New Delhi,Sept, 16
Amid raging debate over the ‘caged parrot’ remark made by Justice Ujjal Bhuyan of the Supreme Court against the CBI, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar has said institutions should not become trigger points of politically inflammatory debate or narrative.
“An institution is well served when it is conscious of certain limitations. Some limitations are obvious, some limitations are very fine and subtle. Let these sacred platforms — judiciary, legislature and executive — not be trigger points of political inflammatory debate or narrative that is detrimental to the established institutions that serve the nation well in a challenging and daunting environment,” he said.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of Samvidhan Mandir at Elphinstone Technical High School and Jr. College, Mumbai, on Sunday, Dhankhar cautioned against comments and observations which could dispirit institutions.
“Our institutions, all kinds of institutions — Elections Commission, investigative agencies — they perform duty under tight situations, an observation can dispirit them. It can set a political debate afloat. It can trigger a narrative. We have to be extremely conscious about our institutions.
“They are robust, they are working independently, they are under checks and balances. They work under rule of law.
In that situation, if we work in a manner to just generate some sensation, to become a focal point or epicentre of a political debate or a narrative that I will appeal to the concerned is wholly avoidable,” an official release quoted the Vice-President as having said.
Reflecting on the need for separation of power among different organs of the state and need for all organs to work within their limitations thus avoid becoming trigger point of political inflammatory debate, Dhankhar said, “All organs of the state — judiciary, legislature and executive — have a single purpose: to ensure the success of the fundamental spirit of the Constitution, to guarantee all rights to the common people, and to help India prosper and flourish.”
He said, “They need to work in tandem and togetherness to nurture and blossom democratic values and further constitutional ideals.”
Maintaining that in a functional democracy governed by the rule of law, perception matters, Justice Bhuyan had on Friday asked the CBI to dispel the notion of it being a caged parrot.
“Like Caesar’s wife, an investigating agency must be above board. Not so long ago, this court had castigated the CBI, comparing it to a caged parrot. It is imperative that CBI dispel the notion of it being a caged parrot. Rather, the perception should be that of an uncaged parrot,” Justice Bhuyan had said in a separate verdict declaring “unjustified” Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest by the CBI in a corruption case linked to the Delhi excise policy scam.
While hearing the coal scam case during the UPA rule in May 2013, a Bench led by Justice RM Lodha (since retired) had dubbed the CBI as a “caged parrot speaking in master’s voice”.
