New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday said that it won’t entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) petition seeking contempt of court action against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament (MP ) Nishikant Dubey for his alleged remarks against the apex court and Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna.
However, the bench of CJI Sanjiv Khanna and Justice PV Sanjay Kumar said that it will pass an order in the matter.
“We will be passing a short order. We will give some reasons. We will not be entertaining it but we will give a short order,” CJI Khanna said.
Petitioner Vishal Tiwari, in his plea before the court, said that the dignity of the institution has to be protected.
“The dignity of the institution has to be protected. It cannot go on like this,” PIL petitioner Vishal Tiwari told a bench comprising the CJI.
The BJP MP sparked a row, during his interview with news agency ANI, saying that the Supreme Court is taking the country towards anarchy, and ‘Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna is responsible for the civil war taking place in the country’. The comments came after the CJI-led bench issued an interim order for a stay on the Waqf (Amendment) Act.
Tiwari’s plea said that the interview was full of derogatory remarks towards the judiciary and Supreme Court. The lawyer termed the remarks as ‘contemptuous’ and ‘hateful’.
“The entire contents of the interview are full of derogatory speech towards the judiciary and the Supreme Court. Such acts amount to an offence punishable under BNS and also under Section 15 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971,” the plea said.
The PIL stressed the importance of protecting the dignity of the Supreme Court and its judges, and prayed for invoking the powers under Article 129 of the Constitution to punish the MP for its contempt.
(With agency inputs)
