63-412: The Shree Ram Sena ( lit. ' Army of Shri Rama ' ), or Shree Ram Sena , is a right-wing Hindutva group founded & headed by Pramod Muthalik . It has received media attention for its acts of moral policing , including the 2009 Mangalore pub attack . The Sena is a right wing organisation. It is considered as a Hindu nationalist organisation with Dharmic values. The Sri Ram Sena
126-610: A First Information Report against a judge without the permission of the Chief Justice of India. In 1990, Bhushan wrote a book Bofors, the selling of a nation (1990) on the Bofors scandal . CPIL won a major victory in 2003 when the Supreme Court restrained the Union government from privatising Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Petroleum without the approval of Parliament. As counsel for
189-469: A Muslim man on suspicion of carrying beef in Seoni district of Madhya Pradesh . The activists also forced him to chant " Jai Shri Ram ". On 23 May, sister of accused filed an First Information Report (FIR) against Shubham Baghel and others after a video has gone viral of the incident. The police had then arrested Shubham and his associates. On 5 October 2021, Belgavi Police arrested 10 people in connection to
252-581: A PIL challenging the appointment of P.J. Thomas as Central Vigilance Commissioner, after Thomas had been charged in the Palmolein Oil Import Scam . In March 2011, SC struck down the appointment. Prashant Bhushan acted for the CPIL when it took the lead in filing a suit against the Government of India for irregularities in a major award of spectrum for 2G mobile telephones. The CPIL petition alleged that
315-502: A case unless he feels that his client is "morally right". Bhushan says that he envisages a transparent and honest legal system, where people can negotiate their own cases without the need of any lawyers. In 1990, he and his father formed the Committee on Judicial Accountability (CJA) to fight corruption in the judiciary. The organisation comprised some lawyers and ex-judges. Prashant Bhushan started focusing more on this issue in 1993, after
378-585: A critic of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. In 2012, he co-founded the Aam Aadmi Party , stating that the other political parties were corrupt. Bhushan accused BJP 's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi of being corrupt and a "puppet" of Reliance Industries . He also accused RSS of supporting terror activities, and criticised BJP for its association with the RSS. Before
441-601: A few days later. On 12 October 2011 a few Sri Ram Sena activists allegedly assaulted senior lawyer and social activist Prashant Bhushan in his Supreme Court chamber. The Sena leadership denied any involvement. Police determined that the attackers were not from Sri Ram Sena. The organisation's top aides were recorded on camera agreeing to vandalise an art exhibition in return for money in an undercover investigation by Tehelka . In January 2012, seven people were arrested in Bijapur, Karnataka , for raising Pakistan's national flag on
504-537: A former Supreme Court judge, said that either the Bhushans should be punished for making "false charges" or an independent authority should be set up to scrutinise their allegations. Bhushan has recommended amendment to the Contempt of Court Act clause, stating that some of its clauses effectively prevent the press from exposing the corruption in the judiciary. He has also opposed the rule which prevents people from registering
567-408: A government building. They were charged with trying to create tension in the city, which has a sizeable Muslim population. According to the police, they were members of Sri Ram Sena, though the organization denied it. The right wing Sri Ram Sene has appealed to the people through social media sites to extend financial support to the family of Parshuram Ashok Wagmare, who is allegedly the man who pulled
630-461: A group of young women and men, claiming the women were violating traditional Indian values. Two of the women were hospitalized. The video of the incident has become one of the most watched clips on YouTube , though how the TV crew happened to be ready at the 'unannounced' attack is not known. Commenting on the incident, founder Pramod Muthalik said "Whoever has done this has done a good job. Girls going to pubs
693-785: A hate speech against Muslims at a public function organised by the Vishva Hindu Parishad at the Government Junior College Grounds in Yadgir . Shri Rama Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.150 via cp1114 cp1114, Varnish XID 455618829 Upstream caches: cp1114 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Fri, 29 Nov 2024 06:52:35 GMT Prashant Bhushan Prashant Bhushan (born 15 October 1956)
