Supreme Court raps NRC officials over media briefings
The SC threatened them of contempt action if they speak to press on the Assam NRC without prior permission of the top court.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday pulled up two top officials — Prateeek Hajela, state coordinator of Assam for National Register of Citizens, and Shailesh, Registrar General of India — for briefing the media modalities relating to “claims and objections” that could be filed by the four million people who are left out in the NRC.
A bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Rohinton Nariman took up the suo motu cognisance, taking note of the press statements and interviews given by the two officials to the media pursuant to the order passed by the apex court on July 31. The bench listed the matter ahead of the scheduled hearing on August 16 mainly to warn the two officials.
Taking serious exception to their conduct, the bench threatened them of contempt action if they speak to press on the ongoing NRC in Assam without prior permission of the court. The bench said it could have sent them to jail.
What had irked the court was the statement made by the two officials that those whose names did not figure in the draft NRC would get an opportunity in the final NRC, subject to their production of “any valid documents.”
Justice Nariman asked, “How are you concerned with the question? Who are you to say? Your job is only to carry out the draft NRC.” Reading out from the wide-ranging interviews given by the two officials, particularly Hajela, the bench repeatedly queried who gave the authority to the officers to talk to the press when the matter is under consideration of the apex court.
“Who are you to say all those things? Don’t forget you are an officer appointed by the court. How do you say?” Justice Nariman asked. Justice Gogoi said, “We should be holding both of you guilty of contempt and sending both of you to jail. Where is the authority? Where is the scope for you to tell all this? What impelled you to go to press?”
The two officials who were present in the court tendered their apologies and assured the court that they would not repeat their mistakes.
Justice Gogoi observed, “It is most unfortunate on your both part. Please don’t do this in future. You have lot of work to do. Your job is to the NRC, your job is not going to the press or holding the brief for anybody.”