Victorial Gowri and Madras High Court
Five new additional judges of the Madras High Court including L Victoria Gowri will be administered oath of office at 10.35 am tomorrow.
The other judges who will sworn in are Pillaipakkam Bahukutumbi Balaji, Kandhasami Kulandaivelu Ramakrishnan, Ramachandran Kalaimathi and K Govindarajan Thilakavadi.
The swearing in of Victoria Gowri assumes significance in light of the fact that a petition challenging her appointment is slated to be heard by the Supreme Court tomorrow.
The matter is listed as item 38 before a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and MM Sundresh.
The petition has been filed by three lawyers practicing in the Madras High Court on concerns that advocate Gowri had allegedly exhibited “strong prejudice” against citizens on the ground of their religious affiliation.
“The petitioners respectfully submit that the strong prejudice shown by Respondent No. 4 [Victoria Gowri] through her vitriolic comments against Muslim and Christian citizens are antithetical to the fundamental rights enshrined in Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution of India. Such prejudice will threaten their access to justice,” stated the petition.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud had allowed urgent listing of the case stating that certain material relating to Gowri came to the Collegium’s notice only after the recommendation was made.
Gowri has been in the eye of the storm ever since the Collegium recommended her elevation to the Madras High Court on January 17.
This kicked off discussion in legal circles and on social media about Gowri’s credentials and her alleged affiliation to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
An unverified Twitter account allegedly belonging to Gowri claimed in its bio that she was the National General Secretary of BJP Mahila Morcha. A tweet from this handle, posted on August 31, 2019, says, “I just joined the BJP, you too can join the BJP and join hands to help create a New India!”
Pertinently, her remarks against Islam and Christianity which are available on YouTube also kicked up a storm.
In a video from February 2018, titled More Threat to National Security & Peace? Jihad or Christian Missionary? – Answers Victoria Gowri, Gowri is seen saying,
“Like Islam is green terror, Christianity is white terror.”
“Christian groups are more dangerous than Islam groups. Both are equally dangerous in the context of love jihad,” Gowri can be heard saying in the interview.
In the other interview from June 5, 2018, Gowri said, among other things, that “Bharatanatyam should not be danced for Christian songs.”
A group of lawyers then wrote to the President of India and the Chief Justice of India (CJI) registering their protest against the proposed elevation.
Subsequently, some lawyers from Madurai also wrote to the CJI in support of Gowri.
