Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s stunning allegation at an event attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that judges’ phones are being tapped, was emphatically denied by the Government on the same platform on Monday. Kejriwal has created ripples by alleging that there is a “widespread” fear that the phones of judges are being tapped and said if it is true, then it is the biggest assault on the independence of the judiciary.
Union law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad promptly denied the allegations, saying the independence of judiciary is fundamental and uncompromising for the Narendra Modi Government. later, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has strongly denied the allegations, terming all such reports “baseless and unfounded”. “The Ministry of Home Affairs strongly denies media reports alleging tapping of telephones of some judges. There is no truth in these reports. These reports are baseless and unfounded,” said MHA spokesperson Kuldeep Singh Dhatwalia in a statement.
Addressing the golden jubilee celebrations of Delhi High Court in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Justice of India TS Thakur also participated, the Chief Minister said even if there has been a wrong-doing by a judge then phone-tapping should not be allowed.
Kejriwal claimed during his meetings with judges he has “overheard them telling each other that they should not talk on phones because they could be tapped”. The Chief Minister said when he told them the phones of judges cannot be tapped, “they retorted by saying that all phones could be tapped”.
“There are many other ways to gather evidence for wrongdoing, otherwise it will be the biggest assault on the independence of the judiciary,” he said.
“I don’t know whether it is true or not but there is a widespread fear. If it is true that phones are tapped then judges can be influenced...,” he said.
The Chief Minister also raked up the issue of delay in appointments of judges and said the Modi Government must clear name forwarded by Collegium in 48 hours.
Prasad, who spoke after Kejriwal, said, “I deny with all authority at command the allegations that phones of judges have been tapped.” He said right from the Prime Minister to other Ministers and the Government, all have fought for the independence of judiciary and individual liberty and freedom of media during Emergency. “Independence of judiciary is fundamental, unimpeachable and uncompromising for the Government,” he said.
With lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung and Chief Justice of Delhi High Court G Rohini also sharing the dais with him, Kejriwal also invoked the Constitution to stress that “people are supreme. Executive can’t take away their powers”. He added, “If judiciary interprets the Constitution in a way that hands over power to one person that is harmful for democracy.” “If any action of the executive snatches the power of the people, if any judicial interpretation of the Constitution takes away power of the people then it is not good for democracy,” he said.
The Union Home Secretary is the competent authority for sanctioning of tapping of telephones and all such orders have to be ratified later by a high-level committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary.