Uproar in RS over Madras High Court judges charge

The issue of a Union Minister allegedly pressuring a judge of the Madras High Court to grant anticipatory bail to an accused in a forgery case put the government in an uncomfortable situation in Parliament on Thursday with the Opposition demanding the dismissal of the minister. Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley raised the issue during Zero Hour and found strong support from CPMs Brinda Karat and AIADMKs V Maitreyan. While the Opposition members did not name the minister,they dropped enough hints for everyone to understand who the minister is.

Jaitley said a Union Minister telephoning a judge to persuade and pressurise him into giving a ruling was not only a case of criminal contempt but also amounted to an act of misdemeanor. He said the government need not wait for the judge to reveal the name of the minister and demanded that the Prime Minister should write to the Chief Justice of India asking for an inquiry to identify him.

Maitreyan said,Everyone in Chennai is fully aware of who is the king of this mischief and it is very sad that the king continues to head an important ministry.

Karat said it reflected blatant misuse of power and a nexus between the minister and a person charged with committing forgery and demanded that the Prime Minister come out with a statement on the matter.

The issue came up in Rajya Sabha on a day AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa in Chennai named Union IT and Telecommunications Minister A Raja as the one who had spoken to the judge.