Guj Cong releases CD of minister's speech criticising courts

Congress said the Minister's utterances were not just irresponsible but a gross contempt of court and he should be dropped from the cabinet.

"Under the article 166 of the constitution, it is the right of the state government where to post an officer and what work to assign to him. Courts have no right to interfere on this issue. I am telling this as a law minister," Sanghani was quoted as saying in a compact disc released by Leader of Opposition Shaktisinh Gohil.

"There are judgements in this regard... Even then courts interfere in the issue and violate the provisions of constitution," Sanghani had further said in his speech given on June 2 at a function in Hapa town of Jamnagar district.

Gohil alleged, "the Law Minister has shown utter disregard for judiciary by making such a statement. Law minister says courts needs to be reined in. The minister's utterances are not just irresponsible but a gross contempt of court. Such remarks are an attack on judiciary and cannot be tolerated," Gohil said and sought to know whether the minister had taken sanction of chief minister Narendra Modi before making such a remark.

"Modi should immediately drop Sanghani from his cabinet and the government should initiate criminal action against him," Gohil demanded.

Responding to a query as to why he released the CD of Sanghani's remark after almost one and half month, Gohil said that he could only recently procure the CD of the speech.

When asked whether Congress would file a contempt of court case against Sanghani in this regard, Gohil said, "Congress is not a party in this issue."

"If the law minister of Gujarat is severely disturbed by any verdict, he has the right to appeal but he does not have right to criticise the judiciary in this contemptuous manner".

The minister had made the controversial comments while addressing a rally of farmers with reference to action taken by the state government against certain businessmen.

The minister was not immediately available for his comments.