Justice Katju has gone 'senile': Kirti Azad

Former cricketer Kirti Azad has criticised former apex court judge Justice Markandey Katju for calling the Lodha Panel recommendations "unconstitutional", saying that the former chief justice is either being "coaxed" by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) or has gone "senile".

Speaking to ANI, Azad said the judgments are binding and cannot be questioned.

"I fail to understand why Justice Katju is involving himself. It's a judgement by the Supreme Court, which is binding on everyone. Either he is being coaxed or he hasn't read what the recommendations are, which are for the betterment of the game. The BCCI is unnecessarily trying to put him forward or he has gone senile," he said.

He said the recommendations made by the Lodha panel are the best and will ensure cricket doesn't get marred with corruption.

"We can't get a better judgement than what we have in the Lodha recommendations. So, they (BCCI) should realise that those days are gone. I can understand that they will have to shut shop and won't be able to do maleficence," he added.

"I think it's a fantastic judgement for the sportsmen, for the sports, and for the sports loving people of our country," he added.

Azad said the legislature and the executive have become ineffective and the judiciary is the only establishment available to mete justice.

Katju had on Sunday called the recommendations made by the Lodha panel as "unconstitutional" and stressed that the judiciary cannot stress on reforms in the BCCI as it is the work of the legislature.

Addressing the media after presenting the report to the BCCI, he said: "The judiciary should be within in its limit. Judges cannot make laws. But, Justice TS Thakur has ignored everything. Because you are the Chief Justice of India, are you not bound to follow the law?"

Justice Katju's report says: "The Supreme Court should have sent the Lodha Committee report to Parliament for taking action as it deems fit. The court cannot direct the implementation of the report."

Katju was on Tuesday appointed by the BCCI as the head of a four-member legal panel to help the board understand the implications of the Lodha Committee reforms.

In January 2015, the Supreme Court had appointed the R M Lodha panel to look into the functioning of the cricket board and suggest structural changes to bring in more transparency.

Earlier in a landmark judgement on July 18, the Supreme Court accepted major recommendations of Justice Lodha-led panel on structural reforms in the BCCI.

The apex court has given six months to the BCCI to implement the recommendations.