Jurist India judiciary must beware political pressure from ‘vested interest group,’ 600 lawyers warn

[Dadparvar]

The India Supreme Court Chief Justice Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud revealed on Friday that 600 lawyers from all across the country wrote to him to express serious concerns over the acts of a “vested interest group” trying to put pressure on the judiciary and intending to defame courts for “political agendas.”

Senior lawyers signed the letter, titled “Judiciary Under Threat-Safeguarding Judiciary from Political and Professional Pressure,” expressing concerns about the prevalent attempts to compromise the integrity of the the judicial system of the country. According to the lawyers, the concerned “vested interest group” is employing pressure tactics to influence judicial outcomes, especially in cases involving political leaders and corruption.

The letter reads:

They create false narratives of a supposed “better past” and “golden period” of the courts, contrasting it with the happenings in the present. These are nothing but intentional statements, made to sway court decisions and to embarrass the court’s for certain political gains. It’s troubling to see some lawyers defend politicians by the day, and then try to influence judges through the media at night. Implying that the courts in the past were easier to influence shakes the public’s trust in them. These actions pose a significant threat to the democratic fabric and the trust placed in judicial processes.

Urging the Supreme Court to stand strong and take steps to protect courts from these alleged attacks, the letter said,”Staying silent or doing nothing could accidentally give more power to those who mean to do harm. This is not the time to maintain dignified silence as such efforts are happening since few years and too frequently.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi showed support for the letter and said,”To browbeat and bully others is vintage Congress culture.”

This development comes at a time when the country is in the process of conducting national elections. The general elections for the lower house, Lok Sabha, of the Indian Parliament are scheduled to be held between April 19 and June 1, with the results to be declared on June 4. This election is also responsible for the election of the Indian Prime Minister and the formation of the Indian Central Government.

However, there have been multiple controversies in the run-up to the much-anticipated general elections. These include serious allegations against the ruling party, including accusations of unethical financial gains and harassment of the opposition. Recently, the Indian Supreme Court held the contentious electoral bonds scheme was unconstitutional and ordered the release of all funding data to the public. The subsequent publication of data in the public revealed a concerning pattern of funding by individuals and corporations to political parties, which also indicated unethical and illegal gains by the donors. This scheme was launched by the Indian government in 2018 and allowed anonymous funding to political parties.

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