NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday attacked Congress and other opposition parties for questioning his Ganesh Puja with Chief Justice of India ( CJI ) D Y Chandrachud and compared his "power-hungry" critics to Britishers who used to hate Ganesh Utsav.
"The Britishers who followed the policy of divide and rule used to hate Ganesh Utsav. Even today, the power hungry people who are busy in dividing and breaking the society are having problem with Ganesh Puja. You must have seen that the people of Congress and its ecosystem are angry because I participated in Ganesh Puja," PM Modi said at a rally in Bhubaneswar in an apparent reference to opposition criticism for visiting the residence of CJI D Y Chandrachud for Ganesh Puja rituals.
"Ganesh Utsav is not just a festival of faith for our country. Ganesh Utsav played a very important role in the independence of our country. When the British were trying to divide the country in their hunger for power, making the country fight on the basis of castes, poisoning the society, divide and rule became their weapon then Lokmanya Tilak awakened the soul of India through public events of Ganesh Utsav. Our religion teaches us to unite by rising above high and low, discrimination," the Prime Minister added.
The Congress reacted sharply to PM Modi's attack and accused him of misusing religion for politics. As Maharashtra elections are around the corner, the PM decided to go with an elaborate camera crew for Ganesh Puja to Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud's house in "contravention of all principles of judicial separation", the grand old party said. The Congress also said such proximity between the chiefs of the executive and the judiciary raises doubts about the PM's intentions.
Reacting to the prime minister's remarks, Congress general secretary, in-charge organisation, K C Venugopal, said, "The difference between true bhakti and misuse of religion for politics is not hidden from anyone."
"Just when Maharashtra elections are around the corner, the non-biological PM decides to go with an elaborate camera crew, in full Maharashtrian attire, for the Ganesh Puja. Not only that, this is to the CJI's house, in contravention of all principles of judicial separation. Did the PM not think about what message goes across?" Venugopal said.
A massive political row had erupted after PM Modi shared a video of his visit to DY Chandrachud's home for Ganesh Puja. A section of opposition leaders criticised the meeting and held that it did not send the right message. Several opposition leaders and some lawyers of the Supreme Court reacted sharply to Modi attending the puja at the CJI's residence.
"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 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.
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.
NCP (SP) leader and Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule had said that she was surprised to see Prime Minister Narendra Modi visit Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud's residence, but added that she had "full faith" in the Indian judiciary.
"The Britishers who followed the policy of divide and rule used to hate Ganesh Utsav. Even today, the power hungry people who are busy in dividing and breaking the society are having problem with Ganesh Puja. You must have seen that the people of Congress and its ecosystem are angry because I participated in Ganesh Puja," PM Modi said at a rally in Bhubaneswar in an apparent reference to opposition criticism for visiting the residence of CJI D Y Chandrachud for Ganesh Puja rituals.
"Ganesh Utsav is not just a festival of faith for our country. Ganesh Utsav played a very important role in the independence of our country. When the British were trying to divide the country in their hunger for power, making the country fight on the basis of castes, poisoning the society, divide and rule became their weapon then Lokmanya Tilak awakened the soul of India through public events of Ganesh Utsav. Our religion teaches us to unite by rising above high and low, discrimination," the Prime Minister added.
The Congress reacted sharply to PM Modi's attack and accused him of misusing religion for politics. As Maharashtra elections are around the corner, the PM decided to go with an elaborate camera crew for Ganesh Puja to Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud's house in "contravention of all principles of judicial separation", the grand old party said. The Congress also said such proximity between the chiefs of the executive and the judiciary raises doubts about the PM's intentions.
Reacting to the prime minister's remarks, Congress general secretary, in-charge organisation, K C Venugopal, said, "The difference between true bhakti and misuse of religion for politics is not hidden from anyone."
"Just when Maharashtra elections are around the corner, the non-biological PM decides to go with an elaborate camera crew, in full Maharashtrian attire, for the Ganesh Puja. Not only that, this is to the CJI's house, in contravention of all principles of judicial separation. Did the PM not think about what message goes across?" Venugopal said.
A massive political row had erupted after PM Modi shared a video of his visit to DY Chandrachud's home for Ganesh Puja. A section of opposition leaders criticised the meeting and held that it did not send the right message. Several opposition leaders and some lawyers of the Supreme Court reacted sharply to Modi attending the puja at the CJI's residence.
"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 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.
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.
NCP (SP) leader and Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule had said that she was surprised to see Prime Minister Narendra Modi visit Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud's residence, but added that she had "full faith" in the Indian judiciary.
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