Rijiju’s ‘anti-India gang’ remarks are attempt to pressure judiciary and threaten judges: Raut

PTI, Mar 19, 2023, 12:53 PM IST

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday alleged that Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju’s remarks that a few retired judges are part of an ”anti-India gang” are an attempt to pressure the judiciary and threaten judges. Speaking at the India Today Conclave in the national capital on Saturday, Rijiju had claimed that a few retired judges and some activists who are ”part of the anti-India gang” are trying to make the Indian judiciary play the role of the opposition party.

Reacting to the remarks while talking to reporters here, Raut said, ”What kind of democracy is this? Does it suit a law minister to threaten the judiciary? It is a threat to judges who refuse to bow down to the government and it’s an attempt to pressure the judiciary.” Criticising the government doesn’t mean being against the nation, Raut said.

The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP also said that after Rahul Gandhi spoke about the threats to democracy in the country, there is now a move to get the Congress leader suspended from the Lok Sabha.

To a question on the demand that Gandhi should apologise for his comments, Raut said, ”Rahul Gandhi will not apologise and why should he?” ”Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders have in fact spoken against the country and its political leaders on foreign soil,” he charged. The BJP has been demanding an apology from Rahul Gandhi over his recent remarks he made in London, in which he alleged that the structures of Indian democracy are under attack and there is a ”full-scale assault” on the country’s institutions.

The remarks triggered a political slugfest, with the BJP accusing him of maligning India on foreign soil and seeking foreign interventions, and the Congress hitting back at the ruling party by citing previous instances of Prime Minister Narendra Modi raising internal politics abroad.