NEW DELHI: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday voiced concerns over the “weaponization” of access to the judiciary, calling it a significant challenge to India’s governance and democratic ethos.
Addressing students at the Indian Institute of Democratic Leadership, Dhankhar also criticized institutions for overstepping their boundaries, indirectly targeting the judiciary for issuing advisories without proper jurisdiction.
“In layman’s terms, a tehsildar cannot record an FIR, no matter how strongly they feel about it. Our Constitution mandates that institutions operate within their designated domains. Are they doing so? I will answer—no,” Dhankhar said.
The vice president said that while access to the judiciary is a fundamental right, its misuse in recent decades has compromised governance and democratic principles. “This weaponization of judiciary poses a grave challenge to our democratic values,” he said.
Dhankhar also called out the deteriorating standards of parliamentary decorum, referring to the disruptions in Parliament. “What was once a temple of democracy has now turned into a wrestling ground. The concepts of decorum and dignity are fading fast,” the vice president added.
Dhankhar expressed concerns over institutions encroaching upon each other’s functions, describing this trend as expedient but ultimately harmful. “Such placatory mechanisms may bring short-term gains but cause incalculable spinal damage in the long run,” he added.
In a critique of the parliamentary system, Dhankhar questioned the provision of the ‘whip,’ which mandates party discipline among elected representatives. “Why should there be a whip? It curtails freedom of expression and reduces elected representatives to servility. Political parties are meant to foster democracy, but do representatives truly have the freedom to express themselves? Whip hinders this,” he said.