Chief Justice of India T S Thakur's disappointment over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on judicial appointments in his Independence Day speech on Monday were seized upon by the opposition parties with the Congress saying he should heed the advice of the top judge.
The Congress also said Justice Thakur's remarks on the prime minister's speech were "unprecedented yet starkly true" while Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal "admired" the CJI for his "courage".
"CJI questions PM Modi for deafening silence on judicial logjam in his I-Day speech. Unprecedented yet starkly true," Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said on Twitter.
He said the Prime Minister needed to heed the Chief Justice's advice and not do petty politics on the issue.
"1.25 Billion Indians demand a solemn commitment to a fair justice system on I-Day Modi Ji! Please heed CJI's advice. No petty politics.
"75 names of HC judges cleared by SC stalled; Memorandum of Appointing Judges thwarted. Deliberate obstruction of justice by an obstinate PM," he said in a series of tweets.
Kejriwal also took to Twitter to praise the CJI.
"I really, really admire CJI's courage, conviction and his concern for justice," he tweeted.
Amid continuing standoff between the judiciary and the government, Justice Thakur expressed his disappointment that the Prime Minister did not make any mention about appointment of judges in his Independence Day address.
"I heard the popular Prime Minister for one-and-a-half hours... I expected some mention about justice also, about appointment of judges," the Chief Justice said at a function in New Delhi where Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad was present.
Displaying his unhappiness, Justice Thakur said, "I want to tell the Prime Minister only one thing, you remove poverty, create employment, bring schemes etc but also think about justice for the countrymen."