Hazare movement just the beginning, SC warns government

Reacting to criticism in Parliament that the standards of the judiciary were going down, and MPs questioning the process of judicial appointments, the Supreme Court today took a leaf from Anna Hazare's book to hit back.

''We have seen some enlightened people making comments that the standards of judiciary have gone down ... "But what about the government? Their officers do not give proper information and briefs to the counsel. Take another 10 years, the people will teach you a lesson. Three days back you have witnessed it. It will be much worse," a bench bench of justices G S Singhvi and H L Dattu told additional solicitor-general P P Malhotra.

The remarks came during the hearing of a petition by the central government against a Gauhati high court order directing it to grant enhanced pay structures to various government employees.

According to the goverment, the order if implemented would put a huge financial burden on the exchequer, running into several crores of rupeees.