Parties, lawyers react to Mamata Banerjee's attack on judiciary

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday came under attack from political parties and eminent lawyers for alleging there were instances when court judgements have been delivered for money.

While the BJP said the questions raised against the judiciary by the Chief Minister was not right, the CPI(M) described her statement as a "tactic" to put pressure on the Constitutional authority.

"It is unbecoming of a Chief Minister to make this sort of unsubstantiated allegation against the Constitutional authority. She shouldn't have done so," BJP leader Balbir Punj said.

The West Bengal Chief Minister had alleged that there were instances when court judgements have been delivered for money.

If she has done so, then she must produce necessary evidence to support her charges, he said.

CPI(M) leader Mohammed Salim hit out at Banerjee for her controversial statement saying the Chief Minister took up the issue inside the assembly when "she is at the receiving end."

"So she puts everyone on the firing line, if they don't fall in line with her. Naturally everybody has to succumb to her pressure, this is the tactic," Salim asserted.

Eminent lawyers including Soli Sorabji, Harish Salve and P P Rao also reacted to Banerjee's controversial statement.

"...What about the cases, she has won in court? Who paid the judges? Mamata? This shows the absurdity of the allegations. I mean, one expects a mature reaction...I am very very disturbed," Sorabji said.

"...if this is going to be the tone and tenor of Indian democracy, then I think our Constitution is in serious peril," Salve said.

Terming as "highly irresponsible" Banerjee's statement, P P Rao said, "this is not expected from a person holding a responsible position."

Speaking at a seminar in the House on the platinum jubilee of West Bengal Assembly on Tuesday, Benerjee had said, "What I see. Why should many judgements on Wednesday be delivered for money? Why? I am sorry to say. I am saying this in the Assembly."

The Congress leadership also appeared to be divided on the issue. West Bengal Congress chief Pradip Bhattacharya took a dig at Banerjee saying "sometimes we do not know what position we are holding."

"We think that because we are a political person we can say whatever we want to say," Bhattacharya said.

However, Law Minister and senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid said he believed that "the intention would be that the independence of the judiciary is to be protected".

"...in what context that statement was made, I don't know.

But I do believe intention would be the independence of the judiciary is to be protected, and sometimes you have to straighten the internal system so that accountability contributes to independence rather than accountability becoming a problem for independence. I am sure that that is the context," Khurshid said.

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