{"id":353645,"date":"2025-05-02T06:22:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-02T11:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/?p=353645"},"modified":"2025-05-06T06:28:04","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T11:58:04","slug":"bjp-mps-cji-barb-draws-political-backlash-cong-sees-saffron-plot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/bjp-mps-cji-barb-draws-political-backlash-cong-sees-saffron-plot\/","title":{"rendered":"BJP MP\u2019s CJI barb draws political backlash; Cong sees saffron plot"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey\u2019s contentious remarks targeting Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna have ignited sharp political reaction with Cong leading the charge, legal outrage, and renewed debate over the judiciary\u2019s role as a constitutional check amid rising political tensions. A report by Mudit Mathur<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A political storm erupted when BJP MP Nishikant Dubey made an incendiary statement accusing Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna of being responsible for \u201call civil wars in the country.\u201d The explosive remarks came on Saturday, 19 April, at a time of heightened political sensitivity, and it triggered a cascade of reactions from across the political spectrum, criticising him for his outrageous remarks demeaning the majesty of the apex judiciary. The backlash was swift and intense, not only from the Opposition but also from within Dubey\u2019s party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which distanced itself from his views.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The timing of Dubey\u2019s latest remarks is politically significant. They coincided with the Congress Party\u2019s launch of its nationwide \u201cSamvidhan Bachao\u201d (Save the Constitution) campaign, aimed at raising public awareness about threats to India\u2019s democratic institutions. Congress leaders viewed Dubey\u2019s comments as evidence of a coordinated campaign by the BJP to undermine the judiciary, especially in light of recent Supreme Court decisions that have questioned the constitutional validity on the grounds of violating the basic structure principle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on 22 April agreed to hear next week a plea flagging BJP MP Nishikant Dubey\u2019s recent criticism of the apex court and Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna. The matter was mentioned for urgent listing before a bench of Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih. The counsel told the bench that after the video of Dubey\u2019s remarks went viral, contemptuous, derogatory phrases were being used on social media for the top court as a part of malicious campaign, undermining the majesty of the Court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The counsel said one of his colleagues wrote to Attorney General R Venkataramani seeking consent to initiate contempt proceedings against Dubey, but no action had been taken to date. \u201cThe issue is, at least give directions today to the social media platforms to remove this video,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The controversy triggered over an interview of BJP MP Nishikant Dubey with media wherein he remarked, “Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna is responsible for all the civil wars happening in this country.\u201d “Supreme Court is responsible for inciting religious wars in the country. The Supreme Court is going beyond its limits. If one has to go to the Supreme Court for everything, then Parliament and State Assembly should be shut…” he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He further contended, “There was an Article 377 in which homosexuality is a big crime. 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 should abolish this…Article 141 says that the laws we make, the judgments we give, apply from the lower court to the Supreme Court. Article 368 says that Parliament has the right to make all laws and the Supreme Court has the right to interpret the law…”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BJP President J.P. Nadda was quick to issue a public statement distancing the party from Dubey\u2019s comments. He clarified that the statements made by Dubey and BJP Rajya Sabha MP Dinesh Sharma, who had also criticized the judiciary, were personal opinions and did not reflect the BJP\u2019s official stance. Nadda asserted that the BJP \u201ccompletely rejected\u201d the remarks and warned against making such statements, a move seen as an effort to manage the public perception and internal party discipline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a bid to quell the controversy, Dubey responded by stating he was a \u201cdisciplined soldier of the party\u201d and that he would \u201cgo by what the party says.\u201d Notably, he had earlier claimed he had not consulted the party about his views before making the controversial remarks. This apparent reversal was seen as a tactical retreat in the face of party pressure and public scrutiny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Congress Party responded vehemently. Jairam Ramesh, Congress Rajya Sabha MP and head of the party\u2019s communications department, dismissed Nadda\u2019s response as mere damage control. The distancing of the outgoing BJP President from the atrocious remarks made by two BJP MPs on the Chief Justice of India carries little meaning. These MPs are repeat offenders when it comes to hate speech and are very often used by G2 to attack communities, institutions, and individuals. The outgoing BJP President’s clarification is nothing but damage control. It will fool nobody. This is Entire Political Science reflecting itself as Entire Political Hypocrisy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Specifically, Congress leaders cited the Supreme Court\u2019s objections to the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, and the court\u2019s order mandating a timeline for the President\u2019s assent on pending Bills. These judicial interventions have reportedly irked some within the ruling party, leading to accusations that the BJP is seeking to subvert judicial authority. A senior Congress leader described Dubey\u2019s remarks as a \u201cconspiracy of the BJP to start a narrative against the judiciary,\u201d claiming the issue was \u201cserved to them on a platter\u201d for their campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leading the Congress\u2019s charge were Jairam Ramesh and K.C. Venugopal, AICC General Secretary (Organisation). Ramesh challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to clarify whether he tacitly supported these repeated attacks on the Constitution. Venugopal went further, calling Dubey\u2019s statements a \u201cdirect attack on the Constitution\u201d and warning of the dangers posed by individuals who become agitated whenever the judiciary upholds constitutional values. He emphasised that such attacks are meant to dismantle the checks and balances fundamental to democratic governance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe judiciary stands up for constitutional values, and certain individuals start hyperventilating. Threats, taunts, and tantrums follow because the idea of checks and balances clearly hurts some unchecked egos,\u201d Venugopal posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In February 2025, Dubey had stepped into spotlight when he launched a scathing attack on the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi after Gandhi\u2019s response to the President\u2019s address. In a formal letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Dubey accused Gandhi of \u201cshamelessly distorting historical and substantive facts\u201d and attempting to \u201clower the prestige of our Republic.\u201d The incident further solidified Dubey\u2019s role as the BJP\u2019s frontline defender against the Congress\u2019s top leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dubey, a four-time Member of Parliament, representing Godda in Jharkhand, has had a long political journey deeply intertwined with right-wing ideology. Born in Deoghar, Bihar, and the nephew of a former Jana Sangh leader, Dubey began his political grooming in Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Shakhas. He joined the BJP formally in 2009 after working in the corporate sector, and his rise in the party has been rapid. Known for his aggressive oratory, Dubey has consistently been chosen to spearhead key debates in Parliament, including the surprise move by the BJP to have him lead the 2023 debate on the Women\u2019s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the BJP\u2019s attempts to contain the damage, including Nadda\u2019s public disavowal, the controversy has bolstered the Opposition\u2019s narrative that the BJP is undermining India\u2019s constitutional framework. The Congress\u2019s ongoing campaign aims to highlight what it sees as a dangerous trend of institutional erosion and authoritarian behaviour by the ruling party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In conclusion, the episode surrounding Nishikant Dubey\u2019s remarks is emblematic of a broader political struggle over the future of India’s constitutional democracy. As the ruling party seeks to navigate the fallout from internal dissent and external criticism, the Opposition is preparing to leverage these incidents to rally public sentiment and frame the BJP as a threat to judicial independence and democratic norms. With Bihar assembly elections approaching and public scrutiny intensifying, the political ramifications of this controversy are likely to be felt far beyond the parliamentary walls.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey\u2019s contentious remarks targeting Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna have ignited sharp political reaction with Cong leading the charge, legal outrage, and renewed debate over the judiciary\u2019s role as a constitutional check amid rising political tensions. A report by Mudit Mathur A political storm erupted when BJP MP Nishikant Dubey made an incendiary […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":353646,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1801],"tags":[16188,16531,16003,16528],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/353645"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/users\/40"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=353645"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/353645\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":353647,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/353645\/revisions\/353647"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/media\/353646"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=353645"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=353645"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=353645"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}