As political tensions flare over BJP MP Nishikant Dubey’s controversial criticism of the Supreme Court and Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has stepped into the fray, launching a sharp counterattack on the Congress party.

Sarma accused the opposition of having a long-standing habit of undermining the judiciary when verdicts don’t align with its political interests.

Advertisement

“Respecting the judiciary shouldn’t be contingent upon the favorability of its decisions,” Sarma posted on X asserting that selective outrage weakens public faith in the judiciary.

His comments come amid growing backlash against Dubey, who recently accused the apex court of “inciting religious wars” and held the Chief Justice “responsible for all the civil wars happening in this country.”

Sarma pointed to past instances where the Congress party, he claimed, had attempted to influence or discredit the judiciary.

He cited the 2018 impeachment motion against then Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, initiated by Congress and other opposition parties, as a politically motivated move.

He also recalled how Justices Ranjan Gogoi, Arun Mishra, and DY Chandrachud faced intense criticism following landmark judgments.

“Justice Ranjan Gogoi: Subjected to severe criticism following the Ayodhya verdict,” Sarma wrote, highlighting what he called a consistent pattern of attacking judges post-verdicts.

In defending the BJP’s institutional respect for the judiciary, Sarma distanced the party from Dubey’s inflammatory remarks.

“Adarniya Nadda Ji emphasised that these were personal opinions and not reflective of the party’s stance,” he posted.

Sarma also dismissed opposition criticism over the post-retirement appointment of Justice S Abdul Nazeer as the Governor of Andhra Pradesh. He argued that such appointments have occurred under various governments in the past but never received comparable scrutiny, calling the recent outcry a case of “politicising judicial careers.”

Opposition leaders like Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi slammed the BJP, alleging that the ruling party was turning India into a “North Korea-Iraq hybrid” by stifling institutional independence and intimidating the judiciary.