NEW DELHI: AMID escalating tension between the executive and judiciary, Union law minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday again targeted the Supreme Court collegium, terming its decision to make public the sensitive reports of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) “a matter of grave concern”. The reports contained the agencies’ objections about certain names reiterated by the court for appointment as high court judges.
Rijiju said he will deal with the issue in due time but expressed concern that intelligence agency officials, who work in a secret manner for the nation, will think twice in future if their reports are put out in the public domain.
The collegium in its resolution dated January 18 had referred to the “adverse comments” of the IB while reiterating the name of advocate R John Sathyan as a judge in the Madras High Court. It also referred to RAW’s inputs about appointing advocate Saurabh Kirpal as a judge of the Delhi High Court. Rijiju said appointment of judges is an administrative matter, which has nothing to do with judicial order.