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NJAC verdict: Cong, AAP attack Modi govt

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Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : Oct 16 2015 | 8:22 PM IST
Congress and AAP today used the Supreme Court verdict on NJAC to attack the Modi government, accusing it of having "eroded" institutional autonomy and constitutional safeguards over last 17 months.
Congress chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala Surjewala said the verdict striking down the the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act, 2014, implicitly reflected "lack of confidence" in government.
Noting that Congress respects the judgment on NJAC issue, he insisted that independence of judiciary is a key fundamental of democracy.
BJP termed the apex court's verdict as a setback to parliamentary sovereignty.
"While holding very dearly the principle of independence of judiciary, I regret to say that parliamentary sovereignty has received a setback today...Questions have been raised on parliamentary sovereignty," BJP leader and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told a press conference here.
Prasad, who had piloted the NJAC bill in Parliament as the law minister, said the order had raised questions over the sovereignty of Parliament, which had unanimously passed the legislation that also received ratification from 20 state assemblies. He, however, maintained that independence of judiciary is a key fundamental of democracy.

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He wondered whether "judges appointing judges is the only way of judicial independence",as decided by the Supreme Court.
Surjewala said that it was true that the existing collegium system is "shrouded in secrecy".
"Discretion to appoint judges must be based on objective and not subjective criteria. Transparency, accountability and responsibility of collegium system is a must and has been under question", he said.
Aam Aadmi Party said the verdict has established that judiciary is "paramount" and termed it as a "great blow" to NDA government.
AAP leader Ashutosh said the Centre's "haste" in bringing the NJAC Act had sown seeds of doubt about its intentions with respect to the judiciary.
"Independence of judiciary is paramount. But collegium system should also ensure greater transparency in judges selection...SC should create internal filters and reform collegium system to make it more credible," he said.
Left parties, however, made a strong pitch for having a National Judicial Commission for appointment of judges.
"The verdict maintains the status quo. This means the existing collegium will elect the judges. It amounts to judges appointing, promoting judges and transfering judges. This collegium system...There were several questions raised with regard to (its) transparency and accountability...Now Parliament will have to think of having a National Judicial Commission," CPI national secretary D Raja said.

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First Published: Oct 16 2015 | 8:22 PM IST

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