Indian gov't withdraws judges' assets bill after protest

NEW DELHI, Aug. 3 -- India's ruling United Progressive Alliance

government Monday received a major jolt when it was compelled to withdraw a bill

which sought not to publicly disclose the assets of the country's judges,

following a strong protest from the opposition in the Upper House of Parliament.

"The Judges (Declaration of Assets and Liabilities) Act, 2009" makes it

mandatory for High Court and Supreme Court judges to disclose their assets only

to the President every year, but not in public.

The bill was opposed by the opposition parties in view of a violation of

the right to equality, as it would give the judges an exclusive privilege of not

disclosing their assets to the public for ever as against the laws which make it

mandatory for all public office holders to disclose assets.

"There cannot be two laws. On the one hand you ask people contesting

elections to declare their assets and on the other hand you allow judges (those

who are holding public office) not to make their assets public," opposition

BJP's leader of Rajya Sabha, or Upper House of Parliament, Arun Jaitley told the

Parliament.

The Left parties also opposed the bill, saying they would stall the bill if

introduced.

However, defending the government's stand, Indian Law Minister Veerapa

Moily said even if the bill was passed, the assets of the country's judges will

be monitored by an internal mechanism which has been created by the Supreme

Court.

"There is no law, whatsoever that judges will have to declare their assets

as a liability. There is an internal mechanism created by the Supreme Court in

their resolution. The first resolution is on the values of the judicial system

and next on the declaration of the assets," Moily told the Parliament.

He was later forced to withdraw the bill and the Parliament was also

adjourned following the protest.