Mumbai, Jan 15 (IANS): The nation must back the four Supreme Court judges who have spoken up boldly in favour of justice and national interest, the Shiv Sena said on Monday.

On January 12, four apex court judges alleged that "truth and democracy are being throttled in the Supreme Court" and took on the Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra.

This has triggered an open debate on whether the Chief Justice was indeed under pressure in sensitive political cases and whether impartial judges were being kept away from such matters, the Sena said.

Questions are being raised on what exactly are these 'sensitive cases' and what compelled Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Kurian Joseph, Justice M.B. Lokur and Justice J. Chelameshwar to address the media.

In a restrained editorial in the party mouthpieces Saamana and Dopahar Ka Saamana, the Sena said with the four judges coming out in the open, the secrets of the apex court had been exposed and now "everybody can breathe freely".

Targeting its ally the BJP, the Sena said if a similar thing had happened during the Congress-led UPA regime, the BJP and others would have raised a huge hue and cry over threats to democracy and judiciary.

The Sena said it feared that the four judges may now be at the receiving end for highlighting the truth before the country.

"Tomorrow, they will be branded as Congress agents, then a 'foreign hand' will be blamed for their revolt, and later they will be declared 'Naxalites' and defamed. The rule of law is finished," the Sena said.

"People who once accused Indira Gandhi of interfering with the judiciary are in power now and their actions vis-a-vis Constitutional posts seem to suggest that Indira Gandhi was an 'extremely humane and democratic' leader," the Sena pointed out.

Referring to the justice system in the ancient Roman and Indian contexts, it said the Goddess of Justice is shown with her eyes covered and a sword with which justice is rendered irrespective of the person standing before her (blindfolded) eyes.

"After the media revelations by the four senior judges, it is suspected that the Goddess of Justice occasionally peeps out to see the political party or leader before delivering the verdict.

"The judges who have been dispensing justice to all had nobody to turn to for justice, hence they chose to go to the people's court. It's a courageous step and in the interest of the country and the nation should stand up with them," the Sena said.