Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy's allegations against a senior Supreme Court judge that he has been influencing the sittings of Andhra Pradesh High Court and acting in the interests of TDP has created a flutter, with the TDP dismissing the allegations as “atrocious” and a "conspiracy against the judiciary."
CM Jagan wrote a letter to the Chief Justice of India (CJI), SA Bobde, in an unprecedented move, alleging that the Andhra Pradesh High Court was being manipulated to "destabilise and topple my democratically elected government." Jagan requested the CJI to look into the matter and consider initiating steps "as may be considered fit and proper to ensure that the state judiciary's neutrality is maintained." The Chief Minister alleged that Justice NV Ramana, the second senior most judge in the Supreme Court, had proximity to Chandrababu Naidu.
There was no immediate reaction from Supreme Court officials to the allegations.
TDP leaders rejected the allegation as a "deliberate conspiracy against the judiciary" and said that nothing could be more atrocious than this.
While the state unit of the Congress termed it a frontal attack on the judiciary, the party at the national level declined to comment on the matter.
The TDP said it was 'mudslinging', 'ridiculous' and only false 'bravado' intended to 'blackmail' the lower judiciary, as criminal cases against Jagan were coming up for regular trial soon.
“When persons or organisations aggrieved by the illegal and unconstitutional acts of your government seek redressal from courts and if the courts grant relief, how can you blame them,” TDP politburo member Yanamala Ramakrishnudu said in a statement.
The TDP leader questioned why Jagan was "so impatient" when appeals against the High Court orders were pending in the Supreme Court.
Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president Sake Sailajanath said that the YSRCP had “launched a frontal attack on the judiciary" since the state government's decisions were being turned down in courts.
"It's regretful that the Chief Minister sought to cast aspersions on a sitting judge of the Supreme Court and a few justices of the AP High Court,” Sailajanath said.
“We have to presume that the letter to the CJI was a pre-planned strategy of the YSRCP, as the criminal cases against Jagan were coming up for speedy trial," the Congress state unit chief said in a statement.
Earlier, when asked about the letter, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said each of the organs of the state were vital pillars of the country's "proud democracy", be it the legislature, the executive or the judiciary.
"It would be less than responsible for a political party, from a political podium to comment at this early stage on this letter ... it is not appropriate that any of us makes any irresponsible comment at this stage," he told reporters in New Delhi.