New Delhi:
Former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi took oath as a member of Rajya Sabha today amid chants of "shame" from members of the Congress, who have criticised the appointment as an assault on the independence of the judiciary.
Justice Ranjan Gogoi, who retired as the country's top judge just four months ago, had defended taking up the role saying his presence in parliament will "be an opportunity to project the views of the judiciary before the legislative and vice versa".
"I have accepted it since I have a strong conviction that the legislative and the judiciary must at some point of time work together for nation-building. My presence in parliament will be an opportunity to project the views of the judiciary before the legislature and vice versa," he said on Tuesday.
The Congress calls Justice Gogoi's appointment a "serious, unprecedented and unpardonable assault" on the basic structure of the Constitution.
"Our Constitution is based on separation of powers of the judiciary and the executive. The judiciary thrives on perception of aastha (belief) and vishwas (faith). But all of them have taken the beating," said Congress's Abhishek Manu Singhvi.
Former Supreme Court Justice Kurian Joseph has criticised his former colleague, saying his decision will negatively affect the confidence of the common man on the independence of the judiciary.
"'We have discharged our debt to the nation' was the statement made by Justice Ranjan Gogoi along with the three of us on January 12, 2018. I am surprised as to how Justice Ranjan Gogoi, who once exhibited such courage of conviction to uphold the independence of judiciary, has compromised the noble principles on the independence and impartiality of the judiciary," said Justice Joseph.
Justice Joseph was among the four judges along with then Justice Gogoi, who addressed an unprecedented press conference on January 12, 2018 alleging "democracy is in danger as independence of judiciary is in peril", and criticising then Chief Justice Dipak Misra for almost succumbing to the executive.
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