districts to stop the Congress leaders before they entered the district. The District Magistrate has written to police officials in Gautam Buddh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr and Amroha, appealing to them to intercept the Gandhis and other Congress leaders at the border. “It is to inform that Honorable Leader of Opposition and MP Rahul Gandhi is planning to visit Sambhal to meet families of those killed on November 24, incident. Sambhal district administration has issued prohibitory orders restricting outsiders from visiting the district till December 10. No outsider can enter into the borders of the district without seeking the permission of the competent authority till December 10. I request you to please monitor movement of Mr. Gandhi and make arrangements to him from reaching Sambhal in your jurisdiction,” reads the letter written by Sambhal District Magistrate Rajendra Pensiya. Tension had been brewing in Sambhal since November 19, when a Mughal-era mosque was surveyed on court orders following claims that a Harihar temple previously stood at the site. Violence erupted during a second survey on November 24 as protesters gathered near Shahi Jama Masjid and clashed with security personnel. Four people were killed in the violence and many more were injured. No such thing as parity for Ministers, says Supreme Court on Partha Chatterjee bail plea The Supreme Court on Wednesday scoffed at an argument that the former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee must get bail in a money-laundering case linked to a cash-for-jobs scam like Tamil Nadu Minister V. Senthilbalaji. “There is no such thing like ‘Ministers’ parity’ here. Just because a Minister in Tamil Nadu got bail, a Minister in West Bengal should get bail! There is no such ‘Association of All Ministers’ in this country,” Justice Surya Kant, heading a Bench with Justice Ujjal Bhuyyan, told senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Chatterjee. The top court had recently questioned the manner in which Senthilbalaji was “straightaway” appointed as Minister within a few days of his release on bail in a money-laundering case. On Wednesday, Rohatgi argued that Chatterjee had been incarcerated for 2.5 years now. The other accused persons in the case were out on bail, he submitted. But Justice Kant pointed out that Chatterjee was the only Minister involved in the case. Justice Kant said that ₹28 crore was seized from premises linked to the ex-Minister. The accused denied any connection with the money or the building from which it was recovered. “So what message do you want us to give society at large? That corrupt persons can get bail just like that? You [Mr. Chatterjee] have spent 2.5 years, so what? Investigation takes time. On the face of it, you are a corrupt person. Crores of rupees were found,” Justice Kant lashed out at Chatterjee’s legal team. However, Justice Kant also said the former Minister could not be kept behind bars endlessly. The Bench said the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) would have to come up with a timeline for completion of the investigation. “We have to balance the rights… You [ED] cannot keep him endlessly,” Justice Kant noted. The Bench asked the ED to substantiate the claim that Chatterjee’s release on bail would hamper its investigation. Rohatgi said his client was over 75 years old and had medical problems. He was ready to stay out of the district or even the State. Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, for the ED, said charges in the case could be framed in the next two to four months if Chatterjee cooperated in the probe. He said the statements of vulnerable witnesses under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act could be recorded. These testimonies were admissible as evidence in court. Raju, opposing any grant of bail to the former Minister immediately, highlighted that witnesses were “afraid” of Chatterjee. He had allegedly committed the offence while occupying the post of a Minister. Raju said over 50,000 deserving candidates were deprived of their livelihoods because they did not have money to pay bribes. “The magnitude of the fraud involved, the nature of the case and the fact that he faked illness after his arrest make a case against bail. The witnesses are afraid of him,” Raju said. The court reserved the bail case for judgment. Speaker urges MPs to not protest outside Parliament entry gate Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday urged Members of Parliament to not protest at the entrance of the Parliament building, causing obstruction to other MPs, including women members. His appeal came on a day when the INDIA (Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance) bloc MPs, for the second day in a row, protested on the steps of the Makar Dwar of the Parliament building on the issue of bribery charges levelled against industrialist Gautam Adani in a United States court. “I request all political parties not to obstruct the entry gate when others are entering the building [to attend proceedings]. Women MPs have personally flagged their difficulty. I have already given directions and I request once again that if there is an issue, meet me, but there should be no obstruction at the entry gate,” Birla said ahead of Zero Hour. A few Opposition MPs were heard saying that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had started the practice of protesting at the gate. On Tuesday, the Lok Sabha Secretariat urged MPs to not hold protests in front of the gates of Parliament, contending that such obstruction of movement could affect their safety and security. “Members are requested not to hold protests or demonstrations