New Delhi: Veteran lawyer and former Law Minister Shanti Bhushan, who was a strong voice against corruption and a defender of civil liberties passed away on Tuesday after a brief illness. He was 97.
Bhushan was the Law Minister from 1977-1979 in the Morarji Desai cabinet. He represented freedom fighter and socialist leader Raj Narain in the landmark electoral malpractice case at the Allahabad High Court, which resulted in removal of Indira Gandhi as the Prime Minister in 1974. His son, advocate Prashant Bhushan, is a well-known lawyer.
Shanti Bhushan was one of the founding members of the Aam Aadmi Party and he was also a key member of India Against Corruption and was part of the Joint Drafting Committee for the Jan Lokpal Bill.
Shanti Bhushan was associated with Congress-O and later joined the Janata Party and he also served as a member of the Rajya Sabha from 1977 to 1980. In the 1980, he established NGO ‘Centre for Public Interest Litigation’, which has filed several significant public interest litigations (PILs) in the Supreme Court.
Bhushan filed a petition in the Supreme Court in 2018, calling for alterations to the ‘master of roster’ system.
In 1980, Bhushan joined the BJP, but resigned in 1986 after the party went against his advice in an election petition.
(IANS)
