Following Supreme Court criticism of the CBI, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has stressed the need for unity among state institutions. Speaking at the Samvidhan Mandir inauguration in Mumbai, Dhankhar emphasized that all state organs must work together.
Call for Institutional Cohesion
Dhankhar highlighted the importance of collaboration among the Judiciary, Legislature, and Executive. He warned against turning these institutions into subjects of political debate or inflammatory narratives. He noted that institutions like the Election Commission and investigative agencies operate under tight conditions and that undue scrutiny could harm their effectiveness.
Supreme Court Criticism and Political Reactions
The Vice President’s remarks followed a Supreme Court judgment where Justice Ujjal Bhuyan criticized the CBI. Bhuyan’s comments came in a case involving Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest over alleged irregularities in Delhi’s liquor policy. While Justice Surya Kant upheld the arrest, Bhuyan urged that the CBI be perceived as unbiased and not a “caged parrot.”
These comments led to backlash from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The party criticized the BJP-led central government and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, calling for Shah’s resignation and accusing the government of undermining the CBI’s independence.