in front of gates of Parliament House as such actions cause serious hindrance to the movement of members to the Parliament Chambers during sittings of the Houses,” the advisory said. The Lok Sabha Secretariat’s note had highlighted that keeping building gates free from any blockage was also essential for ensuring the safety and security of members in the Parliament. Rakesh Tikait detained by Aligarh Police on way to Greater Noida for farmers’ protest Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait was detained by the Aligarh Police on Wednesday while on his way to Greater Noida to participate in a meeting of farmer leaders, a police official said. The BKU’s influential spokesperson and his associates were taken to the Tappal police station in a bus after they were stopped from proceeding on the Yamuna Expressway. When contacted, an official spokesman of the Aligarh Police confirmed that Tikait had been “detained” but “not arrested”. Tikait told reporters that the police were preventing farmers from going to Noida in Gautam Buddh Nagar by forcing them to stay in their respective houses. “How long will you detain us? If you keep us locked, then with whom will you talk?” he said. He warned that if this approach of the authorities continued, the agitation of the farmers would intensify. The BKU had on Tuesday convened an emergency meeting at the Kisan Bhawan in Sisauli village of Muzaffarnagar under the leadership of its chief Naresh Tikait and resolved to extend support to the farmers in Noida and Greater Noida who are agitating over the issue of land compensation and other demands. The BKU had called on its workers and members from western Uttar Pradesh districts to gather at the Zero Point in Greater Noida on Wednesday, according to the union’s youth wing president Anuj Singh. Meanwhile, hundreds of protestors from villages gathered at the Zero Point in Greater Noida on Wednesday. The villagers have been protesting against the administration and local authorities demanding compensation and other benefits in lieu of their land acquired by the state government in the past. The Gautam Buddh Nagar police had on Tuesday arrested over a hundred protestors during the agitation. The women and the elderly people who were among those held were released later in the day, police Commissioner Laxmi Singh said. ‘If men menstruated, they would understand’: SC slams Madhya Pradesh HC for sacking women judges The Supreme Court on Tuesday took strong exception to the termination of women civil judges in Madhya Pradesh, criticising the criteria used for their dismissal and remarking that men would understand the situation if they experienced menstruation. The remarks were made during a hearing related to the termination of six female civil judges in the state. A Bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and N. Kotiswar Singh made this comment while hearing a case related to the termination of female civil judges in Madhya Pradesh. Six female civil judges were terminated, with two of them yet to be reinstated. The top court’s observation came when it noted the criteria adopted by the Madhya Pradesh High Court in dealing with the female judges. The state counsel said that the judges were terminated due to poor disposal rates of cases. In response, the top court said that they will have the same criteria for male judges. “I wish they had menstruation; then only they would understand,” Justice Nagarathna said. The apex court also said that if the women are suffering physically and mentally then don’t say they are slow and send them home. The top court listed the matter on December 12 for further hearing. The SC was hearing a suo motu petition on the issue of the termination of six women judges by the Madhya Pradesh government. In June 2023, the Madhya Pradesh government terminated the services of the six judges following a recommendation by the Madhya Pradesh High Court. The judges were reportedly terminated on the grounds of unsatisfactory performance during their probation period. Following the administrative committee and a full court meeting finding their performance during the probation period unsatisfactory, the State Law Department issued orders for terminating the services of judges. South Korea’s opposition party urges Yoon to resign or face impeachment over martial law decree South Korea’s main opposition party on Wednesday urged President Yoon Suk Yeol to resign immediately or face impeachment, hours after Yoon ended a short-lived martial law that prompted troops to encircle parliament before lawmakers voted to lift it. Yoon didn’t make any immediate public response to the opposition’s demand. But his office said senior presidential advisers and secretaries for Yoon offered to resign collectively and the President also put off his official Wednesday morning schedule. On Tuesday night, Yoon abruptly imposed the emergency martial law, vowing to eliminate “anti-state” forces after he struggled to push forward his agenda in the opposition-dominated parliament. But his martial law was effective for only about six hours, as the National Assembly voted to overrule the President. The declaration was formally lifted around 4:30 a.m. during a Cabinet meeting. The liberal opposition Democratic Party, which holds a majority in the 300-seat parliament, said Wednesday that its lawmakers decided to call on Yoon to quit immediately or they would take steps to impeach him. “President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration was a clear violation of the constitution. It didn’t abide by any requirements to declare it,” the Democratic Party said in a statement. “His martial law declaration was originally invalid and a grave violation of the constitution. It was a grave act of rebellion and provides perfect grounds for his impeachment.” Impeaching him would require support from two-thirds of the parliament, or 200 of its 300 members. The Democratic Party and other small opposition parties together have 192 seats. But when the parliament rejected Yoon’s martial law declaration in a 190-0 vote, about 10 lawmakers from Yoon’s ruling People Power Party cast ballots supporting the rejection, according to National Assembly officials. If Yoon is impeached, he’ll be stripped of his constitutional powers until the Constitutional Court can rule on his fate. