Transfer of Justice Muralidhar routine, Congress playing politics, says Ravi Shankar Prasad

Dismissing the political row over the transfer of a Delhi High Court judge S Muralidhar, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday called it as “routine” and as per recommendation of the Supreme Court collegium, accusing the Congress of politicising the matter.

Speaking at an event in Dehradun separately, the Law Minister made it clear that there was no question of going back on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). However, he said that the government will try to convince people opposing it.

Scaling up the attack on the Opposition for creating a controversy over the judge's transfer, meanwhile, Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Minister Prakash Javadekar sought to put the blame at Congress' interim president Sonia Gandhi herself for the violence in the city.

While addressing a press conference, the I&B minister alleged that attempts were being made to instigate violence for past two months since Sonia gave a call for 'aar ya yaa par ki ladai' (fight to the finish battle) at a rally organised at Ramlila Maidan in December last year soon after Parliament passed a bill to amend citizenship law.

He also accused Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi of making provocative speeches at the rally, saying efforts to instigate people for violence began from there, and hit out at Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor, Salman Khurshid and Mani Shankar Aiyar for extending their support to the ant-CAA protesters at Shaheen Bagh.

Javadekar put the blame on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) too for the violence in parts of the national capital in the same vein, referring to a controversial anti-CAA speech of AAP leader Amanatullah Khan in December last month and the recovery of arms and petrol bombs from the house of AAP leader Tahir Hussain recently.

"Transfer of Hon'ble Justice Muralidhar was done pursuant to the recommendation dated February 12, 2020 of the Supreme Court collegium headed by Chief Justice of India. While transferring the judge consent of the judge is taken. The well-settled process has been followed (sic)," the Union Law Minister tweeted.

Justice Muralidhar, who had grilled Delhi police over violence and questioned why no FIRs were registered against the BJP leaders for making provocative speeches, was transferred to the Punjab and Haryana High Court through a notification put out around 11 pm on Wednesday night, about two weeks after the Supreme Court collegium's recommendation.

“By politicising a routine transfer, Congress has yet again displayed its scant regard for the judiciary. People of India have rejected Congress Party and hence it is hell bent on destroying the very institutions India cherishes by constantly attacking them", The Law Minister said.