Hours after former Supreme Court Judge S Abdul Nazeer was appointed as the Governor of Andhra Pradesh, Congress leader Rashid Alvi on Sunday (February 12) tried to cast aspersions on the Ayodhya verdict and the integrity of the apex court.
“Giving government jobs to retired Judges is unfortunate,” he told ANI. Rashid Alvi then cited a report, claiming that over 50% of judges are appointed by the government, in some capacity, post their retirement. “The Faith of people in Judiciary is on the decline,” he brazened it out.
The Congress leader lamented how the former Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi, was nominated to the Rajya Sabha and that Justice (retd.) S Abdul Nazeer (who was a part of the constitutional bench that delivered the Ayodhya verdict) has now been ‘incentivised’ with the job of a Governor.
“SC का अयोध्या पर फ़ैसला केंद्र सरकार के दबाव में आया था”
— News24 (@news24tvchannel) February 13, 2023
◆ कांग्रेस के वरिष्ठ नेता राशिद अल्वी का बयान
Rashid Alvi pic.twitter.com/xc1uYlGtpo
“Several people had been questioning the Ram Janmabhoomi verdict, even claiming that it was delivered under the pressure of Modi govt…This move only bolsters that doubt in people’s mind,” Rashid Alvi insinuated that judges are somehow hands-in-gloves with the Union government.
Congress’ claims over the Ram Mandir issue have been bizarre and contradictory. In 2020, the party had claimed that the credit for the Ram Mandir must go to Rajiv Gandhi, then deleted the tweet. The party had also been trying very hard to assert that the Modi government had nothing to claim credit for in the whole issue. But Rashid Alvi’s recent remarks seem to allude that it was the Modi government that “influenced” the judiciary, which casts aspersions on the Congress party itself because they have held power at the centre for far longer than the BJP, and many former judges have found appointment as governors or MPs under the Congress party too.
He also said that the present-day government must strive to keep Judiciary separate from the Executive in accordance with the Article 50 of the Indian Constitution.
The Congress leader then went on to claim that the Governors in several States, including Maharashtra, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, parrot the political ideology of RSS and the BJP in the hopes of being rewarded by them.
In 2019, the Central government took the decision to assign Z plus security to Justice S Abdul Nazeer, who was also a part of the bench that criminalised Triple Talaq, after reports surfaced that he and his family were under threat from the Islamist outfit Popular Front of India (PFI).
Rashid Alvi demands evidence of the surgical strike
Rashid Alvi has been the controversy’s favourite child. Last month, he stirred the hornet’s nest by sowing seeds of doubt about the surgical strike conducted by Indian armed forces against Pakistan.
#WATCH | We’ve confidence in our security forces but can’t trust BJP govt. Govt says it has video (of surgical strike) so what’s wrong with Digvijaya Singh asking govt to show it? We’re not asking for proof (of strike) but govt should show video it claims it has:Rashid Alvi, Cong pic.twitter.com/ULtlUyBgLJ
— ANI (@ANI) January 27, 2023
While speaking to ANI, he remarked, “We’ve confidence in our security forces but can’t trust BJP govt. Govt says it has a video (of the surgical strike) so what’s wrong with Digvijaya Singh asking govt to show it? We’re not asking for proof (of strike) but govt should show the video it claims it has…”
