The appointment of Gujarat Lokayukta created turmoil in Parliament on Friday with Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party forcing several adjournments of both the Houses demanding recall of Governor Kamala Beniwal for what they alleged was a "dictatorial" act.
The Supreme Court judgement is based on this paradox. Gujarat will now have a Lokayukta whom the council of ministers never recommended. Constitutional short-cuts do not establish either good governance or good precedents, says Arun Jaitley.
The BJP gave notices in both Houses of Parliament for suspension of Question Hour to discuss the appointment of Lokayukta in Gujarat by the Governor without the consent of the state government.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani on Tuesday led party MPs from Gujarat protesting outside Parliament House against the appointment of R A Mehta as Lokayukta by state Governor Kamla Beniwal without consulting the Narendra Modi government and demanded her removal for "bypassing" established norms.
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi shot off a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, asking for the "immediate recall" of Governor Kamla Beniwal for bypassing the state government and appointing Justice (retired) R A Mehta as the Lokayukta. Here's the full text dated September 1, 2011.
The Gujarat high court on Wednesday issued a fresh notice to Justice R A Mehta (retired) who was appointed as the Lokayukta by the governor bypassing the Narendra Modi government. The state government has challenged the governor's decision in the high court.
Congress president M Mallikarjun Kharge, meanwhile, came to Siddaramaiah's defence, stating that the party is standing with him and will support him.
The controversial Gujarat Lokayukta bill, which curtails the primacy of the Governor and high court chief justice in the appointment of the anti-corruption ombudsman, was on Tuesday passed by the assembly amid protests from the opposition Congress.
In the continuing tug of war between Narendra Modi government and the governor, the state assembly on Tuesday passed the Gujarat Lokayukta Ayog Bill 2013 for a second time without incorporating any major changes sought by Raj Bhavan, setting the stage for a fresh confrontation.
Unfazed by the high court verdict on the Gujarat Lokayukta appointment issue, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday said though the case will now go to a three-judge bench, politically the governor's decision is untenable as she is bound to act as per the advice of the Council of Ministers.
Retired Gujarat High Court Judge D P Buch was Wednesday sworn-in as the state's fourth Lokayukta by Governor Kamla Beniwal. The post that had been lying vacant for a decade.
Gujarat governor's decision to appoint Justice R A Mehta as Lokayukta was taken in haste, and without "aid or advice" of the council of ministers, state government on Wednesday stated before the Gujarat high court.
The Gujarat government on Wednesday said the state high court verdict upholding appointment of Lokayukta by Governor would be challenged in the Supreme Court following consultations with legal experts.
The Gujarat high court gave a split verdict on the appointment of a Lokayukta by the governor with one judge upholding it and another differing from that view.
With the lengthy battle over his appointment finally settled by the apex court, the ball is now in Justice Mehta's court. He has been non-committal over his appointment as the state legal ombudsman. All eyes are now on his return from abroad on August 5. Sheela Bhatt reports.
"This is nothing but mockery of the whole judicial process," Gujarat Governor Kamla Beniwal said in stinging remarks against the Narendra Modi government as she returned the new Lokayukta Bill for reconsideration by the legislative assembly.
In an unprecedented move that will surely bring her on a collision course with the state government, Gujarat Governor Dr Kamla Beniwal, using her special powers, has appointed retired judge of Gujarat high court Justice RA Mehta as the Lokayukta of the state.The governor has bypassed the Narendra Modi-led state government while making the appointment. The state government has been sitting on the file regarding the appointment of a state Lokayukta.
Team Anna member Kiran Bedi on Thursday said they would campaign during the Gujarat assembly polls slated later this year if an independent Lokayukta was not appointed in the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled state.
Gujarat Lokayukta Justice R A Mehta's resignation letter is a stinging indictment of the Narendra Modi government's obstructionist attitude towards a constitutional watchdog.
