Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar  emphasized that every statement made by a constitutional authority is driven by the supreme national interest, as he criticised those questioning his comments on a recent Supreme Court order.

A top court bench recently set a three-month deadline for the President to decide on bills sent by governors for approval.

Responding to this directive, Vice President Dhankhar remarked that the judiciary should not act as a “super Parliament” or interfere in the domain of the executive.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has strongly pushed back against the idea that constitutional offices are merely ceremonial or ornamental.  Dhankhar said, “I find it conceivably intriguing that some have recently reflected that constitutional offices can be ceremonial, ornamental. Nothing can be far distanced from a wrong understanding of the role of everyone in this country — constitutional functionary or a citizen,” he said.

Calling “Parliament is supreme,” he added that there is no visualisation in the Constitution of any authority above Parliament. 

Voicing concern over a recent Supreme Court ruling prescribing a timeline for the President to decide on bills, Dhankhar had on Friday last said India had not bargained for a democracy where judges will legislate, perform Executive functions and act as a “super Parliament”.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had, for the first time prescribed that the President should decide on the bills reserved for her consideration by the governor within three months from the date such reference is received.

Dhankhar voiced strong concern over a recent court directive requiring the President to decide on bills, He said, “There is a directive to the President by a recent judgement … We never bargained for democracy for this day. President being called upon to decide in a time-bound manner, and if not, becomes law,” Dhankhar added.