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Expressing his views on the recent judgment of the Supreme Court which held that the appointment of members of the Election Commission of India (ECI) should be done on the advice of a committee comprising the CJI and PM and leader of Opposition, the Law Minister asked, "If the CJI or judges of India sit on every appointment who will carry forward the judicial work?"
While answering questions at the India Today Conclave 2023, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Saturday that there were a few judges who were a part of anti-India gang trying to turn judiciary against government.
"Recently there was a seminar on accountability of judges which somehow turned into how the executive is affecting the judiciary. There are few judges who are activists and part of anti-India gang which is trying to turn judiciary against government like the opposition parties. Judges are not part of any political affiliation and how can these people say that executive needs to be reigned in. How can they say this?" he said.
No one will escape and those who turn against the nation will have to pay, the law minister added.
Adding that the Collegium system was a misadventure of the Congress government, he said that till a new system is brought into place, the Central government will have to follow the collegium system.
Rijiju also touched upon the aspect of vacations and said, that judges required holidays since they deal with 50-60 cases everyday along with administrative duties.
"They have a huge mental pressure and need to go for vacation etc.." he said.
In January, in the midst of the ongoing squabble between the Centre and the Judiciary over the collegium system for appointing judges, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju had cited an interview of Justice RS Sodhi (Retd.), Ex-Delhi High Court Judge, on his Twitter handle.
Sodhi in his interview with the Editor of ‘Law Street Bharat’ had said that "for the first time, the Supreme Court has hijacked the Constitution to the extent that they (the Judges) have decided to appoint themselves, negating the role of the government".
Rijiju referred to the interview and tweeted: “Voice of a Judge... Real beauty of Indian Democracy is- its success. People rule themselves through their representatives. Elected representatives represent the interests of the People & make laws. Our Judiciary is independent and our Constitution is Supreme.”
The Union Law Minister agreed with the retired Judge and stated, “Actually the majority of the people have similar sane views. It's only those people who disregard the provisions of the Constitution and mandate of the people who think that they are above the Constitution of India.”
He further tweeted, “All the three organs of our State i.e. Legislature, Executive, and Judiciary must work together in the larger interest of the nation.”
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