Stepping up his offensive against Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday alleged that there is a "partnership" between the BJP PM candidate and Adani and accused the industrialist of "funding" the Modi marketing blitz to return "favours".
Terming the charges against him a "BJP conspiracy", Siddaramaiah said he would wage a legal fight.
Amid the controversy over the issue of appointment of Lokayukta by the Governor in Gujarat, Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj on Wednesday said he cannot name the new anti-corruption ombudsman in the state without the government's approval.
Gujarat Congress on Tuesday accused the state government of indulging in large scale corruption and alleged that Chief Minister Narendra Modi had not appointed a Lokayukta to prevent the truth from coming out.
Expressing its reservations on the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the appointment of Gujarat Lokayukta, the Bharatiya Janata Party said the view of the state government should be respected in such matters and the governor should not exercise discretionary powers.
After the Supreme Court upheld the appointment of Lokayukta in Gujarat, Justice (retd) R A Mehta on Wednesday said the Modi government's attitude will not come in the way of his work.
The Bharatiya Janata Party gave notices in both Houses of Parliament for suspension of Question Hour to discuss the appointment of Lokayukta in Gujarat by the Governor without the consent of the state government.
In a setback to the Narendra Modi government, the Gujarat high court, in a majority decision, on Wednesday upheld the appointment of Lokayukta by the Governor while dismissing the plea of the state challenging it.
Narendra Modi speaking about Lokayukta is like Asaram "talking about virginity", Union Minister Jairam Ramesh said on Monday, hitting back at the Bharatiya Janata Party prime ministerial candidate.
The Gujarat government on Thursday approached the Supreme Court challenging the state high court order upholding the appointment of Justice R A Mehta as the Lokayukta by the governor.
In a setback for Narendra Modi-led Gujarat government, the Supreme Court has upheld the appointment of Gujarat Lokayukta Justice R A Mehta by Governor Kamla Beniwal.
The Narendra Modi government on Tuesday introduced a bill in the Gujarat assembly, which curtails the 'primacy' of the chief justice of the state high court and the governor in the matter of appointment of the Lokayukta.
Modi has a real challenge if the allegations of corruption pick up momentum. Modi was struggling to improve his image with the minorities but now he will have to convince the majority that his deals were clean and he is above board, says Sheela Bhatt.
Congress on Wednesday used the Gujarat high court order on Lokayukta to attack Chief Minister Narendra Modi, saying the verdict was another judicial confirmation of his "hypocrisy" and the "double standards" of Bharatiya Janata Party.
Civil rights activist Teesta Setalvad on Wednesday welcomed the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the appointment of Justice (retired) R A Mehta as Gujarat Lokayukta by Governor Kamla Beniwal, saying the verdict reflects that nobody is above the law.
The Gujarat government could file a review petition in the Supreme Court against the apex court order upholding the appointment of Justice (retd) R A Mehta as Lokayukta by the governor.
The Supreme Court on Friday admitted an appeal filed by the Gujarat government challenging the state governor's decision to "unilaterally" appoint Justice (retd) R A Mehta as the Lokayukta.
The Gujarat High Court, faced with an unprecedented situation with the state government challenging appointment of Lokayukta made by the Governor, on Monday asked the state to remove name of the Governor as respondent in the case.
Both the Houses of Parliament were adjourned on Monday following uproar by Samajwadi Party and Bharatiya Janata Party members on incidents of firing on lawyers by state revenue officials in Uttar Pradesh and the appointment of Lokayukta in Gujarat.
Demanding immediate recall of Gujarat governor on Lokayukta appointment issue, a delegation of Bharatiya Janata Party Members of Parliament led by senior leader L K Advani on Friday met President Pratibha Patil who informed them that the matter is sub-judice.
Bhikhabhai Jethwa, father of slain RTI activist Amit Jethwa, is filing a writ petition in the Gujarat high court on Thursday against the Narendra Modi government's failure to appoint a Lokayukta.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances