The recent attendance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Ganpati Puja organized by the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud has caused much controversy especially on the neutrality of the judiciary.
The event was held on September 11, 2024 and Narendra Modi was dressed in traditional Maharashtrian outfit during the rituals which were performed with the presence of CJI Chandrachud and his wife Kalpana Das.
The opposition mainly the Shiv Sena (UBT) has strongly opposed such meetings stating that the meetings between the head of the executive and the judiciary erode the public confidence in the independence of judiciary.
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut questioned the ability of the Chief Justice to remain impartial in cases concerning the government, while highlighting the current legal battles. These battles pertain to the legitimacy of the Eknath Shinde led faction as the true Shiv Sena. Raut demanded that CJI Chandrachud should disqualify himself from these cases in order to protect the image of the judiciary.
Other prominent personalities in the legal fraternity also shared the same opinion, with senior advocate Indira Jaising and activist Prashant Bhushan condemning the visit.
Jaising urged the SCBA to denounce the event, stating that it was an intrusion of the executive branch into the judiciary. Bhushan stressed the fact that the judges should remain rather detached to the case, mentioning the Code of Conduct for the Judges according to which the dignity of the judicial office should be maintained.
As for the Prime Minister’s visit, BJP leaders described it as cultural rather than political event. The BJP national organizing secretary B. L. Santhosh rubbished those criticisms as exaggeration and said the event was a show of manners and cultural understanding. He said that the visit should not be considered as a sign of compromise of judicial independence.
The debate has been taken to another level as different politicians and lawyers come out in the open to give their take on such high profile encounters.
