Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot today made a range of sharp comments against the Centre, and on issues relating to the judiciary at an event in capital Jaipur in the presence of Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, and other senior judges of the Supreme Court and the Rajasthan High Court.
He objected to how Supreme Court judges were targeted for their comments in the Nupur Sharma case.
Referring to a public letter by ex-judges, former bureaucrats and retired officers of the armed forces criticising the Supreme Court's comments against Nupur Sharma, the since-suspended BJP leader whose remarks on Prophet Mohammed led to protests and a diplomatic row, Mr Gehlot said "116 people were made to stand up (against the two judges)".
"Recently Justices Surya Kant and Pardiwala said something. It is our duty to respect the judiciary. 116 people were made to stand up (against the two judges) including former High Court and Supreme Court judges, bureaucracy, officers and many others. I don't know how this was managed and an issue was created out of it. Supreme Court judges had made observations on what is happening in the country but this atmosphere was created," he said.
He further raised questions on how post-retirement concerns could affect the work of judges, citing the example of former CJI and now Rajya Sabha member Ranjan Gogoi.
"Imagine, four Supreme Court judges had said 'democracy is in danger', and the ones who said all this even had a CJI among them, (retired) Justice Ranjan Gogoi. I had asked the President of India 'was Mr Gogoi fine before (during Supreme Court tenure) or is he fine now?' This is beyond my understanding. Then he became a Member of Parliament...if during the tenure one is worried about what post he is going to get after retirement then how is he really going to work?" Mr Gehlot said.
He then hit out at the Centre by saying that the Prime Minister should address the nation to end "the atmosphere of violence and tension" in the country.
"A democracy is based on tolerance. People listen to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and that is why people vote for him. Shouldn't the Prime Minister address the nation and say that unity and brotherhood have to be maintained? He has to say that I will not accept violence at any cost. I believe the Law Minister can convince him. He does not listen to us. Today the situation is such that it's creating a lot of tension," he said.
The Rajasthan Chief Minister also referred to recent incidents of 'horsetrading' and said that he doesn't know how his government in Rajasthan survived.
"Situation is very serious in the country. State governments are being overthrown. Goa, Manipur, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra. This 'Tamasha' is going on or is there democracy? If elected governments are overthrown due to horse trading then...I don't know how my government got saved. I would not be standing before you today. You would have met some other Chief Minister today. It was a touch-and-go situation," he said.
Mr Gehlot was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the 18th All India Legal Services Authorities' Meet in Rajasthan's Jaipur.
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