The Supreme Court on Friday took strong exception to the filing of a writ petition that sought to challenge its earlier ruling, which grants exemption to the minority schools from the provisions of the Right to Education Act (RTE Act). The bench of BV Nagarathna and Justice R Mahadevan saw it as an attempt to bring down the judiciary of the country. “You cannot do this to the Supreme Court. We are enraged.
This is against the entire system of the judiciary in this country if you start filing such cases. You don’t know the seriousness of your case. We are restraining ourself to a Rs 1 lakh cost. Don’t bring down the judiciary in this country by filing such cases,” Justice Nagarathna remarked. The Court also questioned how advocates were advising the filing of such petitions against the top court’s own judgments. “What is happening here? Advocates are giving such kind of advice? We will have to penalise the advocates. You are law-knowledgeable citizens, professionals, and you file a writ petition challenging the judgment of this Court under Article 32? Grossest abuse! We are restraining ourself. We are not issuing contempt,” it said.
The Court ordered the imposition of Rs 1 lakh costs on the petitioner, United Voice for Education Forum. “Let this be a message to others. You want to crumble the judiciary of this country,” it said. The writ petition sought for a declaration that the exemption granted to minority educational institutions, as upheld in Pramati Educational and Cultural Trust v Union of India, is unconstitutional to the extent that it grants blanket immunity to them from RTE obligations.
