Opposition criticises VP Dhankhar’s remarks on judiciary; BJP hits back

Opposition leaders on Thursday launched sharp criticism in response to recent remarks made by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar regarding the judiciary and its proceedings. Several parties, including the Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), and prominent legal voices, accused the Vice President of undermining the judiciary and “bordering on contempt.”

“In our democracy, only the Constitution of India is supreme and most elevated. No office—be it that of the President, Prime Minister, or Governor—is above the fetters of constitutional propriety,” said senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala, referring to the Supreme Court’s April 8 judgment mandating a three-month deadline for the President to act on bills reserved by governors. He described the ruling as “timely, accurate, courageous, and a correction to the notion that those holding high office are above checks and balances.”

TMC leader Kalyan Banerjee echoed these concerns, accusing Dhankhar of displaying “repeated disregard” for the judiciary. “The statement made by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar regarding Supreme Court judges is highly objectionable and borders on contempt. As a constitutional authority, he is expected to uphold and respect other constitutional institutions,” he said.

DMK’s Tiruchi Siva termed the remarks “unethical” and reiterated that the rule of law must prevail over institutional arrogance. “No individual, under the guise of being a constitutional authority, can indefinitely sit on bills passed by a legislature. The Vice President’s observations are unethical,” he said.

Senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal criticised Dhankhar’s objection to Article 142, which empowers the Supreme Court to pass any order necessary to ensure “complete justice.” Sibal stated, “The Constitution has given this power to the Supreme Court to deliver complete justice. Who is curtailing the President’s power?”

The criticism stems from a series of remarks made by Dhankhar during his address to Rajya Sabha interns on April 17, in which he described Article 142 as “a nuclear missile against democratic forces, available to the judiciary 24/7.” He also questioned the judiciary’s authority to mandate timelines for the President and raised concerns over the process by which FIRs against judges require judicial approval. “The Constitution of India has accorded immunity from prosecution only to the President and the Governors. So how has a category beyond law secured this immunity?” Dhankhar asked.

Reacting to the controversy, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rallied behind the Vice President, accusing the Opposition of political hypocrisy. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, “I don’t need to learn constitutional propriety from a party that says it won’t implement a law passed by Parliament, mocks the Vice President’s posture, protects rioters in the name of vote bank politics, and finds no time to visit Hindu victims in Bengal.”