Part of 'orchestrated campaign of PM' to browbeat judiciary: Cong on ex-judges' letter to CJI

New Delhi: The Congress on Monday alleged that the letter by 21 judges to the Chief Justice of India was part of an "orchestrated campaign of the prime minister" to "threaten, browbeat and intimidate" the judiciary that has flexed its muscles in recent months.

A group of 21 retired judges of the Supreme Court and high courts have written to the Chief Justice of India on the escalating attempts by "certain factions to undermine the judiciary through calculated pressure, misinformation and public disparagement".

These critics are motivated by narrow political interests and personal gains and are striving to erode public confidence in the judicial system, they said.

Asked about the letter at a press conference at the AICC headquarters here, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged that the "greatest threat" to judicial independence comes from the BJP.

"Please see the fourth name on that list and it will give away the whole objective, background and authorship of the letter," he said in an apparent reference to former Supreme Court Judge M R Shah.

"This letter is a part of an orchestrated campaign of the prime minister to threaten, browbeat and intimidate a judiciary that has flexed its muscles in recent months. A judiciary that has called out India's biggest corruption scandal, the electoral bonds scam...A Supreme Court which said there is a breakdown of constitutional machinery in Manipur, that is the target," Ramesh alleged.

The Congress leader also claimed that the Supreme Court in which a very distinguished lady judge was highly critical recently of demonetisation is the target.

"So this letter of the 21 Modi-friendly former judges has to be seen along with that letter of 600 Modi-friendly lawyers. This is all an attempt to intimidate, frighten and browbeat an independent judiciary," Ramesh alleged.

This G21 is not at all surprising. #4 on the list is a give-away. The gravest threat to the judiciary is coming from the Modi regime on whose behalf this letter has been put out. https://t.co/5h4q7jFErF

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) April 15, 2024

"The greatest threat to judicial independence comes not from the Congress party but from the BJP, it come from Mr Modi. Mr (Amit) Shah...you see the comments made by the jurist who is the fourth signatory in that letter and the comments made about the PM when he was a serving judge, you will know where this letter has come from," he added.

The retired judges who are signatories to the letter includes justices (retired) Deepak Verma, Krishna Murari, Dinesh Maheshwari and M R Shah. They accused the critics of having insidious methods with clear attempts to sway judicial processes by casting aspersions on the integrity of courts and the judges.