A former Army officer has demanded that Judge Dharmendra Rana be put in his ‘place’ for granting bail to climate activist Disha Ravi in the toolkit row. Issuing chilling threats to judges in general, Harish Puri wrote, “High time we put ‘Milords’ like him in their place!.”
Reacting angrily to Judge Rana’s scathing observation, Puri wrote, “‘Sedition cannot be invoked to minister to the wounded vanity of governments..’ Justice Rana was free to grant bail to Diksha (sic) Ravi, but what business does he have making such an arrogant remark against an elected government..??”
Puri wasn’t alone criticising the Patialia House court judge for his strong observations on the trend to arrest critics of the government under sedition law. Former diplomat Kanwal Sibal wrote, “Granting Disha bail on merits fine but pomposity? “Citizens are conscience keepers of govt” in any democracy. Does this include citizens who are maoists, radicals, burn public property, desecrate Red Fort, pelt stones? “Wounded vanity of govts”. Sounds judicial or political?”
Sibal didn’t stop here as he continued, “Judge say those fully consciously engaging persons of dubious credentials can’t carry same hue means man’s no longer known by cmpany he keeps!Rig Veda justifies “inocuous” tool kit! To say FOE includes fundmntal rt to seek global audience backs intrfrence in r int’l affairs.”
He added, “Saying in D’s case citizens are conscience keepers of govt & FOE includes courting global audience Judge implies she is such conscience keeper & has right to muster foreign support.India has sought protection of our missions in Canada. No violence there is to toolkitters credit?”
While granting bail to Disha, Judge Rana had lashed out at the Delhi Police for presenting ‘scanty and sketchy’ evidence against her build a case of sedition. The judge had made it clear that there was nothing in the toolkit shared by Swedish climate activist on 3 February that amounted to a criminal offence. The order by Judge Dharmendra Rana had said, “The perusal of the said ‘Toolkit’ reveals that any call for any kind of violence is conspicuously absent. In my considered opinion, Citizens are conscience keepers of government in any democratic Nation.”
The court had also questioned the trend for arresting ordinary citizens merely based on their criticism of the government. It had said, “They cannot be put behind the bars simply because they choose to disagree with the State policies. The offence of sedition cannot be invoked to minister to the wounded vanity of the governments.”