Markandey Katju

Justice Katju’s Critique: The Judiciary, Chandrachud, and the Places of Worship Act in Crisis”

The crass dishonesty of former CJI Chandrachud

The recent controversies surrounding mosque and dargah surveys in India have sparked sharp criticism from Justice Katju, who alleges judicial dishonesty and complicity with the BJP in undermining the Places of Worship Act, 1991. He specifically condemns former CJI Chandrachud’s perceived sleight of hand in allowing such surveys, warning of the socio-political damage these actions may cause. Highlighting the Jama Masjid case in Sambhal, Justice Katju decries the judiciary’s failure to uphold secular principles. He criticizes the Supreme Court’s reluctance to dismiss these cases outright, attributing it to political pressures, and warns of escalating tensions threatening India’s secular fabric.

The Sambhal Tragedy: Exposing the Farce of Democracy and Secularism in India

sambhal

The recent events in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, reflect the erosion of democratic and secular principles in India. A court-ordered survey of the Jama Masjid, allegedly violating the Places of Worship Act, 1991, led to protests from the local Muslim community, culminating in police firing that killed six and injured many. Opposition leaders and journalists were barred from visiting Sambhal, infringing on their constitutional rights under Article 19(1)(d). The UP government’s efforts to suppress the truth and propagate false narratives reflect authoritarian tendencies. This article critically examines the Sambhal tragedy and its broader implications on India’s democracy and secularism.

Mahua Moitra, Get Your Facts Right: My Criticism of CJI Chandrachud Began Long Before His Retirement

Mahua Moitra

Justice Markandey Katju responds to Mahua Moitra’s statement that critiques of former Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud are surfacing only after he retired. Katju describes his ongoing criticism during the tenure of Chandrachud on judgments such as Ayodhya verdict and the Gyanvapi mosque case wherein he argues, career motives overtook the integrity of the judiciary. Katju is further highlighting Chandrachud’s controversial public appearances and suo motu matters and countering Moitra with evidence of his long-continuing opposition. Thereby, this article can shine light on the many complex issues of judicial accountability and political discourse over the tenure of Chandrachud.

The US indictment against Gautam Adani

Adani Indictment

Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani, and six associates have been indicted by a US Federal Court in Brooklyn under the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. This is seen as a warning to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi due to his balancing act between the US, Russia, and China, especially after his participation in the BRICS summit. Adani, close to Modi, has dismissed the charges, stating they make him stronger. While journalist Sucheta Dalal predicts severe repercussions, some believe Modi’s ties with Donald Trump could help resolve the matter if Trump returns to power, restoring normalcy.

The crass dishonesty of former CJI Chandrachud

The crass dishonesty of former CJI Chandrachud

He was like his father Justice YV Chandrachud who gave a dishonest judgment in the ADM Jabalpur vs Shivakant Shukla case holding with the majority that a citizen has no right to life and liberty during an Emergency, so that his chance of becoming CJI may not be jeopardized. Only the brave and upright Justice HR Khanna dissented, even at the cost of losing the Chief Justiceship.

BJP led alliance’s massive victory in Maharashtra : By Justice Katju

maharashtra elections

This is also my personal experience. When I am sitting with my family members, and they are sure no Muslim is around, they often spout venom against Muslims.
I have often said that 90% Indians are gullible fools, who will follow any fraudster like Modi, like rats following the Pied Piper of Hamelin.
When a party goes to the polls it must have something to offer to the people. The BJP has Hindutva to offer, while the Congress has nothing
So it seems that the BJP will keep winning in most elections in India for a long time to come in the future.

Why I don’t contest elections

I have also said that those who call cow ‘gomata’ (mother cow) have ‘gobar’ (cow dung) in their heads, for how can an animal be the mother of a human being? Some say that cow is a ‘gomata’ as she gives us milk to drink. But humans drink milk of goats, buffaloes, camels, yaks, deer, etc. Are all these animals to be worshipped and regarded as our mothers? I regard a cow no different from other animals, like a horse or a dog.

Who should have political power in India ?

I submit it should be with the tiny section of the middle classes who have ‘declassed’ themselves, and identified themselves with the poor. In other words, it should be with the patriotic, self denying, modern minded middle class intellectuals who have done intense study of history and other subjects, and are determined to lead a mighty historical people’s struggle and people’s revolution to create a political and social order in which the standard of living of the people steadily rises, and people get decent lives.

