Raising concerns over the press conference held by four senior-most Supreme Court judges during which they questioned Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said the points raised by the serving judges are extremely important and need to be looked into.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in New Delhi on Friday, 12 January, Gandhi said, “Justice Loya’s death needs to be investigated properly at the highest level of the Supreme Court. The party unanimously believes that an impartial investigation needs to be conducted by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the eyes of senior-most Supreme Court judges.”
A statement released by the Congress stated that the observations made by the judges have far-reaching consequences and may jeopardise the independence of the judiciary and the democratic fabric of the country. Gandhi cautioned that “this threat to democracy needs to be looked into” since citizens who value the idea of justice and who repose faith in the Supreme Court are looking at the matter.
Perturbed by the accusations made in the letter the judges wrote to the CJI Misra, the Congress said that while millions knock the judiciary’s doors for justice, the non-finalisation of the Memorandum of Procedure has left posts vacant, impeding the delivery of justice.
Emphatic in its appeal, the party made it clear that cases which have wide implications for the society must be heard in accordance with the conventions laid down by the apex court. “In the matter of assignment of cases, established traditions must be followed and selective assignment of cases stopped,” the statement read.
Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said charges made by the senior-most Supreme Court judges are very “disturbing and have reaching consequences.” The content of the letter written by the four judges was extremely serious and raises important issues, he added.
However, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Sambit Patra, at a press conference at the party headquarters in New Delhi, said that the allegations made by the apex court judges was the internal matter of the Supreme Court.
No politics should be played. Surprised and pained that the Congress, which has been rejected a number of times by the people in elections, is trying to gain political mileage. It has exposed itself.
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