PIL Filed against Ranjan Gogoi's Nomination to Rajya Sabha amid Murmurs of "Political Appointment"

New Delhi, March 20, 2020:

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by noted academician Madhu Purnima Kishan, which had challenged former Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi’s nomination as a member of the Rajya Sabha, signals at the appointment as "political."

While the PIL was filed on Wednesday, Gogoi took oath as a Rajya Sabha member on Thursday amid uproar by Opposition members.

Madhu Kishwar's PIL has been filed on grounds of 'independence of judiciary', which is an essential part of the basic structure of the Constitution and also considered a pillar of democracy.

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"The strength of judiciary lies in the faith citizens of this country have in it. Any act which creates any adverse impression on the independence of judiciary like the present one, wherein EX- CJI has been nominated to Rajya Sabha, amounts to an assault on the independence of judiciary," reads her PIL.

"Because whenever a recently retired justice of the Supreme Court has been nominated to Rajya Sabha or given a political portfolio, it has created great consternation among informed citizens of India," it added.

Her PIL terms Ranjan Gogoi’s acceptance of the Rajya Sabha nomination as "all the more befuddling since he himself pronounced that there is a valid “strong viewpoint” that “post retirement appointment is itself a scar on judicial independence of the judiciary."

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Madhu Kishan has also mentioned the unprecedented move of Gogoi and three other SC judges who had jolted the citizens by holding a press conference demanding “independence of judiciary” from the executive and political power structures.

"Given that controversial background, Justice Gogoi’s cheerful and instant acceptance of the nomination to Rajya Sabha comes as a huge disappointment. It has already hit headlines in the international media and cast a shadow on the integrity of the judiciary," her PIL said.

On Monday, the Central Government had notified that the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, had nominated Gogoi as a member of the Rajya Sabha. On Thursday Gogoi took oath as a member amid the sloganeering of Opposition members.

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