BJP’s Iftar photo sparks secularism debate after row over Modi’s Ganpati Puja visit to CJI House

As the row over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attendance at the Ganpati Puja celebrations at the residence of Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud intensified, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday reminded the Congress party of the time in 2009 when then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh invited then CJI KG Balakrishnan to an Iftar party.

BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla shared pictures of Singh openly laughing with Balakrishnan in an X-post and wrote: “Justice is assured.”

“Prime Minister Modi attends Ganesh Puja in current CJI House – oh God, judiciary is compromised,” Ponawalla mocked the Congress in his post.

A controversy erupted hours after a video showing Chandrachud and his wife Kalpana Das welcoming Modi to their home on Wednesday was widely shared on social media.

In a press conference on Thursday, BJP MP Sambit Patra also criticised the Congress party for attacking the Prime Minister’s attendance at the Ganpati celebrations at the Chief Justice of India’s house and asked if Manmohan Singh, who was present at the Iftar party with KG Balakrishnan, was fine.

Referring to Congressman Rahul Gandhi’s recent group photo, which also includes US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, Patra said, “When the Prime Minister meets the Chief Justice of India, there is a problem. But when you meet with anti-national people in the US, there is no problem.”

Patra also alleged that the party had a problem with Ganpati celebrations.

“I think they have a problem with Ganpati Puja. When Manmohan Ji organised an Iftar party during his tenure, was the CJI not invited? That is also a festival and this Ganpati is also a festival, so why the difference?” he asked.

BJP’s Andhra Pradesh vice president Vishnu Vardhan Reddy also lashed out at the venerable party, saying, “Secularism is not just about organising Iftari. Like other people, Hindus can also practice their own religion and both the CJI and the Prime Minister are Hindus. Your hatred for Hinduism cannot change that!”

India’s Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Bhupendra Yadav tweeted: “Ganpati is the God of auspicious beginnings. He is a symbol of positivity. Different parts of the country coming together to celebrate Ganesha’s greatness is a welcome sign of a healthy democracy and reflects our traditions that believe in communal celebration. Those who are full of negativity must, in the interest of societal well-being and religious harmony, refrain from denigrating occasions that are symbolic of the goodness and greatness of India’s rich traditions. Do not belittle our festivals.”

In a separate X-post, Yadav wrote, “The same people who cheer and support the PM’s presence at Iftar get a sinking feeling in their stomach when they see PM Modi performing Ganpati Poojan at the residence of CJI DY Chandrachud. Executive and judiciary praying before gods worshipped by millions of devotees across India reflects the true strength of Indian secularism. Deal with it.” (sic).

The BJP attack came after several opposition leaders and some Supreme Court lawyers reacted sharply to Prime Minister Modi’s attendance at the puja at the residence of the Chief Justice of India.

“Ganpati Utsav is being celebrated and people are visiting each other’s homes… I have no information whether the Prime Minister has visited anyone’s home,” said Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, adding, “Ganpati Utsav is being celebrated at several places in Delhi and Maharashtra, but Prime Minister Modi has chosen to visit the residence of the Chief Justice of India.”

In a post on X, senior advocate Indira Jaising said India’s Chief Justice had compromised the separation of powers between the executive and the judiciary.

“All faith in the independence of the CJI has been lost. The SCBA (Supreme Court Bar Association) must condemn this publicly displayed threat to the independence of the CJI from the executive,” she wrote.