Ramesh Kumar to file affidavit about judges being abused online

VIJAYAWADA: The Supreme Court on Friday granted a week for Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar to file an affidavit after he informed the court through his counsel — senior advocate Harish Salve — about how High Court judges, who ordered that he be reinstated as State Election Commissioner (SEC), were abused on social media. Senior Advocate SK Ganguly, appearing for the state government, said the government would comply with the High Court’s order.

Harish Salve told the division bench comprising Chief Justice of India Sharad Arvind Bobde, Justice AS Bopanna and Justice V Ramasubramanian about the abusive tweets, and read one of them, which stated, “Judges of the AP High Court should be locked up with Covid patients.”Expressing his displeasure, the CJI said, “The Governor had to intervene to appoint Kumar as SEC after the HC judgment. There is contempt proceeding. What is this?”

On May 29, the High Court struck down the AP Panchayat Raj (Second Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 through which the government curtailed the tenure and changed the eligibility criteria of the SEC. The court also quashed the orders issued appointing retired Madras HC judge V Kanagaraj as the new SEC. It further directed the government to restore Ramesh Kumar as SEC, but the order was not compiled with.

Following the HC verdict, the State government approached the SC seeking a stay on the HC order. But the apex court did not issue a stay order.Meanwhile, Ramesh Kumar filed a contempt of court petition in the HC against the State government for not complying with its order and reinstating him as SEC. Dealing with the contempt petition on July 17, the HC directed him to approach the Governor and request him to implement the Court order, as appointment or reinstatement of the SEC is under his purview.

Ramesh Kumar met Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan on July 20, and on July 23, the latter ordered the State government to implement the High Court order and reinstate Ramesh Kumar as the SEC.
On Friday, the TDP demanded that the State government  reinstate Nimmagadda as the SEC as directed by the Governor, following the Supreme Court’s refusal to give a stay on the order of the High Court.
Welcoming the directions of the Supreme Court, TDP supremo and Opposition Leader N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday said in a tweet, “At least now the YSRC government should shun the rule of self-aggrandisement and work in the direction of protecting the constitutional systems, which are permanent rather than individuals.”

Senior TDP leader Yanamala Ramakrishnudu said Nimmagadda should be reinstated as the SEC immediately. Despite facing a series of blows, the YSRC government, instead of learning lessons, is proceeding further adamantly, notwithstanding the democracy and the Constitution, he said.

Unfortunate that Guv has to step in: SC
The Supreme Court said it was “unfortunate” that the Governor had to intervene to implement the HC order to reinstate Ramesh Kumar as SEC. It gave Ramesh Kumar a week to file an afffidavit pertaining to the contempt proceedings