Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Thursday imposed a financial penalty on the Superintendent of Presidency Special Correctional Home in south Kolkata for giving special treatment to Vikas Mishra, one of the prime accused in the multi-crore coal smuggling scam .
A division bench of Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Ajay Kumar Gupta directed the correction home Superintendent Debashish Chakraborty to either deposit Rs 10,000 with the office of the Registrar General of the Calcutta High Court within the next 48 hours or face seven days imprisonment.
“You are in charge of one of the prime correction homes of the state. If such things happen, then I must say that there is a definite attempt to influence the process of the probe. It is evident that you have done everything in your senses and intentionally. Even after the court ordered Vikas Mishra to be jailed, you have sent him to hospital. You are a government servant and you should have performed your duties according to law. This is not expected for a government servant like you,” Justice Bagchi observed.
Although Chakraborty apologised to the court on this count, the division bench imposed the financial penalty on him.
In September last year, the same division bench issued a contempt of notice against Chakraborty for violating the court’s order for periodical medical examination of Mishra.
Mishra, the first person to be arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the coal smuggling scam in April 2021, was then housed at the Presidency Special Correctional Home.
After the CBI informed the court at that point of time that Mishra had been frequently avoiding interrogation on medical grounds, the division bench ordered that a medical officer designated by the CBI should visit the correctional home at an interval of 48 hours to medically examine Mishra.
Thereafter the CBI again informed the court that despite being found medically fit by the agency designated medical officer, the correctional home Superintendent had been regularly allowing Mishra to get admitted at the correctional home hospital which hampered the interrogation process.
New Delhi: A special NIA court in Rajasthan has sentenced an ISIS-linked terrorist to seven years of rigorous imprisonment for conspiring to carry out terrorist acts in the country, an official said on Tuesday.
The special judge of the NIA court Jaipur convicted Mohammed Sirajuddin alias “Siraj” in a case registered in 2016 under various sections of Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, a spokesperson of the federal agency said.
The case pertains to the promotion of the ISIS ideology and Siraj influencing others over social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Telegram to become members of the proscribed terror group and to indulge in terrorist activities, the spokesperson said.
Sirajuddin, who hails from Gulbarga area in Karnataka, was found inciting the youth to carry out acts of violence and terror.
“He was living in Jaipur and was using online chats and messages advocating and spreading the ideology of the ISIS, also known as Islamic State, in various parts of the world,” the spokesperson said.
The official said he also arranged and assisted in organising online discussions and meetings among active ISIS operatives to plan and execute acts of violence and terrorism in the country.
Srinagar, Feb 18: A special audit report of the Jammu and Kashmir government regarding Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University (BGSBU) Rajouri, has pointed out large-scale financial irregularities and violation of norms on account of procurements made by the university.
According to the Special Audit Report of Directorate of Audit and Inspections, sent to Higher Education Department, J&K Government, a copy of which is with news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), has made several observations and recommendations in respect of working of the University based on the examination of records.
While taking review of the establishment section of the University, the Audit team observed that service records of employees were not being maintained and updated as per the prescribed procedures.
“It has also been observed that some of the important positions of the University are being manned by the re-employed teachers working in the University in contrary to the UGC model guidelines for re-employment,” the Audit report reads, adding that a superannuated re-employed teacher shall not be eligible for holding administrative or financial responsibilities at the institution or elsewhere.
The Audit has revealed that Prof Parvez Iqbal, Retired Faculty Dean Academic affairs and co-ordinator of TEQIP-III after attaining superannuation on June 30 of 2018 is still holding various administrative and financial powers.
“Assignment of financial powers to superannuated re-employed officers is fraught with risks in view of lack of accountability, absence of deterrence of the service codes or any mechanism for recovery in case of loss, fraud or embezzlement,” the audit report has observed.
The Audit report has also raised queries over management of Welfare Fund being utilised by the University authorities saying that the payments out of the welfare fund were released and sanctioned as “Grant-in-Aid” to the employees who are suffering from serious illness.
“However, no specific guidelines in respect of payments from the welfare fund have been laid down by the University and thus the payments made out of the Fund could not be verified in absence of specific guidelines,” it reads.
The Audit has also revealed that welfare fund @ Rs.100 per employee is being deducted from the salaries and is credited into a separate bank account no.894 in JK Bank BGSBU as Welfare Fund Account.
