- By Abhishek Sheoran
- Tue, 25 Mar 2025 12:06 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) has again come to the spotlight after the discovery of unaccounted cash at the residence of Delhi High Court Judge Justice Yashwant Verma. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Monday that he will soon convene a meeting of leaders of various parliamentary parties in the Rajya Sabha to discuss the NJAC Act. Dhankhar has been a vocal critic of the Supreme Court's October 2015 ruling that struck down the NJAC Act.
Notably, the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) was a proposed body aimed at overseeing the recruitment, appointment, and transfer of judges. Although the law was passed by both houses of Parliament, the Supreme Court struck it down, reaffirming the existing collegium system.
Rajya Sabha Chairman Dhankhar held discussions on judicial accountability and the NJAC Act with Leader of the House JP Nadda and Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday. Both leaders had a conversation in Dhankhar's chamber. A source, cited by Jagran.com, revealed that the Chairman had sent a letter to Nadda and Kharge inviting them to the meeting.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh raised the issue of cash being recovered from a High Court judge's residence in the Upper House on March 21. In response, Dhankhar’s comments led to this meeting being convened.
"You all will remember the system that was passed almost unanimously by this House. There was no disagreement on it. Only one member was absent in the Rajya Sabha. All political parties united and supported the government's initiative. I want to know the status of the bill passed by this Parliament, which was approved by 16 state assemblies and signed by the Hon'ble President under Article 111 of the Constitution," Dhankhar stated in the Rajya Sabha on March 21.
"This historic bill, passed with unprecedented consensus in our parliamentary history, contained very serious provisions to address this issue. If this problem had been eradicated, perhaps we would not have had to face such issues. I am troubled that such an incident occurred and was not immediately brought to light," he added.
Dhankhar had said that he would consult the Leader of the House and the Leader of Opposition to discuss this matter. On the other hand, Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra raised concerns on Monday, speculating that the central government might use the discovery of cash at the judge's residence to gain control over judicial appointments. She claimed in the Lok Sabha that the media uproar was part of a larger effort to revive the National Judicial Appointments Commission.