Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday made a sensational allegation that the judges’ phones were being tapped and they were afraid to talk.
Kejriwal made this allegation at an event to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Delhi High Court. The programme was also attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Alleging government interference in judges’ appointments, the Delhi CM said, “I heard that judges’ phones are being tapped and they are afraid to talk. This is wrong and must not be allowed.”
“Have seen two judges say that “don’t talk on phone, it is being tapped”. I said phones of the judges can’t be tapped,” Kejriwal was quoted by news agency ANI.
Modi, for his part, wondered why the mood amongst the judges was so serious.
He said, “Bada gambheer mahaul bana hua hai yahan, 50 saal mana rahe ho, thoda toh muskuraiye. (The atmosphere here looks pretty serious. You must smile a bit, after all you’re celebrating 50th anniversary.)”
Kejriwal’s allegation came just two days after a person no less than the Chief Justice of India, Justice TS Thakur, had slammed Modi government for stalling the judges’ appointment.
An angry Supreme Court on Friday slammed the Centre for not appointing judges whose names were sent for clearance in February adding that the delay threatened to ‘decimate’ the judiciary.
In a scathing attack, the Supreme Court today said the government cannot bring the judiciary to a “grinding halt” by not appointing High Court judges despite the recommendations of its collegium long ago and said it could as well close the courts and lock “justice out”.
“You cannot bring the entire institution (of judiciary) to a grinding halt. If there is a problem with the name of a person, please send it back and ask us to reconsider,” a bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur told Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, representing the Centre, in a packed courtroom.
Expressing deep anguish over the delay in appointment of judges in high courts, the bench also comprising Justice D Y Chandrachud and L Nageswara Rao gave the example of the Karnataka High Court where one of the floors, having court rooms, is locked due to lack of judges.
Meanwhile, the central government said that there was no truth in the allegation of phone tapping.
Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “I have been Communication Minister for two years and I completely deny that phones of judges are tapped at all.”
PTI quoted him as saying, “I deny with all authority at command the allegations that phones of judges have been tapped.”
Courtesy: Janta ka Reporter