With a row erupting over Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending the Ganpati Puja celebrations at Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud's residence, the BJP and it's ally hit out at the opposition parties, calling their reactions "reckless" and said casting "baseless aspersions" on the highest court sets a dangerous precedent.
Prime Minister Modi on Wednesday participated in the Ganpati Puja at the CJI's residence here. In a video, Chandrachud and his wife Kalpana Das were seen welcoming Modi at their house.
Several opposition leaders and some lawyers of the Supreme Court reacted sharply to Modi attending the puja at the CJI's residence.
"Ganpati Utsav is being celebrated and people visit each other's house... I don't have information whether the prime minister has visited anyone's house," Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said. Ganpati Utsav is being celebrated at several locations in Delhi and at Maharashtra Sadan, he said. "However, the prime minister visited the CJI's residence. They performed 'aarti' together. We think that people will have doubts if guardians of the Constitution meet political leaders," Raut added.
In a post on X, senior lawyer Indira Jaising said the Chief Justice of India has compromised the separation of powers between the executive and the judiciary. "Lost all confidence in the independence of the CJI. The SCBA (Supreme Court Bar Association) must condemn this publicly displayed compromise of Independence of the CJI from the executive," she said in her post.
Hitting back, BJP national general secretary (Organisation) BL Santhosh said though left liberals have started crying over the prime minister attending the event at the CJI's residence, "it was not socialising but a devoted Ganapathi Pooja".
"Started crying! Civility, cordiality, togetherness, co-travellers in nations journey are all an anathema to these left liberals. Also it was not socialising but a devoted Ganapathi Pooja is very hard to digest. SCBA is not a moral compass. Take deep breath once," Santhosh said in a post on X reacting to Jaising's comments.
In another post, the BJP leader wrote, "Yesterday's Pooja and Aarti spoiled the sleep, morning walk and tea-breakfast of many people across the country."