Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to CJI Chandrachud’s house on the occasion of Ganpati Puja has struck a raw nerve with the Opposition questioning the transparency in the judiciary system and its code of conduct.
Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut raised doubts if the Uddhav Thackeray faction of Sena would get justice under Supreme Court Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and advised him to recuse himself from the case.
In a post on X (formally Twitter) the Sena (UBT) MP listed several recent cases where the judiciary ruled against the leaders of the Opposition and wrote, “One should understand the chronology to understand all such cases.”
“Chandrachud is retiring in November. The Ganesh festival is celebrated at several places in Delhi too. But I am not sure if Modi has visited any of the houses other than of CJI Chandrachud. He visited Chandrachud’s house and together performed the Aarti,” Raud said.
The Sena vs Sena case challenges the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar’s decision not to disqualify Shiva Sena MLAs owing allegiance to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
CJI Chandrachud and his wife, Kalpana Das, were seen welcoming Modi at their house on September 11. Later, in an X post, PM Modi wrote, “Joined Ganesh Puja at the residence of CJI, Justice DY Chandrachud Ji. May Bhagwan Shri Ganesh bless us all with happiness, prosperity and wonderful health.”
Another Sena (UBT) MP, Priyanka Chaturvedi, also took potshots at the PM’s visit to CJI home. Chaturvedi, in an X post, wrote, “After the festivities are over hopefully CJI will deem fit and be slightly freer to conclude the hearing on Maharashtra and the blatant disregard of Article 10 of the Constitution in Maharashtra. Oh wait, elections round the corner anyway, it can be adjourned for another day.”
However, the BJP has countered the attacks and said the PM’s visit was restricted to celebrating the Ganpati festivities and it was a part of culture. BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla slammed Chaturvedi and other members of the INDI Alliance for politicising the PM’s visit to the CJI’s house.
However, Sena leader from Eknath Shinde group Milind Deora criticised his faction for giving a “reckless commentary” on the Prime Minister’s visit to CJI residence and said that casting baseless aspersions on the highest court sets a dangerous precedent.
Senior advocate and former Additional Solicitor General (ASG), Indira Jaising also criticised the PM’s visit and said the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) should condemn it.
“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,” she wrote in a post on X.
