The left-liberal ecosystem has once again found itself in a meltdown, this time over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud’s residence for Ganesh Puja on September 11th, 2024. As visuals of the Prime Minister performing the Ganpati aarti emerged on social media, the liberal faction raised alarms, claiming the independence of the judiciary had been compromised and the principles of separation of powers jeopardized. The visit, which was clearly a personal and cultural gesture, is now being spun by left-leaning figures to fit their ongoing “democracy in danger” narrative.
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… https://t.co/tw0C1Smr5s
— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) September 11, 2024
Senior Supreme Court lawyer Indira Jaising voiced her concerns on social media, stating that the CJI had compromised the separation of powers, suggesting a loss of confidence in the judiciary’s independence. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi also commented, insinuating that CJI Chandrachud’s impartiality in important cases like Maharashtra’s Article 10 hearings could be at risk following his social engagement with the Prime Minister.
People say the CJI is a great legal mind. He obviously has original views on separation of State & Church. All I can think about is the spectacle of two of our nation’s most powerful men, while Manipur burns. Waiting for the enlightened to take suo moto notice of the rapes,… https://t.co/LquwlCGfuC
— Saba Naqvi (@_sabanaqvi) September 11, 2024
‘Journalists’ like Saba Naqvi and Arfa Khanum Sherwani further stoked the fire, with Naqvi criticizing the lack of focus on pressing issues such as the violence in Manipur, while Sherwani ominously questioned whether justice would remain impartial in a scenario where social engagements between the judiciary and the executive appear to blur professional boundaries.
“इंसाफ़ ज़ालिमों की हिमायत में जाएगा
ये हाल है तो कौन अदालत में जाएगा” pic.twitter.com/3zQ3YGPWdh— Arfa Khanum Sherwani (@khanumarfa) September 12, 2024
Manufacturing Outrage: A Hypocritical Stance
The liberal outcry over this personal visit is both absurd and hypocritical, as it conveniently ignores the numerous times political figures have hosted similar social engagements with judges in the past. During the UPA era, Iftar parties at the Prime Minister’s residence and Rashtrapati Bhavan were attended by several dignitaries, including the then Chief Justice of India, without any outcry over the separation of powers or the independence of the judiciary.
The left-liberal ecosystem’s selective outrage begs the question: would there have been the same uproar if the CJI happened to be a Muslim and had invited the Prime Minister for an Iftar? Under PM Manmohan Singh’s leadership in 2009, such an event occurred, with the CJI attending an Iftar at the PM’s residence—without a hint of the controversy now surrounding PM Modi’s Ganesh Puja visit. For left-liberals, it seems that a Hindu religious festival like Ganesh Puja sets off alarm bells for ‘democracy in danger,’ while the Iftar parties of the past were seen as cementing secularism.
Religious Freedom and Judicial Independence
Article 25 of the Indian Constitution grants every citizen, including the Prime Minister and the Chief Justice of India, the right to freely practice and profess their religion. Social and religious interactions, such as attending a festival at someone’s home, do not imply any form of professional or constitutional compromise. In India, a land of diverse cultures and festivals, such social engagements are not uncommon and do not, by default, endanger the separation of powers. The suggestion that a personal religious visit between two high-profile individuals can undermine the judiciary’s independence is far-fetched and rooted in ideological biases.
A Flawed Interpretation of the Separation of Powers
India’s democratic framework is strong and based on the separation of the executive, legislative, and judiciary branches. However, this principle does not suggest that these branches must avoid social interaction altogether. The idea that personal relationships, cultural traditions, or religious events compromise the impartiality of any branch is a misinterpretation. The judiciary operates with a high degree of independence, protected by procedures and collective decision-making. PM Modi’s visit to CJI Chandrachud’s residence does not alter these structures.
Historically, politicians, including the Prime Minister, have had social interactions with members of the judiciary without affecting judicial impartiality. There is no evidence to suggest that personal visits between government officials and judicial figures have ever influenced legal rulings.
