Decision of SC judges to declare assets welcomed

New Delhi, Aug 27 (PTI) Political parties and legal
experts Thursday welcomed the decision by judges of Supreme
Court of India judges to make public their assets, describing
it as a "step in the right direction" that could have come
"earlier" to avoid needless controversy.

After months of intense debate over making public the
details of assets of higher judiciary, a decision "in
principle" was taken on the issue at a meeting convened by
Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan Wednesday.

"It is (a) welcome (move). It is for the judges to
decide how it should be done because what is in the best
interests of judges, they are the best judges (of that),"
India's Law Minister Veerappa Moily said.

He said it was "not that the judges were unwilling" to
disclose assets but "there are certain things for judges...
they are not elected people... as a government we do not want
them to be embarrassed or inconvenienced. If they have come
forward themselves to disclose it, it is welcome."

Spokespersons of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and
Congress party, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Abhishek Singhvi,
respectively, also hailed the move.

Singhvi, who maintained that he was airing his
"personal opinion", said "it is a very good and welcome step".

The judiciary has avoided "further needless
controversy", but it could have been avoided if the decision
was taken earlier, he said. (More) PTI