Justice Chandrachud’s remarks may justify curative plea against Ayodhya verdict: Prof. Mohan Gopal
New Delhi: Legal scholar Professor Mohan Gopal has said that former Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud’s recent comments on the Babri Masjid dispute may provide sufficient grounds to seek a curative petition against the Supreme Court’s 2019 Ayodhya judgment.
Speaking at the CH Mohammed Koya National Seminar at the University of Calicut, Prof. Gopal observed that Justice Chandrachud’s remark describing the Babri Masjid’s construction as a “fundamental act of desecration” contradicted the 2019 verdict. The judgment, delivered by a five-judge Bench led by then CJI Ranjan Gogoi, had noted that there was no evidence to prove the mosque was built after demolishing a temple. Justice Chandrachud was widely believed to have authored that ruling.
Prof. Gopal argued that such inconsistency undermines confidence in the judiciary. “The ultimate responsibility of a court is to deliver judgments that inspire trust. Justice must not only be done but also be seen to be done, especially by those who lose the case,” he said, adding that the verdict stood “vitiated” in light of the former CJI’s subsequent remarks.
Calling the judgment “contrived” and “unreasoned,” Prof. Gopal also criticised the unsigned addendum as “pure theocracy.” He stressed that judges must be transparent about their ideological leanings, recalling how Justice Chinnappa Reddy openly acknowledged his Marxist beliefs.
“If Justice Chandrachud had strong beliefs about the Ayodhya issue, then he should have recused himself,” Prof. Gopal remarked. He questioned whether the judge, “a good friend and a remarkable jurist,” had shown sufficient judicial integrity by not disclosing his position during the case.
Prof. Gopal suggested that a curative petition could serve as both a legal remedy and a tool for public education. “Let us work on a curative petition and demand that the whole matter be reheard. This is the kind of reaction through which we can mould public opinion and hopefully even approach the Court to get a rehearing,” he said.
The 2019 Ayodhya verdict granted the disputed site to Hindu parties for the construction of a Ram temple while allocating an alternate plot to the Sunni Waqf Board.
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At UN, India flags concerns over targeting of vessels in Strait of Hormuz
United Nations (PTI): Targeting commercial shipping, endangering civilian crew and impeding freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is "unacceptable", India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Parvathaneni Harish has said.
Harish's remarks at a special meeting of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UNECOSOC) on safeguarding energy and supply flows came days after an India-flagged commercial vessel came under attack off the coast of Oman.
Omani authorities rescued all 14 crew members of the vessel sailing from Somalia, but it was not immediately known who carried out the strike.
In a post on X on Sunday, Harish said that at the UNECOSOC meeting, he shared India's approach to the recent energy and fertiliser crisis caused by the West Asia conflict.
"A combination of short-term and structural measures alongside international cooperation are essential to respond to the crisis," he said.
"Reiterated that targeting of commercial shipping, endangering civilian crew and impeding freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, are unacceptable. International law in this regard must be fully respected," he added.
The attack on the India-flagged vessel on May 13 took place amid the fragile situation in the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway close to the coast of Oman through which roughly one-fifth of the world's energy supplies pass.
It has been severely disrupted by the conflict in West Asia that started on February 28, with the US and Israel launching joint attacks on Iran, triggering retaliatory strikes.
Earlier, India had described the attack as "unacceptable".
At least two other Indian-flagged ships have been attacked since the conflict broke out.
According to the UNECOSOC website, the meeting, which took place on Friday, focused on “Safeguarding energy and supply flows: Supporting global development through international cooperation”.
