‘Supreme Court going beyond its limits’: BJP MP Nishikant Dubey slams observations on Waqf
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey also questioned how the Supreme Court could set a timeline for the President to act on bills referred by governors
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker Nishikant Dubey on Saturday criticised the Supreme Court’s recent observations on the Waqf (Amendment) Act and said Parliament should be shut down if the apex court makes the laws. BJP chief JP Nadda later distanced the party from the remarks, calling them “personal statements”.
In a scathing attack on the apex court, he also questioned how the Supreme Court could set a timeline for the President to act on bills referred by governors. Dubey, a four-time MP, also said the court was “responsible for inciting religious wars in the country”, and was “going beyond its limits.”
His statement comes close on the heels of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar questioning the apex court’s order issuing a timeline for the President and governors to act on bills.
In a post in Hindi on ‘X’ Dubey said, “If the Supreme Court makes the laws, then Parliament House should be closed...”.
Later speaking to news agency ANI, he said the SC had shown little regard for Parliament’s mandate to frame laws.
The SC on Thursday said properties declared as waqf including “waqf by user” should not be de-notified and sought to know if Muslims would be allowed to be part of Hindu religious trusts.
Reacting to the court’s observations on the “Waqf by user” provision, Dubey said the court had sought documentary proof in cases involving temples, including the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, but had chosen not to do so for the ongoing case.
Dubey cited decisions such as the order to de-criminalise consensual homosexuality and to strike down Section 66(A) of the IT Act as examples of “overreach” by the Supreme Court. Dubey, who represents Godda in Jharkhand, also said the apex court was wrong in striking down the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act in 2015.
Opposition leaders slammed Dubey for his comments on the Supreme Court.
Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP, Jairam Ramesh said the BJP was trying to weaken the Supreme Court. “...Constitutional functionaries, ministers, BJP MPs are speaking against the Supreme Court as the Supreme Court is saying one thing that when a law is made, you should not go against the basic structure of the constitution and if the law is against the constitution, we will not accept it...Deliberately, the Supreme Court is being targeted as in many issues like electoral bonds, the Supreme Court has said that what has been done by the government is unconstitutional,” he said addressing the media.
Trinamool lawmaker Saket Gokhale in a post on ‘X’ said, “This is a direct threat from Modi & Shah to the Supreme Court of India to NOT take up hearings on the Waqf Amendment. The Waqf Bill was brought purely to target minorities & play communal politics. Modi-Shah have gotten so desperate that they’re now personally targeting & pressuring the Chief Justice of India.”
Gokhale said, “Mr Dubey is merely saying what Modi & Shah have told him to say. When a govt openly targets judges & the judiciary by name, it is a warning that it’ll now do ANYTHING to suspend the Constitution.”
BJP leader Dinesh Sharma, too, said on Saturday that no one can “challenge” the President, as the President is “supreme.”
Nadda later distanced the party from these comments. “The BJP has nothing to do with the statements made by BJP MPs Nishikant Dubey and Dinesh Sharma on the judiciary and the Chief Justice of the country. These are their personal statements, but the BJP neither agrees with such statements nor does it ever support such statements. The BJP completely rejects these statements...,” he said on X.
