Government calls SC order to strike dowm NJAC a setback, all-party meeting likely

NEW DELHI: The government on Friday called the Supreme Court order striking down the NJAC a setback to parliamentary sovereignty and is likely to call an all-party meeting to discuss the matter. But it isn't sure of getting the backing of opponents should it approach Parliament anew for a reiteration that the collegium system deserved to be junked.

"Parliamentary sovereignty has received a setback today," Union communications minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said. Prasad, who as law minister piloted the bill, emphasized that the apex court itself had recognized that there was "something wrong" with the collegium system and that it needed to be fixed.

While the government did not conceal its frustration with the order, it did not seem to be sure of the backing of all political parties for a fresh effort by Parliament to end the monopoly judges have over appointments to higher judiciary.

Although enacted under the NDA, the 99th Constitution amendment for setting up the NJAC marked the fruition of a process that had started under the UPA for restoring to executive the say it had in the appointment of members of higher judiciary.

However, with tensions running high between the government and the opposition, the Centre seems wary that sections of the opposition, particularly Congress, may not agree to back it in any standoff with the judiciary.

The estimate stems from Congress's opposition to the GST bill, another legislation conceived under the UPA, and could have been strengthened further by the main opposition party's statement terming the SC order an expression of lack of confidence in the government.