The Audit report has observed that some of the purchases were made by the University during the period under enquiry in contravention to the codal provisions.
“For the procurement of 200 student desks, the supply order issued to the firm is that of steel desk and the survey committee also submitted its report that goods so purchased are as per the quantity and specifications mentioned in the supply order. But the bill of payment provided by the supplier indicates that the desks are made of wood instead of steel which is contrary to the terms and conditions of the supply order and grave financial malfeasance, causing loss to the Exchequer,” it reads.
The Audit report has also revealed that the multi-media projector and projection screen have been purchased in contravention of the norms. “The maker of the product so procured has not been mentioned either in the supply order or in the bills of payment,” it reads—(KNO)
Joly said Canada will join like-minded countries that believe a special tribunal should investigate the alleged crimes. “The ICC [International Criminal Court] and ICJ [International Court of Justice] don’t necessarily have the mandate to be able to prosecute such a crime,” she added.
Right now, for example, the ICC does not have jurisdiction over crimes of aggression.
The United Kingdom also backs the special tribunal and is lobbying other G-7 countries to join.
The United States, Ukraine’s single-largest backer in weapon and military aid during the past year at war, has yet to decide if it will endorse the tribunal.
“From our perspective, the overarching priority is that the perpetrators of these crimes be held accountable for their actions and are unable to create such havoc and destruction with impunity,” Beth Van Schaack, the State Department’s ambassador-at-large for global criminal justice, told POLITICO in a statement. “We seek to remain in lockstep with Kyiv’s strongest partners as we consider this proposal, as well as all other options for holding Russia to account.”
One of those options includes developing an international center for the prosecution of the crime of aggression in Ukraine, “which would also preserve and store evidence for future trials,” the statement read.
The special tribunal would comprise a select group invited by Ukraine to map out a way to hold Russia criminally accountable for its wartime aggression, according to details shared by the U.K.
Joly told reporters that Zelenskyy didn’t use their meeting to ask for additional fighter jets, though she noted that President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a pact when they met in Mexico in January to continue to help defend Ukraine.
Joly is next headed to the Munich Security Conference, where she’ll meet with international counterparts to discuss global security threats.
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( With inputs from : www.politico.com )
GUTEN MORGEN, Grüß Gott and Servus from Bavaria! Welcome to our special Munich Security conference edition of Playbook with that latest news, analysis and gossip from what some affectionately refer to as the “Davos with guns” festival.
We’re smack dab in the middle of the three-day gathering of the global security elite, where (almost) all talk is centered around the consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine one year ago. Let’s dive in.
BREAKING
‘CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY’: The United States has determined that Russia is committing crimes against humanity in Ukraine, Vice President Kamala Harris announced Saturday, the latest salvo in the West’s effort to hold Moscow accountable for its wartime atrocities.
In a marquee address at the Munich Security Conference, Harris detailed that Russia is responsible for a “widespread and systematic attack” against Ukraine’s civilian population, citing evidence of execution-style killings, rape, torture and forceful deportations — sometimes perpetrated against children. As a result, Russia has not only committed war crimes, as the administration formally concluded in March, but also illegal acts against non-combatants.
**A message from Google: The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing war have created a humanitarian disaster, damaged critical infrastructure, upended energy markets and supply chains, and left hundreds of thousands dead or wounded. See how we’re helping people affected by the war in Ukraine.**
Here’s the line: “The United States has formally determined that Russia has committed crimes against humanity,” Harris told the conference just now. Alex Ward has the story.
EUROPE’S LINES
DAVID AND GOLIATH: A year after he came to Munich looking for help as Russian tanks lined up on the Ukrainian border, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy returned via video link to open on the conference on Friday. As the war enters its second year, Zelenskyy — who in 2022 declared “someone is lying” to a Munich audience still in denial about Putin’s true intentions — turned instead to a familiar parable from the Bible.
“The Russian Goliath has already begun to lose,” Zelenskyy said, sitting in his trademark olive green sweatshirt behind a desk in Kyiv.
Speed kills: Even as he thanked the U.S. and Europe for the weapons they’ve sent to help Ukraine defend itself, Zelenskyy made an urgent plea for more, stressing that “speed was crucial.”
Butt out Belarus: He also warned President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus not to get directly involved in the war, as the bellicose Belarusian suggested he might do earlier this week. Zelenskyy said he was confident that local opposition in Belarus to participating Putin’s quest to build a new Russian empire would hold Lukashenko back.
