'Totally inappropriate' Lawyers, Oppn object to Modi visiting CJI's home

A video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting Chief Justice DY Chandrachud’s home to participate in the worship of the Hindu deity Ganesha on Wednesday led to several lawyers and Opposition leaders expressing concern about the independence of the judiciary. On Wednesday evening, ANI published a video of Chandrachud and his wife Kalpana Das welcoming Modi into their Delhi home.

The prime minister then took part in an aarti with the chief justice and his wife. Several lawyers and Opposition leaders said this raised questions about the independence of the judiciary from the political executive. Former Additional Solicitor General Indira Jaising alleged that Chandrachud had “compromised the separation of powers” between the executive and judiciary. “Lost all confidence in the independence of the Chief Justice of India,” Jaising said. “The Supreme Court Bar Association must condemn this publicly displayed compromise of independence of the CJI.”

Senior Advocate Prashant Bhushan alleged that CJI Chandrachud had violated the Code of Conduct for Judges, which says that they should “practice a degree of aloofness” consistent with the dignity of their office. Bhushan told PTI that it was “totally inappropriate” for Modi to visit the chief justice’s home for a religious event. He added it was also wrong on the part of the PM and the chief justice to “display publicly a religious function” since the Supreme Court is entrusted with upholding the secular values enshrined in the Constitution.

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP Sanjay Raut said that a custodian of the Constitution meeting politicians could “create doubts” in people’s minds, ANI reported. Raut questioned whether CJI Chandrachud would be able to give “justice” to the Uddhav Sena after the visuals of Modi visiting his home emerged.