Manmohan Singh govt pressurised me to influence SC over President's rule in Bihar: HR Bhardwaj

The SC bench comprising of five judges, with a 3-2 majority, had quashed President's rule imposed in Bihar in 2005 by UPA-I government.

New Delhi: In a huge embarrassment for Congress, former union law minister HR Bhardwaj has claimed that he was pressurised by the previous Manmohan Singh dispensation to get a favourable judgement from the Supreme Court on the issue of President's rule in Bihar in 2005.

The apex court bench comprising of five judges, with a 3-2 majority, had quashed President's rule imposed in Bihar in 2005 by UPA-I government.

While divulging details about the incident, Bhardwaj said the then Chief Justice of India YK Sabharwal was a family friend, but a tough judge. He said when he met Justice Sabharwal, he couldn’t muster courage to initiate the topic.

"When President's rule was imposed (in Bihar in 2005), the Supreme Court took upfront to this and many eminent lawyers argued in the matter. My three Cabinet colleagues came to me and said you are out now, you were lucky that you survived so long. I said no problem, it is the Rashtrapati who has approved the promulgation of President`s rule,” Bhardwaj said in his speech.

"I took that stand. Then I thought why can`t I see Sabharwal. I had access to his house, we had coffee and discussion but I could not muster the courage to tell him to help me,” he said.

He made the comments while attending a function to inaugurate the Moot Court Hall of National Law University in Delhi.