POT OR KETTLE? MSC chairman Christoph Heusgen asked Zelenskyy in a brief Q&A after his speech about his battle against “endemic corruption.” Given the MSC’s own struggles in that department and its recent “outreach” for Qatar, it’s a question perhaps better put to the gray-haired men behind the MSC.
Or they could just consult McKinsey: As promised in yesterday’s Playbook our exposé on the interplay between the MSC and McKinsey is online. Over the past decade, the U.S.-based consultancy has quietly influenced the agenda of the conference, steering everything from the focus of its marquee report to the event’s program, to the guest lists. It gives McKinsey the opportunity to push narratives that serve the firm’s client base, be they in defense, the energy sector or government, people close the conference say. The full story is out now.
NO MORE SCHOLZING: Countries able to send battle tanks to Ukraine should “actually do so now,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Friday, trying to rally support for a Europe-wide fleet of tank donations. Scholz, whose own dithering on the question of sending main battle tanks to Ukraine spawned the German verb scholzen (to Scholz), rebutted his critics in an address to the Munich crowd, calling out NATO partners that have overpromised and underdelivered on the tanks front.
Olaf’s bazooka: Scholz also declared that Germany would “permanently” adhere to the NATO goal of spending 2 percent of its economic output on defense — a target that Berlin is currently set to miss this year and probably also next year, despite a massive €100 billion special fund for military investment. Of course, Germany has made similar pledges before only to break them. But still!
Pissing on the chips: That’s what Brits would call what German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius did on Friday. While his boss was vowing German “leadership” and making new pledges, Pistorius made clear two percent wasn’t enough: “It must be clear to everyone: It will not be possible to fulfill the tasks that lie ahead of us with barely two percent,” Pistorius said. More by Hans von der Burchard
LE SNUB: Scholz was followed onstage by French President Emmanuel Macron. But instead of a hug, a handshake or just a wave and “bonjour,” there was nothing. Rien. The two men appeared to not to have encountered one another at all, in fact, underscoring the ongoing tensions on the Paris-Berlin axis. The two have been at loggerheads for months over everything from energy policy to defense.
For all the thinly veiled resentment and behind-the-curtain sniping on Friday, the overall message from both Macron and Scholz was one of unity and solidarity with Ukraine. How fast Ukraine will get the tanks and other weapons it needs to fend off Russia’s spring offensive is another question, however.
ALLIANCES (AND LACK THEREOF)
CHINA TO EUROPE: COLD WAR IS NIGH, BUT WE CAN STOP IT. China’s chief representative in Munich had his message ready for European leaders and officials: You can avert Cold War.
“The cold war mentality is back,” Wang Yi, Beijing’s top diplomat, said. “China and Europe are two major forces, markets and civilizations in an increasingly multipolar world. The choices we make have a huge impact on where the world goes … Making the right choice is a responsibility we share,” he said.
Dodged #1: When asked whether Wang would rule out an invasion of Taiwan, the Chinese leader instead went in hard in stressing China’s position on the island’s status and slammed U.S. and allies for focusing on its integrity.
Dodged #2: Wang did not answer the MSC’s Wolfgang Ischinger’s question whether he plans to sit down with the U.S. delegation in Munich. (The two sides have talked about a Blinken-Yi meeting for some days but there’s no signs of a breakthrough just yet.)
One line that popped: “Any increase in China’s strength is an increase in the hope for world peace.”
Another line that popped: The U.S. decision to shoot down China’s surveillance balloon was “absurd and hysterical. This is 100 percent abuse of the use of force.”
What else popped? The balloon, earlier this month.
STOLTENBERG TURNS THE TABLES: Just minutes after China’s chief diplomat left the stage, NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was quick to counter Beijing’s pleas, telling the audience it should project the lessons from Russia’s invasion in Ukraine on its dealings with China next.
“What is happening in Europe today … could happen in east Asia tomorrow,” the military alliance chief said, hinting at concerns about Beijing launching an invasion of Taiwan. Moscow, Stoltenberg underscored, “wants a different Europe” while Beijing “is watching closely to see the price Russia pays — or the reward it receives for its aggression.” Lili Bayer has the story.
FINLAND STICKS WITH SWEDEN: Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin reiterated her country’s desire to join NATO together with Sweden, saying it was in “the interest of everyone.” Except, it would appear Turkey, which continues to block Sweden’s bid over Stockholm’s refusal to extradite Kurdish activists Ankara claims are terrorists.