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#1732863155358756-591: A nationwide nexus of the Students Islamic Movement of India . It was our boys who gave information about these terrorists and on the basis of our information the police nabbed these anti-national elements." On 24 August 2008, the Sri Ram Sena vandalized an Exhibition of M F Hussain 's paintings in Delhi. The exhibition had been organized by SAHMAT , an NGO, to protest against the exclusion of Husain's works from
819-629: A public event in Karnataka’s Bagalkote, Muthalik said, "We are aware of the situation. I would like to invite the youth here. If we lose one Hindu girl , we should trap 10 Muslim girls. If you do so, Shri Ram Sena will take responsibility for you and provide every kind of security and employment." On 17 March, Yadgir Karnataka Local Court on Friday held Sri Rama Sena state President Siddalinga Swamy, pontiff of Karuneshwara Mutt in Andola, guilty of hate speech. On 2 January 2015, Siddalinga Swami delivered
882-649: A role in safeguarding the Hindu religion. During a raid at Nallasopara on 10 August, the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) had recovered several explosives and arrested Sri Ram Sena spokesperson Vaibhav Raut. The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) Sanatan Sanstha and the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti in its charge sheet filed in the Nalasopara arms haul case on . All 12 including Vaibhav Raut accused arrested in
945-437: A sting in which it appeared that some MPs had taken bribes under the scheme. Bhushan said none of the normal controls were being applied, and the scheme was breeding corruption. The same year, Bhushan also represented the CPIL in a petition alleging that PepsiCo and Coca-Cola were failing to warn the public of harmful ingredients in their beverages, and were luring young children through misleading advertising. Bhushan filed
1008-400: Is against death penalty, and spoke against the hanging of Ajmal Kasab , who was the lone captured terrorist in the 2008 Mumbai attacks . Along with Nitya Ramakrishnan, he was the counsel for the banned documentary 13 December, which is a reconstruction of the events that led to the attacks on Parliament, based on the chargesheet filed by the special police cell. In 1990, he successfully got
1071-674: Is an Indian author and a public interest lawyer in the Supreme Court of India . He was a member of the faction of the India Against Corruption (IAC) movement known as Team Anna which supported Anna Hazare 's campaign for the implementation of the Jan Lokpal Bill . After a split in IAC, he helped Team Anna form the Aam Aadmi Party . In 2015, he made several allegations against the party's leadership, its functioning and its deviation from
1134-560: Is not acceptable. So, whatever the Sena members did was right. You are highlighting this small incident to malign the BJP government in the state." In January 2009, Muthalik announced a plan to target couples found dating on 14 February, Valentine's Day. He said, "our activists will go around with a priest , a turmeric stub and a mangalsutra on 14 February. If we come across couples being together in public and expressing their love, we will take them to
1197-716: Is opposed to nuclear energy and supported the People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy against establishment of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant . In August 2015, Bhushan filed a PIL in the Supreme Court against the alleged corruption and nepotism in the selection of lower court judges in the Delhi Judicial Services Examination conducted in October 2014. As a result of the PIL, the Supreme Court ordered that
1260-433: The 2015 Delhi elections , Bhushan accused party's chief Arvind Kejriwal of selecting candidates of his own choice. After the elections, on 4 March 2015, Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav were voted out of Political Affairs Committee of Aam Aadmi Party for alleged anti-party activities and for working toward the party's defeat in the Delhi elections. Both Bhushan and Yadav denied the charges. On 28 March 2015, they were dropped from
1323-604: The Armed Forces Special Powers Act to be revoked in Jammu and Kashmir . He added that the government should try to persuade the people of the Kashmir valley to align with India but that they should be allowed to separate if they wish to do so. On 12 October 2011, he was attacked by the members of Bhagat Singh Kranti Sena inside the Supreme Court complex, for these remarks. The group accused him of trying to break up India. He
