In response to the current controversy over the Prime Minister’s visit to his home for Ganesh Puja, Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud described the visit as “unnecessary, inappropriate, and irrational.”For social events like weddings or celebrations, the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers frequently pay visits to the houses of the Chief Justices of the High Court, the CJI, and judges. Nevertheless, “I can’t think of a single situation in which the presidents of the Union or State executives spoke with the justices of the CJI or the Supreme Court about any legal issue. No other topics are ever discussed, except from sending each other well wishes,” CJI Chandrachud stated.
The CJI added that the judicial functions carried out by judges are not the same as the administrative relationship between the government and the judiciary. He underlined that the central level is also subject to the same premise.
According to Chandrachud, Chief Justices and Chief Ministers frequently have such meetings for extrajudicial purposes in different jurisdictions. “These exchanges demonstrate how the political executive and the judiciary respect each other’s boundaries,” he remarked. The CJI, who is scheduled to retire on November 10, stressed how crucial these interactions are to creating a collaborative atmosphere between the three arms of government.
Following PM Modi’s September visit to Chandrachud’s home for Ganesh Puja, the controversy broke out. Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders including Sanjay Raut and Priyanka Chaturvedi have expressed concern that such a gathering may jeopardise judicial neutrality, particularly in matters involving their party. Shehzad Poonawalla, a BJP spokesperson, responded by defending the visit by pointing to comparable events, including an Iftar party in 2009 that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and then-CJI K.G. Balakrishnan attended.
“The judicial duties performed by the highest court are distinct from the administrative relationship between the Supreme Court and the present administration. It is customary for Chief Ministers or Chief Justices to convene during holidays or times of sorrow. But we need to be mature enough to recognise that these meetings don’t affect our judicial job. CJI Chandrachud said, “We must understand that nothing is ‘adjusted’ during meetings that the public can observe.”
The opposition contended that such activities could cast doubt on judicial impartiality in the public’s perception during the controversy surrounding PM Modi’s visit to the CJI’s home. The BJP retorted that the visit was “part of our culture” and was only for the Ganesh Puja celebration.
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