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Need for transparency in appointment of judges: Ravi Shankar Prasad

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New Delhi, May 19 (IANS) Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Saturday said that there was “need for transparency” in the appointment of judges and the “autonomy of the judiciary should be respected”.

Replying to questions at the daylong India TV Conclave on ‘Four years of Modi government’, Prasad said that there was unanimity among political parties on the National Judicial Accountability Commission (NJAC) Bill but it was struck down by the top court.

“The Supreme Court Collegium in its verdicts in 1993, 1998 and 2015 had admitted that the Centre had the right to review the decisions taken by the Collegium, and the present government was only exercising that right,” he said.

Without naming Justice C.S. Karnan of Calcutta High Court, who was jailed for six months by the Supreme Court for contempt, he said: “When we went through the file of that judge, it was written that he was an appointee of the Collegium.

“It was written on the file that he had a good knowledge of various laws. Naturally, that judge had no knowledge about contempt. So, somewhere or other, there is need for improvement in judiciary,” he said.

He also pointed out that apart from the stay on judges’ appointment in 2014 and 2015 due to NJAC issue, 126 judges were appointed in 2016 and 117 judges in 2017, and appointment of more is in the pipeline.

As he said “Transparency in judiciary is our commitment”, Prasad, asked if it was his view that there was no transparency in judiciary now, replied: “I didn’t say this. There is need for improvement, and that is the directive from the judiciary itself.”

He again reiterated that the government’s sending back the file relating to the appointment of Uttarakhand Chief Justice K.M. Joseph “has nothing to do with the verdict given by Justice Joseph striking down President’s rule in the state”.

On the unprecedented press conference by four sitting Supreme Court judges, he said: “I would not say anything on this. I have full faith in the farsightedness of the apex court judges in ironing out their differences.”

He however hit out at Congress President Rahul Gandhi for raising the judges issue at his rallies in Chhattisgarh.

“Despite being defeated at the hands of the people, Rahul Gandhi cannot run this country through the corridors of the court by using a sponsored case. The nation will be run by only those who have got the blessings of the people through vote. Rahul Gandhi raised Justice B.H. Loya’s death case in his rallies, but there is no logic behind this.

“It has been a tradition not to drag the judiciary into politics in our democracy. In most of his speeches, Rahul is raising the issue of ‘boycott by judges’. What does he want to convey?” he asked.

The Law Minister said: “It is a matter of pride for me that our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, that we all fought for the rights of press, citizens and judiciary during the emergency.

“Who superseded Justice Shelat, Justice Grover and Justice Hegde? Why did Justice H.R. Khanna said during emergency that there could be no compromise on the issue of liberty of citizens?” he asked.

On the Karnataka controversy, the Law Minister reminded that then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was given 15-20 days time to prove his majority by the then President S.D. Sharma, V.P. Singh was given one month time to prove majority by then President R. Venkataraman and P.V. Narasimha Rao was also given one month time to prove majority.

He alleged that Congress MLAs in Karnataka “were locked up in a resort” because the leadership did not trust them.

–IANS
aks/vd

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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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