SC asks Allahabad HC to give details of judge’s disputed remarks at VHP function

Taking note of the conduct of Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav of the Allahabad High Court over his speech at a VHP event in which he allegedly endorsed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and made certain controversial remarks against Muslims, the Supreme Court on Tuesday called for details from the high court.

Justice Yadav had ‘endorsed’ UCC

• In his speech at a VHP event on Sunday, Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav of the Allahabad HC had allegedly endorsed the Uniform Civil Code and made certain controversial remarks against Muslims
• Senior advocate and RS MP Kapil Sibal called for Justice Yadav’s removal as a judge
• Sibal said he would soon bring a motion of impeachment against Justice Yadav
• Srinagar MP Ruhullah Mehdi also said he would move an impeachment motion

“The Supreme Court has taken note of newspaper reports of a speech given by Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav, a sitting judge of the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad. The details and particulars have been called from the high court and the matter is under consideration (sic),” an official statement issued by the top court said.

Senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal called for Justice Yadav’s removal as a judge over his alleged remarks against Muslims. Sibal said he, along with other MPs, would soon bring a motion of impeachment against Justice Yadav and expressed the hope that the Prime Minister, the Home Minster and other leaders and MPs would also support action against Justice Yadav.

Earlier, alleging breach of judicial ethics and constitutional principles of impartiality and secularism by Justice Yadav, SC lawyer and convener of the Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms Prashant Bhushan wrote to CJI Sanjiv Khanna seeking an “in-house inquiry” into his conduct.

In a purported video of his speech widely circulated on social media, Justice Yadav can be seen saying that the law should work according to the majority.

Condemning Justice Yadav’s remarks, the Bar Association of India called upon him to retract his statements and tender an apology. It also urged the CJI and companion judges of the SC to deal with this issue in a stern and emphatic manner.

“The Bar Association of India disapproves and condemns the recent remarks made by a high court judge while giving a lecture at an event organised by the legal cell of an organisation,” the association said in a statement.

However, it was not clear if the SC would take up Justice Yadav’s matter on the judicial side — as was done in the case of Justice Srishananda — or invoke the “in-house procedure” on the administrative side to deal with the issue.