Every state organ has Laxmanrekha: Somnath

Amid talk that political parties would press for a debate on judicial activism in the Monsoon session of Parliament, former Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee has said every organ of the state has its "own Laxmanrekha and no one should cross it".

Amid talk that political parties would press for a debate on judicial activism in the Monsoon session of Parliament, former Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee has said every organ of the state has its "own Laxmanrekha and no one should cross it".

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Chatterjee, who has been a staunch opponent of the judicial overreach, told PTI that during his days as Presiding Officer of the Lok Sabha, he had given Parliament an opportunity to discuss the issue, but lamented that there was no interest from Parliamentarians.

"During my time, hardly there was any interest shown by parties or members and far less by the government. Indeed I gave them an opportunity through the debate on demolition of shops and houses in Delhi," he said.

Chatterjee remarked that during the debate "everyone was so scared of the courts that they praised the courts. Every organ has its own laxmanrekha and no one should cross it."

A meeting of Chief Whips convened by parliamentary affairs minister Pawan Kumar Bansal last week saw from several political parties that the session should have a debate on the issue of judicial activism.

The reference was his standing up against the SC's directions on a confidence vote in the Jharkhand Assembly, garnering support on that count by speakers of several state legislatures.

"When the supreme court issued notice in the case of expulsion of MPs in the cash-for query scam, I did not take notice as courts had no jurisdiction," he said.