WHAT’S THE EU TO DO? Feed the military-industrial complex. That was the message from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen who called on the defense industry in her Munich speech Saturday to “speed up the production and scale up the production” of weapons for Ukraine.
WHAT’S THE ICC TO DO? Chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Karim Khan is still insisting The Hague-based ICC is the appropriate judicial venue to hold Russia accountable for war crimes in Ukraine, telling POLITICO’s Jamie Dettmer in an exclusive interview the court does have jurisdiction and can mount cases. “Of course, it’s clear. We have that jurisdiction, and we are being very active,” he said.
PROGRAMMING
WE’RE NOT DONE. Here’s a couple of sessions coming up that are bound to pique your interest. (Full schedule and livestream here.)
Saturday
— U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak explains “the U.K. in the world.” (As opposed to the usual explaining it “to” the world.)
— U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken headlines a panel on “Whole, Free, and at Peace: Visions for Ukraine.”
— German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius discussed “Fostering Resilience in Europe’s North-East” with Norwegian PM Jonas Gahr Støre and Latvian President Egils Levits.
— U.S. climate envoy John Kerry talks about “Greener Pastures: Advancing Joint Climate Action.”
— Ruslan Stefanchuk, Chairman of Ukrainian parliament and U.S. Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi on “ The Role of Parliaments in War”
Sunday
— EU foreign policy czar Josep Borrell on “Visions for the European Security Architecture.”
FROM INSIDE THE HOF
PASSLESS AGGRESSIVE: In German, “Bayerischer Hof” (the 19th century hotel that hosts the MSC) means “Bavarian court,” a nod to its founding under the patronage of King Ludwig I.
It’s an apt venue for an event that is also run like a royal court. All participants are “personal guests” of the chairman. That includes members of the fourth estate. Those who write nice things about the event are rewarded with free access to the conference. Some are even invited to the sumptuous Schloss Elmau, “a luxury spa retreat and cultural hideaway” in the Alps, where the MSC holds its “most exclusive” gatherings for policymakers and titans of industry.
And then there are those of us who fall out of favor with the powers that be for committing the sin of journalism. So it was that your humble ink-stained wretch arrived in Munich to discover that his privileges had been revoked! Instead of a coveted blue pass allowing him free reign, he was handed a dreaded yellow pass for the great unwashed masses of hacks and directed to a large container half a kilometer away from the venue.
To add insult to injury, his pass is stamped in red letters with a warning: “Escort Required.” (And no, it’s not a reference to evening entertainment.)
Fear not, dear reader. We have our spies in the hotel feeding us the latest tidbits of what’s happening inside the Kaiser Ischinger’s royal court. Speaking of which…
WHERE’S THE BEEF? Yesterday, multiple attendees complained that while there were no shortage of beverages inside, there was a shortage of food, which may or may not have something to do with the large American delegation in attendance.
DISINFORMATION: We erroneously reported in yesterday’s Playbook that Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba would be addressing the opening day of the conference. It was, of course, Zelenskyy. Mea maxi culpa. The responsible party has been duly punished.
SPOTTED: Disgraced former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, now an emissary for Silicon Valley billionaire Peter Thiel, loitering in the halls of the Bayerischer Hof.
Over 150 guests stopped by our POLITICO and Goals House nightcap on Friday for a drink or two and good chat at the fancy Schreiberei in central Munich. Among those welcomed by POLITICO’s Florian Eder were Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo; deputy Lithuanian Foreign Minister Jonas Survila; Jörg Kukies of the German federal chancellery; Bundestag members Roderich Kiesewetter, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, Sara Nani,Thomas Erndl, Andreas Scheuer, MEPs Eva Maydell and Markus Ferber; Gayle Smith, CEO of the ONE Campaign, Anja Langenbucher of the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, and author and politician Sawsan Chebli; former Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb, director of the School of Transnational Governance in Florence, Ngaire Woods, dean of the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford; U.S. Assistant Secretary of Treasury Paul Rosen; former chief of the U.K.’s National Cyber Security Centre Ciaran Martin, partner at Krebs Stamos Chris Krebs; Ralph Heck of the Bertelsmann Foundation; Manuel Hartung of the Zeit-Stiftung; Lithiania’s Viktorija Urbonavičiūtė, Michael Hinterdobler of the Bavarian state government; Gavi CEO Seth Berkley; Huberta von Voss of ISD Germany; Justin Vaïsse of the Paris Peace Forum; the SWP’s Stefan Mair; Bart Kot of the Warsaw Security Forum; Microsoft’s Christopher Sharrock; Ericsson’s Rene Summer; ITI’s Executive VP Rob Strayer; fellow journalists Gordon Repinski, Stefan Leifert, Benedikt Becker, Andrew Gray, John Hudson; POLITICO’s Matthew Karnitschnig, Jamie Dettmer, Laurens Cerulus, Hans von der Burchard, Andrew Ward and Paul McLeary.
