NEW DELHI: A day after Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju expressed concerns and termed the Supreme Court collegium’s decision to make sensitive reports of the Research & Analysis Wing (RAW), Intelligence Bureau (IB) public a 'matter of grave concern', former Finance Minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram while defending it said that collegium didn’t reveal any sensitive material touching upon person’s integrity or nation’s security.
Taking to Twitter, former Finance Minister on Wednesday said, “Why is Law Minister Kiren Rijiju taking offence at the Collegium 'revealing' the IB and RAW reports on three names being considered for a judgeship? The Collegium did not reveal any sensitive material touching upon the person's integrity or the nation's security. The reports contained material that was not germane to the suitability of a person to be a judge.”
He also tweeted that people have a right to know when a person considered fit by the Collegium was rejected by the central government on totally arbitrary and irrelevant considerations.
The SC collegium in its resolution on January 17 reiterated the name of advocate R John Sathyan as a judge in Madras HC and said the IB's "adverse comments" on Sathyan will not impinge on his suitability, character or integrity. It also referred to RAW’s inputs about appointing advocate Saurabh Kirpal as a judge of the Delhi High Court. Rijiju said the appointment of judges is an administrative matter, which has nothing to do with a judicial order.
Breaking the silence, Union Law Minister on Tuesday said the issue will be addressed in due time but added that intelligence agency officials work in a secret manner for the nation, and they would "think twice" in future if their reports are made public.
“Putting secret or sensitive reports of RAW or IB in the public domain is a matter of grave concern which I will react to inappropriate time. Today is not the appropriate time. I can say this much a concerned officer who is working for the nation in disguise or secretive mode, location will think twice if tomorrow his or her report is going to be in the public domain and it will have implications. I will not make any comment on this matter today,” Rijiju had said.