Vice President Dhankhar criticises SC ruling, says judges cannot act as ‘super parliament’

New Delhi: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday expressed concern over a recent Supreme Court verdict, saying that India had not envisioned a democracy where judges would make laws, perform executive functions, and act as a “super parliament.”

He criticised the court’s directive that the President should take a time-bound decision on bills forwarded by Governors.

“There is a directive to the President in the recent decision. Where are we going? What is happening in the country? We have to be very sensitive,” Dhankhar said while addressing a group of Rajya Sabha interns. “We never bargained for democracy for this day. The President is being asked to take a decision in a time-bound manner.”

The Supreme Court last week, in a first-of-its-kind ruling, said that the President must act within a reasonable time frame on bills reserved by Governors for consideration.

Reacting to the verdict, Dhankhar said, “We have judges who will make laws, who will do executive functions, who will act as super parliaments — and they have no accountability as the law of the land does not apply to them.”

He added that his concerns were of a serious nature. “I never thought in my life that I would get a chance to see it,” he said, underscoring the significance of the President’s office. “The President takes an oath to protect and defend the Constitution. Ministers, vice-presidents, MPs and judges, among others, take an oath to abide by the Constitution.”

Dhankhar questioned the judiciary’s authority to direct the President. “We cannot have a situation where you direct the President of India and on what basis? The only right you have under the Constitution is to interpret the Constitution under Article 145(3). There should be five judges or more.”