Opposition leader: Didn’t approve judge name

The ongoing controversy over the appointment of the new Lokayukta in Uttar Pradesh has taken a new twist with Leader of Opposition Swami Prasad Maurya denying having approved the name of Justice Virendra Singh (Retd). Mr Maurya is a member of the selection committee that includes the chief minister and the Chief Justice of the state. According to sources, Mr Maurya met the UP governor two days ago and handed over a letter clarifying his stand on the issue. He stated his misgivings at the process adopted for selection of Lokayukta in December. Governor Ram Naik has forwarded the letter to chief minister Akhilesh Yadav in which Mr Maurya has strongly objected to the Akhilesh government’s claim that Mr Maurya had approved the name of Justice Singh. It is noteworthy that the Supreme Court has intervened in the appointment of the new Lokayukat and has stayed the swearing in of Justice Virendra Singh.

The apex court had appointed Justice Virendra Singh as the Lokayukta from a list of five names which the state government’s counsel Kapil Sibal had led the court to believe that the name had the consensus of the 3-member selection committee.

Immediately after the appointment by the Supreme Court, Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud in a letter to the governor pointed out that far from approving the name of Justice Singh, he had in fact opposed it.

Following this , the Supreme Court had asked the Governor to postpone the oath taking ceremony of the new Lokayukta. The original bench which had heard the matter in the apex court on December 16 will now take up the matter of the appointment of the Lokayukta on January 19.