Advocate Lekshmana Chandra Victoria Gowri has been appointed as an additional judge of the Madras High Court (MHC) despite advocates of the Bar Council protesting against her elevation. Union Minister for Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju announced her appointment on Monday, 6 February, along with additional judges for both Allahabad and Karnataka High courts.
Victoria Gowri is a lawyer from Nagercoil in Tamil Nadu and was one of the five advocates recommended for the elevation as the judges of the MHC by the collegium on January 17. It is to be noted that a group of twenty-one advocates from the Madras High Court Bar Council had sent a representation to urge the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, as well as to the Supreme Court Collegium, voicing out concerns against the recommendation to elevate Gowri. The protesting advocates, in their representation dated February 1, 2023, said that the recommendation to elevate advocate Gowri “dents the independence of the judiciary”, and substantiated their statement with two interviews given by Gowri where she allegedly makes hate speeches against Muslims and Christians.
In one of the videos titled ‘More Threat to National Security and Peace? Jihad or Christian Missionary? - Answers Victoria Gowri’, she launches an attack against Christians. Gowri is seen saying, “At the world level, they find the Islamic group as more dangerous than Christian groups. But as far as India is concerned, I would like to say that Christian groups are more dangerous than Islamic groups. Both are equally dangerous in the context of conversion, especially love jihad. I don’t mind a Hindu marrying a Muslim - a Hindu girl marrying a Muslim boy, unless and until they are in love with each other and they are living in understanding and love. But if I am not able to find my girl with him as his wife, instead, if I find my girl in Syrian terrorist camps, I have an objection, and that is what I define as love jihad. (sic)”
In the interview, Gowri also claimed to speak from her personal experience when she said that one of her family members was converted to Christianity. Gowri is also heard saying, “Bombing is less dangerous compared to the kind of conversions being done by the aggressive Christian theologist groups (sic).” Lawyers and social activists across the state were against the proposal on her elevation, while 54 lawyers from Madurai sent another representation to the President in support of Gowri.
As per relevant provisions under the Constitution of India, the following Advocates and Judicial Officers are appointed as Additional Judges of Allahabad High Court, Karnataka High Court and Madras High Court.
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) February 6, 2023
I extend my best wishes to all of them. pic.twitter.com/IUNSiilA9D
The Madras High Court is going to have 4 more additional judges apart from Victoria Gowri, namely, Pillaipakkam Bahukutumbi Balaji, Kandhasami Kulandaivelu Ramakrishnan, Ramachandran Kalaimathi, and K Govindarajan Thilakavadi.