New Delhi: A massive political row has erupted following a controversial social media post by the Kerala unit of the Congress party demanding the immediate resignation of the Chief Justice of India (CJI), Surya Kant. Although the post was subsequently deleted following the uproar, it drew a fierce backlash from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and prompted an official condemnation from the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA).
The controversy started when the Kerala Congress took to the microblogging platform X with a sharply worded message directed at the Chief Justice. The post read: “Dear Surya Kant, if law and order is not your jurisdiction, then resign right now. We will find someone who can handle it.”
This comment was reportedly a reaction to a recent observation made by the CJI stating that law and order issues do not fall under his jurisdiction. The CJI’s remark came in the backdrop of unprecedented security restrictions imposed by the Delhi Police across the national capital to counter massive protests. These demonstrations were led by leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc, who marched to the Supreme Court demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
The Congress post immediately triggered a scathing counterattack from the BJP, which accused the opposition party of threatening the country’s independent judiciary. Hitting out at the grand old party on X, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju stated, “I had said it earlier, next target of the Congress Party is Judiciary. Congress wants to destroy all the constitutional and democratic institutions of India. All Anti-India gangs are joining hands.” Rijiju added that while protesting is a citizen’s right, openly abusing constitutional authorities remains highly condemnable.
Echoing similar sentiments, BJP National Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari termed the Congress “anarchist,” alleging that the party believes the “Gandhi-Vadra family is above the Constitution.”
Amid the escalating political crossfire, the Supreme Court Bar Association stepped in to defend the judiciary. In a formal resolution issued by Honorary Secretary Pragya Baghel, the SCBA unequivocally condemned the social media posts demanding the CJI’s resignation. The lawyers’ body noted that while everyone has the right to approach the courts for legal remedies, such inflammatory statements aim to lower the dignity of the judicial institution and interfere with the administration of justice. The association appealed to the public to maintain the majesty of the Supreme Court.