More Than a Gown and Gavel: A Judge's Powerful Defense of His Personal Life:

Former Chief Justice of India, D.Y. Chandrachud, has addressed the criticism surrounding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to his home for Ganesh Puja last year, stating plainly that his personal faith is his own and that the visit was simply a matter of "constitutional courtesy."

The issue sparked a debate when PM Modi attended the religious ceremony at the then-CJI's residence Critics, including some opposition leaders and senior lawyers, questioned the meeting, suggesting it blurred the line between the judiciary and the executive branch of the government.

In a recent public address, Chandrachud pushed back against the controversy, calling the objections "unnecessary, unwarranted, and illogical.He explained that the criticism came from two angles. "The first category of people had a problem that I openly accepted the fact that I perform a puja," he said. “I make no bones of the fact that I'm a devout Hindu, that I'm committed to my faith.”

He was firm in his stance that personal belief does not interfere with professional duty. Chandrachud clarified that the Indian Constitution does not require a judge to be an atheist to be independent "Though each of us as judges are entitled to pursue our own faith, the justice which we do is even-handed among communities," he asserted.

Regarding the Prime Minister's visit itself, the former Chief Justice dismissed any concerns about compromised judicial independence. He explained that interactions between high-level constitutional functionaries are normal and do not involve discussions about court cases The Prime Minister visits the homes of judges when there's a marriage in the family," he noted, adding that such visits are simply part of the “elementary courtesies of constitutional office.”

Ultimately, Chandrachud stated, the focus should be on a judge's work and their rulings. "The ultimate test is this: How is that person performing as a judge?