NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday reacted to the concerns raised by over 600 lawyers against a “vested interest group” which was trying to put pressure on judiciary and defame courts and said “to browbeat and bully others is vintage Congress culture.”
Reacting to the letter written by the lawyers to the Chief Justice of India, PM Modi said “5 decades ago itself they had called for a “committed judiciary” – they shamelessly want commitment from others for their selfish interests but desist from any commitment towards the nation.” “No wonder 140 crore Indians are rejecting them,” he added.
More than 600 lawyers, including senior advocate Harish Salve and Bar Council chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra, wrote to Chief Justice of India, alleging that a “vested interest group” is trying to put pressure on the judiciary and defame courts, especially in cases of corruption involving politicians.
The lawyers in their letter said “this interest group creates false narratives of a supposed better past and golden period of courts, contrasting it with the happenings in the present. It claimed that their comments are aimed at influencing courts and embarrassing them for political gains.
The letter, shared by official sources, targeted a section of lawyers without naming them and alleged that they defend politicians by day and then try to influence judges through the media at night.
“These tactics are damaging to our courts and threaten our democratic fabric,” the lawyers drawn from across the country said.
The lawyers blamed the group for concocting the theory of “bench fixing” and said this is not just disrespectful and contemptuous but an attack on the honour and dignity of courts.
“They have also stooped to the level of comparing our courts to those countries where there is no rule of law and accusing our judicial institutions with unfair practices. These aren’t just criticisms. They are direct attacks meant to damage the public’s trust in our judiciary and threaten the fair application of our laws,” the letter said.
CJI Chandrachud’s leadership is crucial in these “tough times” and the apex court should stand strong, the letter said, adding it is not the time to maintain dignified silence.
Reacting to the letter written by the lawyers to the Chief Justice of India, PM Modi said “5 decades ago itself they had called for a “committed judiciary” – they shamelessly want commitment from others for their selfish interests but desist from any commitment towards the nation.” “No wonder 140 crore Indians are rejecting them,” he added.
More than 600 lawyers, including senior advocate Harish Salve and Bar Council chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra, wrote to Chief Justice of India, alleging that a “vested interest group” is trying to put pressure on the judiciary and defame courts, especially in cases of corruption involving politicians.
The lawyers in their letter said “this interest group creates false narratives of a supposed better past and golden period of courts, contrasting it with the happenings in the present. It claimed that their comments are aimed at influencing courts and embarrassing them for political gains.
The letter, shared by official sources, targeted a section of lawyers without naming them and alleged that they defend politicians by day and then try to influence judges through the media at night.
“These tactics are damaging to our courts and threaten our democratic fabric,” the lawyers drawn from across the country said.
The lawyers blamed the group for concocting the theory of “bench fixing” and said this is not just disrespectful and contemptuous but an attack on the honour and dignity of courts.
“They have also stooped to the level of comparing our courts to those countries where there is no rule of law and accusing our judicial institutions with unfair practices. These aren’t just criticisms. They are direct attacks meant to damage the public’s trust in our judiciary and threaten the fair application of our laws,” the letter said.
CJI Chandrachud’s leadership is crucial in these “tough times” and the apex court should stand strong, the letter said, adding it is not the time to maintain dignified silence.
