Govt holds judiciary with 'highest regard': Ravi Shankar Prasad

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Union Law and Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday said the government had the "highest respect and regard for the judiciary", but added that it has the right to be consulted on the appointment of judges.

While Commenting to Supreme Court (SC) chief justice R.M. Lodha's remark that the government had not taken his consent before denying Gopal Subramanium's elevation as an SC judge. Prasad said, "In the process of appointment, the government has got the right to be consulted. And whatever opinion the government has given, is based upon cogent, proper and sound grounds," he said, adding the government is "fully committed to the freedom of the judiciary."

The chief justice, on Tuesday, had stated that segregating Subramanium's file was a unilateral action of the executive and was "not proper".

Subramanium's name was in the four-member list sent by the SC to the government. However, reports of his association with the counsel of A.Raja, prime accused in the 2G scam surfaced soon after.

The Centre gave its assent only three names for elevation as SC judges and Subramanium withdrew his consent to be appointed soon after.