Part of 'orchestrated campaign of PM' to browbeat judiciary: Cong

New Delhi: The Congress on Monday alleged that the letter by 21 judges to the Chief Justice of India was part of an “orchestrated campaign of the Prime Minister” to “threaten, browbeat and intimidate” the judiciary that has flexed its muscles in recent months. Asked about the letter at a press conference at the AICC headquarters here, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged that the “greatest threat” to judicial independence comes from the BJP.

“Please see the fourth name on that list and it will give away the whole objective, background and authorship of the letter,” he said in an apparent reference to former Supreme Court Judge M R Shah.

“This letter is a part of an orchestrated campaign of the Prime Minister to threaten, browbeat and intimidate a judiciary that has flexed its muscles in recent months. A judiciary that has called out India’s biggest corruption scandal, the electoral bonds scam…A Supreme Court which said there is a breakdown of constitutional machinery in Manipur, that is the target,” Ramesh alleged.

The Congress leader also claimed that the Supreme Court in which a very distinguished lady judge was highly critical recently of demonetisation is the target.

“So this letter of the 21 Modi-friendly former judges has to be seen along with that letter of 600 Modi-friendly lawyers.