new delhi: Hitting out at the BJP-led government after Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju wrote to Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud “suggesting” the inclusion of a government nominee in the decision-making process for shortlisting of judges, the Opposition parties have accused the government of trying to “capture” the judiciary.
Attacking the government, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that the “remedy” offered by the Centre is a “poison pill for the judiciary.”
“Vice President’s assaults and the attack by the Law Minister -- all this is orchestrated confrontation with the judiciary to intimidate and thereafter capture it totally. The Collegium does need reform. But what this government wants is complete subservience. Its remedy is a poison pill for an independent judiciary,” said Ramesh.
Terming the Centre’s suggestion “shocking”, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha accused the government of propagating the idea of a “committed judiciary.”
“This is absolutely shocking. This is going to grossly undermine the very idea of independence of the judiciary and shall unsettle the fine balance as envisaged through the constitution. Is the government unable to resist the temptation of having a ‘committed judiciary’?” the RJD leader asked.
Taking to Twitter, Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal said that the move was dangerous. “This is extremely dangerous. There should be absolutely no government interference in judicial appointments,” he tweeted. While pointing out that Memorandum of Procedure for appointment of judges does not have space to accommodate a government representative, Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari asked why the government wanted only its nominee on evaluation panel.
“The Collegium system came into existence as a consequence of the Second and Third Judges case in 1993 and 1998 respectively. The government tried to nullify it by bringing the NJAC paradigm which was struck down by the Supreme Court. Even if the Supreme Court would want to accommodate the central government’s desire, how would they do so (since) the Memorandum of Procedure does not have space for such accommodation? Then why only a representative of the government alone?” asked Tewari.
Notably, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju has written to Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud “suggesting” the inclusion of a government nominee in the decision-making process for shortlisting of judges.