New Delhi: Congress's Mallikarjun Kharge issued a strong rebuttal this evening to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comment that to "browbeat and bully others is vintage Congress culture". In a statement that started with a mild "it is not proper form for the PM to comment on our judiciary", the Congress chief went on to ask four pointed questions and accused the Prime Minister of being "personally responsible" for "usurping" the powers of institutions and "weakening our country".
What drew the Congress chief's rejoinder was a blistering post by PM Modi earlier today after 600 lawyers wrote to Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, alleging attempts by "a vested interest group" to undermine the judiciary's integrity and defame courts.
"To browbeat and bully others is vintage Congress culture. Five decades ago, they itself had called for a 'committed judiciary' - they shamelessly want commitment from others for their selfish interests, but desist from any commitment towards the nation," PM Modi said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Later in the evening, the Congress chief, in his statement posted on X, said, "As you consider India's institutions to be your personal property, I have some questions for you".
The first question pertained to an unprecedented press conference in January 2018 by four judges of the Supreme Court, who went public with their complaints against the then Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra. An independent judiciary is essential for a functioning democracy, the judges had said.
"Why was one of the judges nominated by your Govt to the Rajya Sabha?" Mr Kharge asked next, refering to the unprecedented Upper House nomination of former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi in 2020. The recommendation by then President of India Ram Nath Kovind is unprecedented – till then, no Chief Justice had been nominated to the Upper House by the head of the state.
"Why has your party fielded a former high court judge from West Bengal for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections?" Mr Kharge has also asked, referring to the former Calcutta High Court judge Abhijeet Gangopadhyay, whose move into electoral politics has raised eyebrows.
Mr Kharge also questioned why the government brought the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) that was struck down by the Supreme Court. The Congress, though, had supported the constitutional amendment bill in parliament.
The letter by over 600 lawyers, including veteran advocate Harish Salve and Bar Council chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra, alleged that a vested interest group is putting pressure on the judiciary, especially in cases of corruption involving political leaders.
The letter also 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.
Refering to the letter, Union minister Kiren Rijiju posted on X that "sane voices" are coming out now. "These Congress people coined the concept of committed judiciary and suspended Indian Constitution. The Congress and leftists want courts and constitutional authorities to serve them or else they immediately start attacking the very institutions," his post read.