The Narendra Modi government has sent back at least 13 names recommended a second time by the Supreme Court collegium for appointment as Allahabad High Court judges, setting the stage for another round of confrontation between the executive and judiciary on the issue.

Appointments made by the collegium a second time have to be cleared by the executive without any further ado. But the Modi government has overturned this convention by sending back these names citing some “inconsistencies”. “We have sent back 13 of the 37 names sent back to us after reconsideration,” Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi told a bench led by outgoing Chief Justice TS Thakur. “The others are under process.”

This sets the stage for an executivejudiciary run-in, which marred Justice Thakur’s tenure and it is spilling over into the tenure of Chief Justice-designate JS Khehar who takes charge on Wednesday.