Government undermining judiciary, alleges Congress

NEW DELHI: Soon after the Chief Justice of India let out his exasperation over the delay in the government clearing judicial appointments, the Congress accused the Centre of “deliberately undermining the judiciary.” The aprty alleged that the Centre was using the contentious Memorandum of Procedure as a “tool of blackmailing” with the “aim of undoing” the Supreme Court’s ruling setting aside the National Judicial Appointments Commission.

“We have again heard a cry of agony from the judiciary as an institution. We are seeing the government’s attempt to demean, control or embarrass the judiciary. The Congress party condemns this attempt by the government to erode and undermine another pillar of democracy. It is sad that the Memorandum of Procedure is being used by the government as an instrument of blackmail,” Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi alleged at the official party briefing.

“Suggesting appointments will not be cleared on time unless the judiciary agrees to the government’s MoP is unheard of. All of us can have different views. But once an NJAC judgment has come from Supreme Court, then it has to lead to quietness. You can't have a SC judgment undermined and obstructed by bargaining in this manner on the MoP,” he said.

Ease of Doing Business: The Congress spokesperson also alleged that the recent World Bank report on ease of doing business ranking showed “notwithstanding the Modi government’s rhetoric about Make-in-India, Start-up-India, Stand-up-India, the India is only witnessing the setting in of a worrisome policy paralysis. After all the rhetoric, India went from 131 to 130 in the ease of doing business rankings. In most of the World Bank criteria, India has actually regressed. India is behind Brics nations. Industrial production for the first 5 months of this year has been the lowest in 10 years. Gross National Saving as a percentage of GDP has fallen to 30.2%, the lowest since 2003. I must say the lion in the Make-in-India logo is not roaring and is acting as a meek cat.”