BJP Criticises Rahul Gandhi for Missing Chief Justice Surya Kant’s Oath Ceremony

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for reportedly skipping the oath-taking ceremony of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, accusing the party of showing disregard for both B. R. Ambedkar and the Constitution.

Justice Surya Kant, known for his involvement in landmark rulings, including the abrogation of Article 370 and the revision of Bihar’s electoral rolls, was sworn in as the 53rd Chief Justice of India on Monday.

The oath was administered by President Droupadi Murmu in a brief ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan, attended by senior leaders including Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla expressed strong disapproval of Gandhi’s absence. “Today, when the entire country, particularly Haryana, was in a sense celebrating the Chief Justice of India’s oath ceremony and the entire government led by Modi ji was present, he skipped it, boycotted it,” Poonawalla said.

He further speculated, “Instead of attending this solemn programme, Rahul Gandhi may be on some foreign trip or jungle safari. It shows that his family, particularly him, talk about ‘samvidhan’ (Constitution of India), but they don’t respect Ambedkar and ‘samvidhan’.” The BJP spokesperson added that the Congress prioritizes “parivaar tantra” (family system) over “loktantra” (democracy) and the “samvidhan tantra” (constitutional system).

Justice Kant, who succeeds Justice B. R. Gavai, took the oath in Hindi, invoking God. He is expected to serve as CJI for nearly 15 months, until February 9, 2027, when he reaches the retirement age of 65.

With PTI inputs