Former Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud has said that it is wrong to assume that the judiciary’s role is to play the role of the Opposition in the Parliament or state legislatures as he responded to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s recent remark.
“People should not presume that the judiciary should be performing the role of the opposition in Parliament or the State legislatures. Too often, there’s a misconception that the judiciary has to play the role of the Opposition in legislatures, which is not so. We are here to scrutinise laws,” he told ANI.
Earlier, the Leader of Opposition had said, “We are alone working on the behalf of media, investigative agencies and judiciary also. This is the reality of India.”
The former CJI added, “We are entrusted with the duty to scrutinise executive action on whether it is consistent with the law, and whether it is consistent with the Constitution. There’s a different space in a democracy for the political opposition.”
Responding to the controversy over Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting Chandrachud’s house earlier this year over Ganpati Puja celebration, he said, “Look at the work which we have done. I think assess us in terms of the work which we have done. I think something which is, you know, a social visit, a sociable visit, and this is not unique. I’ve said this before, prime ministers visit people in the homes of judges on social occasions, sometimes on sad occasions as well. This is the element of elementary social courtesy which is followed within the system.”
With inputs from ANI
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Ex-CJI Chandrachud’s comeback at Rahul Gandhi: ‘Judiciary not here to do Opposition’s role’