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, the No. 2 position in the South Korean government, would take over his presidential responsibilities. Yoon’s martial law declaration, the first of its kind in more than 40 years, harkened to South Korea’s past military-backed governments when authorities occasionally proclaimed martial law and other decrees that allowed them to station combat soldiers, tanks and armoured vehicles on streets or at public places like schools to prevent anti-government demonstrations. Such scenes of military intervention had not been seen since South Korea achievedgenuine democracy in the late 1980s until Tuesday night. After Yoon’s declaration, troops carrying rifles and police officers were quickly deployed at parliament to ban the entrance of people, as protesters crowded outside the parliamentary compound. An Associated Press photographer saw at least three helicopters, likely from the military, that landed inside the Assembly grounds, while two or three helicopters circled above the site. No major violence has been reported. The troops and police personnel were later seen leaving the ground of the National Assembly after the parliamentary vote to lift the martial law. National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik said: “Even with our unfortunate memories of military coups, our citizens have surely observed the events of today and saw the maturity of our military.” Under South Korea’s constitution, the President can declare martial law during “wartime, war-like situations or other comparable national emergency states” that require the use of military force to restrict the freedom of press, assembly and other rights to maintain order. Many observers question whether South Korea is currently in such a state. The constitution also states that the president must oblige when the National Assembly demands the lifting of martial law with a majority vote. In Brief: Former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday survived an assassination bid, after a former militant and pro-Khalistan sympathiser opened fire at him outside the Golden Temple in Punjab’s Amritsar, where he was performing penance for his ‘mistakes’. Badal escaped unhurt in the incident even as the accused was overpowered by security police personnel standing close to Badal, who was in a wheelchair owing to a fractured leg. He was sitting at the entrance of the Golden Temple, attired in the dress of a sewadar performing the penance, when the accused person drew a gun to shoot. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [logo] The Evening Wrap 04 December 2024 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [View in browser]( [More newsletters]( Devendra Fadnavis to take oath as Maharashtra Chief Minister on December 5 Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan has[invited the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance]( to form the government on December 5, paving way for Devendra Fadnavis to take over as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra for the third time. Earlier in the day, Maharashtra BJP Legislature Party Leader Devendra Fadnavis was unanimously elected to the position after his name was finalised during a BJP core committee meeting held in Mumbai on Wednesday. The leaders of the Mahayuti coalition, Fadnavis, caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and NCP leader Aji Pawar met Radhakrishnan at 3.30 p.m. on Wednesday to stake a claim to form the government. Speaking at Raj Bhavan after staking claims to form the government, Fadnavis confirmed that a letter of support signed by all BJP MLAs and legislators from alliance partners was submitted to the Governor. “I thank the caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and NCP leader Ajit Pawar for their letters supporting my candidature as Chief Minister,” he said. Outgoing Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde expressed his full support for Chief Minister-designate Devendra Fadnavis, stressing on the spirit of teamwork and collective decision-making. “Two and a half years ago, Devendra Fadnavis gave a letter to the Governor supporting my candidature as Chief Minister. Today, I have done the same for him,” Shinde said. When asked if he would take the oath as Deputy Chief Minister, Mr. Shinde responded, “That will be revealed soon.” However, Mr. Ajit Pawar quickly interjected, saying, “I’m going to take the oath.” Pawar’s remark prompted a burst of laughter from both the leaders and journalists present at Raj Bhavan. Shinde quickly responded saying “Dada has the experience of taking Oath in the morning and in the evening as well.” The swearing-in ceremony will take place at the Azad Maidan in Mumbai in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Several Union Ministers and 19 Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers from across the country are expected to attend the event with over 40,000 supporters and 2,000 VVIPs. Rahul Gandhi says ‘ready to go alone’ after being stopped at Ghazipur border on