Distancing itself from the controversy surrounding the judges’ conference on Good Friday, the Government on Monday denied having any role in organising the meet on the Christian holiday and condemned ‘those’ who linked the issue to secularism.
“The judiciary has worked on festivals like Ram Navmi, Sankranti, Vinayak Chaturthi, which are ‘pious days for Hindus’ without any questions being asked. Supreme Court does not give a holiday,” said Venkaiah Naidu Parliamentary Affairs Minister. “That is the system in this country. And you say secularism is in danger. I am not able to understand that. Some people are trying to link it to the Government,” he said while addressing BJP workers at the party headquarters here.
Citing the example of the USA, he said there are 94 per cent Christians in that country but there is no holiday on Good Friday. Naidu accused the Opposition of trying to “spread disinformation” to defame BJP and the Centre.
“I feel bad about the Chief Justices’ conference held yesterday. I felt pained after some people linked it also to secularism,” Naidu said, criticising those who did so. The controversy around the judges’conference started after Supreme Court Judge Justice Kurian Joseph objected to the decision to host it on Good Friday.
He had raised the issue with Chief Justice of India Hl Dattu and had written to PM Narendra Modi to express his objection. Underlining that the conclave was not the Government’s programme, Naidu said it was the conference of Chief Justices which had been planned a year in advance.
Such conferences of Chief Justices have been held on Good Friday as retired judge KT Thomas has said, Naidu noted while addressing BJP workers at the party headquarters here.
“Seven years back, it happened (on Good Friday)...At that time Modi was not there, BJP was not there..,” he said at another function. “But to link it to secularism, I feel surprised as some outsiders, not judges, are using it to attack the Centre. This is the kind of disinformation spread by them,” he added.