Former Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud, has addressed the controversy surrounding his purported remark about sitting before a deity before delivering the landmark Ram Temple judgment. In an interview with veteran journalist Stephen Sackur on BBC's HardTalk, Chandrachud dismissed social media claims, emphasizing that such interpretations often misrepresent a judge's words.
"If you look at social media and try and derive what was said by a judge, you will get the wrong answer," Chandrachud stated, stressing that personal faith does not interfere with judicial independence. "Our Constitution does not require you to be an atheist to be an independent judge. I value my faith, and what it teaches me is the universality of religion. Irrespective of who comes to my court, equal and even-handed justice is dispensed."
"Our constitution does not require you to be an Atheist to be an independent judge"
— Ankur Singh (@iAnkurSingh) February 13, 2025
"I value my faith"
Tight slap to the BBC Journalist. pic.twitter.com/VHjXr5Bzif
The interview clip has since gone viral on social media, reigniting discussions on judicial impartiality. Chandrachud further explained the role of meditation and prayer in his decision-making process, saying, "Different judges have different ways to find calm and equanimity. For me, time in meditation and prayer is very important, but it teaches me to be fair to every religious group and community in the country."
His comments come in light of a past controversy. In October last year, while addressing a gathering at his native Kanhersar village in Maharashtra’s Khed taluka, Chandrachud reportedly said, "Very often we have cases to adjudicate, but we don't arrive at a solution. Something similar happened during the Ayodhya case, which was in front of me for three months. I sat before the deity and told him he needed to find a solution."
