Justice Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, Madan Lokur and Kurian Joseph at the press conference. (Express Photo/Abhinav Saha)
Alleging “a perfect political conspiracy” behind the press conference last Friday by four senior judges who targeted the Chief Justice of India (CJI), a senior functionary of the RSS, pointing to its “critical timing”, has said what “they have done is unforgivable” because “they have tried to attack the uncompromising faith of the people in the judicial system”.
J Nandakumar, Akhil Bharatiya Sah Boudhik Pramukh of the RSS, in a Facebook post January 13, has slammed the four judges for “poisoning the waters”. He has alleged that the public attack against the CJI closely followed his order to reopen cases relating to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. He has also pointed out that Congress leader and senior lawyer Kapil Sibal was pulled up for seeking deferment of the Ayodhya title suit case till after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
“All these (developments) and Left leader D Raja’s visit to (the house of) one of the Justices, who addressed the press conference, indicate a perfect political conspiracy behind this. The timing was critical,” Nandakumar told The Indian Express.
Nandakumar, whose Twitter handle introduces him as National Convenor of Prajna Pravah and RSS All India Executive Committee Member, said he is not authorised to speak for the RSS and that his Facebook post followed the decision of the four judges to speak out publicly.
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In the post in Malayalam, Nandakumar says ‘’identify those who poison the drinking water”, that democracy exists on some basic foundations in which citizens have uncompromised faith, and judiciary is one of them. Those who attempt to demolish it, he says in the post, are committing an unpardonable mistake.
Speaking over phone, Nandakumar said: “I was deeply pained by the judges’ move. What they have done is unforgivable. They have tried to attack the uncompromising faith of the people in the judicial system by washing dirty political laundry in public. For whatever reason, they should not have done it. Now what will happen? Anyone who has differences with senior judges can come out in public? This can take place in High Courts too. What will you do to protect the institution?”
Pointing out that the four judges have argued that the CJI is just the master of the roster and first among equals, Nandakumar said: “If that is the case, why did they complain that their seniority had not been considered when cases were assigned? Is not the first-among-equals theory applicable to them?”
“I have seen the press conference on television. Justice (Ranjan) Gogoi did not even hear the question about judge Loya (the Sohrabuddin Sheikh case judge who died in 2014). But the way a certain political party took up the matter and made the judges’ press conference a fallout of the Loya case has given us enough to doubt that the whole incident is political,” he said, adding that Loya’s son has already said there was never any suspicion in his father’s death.