calls it indication that he had been useful to govt

Chandigarh: Dubbing as “wrong and questionable” the nomination of former Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi, to the Rajya Sabha, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday said it clearly indicated that he had been useful to the current government at the Centre.

Gogoi’s nomination has definitely caused eyebrows to be raised, said the Chief Minister, adding that any sensible person would be against such a move by the Government.

Governments have to realise their responsibility, they cannot use institutions for political benefit, as appeared to be the case in Gogoi’s nomination, said Captain Amarinder, during a conclave to mark the completion of three years of his government.

The Chief Minister drew a clear distinction between Gogoi’s nomination by the BJP-led government less than 6 months after retirement as Chief Justice, and Ranganath Mishra’s election to the Rajya Sabha on a Congress ticket after several years of retirement from the same post. Unlike Gogoi, Mishra fought an election to win the RS seat, and that too some seven years after he retired as CJI, he pointed out.

Noting that former defence personnel, judges and others often enter politics and contest elections, the Chief Minister observed that General JJ Singh had been pitted against him by the Akalis in the last Assembly polls in Punjab. Gogoi was also entitled to get into politics, but he should have faced election after 4-5 years of retirement, said Captain Amarinder.

Even though his government had nominated retired judges to various commissions, they had no political or government standing, said the Chief Minister, making it clear that he would never agree to doing such a favour to a chief justice as had been apparently done for Gogoi.