Oppn leaders like Sibal criticise courts when their judgments do not favour them: Rijiju

Sibal, a former law minister, had criticised the apex court over its recent judgments saying there's no hope left in it

Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday slammed Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Kapil Sibal for his criticism of the Supreme Court, saying it was "very very sad for the entire country" that opposition leaders start attacking constitutional authorities when their judgments do not favour them.

Sibal, a former law minister, had criticised the apex court over its recent judgments, including on the PMLA, at an event on Saturday and reportedly claimed there is "no hope" left in it.

How can one keep trust in the Supreme Court when it upholds such laws, he reportedly said, referring to the judgment which upheld various provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), condemned by opposition parties as draconian.

Also read: No hope left in Supreme Court, sensitive cases assigned only to certain judges, says Kapil Sibal

Lashing out at him, Rijiju said statements made by Sibal and some Congress leaders "betray a mindset" that courts or any constitutional authority must favour them or work according to their interest.

Whenever courts give a decree or a judgment against their mindset, they start attacking the constitutional authorities, he told reporters.

This is "very very sad for the entire country" that prominent leaders and parties are criticizing constitutional institutions like the Supreme Court, high courts, Election Commission and other important agencies, the BJP leader said.

These agencies and institutions are absolutely autonomous and work according to the rule of law and are guided by the statutes, he said.

"Our government is absolutely clear in its mind that the country must be governed by the constitutional proprieties as well as the rule of law. Any kind of attack on the constitutional authorities and the courts is very unfortunate and condemnable," Rijiju said.