Appointment of 'controversial' lawyer LCV Gowri as Madras HC judge: SC to hear plea on Tuesday

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a plea challenging the appointment of lawyer L Victoria Gowri as a judge of the Madras High Court. A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, and Justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala took note of the submissions of senior advocate Raju Ramachandran that the plea needed urgent hearing.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday advanced to February 7 the hearing on pleas challenging the appointment of controversial lawyer Lekshmana Chandra Victoria Gowri as a judge of the Madras High Court, soon after the Centre notified her judgeship. The petitions raised objections against the appointment of Advocate L Victoria Gowri as she is alleged to carry anti-Islam and anti-Christianity views.

The top court had earlier in the day agreed to hear on February 10 the petition against her elevation but the matter was mentioned again and the hearing was fixed for Tuesday by a bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud which said the collegium has taken note of "certain developments" after her name was recommended to the Centre.

"We have seen the plea and we have read it. There are certain developments which have taken place. Collegium has taken cognizance of what came to our notice and it was after our recommendation," CJI Chandrachud remarked when the matter was mentioned. During the second mention, the bench was apprised by senior advocate Raju Ramachandran that the Centre has notified the appointment of Gowri as an additional judge of the Madras High Court and urged for urgent intervention.

Apart from the CJI, the bench comprised Justice PS Narasimha and Justice JB Pardiwala. The court agreed to hear the matter urgently and directed to list it before an appropriate bench on Tuesday. The proposal to elevate the woman lawyer, who has been representing the Centre before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, has been mired in controversy after reports emerged about her alleged affiliation to the BJP.

Some bar members of the Madras HC had written to the CJI seeking recall of the recommendation made for appointing Gowri as an additional judge of the high court alleging she made hate speeches against Christians and Muslims. Gowri allegedly had made strong remarks against Islam and Christianity wherein she has uttered statements like "Islam is green terror and Christianity is white terror".

In one of the statements, she allegedly said that the Christian groups are "more dangerous than Islamic groups and both are equally dangerous in the context of love jihad". In another statement, she said that Bharatnatyam should not be danced for Christian songs. 'The More Threat to National Security and Peace? Jihad or Christian missionary?' and 'Cultural genocide by Christian Missionaries in Bharat-Victoria Gowri' are the interviews wherein she has made strong statements against both religions.

She also wrote in an RSS publication against Christians converting Hindus in an article titled 'Aggressive baptising destroying social harmony'. According to an unverified Twitter handle, Gowri was the National General Secretary of BJP Mahila Morcha. Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, during the day, announced the fresh appointments on Twitter and extended his best wishes to them.

A total of 11 advocates, including lawyer Gowri, and two judicial officers were on Monday appointed as additional judges in the high courts of Allahabad, Karnataka and Madras.