'If I say I don't like face of PM, somebody might arrest me', says ex-SC judge; Law minister responds

Law minister Kiren Rijiju criticizes former Supreme Court judge Justice B N Srikrishna for 'crying about freedom of expression and reminded him of the emergency.

Image Credit: ANI; Representational Image

New Delhi: Law Minister Kiren Rijiju has hit out at former Supreme Court judge Justice B N Srikrishna for his remarks on the lack of freedom of expression, saying those who speak without restrictions to abuse a popularly elected prime minister are crying about freedom of expression. Responding to a tweet which quoted a portion of an interview given by Justice Srikrishna (retd) to a national daily, Rijiju said "Those people who speak all the time without any restrictions to abuse the popularly elected Prime Minister are crying about freedom of expression! They will never talk about the emergency imposed by the Congress party and never dare to criticise some Regional Party CMs."

I don't know if a former judge of the Supreme Court has actually said this. If it's true then the statement itself is demeaning the institution he has served.

— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) September 3, 2022

The former top court judge had said that today things are "very bad."

"I must confess, if I were to stand in a public square and say I don't like the face of the Prime Minister, somebody might raid me, arrest me, throw me in jail without giving me any reason. Now that is something that all of us oppose as citizens," the former Supreme Court Judge had said.

In a series of tweets on Saturday, the law minister said he does not know whether a former judge of the Supreme Court has said this. "If it's true then the statement itself is demeaning the institution he has served," the minister said without naming anyone.