NJAC verdict: Congress, AAP attack Centre
18 Oct 2015 4:20 AM IST
Congress and AAP on Friday used the Supreme Court verdict on NJAC to attack the Modi government, accusing it of having “eroded” institutional autonomy and constitutional safeguards over last 17 months.
Congress chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala said the verdict striking down the NJAC Act, 2014, implicitly reflected “lack of confidence” in government. Noting that Congress respects the judgment on NJAC issue, he insisted that independence of <g data-gr-id="14">judiciary</g> is a key fundamental of democracy.
BJP termed the apex court’s verdict as a setback to parliamentary sovereignty. “While holding very dearly the principle of independence of <g data-gr-id="16">judiciary</g>, I regret to say that parliamentary sovereignty has received a setback today...Questions have been raised on parliamentary sovereignty,” BJP leader and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said. Prasad, who had piloted the NJAC Bill in Parliament as the law minister, said the order had raised questions over the sovereignty of Parliament, which had unanimously passed the legislation that also received ratification from 20 state assemblies.
Govt thinking <g data-gr-id="34">ways,</g> means on strategy ahead
With the Supreme Court striking down the NJAC Act, <g data-gr-id="33">government</g> is thinking ways and means on the strategy ahead and could convene an all-party meeting to take everyone along on the key legislation. Mindful of the fact that the issue does not degenerate into a tussle between the legislature and the judiciary, it could <g data-gr-id="32">utilise</g> the hearings in the apex court next month on improving the collegium system. It could suggest changes that would ensure the independence of the judiciary while at the same time taking care of government’s view that ‘judges appointing judges’ is not the best practice. Sources in the government said while it would take some time for the government to formulate its stand, it may not immediately rush for a review of the verdict which overturned its law on appointment of judges and brought back the collegium system. If the all-party meeting is convened ahead of the Winter session, it is expected to evolve a consensus given the fact that the legislation was first brought by the previous NDA government, later pushed by the UPA dispensation and finally cleared by Parliament last year.
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