Govt hopes for reconciliation as 4 SC judges virtually revolt against CJI

The government on Friday said it was not going to intervene in the issue of four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court raising the voice against the Chief Justice of India, saying the judiciary would resolve the matter itself.

In an unprecedented move, four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court on Friday called a press conference and said that the situation in the top court was "not in order" and many "less than desirable" things have taken place. Unless this institution is preserved, "democracy will not survive" in this country, the four judges said. 

Reacting to the situation, the government said that the judiciary would have to resolve the matter itself and expressed hope that the matter would end tomorrow. 

Sources in the government said since such an issue has never erupted in the past, the executive would prefer to adopt a wait and watch policy.

"Our judiciary is reputed all over the world, is independent and will sort out the matter itself," Minister of State for Law P P Chaudhury said.

Attorney General K K Venugopal said the unprecedented move by the four senior Supreme Court judges in holding a press conference "could have been avoided" and the judges would now have to act in "statesmanship" to ensure complete harmony.

Venugopal, who had a meeting with Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra after the press conference, spoke to PTI on much persuasion and expressed hope that all judges, including the CJI, would rise to the occasion and "wholly neutralise" the "divisiveness".

"What has happened today could have been avoided. The judges will now have to act in statesmanship and ensure that the divisiveness is wholly neutralised and total harmony and mutual understanding will prevail in future," he said.

"This is what all of us at the bar want and I am sure that the judges, including the CJI, will rise to the occasion," he said, but declined to come out with details of his deliberations with the CJI and others.

"I had promised to the judges that I would not speak to the media," Venugopal said.

Sources in the government said that since it was an internal matter of the judiciary, the Centre had no say in it and did not wish to interfere.

But, at the same time, they said that the apex court should settle the issue at the earliest as the faith of the people in the judiciary was at stake.

At the unprecedented press conference today, judges said that the situation in the apex court was "not in order" and many "less than desirable" things had taken place.

The second senior-most judge after the chief justice of India, Justice J Chelameswar, said, "Sometimes, the administration of the Supreme Court is not in order and many things which are less than desirable have happened in the last few months."

The other judges present at the press conference were justices Ranjan Gogoi, M B Lokur and Kurian Joseph. 

(With PTI inputs)