Senior leader of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, J. Nandakumar, sparked controversy by alleging that the Supreme Court played a role in the Pahalgam attack and the deteriorating situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The Supreme Court’s directive to conduct elections had to be implemented by the central government, resulting in elections being held in Kashmir before the situation had stabilized. This, in turn, allowed a government that supports and provides access to terrorists to come to power,” he said.
The speech was made during the ‘Ananthapuri Hindu Maha Sammelanam,’ an annual event organized in Thiruvananthapuram under the leadership of the Hindu Dharma Parishad.
J. Nandakumar also ridiculed Supreme Court judges, calling them “Collegium emperors” and “Collegium Lords.”
He remarked, “After Article 370 was revoked, the decision was made not in violation of the Constitution but within its framework, passed by elected MPs through a vote. Subsequently, the government was instructed to hold elections before the coming September. Didn’t similar commands get issued to the President? Weren’t similar instructions given to Governors? Yet, they sit there like emperors, Collegium aristocrats, or perhaps, Collegium emperors.”
“They have created an institution solely to appoint their own children, sons-in-law, relatives, and even domestic workers as judges,” said the senior RSS leader and National Convenor of Prajna Pravah, the cultural think tank of the RSS.
Nandakumar launched his scathing attack on the Supreme Court, declaring that he was not afraid of being punished by the court.
“Even if it’s considered sub judice, I have no problem being punished by the Supreme Court after I step down from this stage. But isn’t the Supreme Court itself playing a significant role in this?” he said.
He alleged, “Who knows whether the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is peaceful or not? Is it the judges sitting in the air-conditioned Supreme Court rooms in Delhi, or the military and security personnel on the ground who know the reality?”
He further questioned, “Is it the administration leading them that knows? Isn’t that a simple question? But despite that, they ignore the ground reality and issue orders.”
He also justified the Union government’s actions by stating, “The central government has an inherent democratic sense, which recognizes that conflicts between the executive, judiciary, and legislature should not be handled like street brawls. It understands that these institutions must not clash like people fighting in the streets.”
He further explained, “They (government) tried to avoid an escalation, and despite the circumstances not being ideal, they chose to accept the situation to prevent further conflict.”
