NEW DELHI: The Centre today dared to tell the Supreme Court to restrain itself from making hard-hitting observations on Public Interest Litigation (PIL) matters saying these had an impact on several issues plaguing the country.
But the top court shot back to say that the judges were also citizens and knew the problems faced by the country, while making it clear that they “are not criticising the Government for everything”. It also asked the Government “to obey the law of the land”.
The exchanges between the court and the Attorney General occured when the bench was hearing a matter relating to inhuman conditions prevailing in 1,382 prisons across the country.
Attorney General (AG) K K Venugopal told a bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur that he was not “criticising” the apex court, but the problems facing the country were enormous and, in the past, its orders and judgements have resulted in a situation where people have lost their jobs.
He referred to Apex Court judgements on PILs relating to the 2G spectrum allocation cases and the order banning sale of liquor within 500 metres of highways across the country, saying these had impacted foreign investment and caused job losses respectively. (AGENCIES)
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