The Union government heeded by BJP on Monday notified the appointment of advocate L Victoria Gowri as an additional judge of the Madras High Court.
This comes even as a petition was moved before the Supreme Court by lawyers from Tamil Nadu challenging the Collegium recommendation to appoint Gowri as a judge.
The petition was mentioned before Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud for urgent listing. The CJI said that it will be heard on Friday this week.
Gowri has been in the eye of the storm ever since the Collegium recommended her elevation to the Madras High Court on January 17.
This kicked off discussion in legal circles and on social media about Gowri’s credentials and her alleged affiliation to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
An unverified Twitter account allegedly belonging to Gowri claimed in its bio that she was the National General Secretary of BJP Mahila Morcha. A tweet from this handle, posted on August 31, 2019, says, “I just joined the BJP, you too can join the BJP and join hands to help create a New India!”
Pertinently, her remarks against Islam and Christianity which are available on YouTube also kicked up a storm.
In a video from February 2018, titled More Threat to National Security & Peace? Jihad or Christian Missionary? – Answers Victoria Gowri, Gowri is seen saying,
“Like Islam is green terror, Christianity is white terror.”
“Christian groups are more dangerous than Islam groups. Both are equally dangerous in the context of love jihad,” Gowri can be heard saying in the interview.
In the other interview from June 5, 2018, Gowri said, among other things, that “Bharatanatyam should not be danced for Christian songs.”
A group of 22 lawyers then wrote to the President of India and the Chief Justice of India (CJI) registering their protest against the proposed elevation.
