News Brief
'Parliament Is Supreme': Vice President Dhankhar Defends Remarks Criticising Supreme Court For Judicial Overreach
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday (22 April) responded to criticisms of his recent remarks following the Supreme Court ruling which directed that the President must act within three months on bills forwarded by state, reported PTI.
The Vice President had previously warned against judicial overreach, cautioning that the courts risked becoming a "super parliament".
“There is a directive to the President by a recent judgement. We never bargained for democracy for this day. President being called upon to decide in a time-bound manner, and if not, becomes law,” he had remarked, questioning the judiciary’s encroachment into executive territory.
Today, while addressing a gathering at Delhi University, Dhankhar doubled down on his position, stating, “I find it conceivably intriguing that some have recently reflected that constitutional offices can be ceremonial, ornamental. Nothing can be far distanced from a wrong understanding of the role of everyone in this country — constitutional functionary or a citizen.”
Dhankhar also added, “There is no visualisation in the Constitution of any authority above Parliament. Parliament is supreme.”
The Vice President’s criticism drew fire from legal experts and opposition leaders, who deemed his statements “unconstitutional” and an undue interference in the judicial domain.
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court for the first time set a timeline for the President to act on gubernatorial referrals, a move seen by many including Dhankhar, as a breach of constitutional boundaries.
