Twitterati have reacted with shock and anger after Supreme Court judge, Justice Arun Mishra, on Saturday heaped praises on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him an ‘internationally acclaimed visionary.’ His extraordinary praise for the leader of the country’s ruling political party prompted many to conclude that the Indian judiciary was ‘beyond repair’ now.
“India is a responsible and most friendly member of the international community under the stewardship of internationally acclaimed visionary Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi,” Justice Mishra. Incidentally, Justice Mishra is currently hearing the petition challenging the detention of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. He had given the Modi government time till 2 March to respond.
Speaking at the International Judicial Conference 2020 – ‘Judiciary and the Changing World’ at the Supreme Court, Justice Mishra also praised Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad for doing away with 1,500 ‘obsolete laws.’ According to news agency PTI, Justice Mishra said that India was a responsible and most friendly member of the international community under the ‘stewardship’ of Modi.
He called Modi’s speech at the conference ‘inspiring which would act as a ‘catalyst in initiating the deliberations and setting the agenda for the conference.’ “Dignified human existence is our prime concern. We thank the versatile genius, who thinks globally and acts locally, Shri Narendra Modi, for his inspiring speech which would act as a catalyst in initiating the deliberations and setting the agenda for the conference,” he was quoted by PTI as saying.
No sooner were his comments reported, social media -especially Twitter exploded in anger and shock with many writing obituaries for the ‘compromised’ Indian judiciary.
Such public display of sycophancy and we still expect the Supreme Court to be fair and untainted ! We are all fools https://t.co/iDIqMbinRP
— T M Krishna (@tmkrishna) February 22, 2020
Can people trust the Judiciary to be impartial when serving Justices fawn over PM #Modi in this fashion? The Judiciary is one of the most reputed Institutions of India. Such behavior is unbecoming of its highest serving members.https://t.co/CqHT04Ys2Q
— Shama Mohamed (@drshamamohd) February 22, 2020
The judiciary is compromised beyond repair. Why else will a SC judge start singing paeans for the PM?
He is literally begging for a post retirement plum post from the corrupt dictator https://t.co/FxyElKdPzk
— Vinay Kumar Dokania?? | विनय कुमार डोकानिया (@VinayDokania) February 22, 2020
Same Arun mishra who given clean chit to modi in Sahara Birla diary and continue handling every case related to modi and amit shah https://t.co/cz5Bl5Jdet
— chrome (@jaq577) February 22, 2020
DO not connect the statement to –
1. Unprecedented press conference of SC Judges was triggered due to Judge Loya PIL being allotted to the Bench of Arun Mishra J.2. His younger brother was made MP HC Judge in May 19.
3. D. Dave’s allegation of irregular orders enriching Adani https://t.co/zkVc6Cp1fY
— Adv. Manoj (@RURALINDIA) February 22, 2020
In 2017, a Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Mishra had dismissed a request for a probe against PM Modi for his involvement in the Sahara-Birla bribery case.