‘Why the haste’: SC on new EC’S appointment

A Constitution bench in the Supreme Court on Thursday questioned the “tearing hurry” and “haste” shown by the central government in appointing Arun Goel as an election commissioner (EC) on November 18, wondering if the Union law minister Kiren Rijiju followed any yardstick to zero in on Goel from the pool of four officers picked for the selection.

The bench’s poser closely follows the law minister’s strong and consistent criticism of the apex court’s model of selecting judges through the collegium system. At various instances during the last one month, Rijiju commented that the SC collegium appoints people who are known to the judges; called the collegium system “opaque”; and described the Indian selection system as the only one where judges appoint judges.

“What we can find from the file is that according to database of serving and retired officers, the name of Mr Goel was suggested on November 18. This is done by the minister of law and justice (Rijiju). So, he picks up the name from the panel of four names. The file moves on the same day, from the ministry to another officer, and finally to the Prime Minister who endorses the name. It is done in such a haste, tearing urgency that all of this done in one day,” the fivejudge bench headed by justice KM Joseph asked attorney general (AG) R Venkataramani.

The bench added: “Can you