Paswan for broader consensus among parties for setting up Indian judicial services

Lok Janshakti Party chief and BJP ally Ram Vilas Paswan has pitched for a broader consensus among political parties to push for setting up of an all India judicial services that will pave the way for quota for backward communities in the judiciary.

Paswan said the Union government alone cannot do this as it will require a constitutional amendment and added that a general consensus should emerge among political parties for pushing the measure through.

Dalit and tribal MPs from almost all major parties have long been demanding an all India judicial services on the lines of existing all India services like IAS, citing a very low representation of judges from backward communities, especially in the higher judiciary.

Besides Paswan, another BJP ally and Union minister Upendra Kushwaha have also thrown his weight behind the proposal so that provisions for reservation could be made in the higher judiciary.

The Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) chief has been constantly criticising the collegium system -- through which judges are appointed in high courts and the Supreme Court -- saying it had become a "breeding ground for favouritism".

At a meeting of Dalit MPs at Paswan's residence, the demand for reservation in higher judiciary was made as well.

"We have long been pushing for this and also for quota in private sector as we believe both these measures are necessary to empower backward communities," one of these MPs said.