'Nuclear Missile Against...': VP Jagdeep Dhankhar Comes Down Heavily On SC Days After Apex Court Sets Deadline For President & Governors To Decide On Bills
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday came down heavily on the Supreme Court, stating that we cannot have a situation where courts direct the President.
His remarks come hot on the heels of the apex court's recent judgment in which it effectively set a deadline for the President and Governors to clear Bills.
The Vice President also noted that Article 142 of the Constitution, which gives the Supreme Court special powers, "has become a nuclear missile against democratic forces, available to the judiciary 24x7".
The scathing remarks from Vice President Dhankhar against the Supreme Court came while he was delivering his speech at the Valedictory Function of the 6th Rajya Sabha Internship Program at the Vice-President's Enclave today.
Speaking on the recent incident, where a huge stash of cash was recovered from a sitting Delhi High Court judge, he said, "An event happened on the night of the 14th and 15th of March in New Delhi, at the residence of a judge. For seven days, no one knew about it. We have to ask questions to ourselves: Is the delay explainable? Condonable? Does it not raise certain fundamental questions? In any ordinary situation—and ordinary situations define rule of law—things would have been different. It was only on 21st March, disclosed by a newspaper, that people of the country were shocked as never before. They were in some kind of limbo, deeply concerned and worried at this explosive, alarming expose."
"Thereafter, fortunately, in public domain, we had input from an authoritative source: the Supreme Court of India. And the input indicated culpability. Input did not lead to doubt that something was amiss. Something required to be investigated. Now the nation waits with bated breath. The nation is restive because one of our institutions, to which people have looked up always with highest respect and deference, was put in the dock. It is now over a month. Even if it is a can of worms. Even if there are skeletons in the cupboard, time to blow up the can. Time for its lid to go out. And time for the cupboard to collapse. Let the worms and skeletons be in public domain so that cleansing takes place," he added.
Expressing displeasure over the judge not being investigated under law, he said, "An FIR in this country can be registered against anyone—any constitutional functionary, including the one before you. One has only to activate the rule of law. No permission is required. But if it is judges—FIR cannot be straightaway registered. It has to be approved by the concerned in judiciary. But that is not given in the Constitution."
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