Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, who is set to retire on November 10, addressed the controversy surrounding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's presence at his residence during Ganesh Puja festivities last month.
Stating that such meetings were routine, the Chief Justice said,"There is enough maturity among judges of constitutional courts and the heads of the executive to firmly keep judicial matters out of the purview of any discussion."
He was speaking at the Loksatta Lecture Series in Mumbai on Sunday.
The CJI clarified that no deals were being made during engagements between the judiciary and the executive, adding that the meetings focused solely on discussing infrastructure issues related to the judiciary, not judicial decisions.
"We know our duties in a democratic system of governance, and the political executive knows theirs. No judge, least of all the Chief Justice of India or Chief Justices, can ever invite even the slightest threat, actual or perceived, to the independence of the judiciary," he further added.
CJI said that in various states, it was customary for Chief Justices to meet with Chief Ministers. "You never meet for a judicial discussion. The maturity of our political system lies in the fact that there is a great deal of deference to the judiciary, even within the political class," he added.
The outgoing CJI pointed to the importance of addressing judicial infrastructure, including new court buildings and accommodation for judges.
"For this, you need a meeting between the Chief Justice and the Chief Minister," he said, recalling his experiences as Chief Justice in various High Courts.
He stressed that these meetings are essential for maintaining a robust dialogue between the judiciary and the government.
"We must understand that the work of all three branches is dedicated to the same goal—the betterment of the nation. As long as we trust this process, we must accept that there has to be continued dialogue," he stated.
He also mentioned that judges sometimes meet political leaders at social gatherings but never discuss their judicial work in those contexts.
The video of Narendra Modi attending the Puja celebration alongside the CJI and his wife Kalpana Das sparked a massive controversy with several opposition leaders and senior Supreme Court judges expressing concern over the event.
Senior advocate and former Additional Solicitor General, Indira Jaising took to platform X to urge the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) to condemn the event. She asserted that such public displays blur the lines between the judiciary and the executive.
“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 independence of the CJI from the Executive @ Kapil Sibal,” Jaising wrote.
Rajya Sabha MP and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut took to platform X to state: "If a custodian of the Constitution meets politicians, it can create doubts in the minds of the people."