Indus Valley Times

NEW DELHI, SEPT 12 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the residence of Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud on Wednesday to attend Ganesh Puja celebration has sparked a controversy with senior Supreme Court judges and some opposition leaders expressing concern over the event.

The video of Narendra Modi attending the Puja celebration alongside the CJI and his wife Kalpana Das has gone viral.

In a post on X, PM Modi shared his experience stating, “May Bhagwan Shri Ganesh bless us all with happiness, prosperity, and wonderful health”.

But several senior advocates and opposition leaders expressed concern about the Puja celebration of Modi in the CJI’s house.

Senior advocate and former Additional Solicitor General, Indira Jaising took to platform X to urge the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) to condemn the event. She asserted that such public displays blur the lines between the judiciary and the executive.

 “Chief Justice of India has compromised the separation of powers between the Executive and Judiciary. Lost all confidence in the independence of the CJI. The SCBA must condemn this publicly displayed compromise of independence of the CJI from the Executive @ Kapil Sibal,” Jaising wrote.

Senior Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan stated that the CJI’s decision to host the Prime Minister sends a ‘bad signal’ regarding the judiciary’s responsibility to safeguard citizens’ fundamental rights and ensure the government adheres to the Constitution. Bhushan emphasised the need for a clear separation between the two branches.

Bhushan quoted the ‘Code of Conduct for Judges’, “A Judge Should practice a degree of aloofness consistent with the dignity of his office. There should be no act or omission by him which is unbecoming of the high office he occupies and the public esteem in which that office is held.”

Rajya Sabha MP and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut took to platform X to state: “If a custodian of the Constitution meets politicians, it can create doubts in the minds of the people.”

“Our case (Sena vs Sena case) of Maharashtra…the hearing is going on before CJI Chandrachud so we have doubt if we will get justice because PM is the other party in the case. In our case, other party is the central govt…Chief Justice should distance himself from this case because his relation with the other party in the caase is openly visible. Will CJI Chandrachud be able to give us justice in such a situation? We are getting dates after dates and an illegal govt is going on…Shiv Sena and NCP were broken in such a way..We are not getting justice and PM Modi is taking a lot of interest in the illegal govt of Maharashtra, to save them..,” he added.

In response to the criticisms, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders defended the Prime Minister’s visit, describing it as a cultural event rather than a political engagement. BJP’s national organising secretary, BL Santhosh, according to Business Standard, argued that the criticism reflects an inability to understand civility and togetherness. He reiterated that the visit was focused on celebrating Ganpati festivities, dismissing accusations of socialising or compromising judicial independence.

-PTI