Government's control over judiciary by replacing collegium system not in the spirit of democratic polity: Gogoi

GUWAHATI: Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi on Saturday said that manner in which Central government to exert some sort of control over judiciary by trying to replace the collegium system is not in consonance with the spirit of our democratic polity

Gogoi said that the legislature, the executive and the judiciary, the three main organs of the State, have to work in tandem for a strong and healthy democracy.

In the light of the Supreme Court judgement declaring the constitution of the National Judicial Appointment Commission as ‘unconstitutional and void’ thus restoring the collegium system for appointment of judges to the higher judiciary, Chief Minister Gogoi said the independence of the judiciary has to be maintained to ensure justice, uphold the fundamental rights of the people and remove the inequities from which the anti-democratic forces derive their sustenance.

“The manner in which the Central Government tried to have some sort of a control over the judiciary by trying to replace the collegium system is not in consonance with the spirit of our democratic polity. The legislature, the executive and the judiciary have to go together for a healthy democracy and that is the cardinal principle of our Constitution,” said Gogoi.

Gogoi also criticised the Central Government for making attempts at saffronising education and culture with Hindutva ideology. “The Central Government’s attempts at saffronising education and culture with Hindutva ideology are not in conformity with the Constitution’s cultural diversity and pluralism.”

The Chief Minister took a dig at the Governor of Assam for nominating RSS ideologues to the highest academic body, the Dibrugarh University court.