Judiciary must refrain from making political statements: YSRCP MLC Dokka Manikya Varaprasad

Amaravati: YSRCP MLC Dokka Manikya Varaprasad has requested the courts to refrain from making political comments that could be used by political adversaries, organisations, and a section of the media to serve their purpose. This may not be in the true spirit of the Constitution and the thin line dividing the powers of three constitutional bodies seems to be overstepped, he added.

Requesting the judiciary to refrain from making political statements, the MLC said there might be changes in the judiciary in the next one year. He also alleged that the present judges were not supportive of the state government.

The MLC reminded that even former President Ramnath Kovind had talked about the restraint the courts must observe while passing comments that political parties and other organisations could use for their selfish purposes.

He further said that a judge remarking that he could not tell his kin "where the capital city of Andhra Pradesh is," which was reported by a section of the media, sends a wrong signal, that too at a time when the issue is pending before courts. Comments and remarks which do not form part of the judgement would be blown out of proportion by political adversaries and biased media which is not a fair game and defeats the spirit of the Constitution, the MLC said.

"Judges made comments about on a public platform. Should such comments be part of the judgment, we have the right to appeal," he added.

He said the government, the Chief Minister, and the legislature have full faith in the judiciary but the comments made by the court and highlighted in a section of the media show a bias towards a certain political party and this cannot be, by any stretch of the imagination, fair play as the media has even taken the name of the judge.