OUR MUNICH PLAYBOOK wouldn’t happen without Laurens Cerulus, Cory Bennett, Heidi Vogt, Dave Brown and Jones Hayden.
**A message from Google: Since the war began, governments, companies, civil society groups and countless others have been working around the clock to support the Ukrainian people and their institutions. At Google, we support these efforts. Our priority has been to stand by the Ukrainian people, the Ukrainian government, and those who are still facing deadly attacks and the realities of life in an active war zone — and against forces seeking to undermine the peace and security of Europe and the stability of the international system. For more on how Google is helping people affected by the war in Ukraine, read here.**
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It’s unclear what criminality Smith contends Corcoran’s testimony could expose, but previously unsealed court records show that prosecutors convinced a magistrate who issued a search warrant in August for Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate that there was evidence of obstruction of justice as well as potential offenses related to classified information.
The search found about 100 documents with classification markings that prosecutors contend should have been returned to the National Archives.
Corcoran did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. A spokesperson for Smith declined to comment.
A Trump spokesperson referred to the special counsel’s investigation as a “targeted, politically motivated witch hunt,” adding: “The weaponized Department of Injustice has shown no regard for common decency and key rules that govern the legal system.”
Under court rules, Smith’s motion to compel Corcoran’s testimony would be heard by the chief judge of the U.S. District Court in Washington, Beryl Howell, an appointee of former President Barack Obama. Such proceedings are typically held in secret, although rulings sometimes become public.
Howell is set to turn over the chief judge’s post next month to a colleague, James Boasberg, also an Obama appointee.
Attorney General Merrick Garland named Smith as a special counsel in November, assigning him to take over the ongoing investigation into the sensitive documents at Trump’s home, as well as separate probes into efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and issues related to fundraising associated with the election and its aftermath.
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( With inputs from : www.politico.com )
“He thinks that the ‘speech or debate’ clause is a core protection for Article I, for the legislature,” said one of the two people familiar with Pence’s thinking, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss his legal strategy. “He feels it really goes to the heart of some separation of powers issues. He feels duty-bound to maintain that protection, even if it means litigating it.”
Pence’s planned argument comes on the heels of an FBI search of two of his homes after his attorney voluntarily reported classified material in his home last month — drawing him into a thicket of document-handling drama that’s also ensnared Trump and President Joe Biden. While Pence aides say he’s taking this position to defend a separation of powers principle, it will allow him to avoid being seen as cooperating with a probe that is politically damaging to Trump, who remains the leading figure in the Republican Party.
Pence is preparing to launch a presidential campaign against his onetime boss. Aides expect the former vice president to address the subpoena — and his plans to respond it — during a visit to Iowa on Wednesday.
But regardless of its political consequences, the argument from Pence’s camp means Smith could be in for a legal mess.
That’s because the legal question of whether the vice president draws the same “speech-or-debate” protections as members of Congress remains largely unsettled, and constitutional scholars say Pence raising the issue will almost certainly force a court to weigh in. That could take months.
“It is admittedly a constitutionally murky area with no clear outcome,” said Mark Rozell, a George Mason University political scientist who specializes in executive privilege. “Since there is a legislative function involved in the vice president presiding over the Senate, a court very well could decide that it must address the scope of the speech or debate privilege and whether it would apply in this case.”
Although vice presidents aren’t technically senators, they are charged with breaking tie votes in the upper chamber. And every four years, on Jan. 6, they lead the electoral vote count that facilitates the transfer of power from one administration to the next. Trump’s months-long crusade to pressure his vice president to derail Biden’s win — which is central to Smith’s investigation — focused entirely on Pence’s duties as Senate president, which legal scholars say lends credence to Pence’s case.
