"Our Shoulders Are Broad Enough": Supreme Court On Contempt Plea Against BJP MP

The Supreme Court has made strong remarks while hearing a contempt petition against BJP MP Nishikant Dubey over his criticism of the country's highest court for setting a deadline for the President and Governors to clear bills. "Our shoulders are broad enough," Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna said after a lawyer highlighted the need to protect the institution's dignity.

In his petition, Mr Tiwari had called Mr Dubey's statement "insulting and condemnable" for the judiciary and demanded contempt proceedings be initiated against him.

"The dignity of the institution has to be protected. It cannot go like this. Earlier court took cognisance in the Delhi judicial services case," lawyer Vishal Tiwari had urged the top court during the hearing.

However, Chief Justice Khanna said the court will not entertain the contempt plea. "We will be passing a short order. We will record some reasons. We will not be entertaining it, but we will give a short order," the Chief Justice said.

In a landmark verdict, the Supreme Court had last month set a three-month timeframe for the President and Governors to decide on the pending bills, which was met with criticism by several leaders, including Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Mr Dubey, an MP from Godda, Jharkhand.

Using words like "anarchy" and "religious wars", Mr Dubey had targeted the highest court and said that it was responsible for inciting religious wars in the country.

"Which law says that the President has to take a decision within three months? This means you want to take this country towards anarchy...Supreme Court is responsible for inciting religious wars in the country. The Supreme Court is going beyond its limits. If one has to go to the Supreme Court for everything, then Parliament and State Assembly should be shut," the BJP MP had said.

The BJP had distanced itself from Mr Dubey's remarks, stating that it respects the judiciary and his comments had nothing to do with the party.

The Supreme Court Bar Association too had condemned Mr Dubey's comments and said it was not just defamatory but amounted to contempt of court. It had also passed a resolution, saying, "This attack on the Supreme Court, as an Institution, and qua the Chief Justice of India, Justice Sanjiv Khanna, as an individual, is unacceptable and must be dealt with in accordance with the law."