New Delhi: Senior Rajya Sabha MP Haris Beeran on Wednesday accused the Central government of lacking transparency in the judicial appointments process, and alleged that its failure to clear collegium-recommended names has stalled appointments to the Kerala High Court. Participating in the discussion on the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026 in Rajyasabha, Beeran, also a lawyer, said merely increasing the strength of Supreme Court judges would not solve the deeper structural issues affecting the judiciary. "Such opacity is contributing to vacancies and hampering the functioning of High Courts,” he said. He further demanded that the retirement age of High Court judges be raised from 62 to 65 years, bringing it on par with Supreme Court judges and allowing experienced jurists to continue serving during what he described as the peak of their careers. In a mark of protest over Union Home Minister Amit Shah's absence from the Rajya Sabha during the discussion, he walked out of the House before concluding his remarks.