February 17, 2011
Kannur: Facing flak for his 'anti- judiciary' remarks, Congress MP K Sudhakaran Thursday said he regretted the embarrassment caused by his comments to the party but would explain his position to the leadership.
"My intention was not to attack the judiciary, but to express concern over the unhealthy trend among certain sections of judicial officers. I regret the embarrassment it caused to my party. I will explain my stand to AICC President Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and KPCC President Ramesh Chennithala," he told reporters here.
The judiciary and judicial officers should be seen separately, he said, adding what he had sought to raise were political and social issues. Whatever statements are made by Congress leaders in their speeches need not always be taken as the party's official position, he said.
In a speech at a public meeting on February 12 at Kottarakkara in Kollam district, Sudhakaran had said he was witness to a judge being bribed, apparently for getting a favourable decision in a case seeking restoration of bar licences cancelled by the Kerala High Court.
"While referring to unhealthy trends in the judiciary, I had only mentioned an incident which came to my mind at the time," he said. He said he would explain what he had said at the appropriate forum if called upon to do that. Sudhakaran, who represents Kannur in Lok Sabha, made the claim without naming the judge at a function organised to extend moral support to Kerala Congress-B leader R Balakrishna Pillai, who was recently sentenced to one year imprisonment by the Supreme Court in a corruption case.
Virtually disapproving of Sudhakaran's remarks, Opposition leader and former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had said that there should not be attempts from any quarter to question the judiciary's credibility. Former Chief Justice of India Justice V N Khare had also termed the allegations are ridiculous, but said it should be probed and if not proved, then Sudhakaran should face legal proceedings.
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