Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called upon the three pillars of the state - executive, legislature and judiciary - to co-operate and strengthen each other for a strong, secure proud and self-reliant India which can ensure that the 21st century belongs to it.
Delivering the valedictory address on the conclusion of the two day meet on the National Law Day jointly organised by the Law Commission of India and the NITI Aayog, he said that balance between the three was the "backbone" of the country's Constitution.
Modi said that it was not just the executive and the judiciary but all the institutions that draw their energy from the Constitution will have to work together and channelize their energies for fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the people.
His call for cooperation between the three wings is seen as conciliatory note after Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad criticised the top court for being pro-active and intruding in the domain of the executive and the legislature.
Seeking an audit of the judicial appointments made by the Supreme Court collegium since 1993, Prasad also assailed the top court judgment striking down the National Judicial Appointment Commission, brought in by the Modi government to replace the collegium system, wondering how can the presence of the Law Minister in the NJAC could have dented the independence of the judiciary in the appointment of judges.
Provision for the presence of Law Minister as one of the members of the NJAC was cited as a reasons for junking it by the top court in 2015.
Prasad also cited several cases including that of the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) to criticise the top court.
Refusing to join issue with the Law Minister on the issue of BCCI as a petition seeking the recall of verdict was pending hearing, Chief Justice Dipak Misra said: "We recognise, respect and accept the separation of powers."
He said that government and courts are bonded by the principle of the constitutional sovereignty which expects that the institutions must function with a sense of mutual respect without any claim for supremacy.
"Constitution expected that the institutions must function with a sense of mutual respect and there should not be any claim for supremacy by any of the wings," Misra in his valedictory address.
He cited several PILs including one on NOTA wherein top court refused to entertain as they were concerned with the legislative domain or policy matters.
Chief Justice said that on numerous occasions, the top court has accepted the view of the Law Minister and did not ignore his objections.
--IANS
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