Congress leaders in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday opposed Centre&#39;s plan to set up 12 special courts to try pending criminal cases against Members of Parliament (MPs) and Member of Legislative Assembly (MLAs).

After the ongoing winter session of Parliament resumed, Congress leader Anand Sharma said the demand had an inherent potential to be abused in entirety by the government of the day.

Sharma also asked the government to ensure adequate funds for setting up special courts to try criminal cases against politicians.

&nbsp;Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad also joined the debate saying the law should be equal for everyone and legislators alone should not be singled out.

In reply, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley asked Congress if they had vested interests in delaying trials of politicians.

The Centre had informed the Supreme Court that it has decided to set up 12 special courts to deal exclusively with criminal cases against lawmakers and politicians.

Congress said the law should be for everyone and legislators alone should not be singled out

Congress leaders in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday opposed Centre's plan to set up 12 special courts to try pending criminal cases against Members of Parliament (MPs) and Member of Legislative Assembly (MLAs). After the ongoing winter session of Parliament resumed, Congress leader Anand Sharma said the demand had an inherent potential to be abused in entirety by the government of the day. Sharma also asked the government to ensure adequate funds for setting up special courts to try criminal cases against politicians. Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad also joined the debate saying the law should be equal for everyone and legislators alone should not be singled out. In reply, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley asked Congress if they had vested interests in delaying trials of politicians. The Centre had informed the Supreme Court that it has decided to set up 12 special courts to deal exclusively with criminal cases against lawmakers and politicians.

Special courts for MPs, MLAs: Opposition objects, says Centre can misuse

The Supreme Court told the Centre Thursday to ensure that the fast-track&nbsp;courts that will decide pending cases against MPs and MLAs start functioning from March 1, 2018.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/government-to-set-special-courts-for-speedy-trial-of-mps-mlas-pending-cases-26535" target="_blank">Will set up 12 special courts to decide criminal cases pending against MPs, MLAs, Centre tells SC</a>

The court directed the Centre to allocate Rs 7.8 crore proportionally to the states where the 12 special courts will be set up.

The court added that the courts will be set up by the state governments in consultation with high courts.&nbsp;

The court told the Centre it had two months&#39; time to collect and collate data of all cases pending against MPs and MLAs across the country.&nbsp;

The court added that the courts will be set up by the state governments in consultation with high courts

The Supreme Court told the Centre Thursday to ensure that the fast-track courts that will decide pending cases against MPs and MLAs start functioning from March 1, 2018. Also read: Will set up 12 special courts to decide criminal cases pending against MPs, MLAs, Centre tells SC The court directed the Centre to allocate Rs 7.8 crore proportionally to the states where the 12 special courts will be set up. The court added that the courts will be set up by the state governments in consultation with high courts. The court told the Centre it had two months' time to collect and collate data of all cases pending against MPs and MLAs across the country.

SC to Centre: Ensure courts deciding cases against MPs, MLAs start functioning from March 1

Russian lawmakers will vote next week on measures banning all US media from the lower house of parliament, a deputy said Friday, in response to the US Congress stripping state channel RT of its credentials.

A senior United Russia party lawmaker Olga Savastyanova said the Russian Duma will vote on the ban on December 6. It is unlikely that the proposal would be rejected by the overwhelmingly pro-Kremlin assembly.

&quot;The ban will impact all American media,&quot; she said, according to the Duma&#39;s official website.&nbsp;

There are 21 American media outlets accredited to work in Russia, according to the website of the foreign ministry which keeps the register and issues documents to journalists.

&quot;After the decree regarding closing access for American journalists to the Duma building is passed, we will work out all organisational and technical issues with the foreign ministry,&quot; Savastyanova said.

The ban would apply to US media rather than journalists from other foreign countries, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.&nbsp;

&quot;Such outrageous attacks on foreign media, in particular Russian media, go against the international practice of freedom of speech and unfortunately flourish in full Technicolor in the US,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

The ban would be the latest development in tit-for-tat fallout from Washington&#39;s forced registration of RT as a &quot;foreign agent&quot; in the US.&nbsp;

Washington views the channel as a propaganda arm of the Kremlin, which is accused of interfering in the presidential elections last year.

The congressional committee of journalists which regulates who is accredited to cover the legislature said Thursday they voted unanimously to withdraw RT&#39;s press pass.