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#17328631553581386-621: The Electoral Bonds case representing Association for Democratic Reforms , thereby successfully getting the scheme declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of India. Prashant Bhushan has criticised the use of violence against the Naxal insurgents in the tribal-dominated areas. He has alleged that the actual intention of the Operation Green Hunt was to clear the tribal lands for mining operations and industrialisation. According to him,
1449-538: The India Against Corruption movement. Prashant Bhushan was one of the several activists who participated in the anti-corruption crusade. In March, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) invited Hazare, the most prominent leader of the movement, for talks. Prashant Bhushan and his father Shanti Bhushan, along with Swami Agnivesh and Kiran Bedi , accompanied Hazare to the meeting. Subsequently, in April 2011, Hazare nominated
1512-560: The St Joseph's College, Allahabad . Bhushan, who dropped out of IIT Madras after first semester and briefly attended Princeton University has a degree in law from Allahabad University . While still a student, Bhushan wrote The Case That Shook India , a book on the case that set aside Indira Gandhi's election in 1974. Bhushan has a B.A and L.L.B degree from Allahabad University. He dropped out of Princeton University's Ph.D program, but obtained an M.A in philosophy of science. Bhushan
1575-538: The Bhushans as members of the joint committee constituted to draft a final version of the Lokpal Bill. A few days after the committee began work, a CD was released that appeared to be a recording of conversation between Shanti Bhushan and Amar Singh of the Samajwadi Party . The recording, related to 2G spectrum case , would discredit Shanti Bhushan, if found to be genuine. Prashant Bhushan stated that labs had shown
1638-528: The CD was doctored, and that its purpose was to obstruct the anti-corruption movement. Later, Singh claimed that Bhushan telephoned him and tried to stop him from talking, a charge which Bhushan denied. The committee met the government representatives several times to discuss the proposed bill. Prashant Bhushan stated that the Lokpal should have full autonomy and power to prosecute all public servants, and that this principle
1701-483: The CPIL, Rajinder Sachar and Bhushan argued that the only way to disinvest in the companies would be to repeal or amend the Acts by which they were nationalised in the 1970s. Bhushan represented the CPIL in a petition asking for the removal of Neera Yadav from office as Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh for alleged corruption. Yadav had been named in five CBI corruption cases and 23 departmental proceedings. In October 2005
1764-506: The Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Judicial Reforms. Bhushan states that he has taken up about 500 cases dealing with "good causes". His family background allowed him to work on a pro-bono basis for such cases: according to him, he effectively spends only 25 per cent of his time on paid cases, charging 5 per cent of what other lawyers charge. He has criticised the other professional lawyers as "amoral", and claims that he never takes up
1827-567: The Press Trust of India that he and his supporters had entered the premises of the Samajwadi Party office and damaged some vehicles parked inside, as well as furniture and hoardings. The members of the Sena attacked young men and women after dragging them out of a pub in Mangalore , on 24 January 2009. A group of 40 activists of the Sena barged into the pub "Amnesia — The Lounge" and beat up
1890-503: The Shri Ram Sena and calling Pramod Muthalik its leader. Muthalik staunchly defended Pragya Singh Thakur, another of the accused, saying she was innocent. An investigation found that neither the Sri Ram Sena nor Muthalik were involved in the blasts. In an interview with Rediff.com , Muthalik said, "Look at the Hubli case where so many terrorists were arrested. These arrests helped in cracking
1953-723: The Sri Nuggikeri Hanumantha Temple. They threw hundreds of watermelons and coconuts on the road. On 26 April 2022, Sri Ram Sena chief Pramod Muthalik while delivering a speech at an event in Bagalkote in Karnataka warned - "Not just in Karnataka, but in any corner of the country -- on Rama Navami , Hanuman Jayanti , Ganesh Chaturthi or on any festival -- if one stone is pelted, then 1,000 stones will be pelted on Muslims. God has also given us two hands, be warned," Speaking at
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2016-498: The Supreme Court Justice V. Ramaswami was not impeached by parliament on corruption charges. In 2007, the Bhushans expanded CJA to include citizens and form the Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reform (CJAR). In 2009, Prashant Bhushan represented activist Subhash Chandra Agrawal , asking for the Supreme Court and High Court judges to be brought under RTI. The judges were forced to declare their assets and post it on
