‘Respecting the judiciary shouldn’t be contingent’: CM Sarma accuses Congress of hypocrisy amid SC row

As backlash mounts over BJP MP Nishikant Dubey’s attack on the Supreme Court and Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has hit back, targeting the Congress for what he called a long pattern of undermining the judiciary when verdicts don't go its way.

“Respecting the judiciary shouldn’t be contingent upon the favourability of its decisions,” Sarma posted on X, accusing the opposition of eroding public trust through selective outrage.

He pointed to the impeachment motion against former CJI Dipak Misra, initiated by Congress and allies, as an example of politically driven targeting. He also listed how Justices Ranjan Gogoi, Arun Mishra, and DY Chandrachud faced attacks after delivering key rulings. “Justice Ranjan Gogoi: Subjected to severe criticism following landmark judgments, including the Ayodhya verdict,” Sarma wrote.

He pushed back against Congress’s criticism of Justice S Abdul Nazeer’s post-retirement appointment as Andhra Pradesh Governor, noting similar appointments in the past that went unchallenged. “Despite similar appointments in the past,” Sarma said, the reaction this time shows a pattern of politicising judicial careers.

Sarma also distanced the BJP from Dubey’s remarks. “Adarniya Nadda Ji emphasised that these were personal opinions and not reflective of the party’s stance,” he posted, defending the BJP’s institutional respect for the judiciary.

Dubey, the BJP MP from Jharkhand’s Godda constituency, stirred controversy by alleging the Supreme Court was “inciting religious wars” and accusing the Chief Justice of being “responsible for all the civil wars happening in this country.” He also slammed the judiciary’s rulings on issues like decriminalising homosexuality and religious disputes, questioning whether the court was overstepping its role.

Congress has called Dubey’s statements dangerous and demanded accountability.