way to Sambhal With prohibitory orders in place in Sambhal, Leader of [Opposition Rahul Gandhi was stopped]( at the Ghazipur border in Ghaziabad on Wednesday on his way to the district, a senior police officer said. In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi said, “The police stopped us from going to Sambhal. Being the Leader of the Opposition, it is my right and duty to go there. Yet I was stopped.” “I am ready to go alone, but they did not agree to that either. This is against the Constitution. Why is the BJP scared? Why is it using the police to hide its failures? Why is it suppressing the message of truth and brotherhood?” Rahul Gandhi, his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other senior Congress leaders reached the Ghazipur border in the morning where heavy police force was deployed and barricades put up to stop them from entering Sambhal. Curbs under Section 163 (power to issue an order in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which were set to expire on Sunday, have now been extended till December 31 in Sambhal. The Congress alleged that Sambhal violence was well-planned conspiracy by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and more such communal flare up can be instigated in U.P. before 2027 assembly polls. U.P. police placed barricades at various locations on the Delhi-Sambhal route and vehicle inspections have been initiated in every checkpoint. It led to massive traffic jams at different locations on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, especially at the Ghazipur border, which connects Delhi to Noida. Sambhal District Magistrate on December 3 requested neighbouring districts to stop the Congress leaders before they entered the district. The District Magistrate has written to police officials in Gautam Buddh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr and Amroha, appealing to them to intercept the Gandhis and other Congress leaders at the border. “It is to inform that Honorable Leader of Opposition and MP Rahul Gandhi is planning to visit Sambhal to meet families of those killed on November 24, incident. Sambhal district administration has issued prohibitory orders restricting outsiders from visiting the district till December 10. No outsider can enter into the borders of the district without seeking the permission of the competent authority till December 10. I request you to please monitor movement of Mr. Gandhi and make arrangements to him from reaching Sambhal in your jurisdiction,” reads the letter written by Sambhal District Magistrate Rajendra Pensiya. Tension had been brewing in Sambhal since November 19, when a Mughal-era mosque was surveyed on court orders following claims that a Harihar temple previously stood at the site. Violence erupted during a second survey on November 24 as protesters gathered near Shahi Jama Masjid and clashed with security personnel. Four people were killed in the violence and many more were injured. No such thing as parity for Ministers, says Supreme Court on Partha Chatterjee bail plea The Supreme Court on Wednesday scoffed at an argument that the former West Bengal [Education Minister Partha Chatterjee]( must get bail in a money-laundering case linked to a cash-for-jobs scam like Tamil Nadu Minister V. Senthilbalaji. “There is no such thing like ‘Ministers’ parity’ here. Just because a Minister in Tamil Nadu got bail, a Minister in West Bengal should get bail! There is no such ‘Association of All Ministers’ in this country,” Justice Surya Kant, heading a Bench with Justice Ujjal Bhuyyan, told senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Chatterjee. The top court had recently questioned the manner in which Senthilbalaji was “straightaway” appointed as Minister within a few days of his release on bail in a money-laundering case. On Wednesday, Rohatgi argued that Chatterjee had been incarcerated for 2.5 years now. The other accused persons in the case were out on bail, he submitted. But Justice Kant pointed out that Chatterjee was the only Minister involved in the case. Justice Kant said that ₹28 crore was seized from premises linked to the ex-Minister. The accused denied any connection with the money or the building from which it was recovered. “So what message do you want us to give society at large? That corrupt persons can get bail just like that? You [Mr. Chatterjee] have spent 2.5 years, so what? Investigation takes time. On the face of it, you are a corrupt person. Crores of rupees were found,” Justice Kant lashed out at Chatterjee’s legal team. However, Justice Kant also said the former Minister could not be kept behind bars endlessly. The Bench said the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) would have to come up with a timeline for completion of the investigation. “We have to balance the rights… You [ED] cannot keep him endlessly,” Justice Kant noted. The Bench asked the ED to substantiate the claim that Chatterjee’s release on bail would hamper its investigation. Rohatgi said his client was over 75 years old and had medical problems. He was ready to stay out of the district or even the State. Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, for the ED, said charges in the case could be framed in the next two to four months if Chatterjee cooperated in the probe. He said the statements of vulnerable witnesses under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act could be recorded. These testimonies were admissible as evidence in court. Raju, opposing any grant of bail to the former Minister immediately, highlighted that witnesses were “afraid” of Chatterjee. He had allegedly committed the offence while occupying the post of a Minister. Raju said over 50,000 deserving candidates were deprived of their livelihoods because they did not have money to pay bribes. “The magnitude of the fraud involved, the nature of the case and the fact that he faked illness after his arrest make a case against bail. The witnesses are afraid of him,” Raju said. The court reserved the bail case for judgment. Speaker urges MPs to not protest outside Parliament entry gate Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday urged Members of Parliament to not protest at the[entrance of the Parliament]( causing obstruction to other MPs, including women members. His appeal came on a day when the INDIA (Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance) bloc MPs, for the second day in a row, protested on the steps of the Makar Dwar of the Parliament building on the issue of bribery charges levelled against industrialist Gautam Adani in a United States court. “I request all political parties not to obstruct the entry gate when others are entering the building [to attend proceedings]. Women MPs have personally flagged their difficulty. I have already given directions and I request once again that if there is an issue, meet me, but there should be no obstruction at the entry gate,” Birla said ahead of Zero Hour. A few Opposition MPs were heard saying that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had started the practice of protesting at the gate. On Tuesday, the Lok Sabha Secretariat urged MPs to not hold protests in front of the gates of Parliament, contending that such obstruction of movement could affect their safety and security. “Members are requested not to hold protests or demonstrations in front of gates of Parliament House as such actions cause serious hindrance to the movement of members to the Parliament Chambers during sittings of the Houses,” the advisory said. The Lok Sabha Secretariat’s note had highlighted that keeping building gates free from any blockage was also essential for ensuring the safety and security of members in the Parliament. Rakesh Tikait detained by Aligarh Police on way to Greater Noida for farmers’ protest Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader [Rakesh Tikait was detained by the Aligarh Police]( on Wednesday while on his way to Greater Noida to participate in a meeting of farmer leaders, a police official said. The BKU’s influential spokesperson and his associates were taken to the Tappal police station in a bus after they were stopped from proceeding on the Yamuna Expressway. When contacted, an official spokesman of the Aligarh Police confirmed that Tikait had been “detained” but “not arrested”. Tikait told reporters that the police were preventing farmers from going to Noida in Gautam Buddh Nagar by forcing them to stay in their respective houses. “How long will you detain us? If you keep us locked, then with whom will you talk?” he said. He warned that if this approach of the authorities continued, the agitation of the farmers would intensify. The BKU had on Tuesday convened an emergency meeting at the Kisan Bhawan in Sisauli village of Muzaffarnagar under the leadership of its chief Naresh Tikait and resolved to extend support to the farmers in Noida and Greater Noida who are agitating over the issue of land compensation and other demands. The BKU had called on its workers and members from western Uttar Pradesh districts to gather at the Zero Point in Greater Noida on Wednesday, according to the union’s youth wing president Anuj Singh. Meanwhile, hundreds of protestors from villages gathered at the Zero Point in Greater Noida on Wednesday. The villagers have been protesting against the administration and local authorities demanding compensation and other benefits in lieu of their land acquired by the state government in the past. The Gautam Buddh Nagar police had on Tuesday arrested over a hundred protestors during the agitation. The women and the elderly people who were among those held were released later in the day, police Commissioner Laxmi Singh said. ‘If men menstruated, they would understand’: SC slams Madhya Pradesh HC for sacking women judges The Supreme Court on Tuesday [took strong exception to the termination of women civil judges]( in Madhya Pradesh, criticising the criteria used for their dismissal and remarking that men would understand the situation if they experienced menstruation. The remarks were made during a hearing related to the termination of six female civil judges in the state. A Bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and N. Kotiswar Singh made this comment while hearing a case related to the termination of female civil judges in Madhya Pradesh. Six female civil judges were terminated, with two of them yet to be reinstated. The top court’s observation came when it noted the criteria adopted by the Madhya Pradesh High Court in dealing with the female judges. The state counsel said that the judges were terminated due to poor disposal rates of cases. In response, the top court said that they will have the same criteria for male judges. “I wish they had menstruation; then only they would understand,” Justice Nagarathna said. The apex court also said that if the women are suffering physically and mentally then don’t say they are slow and send them home. The top court listed the matter on December 12 for further hearing. The SC was hearing a suo motu petition on the issue of the termination of six women judges by the Madhya Pradesh government. In June 2023, the Madhya Pradesh government terminated the services of the six judges following a recommendation by the Madhya Pradesh High Court. The judges were reportedly terminated on the grounds of unsatisfactory performance during their probation