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‘Quid Pro Quo’: Opposition Slams Nomination of Ex CJI Ranjan Gogoi to Rajya Sabha

President Kovind on Monday nominated former CJI Ranjan Gogoi to RS, triggering allegations from the opposition who claimed that it was a ‘quid pro quo’.

New Delhi| In addition to the disappointment of senior members of the legal community, opposition leaders also have spoken out against former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi being nominated to the Rajya Sabha.

Gogoi was nominated to the Upper House by President Ram Nath Kovind, on the recommendation of the Narendra Modi government.

Former Union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Yashwant Sinha said he hoped Gogoi would reject the nomination.

CPI (M) head Sitaram Yechury recalled how Gogoi himself had criticised post-retirement gigs for judges in the past. “What must one make of a govt that does this, after appointing another ex-Chief Justice as the governor of a state?” he asked.

Several Congress leaders said the move proved that the judiciary is not, in fact, independent. National spokesperson and lawyer Jaiveer Shergill called it a “sad day”.

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Lawyer and Congress leader Kapil Sibal questioned the legacy Gogoi is leaving behind.

All India Majlis-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi wondered whether this was quid pro quo – something that has been asked several times since last night, given that Gogoi headed benches in key cases that the same government which has nominated him had important political stakes in.

Ranjan Gogoi held the post of CJI from October 3 2018, to November 17, 2019.

He led several historic decisions during his tenure including key judgments in highly-sensitive disputes like the Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi Babri Masjid title dispute case, the ‘Entry of women to Sabarimala Temple’ row, and the Rafale deal controversy, and the Assam NRC dispute — to name a few.

CJI Gogoi’s latest milestone was that on November 9, the five-judge Bench headed by him delivered the verdict in the much-debated Ayodhya dispute case.

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