Former Judges Slam Attempts to ‘Defame’ Supreme Court Amid Rohingya Hearing Controversy
CJI: More than 40 retired Supreme Court and High Court judges have protested the ongoing motivated campaign against CJI Surya Kant, alleging misrepresentation of his remarks in a case involving Rohingya migrants.
A group of retired judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts on Tuesday issued a joint statement strongly objecting to the ongoing motivated campaign against Chief Justice of India Surya Kant. A controversy erupted over some comments made by CJI Kant during the hearing of a case related to Rohingya migrants. The judges said the remarks of the Supreme Court in the open letter written on December 5th by some former judges, lawyers, and CJAR were out of context. The letter had stated that the hearing on December 2nd contained inhuman remarks against Rohingya refugees.
The retired judges, in a statement, said attempts to defame the Supreme Court are unacceptable. Criticism of the judiciary should be reasoned and responsible, not systematically tarnish its image.
The statement stated that CJI Surya Kant had merely asked a fundamental legal question: "Who granted this status under the law?" However, it was deliberately misinterpreted. The judges noted that during the hearing, the bench had stated very clearly that no person on Indian soil, whether citizen or foreigner, should be subjected to torture, disappearance, or inhumane treatment, and that the dignity of every individual must be respected.
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They stated that concealing this and accusing the court of "inhumanity" is a distortion of the actual facts. The statement warned that if every question, whether related to nationality, documents, border security, or immigration policy, is maligned by calling it "hate" or "prejudice," the independence of the judiciary will be at risk. The retired judges expressed their full confidence in the Supreme Court and the Chief Justice of India (CJI) and condemned the distortion of the court's observations. They also supported the formation of a court-monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the illegal acquisition of Indian identity and welfare documents by foreign nationals. The statement concluded by stating that our constitutional framework demands both humanity and vigilance. The judiciary has performed its duty while balancing national integrity and human dignity. This should be supported, not vilified.
