11 Hyderabad judges suspended over high court row
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The High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad has suspended eleven judges following an agitation against the provisional allocation of judicial officers between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Over 100 judges, under the banner of 'Telangana Judges Association' on Sunday, had protested against the provisional allocation.
According to the Union Law Minister D V Sadandanda Gowda, the Centre has no role in the creation of a new High Court for Telangana. It has rubbished the ruling TRS' charge that the Narendra Modi dispensation being "insensitive" on the issue and dragging the matter under political pressure.
Read more: When Telangana judges turned street protesters
"It's not in our hands to create a new High Court for Telangana. It's in the hands of Chief Minister and Chief Justice of that High Court (which is common for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, and has not been split after the division of the states in June 2014)," Gowda told PTI.
TRS MP Kavitha has alleged that the Centre is insensitive in not bifurcating the High Court following the division of Andhra Pradesh and that Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao - her father - would not hesitate to hold a protest in Delhi.
TRS has upped the ante on the issue against the backdrop of the agitation by lawyers and also judges.
"Our Chief Minister is also disheartened by the insensitivity of the central government. We do propose to go and express our protest in Delhi. We once again sincerely appeal to honourable Prime Minister to intervene at this juncture and bifurcate the high court," Kavitha said.
Countering the TRS on the issue, Gowda said "If the CM provides all the infrastructure and other things, the High Court will take care of the rest. Blaming the Centre is unfair," Gowda said over the phone when contacted.
Asked about Kavitha's charge, Gowda said, "If the CM holds a dharna for no reason, people will evaluate it."
"Judiciary is independent. We give maximum respect to Judiciary. Their independence cannot be encroached upon by the Executive at any point of time," he added.
Union minister Bandaru Dattatreya is expected to meet Union Home minister Rajnath Singh and Law minister Sadananda Gowda along with A Narasimha Reddy, Chairman, Bar Council of AP and Telangana in Delhi today in this regard, a BJP release said.
