'PM's five-star activists remark contempt of court'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'five-star activists' remark on the judiciary has evoked sharp reaction with Congress leader Digvijay Singh and lawyer Prashant Bhushan terming it as contempt of court.

Communist Party of India's Brinda Karat said Modi talks of five-star activists as he himself wears a Rs 10 lakh suit.

"It is a very damaging comment against independence (of judiciary). He has levelled a serious charge of bias in favour of so-called five-star activists. There are no five-star activists... These are very very damaging remarks against the judiciary which I think is almost like contempt of court," Singh said.

Bhushan, whose petitions have led to interventions by the apex court on several occasions, said the "outrageous" remarks made by the prime minister amount to contempt of court. He said be it the coal scam or other similar cases, those accused of corruption have been held accountable by activists.

The rebel Aam Aadmi Party leader said the remarks came from a person whose government is amending the land acquisition law which are against the rights of the farmers. Karat said the statement shows the contempt Prime Minister Modi has for "normal democratic processes".

"In our country we can file petition in the Supreme Court if we feel that government is doing injustice...he talks of five star activists wearing a Rs 10 lakh suit," she said.

Modi had on Sunday said that "It is easy to deliver judgements based on the law and the Constitution. There is a need to be cautious against perception-driven verdicts. Perceptions are often driven by five-star activists."

Addressing a conference of chief justices of states and chief ministers, he had also said that the judiciary today "fears" as to what will happen if it goes against perception. He said the same situation was not there two decades ago.

Chief Justice of India H L Dattu and several judges of the Supreme Court were also present.