Chief Justice recommends Justice Gogoi as successor
New Delhi, Sep 4 : Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra on Tuesday sent a letter to the Centre recommending Justice Ranjan Gogoi as his successor.
Following the principle of seniority, Chief Justice Misra picked Justice Gogoi, the senior-most judge of the top court after him.
As per convention, the outgoing Chief Justice sends the recommendation for his successor 30 days before he is to demit office so that the Chief Justice-designate is named well in time.
If the recommendation is cleared by the Central government, Justice Gogoi will be administered the oath of office by President Ram Nath Kovind on October 3.
CJI Misra is retiring on October 2. But as the day is a national holiday on account of Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary, October 1 will be his last working day.
The Union Law Ministry had in August last week urged the Chief Justice to recommend his successor.
Justice Gogoi is one of the four Supreme Court judges who had held an unprecedented press conference in January this year, raising concerns about the administration in the apex court, saying it was "not in order".
The other three were Justice J. Chelameswar (now retired), Justice M.B. Lokur and Justice Kurian Joseph.
Justice Gogoi is from Assam and he headed the special bench that is monitoring the updation of the National Register of Citizens to identify citizens in that state.
Born in 1954, Justice Gogoi joined the Bar in 1978. He was appointed a Permanent Judge of the Gauhati High Court on February 28, 2001.
He was transferred to the Punjab and Haryana High Court in September 2010 and went on to become its Chief Justice in February 2011. He was elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court in April 2012.
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Punjab CM Mann meets President Murmu, seeks cancellation of membership of 6 RS members
Chandigarh (PTI): Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday met President Droupadi Murmu, demanding the termination of the membership of six Rajya Sabha MPs from Punjab who defected to the BJP and also pressed for the introduction of a constitutional provision allowing for the recall of members.
Accompanied by party MLAs and ministers, Mann visited Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi.
This meeting followed a significant setback for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on April 24, when seven of its 10 Rajya Sabha MPs -- Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Sandeep Pathak, Harbhajan Singh, Rajendra Gupta, Vikramjit Sahney and Swati Maliwal -- quit and merged with the BJP, alleging that the party had strayed from its principles, values and core morals. Six of the seven MPs who left AAP hailed from Punjab.
After he met with the President, Mann addressed the media here, describing the departure of the seven MPs as a "murder" of the Constitution. He stated, "Seven MPs merging with another party is completely unconstitutional. I spoke to Rashtrapati ji in detail."
Mann pointed out that he told the President that the BJP holds only two MLA seats (in Punjab), yet now has six MPs in the Rajya Sabha. He questioned, "How can this be possible? Isn't it a mockery of the Constitution?
"If they are such revolutionaries at heart, then they should have resigned from their six seats. The AAP could have sent someone else," Mann said, taking a swipe at them.
He emphasised the need for a recall provision in the Constitution, referencing MP Raghav Chadha's previous demands for such a measure when members fail to meet public expectations.
"Have you lived up to the expectations of the people?" Mann challenged the MPs during his statement.
Mann also presented a letter to the President, signed by all AAP MLAs. He differentiated between the terms 'elected' and 'selected,' stating, "They were 'selected.' Therefore, their membership should be cancelled."
The President assured Mann that she would consult constitutional experts before responding.
Earlier in the day, Mann, along with party MLAs, departed for Delhi from Chandigarh.
Speaking to reporters in Chandigarh, Mann affirmed that all AAP MLAs stand united with the party. "Only I have been given time for the meeting," Mann said.
"The President is the guardian of the Constitution. She is the constitutional head of the country," he added.
Later in a post on X in Hindi, Mann said, "Our struggle to protect Punjab's rights and interests continues. Today, along with all AAP MLAs, I have left to discuss Punjab's burning issues and present the state's strong voice before the President.
As your public servant, our government remains fully committed to Punjab's prosperity and the safeguarding of the rights of every section of society."
The MLAs and ministers gathered at the chief minister's residence in the morning before heading to Delhi, carrying placards that read 'Punjab Mann De Naal' and 'Punjab's Traitors.'
The legislators left for Delhi in buses.
Mann had previously sought an appointment with the President to meet with party MLAs and demand the "recall" of the Rajya Sabha MPs who defected to the BJP. However, only Mann was given a time slot for the meeting.
