Chidambaram statement on SC order on section 66A sheer hypocrisy: Bhardwaj

New Delhi: Former Law Minister and senior Congress leader Hans Raj Bhardwaj on Thursday termed as “sheer hypocrisy” the statement of his then Cabinet colleague P Chidambaram welcoming the Supreme Court judgement striking down a controversial provision in the IT law.

When asked about the statement of Chidambaram welcoming the apex court order, he said “These are the people who were defending the amendment and who originated these amendments. It is sheer hypocrisy.”

Bhardwaj, who was the Law Minister when the amendment to IT Act of 2000 inserting Section 66 A was cleared, said Chidambaram is a lawyer and he knows it is a correct judgement.

“But earlier they were defending also…they were a party to it. So why feel shy? You should own up. The Cabinet had approved it. There is no harm saying we brought a bad law,” he told Times Now.

Responding to a poser, Bhardwaj said he had “no role” in drafting the amendment bill and the then IT Minister (A Raja) had developed the concept.

Referring to the joint drafting committee set up at the peak of Jan Lokpal agitation, he said the UPA II ministers could not even even draft the Lokpal bill had to approach “private people” for the purpose.

Another former Law Minister and Congress leader Salman Khurshid refused to join issue with Bhardwaj saying laws are struck down by courts all the time. He said the Law Ministry is sometimes bypassed by the Union Cabinet in taking call on certain issues. “As it is the opinion of the Law Ministry may not succeed as far as the courts are concerned.”

To a question on allegations levelled by Bhardwaj against UPA ministers, he said he is a senior person and he is not sure whether the former minister is still technically a Congress leader as after being a Governor, a person cannot be affiliated to a political party.

“He has an opinion…within the party there are a range of views on everything and we discuss them. Then a call is taken by the leadership,” he said.

The apex court had on Monday struck down one of the provisions of the IT Act which gives power to arrest a person for posting offensive contents on web.

PTI