Close down Parliament if Supreme Court has to make law: Nishikant Dubey

New Delhi: Days after Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar's broadside, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Saturday attacked the Supreme Court, saying Parliament and Assemblies should be shut if the apex court is dictating laws and that Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna is "responsible for civil wars" in the country.

Through a post on 'X' and remarks to video news agencies, the four-time MP also claimed that the Supreme Court was pushing the country towards anarchy, as he questioned the decisions on setting a timeline for President and Governors for clearing Bills and nudging government not to operationalise certain provisions of the new Waqf law till May 5.

"Kanoon yadi Supreme Court hi banayega to Sansad Bhavan bandh kar dena chahiye (If the Supreme Court will make laws, then Parliament should be shut)," he posted on 'X'. Separately, he also alleged that the Supreme Court was "responsible for inciting religious wars" and is "going beyond its limits". 

His remarks came two days after Dhankhar found fault with the Supreme Court over its judgement giving timeline to the President to clear Bill, saying it cannot fire a "nuclear missile" at democratic forces by acting as a "super Parliament". He also questioned why FIR was not registered against the recovery of cash at the residence of a High Court judge.

Opposition was quick to target the BJP with Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh claiming that the BJP is trying to weaken the Supreme Court and that after a person holding Constitutional post and ministers, now a ruling party MP has spoken against the apex court. 

“We will not allow any reduction of powers given to the Supreme Court by the Constitution. Congress expects it to remain fully independent. The Supreme Court is deliberately being targeted as in many issues like electoral bonds, it has declared that what has been done by the government is unconstitutional,” he said.

Congress Lok Sabha Whip Manickam Tagore described the remarks as defamatory and said Dubey has attacked the apex court and judges should take note of the statements made outside Parliament. AAP chief pokesperson Priyanka Kakkar expressed hope that the Supreme Court will initiate suo-moto contempt proceedings against Dubey and send him to jail.

To a question about violence in Murshidabad and Joint Parliamentary Committee deliberations on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Dubey said, “Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna is responsible for all the civil wars happening in this country.”

On the judgement on giving timeline to the President, he asked how can the court give such a direction to the appointing authority.  “You will dictate the Parliament?...In which law is it written that the President has to take a decision within three months? This means that you want to take this country towards anarchy,” he said.

Dubey also referred to the judgement nullifying Article 377 and said, “the Trump administration has said that there are only two sexes in this world, either male or female...Whether it is Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, Jain or Sikh, all believe that homosexuality is a crime. One fine morning, the Supreme Court said that we abolish this case.”

The BJP, however, disassociated itself from Dubey’s remarks, with party president J P Nadda calling the comments as personal views. “The BJP has nothing to do with the comments of MPs Nishikant Dubey and Dinesh Sharma on the judiciary and the chief justice. This is their personal comments, but the BJP neither agrees with them nor does it ever support such remarks,” Nadda posted on X.

While directing party leaders not to make such comments, he also said the BJP has always respected the judiciary and has accepted its orders "gladly".