No move to impose President's rule in West Bengal

The Centre has no plans to impose President's rule in West Bengal, which was hit by political violence in the run-up and in the wake of the Lok Sabha elections this year, sensational crimes like the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital rape and murder, and a slew of corruption allegations against senior figures of the ruling Trinamool Congress. 

There is no move to impose President's rule in West Bengal, a top government source said, as the state continues to grapple with the ongoing protests by junior doctors against the ghastly crime and the latest proposed talks with the agitators and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee failing on Saturday evening.

The source also defended Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit last week to the residence of Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud for Ganesh Puja celebrations, which had evoked criticism by some opposition parties.

"Better to go openly than to go secretly," the source said, asking if India’s judiciary "is so weak that judges will get influenced because of a meeting".

"Such thinking is reflective of a weak mindset," the source added.

As Prime Minister Modi, who had donned a traditional Maharashtrian cap, reached the CJI's residence, CJI Chandarchud and his wife welcomed him with folded hands, and all three were seen offering prayers to Lord Ganesha and performing aarti.

Opposition parties including Congress, the NCP-SP, and the SS-UBT had raised questions over PM Modi's visit, with some calling it "uncomforting", and others went on to raise doubts over the CJI's 'ability' to conclude future hearings after this meet.

The BJP was quick to dismiss the baseless and unsubstantiated allegations by the INDIA bloc and cited earlier instances of meetings of the Prime Minister and the Chief Justice of India at various forums. Meanwhile, top sources privy to the details said that CJI Chandrachud has been sending invitations to several dignitaries, as part of the ten-day Ganesh Chaturthi festival, and top dignitaries from the government and judiciary are among daily visitors at his residence, especially for the evening Aarti.

On the Uniform Civil Code, set to be implemented in Uttarakhand from November, the government source said that there has been no challenge to it after the hill state's Assembly passed in February this year.