Justice Markandey Katju vs Ras Siddiqui: A Heated Debate on India-Pakistan Relations

Justice Katju’s Controversial Remarks on Benazir Bhutto

• Ras Siddiqui’s Call for India-Pakistan Friendship
• A Clash of Perspectives: Partition and Its Legacy
• The Unresolved Debate: Justice Katju Responds
• Justice Katju’s Controversial Remarks on Benazir Bhutto
• Ras Siddiqui’s Call for India-Pakistan Friendship
• A Clash of Perspectives: Partition and Its Legacy
• The Unresolved Debate: Justice Katju Responds

Despite their friendship, Justice Markandey Katju and Ras Siddiqui recently clashed over sensitive issues related to India-Pakistan relations. From debates on Benazir Bhutto’s legacy to the creation of Pakistan, explore their contrasting viewpoints in this intense exchange....

A Heated Debate on India-Pakistan Relations

My spat with Ras Siddiqui

By Justice Markandey Katju

Ras Siddiqui is a man of Pakistani origin who has spent the last 50 years or so in USA. 

Though we are friends, we had a spat recently, 

It all began with an article I wrote on the death anniversary of former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, in which I said that Benazir was a big crook

Ras responded :

Justice Sahib please devote your time to India - Pakistan goodwill/ friendship and do not write or post this kind of stuff. You are only making the problem worse.

In reply I wrote to him  :

Pakistan is a fake artificial entity ( I refuse to call it a country  )

To which Ras wrote back  :

Pakistan is a reality no matter what you call it. Indians and Pakistanis have to live with each other. Only in harmony can we think of moving on.

I then sent him a series of messages, given below  :

Pakistan ek Farzi Mulk hai

Justice Markandey Katju: A call to Indian patriots

There can never be harmony and good relations between India and Pakistan. Partition of India and creating an Islamic state called Pakistan was done by the British, using those rascals Gandhi and Jinnah as their main agents, to ensure that there is hostility between India and Pakistan, and enmity between Hindus and Muslims, so that united India does not emerge as a modern industrial giant, like USA or China, for which it has all the potential, 

If there is harmony and good relations between India and Pakistan then the very purpose for creating Pakistan will cease to exist  and it will soon reunite with India under a secular government

I also sent him this article I wrote many years ago which was published in a well-known Pakistani newspaper

The truth about Pakistan

Ras has not yet responded 

(Justice Katju is a retired judge of the Supreme Court of India. These are his personal views.)