Speaker attacks judiciary

Hyderabad, May 11: Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee on Sunday launched an attack on judicial interference in the functioning of the legislature and the executive.
Defending Parliament’s passing of the controversial AIIMS amendment bill in November 2007, Mr Chatterjee said the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the legislation on May 8 was "surprising" and extra-constitutional.
"Populism and correctness are different things," said Mr Chatterjee, who was in the city for a day. "(AIIMS director) Dr P. Venugopal may be one of the world’s top cardiac surgeons and there is no doubt about his calibre, but the court’s decision to strike down an Act passed by Parliament is not correct," he added, commenting about the apex court order that brought Dr P. Venugopal back to the helm of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.
The Supreme Court on Thursday struck down an amendment brought to the AIIMS Act by the Centre fixing the upper age of retirement of the director of the institute at 65 years. "I don’t want to squabble with the judiciary," he added. "I am not only a politician, but also a senior practitioner of law. I know my limits, but it agonises me that courts are overstepping their jurisdiction in the name of providing relief and are interfering with the legislature and the executive. This does not bode well for democracy."
Mr Chatterjee said courts across the country are passing inexplicable orders. "Several courts are sending officials to jail for contempt of court," he said.
11 May, 2008 05:49:41
By Ch V.M. KRISHNA RAO