'Judiciary Exercising Executive Powers Not In Consonance With Democracy': VP Dhankhar

New Delhi: Highlighting the importance of separation of powers, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday said that executive governance by the judiciary is jurisdictionally beyond its constitutional mandate.

He called on the intellectual and academic communities to drive national discourse that emphasizes respect for the constitutional principles upheld by the three branches of government: the executive, the judiciary, and the legislature.

At a felicitation ceremony for veteran Congress leader and former Jammu and Kashmir governor Karan Singh, marking his 75 years in public life, Vice President Dhankhar Referring to the separation of power, he said executive governance is exclusive to the Executive, as is legislation to legislatures and verdicts to courts. 

"Judiciary Exercising Executive Powers Goes Beyond Constitutional Prescriptions"

"Exercise of executive authority by either Judiciary or Legislature is not in consonance with democracy and constitutional prescriptions," he said.

VP Dhankhar also expressed concern about the convergence of forces, both internal and external, that are hostile to India, as well as the spread of anti-national narratives.

The Vice president said there is a need for concerted endeavours to influence national mood so as to neutralise these pernicious forces.

"However, this aspect is engaging the active attention of the people indicating in their perception umpteen such instances. This significant aspect calls for deep reflection," he said urging Singh to take a lead with the intelligentsia and the academia in initiating a debate on the subject. 

VP Praises Dr Karan Singh For ‘Emphatic’ Public Life 

On the occasion, Vice President said that Dr Karan Singh's “remarkable achievements” have consistently served the greater good, benefiting both society and the nation.

“Dr Singh’s simplicity, humility and warm demeanour are widely admired. His remarkable achievements have consistently served the greater good, benefiting both society and the nation. His mastery over body and mind is extraordinary, reflecting his deep inner discipline. In his presence, one cannot help but feel that a man of such stamina, intellect, and erudition is more than capable of navigating the complexities of political life with ease. Dr Karan Singh is amongst the few who had the benefit of being insider of politics with outside vision and outside politics with inside focus for over 75 years. He in that sense is older than the Republic,” Vice President said.   

“His contributions are vast and enduring. When the history of India’s former princes and their role in strengthening the country's unity is written, Dr Singh will undoubtedly hold a place of great honour.His decision to make a dramatic transition from the royal comforts—specifically, as the constitutional Head of State of J&K—to electoral politics in 1967 was a bold and visionary move. In doing so, he achieved a historic milestone, becoming the youngest-ever member of the Union Cabinet at the age of 36 on March 13, 1967. This not only marked a turning point in his career but also signalled the arrival of the country’s youth, ready to take up the mantle of responsibility and shape the nation’s future,” he added.