The CJI will be excluded from the election commission’s appointment process.
The CJI will be excluded from the election commission’s appointment process.
Election Commissioner Bill: The Central Government has introduced a bill in Parliament seeking removal of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) as a member of the Selection Committee for appointment of Chief and other Election Commissioners of India. According to this new bill, the Election Commissioners will be selected by a panel consisting of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and a Union Minister nominated by the Prime Minister. With this move of the government, there is a possibility of starting a new conflict between the executive and the judiciary.
Historical decision was given in March
The Supreme Court gave a historic verdict in March. The purpose of which was to protect the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners from the interference of the executive. The Court had said that the election commissioners should be appointed only on the advice of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition (LOP) and the Chief Justice of India and the names should be sent to the President for approval. A five-judge constitution bench headed by Justice KM Joseph, in a concurring judgement, said the process would continue until a law is enacted by Parliament on the issue.
Arvind Kejriwal reacted
Reacting to this bill, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the Prime Minister is weakening Indian democracy with one decision after another. He wrote in tweeting that I had already said that the Prime Minister does not trust the Supreme Court of the country. PM Modi has made it clear that whatever order is not according to him, he will overturn it by enacting a law in the Parliament.
Kejriwal further said in the tweet that the Supreme Court had formed an unbiased committee, which would select unbiased election commissioners. Overturning the Supreme Court’s order, PM Modi formed such a committee, which would be under his control and through which he would be able to appoint a person of his choice as Election Commissioner. He said that this would greatly affect the fairness of the election.
