In controversial remarks, a Karnataka High Court judge has accused the Executive of attempting to corrupt the Judiciary and lashed out at political leaders for “frittering away” the country’s hard fought independence for “private gains“.
In stinging comments, Justice D.V. Shylendra Kumar, who stirred an hornet’s nest by insisting on judges making their assets public, also said “an inept and corrupt” judiciary was playing second fiddle to the Executive. He said a “vocal and aggressive Executive Government is attempting to regulate and take over judiciary, even by corrupting the Judiciary“.
Posting his comments on his blog on the occasion of Republic Day, a rare thing for a sitting judge to do, he said, “An inept and corrupt Judiciary is playing second fiddle to the Executive. It is only the Legislature, albeit corrupt, rudderless and inefficient, has nevertheless on an occasion or two, adhered to its assigned role and has occasionally flashed sparks of brilliance by competent performances and is holding out a ray of hope.”
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He said among the three organs of the state, Judiciary had to take the major share of the blame, as by not being alright and upright by itself, it has failed to check and keep the other two organs of the state —Legislature and Executive — “in control and in the right mode.”
The judge has also attacked Karnataka High Court Chief Justice P.D. Dinakaran, facing an impeachment motion over land grabbing charges, and questioned his exercising power and authority on the administrative side though he was not discharging his judicial duties.
Writing on his blog, Justice Kumar said in the 60 years of functioning of the Republic, the country had not achieved even the goals set for people in the preamble of the Constitution to provide social, economic and political justice to all. “Forget about achieving social, economic and political justice through equal distribution of wealth and power amongst citizens and assuring freedom in thought, expression, belief, faith and worship in providing equal status and opportunities to all, we have not been able to provide even the basic necessities such as adequate food, clothing and shelter to all”, he said.
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The governing systems had “thoroughly and miserably” failed, he said, adding, “We are loosing our values, we are mortgaging our country and interest of the people to the dictates of the developed countries”.