Justice Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, Madan Lokur and Kurian Joseph at the press conference. (Express Photo/Abhinav Saha/File) Justice Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, Madan Lokur and Kurian Joseph at the press conference. (Express Photo/Abhinav Saha/File)

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala on Tuesday slammed the BJP government at the Centre for attacking the judiciary through RSS functionaries, a day after RSS leader J Nandkumar alleged ‘political conspiracy’ behind the press conference organised by four seniormost Supreme Court judges targeting the Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra last Friday.

In a Twitter post, Surjewala said: “Sad & deplorable! BJP attacks judiciary through RSS functionaries. All the ‘Nation’ wants is the issues raised by the Seniormost judges to be resolved, but for which ‘democracy’ is in peril. BJP Govt should help resolution then muddle & polarize.”

Congress’ reaction comes after J Nandkumar, Akhil Bharatiya Sah Boudhik Pramukh of the RSS, told The Indian Express that “All these (developments) and Left leader D Raja’s visit to (the House of) one of the justices, who addressed the press conference, indicate a perfect political conspiracy behind this. The timing was critical.” Also Read: Supreme Court crisis: See a political conspiracy, what judges did is unforgivable, says senior RSS leader

The senior RSS functionary also said what the four seniormost judges “have done is unforgivable” because “they have tried to attack the uncompromising faith of the people in the judicial system.” Also Read: Back to work but not back to business as usual

Nandkumar, who spoke over the phone with The Indian Express, said: “I was deeply pained by the judges’ move. What they have done is unforgivable. They have tried to attack the uncompromising faith of the people in the judicial system by washing dirty political laundry in public. For whatever reason, they should not have done it. Now what will happen? Anyone who has differences with senior judges can come out in public? This can take place in High Courts too. What will you do to protect the institution?”

Sad & deplorable! BJP attacks judiciary theough RSS functionaries. All the ‘Nation’ wants is the issues raised by the Seniormost judges to be resolved, but for which ‘democracy’ is in peril. BJP Govt should help resolution then muddle & polarize.https://t.co/ZxJ7JE657y — Randeep S Surjewala (@rssurjewala) January 16, 2018

Earlier on January 13 in a Facebook post, Nandkumar had slammed the four judges for “poisoning the waters”, alleging that the public attack against the CJI closely followed his order to reopen cases relating to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Also Read: Attorney General K K Venugopal hopes issues will be ‘fully settled’ soon

In the post in Malayalam, Nandakumar says “identify those who poison the drinking water”, that democracy exists on some basic foundations in which citizens have uncompromised faith, and judiciary is one of them. Those who attempt to demolish it, he says in the post, are committing an unpardonable mistake.

He even pointed out that Congress leader and senior lawyer Kapil Sibal was pulled up for seeking deferment of the Ayodhya title suit case till after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Last Friday, the apex court found itself grappling with an unprecedented crisis after four of its most senior judges went public, questioning the conduct of the Chief Justice of India, especially over the allocation of cases. The four judges alleged that cases having far-reaching consequences for the nation and the institution had been assigned by the CJI selectively to benches ‘of their preference’. When asked if it was about the petitions seeking a probe into the death of special CBI judge B H Loya, Justice Gogoi replied in the affirmative.

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