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

Chief Justice of India T S Thakur on saturday had breakfast with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a meeting that comes in the midst of tensions between government and the judiciary over judicial appointments.

Justice Thakur, who was here to the state judicial academy, drove to the Raj Bhavan and greeted Modi on his 66^th birth day.  The meeting between the two lasted about half an hour, the Raj Bhavan sources said.

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

Later in the day at a function, recalling his meeting Modi, Justice Thakur said “(I) told the PM when I met him in the morning today for breakfast, that coming to Gujarat gave me such peace that once you land here, you feel you have landed in a very very peaceful place". "And who can feel these vibrations and reverberations more than those who hold high offices? Because you know so many 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 deep concern over the pendency of cases and delay in transfer and 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 the Centre over non-execution of collegium’s decision to transfer and appoint Chief Justices and judges in High Courts, saying it will not tolerate the “logjam” and would intervene to make it accountable.