Ex-SC judge Nazeer’s appointment as governor of AP is criticised by A. A. Rahim

The appointment of Justice Syed Abdul Nazeer, who recently retired from the Supreme Court, as the Governor of Andhra Pradesh has been criticised as a stain on Indian democracy by A. A. Rahim, a Member of Parliament (MP) from Kerala.

A Rajya Sabha member named Rahim claimed that Justice Nazeer’s rulings frequently went against the letter and spirit of the Constitution and fell short of upholding the impartiality required by the higher courts. Rahim discussed Justice Nazeer’s decision in the Ayodhya case and views about ‘Manusmriti’ in a Facebook post (ancient Hindu book of law).

Here are the excerpts from the MP’s post:
Just six weeks after leaving the Supreme Court on January 4 of this year, Justice Syed Abdul Nazeer was named the Governor of Andhra Pradesh.

He was a member of the bench of the Supreme Court that rendered the decision in the Ayodhya case. On December 26, 2021, Justice Nazeer delivered a contentious address at the national council meeting of the Akhil Bharatiya Adhivakta Parishad in Hyderabad.

A Sangh Parivar organisation, the Parishad. Justice Nazeer pointed out in his statement that the noble tradition of ‘Manusmriti’ has been ignored over time by the Indian judicial system.

The objectivity and commitment to the spirit of the Constitution that are expected of a senior judge are not reflected in Justice Nazeer’s statements.

The Central government’s most recent decision to name Justice Nazeer as Governor is unconstitutional. The choice should actually be strongly denounced.

Fairness dictates that Justice Nazeer decline the Centre’s offer. This is essential to avoiding a decline in public confidence in the legal system of the nation.

Such policies adopted by the Narendra Modi administration damage Indian democracy.