"Urdu had the greatest poetry in the world," Justice Katju said yesterday at a seminar of 'Urdu Heritage Carvan', which aims at saving and promoting the language.
Katju said he has studied works of many poets in various languages but no one could match Urdu poetry.
"Our fathers and forefathers used to be conversant in Urdu, which was the language of all educated persons," he said.
The Carvan, comprising people working for the promotion of Urdu language, arrived here following visits to New Delhi, Lucknow and Mumbai and left the city last night after a two-day stay.
During the seminar, Madhya Pradesh Governor Ram Naresh Yadav described Hindi and Urdu as "sisters."
"Urdu was born and brought up in India and had played a vital role during the country's freedom struggle," Yadav said, adding that it would be unjustified to associate Urdu with any particular community and caste.
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Noted Urdu poet Waseem Barelvi described efforts to link Urdu with a particular community as "cultural corruption" and that the very meaning of Hindustan is secularism.
All India Urdu Editors Conference president Meem Afzal said the language can be promoted only if it is linked to employment.
Urdu will gain its true position only when the country's youth and other Indian languages back it, Afzal added.