Take cognizance of attacks on judiciary over school job termination: BJP MP to CJI

Kolkata, April 7 (IANS) BJP MP Jyotirmay Singh Mahato, on Monday, asked Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna to take cognizance against the alleged attacks on the judiciary by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the recent order of the apex court cancelling 25,753 school jobs in West Bengal

In his letter, Mahato specially highlighted the statements made by the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and some other speakers at a meeting at Netaji Indoor Stadium in central Kolkata.

“The situation worsened on April 7, when Mamata Banerjee, along with Chief Secretary Manoj Pant and Education Minister Bratya Basu, presided over a government-organised meeting at Netaji Indoor Stadium, Kolkata. The event, under the guise of expressing solidarity with the impacted candidates, turned into a platform to openly denounce the Supreme Court and attack Your Lordship personally,” Mahato’s letter read.

In the letter, Mahato has specially referred to certain comments made by eminent writer Abul Bashar at the meeting, which, according to Mahato, were “shocking and disrespectful” about the judiciary and the Chief Justice of India’s office.

“In public statements and media interviews, Bashar admitted that he was invited by the state Education Minister Bratya Basu. That such an act could occur under the official sanction of the state government, with the Chief Minister herself present, is a gross attempt to the dignity of the judiciary,” Mahato’s letter read.

The BJP Lok Sabha member also stated in the letter that whenever in the past any court order had gone against the state government, the state’s ruling party leaders have resorted to unprecedented attacks against the judiciary.

Mahato requested the Chief Justice of India to take suo motu cognizance of “these repeated attacks on the judiciary by constitutional functionaries,” and “ensure that those who have disrespected the court under the protection of political power face appropriate consequences under the law.”

--IANS

src/dan