CJI disappointed over PM not mentioning judges' appointment in I-Day speech

NEW DELHI: Chief Justice of India TS Thakur on Monday said he was "disappointed" that Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech did not mention about appointment of judges. ""I heard Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad's speech and was hoping there would be something on appointment of judges. However, the PM's speech disappointed me," Thakur said. "I think I have reached the peak of my career, so I don't hesitate in saying what I feel," he added. Earlier, the Supreme Court on Friday sharply criticized the Modi government for sitting on the recommendation of its collegium on the appointment and transfer of judges in High Courts, almost bringing judiciary to the state of collapse. Asking if by sitting on the recommendations of the collegium, the government was trying to bring the judicial institutions to a “grinding halt”, Chief Justice T.S. Thakur told Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi that it would be forced to intervene judicially and call for every file sent to the government for clearance by the collegium. “Don’t force us to ask where the files are. Don’t force us to judicially intervene. Don’t try to bring this institution to a grinding halt. That’s not the right thing to do,” Chief Justice Thakur had told the Attorney General. Pointing to a chart before him, Chief Justice Thakur had said: “We have a chart here detailing the list of collegium recommendations for appointments and transfers. We can give it to you. There are 75 names of High Court judges recommended by the collegium. These include names for appointments and transfers of HC judges, including Chief Justices. There is nothing on them from your side so far.” (With PTI Inputs)