Nov 04, 2024 10:05 PM IST
CJI DY Chandrachud said that there was “nothing wrong” with PM Modi’s visit to his residence on Ganpati Puja, which attracted political backlash.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud on Monday defended Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending the Ganpati Puja at his residence earlier this year, saying that there is a need for a “sense of maturity in political sphere” on such issues.
This comes after both Modi and CJI Chandrachud received massive political backlash over the prime minister visiting his home.
Speaking at an Indian Express event on Monday, the CJI said, “The PM visited my residence for Ganpati Puja. There is absolutely nothing wrong as these are continuing meetings between the judiciary and the executive even at social level. We meet at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Republic Day, etc.”
“We are in conversation with the prime minister and the ministers. This conversation does not involve the cases which we decide but life and society in general,” Chandrachud further said.
The CJI said one had to respect that a dialogue took place as part of a robust inter-institutional mechanism and separation of powers between judiciary and the executive did not mean the two not meeting.
PM Modi visited CJI Chandrachud’s residence in September this year and participated in the Ganesh Puja celebrations.
Read more: PM Modi participates in Ganpati Puja at CJI Chandrachud’s residence | VIDEO
The video, posted on X, showed the CJI and his wife, Kalpana Das, welcoming PM Modi into their home. The video gained traction online and many users expressed concern that the prime minister’s presence at the CJI’s residence can have deeper implications when it comes to impartiality in the judiciary.
Last month, CJI Chandrachud had addressed the controversy surrounding PM Modi’s visit to his home, and said that there is maturity in judges to not discuss any judicial matters during such visits.
“There is enough maturity among judges of constitutional courts and the heads of the executive to firmly keep aside judicial matters out of the purview of any discussion,” the chief justice had said, while speaking at the Loksatta lecture series in Mumbai.
“People think there are deals being made, but that is not the case. This is part of the robust dialogue between different arms of the government. The work of all three arms is dedicated to the betterment of the nation,” he had said.
(With inputs from PTI)
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