Jaitley, NDA regime discomfited by PILs, judicial activism: Prashan Bhushan

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Prashant Bhushan on Saturday suggested that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley must be severely discomfited by judicial activism to ask those filing public interest litigations (PILs) against developmental projects to declare their source of funding for the sake of transparency.

"I can understand Mr. Jaitley and this government's discomfiture about Public Interest Litigations (PIL) and activism of the courts. They are naturally highly concerned about the actions of the judiciary and stopping the loot of the natural resources of this government and previous governments, they are naturally highly concerned about the action of courts and stopping pillage and destruction of the environment by this kind of attempt being made by the government to benefit their crony capitalists at the expense of the environment," Bhushan said.

"They are naturally concerned about the activism of the courts to stop human rights violation. What are they talking about? The Public Interest Litigant merely brings a matter before the court and it is for the court to take the action. If the court feels that the PIL is motivated or malafide, they can dismiss it and impose cost etc. Which action of the courts is they talking about which they are saying is the result of the malafide activism etc.," he added.

Bhushan further said, "On one hand, this government takes the plea under RTI that income tax returns and assets of public servants cannot be disclosed because they are exempt on the grounds of being personal information. And, they are those public servants who are directly exercising power. On the other hand, they say that the PIL petitioners who are not directly exercising any power, who are only petitioning in the court and it is the court which is exercising the power, that they should disclose their assets."

"This shows that all these comments, including the Prime Minister's comment on 'five-star activists' and these kinds of restrictions that have been imposed on green peace etc are the result of the discomfiture of the government towards judicial activism which is stopping all this human rights violation, environmental destruction as well as loot of natural resources of this country by this government," Bhushan added.

Bhushan's reaction comes after Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said all those filing Public Interest Litigations (PILs) against developmental projects should declare their source of funding for the sake of transparency.

Jaitley had also said that the institution had to go through hurdles posed by PIL while setting up Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT).