SC junks plea against Dhankhar, Rijiju for remarks on judiciary

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday junked a plea by the Bombay Lawyers’ Association seeking action against Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju for their comments on the working of the Collegium and the apex court’s interpretation of the Basic Structure Doctrine.

Upholding the Bombay High Court order dismissing the PIL in February this year, a bench of Justices S K Kaul and Ahsanuddin Amanulla said, “We believe that the High Court view is correct. If any authority has made an inappropriate statement, the observations that the Supreme Court is broad enough to deal with the same is the correct view”. Dismissing the PIL in February this year, the High Court had said that “the credibility of Supreme Court of India is sky high and it cannot be eroded or impinged by the statements of individuals”.

The PIL sought directions to restrain Dhankhar and Rijiju from discharging their duties as Vice President and Union minister, respectively, pending final hearing and disposal of the plea and to restrain them “from making derogatory, insulting and objectionable utterances showing their lack of faith in the Constitution of India and the judiciary established by law.”

The High Court also observed that the “PIL can be used for redressal of a genuine public wrong or public injury and it cannot be publicity oriented”.