BENGALURU: Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju criticised the trend of retired judges speaking against the government. Rijiju, who was addressing the Karnataka State Advocate Associations’ Conference, said the Indian judiciary has often been accused of being compromised, and witnessed instances in the past that fuel such perceptions.
“We have seen a recent case where a group of retired Supreme Court and High Court judges had come together against the Home Minister Amit Shah. Retired judges come up, sign statements together and give petitions, and speak against the government.
But what purpose does it serve? When members of the judiciary engage in political tussles, it not only diminishes the dignity of the profession but also weakens faith in the institution,” he said, indirectly arguing that retired judges should not raise opinions against the government.
Rijiju’s statement comes days later after 18 retired judges signed a joint statement against Shah over his remarks against Opposition vice-presidential candidate and former SC judge B Sudershan Reddy and 2011 Salwa Judum judgment.
The retired judges had called Shah’s comments “unfortunate” and a “prejudicial misinterpretation” of the 2011 Salwa Judum judgment, through which the Supreme Court disbanded the state-backed vigilante movement in Chhattisgarh.
Disruption has taken precedence over debate in Parliament, says Rijiju
The quality of Parliamentary debates in India has declined over the years with disruptions increasingly taking the place of meaningful discussions, Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju has said. He was addressing the advocates of the High Court of Karnataka on ‘Parliamentary System in the Largest Democracy in the World’ on Saturday.
“When I entered Parliament, leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Chandra Shekhar, George Fernandes, and Sushma Swaraj would engage in powerful debates. We, as young MPs, would listen and learn from them. Today, unfortunately, disruption has taken precedence over debate,” the minister said.
Rijiju urged young parliamentarians to resist party instructions to disrupt proceedings. “Creating noise weakens democracy,” he said. Rijiju noted that during the recent monsoon session, several important bills were passed without proper discussion because of repeated disruptions. These included the Online Gaming Bill, a constitutional amendment that requires ministers to step down if jailed for more than 30 days, reforms in mining laws, and a major bill on sports governance, he said. “The Online Gaming Bill, for example, will shape the future of our youth. Such laws should be debated thoroughly, but we had no choice but to push them through. I was not happy about this,” he said.
Calling India’s democracy “unique,” Rijiju said the responsibilities of Indian MPs are far greater than those in many other countries. “In the UK, an MP represents about 90,000 people. In India, one MP represents nearly 2.5 million people. Citizens approach us not just with policies but with personal problems such as medical help, education, land disputes. In reality, lawmaking is only a small part of our work,” he said.
The minister recalled his 2004 parliamentary exchange in the UK, where he interacted with senior British MP Sir Patrick Cormack. “That experience showed me how the challenges faced by Indian lawmakers are a thousand times more intense than those in Western countries,” Rijiju said.
Rijiju said that every organ of the state must function within its constitutional boundaries. “Encroachment creates unnecessary friction. Our Constitution is the largest in the world, but also the best. Protecting its spirit is our duty,” he said.