Why is Chief Justice of India not accountable when PM, CM are, asks Justice Chelameswar
VIJAYAWADA: Former Supreme Court judge Justice Jasti Chelameswar has said he fails to understand why Chief Justice of India is not accountable when MLAs, MPs, Chief Ministers and Prime Minister are.
Speaking after releasing a book written by former Chief Secretary IYR Krishna Rao here on Sunday, Chelameswar said he fails to understand why the Collegium, which decides the judges of the High Courts and Supreme Court, is not taken into consideration on other issues. “I personally consider Collegium as a progressive measure as a decision taken with a collective opinion is better than an individual one,” he said.
He made the observation, while referring to the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and the problems that arose out of it, which were mentioned in detail in Krishna Rao’s book Navyandhra My Journey. He said bifurcation of the State was a political decision, but it was done in haste without necessary preparations. “It is all because of lack of transparency and accountability. We are seeing the result of the decision,” he said.
On the occasion, he stressed the need for transparency, accountability in public life. Chelameswar cited an example of a former Tripura Chief Minister, whom he met, while he was the High Court Chief Justice to stress the values in public life. “One day I was invited for breakfast and at the Chief Minister’s office, I found a rickshaw besides Chief Minister’s official car. While returning, I asked about it and was told that rickshaw is for the Chief Minister’s wife, who is a small-time government employee,” he said.
The former SC judge said everyone blames the system and says it is getting rotten, but forgets that it is they who need to set right the system. “No one will come, but we people have to change the system. Institutions are not building, but people and it should not be forgotten,” he said.
Chelameswar said several issues that need to be told to the public are not being reported. He cited the example of a judge in Allahabad High Court, who was considered for the SC, went on leave after an internal inquiry report came against him over the allegations against him. “It was unheard of among the judges, but it went unreported,” he said, and added when a stance is taken, there will be criticism and one should not be bothered about it.
Earlier this year, Chelameswar was among the four senior judges of the SC, who went public with their grievances about then CJI Dipak Misra’s style of functioning. Explaining about his book, Rao said that CMO becoming more powerful is not good for the institutional framework and have an adverse impact on the issues of administration that matters.
Major land issues, land scams and how the government land was lost to private entities were discussed in a couple of chapters of the 130-page book. It also has a chapter — Our people briefed me — explaining what occurred in May-June 2015 related to cash-for-vote scandal and how the Chief Minister’s attitude towards Telangana government has changed and how he shifted his power base to Vijayawada.
Former MP Undavalli Arun Kumar, in his presidential address, observed that honesty and sincerity, which are needed in politics, are missing. Former Chief Secretary Ajay Kallam expressed concern over the institutional collapse and said when the institutions lose their autonomous status and freedom, it bodes ill for democracy.
Cash-for-vote, split blues in IYR’s book
Former Chief Secretary IYR Krishna Rao’s latest book — ‘Navyandhra Tho Na Nadaka’ in Telugu and Navyandhra My Journey (Early days in the making of Sunshine State) in English reveals information that was unheard of before about the problems that had occurred at the time of bifurcation of the State
Major land issues, land scams and how govt land was lost to private entities were discussed in a couple of chapters of the 130-page book.
It also has a chapter explaining what occurred in May to June 2015 related to cash-for-vote scandal and how he shifted base to Vijayawada.
A compilation of Rao’s articles in his column in an English daily — ‘This That and Everything’ (A critique on policy, politics, and development)’ was also released.