Dear Messrs So-and-so, CJI DY Chandrachud is a Hindu, and he has every right to be

The song “Something Just Like This,” released in 2017 by the American electronic music duo The Chainsmokers and the British rock band Coldplay, became a major hit, with its lyrics playing a significant role in its success. The words resonated deeply with listeners. In the opening verse, sung by Chris Martin of Coldplay, the lyrics go: 

“I’ve been reading books of old, the legends and the myths; Achilles and his gold, Hercules and his gifts; Spider-Man’s control and Batman with his fists; And clearly, I don’t see myself upon that list.”

Here, the boy expresses a longing for superhero-like abilities, which struck a chord with many, including myself. As children, we often dream of possessing supernatural powers. However, as I grew older, I realized that I already have a kind of “supernatural power” within me—a power shared by 1.2 billion others on this planet.

Yupp, we 1.2 billion people on this mother earth seem to have got the “supernatural power” to offend a million others simply by practicing our faith that is Hinduism and by exercising the right granted to us under the Article 25 of the Indian Constitution.This “power” isn’t limited to ordinary citizens—even the Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud, shares it.

Pointing fingers upon CJI for practising his religion 

Chief Justice DY Chandrachud is a practicing Hindu, and he has every right to be. Article 25 of the Indian Constitution guarantees him the freedom to practice and profess his religion. However, for some, his exercise of this right is perceived as a transgression, with claims that it undermines the secular fabric of the nation. 

On 20th of October, Chief Justice of India while addressing the residents of the Kanhersar village in Maharashtra revealed that he sought divine guidance for a resolution during the Ram Janmabhoomi dispute for a resolution. 

“Very often, we have cases (to adjudicate) but don’t arrive at a solution. Something similar happened during the Ayodhya dispute, which was in front of me for three months. I sat before the deity and told him he needs to find a solution. Believe me, if you have faith, God will always find a way.” CJI Chandrachud asserted 

This triggered the entropy of a particular ecosystem. With fiery indignation, many took to social media to criticize CJI DY Chandrachud for seeking divine guidance. Some began to question the credibility of his past verdicts, while others attempted to link him to the Sangh Parivar. There were those who labeled him spineless simply for practicing his religion. In response, a flurry of articles and videos emerged, with some going to great lengths to argue that the Ayodhya judgment was compromised. A few like Samajwadi Leader Ram Gopal Yadav even resorted to vile abuse directed at the Honourable Chief Justice of India.

Siddharth Varadarajan’s baseless commentary on CJI DY Chandrachud

Siddharth Varadarajan, a far-left journalist and one of the founding editors of The Wire appeared visibly unsettled by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud’s exercise of Article 25 of the Constitution. So much so that he released a video on YouTube, spanning 7 minutes and 52 seconds, in a failed attempt to discredit the Ayodhya verdict. Titled, *”Sorry, Chief Justice Chandrachud! You don’t need to blame God for your own awful Ayodhya Judgement”*, the video showcased Varadarajan’s efforts to falsely portray the Ayodhya judgment as compromised, using the CJI’s prayer as the foundation for his arguments.

Throughout the nearly eight-minute video, Varadarajan casts doubt on the integrity of all five judges involved in delivering the verdict in favor of Ram Janmabhoomi. He goes further by attempting to draw tenuous links between former CJI Ranjan Gogoi’s appointment to the Rajya Sabha, CJI Chandrachud’s elevation, Justice Abdul Nazeer’s governorship in Andhra Pradesh, and Justice Ashok Bhushan’s role as Chairperson of the NCLAT, suggesting these were rewards from the central government for a compromised verdict. 

Such assertions are both absurd and laughable. Varadarajan would do well to study the judgment in depth and examine the substantial evidence presented before the apex court, which ultimately guided the decision in favor of Ram Janmabhoomi. 

When faced with difficult decisions, it is natural to seek guidance from the divine, who transcends the material world. Prayer helps lift us beyond worldly struggles, allowing us to approach decisions with clarity and peace of mind. This is exactly what Chief Justice DY Chandrachud did. Faced with delivering a resolution in one of India’s most controversial cases, he sought divine assistance to gain the courage and insight needed to reach the correct verdict. Expecting far-left propaganda journalists like Siddharth Varadarajan to grasp this concept, however, may be asking too much.

Justice Markandey Katju, Former Supreme Court who somehow manages to be in the spotlight often with his controversial, absurd remarks too commented upon the statement of Chief Justice. He accused CJI Chandrachud of being ambitious. He alleged that CJI Chandrachud had aspirations of becoming the Chief Justice and therefore he could not dissent and gave the judgement in favour of the Ram Janmbhoomi. 

Om Thanvi, the former editor of Jansatta and the advisory board member of the Muslim mirror took to twitter to write “फ़र्ज़ कीजिए कि जज साहब मुस्लिम होते और उन्होंने अल्लाह में भरोसा जताते हुए अयोध्या-बाबरी मामले में अल्लाह से मार्गदर्शन लिया होता?” which roughly translates to “Suppose CJI Chandrachud would have been a Muslim and he would have expressed faith in Allah and taken guidance from Allah in the Ayodhya-Babri case?” 

Om Thanvi, must remember that Justice Abdul Nazeer was one of the five judges in the bench which gave the verdict of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case. Justice Abdul Nazeer who is a muslim by faith gave judgement in favour of Ram Janmabhoomi. This translates that the verdict of the Ram Mandir was delivered purely on the premise of the evidence presented in favour of Ram Janmabhoomi and not on the basis of the faith the judges of the bench came from. 

Attempt of creating distrust among Indians

The so-called ecosystem has long relied on its familiar tactic of blaming institutions whenever outcomes fail to align with its agenda. For them, democracy functions only when the results favor the ideology they uphold. Whether it be the Election Commission, the Legislature, or the Judiciary, no institution of the Indian state has been spared from accusations of undermining democracy. The ecosystem’s efforts to sow distrust in the minds of the people regarding these institutions are clear. We have seen how things have turned outside down for our neighboring countries. There is foreign intervention which Prime Minister Modi recently indicated and there is no more effective way to destabilize a nation than by eroding public trust in its institutions.

CJI Chandrachud was attacked simply for practising his faith. ISRO Chief was attacked for the same reason. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has to face thousands of such attacks daily for the same. CJI DY Chandrachud has faced criticism simply for practicing his faith, and the same has happened to ISRO’s Chief and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It appears that this ecosystem is suggesting that Hindus should not occupy high office, as their beliefs might interfere with their professional responsibilities. Should prominent positions only be reserved for those who identify as atheists? Is it acceptable to strip Hindus, who serve as public servants, of their constitutional right under Article 25? According to this ecosystem, Hindus are to be prohibited from practicing their faith, while prayer houses and Iftar parties are deemed essential to uphold the secular fabric of the nation.