Ex-Chief Justice of India and Rajya Sabha MP Ranjan Gogoi has been the favourite punching bag of the left-liberal community ever since the historic Ayodhya verdict. Unfortunately, one has to pay the cost of being on the wrong side of the left-liberal community with attempts to besmirch Gogoi’s legacy now a commonplace. However, Rajya Sabha MP Gogoi isn’t deterred by this as he not only hit out at TMC MP Mahua Moitra’s comments against him but also further exposed the workings of the liberal lobby as he claimed that judges are often pressurised by a section in media to behave in a manner favourable to them.
Speaking at India Today Conclave, Ranjan Gogoi said, “What is this attack? Will a judge or a former judge be cowed down by attacks? Will he ever be able to function if he’s afraid of being attacked while in office or after office? If a judge is made conscious that look, you better do what I want, otherwise post retirement you’ll be attacked in the media — India Today, NDTV 24X7, Indian Express, the web portals.”
He added, “We are telling you conduct yourself the way we want or else we’ll attack you. Can a judge be cowed down by that? Unfortunately there are many who are succumbing. This is the real threat.”
Gogoi’s comments came in the backdrop of TMC MP Mahua Moitra’s recent statements against him in the parliament. “India’s tragedy today is not that her government has failed her, but that her other democratic pillars, the media and the judiciary have failed her. The sacred cow that was the judiciary is no longer sacred,” said Mahua.
She added, “It stopped being sacred the day a sitting chief justice of this country was accused of sexual harassment, presided over his own trial, cleared himself and then proceeded to accept a nomination to the Upper House in three months of retirement complete with Z-plus security cover…The judiciary stopped being sacred when it squandered the opportunity to guard the founding principles of the Constitution.”
Read More: Mahua Moitra’s unsavoury remarks about ex-CJI Ranjan Gogoi has landed her in big trouble
The government is planning to bring a privilege motion against Mahua for her comments against ex-CJI Gogoi, because, as per Article 121 of the constitution, no comments can be made on judges in parliament unless the removal of the judge is being discussed, Gogoi has refused to take any legal recourse against the TMC MP.
Gogoi too, hit back at Moitra’s unsavoury remarks as he said, “She didn’t even have her facts correct. If you are making allegations, at least name the person. I have a name and I deserve to be named. Those allegations are wrong in facts.”
Gogoi claimed that the mention of the case involving him in the parliament was an attempt to send a message to the rest. “They want you to conduct yourself in a certain way and if you do not, they will attack you,” said the former CJI.
Ex-CJI Ranjan Gogoi thus made his stand clear, speaking at India Today Conclave. While he hit back at TMC MP Mahua Moitra for her unsavoury remarks, he also lashed out at certain media portals for often try to pressurise the judges to behave in a manner favourable to them.