Congress attacks BJP Over MPs’ Remarks on Judiciary, Calls Damage Control “Meaningless”
A political row has intensified over remarks made by BJP leaders targeting the judiciary, with the Congress on Sunday dismissing the ruling party’s attempts at damage control as hollow and unconvincing.
The controversy erupted after BJP MP Nishikant Dubey accused Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna of being responsible for “all civil wars” in the country.
Following the backlash, BJP President J P Nadda, on Saturday night, publicly distanced the party from Dubey’s comments, stating that the BJP “completely rejected” the remarks and warning party members against making such statements.
However, the Congress was quick to dismiss the BJP’s clarification. Party MP and communication in-charge Jairam Ramesh criticized the move, calling it a superficial attempt to manage the fallout.
“The so-called distancing by the outgoing BJP President from the shocking comments made by two of his party’s MPs against the Chief Justice carries little weight,” Ramesh said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
He accused the two MPs of being “habitual offenders” known for making hate-filled statements, often deployed, he suggested, as part of a deliberate strategy by the ruling establishment.
Ramesh didn’t stop there — he also pointed to Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s recent remarks on the judiciary, questioning the BJP’s silence on comments from a person holding such a high constitutional office.
“The outgoing BJP President has no words on the equally outrageous statements made by one of their distinguished appointees,” Ramesh said, implying the party’s double standards on the matter. “Does the BJP endorse those remarks too?”
Directing his attack at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ramesh added: “The PM’s persistent silence on these repeated attacks on the Constitution suggests implicit approval.
If that’s not the case, why hasn’t any action been taken against the two MPs? Have they even been issued show-cause notices?”
The remarks that sparked the controversy came during a public discussion when Dubey, the BJP MP from Jharkhand, alleged: “All the civil wars happening in this country are because of the Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna.”
Adding to the narrative, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Dinesh Sharma echoed constitutional concerns, stating: “When Dr. B.R. Ambedkar drafted the Constitution, the separation of powers was clear.
Having given assent to a law, the President cannot be challenged — no one can overrule Parliament, yet doubts are being raised about this fundamental principle.”
The judiciary has been under sustained criticism from multiple quarters of the ruling establishment in recent days.
Vice President Dhankhar criticized Article 142 of the Constitution—a provision empowering the Supreme Court to ensure “complete justice” in any matter—during an event on Thursday, calling it “a nuclear missile against democratic forces, available to the judiciary 24/7.”
Dhankhar went on to accuse the judiciary of overstepping its boundaries, saying: “Judges today legislate, perform executive duties, act as a super Parliament, and remain beyond the scope of accountability, as the law of the land doesn’t seem to apply to them.”
His statement drew sharp responses from opposition leaders, including senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal, who on Friday remarked that he had “never seen a Rajya Sabha Chairman make such political statements” and warned that the judiciary appeared to be under pressure.
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