The recent introduction of the Declaration of Judges Assets & liabilities bill, 2009 in Rajya Sabha by the ruling govt. was just a mockery of faulty Indian system & political administration. The bill sought to exempt the contents of the assets declarations made by judges of the superior courts from disclosure. The bill which was introduced in Rajya Sabha on 3rd of August, got a tremendous setback when all major opposition parties made hue & cry against the intention & contention of the bill.
The govt. has no option but to defer the bill till a consensus is built up among the political parties in the House. The very introduction of the bill in the upper house, exposes the sick mentality of the govt. of appeasing the judges of higher courts. The govt. must understand that no body is above law, irrespective of law- breakers or law-makers; judges inclusive. When there is the rule in the land to declare assets & liabilities by political leaders & public servants, what prompts the ruling party to exempt the black coats.
Rather the judges themselves must come foreward to declare their assets & liabilities to set examples of their sincerity instead of asking for exemption only to create suspicion in the public mind. The recent survey made by ‘The Telegraph’ revealed that 87.5% Indian people intend that judges must declare their assets & liabilities. Why cannot we understand that any post or position- is an assigned responsibility by the state to serve the state only. So why we need exemption?
Hence rather it must be mandatory for all citizens of India, to declare their assets & liabilities once in a year, to help the state to help the citizens & vice versa in all legal & financial matters. So without hesitation govt. must think that nobody can be above law, whatever his power & position may be. In a country of many diversities, again no other diversion be made to fool the public. So let us hope that being the supreme custodian of the Indian legal system, the revered judges at least now must act positively & come foreward suportively to tell the govt., no we do not need an exemption.