New Delhi [India], March 21 (ANI: After Congress leader Jairam Ramesh raised the alleged recovery of cash from the residence of a sitting judge of the Delhi High Court, Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday said that he will get in touch with the Leader of the House and Leader of the Opposition and find a mechanism for a structured discussion on the issue.
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh sought the Chair’s response on judicial accountability and reminded him about a pending notice regarding the impeachment of a judge of the Allahabad High Court.
“This morning, we have read about a shocking case of huge amounts of cash unearthed at the residence of a judge of the Delhi High Court. Earlier, 50 members of Parliament had submitted a notice to the chairman regarding certain remarks that were made by a judge of the Allahabad High Court. You yourself has repeatedly spoken about the urgency for judicial accountability,” Ramesh said in the Rajya Sabha.
“I request that you please make some observations on this and give necessary directions to the government to come up with a proposal for increasing judicial accountability,” he added.
In response to Jairam Ramesh, Dhankhar said, “Hon’ble members, I am seized of a representation by 55 members of this house, and I have taken all necessary steps to get their verification. First mail was sent to all of them and the good thing is most of the members have responded positively, helping me perform my duty. Some members are yet to do. A mail reiterating the same has been sent to them. I have taken all procedural steps but I must share with you one concern that is engaging my attention. Of the 55 members who signed the representation, a member’s signature appears on two occasions, and the member concerned has denied his signature.”
He further said that the process would not be delayed at his level, even for a moment.
“Now, I do not wish to get into this act, which may graduate to culpability to a higher level. If the number is above 50, I will proceed accordingly. Therefore, most of the members have cooperated. Those members who have not done so far, may please do it in response to the second mail sent to them. Then the process will not be delayed at my level even for a moment,” he added.
The Rajya Sabha Chairman said that he would now get in touch with the leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha and the leader of the house as well to evolve a structured discussion. .
“Coming to the second aspect, the Leader of the House is not here. I had the occasion to reflect in a very focused manner that what appears in the Indian Constitution has to emanate first from our founding fathers, and then any change affected whatsoever has to be sanctified by the Parliament and in some cases, by 50 per cent of state legislatures and then finally it gets constitutional sanction with the Hon’ble President signing it under article 111, and therefore I had pleaded with the leader of the house that the House needs to know that Constitution which according to this directive holds the field today. You all will recollect if the mechanism which was passed by this house with near unanimity, with no dissension, only one abstention in Rajya Sabha, all political parties converging, going in for the initiative of the government. I wish to find out the status of that which emanated from the Indian Parliament, made sacrosanct by the endorsement of 16 state assemblies in the country and signed by the Hon’ble President under Article 111 of the Constitution,” he said.
“If it happens with a politician, he becomes a target, a bureaucrat, an industrialist immediately and therefore systemic response which is transparent, accountable, effective, I am sure will be on the way. I will get in touch with Leader of the House, Leader of the Opposition and find a mechanism for a structured discussion during course of the session subject to their agreement. I said last I discussed with them,” he added.
Dhankhar said that with the Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the House being the heads of their parties they would reach a good decision.
“We have, fortunately, the House is blessed, the Leader of the House who is also president of the ruling political party, Leader of the Opposition who is also the president of the main opposition party. So with these two very distinguished people being present in the house, I am sure their counsel and others will also come and then I’ll discuss. We need to have some structured discussion which so far we have not had,” the RS Chairman said. (ANI)
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