She says several judgments are being purchased
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday came down heavily on the judiciary, saying a number of judgments were being purchased.
“Why will judgments be given only in favour of those who offer money? I am sorry to say this; people can condemn me for this. I can be arrested and put in jail for this, but somewhere I will have to express my opinion,” Ms. Banerjee said. She was speaking at a seminar, ‘Executive Accountability to the Parliament/Legislature,’ on the occasion of the Assembly’s platinum jubilee celebrations.
It was very unfortunate that corruption had become the “main pillar” everywhere, including the judiciary whose responsibility was to deliver justice to people, she said. “I have seen it myself that a number of judgments are being purchased.”
Questioning the rationale for setting up of various commissions by the State government, Ms. Banerjee said they served no purpose. “So much money is spent on these commissions, but the only thing they do is summon officials… Out of 24 hours a day, officials have to spend 12 hours answering these commissions.”
Her remarks are significant, coming as they do in the wake of the recommendations made on Monday by the West Bengal Human Rights Commission for departmental proceedings against two police officers and compensation to Professor Ambikesh Mahapatra and his neighbour Subrata Sengupta for their arrest in April after they circulated an e-mail containing graphics of Ms. Banerjee and other Trinamool Congress leaders.
Ms. Banerjee said not only the executive but all should be made accountable.
There was a trend to criticise politicians and ruin their image, she said.
A section of civil society, Ms. Banerjee said, was giving sermons to politicians without thinking about what its accountability should be. “There are a few people who do not want to get into politics, do not want to take on the responsibilities of MPs and MLAs, but want to control everything in the country. They will decide whether the price of petrol will be increased and how foreign investment will enter various sectors. But they will never come and join politics,” she said.
She also alleged that a section of the media was distorting facts and misleading the people by criticising politicians.
Keywords: Mamata Banerjee, judiciary corruption
“There are a few people who do not want to get into politics, do not
want to take on the responsibilities of MPs and MLAs, but want to
control everything in the country. They will decide whether the price
of petrol will be increased and how foreign investment will enter
various sectors. But they will never come and join politics,”
democracy should work according to the decisions of the people. Not
according to the wills and whims of politicians. Is she trying to be
Dictator in WB? People of India don't have the right to criticize
their own elected representatives?
WB cm's statement is true and correct.It reflects the agony of the
innocent,poor and ignorant litigants.It also reflects the pain and
sufferings of the honest lawyers.Ma'm has the guts to speak the ground
reality and the lower courts judgments are mostly purchased one.Hope
ma'm's statement paw the way to remove black sheep's in the judiciary.
Mamata has said something which a lot of people know is true,
especially at the lower levels. You just need to go to court to pay a
fine for a simple offence, such as jumping the signal, to know what
she really means. You can be assured of harassment until you agree to
pay a bribe. It's much worse for more serious matters.
I don't know why everyone is making a hue and cry out of it. I don't
understand why the courts are boiling with righteous indignation when
someone points out what can only be described as a fact. I don't agree
with a lot of what Mamata says, but here, she has hit the nail on the
head.
The WB CM has literally crossed her limits by making sweeping charges against the judiciary by asserting and averring that she
"has herself seen that a number of judgments are being purchased".She has become highly irresponsible and needs to be reined in.The only question is who is going to do the reining in.
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