THE RECENT TRENCHANT VILLIFICATION of the Supreme Court and the judiciary by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar and BJP MP Nishikant Dubey is in reality an attack against the Constitution and its fundamental principles and values. When the Vice President and Mr. Dubey reject judicial review of the actions of the highest authorities — of the President and of Parliament — they are, in effect, asking for the restoration of the pre-Constitutional principle that the “king can do no wrong”. By rejecting the Supreme Court’s protection of the constitutional rights of backward classes, minorities, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and women against exploitation, dehumanisation and oppression as “triggering civil war”, they are, in effect, lauding the perpetuation of exploitation, dehumanisation and oppression as “social peace”.
Instead of being concerned that the request of a state legislature for assent to laws they adopted was not disposed of on a timely basis, the Vice President is incensed that the Supreme Court set out a time frame within which the President should decide on assent to protect the right of a state legislature to enact the laws.
