The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear next week a plea seeking contempt of court proceedings against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament Nishikant Dubey for his controversial remarks against the apex court and Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna.
The matter was mentioned before a bench comprising Justice BR Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih. A lawyer appearing in the case informed the court that the Attorney General had not yet responded to a request for consent to initiate contempt proceedings against Dubey.
Dubey’s Comments Go Viral
The lawyer argued that Dubey’s remarks had gone viral, pointing out that the BJP MP had accused the Chief Justice of being responsible for “all civil wars in the country.” The lawyer said that despite the seriousness of the statement, no reply had been received from the Attorney General’s office.
Responding to the mention, Justice Gavai simply said, “List it next week,” thereby scheduling the matter for a hearing.
Previous Direction
The issue was also mentioned on Monday before the same bench. At that time, the court had directed the lawyer to first seek consent from the Attorney General.
“Make a case before the AG. He will give permission,” Justice Gavai had said, referring to the requirement under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971. As per the Act, a private individual can only file a contempt petition in the Supreme Court with prior consent from either the Attorney General or the Solicitor General.
Legal Outrage Over Dubey’s Interview
Dubey’s controversial statement was made during an interview with news agency last week. He alleged that Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna was to blame for “all civil wars in the country,” triggering strong reactions from legal professionals.
In response, several lawyers sent formal requests to the Attorney General seeking approval to proceed with a contempt case against the MP under the provisions of the law.
Dubey’s remarks come amid increasing criticism of the judiciary by members of the ruling BJP. Some leaders have accused the courts, especially the Supreme Court, of overstepping their role by interfering in executive matters and lawmaking.
Notably, Dubey’s comments came soon after the Supreme Court intervened in a case related to the Waqf Amendment Act, which led the Union government to suspend implementation of certain controversial provisions of the law.
Vice President Also Questions
This is not the first instance of criticism from high-ranking political leaders. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who is also the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, recently questioned the accountability of the judiciary. He claimed that judges in India operate without sufficient checks and that existing laws do not seem to apply to them.
His remarks were made in response to a Supreme Court judgment that clarified the roles of Governors and the President in relation to state legislature bills—another issue that has stirred tensions between the judiciary and the executive.
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