In this interview with Sreenivasan Jain, former Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud addresses criticism of some of his most controversial judgements. On Ayodhya, he insists the verdict was based on evidence, not faith. When asked why the desecration of the Babri Masjid in 1949 by Hindus didn’t go against the Hindu parties, he argued, shockingly, that the mosque’s very erection was the “fundamental act of desecration”, despite the Supreme Court judgement itself noting that there is no archaeological evidence to suggest that an earlier structure was demolished to build the mosque.

When asked about why he allowed the survey of the Gyanvapi Mosque despite the Places of Worship Act barring changes to the religious character of places of worship, Chandrachud said the site’s religious character was not a closed issue. He claimed Hindus had worshipped in the mosque’s cellar “undoubtedly through the ages” and described this claim as “undisputed”, even though the Muslim side has consistently contested the claim.