'I was taken aback, PM should not have...': Kapil Sibal on Modi attending Ganpati Puja at CJI's residence

A row has erupted over Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending the Ganpati Puja at Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud's residence in Delhi. Rajya Sabha MP and President of the Supreme Court Bar Association Kapil Sibal today said that he was taken aback when he saw video clips going viral on social media. "I have been in the Supreme Court and in this institution for over 50 years. I have great respect for the present CJI. He is a man of great personal integrity. But I was surprised when I saw this clip that was going viral," he said while speaking to reporters.  

Sibal said he had some issues - with the PM Modi's visit - on principles. "No public functionary should not publicise a private event. I am sure that maybe the CJI may not have known that this was being publicised. The Prime Minister should never have shown his interest to go to such a private event. If there is gossip around it, it is not fair to the institution," the Rajya Sabha MP said. 

Prime Minister Modi participated in the Ganpati Puja at the CJI's residence in Delhi on Wednesday. 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. 

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said that Ganpati Utsav was being celebrated and people visit each other's house. "I don't have information whether the prime minister has visited anyone's house," he said. "Ganpati Utsav is being celebrated at several locations in Delhi and at Maharashtra Sadan. 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. 

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.

However, BJP's Sambit Patra hit back at the opposition and asked if the then Chief Justice of India (CJI) did not attend the Iftar party hosted by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. "They do not have any objection to the prime minister meeting the chief justice of India but Ganpati Puja," he said and accused the opposition leaders of indulging in politics. "I am surprised that if the prime minister meets the chief justice of India, you raise an objection. But when he (Rahul Gandhi) meets (US lawmaker) Illhan Omar, who is with Pok, in America, you have no objection," Patra added. 

Slamming the critics, 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. 

Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Milind Deora also flayed the critics and said it's unfortunate to see "reckless commentary" on Prime Minister Modi's visit to the CJI's residence for Ganapati Aarti. He also reminded the oppositon that in 2009, when former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hosted an Iftar party, then CJI K.G. Balakrishnan had attended the event.