period. Following the administrative committee and a full court meeting finding their performance during the probation period unsatisfactory, the State Law Department issued orders for terminating the services of judges. South Korea’s opposition party urges Yoon to resign or face impeachment over martial law decree South Korea’s main opposition party on Wednesday [urged President Yoon Suk Yeol to resign]( immediately or face impeachment, hours after Yoon ended a short-lived martial law that prompted troops to encircle parliament before lawmakers voted to lift it. Yoon didn’t make any immediate public response to the opposition’s demand. But his office said senior presidential advisers and secretaries for Yoon offered to resign collectively and the President also put off his official Wednesday morning schedule. On Tuesday night, Yoon abruptly imposed the emergency martial law, vowing to eliminate “anti-state” forces after he struggled to push forward his agenda in the opposition-dominated parliament. But his martial law was effective for only about six hours, as the National Assembly voted to overrule the President. The declaration was formally lifted around 4:30 a.m. during a Cabinet meeting. The liberal opposition Democratic Party, which holds a majority in the 300-seat parliament, said Wednesday that its lawmakers decided to call on Yoon to quit immediately or they would take steps to impeach him. “President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration was a clear violation of the constitution. It didn’t abide by any requirements to declare it,” the Democratic Party said in a statement. “His martial law declaration was originally invalid and a grave violation of the constitution. It was a grave act of rebellion and provides perfect grounds for his impeachment.” Impeaching him would require support from two-thirds of the parliament, or 200 of its 300 members. The Democratic Party and other small opposition parties together have 192 seats. But when the parliament rejected Yoon’s martial law declaration in a 190-0 vote, about 10 lawmakers from Yoon’s ruling People Power Party cast ballots supporting the rejection, according to National Assembly officials. If Yoon is impeached, he’ll be stripped of his constitutional powers until the Constitutional Court can rule on his fate. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, the No. 2 position in the South Korean government, would take over his presidential responsibilities. Yoon’s martial law declaration, the first of its kind in more than 40 years, harkened to South Korea’s past military-backed governments when authorities occasionally proclaimed martial law and other decrees that allowed them to station combat soldiers, tanks and armoured vehicles on streets or at public places like schools to prevent anti-government demonstrations. Such scenes of military intervention had not been seen since South Korea achievedgenuine democracy in the late 1980s until Tuesday night. After Yoon’s declaration, troops carrying rifles and police officers were quickly deployed at parliament to ban the entrance of people, as protesters crowded outside the parliamentary compound. An Associated Press photographer saw at least three helicopters, likely from the military, that landed inside the Assembly grounds, while two or three helicopters circled above the site. No major violence has been reported. The troops and police personnel were later seen leaving the ground of the National Assembly after the parliamentary vote to lift the martial law. National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik said: “Even with our unfortunate memories of military coups, our citizens have surely observed the events of today and saw the maturity of our military.” Under South Korea’s constitution, the President can declare martial law during “wartime, war-like situations or other comparable national emergency states” that require the use of military force to restrict the freedom of press, assembly and other rights to maintain order. Many observers question whether South Korea is currently in such a state. The constitution also states that the president must oblige when the National Assembly demands the lifting of martial law with a majority vote.  In Brief: Former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday survived [an assassination bid]( after a former militant and pro-Khalistan sympathiser opened fire at him outside the Golden Temple in Punjab’s Amritsar, where he was performing penance for his ‘mistakes’. Badal escaped unhurt in the incident even as the accused was overpowered by security police personnel standing close to Badal, who was in a wheelchair owing to a fractured leg. He was sitting at the entrance of the Golden Temple, attired in the dress of a sewadar performing the penance, when the accused person drew a gun to shoot.  Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. Today’s Top Picks [[Watch: Assimilating Maoists into mainstream: How can the State ensure justice?] Watch: Assimilating Maoists into mainstream: How can the State ensure justice?]( [[‘Pushpa 2’: Bengaluru Urban DC cancels early morning shows of Allu Arjun’s film] ‘Pushpa 2’: Bengaluru Urban DC cancels early morning shows of Allu Arjun’s film]( [[Revamped Kerala Tourism website to act as digital guide providing info in 20 languages] Revamped Kerala Tourism website to act as digital guide providing info in 20 languages]( [[Amaran makers apologise to student, mask his phone number in the film] Amaran makers apologise to student, mask his phone number in the film]( Copyright© 2024, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. 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