Right to Question Powers is Intrinsic

Executive is quite often accused of overreach by the judiciary and pushed back behind the “Lakshman Rekha” whenever it is found trespassing it.

But the recent observations by Justice Dipankar Datta of the Supreme Court about Rahul Gandhi is also an example going too far.

INDIA Block has justifiably called the observations unwarranted. Justice Datta's observations, particularly that "How do you (Rahul Gandhi) get to know that 2,000 sq km of Indian territory had been occupied by the Chinese? Were you there? Do you have any proof? If you are a true Indian, you would not say all these things? are preposterous and uncalled for.

Priyanka Gandhi was on spot when she said that it is not within the purview of judges of the top court to decide who is a true Indian. Court should not interfere in every political debate in the name of defamation. Let politicians decide rules for the debate among them by themselves.

If an opposition leader levels certain allegations against the government of the day, it does not amount to defaming any institutions of the state. Powers that be cannot allowed go unchallenged on whatever it says on the state of affairs. State is its coming into being has been the biggest peddler of lies.

There are umpteen number of such examples across the world. Most stark of these is the false the US spread and used to attack Iraq years ago that the latter had weapons of mass destruction.

Communist states survived on the lies for years that they had brought down paradise on the ground. No state organs are infallible. Everyone is equal on the high table within its limits.

Their common aim is to uphold the rule of law for the welfare of the common man. A nation's interests are best served when all the pillars carry the weight it had been assigned to.