MP MLA Monitoring Petition: The Supreme Court on Friday (March 1) rejected a PIL seeking direction to the Center to conduct round-the-clock digital surveillance of MPs and MLAs for better governance. The court said, “There is something called right to privacy.”
The bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Mishra was asked whether the court can implant any chip in the body of MPs to monitor their activities 24 hours. At the beginning of the hearing, the Chief Justice warned Delhi resident petitioner Surinder Nath Kundra that he may have to pay a fine of Rs 5 lakh for misusing judicial time on such a case.
‘Can’t digitally monitor elected members’
The bench said, “If you argue and we do not agree with you, then Rs 5 lakh will be recovered from you as land revenue.” This is a matter of public time. This is not our ego.” The bench said, “Do you realize what you are arguing? You want 24-hour surveillance of MPs and MLAs. This is done only for a convicted criminal who is likely to abscond from justice. There is something called right to privacy and we cannot conduct digital surveillance of all elected members of Parliament.
Petitioner Surinder Nath Kundra said that MPs and MLAs, who are salaried servants of the citizens, have started behaving like rulers. On this, the bench said, “You cannot make the same allegations against all the MPs.” The Supreme Court said that in all democratic systems, individuals cannot make laws and they have to be implemented only through elected MPs.
Supreme Court warned the petitioner
The Chief Justice said, “Then people will say that it is okay, we do not need judges.” We will take decision on the streets and kill the culprit of theft. Do we want this to happen? “The petition requesting digital surveillance of MPs and MLAs cannot be considered.”
The bench comprising the Chief Justice said that if the petitioner takes the case forward, he will be fined, but while refraining from imposing any fine, we caution that no such petition should be filed in future.
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