2079-478: The Supreme Court declared the allocation of spectrum had been illegal. In 2012, Bhushan filed a PIL seeking cancelation of coal block allocations by the government on the grounds that certain companies had been illegally favoured by the politicians. In response to the PIL, the Supreme Court (SC) scrutinised coal block allocation since 1993. Bhushan also filed a PIL against illegal iron ore extraction in Goa , which led to
2142-628: The Supreme Court directed the Mulayam Singh state government to remove her from her position. The case became the first in which an Indian Administrative Service officer in Uttar Pradesh was convicted of corruption. In February 2006, as counsel for Lok Sevak Sangh, Bhushan submitted to the Supreme Court that the MP Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) might not be constitutionally valid. A TV channel had recently aired video of
2205-520: The Supreme Court halting all the mining operations in the state. He successfully challenged the Prime Minister and Home Minister's decision to appoint PJ Thomas as the head of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC). Acting on his PIL, SC directed the CVC to apprise it of actions taken on complaints by whistleblowers in the country. Prashant Bhushan also represents whisteblower Anand Rai in
2268-429: The Supreme Court ruled to allow the massive project to recommence. Bhushan criticised the decision for having been made "without any evidence of the facts [being presented] before the judges". In February 2001 a criminal petition was filed with the Supreme Court of India accusing Medha Patkar , Prashant Bhushan and Arundhati Roy of contempt of court for having demonstrated in front of the Supreme Court in protest against
2331-602: The armed operations against the Naxals, and instead focus on providing food and infrastructure to the tribals. In April 2012 Bhushan drew criticism from Congress leaders when he refused to act as a mediator in negotiating with Maoists who were holding a District Collector hostage. He appealed to the Maoists to release the Govt. officer without conditions. He also said that the government should investigate and address legitimate demands. Bhushan
2394-729: The case where charged with plotting terror attacks in several cities and amassing explosives and weapons to execute the plan. In the charge sheet filed before a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court, the accused have been charged under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act , the Indian Penal Code , the Arms Act and the Maharashtra Police Act. On 22 May 2019, activist of Sri Ram Sena Shubham Baghel along with his supporters assaulted and abused
2457-450: The charge, calling it a "very organised and concerted attempt to smear members of the civil society in the Lokpal drafting committee with allegations". In a similar accusation, the former BJP Chief Minister, Prem Kumar Dhumal , had rejected those charges, defending the grant of relaxations to the educational trust. In 2011, at a press conference in Varanasi , Bhushan stated that he wanted
2520-610: The claim by the CBI that Dayanidhi Maran , the former telecom minister, had not applied undue pressure to the owner of Aircel to sell to the Maxis group of Malaysia. Bhushan said the CBI's investigation had been "less than honest". In January 2012 Bhushan questioned why the CBI had failed to lay charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act against companies such as Essar Group and Loop Mobile despite strong evidence against them. In February 2012
2583-574: The concurrent India Art Summit . On 27 October 2008, activists of the Sri Ram Sena ransacked the central office of the Samajwadi Party in New Delhi , in retaliation for defamatory comments alleged to have been made by the Samajwadi leadership against slain Delhi Police Inspector M C Sharma. Taking responsibility for the attack, the Sri Ram Sena's national general secretary Binay Kumar Singh told
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2646-470: The core ideology, values and commitments. He is one of the founders of Swaraj Abhiyan and Sambhaavnaa, an Institute of Public Policy and Politics. Prashant Bhushan is the oldest of the three children of Shanti Bhushan and Kumud Bhushan. His father is a lawyer-activist and a former Union Law Minister in the Morarji Desai government. Bhushan was educated at St. Joseph's High School, Prayagraj, and at
