Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the residence of CJI DY Chandrachud for Ganesh Puja on the 11th of September, and it triggered the cry of ‘democracy is in danger’ from left-liberals. After the visuals of the visit were shared on social media, the left-liberal ecosystem started claiming that the independence of the judiciary has been compromised, and the principles of separation of power have been risked.
Politicians, journalists, lawyers, social media warriors, everyone from the ecosystem has come out to condemn the chief justice of India for inviting PM Modi for the puja at his residence, accusing him of ‘switching sides’, as they perceived CJI DY Chandrachud to be a member of the anti-Modi gang. The latest to join this is Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms (CJAR), a group founded by Shanti Bhushan, father of activist-fake news peddler Prashant Bhushan.
Joined Ganesh Puja at the residence of CJI, Justice DY Chandrachud Ji.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 11, 2024
May Bhagwan Shri Ganesh bless us all with happiness, prosperity and wonderful health. pic.twitter.com/dfWlR7elky
In a statement issued on 12th September, CJAR expressed “deep concern over the manner and conduct of this event involving two constitutional functionaries, as setting an unwarranted precedent.” They claimed that “this precedent undermines the perception of judicial independence, raises critical questions about the separation of powers and the impartiality of the judiciary.”
As per CJAR, the CJI inviting the PM on his private capacity for an important Hindu festival questions the impartiality of the judiciary. The claimed that as both the Union of India and State Governments are the largest litigants before the courts, “such close association between the judiciary and political leadership undermines the ability of the judiciary to impartially adjudicate cases involving the government and the ruling political party”.
CJAR further added, “It casts doubt as to the objectivity of an institution tasked with checking executive power.” They therefore urged the “judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts to be mindful of the potential for such events to set a trend across states, where Chief Justices may meet Chief Ministers and other political figures in informal settings, shattering people’s faith in the judiciary.”
CJAR issues statement on PM’s visit to CJI’s residence.
— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) September 12, 2024
“The judiciary, which holds the responsibility of safeguarding the Constitution and ensuring justice without fear or favor, must be seen as entirely independent from the Executive branch” pic.twitter.com/siYpNCcMQ0
The statement added that “This is a serious issue that threatens the democratic principles of judicial independence and must be addressed promptly to preserve the integrity and credibility of the judiciary. CJAR appeals to the Bar and the legal community that it must stand united in ensuring that the judiciary remains free from any influence, perceived or real, and retains the confidence of the people in its role as an impartial guardian of justice.”
The reaction of CJAR to a minor event is shocking because this is not the first time that members of the executive and judiciary attended religious events. In the past, Iftar Parties were regularly held at Rashtrapati Bhavan and PM’s residence. Such parties were attended by several notable dignitaries, including the CJIs.
For example in 2009, then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh hosted an Iftar party at his residence which was attended by the then CJI K.G. Balakrishnan. However, nobody raked up ‘democracy in danger’ or ‘separation of state and church’ at that time. Only when it is a Hindu festival, it shatters faith on judiciary.
Notably, office of the CJAR is located in the same building where the first meetings planning the anti-Hindu riot were held. On the 8th of December 2019, a meeting was held between Yogendra Yadav, Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid and others at a Jangpura basement. According to police chargesheet, a chakka jam was planned in this meeting, that led to violence in northeast Delhi.
Notably, the place where this meeting was held is also the address of Prashant Bhushan’s office. The address of the basement of 6/6 Jangpura is listed as one of the offices of Prashant Bhushan. And as per police, the meeting was held in the basement of 6/6 Jangpura. This means the meeting was held in this office.
6/6 Jangpura is also the address of the Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Judicial Reform (CJAR) set up by Shanti Bhushan along with Prashant Bhushan. Although it was established to supposedly demand accountability in the Indian judiciary, CJAR has been at the forefront of anti-India propaganda for a long.
In 2017, for example, the Supreme Court fined CJAR ₹25,00,000 for its petition falsely accusing a judge of accepting bribes from a medical college to pass favourable orders. CJAR was also at the forefront of running propaganda against CJI Dipak Mishra and furthering the narrative of the 4 judges who had held a press conference against the CJI at the time.
