CJI Gavai was in Maharashtra for the first time after his recent appointment as the 52nd Chief Justice of India. He was there to attend a felicitation ceremony organized by the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa on Sunday at Dadar, Mumbai. 

"Only one thing I want to say at this point is: we say the three pillars of democracy are equal and every organ of the institution must reciprocate and give respect to other organs," CJI Gavai said in Marathi, addressing a gathering that included top court judges and other key members of the Bombay Bar.

CJI clarified that he was not insisting on protocol, but emphasized the importance of other pillars of democracy showing respect to the judiciary.

"If the Chief Secretary of the state, DGP or Mumbai Police Commissioner do not want to come (to receive) when the CJI — who is from Maharashtra — has arrived for the first time, it’s up to them to think about it. I'm not insisting on protocol, but it is about respect by other organs of the institution to the judiciary. When a chief of an organ of the Constitution is visiting the state for the first time, and he too belongs to that state, whether the treatment given was right or not — they themselves should think. I don't want go much into small things. But I mentioned it because people should know."

Pertinently, shortly after CJI made these comments, Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik, DGP Rashmi Shukla, and Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti were seen accompanying him during his visit to Chaitya Bhoomi, the memorial of Dr BR Ambedkar at Dadar, suggesting a course correction by the administration.

The felicitation ceremony was chaired by Chief Justice Alok Aradhe of the Bombay High Court and was attended by Supreme Court judges Justice Surya Kant, Justice Abhay S Oka, Justice Dipankar Datta, and Justice Prasanna B Varale; Kerala High Court Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar; Bombay High Court judges Justice A S Chandurkar and Justice Revati Mohite-Dere; Bar Council of India Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra; Additional Solicitor General Anil C Singh; and Advocate General of Goa Devidas Pangam.