Former Supreme Court Judge Abhay S. Oka Rebukes PM Advisor Sanjeev Sanyal Over Remarks On Judiciary

Former Supreme Court judge Abhay S. Oka on Wednesday issued a sharp response to government advisor and economist Sanjeev Sanyal’s recent remarks describing the judiciary as the “single biggest hurdle” to India’s goal of becoming a developed nation.

Speaking at the Supreme Court Bar Association’s lecture series on Clean Air, Climate Justice, and We – Together for a Sustainable Future, Justice Oka said that citizens have the right to criticise judicial decisions, but such criticism must be constructive and based on evidence.

“This learned man should have given instances of those judicial orders which, according to him, obstructed and hindered the ‘Viksit Bharat’. He should have given particulars of those orders. If he had, his criticism would have become constructive,” Oka said. “Every citizen of India has the right to offer constructive criticism of the judiciary and orders of the judiciary. And at any cost, we must support that right.”

Sanyal, who made the comments last month at the Nyaya Nirmaan 2025 conference, had claimed that the judicial system was slowing down India’s progress. “We effectively have somewhere between 20-25 years to become Viksit Bharat… but the judicial system in particular, is now, in my view, the single biggest hurdle to becoming Viksit Bharat and growing rapidly,” he had said.

He had also criticised the length of higher court vacations and the use of traditional courtroom language such as “My Lord” and “prayer”.

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) responded strongly to Sanyal’s statements. Its president, senior advocate Vikas Singh, called the comments “irresponsible” and “in bad taste”, adding that they reflect a lack of understanding of how higher courts function. “Anybody making a comment on the vacations of the higher court is completely lacking in understanding of how these courts function,” Singh said.

The exchange has reignited debate over the judiciary’s role in India’s developmental framework and its balance with executive ambitions under the government’s Viksit Bharat vision.