Mumbai: The Supreme Court has proposed Aarti Sathe's appointment as a judge of the Bombay High Court, raising concerns from the opposition due to her past role as a BJP spokesperson. This has prompted accusations of politicizing the judiciary.
Sathe was appointed as the Maharashtra BJP spokesperson in February 2023 but resigned in January 2024 for personal and professional reasons, along with her membership in the party and the Mumbai BJP Legal Department.
Who Is Aarti Sathe?
Aarti Arun Sathe, a former spokesperson for the BJP, has been suggested for a judgeship at the Bombay High Court by the Supreme Court's collegium, leading to criticism from the opposition. NCP leader Rohit Pawar expressed worries regarding the consequences of choosing a politically affiliated person for such an important judicial position, indicating it jeopardizes judicial independence and transforms it into a political battleground.
Sathe was the spokesperson for Maharashtra BJP from February 2023 until January 2024, resigning for both personal and professional reasons, and vacating her positions in the Mumbai BJP Legal Department and her primary party membership.
With more than 20 years of advocacy experience, Sathe focuses on cases involving SAD, Direct Tax, Customs, SEBI, and has resolved numerous matrimonial cases in the Bombay High Court.
Rohit Pawar openly criticized her appointment, highlighting the necessity for judicial fairness and raising worries about the judiciary's independence when a supporter of the ruling party is nominated for this role. He requested a reevaluation of her suggestion and for the Chief Justice to offer direction on the matter.
In support of Sathe, BJP officials emphasized that she has no active ties to the party and pointed out that her recommendation came 1.5 years following her resignation. State BJP media cell head Navnath Ban contended that her former position should not diminish her qualifications for the judgeship.
State BJP chief spokesperson Keshav Upadhyay highlighted that judges with political affiliations have been appointed in the past, citing the example of Justice Baharul Islam. He argued that the suggestion was aligned with the collegium's resolution and denounced the opposition for focusing on Sathe's previous political associations.
