New Delhi: The Congress on Monday said relations between the executive and the judiciary under the Narendra Modi government were in tatters, adding that attacks had been made on judicial independence through intemperate criticism of the judiciary.
"Never before in the recent history has the executive-judiciary relations been in tatters, as is the case now," senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi told reporters here.
"The Congress puts the blame (on this count) on the central government. The Modi government has unleashed innuendo, open criticism of court judgments, non-cooperation over judgments and frequent intemperate comments," the Congress leader added.
He said the opposition party deplored the government attempt to obstruct judicial appointments through the back door.
"The most recent example is the blocking or delay of 44 recommendations made by the Allahabad High Court. The same story is being repeated for recommendations from different high courts in India."
Singhvi pointed out that over 400 posts of high court judges across the country were lying vacant.
"Whether you agree or disagree with the National Judicial Accountability Commission Act, once the Supreme Court has come out with its judgment overruling the government, there has to be end to the matter," Singhvi said.
"After losing the battle in the Supreme Court, the government cannot, through the back door, nullify court rulings."
"It has been reported that certain judicial transfers have been preceded by unauthorised phone tappings. There are reports that some of them involve judges hearing sensitive cases or delivering judgments inconvenient to the government," he claimed.
Singhvi said: "If true, this is a direct, serious and unprecedented assault on the independence of the judiciary."
The Congress leader flayed the Centre for allegedly destabilising elected governments in Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh in the past.
"In Uttarakhand, the Centre decided to bring down the Harish Rawat government at the behest of national and local BJP leaders. The government persisted with its stand in court. Finally, a virtue was made out of necessity by withdrawing when no other alternative was possible," Singhvi added.
