As the issue of elevating former solicitor general Gopal Subramanium as a Supreme Court judge awaits a reconsideration by the collegium, noted jurist and former judge V R Krishna Iyer has expressed “regret” over the Narendra Modi-led NDA government’s rejection and has appealed for a review of its decision. In a statement issued Sunday, Justice Iyer said he expected a “great Gandhian rule” from Modi. “But to my despair and disappointment, I read in The Indian Express that the government has changed its mind and eliminated Gopal Subramanium, who was unanimously selected by the collegium,” he said. Applauding Subramaniu-m’s legal acumen, Justice Iyer said he is a lawyer with great integrity and it will be an honour for the Supreme Court Bench if he is installed as a judge. “However to disallow him that post will be an indefensible disaster and disappointment, which the country need not suffer from at all. As a retired judge of the Supreme Court myself I regret this measure of the Prime Minister. I hope he will reconsider his decision. The country cannot afford to lose a sound and splendid lawyer who will adorn the Sup-reme Court Bench,” he urged. Justice Iyer added that he has regarded Narendra Modi as a great statesman, good administrator and a wonder as the ruler of a state. “Now that he has become the PM, I look forward to great good things happening and vices disappearing from the administration,” the statement read. While sending Subramanium’s file back to the SC collegium for a reconsideration, the government has recently cleared the names of senior advocate Rohinton Nariman, Calcutta High Court Chief Justice Arun Mishra and Orissa High Court Chief Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel for elevation to the Bench. It was learnt that a “negative” report by the CBI, which was asked for an opinion by the government, was behind the government’s rejection. The report, which sources in the CBI described as a “categorical opinion”, was sent to the Law Ministry last week. The ministry had sent a query to the investigating agency in the wake of reports that Subramaniam had, as SG, met with the lawyer for 2G scam accused and former telecom minister A Raja in his office, in the presence of CBI officers in charge of the investigation. The CBI’s secret communication to the ministry has confirmed that Subramanium was not engaged by the agency in the 2G matter at that time. However, the report has refe-rred to Subramanium’s alleged “link” to former corporate lobbyist Niira Radia, whose intercepted phone conversations are under CBI scrutiny.
