Supreme Court judgement in NJAC case was wrong, says former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi

New Delhi: The Supreme Court judgement overturning a law which gave the government more say in judicial appointments was “wrong”, former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi said on Tuesday. [caption id=“attachment_4440243” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of the Supreme Court of india. Reuters[/caption] Rohatgi had appeared for the government in the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act case. The Supreme Court in October 2015 struck down a constitutional amendment that sought to give the executive a say in the appointment of top judges on grounds that it would undermine the independence of the judiciary. A five-judge constitution bench in a 4-1 majority verdict had held that both the Constitution (Ninety-ninth Amendment) Act, 2014, and the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act, 2014, were unconstitutional. Speaking at the 96th Foundation Day of Delhi University, Rohatgi, who is an alumnus of the varsity, said, “I have seen the ups and downs of the present government in courts whether the victories in triple talaq and other cases, then the setback in the NJAC case which I still hold is a wrong judgement and so on and so forth.” Sharing his experience of his association with the university, Rohatgi said, “I have a relationship of three generations: my father, myself and my two sons with the varsity.” “Bond is strong, the connection is strong. I offer my services to the vice-chancellor. If you ever need my services in the court, I would certainly be available. Even if it is against the government of India I will do it,” Rohatgi said. Pramod Kumar Mishra, additional principal secretary to the prime minister, and CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma, both alumni of Delhi University, also shared their experiences.