NEWS

New Delhi: Justice Kurien Joseph of the Supreme Court of India said on Friday in his opening remarks at a conference of judges in the national capital that appointment of judges to the Supreme Court of India should be cleared by the government within two weeks and to high courts within three months.

At the conference on the backlog of cases in the judicial system, justice Joseph expressed concern over the delays that have characterised appointments to the higher judiciary

“The Government must avoid delay in making appointments,” he said. “As far as the high courts are concerned there should not be a delay of more than three months once the high court collegium sends names. While in the case of the Supreme Court, where the selection is made from the judges themselves, appointments must not be delayed beyond two weeks” after recommendations are made, he said.

New Delhi: Union minister RK Singh said in first official reaction on the poll outcome in the neighbouring country thatgeneral elections in neighbouring Pakistan were "rigged" and Islamabad is unlikely to change its policy of hostility towards India even if Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan becomes Prime Minister.

Singh said Islamabad is unlikely to change its policy of hostility towards India Khan was supported by Pakistan's Army and that the cricketer-turned-politician was likely to follow policies of the military including in matters relating to India. There has not been any reaction from the Ministry of External Affairs so far on Pakistan's election outcome.

New Delhi: Film actor and Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Mathura Hema Malini has said that she can become chief minister anytime if she wishes to but would like to be free to pursue other interests. "If I want to, I can become that (chief minister) in a minute," the actor, who switched to politics more than a decade back, told reporters in Rajasthan's Banswara.

But 69-year-old lawmaker from Uttar Pradesh made it clear that she wasn't "too keen" on the Chief Minister's job. "I don't like to be tied up. My freedom of movement will end," Hema Malini said when asked if she would be open to becoming a chief minister if an opportunity came her way.

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party will manage all its election related activity from 11 Ashok Road for 2019 LokSabha elections. Lutyens’ Delhi bungalow housed the party’s headquarters for decades before it was shifted to a swanky, five-storied building on Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, central Delhi, in February.

“The war room will plan and execute the campaign for the next parliamentary election,” one of the two leaders said on condition of anonymity.

A third BJP leader said, asking not to be identified, that there is a feeling among some members of the party that the new HQ has not been lucky for it and that the war room for 2019 shouldn’t be located there.