2709-510: The country. Following a hunger strike by Hazare and more failed negotiations with the government representatives, a section of Team Anna activists led by Kejriwal and Bhushan decided to enter politics to pass the bill themselves. In 2011, the Congress leader Digvijaya Singh alleged that the two Bhushans had failed to pay taxes due when they bought an investment property in Allahabad. Bhushan denied
2772-477: The court websites. In a 2009 interview, Bhushan alleged that at least half of the 16 former Chief Justices in the Supreme Court were corrupt. Harish Salve filed a contempt case against him in 2010, and the Supreme Court asked Bhushan to apologise. In response, Bhushan submitted an explanation stating why he felt those judges were corrupt. The Bhushans noted the difficulty of getting documentary evidence because judges are immune from investigation. Krishna Iyer ,
2835-572: The criminal liability aspect in the Bhopal gas tragedy reopened by SC, by challenging the settlement in the case of compensation to the victims. This reopened the case against the former Chairman of Union Carbide Corporation Warren Anderson (now deceased). Bhushan assisted the Narmada Bachao Andolan activists opposed to the Sardar Sarovar Dam . After six years of hearings, in October 2000
2898-571: The government had lost $ 15.53 billion by issuing spectrum in 2008 based on 2001 prices, and by not following a competitive bidding process. The Supreme Court asked the CBI to probe the irregularities in the auction of 2G spectrum. The inquiry resulted in the resignation of the telecom minister A. Raja, who was later arrested along with others including the DMK MP Kanimozhi, officials of Unitech wireless and officials of Reliance ADAG. In September 2011 Bhushan presented evidence that appeared to disprove
2961-460: The hearings before the Supreme Court of India in the case involving appointment of CBI chief. Later, however, the Attorney General sought to withdraw the proceedings, indicating that the comments had been a "genuine mistake" by Bhushan. In August 2020, the Supreme Court of India held that Bhushan was guilty of contempt of court , in relation to two posts made by him on Twitter. The first post
3024-510: The judgement on the Sardar Sarovar dam. Bhushan defended Arundhati Roy when she was charged with contempt of court for publicly criticising judges in the dam hearings. In March 2002 she was sentenced to one day in jail. According to Bhushan the judges were "just affronted by the fact that somebody has dared to criticise them". Bhushan is opposed to the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement . He
3087-521: The murder of 24-year-old Muslim youth Arbaz Aftab Mullah. Those arrested include right-wing outfit Sri Ram Sene Hindustan's Taluk President Pundaleeka alias Maharaj and have been booked under IPC sections 302 (murder), 201 (evidence disappearing), 34 (criminal act), 341 (wrongful restraint), 120b (conspiracy), 384 (extortion). Mullah's beheaded body was found on railway tracks on 28 September. On 8 April 2022, Sri Ram Sene members wearing saffron shawls vandalised at least four pushcarts belonging to Muslims near
3150-573: The nearest temple and conduct their marriage." On 9 February 2008, P. Chidambaram the Indian Minister of Home Affairs , said, "Sri Ram Sena is a threat to the country. The Centre is watching its activities with great concern". Muthalik's remarks aroused widespread criticism and protests like the Pink Chaddi Campaign . As a precaution, Muthalik and 140 others of the Sri Ram Sena were held in preventive custody on Valentine’s Eve and released
3213-503: The ongoing PIL regarding Vyapam scam in the Supreme Court. Before K V Chowdary's appointment Prashant Bhushan raised a red flag, asking the Prime Minister not to go ahead with his appointment, raising severe objections on Chowdary's tenure as CBDT Chief. After Chowdary being appointed, NGO Common Cause represented by Prashant Bhushan has filed a petition in Supreme Court of India challenging K V Chowdary's appointment as CVC and T M Bhasin's appointment as VC on 22 July. Bhushan argued
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#17328631553583276-541: The papers be checked by P. V. Reddi, a former SC judge and former Law Commission Chairman Justice. He subsequently recommended that 12 more judges should be inducted into the services. The Supreme Court has to issue guidelines for long-term systemic reform such as increasing transparency in the recruitment procedures. The Attorney General of India and the Government of India initiated contempt proceedings against advocate Bhushan for his tweets on 1 February 2019 in relation to
3339-493: The powers to tap phones. On 4 August 2011, the government's version of the Lokpal bill was tabled in the Lok Sabha . Prashant Bhushan and other IAC activists criticised the bill as weak, stating that it would provide protection to the corrupt officials. Hazare staged a demonstration against the government's version of the bill, but was detained. The other activists, including Prashant Bhushan, then organised peaceful protests across
