By Express News Service

GUWAHATI: Former Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi on Tuesday defended his nomination to the Rajya Sabha, a decision criticised by several retired judges.



“I am perhaps going to Delhi tomorrow (Wednesday). Following my return after swearing-in, I will address the media to say why I accepted it,” Gogoi told some journalists at his Guwahati residence on Tuesday.



“In the Parliament, it will be an opportunity to project the views of the judiciary before the legislative and vice versa,” he said.



The 64-year-old Gogoi, who retired as the CJI in November last year, was nominated to the Upper House by President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday. He is the second person from Assam after educationist Mrinal Miri to be nominated to the Rajya Sabha.



Two others, academician BB Dutta from Meghalaya and boxer MC Mary Kom from Manipur, were earlier nominated to the Rajya Sabha.

Justice Gogoi was among the apex court's four sitting judges who held an unprecedented press conference in January 2018 when they claimed then Chief Justice Dipak Misra had allotted "selective assignment of cases to preferred judges" and "sensitive cases were being allotted to junior judges".