Executive, legislature, judiciary not pitted against each other, have to function in tandem: RS Chairman

Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Wednesday that the executive, legislature and judiciary are not pitted against each other, and all the institutions in the country have to function in tandem with well-meant checks and balances.

Dhankhar said this while speaking on the issue of a huge amount of cash found at the official residence of a Delhi High Court judge.

The Chairman met senior Rajya Sabha leaders on this issue, including the Leader of the House and the leader of Opposition, on Tuesday.

After this meeting, the Rajya Sabha Chairman said in the House on Wednesday, “I need to indicate to the House that we yesterday had a very fruitful interaction on the issue that is agitating the minds of the public. There was the gracious presence of leaders of political parties, including the Leader of the House and Leader of the Opposition. Without going into the details, the deliberations were consensual, reflecting cooperation, concern, and the issue is not between institutions inter se. It is not that the Executive, Legislature, or Judiciary are pitted against each other."

He said, “It has been given by both Leader of the House and Leader of the Opposition that after having wider consultations amongst all concerned in their respective parties and otherwise, they would come to the Chairman for further deliberations. That was the conclusion after both the Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition had shared their thoughts along with others.”

Several opposition MPs, including the Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, had urged the Chairman to discuss this serious issue. On March 21, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh had raised the issue before the Chairman, alleging that a large amount of currency notes were found at the residence of a High Court judge in Delhi. He raised the issue of judicial accountability.

Following this, the Rajya Sabha Chairman met with the Leader of the House, J.P. Nadda and the Leader of Opposition, Mallikarjun Kharge. Afterwards, at the request of LoP Kharge, the Chairman held detailed discussions with the floor leaders of all parties.

On Tuesday, Dhankhar said it was the right time to reiterate the National Judicial Appointments Committee (NJAC) Act, which was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2015. “This House, keeping dignity in mind, demonstrating dignified conduct, unanimously created a legal system in 2015, and that constitutional structure that emanated unanimously with one abstention from the Parliament and endorsed by state legislatures should be the rule of law because it was sanctified by the Hon'ble President by appending signatures under Article 111. Now is the befitting occasion for all of us to reiterate that because that was a visionary step endorsed by Parliament. And imagine if that had taken place, things would have been different,” he said.