Snoopgate controversy: Govt to appoint judge by May 16

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday termed the UPA government’s efforts to appoint a judge to head a proposed commission to probe the snooping scandal as mala fide or in bad faith. However, the UPA government brazened out the criticism of the main Opposition party by saying a judge would be in place by May 16.

BJP leader Arun Jaitley said a future government would be within its rights to review the last minute “desperate” decision of the government to appoint a judge for the “snoopgate commission”. Snoopgate  refers to the allegation of state machinery being used to keep tabs on a woman.

Jaitley said the UPA was flouting democratic norms by making crucial appointments in its last days, and that it wasn’t “legally tenable” with the model code of conduct in operation. Apart from trying to select a judge for the “snoopgate commission”, Jaitley also faulted the UPA government for its attempt to appoint two new Information Commissioners and its effort to fill up the quorum of the search committee for appointment of the Lok Pal.

The Congress, which leads the UPA government, disputed it was “a lame duck or a caretaker government” and defended its right to continue doing its job till its last day, including to make appointments. “We are not a caretaker government. As a responsible government, we will continue to work till the last day,” said Union minister and Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma.

The commerce minister said he failed to understand BJP’s objections to appointment of the Lok Pal as the decision was a collective one in which the Opposition party was also a part of. Sharma also wondered the BJP’s objections to the appointment of the next Army chief, and suggested that the party probably wanted retired army chief V K Singh, now in the BJP, to pick and choose the next Army chief.

BJP sources said the party had no problem in the UPA appointing the new Army chief as long as it followed the laid down procedures of selecting him on the basis of seniority but objects to the appointments of information commissioners and the Lok Pal.

The proposed commission would, among other things, investigate Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s role in ordering surveillance of a woman in the state.

Jaitley said all the judges approached by the UPA government had refused to be a part of the “desperate” exercise and “political and mala fide” move. “Media reports have indicated that the lame duck UPA government is finally planning to name a judge for the Snoopgate Commission… I will be very curious to know the name of the Judge who has agreed to lend himself to the UPA,” he said.

Jaitley claimed the Centre had no right to “at this stage” to form a commission and said the “snoopgate” issue was already being investigated by the Gujarat High Court. BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad termed UPA government’s efforts to appoint a judge as “stoopgate”.

Terming Jaitley’s remarks as “very intimidating”, Sharma said it was an “advance warning of the shape of things to come”.

Law Minister Kapil Sibal said, “You will get a snoopgate judge before May 16. I don’t know why these people are so worried? Why leaders of the BJP are worried and why they are making public statement that no judge should join this commission,” Sibal said. The Congress leader claimed the BJP was worried as its leaders know that “once the commission is set up there is no saving for Narendra Modi”.