Opposition parties have criticised the Narendra Modi Government for making Gopal Subramanium withdraw his name for appointment as a judge in the Supreme Court.

The Government is acting against the independence of judiciary, they have pointed out.

Terming the Government’s stand shameful, the CPI(M) said Subramaniam has been penalised for his role as amicus curiae to assist the Supreme Court in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case. BJP general secretary Amit Shah is an accused in the case.

“The Modi government has acted in a manner which is detrimental to the independence of the judiciary. The Supreme Court should act to undo the damage caused by this partisan step,” the CPI(M) said in a statement.

Senior lawyer and AAP co-founder Shanti Bhushan said the CBI and the IB have been induced to do a hatchet job for the BJP.

“It is indeed unfortunate that the country has lost the opportunity of having a great judge in the Supreme Court and the BJP needs to be roundly condemned for this. If this government continues in this vein, they will have the same fate as Mrs Gandhi's 1971 Government,” Bhushan said.

The Congress said the Government’s intentions are clear. “What is happening is ominous...the government wants a committed judiciary and politicisation of every institution, which is dangerous,” said senior Congress leader Anand Sharma.

He rued that such institutional abuse had taken place earlier but alleged that this time it has begun to happen within a month of the government coming to power..

Subramanium has accused the government of ordering the CBI to “scrounge” for “dirt” against him to scuttle his elevation. He has also said he was “targeted” because of his integrity.

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