Former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, who has been nominated to Rajya Sabha, on Tuesday, 17 March, said he would speak in detail about accepting the offer of a seat to the Upper House after he takes oath.
Briefly talking to reporters who went to meet him at his residence in Guwahati, Gogoi said, "I will go to Delhi probably tomorrow."
A government notification announced Gogoi’s nomination to the Upper House of Parliament on Monday.
“Let me first take oath, then I will speak in detail to the media why I accepted this and why I am going to Rajya Sabha,” Gogoi said on Tuesday.
On the criticism of his RS nomination, Gogoi told a local news television channel, “I have accepted the offer of the nomination to the Rajya Sabha because of a strong conviction that the legislature and judiciary must at some point of time work together for nation-building.”
“My presence in Parliament will be an opportunity to project the views of the judiciary before the legislature and vice versa,” he said.
“Let God give me the strength to have an independent voice in the parliament”, the former CJI said, adding, “I have much to say, but let me take the oath in Parliament and then I shall open up”.
Notification Issued by Ministry of Home Affairs
A notification to this effect was issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
"In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-clause (a) of clause (1) of Article 80 of the Constitution of India, read with clause (3) of that article, the President is pleased to nominate Shri Ranjan Gogoi to the Council of States to fill the vacancy caused due to the retirement of one of the nominated members," the notification said.
The vacancy was created due to retirement of KTS Tulsi.
Ranganath Mishra, who was the 21st Chief Justice of India, was also made a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha from the Congress Party upon his retirement in 1998.
Palanisamy Sathasivam, the 40th Chief Justice of India, was appointed the Governor of Kerala when he retired in September 2014.
46th Chief Justice of India
Gogoi served as the 46th Chief Justice of India from 3 October 2018 to 17 November 2019. He headed a five-judge bench that gave the verdict on the sensitive Ayodhya land dispute on 9 November last year. He retired as CJI later that month. He also headed the benches that ruled on matters like entry of women in Sabarimala temple and Rafale fighter jet deal.
Last year in April, a woman employee of the apex court had accused the former CJI of sexual harassment. A three-judge in-house Supreme Court inquiry panel headed by current CJI SA Bobde dismissed the complaint against him.
Born on 18 November 1954, Gogoi did his schooling in Don Bosco School Dibrugarh before studying history in Delhi University's St Stephen's College.
Son of former Assam Chief Minister Keshab Chandra Gogoi, he was enrolled as an advocate in 1978. He practised in the Gauhati High Court on constitutional, taxation and company matters.
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