Storm in Parliament over former SC judge Markandey Katju’s charges

New Delhi: Justice Markandey Katju’s allegation that a “corrupt” judge was allowed to continue in the Madras high court due to interference from a regional political party rocked Parliament on Monday with AIADMK members forcing an adjournment in Rajya Sabha while in Lok Sabha they sought a thorough probe into the “very serious” charges.

AIADMK members in both Houses charged their archrival DMK with interfering in the appointment of the Madras HC judge when Mr Katju was the Chief Justice in 2004 and wanted to know who in the DMK pressurised the then UPA government not to take action against the judge in question.
As soon as the Rajya Sabha convened in the morning, AIADMK members led by its floor leader Dr V. Maitreyan demanded suspension of Question Hour to discuss the issue of “political interference in judicial appointments”.

As the Chairman’s call to maintain order in the House went unheeded, the House was adjourned for 10 minutes and then till noon.

Mr Maitreyan and his colleagues were up on their feet with copies of a newspaper that carried the article by Justice Katju. The Chairman asked the members not to display the newspaper as it was against the rules. When members did not pay heed to his request, Mr Ansari named Mr Maitreyan and asked him not to do so.

Maitreyan wanted to know if former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was seated in the House, was aware of the allegation against the judge and if his ally DMK had put pressure on his government to elevate him.

In Lok Sabha, senior AIADMK leader M. Thambidurai led his party MPs in demanding a statement from law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on this “very serious matter”.

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