Vasundhara Raje govt’s new ordinance shielding public servants challenged in Rajasthan High Court

Rajasthan government’s new ordinance, tabled in the state assembly on Monday, seeking to protect ministers, lawmakers and government officials from being investigated without sanction has been challenged in the Rajasthan High Court.

A plea filed by advocate Ajay Jain stated that the new ordinance will “subvert the wisdom of judiciary.” The petitioner asked the High Court to declare the 'The Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017’ as violative of the constitution.

Earlier, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday took a swipe at Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje over the ordinance, pointing out that the year was "2017, not 1817".

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“Madam Chief Minister, with all humility we are in the 21st century. It's 2017, not 1817,” Gandhi tweeted.

He also tagged a news report titled ‘Rajasthan ordinance is against free speech, say legal experts’.

The report said the ordinance prohibited an investigation without prior sanction against judicial officers and public servants and also restricted the media.

It said under the proposed law, the media cannot report on accusations against magistrates and others until the prosecution gets the go-ahead from the sanctioning authority.

(With PTI inputs)

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