E-Paper
Law has to be fair and balanced: Congress on Prashant Bhushan contempt case
The Supreme Court on Thursday granted two days to Bhushan to reconsider his “defiant statement” refusing to apologise for his contemptuous tweets against the judiciary.
The Congress on Thursday said the “law has to be applied in an even-handed, fair and balanced manner” in the context of the contempt case involving lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan heard by the Supreme Court.
Addressing a virtual press conference, Congress spokesperson and senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the concerns raised by those after the judgment are certainly not in any manner false or frivolous.
“They cannot be dismissed off hand and deserve a lot of careful thinking because they include former judges of that very court, they include precedence and they include the basic spirit of the Supreme Court that its chest is larger than any chest in India and its shoulders being wider than any shoulder in India,” he said.
The Supreme Court on Thursday granted two days to Bhushan to reconsider his “defiant statement” refusing to apologise for his contemptuous tweets against the judiciary.
Bhushan told a bench, headed by Justice Arun Mishra, that he would consult his lawyers and think over the apex court’s suggestion.
Bhushan’s counsel Rajeev Dhawan pointed out that his statement has been supported by Justices (retired) RM Lodha, Kurien Joseph and AP Shah.
The Supreme Court on August 14 held Bhushan guilty of criminal contempt for his derogatory tweets against the judiciary, saying they cannot be said to be a fair criticism of the functioning of the judiciary made in the public interest.
“The speed also, I would say, with greatest humility is very worrying and creates part of the problem,” Singhvi said.
“However, I think these are all issues which I would not like to officially associate my party with because the party would require a resolution or something like that but the sentiment is very clear and I have articulated that from the podium,” he added.
