Eating biryani on the Ganga is not a crime ! : CJI Ujjal Bhuyan

Supreme Court Justice Ujjal Bhuyan makes a statement at a public programme

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) – “Eating chicken biryani on a boat in the Ganga is not a crime, nor can it be a crime; however, people who did so were arrested and had to spend three months in prison,” said Supreme Court Justice Ujjal Bhuyan here. He was speaking at the fourth Justice G.P. Singh Memorial Lecture at the National Law Institute University here.

Justice Bhuyan further said :

1. The right to express one’s views and hold peaceful protests falls within the fundamental freedoms of citizens. Debate is the soul of democracy; however, ordinary acts are increasingly being given a criminal character.

2. Those protesting against environmental destruction are driven away as though they were criminals. Students protesting on college campuses themselves are arrested.

3. Courts are sensitive and do grant bail; however, it is often granted late. The stringent conditions imposed while granting bail are a matter of concern. Do such orders send a message from the courts to citizens that they should not protest?

4. The Supreme Court’s 2024 judgment against bulldozer justice was welcome; however, it came after a delay of two years.

5. While commenting on the trend of former judges entering politics after retirement, Justice Bhuyan said that there was an ideological flaw in this tendency.

Criticism of a judgment does not mean criticism of judges! – Justice Bhuyan

Justice Bhuyan urged students to raise questions about institutions such as the judiciary. He said that court judgments should be examined and, if necessary, criticised. He also clarified that criticising a judgment does not mean criticising the judges.