Don't want Congress to completely disappear, Oppn needed, says Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri
Panaji, May 6: Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Friday said the BJP did not want the complete disappearance of the Congress as there is need for an opposition.
Speaking at Goa Fest 2022, the Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas also said the Narendra Modi government is "not completely a right-wing government".
"We do not want the Congress party to completely disappear. We need an opposition. If we have an opposition, it is for the opposition to decide whether it should be led by Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee or Arvind Kejriwal or Sharad Pawar," Puri said.
Queried about people from various parties joining the BJP, the minister said this was what democracy was all about, adding that "if I'm the member of one party, I had the right to go another".
"You would make a pertinent point if you say just take feedback before inducting anyone in the party," he said, adding that the BJP is the largest party with 300 plus members in the Lok Sabha and "if people are unhappy with their party, they will gravitate towards the BJP".
Speaking about the Modi dispensation, he said it is "not completely a right wing government" and went on to add that "right, left, pro this, anti that" were all just slogans.
"Is ours a typically right wing government? In many respect it is not. From Sarvodaya to Antodaya, the philosophy which is encapsulated in taking sustainable developmental goals to the farthest first, that is the crux of BJP's philosophy," Puri said.
He claimed this approach, in many ways, had taken the ground away from the kind of message the socialists had.
"More important is to look at your corporate structure, The GST (collection) last month was Rs 1.61 lakh crore. If you look at corporate tax, the rates in Indira Gandhi's times were 90 per cent. Now you have lowest corporate tax rate," he pointed out.
If one looks at all the policies, it is not that the government is exclusively focused on economically weaker sections or the middle class but also on the corporate sector.
When asked if winning the 2024 Lok Sabha polls was a "done deal" for the BJP, he said nothing in politics was a done deal.
"You should never be complacent. Knowing that the party is in good shape and we are winning elections after elections, I would say the opposition needs to get its act together, if they want to post a credible challenge in 2024. BJP also has to work hard, which we are doing," the minister added.
Taking a swipe at the Aam Aadmi Party over the Punjab police's arrest of BJP leader Tejinder Singh Bagga and the subsequent chain of events involving police from Haryana and Delhi, Puri said "we are witnessing a spectacle where a political start up from Delhi, which is a GST rich state and with surpluses, has moved to Punjab, which is under great financial stress".
Goa Fest 2022 has been organised by Advertising Agencies' Association of India and the Advertising Club.
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CJI calls for 'unified judicial policy', use of technology to converge practices across courts
Jaisalmer (PTI): Pushing for a "unified judicial policy", Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Saturday said technology can help align standards and practices across courts, creating a "seamless experience" for citizens, regardless of their location.
He said high courts -- due to the federal structure -- have had their own practices and technological capacities, and "regional barriers" can be broken down with technology to create a more unified judicial ecosystem.
Delivering the keynote address at the West Zone Regional Conference in Jaisalmer, Kant proposed the idea of a "national judicial ecosystem" and called for an overhaul of India's judicial system with the integration of technology.
"Today, as technology reduces geographical barriers and enables convergence, it invites us to think of justice not as regional systems operating in parallel, but as one national ecosystem with shared standards, seamless interfaces, and coordinated goals," he said.
He emphasised how the role of technology in the judiciary has evolved over time.
"Technology is no longer merely an administrative convenience. It has evolved into a constitutional instrument that strengthens equality before the law, expands access to justice, and enhances institutional efficiency," he said, highlighting how digital tools can bridge gaps in the judicial system.
Kant pointed out that technology enables the judiciary to overcome the limitations of physical distance and bureaucratic hurdles.
"It allows the judiciary to transcend physical barriers and bureaucratic rigidities to deliver outcomes that are timely, transparent and principled," he said, adding that the effective use of technology can modernise the delivery of justice and make it more accessible to citizens across the country.
The CJI called for implementing a "unified judicial policy".
He said India's judicial system has long been shaped by its federal structure, and different high courts have their own practices and technological capacities.
"India's vast diversity has led to different high courts evolving their own practices, administrative priorities and technological capacities. This variation, though natural in a federal democracy, has resulted in uneven experiences for litigants across the country," he said.
Kant underscored that predictability is crucial for building trust in the judicial system.
"A core expectation citizens place upon the courts is predictability," he said, adding that citizens should not only expect fair treatment but also consistency in how cases are handled across the country.
He pointed to the potential of technology in improving predictability.
"Technology enables us to track systemic delays and make problems visible rather than concealed," he said.
By identifying areas where delays occur, such as in bail matters or cases involving certain types of disputes, courts can take targeted action to address these issues and improve efficiency, Kant said.
The CJI explained that data-driven tools could identify the reasons behind delays or bottlenecks, allowing for faster, more focused solutions.
"Technology enables prioritisation by flagging sensitive case categories, monitoring pendency in real time and ensuring transparent listing protocols," he said.
Justice Surya Kant also discussed the importance of prioritising urgent cases where delays could result in significant harm. He highlighted his recent administrative order that ensures urgent cases, such as bail petitions or habeas corpus cases, are listed within two days of curing defects.
"Where delay causes deep harm, the system must respond with urgency," he stated, explaining that technology can help courts identify and expedite such cases.
Kant also raised the issue of the clarity of judicial decisions.
He noted that many litigants, despite winning cases, often struggle to understand the terms of their judgment due to complex legal language.
"Although the orders had gone in their favour, they remained unsure of what relief they had actually secured because the language was too technical, vague or evasive to understand," he said.
He advocated for more uniformity in how judgments are written.
"A unified judicial approach must therefore extend to how we communicate outcomes," he said.
The CJI also discussed the role of AI and digital tools in improving case management. He pointed to the potential of AI-based research assistants and digital case management systems to streamline judicial processes.
"Emerging technological tools are now capable of performing once-unthinkable functions. They can highlight missing precedent references, cluster similar legal questions, and simplify factual narration," he said, explaining how these technologies can help judges make more consistent decisions.
He also highlighted tools like the National Judicial Data Grid and e-courts, which are already helping to standardise processes like case filings and tracking.
Kant reiterated that the integration of technology into the judicial process is not just about improving efficiency but about upholding the integrity of the system and strengthening public trust.
"The measure of innovation is not the complexity of the software we deploy, but the simplicity with which a citizen understands the outcome of their case and believes that justice has been served," he said.
