Bar Council opposes elevation of 2 judges to SC, says will ask collegium to reconsider decision

New Delhi: Following the elevation of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dinesh Maheshwari to the Supreme Court on Wednesday, the Bar Council of India strongly opposed the decision and said there is strong resentment among several judges. The names of Justice Menon and Justice Nandrajog were recommended in December last year, however, the collegium suddenly took a U-turn and announced the appointments.

"There is strong resentment among several judges. Names of Justice Menon and Justice Nandrajog were recommended in December. Now suddenly collegium has taken a u-turn after 20-25 days," Bar Council Chairman MK Mishra said.

He added that a delegation led by the Council will go and meet the collegium, asking to reconsider and recall the decision. "Our delegation will go and meet the collegium to ask them to reconsider and recall this decision. If they don't do it, we'll go and sit on a dharna," Mishra said.

Earlier in the day, President Ram Nath Kovind appointed Justice Maheshwari, chief justice of Karnataka High Court and Justice Khanna, judge of Delhi High Court, as judges of the Supreme Court with effect from the date they assume charge of their office. The development came amid questions over the elevation by the legal fraternity.

Former Delhi High Court judge Kailash Gambhir had on Tuesday written to President Kovind against the recommendation of the Collegium to elevate Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dinesh Maheshwari to the top court.

Last week, the Supreme Court Collegium had recommended the names of Justice Maheshwari and Justice Khanna for elevation as judges of the apex court. The five-member Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi took the decision in its meeting on January 10.

The decision of the Collegium, comprising justices A K Sikri, S A Bobde, N V Ramana and Arun Mishra, was made public on the apex court's website on Friday. The apex court, which had a sanctioned strength of 31 judges, was functioning with 26 judges.

(With inputs from agencies)