Kiren Rijiju Removed As Law Minister Over The Alleged Dispute Regarding Judiciary
Rijiju was on Thursday, May 18, 2023, shifted from the law ministry and assigned Ministry of Earth Sciences.(PTI)
Kiren Rijiju's removal as the minister of law and justice and the reorganisation of the Union council of ministers on Thursday took place against the backdrop of the dispute between the government and the judiciary, especially the collegium system for appointing judges.
However, on Monday, the Supreme Court rejected a petition calling for the Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Attorney General Rijiju to be punished for their divisive comments on the legal system and the collegium system.
The Bombay Lawyers Association (BLA) had appealed a Bombay high court decision, which was being heard by the supreme court. The lawyers' group claimed in their argument before the high court that Rijiju and Dhankhar were ineligible to occupy the constitutional positions because of their behaviour and public comments critical of the Supreme Court and the collegium, which demonstrated a lack of confidence in the Constitution.
As a result, the Association cited a number of statements made by Rijiju and Dhankhar over the previous year, indicating a continuous conflict between the government and the judiciary about how judges are chosen and how their respective areas of responsibility are split.