The ban would be the latest development in tit-for-tat fallout from Washington's forced registration of RT as a 'foreign agent' in the US

Russian lawmakers will vote next week on measures banning all US media from the lower house of parliament, a deputy said Friday, in response to the US Congress stripping state channel RT of its credentials. A senior United Russia party lawmaker Olga Savastyanova said the Russian Duma will vote on the ban on December 6. It is unlikely that the proposal would be rejected by the overwhelmingly pro-Kremlin assembly. "The ban will impact all American media," she said, according to the Duma's official website. There are 21 American media outlets accredited to work in Russia, according to the website of the foreign ministry which keeps the register and issues documents to journalists. "After the decree regarding closing access for American journalists to the Duma building is passed, we will work out all organisational and technical issues with the foreign ministry," Savastyanova said. The ban would apply to US media rather than journalists from other foreign countries, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "Such outrageous attacks on foreign media, in particular Russian media, go against the international practice of freedom of speech and unfortunately flourish in full Technicolor in the US," he said. The ban would be the latest development in tit-for-tat fallout from Washington's forced registration of RT as a "foreign agent" in the US. Washington views the channel as a propaganda arm of the Kremlin, which is accused of interfering in the presidential elections last year. The congressional committee of journalists which regulates who is accredited to cover the legislature said Thursday they voted unanimously to withdraw RT's press pass.

Russian MPs to vote on banning US media from parliament on December 6

The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to constitute special courts on the lines of &quot;fast-track courts&quot; in order to quickly finish cases pending against MPs and MLAs in the country.

In September, India&#39;s top court had asked the government to consider legislating on setting up of new fast- track courts to expedite criminal case trials against parliamentarians and legislators.

&quot;With regard to MPs and MLAs, it falls under the domain of Parliament. It has the necessary competence to come up with a law. Make law and create necessary infrastructure,&quot; a bench of Justices J Chelameswar and S Abdul Nazeer said.

&quot;Every time Parliament and assembly makes a law, it creates rights and obligations resulting in more cases which are dealt with by the same set of courts,&quot; it observed.

&quot;Expect for some specific tribunals, no new courts have come up. You (Centre) should create new courts and infrastructure as at present, the Government of India is spending only one or two per cent of the budget (judicial system),&quot; it said, adding that this would also reduce the huge pendency.

The apex court said that inadequate infrastructure in the courts was resulting in pendency and said that Parliament should pass laws and create fast-track courts for speedy disposal of such cases against the lawmakers.

Attorney General K K Venugopal agreed that fast-track courts were the need of the hour and said that some such courts have in the past done an excellent job and several people, especially those in jails, were benefitted by the system.

The apex court had said earlier that inadequate infrastructure in the courts was resulting in pendency

The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to constitute special courts on the lines of "fast-track courts" in order to quickly finish cases pending against MPs and MLAs in the country. In September, India's top court had asked the government to consider legislating on setting up of new fast- track courts to expedite criminal case trials against parliamentarians and legislators. "With regard to MPs and MLAs, it falls under the domain of Parliament. It has the necessary competence to come up with a law. Make law and create necessary infrastructure," a bench of Justices J Chelameswar and S Abdul Nazeer said. "Every time Parliament and assembly makes a law, it creates rights and obligations resulting in more cases which are dealt with by the same set of courts," it observed. "Expect for some specific tribunals, no new courts have come up. You (Centre) should create new courts and infrastructure as at present, the Government of India is spending only one or two per cent of the budget (judicial system)," it said, adding that this would also reduce the huge pendency. The apex court said that inadequate infrastructure in the courts was resulting in pendency and said that Parliament should pass laws and create fast-track courts for speedy disposal of such cases against the lawmakers. Attorney General K K Venugopal agreed that fast-track courts were the need of the hour and said that some such courts have in the past done an excellent job and several people, especially those in jails, were benefitted by the system.

Constitute special courts to finish pending cases against MPs, MLAs: Supreme Court to government

The Supreme Court has issued notices to Centre and the poll panel on a plea seeking scrapping of pension and other benefits being given to MPs.

The apex court has sought reply a reply within four weeks.

An ex-MP gets 20,000 per month as pension, the BJP government has been mulling increasing the pension of ex-MPs for the past three years.

Supreme Court also issued notices to secretary general of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on Parliamentarians&#39; pension after retirement.

(WION)

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Supreme Court has issued notices to Centre and the poll panel on a plea seeking scrapping pension and other benefits to MPs.

The Supreme Court has issued notices to Centre and the poll panel on a plea seeking scrapping of pension and other benefits being given to MPs. The apex court has sought reply a reply within four weeks. An ex-MP gets 20,000 per month as pension, the BJP government has been mulling increasing the pension of ex-MPs for the past three years. Supreme Court also issued notices to secretary general of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on Parliamentarians' pension after retirement. (WION)

SC notice to Centre, poll panel over pension to ex-MPs

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