3402-432: The proceedings, the Attorney General of India had objected to the Supreme Court, noting that contempt proceedings required his consent, which had not been obtained in this case. The Supreme Court declined to hear him and initially published an order that did not record his appearance, although it was later amended to correct this error. On 31 August 2020, the Supreme Court fined him ₹ 1 for contempt of court , which he paid
3465-427: The public confidence in the institution of judiciary". The proceedings were criticised widely by multiple former judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, including Supreme Court Justices Kurian Joseph , Ruma Pal , G.S. Singhvi , A.K. Ganguly , Gopala Gowda, Aftab Alam , Jasti Chelameswar and Vikramjit Sen . Bhushan was also supported with statements published by senior advocates and civil servants. During
3528-517: The rapid industrialization has led to "destructive development" in the tribal areas through pollution and displacement of people. After the April 2010 Maoist attack in Dantewada , which led to the death of 76 policemen, he stated that such "retaliation" was expected because the government had declared the anti-Naxal operations as a war. He stated that to de-escalate the situation, the government should suspend
3591-439: The same day. His anti-vaccine tweets and criticism of mask mandates has invited him heavy criticism from across the political spectrum in India. In 2010, there were a series of anti-corruption demonstrations in India, after high-profile cases like Commonwealth Games scam and Adarsh scam were highlighted in the media. An anti-corruption crusade which included a demand for a Jan Lokpal Bill took place and became known as
3654-403: The trigger on journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh on 5 September last year. The appeal on Facebook has gone viral and triggered a controversy. Rakesh Math, president of the Vijayapura district unit of Sri Ram Sene, has posted the appeal, asking people to financially help the families of those arrested by the police in connection with the Gauri Lankesh murder case. He has urged the people to have
3717-411: Was a criticism of the role played by the previous four Chief Justices of India, and the second criticised the Chief Justice of India in relation to a photograph of him posing on a motorcycle without a mask while the Court was in lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic in India . Justice Arun Mishra, writing for the bench, held that these tweets were not just personal opinions, and that they tended to "shake
3780-509: Was dragged out of his chair, and repeatedly kicked and punched. Bhushan described his attackers as having a "fascist mindset" and stood by his statements. Several politicians and activists condemned the attack on Bhushan, while some others criticised him. The Shiv Sena called for a police case to be registered against Bhushan, accusing him of supporting the anti-national elements. Hazare distanced Team Anna from Bhushan's remarks, saying that these were his personal views. Bhushan had long been
3843-422: Was drawn to public activism, influenced by his father. His main areas of interest have been human rights, environmental protection and accountability of the public servants. He is associated with various organisations including the Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL), People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), and Transparency International (India). He is also the convenor of the Working Committee of
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#17328631553583906-410: Was founded and established on 11 July 2005 by Pramod Muthalik , a former member of the Bajrang Dal and Shiv Sena . In its early years, the organisation called itself Rashtriya Hindu Sena. The group is mentioned in the charge sheet filed by the Maharashtra Police following the 2006 Malegaon blasts . In the transcript of a conversation, the prime accused, Prasad Shrikant Purohit , is heard praising
3969-452: Was non-negotiable. Team Anna activists disagreed with the government's attempt to keep the Prime Minister out of the Lokpal's purview. The government did not want the Lokpal to have the power to investigate the Prime Minister, the higher judiciary, the defence services, the CBI and the CVC and the conduct of MPs inside Parliament. The government's draft of the bill also excluded several other Lokpal powers proposed by Team Anna's draft such as
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