Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to perform Ganpati Puja at the House of Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud has sparked controversy concerning the separation of powers between the executive and the judiciary.
The event which took place on Wednesday, September 11, PM Modi wearing a traditional Maharashtrian cap was seen performing traditional rituals alongside CJI Chandrachud and his wife at his residency in New Delhi.
This move has raised concerns among legal experts and political opponents regarding its potential impact on judicial independence. Critics argue that such public displays of interaction between the executive and judiciary may compromise the perception of impartiality and autonomy of the judiciary.
Criticism from legal experts
Soon after the event came to light, prominent political leads and lawyers, including Indira Jasing and Prashant Bhushan criticised CJI Chandrachud’s decision. Jasing stated that the CJI has “compromised the separation of powers” and expressed a loss of confidence in the judiciary’s independence.
Jaising urged the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) to condemn the move publicly and described it as a “publicly displayed compromise” of the CJI’s independence from the executive.
Tagging senior advocate and SCBA president Kapil Sibal, Jaising wrote on X, “Chief Justice of India has compromised the separation of powers between the Executive and Judiciary. Lost all confidence in the independence of the CJI. The SCBA must condemn this publicly displayed compromise of the Independence of the CJI from the Executive”.
Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan echoed Jaising’s sentiments claiming that the CJI’s actions send a worrying signal to the judiciary’s protection of citizens’ rights. He pointed out that there is a need to maintain a clear separation between the executive and judiciary, citing judges should practice a degree of aloofness consistent with the dignity of their office.
“Shocking that CJI Chandrachud allowed Modi to visit him at his residence for a private meeting. Sends a very bad signal to the judiciary which is tasked with the responsibility of protecting fundamental right of citizens from the executive & ensuring that the govt acts within bounds of Constitution. That is why there has to be an arms length separation between the executive & judiciary,” he wrote on X.
Political reactions
The political realm has echoed similar concerns. Raising a concern, leader of Shiv Sena (UBT) Sanjay Raut questioned the appropriateness of CJI hosting PM Modi. Particularly in light of ongoing cases involving the Maharashtra government that are under the CJI’s purview.
“CJI must decide whether it is right for him to host the PM when his court is hearing cases of Maharashtra govt. Such interactions could undermine public trust in the judiciary and call for the CJI to recuse himself from related cases to avoid any appearance of bias,” Raut said.
Talking to ANI, Raut said, “I don’t have info regarding how many houses PM visited so far…but PM went to CJI’s house and they together performed ‘Aarti’ if a custodian of the Constitution meets politicians, it can create doubt in the minds of people. In our case of Maharashtra, the hearing is going on before CJI Chandrachud so we have doubts if we will get justice because PM is the other party in the case. In our case, the other party is the central govt. Chief Justice should distance himself from this case because his relation with the other party in the case is openly visible.”
“Will CJI Chandrachud be able to give us justice in such a situation? We are getting date after date and an illegal govt is going on. Shiv Sena and NCP were broken in such a way we are not getting justice and PM Modi is taking a lot of interest in the illegal govt of Maharashtra, to save them. The CJI who is supposed to give us justice, with him PM has such a bond so yesterday a doubt was formed in the minds of Maharashtra”, he added.
Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi expressed hope that after the Ganpati festivities, Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud would prioritise concluding the hearing on Maharashtra’s political situation.
“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 day,” Chaturvedi posted on X.
In response to the backlash, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) defended PM Modi’s visit as a cultural engagement rather than a political one.
BJP national organizing secretary B L Santhosh dismissed the critics as “left liberals” unable to appreciate civility and togetherness, framing the event as a celebration of Ganpati festivities rather than a breach of judicial propriety.
“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,” he wrote on X.
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