Not avenging Justice Joseph's Uttarakhand order: Law Minister

New Delhi: The government rejected suggestions that it turned down the elevation of Uttarakhand high court Chief Justice K M Joseph to the Supreme Court as he had once overturned the imposition of President's Rule in the state.  

In a letter to Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had said the government's rejection of Justice Joseph's name has approval of the President and the Prime Minister and also flagged that the SCs/STs have no representation in the Supreme Court since long.

"The proposed appointment of .... Joseph as a judge of the Supreme Court at this stage does not appear to be appropriate," Prasad had said in the letter. "It would also not be fair and justified to other more senior, suitable and deserving chief justices" and senior judges of various high courts.  

Prasad said that "sponsored allegations" are being levelled against the government by "the Congress party in particular and others in general" that Joseph's appointment was stalled due to his Uttarakhand President's Rule verdict.

"I wish to deny with all authority at my command. It has nothing to do with that at all," he told reporters.  He said there are two "obvious reasons" to support his stand.