The judges had brought the newspapers with them and at the outset asked Hajela and the RGI to read them and explain as to under what authority they discussed with the media the modalities to be adopted to deal with complaints and objections in finalising the NRC.
New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Tuesday severely reprimanded Assam’s NRC coordinator and the Registrar General of India for discussing the modalities to be adopted in finalising the NRC with the media, saying it could have sent them to jail for contempt and restrained them from speaking to journalists without its approval.
A bench comprising justices Ranjan Gogoi and R F Nariman termed as “most unfortunate” the statements made by Assam National Register of Citizens (NRC) coordinator Prateek Hajela and RGI Sailesh to media on the issue of dealing with claims and objections of those who have been left out in the draft NRC.
“Are you in any manner concerned with the claims and objections to be made… What have you said in the newspapers and tell us, how are you concerned with that,” a visibly angry Justice Nariman told the officials, reports PTI.
The court took cognisance of the statements of the officials on its own and said, it was “disturbed by certain statements made by Hajela, State Coordinator for NRC as well as Sailesh, Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, which appeared in a section of the Press”.
“The statements, without dilating, in the considered view of the court, are highly improper and touches upon matters which should have formed the subject matter. Court’s orders to be passed after submission of the standard operating procedure by the Union of India, as recorded in our previous order dated 31st July, 2018,” the bench noted in its order.
Hajela said that he had consulted RGI Shailesh and talked to the media to dispel apprehensions regarding dealing of objections and complaints on the draft NRC. Both the officials immediately tendered unconditional apology to the bench.