55 Facts About Prashant Bhushan

Prashant Bhushan was born on 15 October 1956 and is an Indian public interest lawyer in the Supreme Court of India.

Prashant Bhushan is one of the founders of Swaraj Abhiyan and Sambhaavnaa, an Institute of Public Policy and Politics.

Prashant Bhushan is the oldest of the four children of Shanti Bhushan and Kumud Bhushan.

Prashant Bhushan's father is a lawyer-activist and a former Union Law Minister in the Morarji Desai government.

Prashant Bhushan, who dropped out of IIT Madras after first semester and briefly attended Princeton University has a degree in law from Allahabad University.

Prashant Bhushan was drawn to public activism, influenced by his father.

Prashant Bhushan is associated with various organisations including the Centre for Public Interest Litigation, People's Union for Civil Liberties, and Transparency International.

Prashant Bhushan is the convenor of the Working Committee of the Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Judicial Reforms.

Prashant Bhushan has criticised the other professional lawyers as "amoral", and claims that he never takes up a case unless he feels that his client is "morally right".

Prashant Bhushan says that he envisages a transparent and honest legal system, where people can negotiate their own cases without the need of any lawyers.

Prashant Bhushan started focusing more on this issue in 1993, after the Supreme Court Justice V Ramaswami was not impeached by parliament on corruption charges.

In 2009, Prashant Bhushan represented activist Subhash Chandra Agrawal, asking for the Supreme Court and High Court judges to be brought under RTI.

Prashant Bhushan has recommended amendment to the Contempt of Court Act clause, stating that some of its clauses effectively prevent the press from exposing the corruption in the judiciary.

Prashant Bhushan has opposed the rule which prevents people from registering a First Information Report against a judge without the permission of the Chief Justice of India.

In 1990, Prashant Bhushan wrote a book Bofors, the selling of a nation on the Bofors scandal.

Prashant Bhushan represented the CPIL in a petition asking for the removal of Neera Yadav from office as Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh for alleged corruption.

In February 2006, as counsel for Lok Sevak Sangh, Prashant Bhushan submitted to the Supreme Court that the MP Local Area Development Scheme might not be constitutionally valid.

Prashant Bhushan said none of the normal controls were being applied, and the scheme was breeding corruption.

Prashant Bhushan acted for the CPIL when it took the lead in filing a suit against the Government of India for irregularities in a major award of spectrum for 2G mobile telephones.

In September 2011 Prashant Bhushan presented evidence that appeared to disprove the claim by the CBI that Dayanidhi Maran, the former telecom minister, had not applied undue pressure to the owner of Aircel to sell to the Maxis group of Malaysia.

Prashant Bhushan said the CBI's investigation had been "less than honest".

In January 2012 Prashant Bhushan questioned why the CBI had failed to lay charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act against companies such as Essar Group and Loop Mobile despite strong evidence against them.

In 2012, Prashant Bhushan filed a PIL seeking cancelation of coal block allocations by the government on the grounds that certain companies had been illegally favoured by the politicians.

Prashant Bhushan filed a PIL against illegal iron ore extraction in Goa, which led to the Supreme Court halting all the mining operations in the state.

Prashant Bhushan successfully challenged the Prime Minister and Home Minister's decision to appoint PJ Thomas as the head of the Central Vigilance Commission.

Prashant Bhushan represents whisteblower Anand Rai in the ongoing PIL regarding Vyapam scam in the Supreme Court.

Prashant Bhushan has criticised the use of violence against the Naxal insurgents in the tribal-dominated areas.

Prashant Bhushan has alleged that the actual intention of the Operation Green Hunt was to clear the tribal lands for mining operations and industrialisation.

Prashant Bhushan stated that to de-escalate the situation, the government should suspend the armed operations against the Naxals, and instead focus on providing food and infrastructure to the tribals.

Prashant Bhushan appealed to the Maoists to release the Govt.

Prashant Bhushan said that the government should investigate and address legitimate demands.

Prashant Bhushan is against death penalty, and spoke against the hanging of Ajmal Kasab, who was the lone captured terrorist in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Prashant Bhushan assisted the Narmada Bachao Andolan activists opposed to the Sardar Sarovar Dam.

Prashant Bhushan criticised the decision for having been made "without any evidence of the facts [being presented] before the judges".

Prashant Bhushan defended Arundhati Roy when she was charged with contempt of court for publicly criticising judges in the dam hearings.

Prashant Bhushan is opposed to nuclear energy, and supported the People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy against establishment of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant.

Prashant Bhushan subsequently recommended that 12 more judges should be inducted into the services.

Prashant Bhushan was supported with statements published by senior advocates and civil servants.

Prashant Bhushan was one of the several activists who participated in the anti-corruption crusade.

The recording, related to 2G spectrum case, would discredit Shanti Prashant Bhushan, if found to be genuine.

Prashant Bhushan stated that labs had shown the CD was doctored, and that its purpose was to obstruct the anti-corruption movement.

Later, Singh claimed that Prashant Bhushan telephoned him and tried to stop him from talking, a charge which Prashant Bhushan denied.

Prashant Bhushan stated that the Lokpal should have full autonomy and power to prosecute all public servants, and that this principle was non-negotiable.

The other activists, including Prashant Bhushan, then organised peaceful protests across the country.

Prashant Bhushan denied the charge, calling it a "very organised and concerted attempt to smear members of the civil society in the Lokpal drafting committee with allegations".

In 2011, at a press conference in Varanasi, Prashant Bhushan stated that he wanted the Armed Forces Special Powers Act to be revoked in Jammu and Kashmir.

Prashant Bhushan added that the government should try to persuade the people of the Kashmir valley to align with India but that they should be allowed to separate if they wish to do so.

Prashant Bhushan was dragged out of his chair, and repeatedly kicked and punched.

Prashant Bhushan described his attackers as having a "fascist mindset" and stood by his statements.

The Shiv Sena called for a police case to be registered against Prashant Bhushan, accusing him of supporting the anti-national elements.

Hazare distanced Team Anna from Prashant Bhushan's remarks, saying that these were his personal views.

Prashant Bhushan had long been a critic of the United Progressive Alliance government.

Prashant Bhushan accused BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi of being corrupt and a "puppet" of Reliance Industries.

Prashant Bhushan accused RSS of supporting terror activities, and criticised BJP for its links with the RSS.

Prashant Bhushan is married to Deepa Bhushan, a former lawyer.