'To browbeat and bully others is vintage Congress culture': PM posts after 600 lawyers write to CJI on attempts to influence judiciary

"To browbeat and bully others is vintage Congress culture. Five decades ago, they itself had called for a 'committed judiciary' - they shamelessly want commitment from others for their selfish interests, but desist from any commitment towards the nation," PM Modi said in a post on the microblogging website X.

"No wonder, 140 crore Indians are rejecting them," PM Modi said.

His post comes after over 600 lawyers in India, including senior advocates Harish Salve and Pinky Anand, have expressed concerns regarding efforts by a "special interest group" to exert influence on the judiciary, media reports said.

In a letter addressed to Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, these lawyers have raised concerns about alleged pressure tactics employed by this group to influence judicial decisions, especially in matters related to political figures and accusations of corruption.

"These actions pose a significant threat to the democratic fabric and the trust placed in judicial processes," the lawyers further said in the letter under the subject head "Threat to judiciary".

Union Minister and Arunachal West candidate Kiren Rijiju said sane voices are openly coming out now, referring to the letter by the lawyers.

"These Congress people coined the concept of committed judiciary and suspended Indian Constitution. The Congress and leftists want courts and constitutional authorities to serve them or else they immediately start attacking the very institutions," Rijiju said.

Responding to Modi's post, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the Prime Minister's comments "is the height of hypocrisy".

"The PM's brazenness in orchestrating and coordinating an attack on the judiciary, in the name of defending the judiciary, is the height of hypocrisy. The Supreme Court has delivered body blows to him in recent weeks. The electoral bonds scheme is but one example..." Ramesh said in a post on X.

"All that the Prime Minister has done in the last 10 years is divide, distort, divert, and defame. 140 crore Indians are waiting to give him a befitting reply very soon," the Congress leader said.