Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday, 14 February, labelled former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi’s remarks as “worrisome”, whilst addressing the media at a musical event in Pune.
Speaking at ‘Khayal Yagya’, celebrations for the birth centenary of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Pawar said, "Last week, I read somewhere that Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) in one of the meetings of Supreme Court judges, stated that the standard of the Indian judiciary is very high. We all felt good.”
Pawar added, "But the statement made by former Chief Justice of India, who has been now sent to Parliament, is a very shocking kind of a statement. I do not know if he tried to explain the truth of judiciary but it is certainly worrisome for all”, quoted PTI.
Gogoi, who is now a Rajya Sabha member, had reportedly said the judiciary is in a “ramshackle state,” saying at an India Today Conclave, “How important the judiciary is as a constitutional body need not be emphasized. You want a 5 trillion-dollar economy, but your judiciary is ramshackled,” reported Hindustan Times.
Gogoi’s statements appeared to contradict PM Narendra’s Modi’s remarks earlier this month at the Golden Jubilee of Gujarat High Court where he called India’s Supreme Court as number one in the world, since the shift to conducting hearing by video conferencing. He added that the Constitution strengthens the judiciary, noted Hindustan Times.
Gogoi, who headed benches that pronounced several key judgments including in the sensitive Ayodhya land dispute case, retired in November 2019, and and was subsequently nominated to the Rajya Sabha.
Gogoi also led the benches that ruled on Rafale fighter jet deal and entry of women in Sabarimala temple.
(With inputs from PTI and Hindustan Times)
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