'Gogoi was CJI': Ramdas Athawale unhappy with Congress action at Rajya Sabha oath-taking

As the Opposition staged a walkout amid the oath-taking of former Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale lambasted the Congress party. Calling it a 'bad decision' by the Congress party, Athawale backed the nomination of the former CJI. 

Ramdas Athawale said, "Gogoi was the Chief Justice of Supreme Court. This is not a good decision taken by the Congress party."

Talking to the media outside Parliament on Tuesday, Ramdas Athawale lauded the nomination of former CJI Ranjan Gogoi to the Rajya Sabha. Highlighting Gogoi’s legal acumen, Athawale reckoned that the Congress party was unnecessarily commenting on the issue. He opined that the former CJI’s vast experience will be very useful in the Rajya Sabha.  

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Ramdas Athawale remarked, “Ranjan Gogoi was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. He had retired a few days ago. Keeping in mind his experience- he has been a very big judge, his study of the law is very good, I feel that the appointment of Ranjan Gogoi is a very good thing. I feel that there is no need for the Congress party to comment on this.” 

Opposition attacks BJP

The Opposition has targeted the BJP for the nomination of Ranjan Gogoi as the Rajya Sabha MP. Congress leader PL Punia while speaking with news agency ANI had called it an act of patronage of the government towards Gogoi alleging that the former CJI gave many verdicts in favour of NDA government. Congress leader Kapil Sibal had questioned the nomination of ex-CJI in Rajya Sabha and had accused Gogoi of 'compromising the integrity of the institution'. 

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi called it ‘Quid Pro Quo’ further raising questions how the independence of the judiciary will remain after the inclusion of a former judge into the legislative body. Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra called the ex-CJI a “greedy lord” and asked if he was “Politician or judge all along?” 

Breaking his silence as to why he has accepted the Rajya Sabha nomination, former CJI Ranjan Gogoi, on Tuesday, while speaking to a local channel said: "My presence in Parliament will be an opportunity to project the views of the Judiciary before the legislature and vice versa. I have accepted the nomination to the Rajya Sabha because of a strong conviction that the legislature and judiciary must at some point work for nation-building," he said to a leading Assamese News channel.

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