“I do think there’s a plausible [speech or debate] argument here,” echoed Josh Chafetz, a Georgetown University constitutional law professor. “And I’d be surprised if Pence doesn’t eventually make it. After all, a lot of the action here took place in terms of arguments about how he should rule from the chair.”
The clash arrives at a sensitive moment in Smith’s probe, which appears to be nearing its conclusion. Typically, prosecutors wait to subpoena top officials until right before making charging decisions. In addition to the demand for Pence’s testimony, a parade of high-level Trump administration witnesses has marched into the sealed grand jury rooms of Washington’s federal courthouse in recent weeks.
And it presents a new wrinkle for Pence as he makes moves typical of a White House hopeful, including his trip to Iowa this week. After confronting the 2020 election head-on late last year with a book and op-ed, he’s largely avoided a topic that risks courting confrontation with his former boss and possible future presidential opponent.
Most commentary since Smith subpoenaed Pence has focused on whether Trump might prevent Pence from testifying by asserting executive privilege — an unwritten constitutional protection that lets presidents maintain the confidentiality of high-level conversations (a Trump attorney told CNN Sunday that Trump intends to assert executive privilege over Pence’s testimony).
But seeking congressional immunity would further help Pence avoid a Trump collision and might prove more effective — a point legal scholars say is being overlooked. That’s because unlike executive privilege, which has limits that can be overcome in criminal proceedings, “speech or debate” clause protections have remained mostly impenetrable in investigations relating to the official duties of lawmakers, their aides or other congressional officials.
DOJ has, notably, argued in civil litigation that the “speech or debate” clause protects the vice president when working on Senate business. The department explicitly asserted in 2021 that Pence was shielded by the “speech or debate” clause in a civil lawsuit related to his role presiding over Congress’ Jan. 6 session.
The Senate, too, has long maintained that vice presidential involvement in its business “would fall within the legislative sphere and be protected by the speech or debate Clause.”
Courts have never explicitly ruled on that front, but have hinted over the years that vice presidents should enjoy some level of constitutional privilege stemming from their unique role in two branches of government.
A ‘first time’ argument
Roy Brownell, former counsel to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and author of a prominent paper on vice presidential privilege, said that if Pence ultimately asserts “speech or debate” protections, it will be “the first time it’s ever been clearly expressed that the vice president is claiming his own constitutional privilege.”
Even when Dick Cheney sought to expand the powers of the vice presidency to a historically unprecedented degree — triggering numerous court battles — he never formally invoked the protection, Brownell noted.
Brownell also emphasized that court rulings have found that “speech or debate” protection applies to congressional officials performing “fact-finding” related to their jobs. Pence, he said, could characterize his pre-Jan. 6 conversations with Trump and others as research into how he might rule on matters related to the Electoral College.
It’s still unresolved whether the Jan. 6 session of Congress legally counts as “legislative” business, however. In addition, even if courts deem Pence’s role a legislative one, judges would still have to decide whether the “speech or debate” clause protects him from having to testify about his conversations with Trump world about the bid to upend the election.
“It’s a fair question,” said Stan Brand, who was general counsel of the House of Representatives under former Speaker Tip O’Neill. “Procedurally, it creates another layer of potential judicial adjudication and that will certainly complicate the effort to enforce the subpoena.”
Some experts pointed to the recent 11th Circuit Court of Appeals decision that paved the way for Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) to testify to local investigators in Georgia — who are also probing Trump’s effort to subvert the election. Graham initially protested, contending the “speech or debate” protection should shield him from testifying at all.
But the circuit ruled that Graham could be compelled to testify so long as investigators steered their questions away from anything involving his legislative responsibilities. The Supreme Court declined to step in.
Pence may ultimately land in the same place, but it’s unclear which aspects of his involvement in the Jan. 6 session of Congress would fall outside of his official duties. High-level Trump administration witnesses, as they warned the then-president not to pressure Pence over how he counted electoral votes, made clear they viewed him as occupying a uniquely legislative role on Jan. 6.
“The Vice President is acting as the President of the Senate,” former assistant attorney general Steven Engel recalled telling colleagues in testimony to the Jan. 6 select committee. “It is not the role of the Department of Justice to provide legislative officials with legal advice on the scope of their duties.”
The counterpoint
Not all legal scholars agree that vice presidents enjoy congressional privileges, however. Former White House counsel Neil Eggleston said the text of the “speech or debate” clause doesn’t apply to anyone but lawmakers.
