NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court’s credibility is ‘sky high’ and cannot be eroded or impinged by individuals’ statements, the Bombay HC observed in a detailed order while dismissing pleas seeking action against Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju over their public comments.
“The credibility of the Supreme Court of India is sky- high. It cannot be eroded or impinged by the statements of individuals. The Constitution of India is supreme and sacrosanct. Every citizen of India is bound by the Constitution and is expected to abide by the constitutional values. The constitutional institutions are to be respected by all, including constitutional authorities and persons holding constitutional posts,” a division bench of acting Chief Justice S V Gangapurwala and Justices Sandeep V Marne remarked.
Court’s observation came in a plea which was filed by Bombay Lawyers Association seeking to declare that VP & Law Minister had disqualified themselves for holding any constitutional posts of Vice President and Minister of the Union Cabinet on the ground that their utterances have shaken the public faith in the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India and the Constitution. The plea had also sought for restraining V-P Dhankar from discharging his duty as Vice President of India and Law Minister Kiren Rijiju from discharging his duties as Law Minister.
Further laying emphasis on the fact that PIL can be used for redressal of a genuine public wrong or public injury and it cannot be publicity-oriented, the bench also said that constitutional authorities cannot be removed in the manner as suggested.