'Scandalous' remark on SC; lawyer writes to AG seeking action against Information Commissioner

New Delhi: In a letter to the Attorney General of India, R. Venkataramani, Aldanish Rein, an Advocate on Record (AOR) at the Supreme Court of India sought to initiate contempt of court proceedings against Information Commissioner Udhay Maharkar for allegedly making "scandalous" observations against the apex court.

In the Information Commissioner's observation while dealing with the second appeal of the case, All India Imam Organisation and/vs. Union of India and others, dated November 25, he said that by providing financial benefits from public treasury to only Imams and Muezzins in the mosques, the highest court of the country in passing this order violates the provisions of the Constitution, particularly Article 27, which says that the tax-payers money will not be used to favour any particular religion.

Further, the order stated that the said judgment set a wrong precedent in the country and "has become a point of unnecessary political slugfest and also social disharmony in the society."

The observation of the Information Commissioner, is on the grounds of the SC's judgement in which the top court had directed the Waqf board to provide remuneration to Imams who manage the mosques.

Mahurkar had made the remark while hearing an RTI application seeking details of salaries paid to Imams by the Delhi Waqf Board and Delhi government.

The Supreme Court (AOR) said the alleged contemnor, who is not even a law graduate to understand the nuances of law, went ahead and observed that the judgment passed by the two judges of the Supreme Court was passed in violation of the Constitution and set a wrong precedent.

Citing other observations in the order, Rein said the language adopted by the Information Commissioner is not only contemptuous but is also an attempt to disgrace the Muslim community and further spread disharmony among different communities on the strength of the Supreme Court order for some ulterior motives.

"The entire act of the alleged contemnor is a clear attempt to scandalise the Supreme Court and tends to lower the authority of the Supreme Court, therefore it is requested to grant consent in terms of Section 15 of the Contempt of Courts Act, to initiate criminal contempt against the above alleged contemnor," said the letter.

-IANS Inputs