Long queues outside banks a ‘serious issue’, says SC

“People are affected. They are frantic”. Please don’t dispute it. “You can not bring the institution to a grinding halt”, the court had said to the government last month. “The real cause is to address the root cause of NPAs and how to solve it”, a bench comprising Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said.

The AG immediately countered the stinging observations saying: “There will be no riots”. Describing the statement as politically inspired, Rohatgi urged the court “to go and see, the queues have become shorter”.

“It’s a political attempt in the court”. Senior advocate Ram Jethamalani, appearing for a Gujarat-based lawyer, said justice Shah’s transfer was recommended months ago but the Centre had not cleared his file.

The new MoP is pending consideration with the apex court as it has refused to accept the government’s condition to have “veto power” on appointments if the person recommended for judge is a “threat to national security”.

The government acknowledged that there was a shortage of ₹100 notes as the now defunct ₹500 and ₹1,000 notes had formed 80 per cent of the currency in circulation before November 8. Under what law can they be stopped from withdrawing their own money?

The Government has asked the people to deposit their Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 notes in banks within a specific time frame and get smaller denominations in exchange. How can they say that they won’t give me my legitimate taxed money?

“Parallel proceedings will create a lot of unnecessary confusion”, he appealed to the court.

Speaking at the farewell function organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) at the Supreme Court lawns, the CJI said, “Justice Dave has been helping litigants in many ways and we all know how good he is at heart”. He also said that numerous cases have been filed against this initiative which signals that the problem has gone beyond control and is “serious and of huge magnitude”. At a public function attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the CJI had broken down while complaining about the large-scale vacancies in judiciary in general and high courts in particular affecting dispensation of justice.