The Union Ministry of Law and Justice has come under fire for sponsoring a badminton tournament between judges and lawyers in London, even as the government urges citizens to adopt austerity measures in response to the West Asia conflict.
Event Details
The 2nd International Bar & Bench Badminton Championship was held in London on June 7, organized by Abantika Deka, a former international badminton player and founder of Deka Events. The event was sponsored by the Law Ministry along with several corporate entities. A significant number of judges and lawyers reportedly traveled to the United Kingdom to participate.
Criticism from Activists
The event drew sharp criticism from activists, including advocate Prashant Bhushan, who posted on X: “An astounding Badminton tournament between Indian Judges & Lawyers is being sponsored in London today by the Law Ministry! Other sponsors are various corporates. Inaugurated by the CJI & Law Minister! Rs 150 judges & lawyers are participating! What happened to PM’s call for austerity? What of the code of conduct for Judges? What of the Independence of the judiciary? Abominable!”
Journalist Rajdeep Sardesai also questioned the event, writing: “INTERESTING: When it’s summer in the national capital, judges and lawyers playing badminton tournament in London with CJI as chief guest! Guess everyone is entitled to a vacation! Q is: is any tax payer monies involved in the travel?”
Soumik Sengupta of the Aam Aadmi Party added: “Indian judges and lawyers flying to London for a badminton tournament sponsored by the Law Ministry and corporates, while ordinary citizens are constantly lectured about austerity, fiscal discipline, sacrifice and nation-building. Apparently, austerity is only for the common taxpayer… Rules, ethics, cost-cutting, austerity and ‘doing more with less’ are reserved for the public. The privileged class — politicians, bureaucrats, judges, senior lawyers and assorted VIPs — appear to operate under a different rulebook altogether.”
Context of Austerity Calls
Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested a seven-point programme to mitigate the effects of the energy crisis from the West Asia conflict. He advised citizens to cancel foreign travel and destination weddings, avoid gold purchases for at least one year, encourage work from home, cut fertiliser use by 50 per cent, reduce edible oil consumption, promote carpooling and public transport, encourage the use of electric vehicles for local transport, and promote Swadeshi products.
The tournament has raised questions about the judiciary’s adherence to austerity measures and the independence of the judiciary when sponsored by the government.
