Trinamool Congress (TMC) lawmaker Jawhar Sircar on Thursday cited the objections to LC Victoria Gowri’s appointment as Madras high court judge for allegedly making hate speeches against Christians and Muslims and sparked a row in Rajya Sabha.
“Do you consider Victoria Gowri’s appointment really an appropriate one? She has been accused of publicly making casteist remarks and remarks against minorities,” Sircar said in response to law minister Kiren Rijiju’s written reply to TMC lawmaker’s earlier question that “appropriate” persons are appointed as judges.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea for quashing Gowri’s appointment. It said asking the collegium to review its proposal for the appointment could lead to a “breakdown” of the system.
The court emphasised that personal and political views of a private person or a lawyer cannot be an impediment per se in his or her appointment as a judge. It added it is “impossible” to assume that the collegium did not take a holistic view before recommending Gowri as a judge.
Gowri was sworn in as an additional judge of the Madras high court on Tuesday. The Supreme Court earlier granted an urgent hearing granted to the petitions against her appointment.
Before Rijiju could respond to Sircar, Union minister Piyush Goyal objected to TMC lawmaker’s question. “I think we should have decorum. An honourable judge has been duly appointed through a process. I do not think we, as honourable members here, should be casting aspersions of this nature,” Goyal said.
Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar asked Sircar to exercise caution over comments related to the judiciary. “…the legislature, the executive and the judiciary have to operate in tandem and togetherness. And we must have mutual respect. All three have to be together to fructify our goals.”
He referred to the Supreme Court’s order over Gowri’s appointment. “The issue should be kept away. I advise the member to ask his supplementary in a pointed manner keeping in mind that judicial situations have to be addressed in a delicate manner.”
Rijiju said there are certain sensitive matters which have to kept in mind before speaking in this House.