Rajasthan HC Issues Show Cause Notice to CM Gehlot Over Remarks on Judiciary

The Rajasthan High Court on Saturday issued a show cause notice to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on a PIL seeking suo moto criminal contempt proceedings against him, for his remarks against the judiciary, according to reports.

Advocate Shivcharan Gupta has filed a PIL questioning the chief minister's remark for suggesting alleged "corruption" in the judiciary.

A division bench of Justices M M Shrivastava and Ashutosh Kumar heard the matter on Saturday and issued the notice to Gehlot, directing him to respond within three weeks.

Talking to reporters in Jaipur on Wednesday, Gehlot said, "Corruption is rampant in the judiciary today. I have heard that some lawyers themselves take the judgement in writing and the same judgement is pronounced."

However, upon being criticised, the chief minister subsequently clarified that what he had said was not his personal opinion and that he has always "respected and believed" in the judiciary.

In protest against the chief minister's comment, thousands of advocates boycotted work in the high court and lower courts in Jodhpur on Friday.

After the matter got escalated, Gehlot posted on X, "What I said yesterday about the corruption of judiciary is not my personal opinion. I have always respected and believed in the judiciary. From time to time, many retired Supreme Court judges and even retired chief justices have commented on corruption in the judiciary and expressed concern over it.

The Rajasthan High Court Bar Association, Jaipur, condemned the remarks and declared that the lawyers of the Rajasthan High Court, Jaipur bench, would voluntarily abstain from work on Friday.