Ex-CJI Ranjan Gogoi nominated to Rajya Sabha

Wednesday 18th March 2020 05:40 EDT
 
 

Former Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi has been nominated to Rajya Sabha. As a CJI, Ranjan Gogoi had presided over many crucial benches that delivered several landmark judgments, including Ramjanambhoomi land dispute, the abolition of homosexuality in India, entry of women in Sabrimala temple and clean chit to Modi government on Rafale deal.

Justice Gogoi's nomination has drawn some sharp reactions from the Opposition. Many leaders of opposition parties suggested that Gogoi's nomination was quid pro quo. Sharing a cropped image of the official gazette notifying Ranjan Gogoi's nomination, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said: "Is it quid pro quo? How will people have faith in the Independence of Judges ? Many Questions"

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also shared images of two news stories with a tagline "Picture says it all". The two headlines suggested that Gogoi's nomination to Rajya Sabha casts a doubt on judiciary's impartiality.

"I hope ex-cji Ranjan Gogoi would have the good sense to say 'NO' to the offer of Rajya Sabha seat to him. Otherwise he will cause incalculable damage to the reputation of the judiciary," disgruntled BJP leader and former Union minister Yashwant Sinha said on Twitter. Aam Adami Party's Raghav Chadha also questioned Ranjan Gogoi's nomination, "This will not merely set a bad precedent but will cause irreparable damage to the independence of the judiciary."

Justice Ranjan Gogoi's tenure as judge and CJI was marked by some controversies and personal allegations but that never came in the way of his judicial work that was reflected in the last few days when benches headed by him delivered some path-breaking judgments.

He etched his name in the annals of history when a five-judge bench headed by him on November 9 brought an end to the Ayodhya land dispute, which dates back to even before the Supreme Court came into existence in 1950. However, his tenure in the Supreme Court will also be remembered for being part of a presser by the 'gang of four' senior-most judges in January last year which questioned the then CJI's way of functioning.

Later at a public function, Justice Ranjan Gogoi had remarked that "independent judges and noisy journalists are democracy's first line of defence". A "revolution, not reform" was needed to keep the institution of judiciary serviceable for the common man, Justice Ranjan Gogoi had said at the same function.

Justice Ranjan Gogoi's tenure as CJI was not free of controversy as he faced allegations of sexual harassment, of which he was cleared. However, Justice Ranjan Gogoi is more likely to be remembered for the Ayodhya verdict that gave Hindus the 2.77 acre disputed land for construction of Ram Temple, and order that Muslims be given a 5-acre land at a "prominent location" to build a mosque in the city.


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