Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday questioned the participation of the Chief Justice of India in the selection of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director or any executive appointment. Dhankar was speaking at the National Judicial Academy in Bhopal.
“How can in a country like ours or in any democracy, by statutory prescription, Chief Justice of India participates in the selection of the CBI Director! Can there be any legal rationale for it? I can appreciate that the statutory prescription took shape because the Executive of the day has yielded to a judicial verdict. But time has come to revisit,” Dhankhar posted a video clip of his speech on X.
This surely does not merge with democracy, he said asking how can we involve Chief Justice of India with any executive appointment.
Dhankar’s statement comes ahead of a meeting to select the next Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) as current CEC Rajiv Kumar retires on February 18.
Access to judiciary has been ‘weaponised’ to promote anti-national sentiments: Dhankhar
Earlier on February 7, Dhankar a statement about the judiciary, saying access to the judiciary has been ‘weaponised’ to promote anti-national sentiments.
Dhankhar said that in recent years access to the judiciary has been “weaponised” in a way that is not happening in any other country.
Expressing deep concern over attempts to influence the electoral process within the country, the Vice President said, “In the country with the oldest democracy, the strongest democracy, the most progressive democracy, and the most vibrant democracy—and constitutionally the only country in the world with a democratic system at every level, be it village, city, state, or nation—there is an attempt to influence our electoral process in a manner it should not be influenced.”
He was speaking at the inauguration of the third edition of the Karnataka Vaibhava Literature and Cultural Festival held in Ranebennur, Haveri district.
Dhankhar said the divisive forces operate in different ways. “They have adopted new paths, and on many issues, you will see them turning to the judiciary,” he added.
“I am concerned because our Constitution has given every individual a right within the judicial system. And what is that right? The right to seek the shelter of the court. But in recent years, money has been used to fuel anti-national sentiments, and access to the judiciary has been “weaponised” in a way that is not happening in any other country,” he claimed.
(With agency inputs)
