Press Conference by Four SC Judges Could Have Been Avoided: Attorney General Venugopal

New Delhi: Attorney General K K Venugopal today said the unprecedented move by the four senior Supreme Court judges in holding a press conference "could have been avoided" and the judges would now have to act in "statesmanship" to ensure complete harmony.

Venugopal, who had a meeting with Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra after the press conference, spoke to PTI on much persuasion and expressed hope that all judges, including the CJI, would rise to the occasion and "wholly neutralise" the "divisiveness".

"What has happened today could have been avoided. The judges will now have to act in statesmanship and ensure that the divisiveness is wholly neutralised and total harmony and mutual understanding will prevail in future," he said.

"This is what all of us at the bar want and I am sure that the judges, including the CJI, will rise to the occasion," he said, but declined to come out with details of his deliberations with the CJI and others.

"I had promised to the judges that I would not speak to the media," Venugopal said.

Sources said judges, other than the four senior-most ones, also held a meeting during the recess and were concerned about the unprecedented development.

Repeated attempts to reach out to the CJI and his office to get his comments on the development did not fructify.