Attempt to control judiciary not in consonce with democracy'

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Oct 17: Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today said that the legislature, the executive and the judiciary, the three main organs of the State, have to work in tandem for a strong and healthy democracy.

In the light of the Supreme Court’s judgement declaring the constitution of the tiol Judicial Appointment Commission as ‘unconstitutiol and void’ thus restoring the collegium system for appointment of judges to the higher judiciary, Chief Minister Gogoi said the independence of the judiciary has to be maintained to ensure justice, uphold the fundamental rights of people and remove inequities from which the anti-democratic forces derive their sustence. “The manner in which the Central Government tried to have some sort of a control over the judiciary by trying to replace the collegium system is not in consonce with the spirit of our democratic polity. The legislature, the executive and the judiciary have to go together for a healthy democracy, and that is the cardil principle of our Constitution,” said Gogoi.

Gogoi also criticized the Central Government for making attempts at saffronizing education and culture with Hindutva ideology. “The Central Government’s attempts at saffronizing education and culture with Hindutva ideology are not in conformity with the Constitution’s cultural diversity and pluralism.” In this context, the Chief Minister took a dig at the Governor of Assam for nomiting RSS ideologues to the highest academic body, the Dibrugarh University court, which drew flak from different quarters. It may be noted that the move has not been ratified in the State Legislature as yet.