'It's a sad day for democracy when states flout SC's orders'

Eminent Supreme Court lawyer PP Rao says it’s worrying when the apex court’s instructions are defied by state governments. Rediff.com’s A Ganesh Nadar reports

“It goes against the tenets of democracy and the judiciary,” said noted Supreme Court lawyer Pavani Parameswara Rao when asked about the recent events in which the apex court’s orders have been defied by a state government.

In the recent past, the Karnataka government was warned by the Supreme Court for defying its earlier orders on the issue of releasing water from the Cauvery river to Tamil Nadu.

In fact, it was just a few days ago that the Siddaramaiah-led government in Karnataka ended its defiance of the Supreme Court’s orders to release Cauvery water after the SC warned the state not to ‘invite the wrath of the court’.

Even, the Board of Control for Cricket in India on Thursday refused to implement the Lodha committee suggestions for reform in spite of the highest court in the country telling it to do so.

When asked what these insubordinations meant for the country, PP Rao said, “It is against the Constitution and doesn’t augur well for the future of country. The Supreme Court’s orders have to be followed.

“The judiciary is one of the strongest pillars of democracy and its orders cannot be over ruled so easily. Such behaviour by elected state governments cannot and should not be tolerated.”