The Congress on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of indulging in "revenge politics" by "refusing" to clear the elevation of the country's senior-most chief justice, K.M. Joseph, to the Supreme Court.
“The judiciary is under the most vicious attack ever and totalitarianism will stump democracy if the nation does not rise now,” Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala alleged.
3/3
— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) April 26, 2018
1 Modiji shredded Parliamentary privileges & supremacy.
2 He road-rolled independent media.
3 Democracy’s last refuge i.e Judiciary is now under most vicious attack ever.
If the Nation doesn’t rise in unison now, totalitarianism will stump democracyhttps://t.co/VAlEjI8dr7
“PM Modi's revenge politics qua judiciary and conspiratorial suffocation of Supreme Court exposed again," Surjewala said on Twitter, adding that Justice Joseph, who heads the Uttarakhand High Court, is India's senior-most chief justice.
"Yet Modi Government refuses to clear his elevation to SC as retribution for quashing presidential rule in Uttarakhand?” he said.
His remarks came amid reports that the government has cleared the name of Indu Malhotra as Supreme Court judge, while putting on hold the elevation of Justice Joseph.
Surjewala accused the Modi government of being a habitual offender for thrashing "judicial integrity" and the "constitutional supremacy" of institutions.
In June 2014, it refused to clear the name of noted jurist Gopal Subramaniam for elevation to the Supreme Court as he was a lawyer against Amit Shah and Co, the Congress leader said.
The Congress' criticism of the judicial appointments comes just days after Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu rejected a move by opposition parties to begin impeachment proceedings against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra.