New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that intimidating and threatening others is the old culture of Congress. The Prime Minister's strong remarks came in response to a letter written by over 600 lawyers to Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, alleging that a “vested interest group” was trying to put pressure on the judiciary and defame the courts. Is doing so, especially in corruption cases involving politicians. ,
In a post on Twitter, Modi said, “Intimidating and threatening others is the old Congress culture. It was only 5 decades ago that he called for a 'committed judiciary' – they shamelessly seek commitment from others for their self-interests but avoid any commitment towards the nation.'
“No wonder 140 crore Indians are rejecting him,” Modi said, tagging a post by the verified
Over 600 lawyers, including senior advocate Harish Salve and Bar Council president Manan Kumar Mishra, wrote to CJI Chandrachud, saying, “These tactics are harmful to our courts and threaten our democratic fabric.” The letter, dated March 26 and signed by lawyers from across the country, said Justice Chandrachud's leadership is important in these “difficult times” and the apex court must be strong.
Questioning the timing of the claims by “interest groups”, the lawyers said all this was happening ahead of the general elections.
“The timing of their actions should also be closely examined – they do this at a very strategic time, when the country is gearing up for elections. “We are reminded of similar actions in 2018-2019 when they began their ‘hit and run’ activities, including planting false stories,” the letter said.
“These attempts to weaken and manipulate the courts for personal and political reasons cannot be allowed under any circumstances,” the lawyers said.
An important court case with political implications ahead of the 2019 elections was a demand for a probe into the purchase of Rafale fighter aircraft over alleged corruption, but the Supreme Court had rejected the batch of petitions in November 2018, saying that decision-making in the deal There is no opportunity to doubt the process.
Saying that this is not the time to maintain respectful silence, the letter shared by official sources took aim at a section of lawyers without naming them and alleged that “they defend politicians during the day and then At night they try to influence the judges through media.
This interest group creates false stories of a supposed “better past” and the “golden” era of the courts, comparing them to events occurring in the present, the letter says, adding that their comments are aimed at the courts. To influence and embarrass them for political gains.
The letter, with the subject line “Judiciary in danger – protecting the judiciary from political and commercial pressure”, was also signed by Supreme Court Bar Association president Adish Aggarwal and senior lawyers Chetan Mittal, Pinky Anand, Hitesh Jain, Ujjwala Pawar, Uday Holla Are. And Swaroopama Chaturvedi.
Although the letter does not mention any specific case, the development comes at a time when courts are dealing with several high-profile criminal cases of corruption involving opposition leaders.
The opposition has accused the Center of targeting its leaders out of political vendetta, a charge the ruling BJP has denied.
These parties, which include some well-known lawyers, have joined hands against the recent arrest of Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal in a money laundering case related to the Delhi Excise policy.
Hitting out at critics, the signatories of the letter accused them of shaking public confidence in the courts, he said.
“We are writing to you to express our deep concern about the manner in which a vested interest group is trying to exert pressure on the judiciary, influence the judicial process and discredit our courts on the basis of flimsy arguments and stale political agenda. His actions are disturbing the atmosphere of trust and goodwill that characterizes the functioning of the judiciary. His pressure tactics are most evident in political cases, especially in cases involving political figures accused of corruption. .These tactics are harmful to our courts and threaten our democratic fabric,” the letter said in Reading.
The letter said that critics have also coined an entire theory of “bench fixing”, which is not only insulting and contemptible, but an attack on the honor and reputation of the courts. The letter said that at times it also leads to condemnable attacks and insinuations. Respected judge.
“They have stooped to the level of comparing our courts to countries where there is no rule of law and accusing our judicial institutions of unfair practices. These are not just criticisms. These are direct attacks aimed at us as a public To damage the trust of the Endangers the judiciary and the impartial implementation of our laws,” it said.
These critics have adopted a “my way or the highway” approach in the workplace because they appreciate decisions with which they agree, but any decision with which they disagree are dismissed, denigrated, and Ignored, he said, “This cherry-picking is visible even in recent decisions.”
“This two-faced behavior is detrimental to the respect that a common man has for our legal system,” the letter said. The letter claims that this biased attitude has also been reflected in recent decisions. I can see.
“Some elements are trying to influence the judges in their cases and are spreading lies on social media to put pressure on them to take decisions in a particular way,” he alleged in the letter.
Saying that the CJI's leadership is important in these “difficult times”, the letter said, “Staying silent or doing nothing may inadvertently give more power to those who wish to cause harm. It is important to maintain respectful silence.” This is not the time, because such efforts have been happening for some years and very frequently.”
“As people who work to uphold the law, we think it is time to stand up for our courts. We need to come together and speak out against these covert attacks, ensuring that our courts remain strong as the pillars of our democracy, untouched by these well-intentioned attacks,” the lawyers said.
(TagstoTranslate)Narendra Modi(T)DY Chandrachud(T)Vakeel(T)Harish Salve