Peacefully resolve the issue: Bar Association on Judiciary rift

"We have unanimously decided to form a 7-member delegation of the Council who will meet Hon. judges of the Supreme Court. We want that the matter be solved peacefully at the earliest," Manan Kumar Mishra, Chairman, Bar Council of India told media.

"We don't want to see any controversy into the issue any more," he said.

An incident like the press conference that was held on Friday should not be held again.

"Request judges not to give an opportunity for such an incident to occur again," he said.

In an unprecedented move on Friday, four top judges of the Supreme Court held a press conference during which they questioned the conduct CJI Dipak Misra, a, especially over the allocation of cases. Justices Jasti Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, Madan B Lokur and Kurian Joseph — who make the current Supreme Court Collegium, the highest decision-making body of the judiciary — said they had failed to persuade CJI Dipak Misra that certain things are not in order, and left it to the people to protect the judiciary. They warned that democracy was under threat.

The government, in response, maintained that the matter will be sorted out within the judiciary and that the press conference “could have been avoided.”

With the development still rocking a wide spectrum of society, varied reactions continued to come in.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday tweeted that democracy in India is in danger. “Democracy in India is in danger”. This was the warning that came from the Hon Judges yesterday. So no, it’s not an internal matter for the Hon SC," Abdullah said.

Speaking to reporters, former finance minister Yashwant Sinha attacked the Narendra Modi Government  over the short Winter Session of Parliament and said, "If the country's Parliament is not in order, the Supreme Court is not in order, then democracy is under threat in the country. If the four senior judges have gone public then how is it a Supreme Court matter alone? If you read the letter, one thing is clear that Supreme Court judges or benches were appointed selectively to hear certain cases."

He further added that people would be failing in their national duty if they did not take note of this.

"If political parties, or anyone concerned about the future of democracy in the country, don't take note of this, we fail in out national duty. It is a serious matter. All those who care about the future of the country and of democracy should raise their voice," Sinha said.

Congress leader and senior Supreme Court advocate Salman Khurshid also criticised the Government for the emerging situation.

"Conincidence of interference of govt causing stress to constitutional institutions. Sad. exposition of trouble in Supreme Court. Nero fiddles?" he tweeted.

On his tweeter page, CPI (M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said : "The integrity and independence of the judiciary, particularly the Supreme Court, is a vital pillar of the Constitution and non-negotiable. Full statement from yesterday."

Congress leader Shakeel Ahmad tweeted : "Fall of final frontier. Bureaucracy, Media, Election Commission and now Supreme Court. Independence of most of the institutions of nation building are falling apart due to the Machiavellian politics of govt of the day."

Coming to the defence of the Government, BJP's National General Secretary P Muralidhar Rao tweeted :"SupremeCourt as an institution is much bigger and critical for the democratic framework of India. Yes SC now has the problem which is internal and institutional. In the interest of country congress should not get into #tricks business."