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'Remember Emergency?': Prasad to Congress

NEW DELHI: The government's move to bar Justice KM Joseph from a slot in the Supreme Court on Thursday triggered angry protests from the opposition and set abuzz the legal circles. It also ended in one of the fiercest run-ins between the BJP and Congress, which had been sparring for weeks over the crisis in the judiciary.
The Congress on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of indulging in "revenge politics" by "refusing" to clear the elevation of the country's most senior chief justice, K M Joseph, to the Supreme Court.
The judiciary is under the most vicious attack ever", and totalitarianism will stump democracy if the nation does not rise now, Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala alleged.
On Thursday appealing the judiciary to remain united, senior Congress leader Kapil said, "If our judiciary is not united to protect its independence then democracy is in danger.... they (the BJP) wants to pack high courts with their own people".
To the Congress claim of the judiciary being in danger, the BJP retorted that the Congress has no moral ground to talk about the matter.
Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad lashed out at the Congress on Thursday afternoon, saying the party's record of "giving unfair and unconstitutional treatment to the judiciary is well known". "It is littered with repeated instances of superseding inconvenient judges and compromising the independence of the judiciary," he said.
As an example, he cited the Emergency, imposed just a day after a 1975 verdict from the Allahabad High Court which pronounced then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi guilty of electoral malpractices and barred her from holding elected posts.
"Why was emergency imposed... Real provocation for the imposition of emergency was the Allahabad HC judgment... Reflects their outlook about judiciary. Legendary judge HR Khanna was denied and superseded for the post of Chief Justice of India, that is their record," Prasad said.
Last week, seven opposition parties led by the Congress sought impeachment of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. Its quick denial by Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu became the next flashpoint.NEW DELHI: The government's move to bar Justice KM Joseph from a slot in the Supreme Court on Thursday triggered angry protests from the opposition and set abuzz the legal circles. It also ended in one of the fiercest run-ins between the BJP and Congress, which had been sparring for weeks over the crisis in the judiciary.
The Congress on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of indulging in "revenge politics" by "refusing" to clear the elevation of the country's most senior chief justice, K M Joseph, to the Supreme Court.
The judiciary is under the most vicious attack ever", and totalitarianism will stump democracy if the nation does not rise now, Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala alleged.
On Thursday appealing the judiciary to remain united, senior Congress leader Kapil said, "If our judiciary is not united to protect its independence then democracy is in danger.... they (the BJP) wants to pack high courts with their own people".
To the Congress claim of the judiciary being in danger, the BJP retorted that the Congress has no moral ground to talk about the matter.
Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad lashed out at the Congress on Thursday afternoon, saying the party's record of "giving unfair and unconstitutional treatment to the judiciary is well known". "It is littered with repeated instances of superseding inconvenient judges and compromising the independence of the judiciary," he said.
As an example, he cited the Emergency, imposed just a day after a 1975 verdict from the Allahabad High Court which pronounced then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi guilty of electoral malpractices and barred her from holding elected posts.
"Why was emergency imposed... Real provocation for the imposition of emergency was the Allahabad HC judgment... Reflects their outlook about judiciary. Legendary judge HR Khanna was denied and superseded for the post of Chief Justice of India, that is their record," Prasad said.
Last week, seven opposition parties led by the Congress sought impeachment of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. Its quick denial by Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu became the next flashpoint.
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