Surprised at Supreme Court verdict on NJAC : Venkiah Naidu

PATNA: Union minister M Venkiah Naidu today expressed surprise over Supreme Court's landmark decision quashing the NJAC Act and said the government will study the judgement and discuss with other political parties before taking next course of action.

"I am surprised at the SC verdict quashing NJAC Act," he told reporters.

Stating that reforms and accountability in judiciary was not BJP's agenda alone but of other parties too, Naidu read out a letter by Congress President Sonia Gandhi extending support to NJAC bill prior to enactment and committing support to reforms and transparency in judiciary in future too.

A lot of homework was done and a number of legal experts, including some eminent former chief justices of Supreme Court were consulted during drafting of the impugned legislation, he said.

The legislation, Naidu claimed, represented "public will converted into a bill and passed unanimously by Parliament" which the apex court has sought to ignore.

"We respect the SC, but are surprised at the decision," he added.