NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday asked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena to rise above the political bickering to select a retired judge for appointment as chairman of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission, which decided power tarrif in the national capital.
A bench of Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justices P S Narasimha and Manoj Misra asked senior advocates A M Singhvi, appearing for the Delhi government and Harish Salve the Lieutenant Governor why the two constitutional functionaries sit together for purpose.
"Does everything have to run through modalities of the SC, they can sit together and give a list of agreed names. These are two constitutional functionaries. They have to rise above political bickerings, the bench orally observed, while hearing a plea by the Delhi government against unilateral selection of Justice Umesh Kumar to the post.
Singhvi, on his part, said, "I don't have a problem if they can miraculously agree".
Reacting strongly to Delhi government counsel Salve, said, "It is unfortunate that the Delhi government lawyer starts by saying that he has no hope and instead, the first reaction should be yes, we'll do it."
The CJI said if there were a law, "We would have given a name. We have a whole host of extraordinary people.
The bench fixed the matter for consideration on Thursday.
The Supreme Court had earlier on July 4 asked the Delhi government to defer the oath taking of former Allahabad High Court Judge, Justice Kumar as the Chairperson of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC).
The post of DERC chairman has been lying vacant since incumbent Justice Shabihul Hasnain, former judge of the Allahabad High Court attained 65 years of age on January 9, 2023.