“The literal language is that this applies to ‘senators and representatives,’” said Eggleston, who advised former President Barack Obama from 2014 to 2017. “I think, by the language, this does not apply and the argument is completely frivolous.”
Still, predicting exactly how courts would handle the argument is difficult. The Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld the executive privilege wielded by presidents, despite the Constitution making no reference to the concept.
Meanwhile, the GOP House is fighting a grand jury proceeding of its own against Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.), who is citing the same constitutional protections to shield his communications from Smith and his team.
Perry, a key ally in Trump’s bid to seize a second term, has contended the “speech or debate” clause should bar prosecutors from accessing his phone — which the FBI seized last year — but a federal judge ruled against him in December. An appeals court secretly put that ruling on hold last month and scheduled oral arguments on the matter for Feb. 23. The House filed a lengthy brief Monday to defend Perry’s argument.
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( With inputs from : www.politico.com )
Mumbai: Filmmaker and choreographer Farah Khan on Monday night hosted a special party for the ‘Bigg Boss 16’ contestants.
Taking to Instagram, Farah shared a glimpse from the party which she captioned, “Party of the year !! #biggboss16 .. #myfavouriteshow #MANDLIROCKS p.s.- @m___c___stan singing anthem for the first time.”
In the video ‘Bigg Boss 16’ contestants Sajid Khan, Abdu Rozik, Nimrit, Shiv Thakre, MC Stan, Shalin Bhanot, Archana Gautam and others were seen singing the Bigg Boss anthem.
Apart from them, Farah’s close friend Sania Mirza, Chunky Panday, Arbaaz Khan and ‘Bigg Boss 8’ winner Gautam Gulati marked their presence at the party.
Soon after Farah dropped the video, fans flooded the comment section with red hearts and fire emoticons. “One And Only MANDALI Wala Season,” a fan commented.
Another fan wrote, “Waiting for the next season of Bigg Boss begins”
Rapper MC Stan emerged as the winner of the Bigg Boss 16 season, beating Shiv Thakare in the finale.
MC Stan’s journey inside the Bigg Boss house has been a remarkable one! His witty one-liners and bold demeanour helped him rule hearts in a very short period of time.
His bond with Shiv Thakare, Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia, Sumbul Touqeer, Sajid Khan, and Abdu Rozik was also loved by many.
Stan won the support of many rappers including Raftaar, Divine, Badshah, Ikka, Emiway Bantai, Karan Aujla, Seedhe Maut, Munawar and many others. They even sent video messages to Stan during the finale episode.
Shiv Thakare emerged as the runner’s up and Priyanka secured the third position in the show.
Like all other seasons ‘Bigg Boss 16’ also received a good response from the audience.
Hyderabad: The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) will operate as many as 2,427 special buses from various districts in Telangana and neighboring Andhra Pradesh on the occasion of Maha Shivratri.
The state-owned transport operator announced that the special buses will be operated from February 17 to 19.
Maha Shivratri is scheduled to be celebrated on February 18.
TSRTC officials said the buses for the devotees will be operated to 40 Shaiva Kshetras located in various parts of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
As many as 578 services will be operated to Srisailam, 481 to Vemulawada, 239 to Keesaragutta, 497 to Edupayala, 108 to Velala, 51 to Kaleshwaram, 52 to Komuravelli, 37 to Kondagattu, 16 to Alampur, 15 to Ramappa and 14 to Uma Maheshwaram.
Special buses will be available for devotees from MGBS, JBS, Dilsukhnagar, IS Sadan, KPHB, BHEL in Hyderabad to Srisailam. Advance reservation facilities will be available for these bus services.
Officials said the corporation will run more services, if required, for the convenience of devotees.
TSRTC Chairman Bajireddy Govardhan stated that the management is taking all measures to ensure that devotees do not face any difficulties on the occasion of Maha Shivratri. “It has been decided to run special buses to the 40 famous Shiva temples across the state,” he said
TSRTC Vice-Chairman and Managing Director V.C. Sajjanar said that instructions have been given to the officials to arrange more special buses according to the traffic.
The TSRTC is also providing a 10 per cent discount on rented buses. Sajjanar advised devotees to use this rental bus facility.
The corporation had operated about 4,000 special buses during Sankranti last month. Over 2.8 crore people had earned the services. The TSRTC had earned more than Rs 165 crore by operating the special services in a span of 11 days.
