Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the residence of Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud on Wednesday to attend ‘Ganpati Puja’ celebration has sparked a controversy with senior Supreme Court judges and some opposition leaders expressing concern over the event, the BJP and its ally hit out at the opposition parties on Thursday, calling their reactions “reckless” and said casting “baseless aspersions” on the highest court sets a dangerous precedent. The BJP reminded the Congress of the time when in 2009, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh invited then CJI, KG Balakrishnan, to attend an Iftaar party.

The video of Narendra Modi attending the Puja celebration alongside the CJI and his wife Kalpana Das has gone viral. In a video, Chandrachud and his wife Kalpana Das were seen welcoming Modi at their house. In a post on X, PM Modi shared his experience stating, “May Bhagwan Shri Ganesh bless us all with happiness, prosperity, and wonderful health”.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here, Lok Sabha MP and national spokesperson 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.

Sharing pictures of Singh in a candid laugh with Balakrishnan, BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla, in an X post, wrote, “Judiciary is safe”. “PM Modi attends Ganesh Puja at current CJI House – oh God Judiciary compromised,” Ponawalla mocked the Congress in his post.

“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 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. 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.

 “When verdicts favour them, the opposition praises the Supreme Court’s credibility, but when things don’t go their way, they conveniently claim the judiciary is compromised,” he charged in a post on X.

 Casting such baseless aspersions on the highest court sets a dangerous precedent, he added. “This reckless attempt to undermine the credibility of the CJI by the opposition is not only irresponsible but also damaging to the institution’s integrity. India’s politics is taking an ugly turn,” Deora said.

Meanwhile, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha said Prime Minister Modi attending the Ganpati Puja ceremony at the CJI’s residence sends out a message that makes one “uncomfortable”, adding independence of institutions “should be visible”. “Independence of every institution should not be just theoretical, it should be visible. Ganpati Puja is a very personal issue, you’re going there with a camera. The message being sent out makes one uncomfortable,” Jha said. He wondered why Prime Minister Modi and the CJI released the photographs of the event.