JODHPUR, Sept. 4 -- Rajasthan high court acting chief justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma on Wednesday night broke his silence over the controversy surrounding his functioning, rejecting as "baseless" all allegations levelled against him by Supreme Court judge Justice Sandeep Mehta and saying they had been made out of "animosity". In a statement issued amid continuing protests by lawyers in Jodhpur, Justice Sharma said he had already submitted his response to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and rebutted the allegations made in Justice Mehta's letters with supporting material. He appealed to the media, lawyers and others to maintain restraint until the CJI takes a decision on the matter. "I deny all these allegations. All the allegations are baseless and have been made by the honourable judge out of animosity," Justice Sharma said. The controversy erupted after Justice Mehta wrote three letters to CJI Kant on August 2, 10 and 17, raising allegations concerning Justice Sharma's functioning as master of the roster, including selective allocation of cases, favouritism towards influential litigants and administrative decisions at the high court. Justice Mehta had also sought the appointment of a regular chief justice from another high court and Justice Sharma's transfer out of Rajasthan. Justice Sharma's response comes days after the Supreme Court collegium recommended Chhattisgarh high court judge Justice Sanjay Kumar Agrawal as the next Chief Justice of the Rajasthan high court. The recommendation was made against the backdrop of the controversy and a growing agitation by lawyers demanding that Justice Sharma be divested of his judicial and administrative responsibilities. The Rajasthan High Court Lawyers Association and Rajasthan High Court Advocates Association have continued their boycott of judicial work despite the collegium recommendation. The two associations have said that while the demand for appointment of a regular chief justice has been addressed, they are also seeking that Justice Sharma be kept away from judicial and administrative functions. In his statement, Justice Sharma said he had "full faith" in the judicial system. "I have full faith in the Indian judicial system. At the appropriate time, and subject to the CJI's approval, I will appear before the media myself and present my side."...