Congress leader Anant Gadgil has asked if the BJP government will ever recommend a spokesperson from his party as a high court or Supreme Court judge.

A controversy broke out recently with reports of the Supreme Court collegium recommending lawyer and former BJP spokesperson Aarti Sathe for appointment as a judge of the Bombay High Court. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has said she resigned from the party in 2023.

Some Congress spokespersons are eminent lawyers, said Gadgil, himself a party spokesperson, in a statement.

“Will the BJP government recommend a Congress spokesperson as a judge?” he asked.

Referring to landmark SC judgments, such as Anna Mathew Vs Supreme Court and Krishnamurthy Vs Union of India, Gadgil noted that while the apex court has held political background alone should not disqualify a candidate from being recommended for a judicial office, ethical implications of appointing a former party spokesperson remain deeply troubling.