Chief Justice of India Hl Dattu finds Prime Minister Narendra Modi a good leader with foresight, a compliment which comes at a time when the NDA Government at the Centre has brought about the National Judicial Appointments Commission to seize full control over appointment of judges from the judiciary.
Speaking at an informal Press interaction at his residence, CJI Hl Dattu did not shy away when asked about his opinion of Modi. “He is a good leader, a good human being and a man with foresight,” is how Dattu described the Prime Minister. Incidentally, Dattu is heading the bench monitoring the 2002 Gujarat riots, which has been the biggest taint against Modi as it occurred during his term as Chief Minister in the State.
When Dattu was confronted with the other question on NJAC, the CJI is reported to have said, “Judiciary is not upset with NJAC.” The CJI said that the collegium will continue its meetings till the NJAC is notified formally. He said that legislature had done its role to introduce the law replacing collegium system and now the judiciary will do it job, referring to the possible petitions to be heard in SC challenging the NJAC and its inclusion in the Constitution.
CJI was reported as saying that since becoming CJI in September 2014, all his proposals regarding creation of judicial posts and infrastructure has received full backing and support from the Centre. This he believed was essential for curbing pendency and enhancing governance.