Communalism and politics

A procession of Hindus took out a procession for immersion of the Durga idol after Durga puja on 13th October. When this procession was passing through a locality having many Muslims, some of the processionists reportedly shouted provocative statements like ”  Jab katwe maare jaayenge, Ram Ram chillaayenge ” or ” Hindustan mein agar rehna hai, Jai Shri Ram kehna hai ” etc.

Long live Salman Akram Raja !

The Constitutional amendments aim at ending the independence of the Pakistan judiciary, which was perceived by the Pakistan Establishment as an obstacle to giving it a free hand in crushing opposition in Pakistan, though the judiciary was only doing its duty of protecting and upholding the fundamental rights of the people mentioned in Articles 8 to 28 of Pakistan’s Constitution. Pakistan’s judiciary, despite its several defects, was the last bastion and bulwark standing against the forces of fascism and dictatorship in Pakistan, all other institutions having collapsed. It had therefore to be removed, just as Hitler removed all obstacles to his autocratic and dictatorial fascist rule.

Indo-Canadian dispute

The Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in Parliament that Canadian authorities had credible information of the involvement of Indian government officials in the murder of Nijjar, but the Indian government dismissed the allegation as absurd and preposterous, and motivated by the desire of Trudeau to get the Sikh vote in the forthcoming Canadian Parliamentary elections.

Why I prefer Imran Khan to Nawaz Sharif

In reply, I would like to say that Imran Khan has not criticised India but its Prime Minister Modi, whose politics consists of inciting and spreading hatred against Indian Muslims, a policy which has resulted in lynching of Indian Muslims, beating them brutally for not saying Jai Shri Ram, bulldozing their houses, and arresting and jailing scores of innocent Muslims for long periods ( e.g. Umar Khalid ). What is wrong in such criticism ? All right minded persons in India and Pakistan should do the same.

Oppression of Muslims Continues Unabated in India

The oppression of Muslims in India, a minority community constituting just 15% of the nation’s 1.4 billion population, remains a distressing reality. Despite India’s rich tradition of diversity, recent events, particularly under the governance of the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since 2014, have raised concerns over the safety and dignity of Muslims. From incidents like the Karnataka mosque intrusion to cases of lynching and wrongful imprisonment, the challenges faced by the Muslim community have intensified. These incidents have sparked debates on the responsibilities of a majority toward its minorities in a truly civilized society.

What is happening in Pakistan ?

However, the situation has changed with the emergence of China as a super power in the world. Now China has penetrated deeply into the Pakistan economy, and the US government must be very worried that the Chinese may soon penetrate into the political echelons of power in Pakistan too, which though still under US grip till today, may not so remain if the Chinese presence in Pakistan keeps expanding. 

Moeed Pirzada obfuscates

After the events of 9h May, 2023 ( which many say were stage managed ) the Pakistan army unleashed a fascist reign of terror in Pakistan, suppressing all civil liberties and human rights in Pakistan, like Gen Pinochet in Chile, or Gen Franco in Spain. About 14,000 innocent persons were arrested on trumped up charges, many beaten and tortured, and then incarcerated in jail, where they are still languishing in inhuman conditions for over an year. The judiciary, whose solemn duty is to uphold the Constitution and protect the rights and liberties of the people ( as contained in Articles 8 to 28 of the Pakistan Constitution ), has turned a Nelson’s eye to these atrocities, and become servile to the executive and its toady. The media has been largely silenced.

Communalism in India

When a Muslim is lynched in India, most Hindus are indifferent, and some even happy ( one terrorist less ! ). The same happens when a Muslim is beaten up for not saying ” Jai Shri Ram ” or his house is bulldozed. How many Hindus have raised their voice against Umar Khalid”s incarceration in jail on a trumped up charge for 4 years, and of scores of other Muslims, whose only fault was that they had Muslim names ?.

The truth about Ratan Tata

But seeing on the media an avalanche of accolades, encomiums, eulogies, panegyrics and plaudits pouring in that day and the next, as if an Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill or Lenin had died, I could not stand this nonsense, claptrap, bunkum, gobbledygook, and blah blah any longer, and was constrained to write and get published an article titled ‘Ratan Tata was only a bania’ on 10th October, which I posted on facebook and twitter