Not SC, HC job to govern through PILs: Prasad
New Delhi, Aug 1 : Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday said that it was not the job of the Supreme Court and the High Courts to govern through public interest litigations and said that law-making better be left to Parliament.
Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, Prasad said: "I want to state that only those elected by the people and answerable to the house have the right to govern and to make laws."
Stressing that the government was committed to judicial independence, he said: "I want to say this with humility that it is not the job of the High Courts and the Supreme Court to govern through PILs."
"The Constitution has given this right to selected group of people," he added.
Prasad said that he supported PILs if they were used against the corrupt but these should not be used to make laws.
As for the cases pending in various courts at different levels, the Minister said: "The government's job is to ensure infrastructure for the courts, but ultimately the judgments have to to be given by judges only."
He also said that he had written to the judiciary to suggest that five-year-old criminal cases and 10-year-old civil cases should be cleared on priority.
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Two held for 'firing' at BJP leader's house in Bengal
Kolkata (PTI): A day before the counting of votes for the West Bengal assembly elections, two persons were arrested on Sunday for allegedly being involved in a firing incident outside the residence of a BJP leader in North 24 Parganas district, police said.
BJP leader Kundan Singh lodged a police complaint, alleging that a few gunmen fired at his house in the Noapara constituency around Saturday midnight.
Based on the CCTV footage, the two accused were apprehended, a senior officer said.
BJP's Noapara candidate Arjun Singh, in a post on social media, claimed that around 12.05 am, two armed miscreants arrived on a motorcycle at the residence of Kundan Singh, a BJP functionary and secretary of the Barrackpore organisational district, with an "intent to kill him".
According to the BJP leader, the accused are residents of Garulia and are known criminals.
Their names as offenders had been submitted to the Election Commission, he said.
The police officer did not specify whether the two arrested persons were the same individuals named by Arjun Singh.
According to the complaint, one round of firing took place outside Kundan Singh's house, triggering panic in the area.
The BJP candidate also questioned the role of the police, claiming that one of the accused had been detained by the police on the polling day but was later released in the evening.
The Noapara assembly seat went to the polls on April 29.
Several BJP leaders alleged that attempts were being made to create an atmosphere of fear ahead of the counting and weaken the organisation of the opposition parties.
The counting of votes will take place on May 4. Polling for the West Bengal assembly elections was held on April 23 and April 29.
The BJP urged the Election Commission to intervene immediately to ensure peaceful counting.
TMC candidate Somnath Shyam rubbished Arjun Singh’s allegation, claiming that the BJP nominee had orchestrated the firing incident to divert attention from imminent defeat.
“Arjun Singh knows all the gangsters in the Barrackpore belt. Everyone knows about his links with the underworld. Let the police investigate the incident,” Shyam said.
