Former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi takes oath as Rajya Sabha member  

Former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi took oath as the member Rajya Sabha in Parliament on Thursday. He was nominated to the Upper House by President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday. Gogoi's nomination had sparked strong reactions both from political parties and the legal fraternity. He etched his name in the annals of history when a five-judge bench headed by him on November 9 brought an end to the Ayodhya land dispute, which dates back to even before the Supreme Court came into existence in 1950.

“Let me first take oath, then I will speak in detail to the media why I accepted this and why I am going to Rajya Sabha," he said. In a gazette notification on Monday, President Ram Nath Kovind nominated Gogoi to the Council of States to fill the vacancy caused due to the retirement of one of the nominated members. There have been debates in the political circles and other quarters on the nomination of Gogoi, who had retired in November last year as the Chief Justice of India (CJI) after serving for about 13 months. On the criticism of his RS nomination, Gogoi told a local news television channel, “I have accepted the offer of the nomination to the Rajya Sabha because of a strong conviction that the legislature and judiciary must at some point of time work together for nation-building.