Agencies
CHENNAI, July 30: DMK legal wing on Tuesday wrote a letter to vice-president Mohammad Hamid Ansari, Chief Justice of India R M Lodha and a few others seeking the removal of Press Council of India (PCI) chairman Justice Markandey Katju from the post on the ground that he had "belittled the office with his continuous outbursts and temperamental behaviour."
"DMK is submitting this representation to bring to your notice the various omissions and commissions of Markandey Katju, which amount to misconduct and proven misbehaviour and therefore seeking his removal from the said post", the letter, which was also sent to the Union ministers of law and justice and information and broadcasting, said.
The letter, written by DMK legal wing secretary R S Bharathi, said, "Katju has belittled the post due to his continuous outbursts and temperamental behaviour, which are not expected from a person holding a public office."
The DMK legal wing alleged that right from the date of assuming office as PCI chairman, Katju had been issuing controversial statements and criticizing political leaders, parliamentarians and legislators. Now, he started criticizing the judiciary.
"Being a whole time officer and drawing salary from the Central Government, occupying a government bungalow and availing perks at the cost of the public exchequer, he is expected to maintain utmost dignity, decency and decorum of the post," it said.
The party said being a statutory authority, he could neither act as a mouthpiece of any political party nor he could air his controversial views which were political in nature.
"Holding the post of chairman of the Press Council and exercising quasi-judicial functions, he is expected to be polite, well-behaved, impartial, independent and considerate. On the contrary, he is interested in publicity mania and often throws himself in to midst of controversies and criticisms," the letter said.
Katju should be removed from the post to safeguard the institution from the harm that might be caused by his continuance, the letter said. |
