CJI T S Thakur meets PM Modi, extends B'day greetings

Chief Justice of IndiaT S Thakur on saturday had breakfast with Prime MinisterNarendra Modi, a meeting that comes in the midst of tensionsbetween government and the judiciary over judicialappointments.

Justice Thakur, who was here to the state judicialacademy, drove to the Raj Bhavan and greeted Modi on his 66^thbirth day.  The meeting between the two lasted about half anhour, the Raj Bhavan sources said.

“CJI Shri Thakur met Narendra Modi and extendedbirthday greetings to the Prime Minister,” PMO India said onTwitter. Modi on his personal Twitter handle said, “met CJIShri Thakur. I thank him for his kind wishes.”

Later in the day at a function, recalling his meetingModi, Justice Thakur said “(I) told the PM when I met him inthe morning today for breakfast, that coming to Gujarat gaveme such peace that once you land here, you feel you havelanded in a very very peaceful place". "And who can feel these vibrations and reverberationsmore than those who hold high offices? Because you know somany things get connected to the office you hold. Therefore,I would say that I am lucky to be here with you this morning,and to share my thoughts with you,” he told the audience.

In the recent past, Justice Thakur had expressed deepconcern over the pendency of cases and delay in transferand appointment of judges in high courts.

Observing that justice delivery system is “collapsing”,the Supreme Court had on August 12 sent out a message to theCentre over non-execution of collegium’s decision to transferand appoint Chief Justices and judges in High Courts, sayingit will not tolerate the “logjam” and would intervene to makeit accountable.