Judiciary usurping legislature's rights: SP member

NEW DELHI: Days after finance minister Arun Jaitley spoke about encroachment of executive space by the judiciary, members in Rajya Sabha, cutting across the ideological spectrum, echoed the concern as the Upper House bid farewell to 53 MPs on Friday.

Demanding a discussion over the issue in the monsoon session of Parliament, SP member Ram Gopal Yadav said MPs are concerned over encroachment on legislature's rights by the judiciary.

The Constitution, he said, had given Parliament the right to legislate laws and make budget. "If the judiciary does it what is our relevance," he asked. "Parliamentary honour, strength and supremacy has to be maintained. Constitution has drawn clear lines," Yadav said.

BSP chief Mayawati supported Yadav by saying, "We should act unitedly , especially on important issues and rise above political affiliations." "We should look within on why judiciary is taking advantage. We should sort out our differences," she said.

Senior SAD member Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, too, made a case for special session of Parliament to discuss judicial reforms.

On Friday, Jaitley again emphasised on the need for preserving parliamentary supremacy in the making of law and budgets. "This House (Rajya Sabha) and the Lok Sabha has the primacy in law-making and budget-making. Lawmaking and budget-making cannot be decided by any third party," he said in an apparent reference to the judiciary.

"If the right to law-making and budget-making goes out of here, it will weaken parliamentary democracy as well as democracy itself," the Leader of the House warned.

He said the "seriousness" of this issue has to be considered by all segments of the society. "I believe that the maturity of institutions in the country will one day decide the way forward keeping the logic of Constitution-makers in mind," the minister said.

Referring to the media, senior JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav, one of the retiring members, stressed on striking a balance on the issue of freedom of speech. "Only politicians are accountable ... but others must also have some accountability," he said, adding that maximum hiring and firing is in the media sector. "Owners have become editors," he said.

Dilip Kumar Tirkey of BJD said the Fourth Estate plays an important role, but cautioned against the ill-effect of "paid news or match fixing."

JD Seelam (Congress) expressed concern over "commercialisation" of politics and incidents where public representatives are lured by money. He said while it is being said that courts should not interfere, the legislature should also examine what it is doing.

Tapen Sen (CPI-M) said in a democracy, it is the numbers which decide, but efforts should be made to reach consensus.