Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not done anything to undermine the judiciary’s independence, and every institution should respect the ‘Lakshman rekha’, or boundary set by the Constitution, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Tuesday.
Rijiju was speaking at an event organised by the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa (BCMG), where he inaugurated a scheme to distribute e-filing units to 384 bar associations in the state.
Rijiju: It is a misunderstanding that the government is trying to put any kind of pressure on the judiciary
The minister sought to refute the narrative that the government was exerting pressure on the judiciary. “It is a misunderstanding that the government is trying to put any kind of pressure on the judiciary. We are not only maintaining the judiciary’s independence but working to strengthen it,” he said. “Some people who claim to be liberals are spreading this misunderstanding among people but it is not at all true.”
On a question on whether the government was interfering in the functioning of the judiciary, Rijiju, in a lighter vein, said the question could also be asked the other way around. He said: “Our Constitution mandates a ‘Lakshman rekha’ for every institution and this line should be respected. Our government under the leadership of Narendra Modi has done nothing to undermine the judiciary's independence or interfere with the judiciary’s work.”
The minister lamented that the increasing pendency of court cases is the biggest concern for the country. However, he said that the solution lies in technology. “There are around five crore cases pending in our country. This means there is a delay in justice, which in turn means five crore injustices are being done to the people of our country,” he said.
He highlighted that the Supreme Court and Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud are taking steps to promote online hearing and e-filing. However, he pointed out that some of the high courts are going slow on technology. He refused to name these HCs.
Rijiju added that the budget for the judiciary is not an issue, since the PM has allotted Rs9,000 crore for the infrastructure of district courts. “The Narendra Modi government has done everything to strengthen the judiciary. This is why even during the Covid-19 pandemic courts in India did not stop functioning,” he said.
Rijiju: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is my source of inspiration
Rijiju, who is an MP from Arunachal Pradesh, said that “for my peace I derive inspiration from Lord Buddha” but “when it comes to fighting for someone’s rights, then my source of inspiration is Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj”.
Saying that the Modi government is a “Rashtravadi Raj” and only wants people not to forget their roots, Rijiju said: “Learning a new language or speaking in English is fine but a person needs to think in their Hindustani language.” He concluded his speech saying that Indian courts should start using local languages.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who was present at the event, urged Rijiju to look into the proposal to rename the Bombay High Court as Mumbai High Court. The government recently alloted land in Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) for a new high court building.
Against same-sex marriage
Chairman of BCMG, advocate Milind Patil, requested the law minister to pass the Advocates Protection Act. He said that bar councils including BCMG had issued statements supporting the government’s stand against same-sex marriages. “The bar council is also sensitive about social issues. Not only BCI but many bar associations have also issued statements about same sex marriage. We have opposed same sex marriage along with the BCI,” he said.
