The Madras High Court will see the swearing-in of five new judges, including advocate L Victoria Gowri, tomorrow at 10.35 AM. The other judges who will be sworn in are Pillaipakkam Bahukutumbi Balaji, Kandhasami Kulandaivelu Ramakrishnan, Ramachandran Kalaimathi, and K Govindarajan Thilakavadi. The significance of the swearing-in of Victoria Gowri lies in the fact that a petition challenging her appointment is scheduled to be heard by the Supreme Court on the same day.
The petition has been filed by three lawyers practicing in the Madras High Court, raising concerns that Gowri has shown a “strong prejudice” against citizens based on their religious affiliation. The petitioners argue that this prejudice goes against the fundamental rights enshrined in Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution of India and will threaten citizens’ access to justice.
The case has been granted urgent listing by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, as certain information about Gowri came to the Collegium’s notice only after her recommendation was made. The case is listed as item 38 before a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and MM Sundresh.
Gowri has been the subject of controversy since her elevation to the Madras High Court was recommended by the Collegium on January 17. Legal circles and social media have been abuzz with discussions about Gowri’s credentials and alleged affiliation to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). An unverified Twitter account claimed to belong to Gowri stated in its bio that she was the National General Secretary of BJP Mahila Morcha. A tweet from the same handle, posted on August 31, 2019, encouraged others to join the BJP and help create a “New India.”
Gowri’s remarks against Islam and Christianity, available on YouTube, have also sparked controversy. In a video from February 2018, Gowri stated that “Christian groups are more dangerous than Islam groups” and that “both are equally dangerous in the context of love jihad.” In another interview from June 5, 2018, she said that Bharatanatyam should not be danced for Christian songs. A group of lawyers wrote to the President of India and the CJI to register their protest against the proposed elevation, while some lawyers from Madurai wrote in support of Gowri.
