The two bar associations of the Supreme Court have condemned the demand for Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant’s resignation made by the Congress unit of Keralam in a social media post on Monday.
Responding to the post published by the handle “Congress Kerala”, which was subsequently deleted, the two Bar bodies—Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA)—said that such a statement borders on contempt because it undermines public confidence in the judiciary and interferes with the administration of justice.
In its resolution passed on Monday, the SCBA said, “Statements of this nature belittle the institution of the judiciary and amount to an attempt to interfere with the administration of justice.” SCBA secretary Pragya Baghel urged all SCBA members and other individuals to maintain the dignity and decorum of the Supreme Court. It said that anybody with a grievance has the opportunity to approach the court and seek redressal instead of issuing such a statement.
The resolution was passed in response to an X post by INC Kerala, which addressed the CJI as “Dear Surya Kant” and stated, “If law and order is not your domain, resign now. We will find your replacement who can handle it.” To be sure, this post was subsequently deleted.
The post came in response to a quote from the CJI carried by news agency PTI, where he was reported to have said, “It’s a matter of law and order, not my domain,” while responding to a question about the ongoing protests in Delhi.
The SCAORA also condemned the demand for the CJI’s resignation. In a resolution passed on Monday, SCAORA secretary Yugandhara Pawar Jha expressed strong disapproval of the statement made in the public domain and said, “Public statements seeking the resignation of the head of the judiciary risk undermining the dignity of the office (of CJI) and public confidence in the institution.” It further stated, “The judicial institution must be allowed to function independently without pressure or interference.”