The government’s decision to nominate former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi to the Rajya Sabha is an “unpardonable assault on the basic structure of the Constitution...,” the Congress said on Tuesday.
Also read | Former CJI Ranjan Gogoi defends Rajya Sabha nomination
Party spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Abhishek Singhvi cited the remarks of former Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley about the pre-retirement judgments of a judge being influenced by his desire for post-retirement jobs. “I am quoting him..., ‘For two years after retirement, there should be a gap [before appointment], otherwise the government can directly or indirectly influence the courts and the dream to have an independent, impartial and fair judiciary in the country would never actualise.’ These are his [Jaitley’s] words,” he said.
Mr. Singhvi said former Chief Justice of India Ranganath Misra became a Rajya Sabha member, five or six years after retirement.
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi considered the advice of his late Finance Minister, who also handled the Law Ministry, before nominating Justice Gogoi . “Did PM Modi consider the advice of his former colleague and Law Minister and Finance Minister, Late Sh. Arun Jaitley, before recommending Ex-CJI Ranjan Gogoi to Rajya Sabha,” he asked on Twitter.
“Justice Lokur rightly summarises it-: ‘Has the last bastion fallen?” he said in another tweet, tagging a news report on former Supreme Court judge Madan B. Lokur’s reaction to the nomination.
Published - March 17, 2020 09:51 pm IST
