Guwahati: Kiren Rijiu, who was on Thursday removed as Union Law Minister, was at loggerheads with the higher judiciary.
During his stint as Law Minister, Rijiju made several controversial statements on higher judiciary and judges, which caused the government embarrassment many a time.
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Rijiju also drew flak for his remark about “some retired judges” being “part of the anti-India gang” from various Opposition leaders.
Here are the five most controversial statements made by Kiren Rijiju on the judiciary and judges as Law minister.
01) In November last year, Rijju termed the Collegium system of appointing judges as “opaque”. “I am not critical about the judiciary or the judges, but I state a fact which is the reflection of the thinking of the common people of India… The Collegium system is opaque and is not accountable. Judges and lawyers too believe this,” Rijiju said.
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02) In December last year, Minister Kiren Rijiju asserted in the Rajya Sabha that the Supreme Court should not hear bail applications and frivolous PILs. “I have made certain remarks in a good gesture to the Supreme Court of India that you take up those cases which are relevant. If Supreme Court starts hearing bail applications or frivolous PILs, it will cause lots of extra burdens,” Rijiju said in Rajya Sabha.
03) In January, Rijiju sharpened his attack on the judiciary, saying that judges were not accountable to the people. “A judge becomes a judge once, so he doesn’t have to face an election again. It is a few of the retired judges — maybe three or four, a few of those activists, part of the anti-India gang — these people are trying to make the Indian judiciary play the role of the Opposition party.”
04) In March this year, Rijiju stirred up a hornet’s nest when he had said that “some retired judges are part of the anti-India gang”. “There are a few judges who are activists and are part of an anti-India gang which is trying to turn judiciary against the government like the Opposition parties,” the minister said.
05) In May 2023, speaking at the inauguration of an E-Filing and Facility Centre, Rijiju said, “I know of lawyers who have studied at Harvard and Oxford Universities and charge exorbitant amounts of money only because they speak in English.”