Union Law minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday said that those saying that the judiciary is getting weak are attacking the democracy of India. Addressing an event in Mumbai, the Law minister said that democracy can only get stronger with the strengthening of the judiciary and there “can be no compromise” on that.
“Our biggest enemies are those who attack our democracy. And while attacking democracy, these people raise questions on the system, of which the judiciary is a very important pillar. When someone says the judiciary is getting weak means they are attacking the democracy of India. Democracy will be stronger only when the judiciary is stronger and independent. There can be no compromise on this,” the Law minister said.
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Rijiju further said a narrative was being created that the government is pressuring the judiciary which is incorrect.
“Constantly saying that the Indian judiciary has been weakened and the Indian government is demolishing democracy, and going abroad and talking about the government having captured the judiciary amounts to talking against the country,” he said, assuring the gathering that the Narendra Modi government will not only take care of the independence of the judiciary but also strengthen it.
The Law minister also referred to questions being raised on the government’s alleged interference in the functioning of the judiciary and said that judicial independence cannot be seen in isolation.
“A question has been raised regarding the independence of the judiciary, whether the government interferes in the functioning of the judiciary, this question can also be asked the other way around… Does the judiciary interfere in the functioning of the legislature or not?” the Law minister said addressing the event organised by the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa.
“The independence of the judiciary cannot be seen in isolation. There is independence of legislature as well. Because the constitution has set boundaries for everyone. No one should try and cross this Laxman Rekha (boundary) because as per the constitutional scheme of things, the country is running fine,” Rijiju added.
Rijiju also made an apparent reference to the Emergency that was declared by the Congress government under then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and said that attempts by any government to undermine judicial independence have been rejected by the people.
“Some other government had tried to undermine this (judicial independence) in the past. I don’t want to get into the politics of it. But when that government tried to do this, the people of the country did not support them. The foundation of the democracy is so strong, that whoever tries to shake that foundation will get removed himself,” he said.
(With inputs from Live Law)