Modi unhappy with Lokyukta appointment
29 Nov 2012 5:37 AM IST
Gujarat CM Narendra Modi has ‘reasonable apprehension’ on the appointment of Justice (retd) R A Mehta as Lokayukta by Governor Kamla Beniwal as the former judge had made public statements against the state government prior to his appointment, an NGO has told the SC.
Ahmedabad-based NGO National Council for Civil Liberties, through senior advocate Soli J Sorabjee, cited alleged instances to suggest that Justice Mehta would not be able to excercise his functions ‘objectively’ and with ‘impartiality’.
He submitted before a bench headed by Justice B S Chauhan that Justice Mehta, who is also a trustee of NGO Centre for Social Justice, had made utterances criticising the state govt’s alleged ‘wrong policies’.
Further, the NCCL, which has filed its petition through its president, submitted that the former judge, as a member of a panel, had criticised the govt for not fulfilling its responsibility in rehabilitating the 2002 riot-affected people.
Quoting these and other instances, Sorabjee told the bench that ‘the CM could well have reasonable apprehension that Justice Mehta has disabled himself from excercising his functions objectively and with impartiality.’
The NGO, along with the Gujarat govt, has filed the petition challenging the Gujarat HC verdict upholding the appointment of Mehta as the Lokayukta by the Governor. The Centre, however, has contended that there should not be any interference with the high court order and the appeal filed by the state government and the NGO was devoid of merit.
Besides the statements on the state govt’s alleged ‘wrong policies’ and rehablitation of riot-affected people, the NGO said that the retired judge, as a member of a jury, had issued a communique at the end of a public meeting ‘which contained statements which are antagonistic to the state’.
Ahmedabad-based NGO National Council for Civil Liberties, through senior advocate Soli J Sorabjee, cited alleged instances to suggest that Justice Mehta would not be able to excercise his functions ‘objectively’ and with ‘impartiality’.
He submitted before a bench headed by Justice B S Chauhan that Justice Mehta, who is also a trustee of NGO Centre for Social Justice, had made utterances criticising the state govt’s alleged ‘wrong policies’.
Further, the NCCL, which has filed its petition through its president, submitted that the former judge, as a member of a panel, had criticised the govt for not fulfilling its responsibility in rehabilitating the 2002 riot-affected people.
Quoting these and other instances, Sorabjee told the bench that ‘the CM could well have reasonable apprehension that Justice Mehta has disabled himself from excercising his functions objectively and with impartiality.’
The NGO, along with the Gujarat govt, has filed the petition challenging the Gujarat HC verdict upholding the appointment of Mehta as the Lokayukta by the Governor. The Centre, however, has contended that there should not be any interference with the high court order and the appeal filed by the state government and the NGO was devoid of merit.
Besides the statements on the state govt’s alleged ‘wrong policies’ and rehablitation of riot-affected people, the NGO said that the retired judge, as a member of a jury, had issued a communique at the end of a public meeting ‘which contained statements which are antagonistic to the state’.
Next Story
