A day after the Centre permitted acting NCLAT chairperson Justice Ashok Iqbal Singh Cheema to continue in office till September 20, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Friday attacked the government, saying he was treated "worse than a daily wage earner".
"Consider the shabby manner in which the central government treated Mr Justice Cheema, Acting Chairperson of NCLAT. Appointed Acting Chairperson, prematurely terminated on Sep 10, re-instated today, and will serve until Sep. 20!" Chidambaram tweeted.
"The Chairperson of NCLAT is treated worse than a daily wage earner," he said.
The former Union minister asked why anyone should accept a judicial office in any tribunal under this government.
The row over Cheema's premature retirement ended in the Supreme Court on Thursday as the Centre conceded and permitted him to continue in office till September 20 to pronounce verdicts, following the court's warning that the new law on tribunals would be stayed "suo motu".
Justice Cheema was to superannuate on September 20, but Justice M Venugopal was appointed as the acting head of the tribunal with effect from September 11, creating a peculiar situation. Justice Cheema had approached the top court.
However, Attorney General K K Venugopal, on instruction from the Centre, apprised the bench, also comprising Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli, of the changed stand of the government leading to the closure of the row.
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(Published 17 September 2021, 20:55 IST)
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