SC dismisses PIL seeking implementation of fundamental duties

The Supreme Court today refused to entertain a PIL seeking a direction to the Centre for implemention of the recommendations of the Justice J S Verma committee to bring into force fundamental duties of citizens.

"This report is of 1999. How can a court direct the government to implement fundamental duties," a bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice D Y Chandrachud said, while dismissing a plea filed by Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, a lawyer and spokesperson of the Delhi chapter of the BJP.

The court also took a strong note of the fact that a leader of the ruling party at the Centre filed the PIL. "You (Upadhyay) are the spokesperson of the (Delhi) BJP. You are the government. You are so powerful that you can get this done," the bench said while dismissing the PIL.

Upadhyay, in his plea, had sought implementation of the 1999 report of the Justice Verma committee on fundamental duties. The committee had suggested ways and means to make fundamental duties of citizens effective