New Delhi: Retired Judge, Madan B Lokur reacted sharply after President Ram Nath Kovind nominated former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi to the Rajya Sabha.
Talking to Indian Express, Lokur alleged that it will redefine the independence, impartiality and integrity of the judiciary. He also questioned, “Has the last bastion fallen?”
It may be mentioned that Justice Lokur was part of the group of the then senior justices who called an unprecedented press conference in January 2018 to lash out at then Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra. Other justices who were present in the conference were Gogoi, J Chelameswar and Kurian Joseph.
Congress criticizes nomination
Meanwhile, the Congress has lashed out at the nomination.
Citing news reports, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala questioned the government’s move, saying, “Justice Lokur rightly summarises it – Has the last bastion fallen?”
In another tweet, Surjewala said: “Did PM Modi consider the advice of his former colleague & Law Minister and Finance Minister, Late Sh. Arun Jaitley before recommending ex-CJI, Ranjan Gogoi to the Rajya Sabha?”
Jaitley had once said that the verdicts are influenced by post-retirement jobs.
Ranjan Gogoi
Gogoi served as the 46th Chief Justice of India from 3rd October 2018 to 17th November 2019.
On 9th November 2019, the five-judge bench headed by him had delivered the verdict in the long-pending Ayodhya dispute case.
Before leaving the office, Gogoi had said that the issue of pendency of cases in Indian courts is used extensively to “pull down the institution”.
Gogoi had also left a letter for the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), stating that a part of him would always remain with the Supreme Court of India.