Continuing to stand by his tweets, on account of which the Supreme Court held him guilty of contempt of court, senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan today said he will obey the court's order to pay a one-rupee penalty, even as he stated that he reserved the right to seek a review of the judgment and the sentencing.
“While I reserve my right to seek review of the order and sentencing, I propose to submit myself to this order and will respectfully pay the fine, as I would have submitted to any other lawful punishment,” Bhushan said at a crowded press conference, held hours after the Supreme Court announced the sentencing in the contempt of court case against him, ordering him to pay a fine of Re one to the court registry—failing which he would be jailed for three months and debarred from practising for three years.
Bhushan, who was repeatedly asked by the court to express regret or withdraw his statements, stood firm on not retracting what he had said or apologise to the court. A three-judge bench comprising Justices Arun Mishra, B.R. Gavai and Krishna Murari had earlier this month held him guilty of contempt of court. It passed its order on the sentencing today.
The activist-lawyer said his tweets were not intended in any way to disrespect the Supreme Court or the judiciary, but they were an expression of his anguish at what he felt was the court's deviation from its sterling record.
My Statement on my Contempt order today: I am grateful for the support of countless people: activists, lawyers, judges and fellow citizens who encouraged me to stand firm. I am gratified that it seems to have given strength to many people to stand up &speak out against injustice pic.twitter.com/CvfWIPl1sr
— Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) August 31, 2020
The first tweet, posted on June 29, was a comment on a picture of Chief Justice of India S.A. Bobde seated on a high-end bike. The other tweet was on the role of the four previous CJIs amidst the state of affairs in the country.
While the case was perceived as a stand-off between the senior lawyer and the court, Bhushan maintained it was never about him versus the court, much less him versus the judges. “When the Supreme Court wins, every Indian wins. And obviously, when the court gets weakened, it weakens the republic and every citizen,” he said.
“I have the greatest respect for the institution of the Supreme Court,” he said, stressing that he saw it as the last bastion of justice for the weak and oppressed who knock at its doors for protection from the excesses of the executive.
Bhushan described the case as a watershed moment for freedom of speech and said that it seems to have encouraged many people to speak up against injustices. “I am confident more than ever that truth shall prevail. Satyamev Jayate; long live the truth,” he said.
Activist-turned-politician Yogendra Yadav and Bhushan's colleague in their newly formed party called Swaraj Abhiyan, Yogendra Yadav said the case has inspired them to launch two nationwide programmes on the issue of protecting freedom of speech.
'Re one, everyone', a fund-raising campaign to finance the legal fight of less privileged people who are languishing in jail for having taken up cudgels for freedom of expression, will be launched, Yadav announced.
Also, a month-long campaign will be run from September two to October two to take forward the fight for freedom of speech. “It will be a national campaign for freedom of conscience. It will to protect the right of the people to speak the truth,” Yadav said.
