Congress fumes as ex-CJI Gogoi calls ‘Basic Structure’ doctrine 'debatable': ‘Is this BJP's trick to…?’

The Congress party on Monday hit out at former Chief Justice of India and member of Parliament Ranjan Gogoi for terming the basic structure doctrine of the Indian Constitution ‘debatable’. “Shocking that a former CJI questions the jurisprudence of the basic structure of the Constitution,” Venugopal said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. Does it think that democracy, equality, secularism, federalism, judicial independence are all 'debatable' ideas?” During his maiden speech in the Upper House supporting the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Bill, 2023, nominated Rajya Sabha member Ranjan Gogoi claimed that the basic structure doctrine has a “very debatable” jurisprudential basis. Speaking in favour of the contentious bill to replace the ordinance on transfers and postings of senior officers in the Delhi government, Gogoi said that “the matter is not sub judice and what is pending before the Supreme Court is the validity of the ordinance.” Several women leaders of the Congress-led grouping, I.N.D.I.A, staged a walkout over the sexual harassment allegations against the former CJI which was later cleared by the Supreme Court in 2019.