“Most improper”, “discordant note”, “out of line” – this is how editorials in multiple newspapers characterised Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s recent “tirade” against the judiciary.
The context was the Supreme Court seeking to fix a timeline for the President and state governors to grant assent to bills. Dhankhar last week accused the court of acting as a “super Parliament” who “absolutely have no accountability because the law of the land does not apply to them”. He also described Article 142 of the Constitution, which empowers the Supreme Court, as a “nuclear missile against democratic forces available to the judiciary 24x7”.
In an editorial today headlined “Quiet, please”, The Telegraph said Dhankhar had “set tongues wagging, yet again, by being a loose cannon”. Describing his remarks as “patently objectionable”, the editorial said the SC “has been far more mindful than the executive when it comes to protecting the principle of the balance of power among the judiciary, the executive and the legislature”.
It added: “Mr Dhankhar’s remark, however crass, is not without motive. His insensitive criticism against India’s highest court needs to be seen within a broader arc of tensions – antipathy? – between the executive and the judiciary.”
Deccan Herald’s editorial today, headlined “Dhankhar’s outburst is totally irresponsible”, said the VP’s “all-out attack on the judiciary is most improper, and amounts to a gross violation of the responsibilities of the Constitutional office he holds”.
“Dhankhar is a serial offender. In the past, he has questioned the power of the court to strike down laws passed by parliament and cast doubts even on the basic structure of the Constitution,” the editorial said. “He has gone far beyond the remit of his office. Others have taken his cue, and their comments are turning out to be a concerted political attack on the judiciary.”
The Times of India’s editorial last week took it several steps further. It said that before examining Dhankhar’s statements in detail, it was “necessary to restate certain things”.
“The V-P post, aside from the job as presiding officer of the Upper House, is a ceremonial one. Therefore, a V-P has no locus standi when it comes to matters of policy, politics and judicial verdicts. That means all news consumers, the readers of this newspaper, for example, must realise no matter what any V-P says on any current affairs issue, his post means his comments must be discounted entirely,” the newspaper said.
The editorial also characterised Dhankhar’s statements as the “bitter icing on a very unappetising cake”.
Madhyamam’s editorial today said Dhankhar’s remarks were “as shocking in their illogicality as they are inappropriateness in their expression”.
“...the person who is denying the Constitution itself is the one who took office after an oath to protect the Constitution,” it said. “What Dhankhar has done in effect is proclaim he does not know the method and style of raising constructive dissent and criticism. One can even infer that this also amounts to a statement that he is not fit to hold the constitutional office of Vice President.”
DT Next in Tamil Nadu slammed Dhankhar in its editorial dated April 19, saying the “tone and tenor of the VP’s statements do not befit the office he holds”.
“Such public outbursts will only muddy the waters, divert the attention from the content, and could result in sowing seeds of distrust, resulting in the hardening of positions and leaving no room for discussion and deliberation to resolve issues, if any. In short, it will defeat the purpose,” the editorial said.
The Tribune, in an editorial headlined “Dhankhar’s tirade”, said the importance of judicial accountability and transparency “cannot be overemphasised”, but the way forward lies in “collaboration and consensus, not confrontation”.
“The executive, the legislature and the judiciary must improve their self-correcting mechanism to prevent themselves from crossing the lakshman rekha,” it said.
Newslaundry has reported on the evolution of Dhankhar and his road to the VP’s office, from being an anti-RSS leader to a Hindutva mentor to a Rajya Sabha referee. Read all about it here in our deep dive exclusively for subscribers.
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