Daily Bulletin: SC to pronounce order on Maharashtra govt formation at 10.30 am; Opposition to boycott President's address in Parliament; day's top stories

Key Maharashtra hearing at SC today against governor’s decision allowing Devendra Fadnavis to form govt The Supreme Court will reserve its order on the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress combine’s plea against the Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari’s decision to allow Devendra Fadnavis to form government on Tuesday. Decision also on how soon the floor test is held in the Assembly is also likely to be taken. The two letters that hold the key to the extraordinary government formation in the state – one from Fadnavis claiming majority, the other from the governor inviting him to form government – has to be submitted in the apex court at 10.30 am. The three parties of the newly-forged alliance had gone to top court after the BJP, with some discreet political manoeuvring, formed government in Maharashtra on Saturday. As the country woke to the news of BJP’s Fadnavis taking oath as the chief minister for a second consecutive term with Ajit Pawar as his deputy chief minister, Sharad Pawar said his nephew had misled the governor and did not have the numbers. [caption id=“attachment_6604251” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Supreme Court of India. Reuters[/caption] The three parties accused the governor of partisanship, saying he made a “mockery of the high office of the governor”. “The Governor’s actions between the intervening night of 22.11.2019 and 23.11.2019 culminating to the swearing in on the 23.11.2019 are a text book example of the Governor acting at the behest of a political party in power at the Centre,” the petition read. At NCP-Shiv Sena-Congress’ show of strength in Mumbai, Sharad Pawar ‘vows to teach BJP lesson’ The Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress’ Maha Vikas Aghadi on Monday evening put on a ‘show of strength’ at a Mumbai luxury hotel Grand Hyatt, where 162 MLAs vowed not to “fall for any inducements” from the BJP. NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, the Opposition leader who single-handedly defied the BJP at the hustings in the Maharashtra Assembly polls, told the gathering he would ensure none of them loses membership for voting against the BJP during the floor test. Pawar claimed that the BJP has tried “unconstitutional” ways to gain power in Goa and some other states. “Maharashtra is not Goa and it is time to teach them a lesson,” Pawar said. “Misinformation is being spread that Ajit Pawar is the NCP’s legislature party leader who would issue a whip to all (NCP) MLAs to vote for the BJP (in floor test). It is being said that whoever defies the whip would lose his membership of the House,” the NCP chief said. Opposition likely to skip joint Parliamentary session to protest ‘murder of democracy’ on Constitution Day The Opposition is expected to boycott Tuesday’s Joint Session of Parliament marking the 70th Constitution Day, in protest against what they are calling the “murder of democracy” in Maharashtra and the “manhandling” of women MPs by security staff in the Lok Sabha. The parties — 12 so far — along with some Independent members will assemble below the statue of BR Ambedkar to protest against the situation in Maharashtra. It will be led by Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi, who personally reached out to many Opposition parties on Monday to join the agitation and to discuss the joint sitting. The parties expected to be at the protest are the Congress, TMC, DMK, RJD, Shiv Sena, CPI, CPI(M), SP, BSP, AAP, JD(S), RSP and IUML. But the NCP said it would attend the session. The special sitting in the Central Hall to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution in 1949 will be addressed by President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. Mamata Banerjee says West Bengal govt to provide land possession to refugees, regularise their colonies Amid the BJP’s assertion to implement NRC in West Bengal and the likelihood of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill being placed in Parliament, chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday announced that attempts would be made to regularise all refugee colonies on central government and private lands. The displaced people will also be given land rights by the Trinamool Congress government, Mamata said. The decision was taken apparently to take the wind away from the BJP’s sails, as the saffron camp was hoping to cash in on passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill which will be tabled in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament. “We have decided to regularise all the refugee settlements, solely because it has been a long time now – nearly 50 years. Since (March) 1971, they have not received any land possession,” she said. Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board to discuss on whether to file Ayodhya review plea The Sunni Central Waqf Board will meet in Lucknow on Tuesday to discuss the Supreme Court’s Ayodhya verdict, amid reports that its members are divided on whether to file a review petition against the ruling. The meeting is also expected to discuss whether to accept a plot of land that the judgment said must be given to Muslims to build a mosque, Waqf Board chairman Zufar Farooqui said Monday. After the five-judge bench delivered its historic verdict on the Ranjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute, Farooqui had come out against filing a review petition. But some board members went public against the stand. “The members can discuss the issue during the 26 November meeting. I have been authorised to take a decision on behalf of the board, but if any member has an objection to it, he can raise it in the meeting scheduled in Lucknow,” Farooqui had said. In a unanimous verdict, the Supreme Court had paved the way for the construction of a Ram Temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya. It also directed the Centre to allot a five-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board for building a mosque. DGCA says IndiGo must step up efforts to replace aircraft with problem Pratt and Whitney engines The DGCA, air safety watchdog, said IndiGo must do more to fix its aircraft fitted with Pratt & Whitney engines, linked to in-flight shutdowns, as it fears the budget airline may not meet its 31 January deadline to replace Deliveries of new planes taken by IndiGo must be used to replace the aircraft that are fitted with the problem Pratt engines, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said on Monday. Those planes should then be grounded until their engines are replaced with new ones, after which they can fly again. Indigo is the biggest customer of Airbus A320neo jets. Champions League returns with a couple of massive fixtures The Champions League is back after a three-week hiatus, and it returns with two thrilling contests on Tuesday night. In sunny Spain, European giants Real Madrid take on French champions Paris Saint-Germain in their Group A clash. Los Blancos were subjected to a thoroughly one-sided 3-0 defeat in the last meeting between the two, and Zinedine Zidane’s men will be looking to dole out retribution on home turf. In Group D, Serie A’s Juventus play host to Atletico Madrid, with the Spaniards within touching distance of top spot in the group. Elsewhere, the likes of Manchester City, Tottenham and Bayern will also be aiming to wrap up round of 16 qualification with wins in the penultimate round of fixtures.