New Delhi [India], December 10 : DMK MP Kanomozhi on Wednesday justified the INDIA bloc's move to impeach Madras High Court Judge Justice GR Swaminathan, alleging "biased judgements on lines of religion" and "partiality towards certain lawyers."
Speaking to ANI, Kanomozhi stressed the country's secular nature, in which everyone is treated as equal, and reminded the judiciary of its responsibility to ensure this.
"We've seen that his judgments have been biased on the lines of religion and creating differences in people and also been partial towards certain lawyers. It's a secular country, and the constitution says that everybody is equal, whatever religion they belong to; they are equal before the law. I think the judicial system, the judiciary too, has to ensure that the people get justice, and there's no difference in that," she said.
"Unfortunately, one particular person cannot make the people of this country lose faith in the judicial system and what is enshrined in the Constitution. One thing we would like to make clear is that the majority population in Tamil Nadu is Hindu. Whatever the schemes of the Tamil Nadu government have been for the majority also," she added.
Over 100 INDIA bloc MPs from Lok Sabha submitted a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla regarding an impeachment motion against Justice Swaminathan, who ordered the lighting of a traditional lamp at a stone pillar near a dargah, atop a hillock in Tamil Nadu. Justice Swaminathan's move drew criticism from the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government, which accused the judge of being "biased."
DMK MP Tiruchi Siva, speaking about the move, said, "We have given impeachment notice based on 13 charges against Justice GR Swaminathan with signatures of 107 MPs of Lok Sabha. These 13 charges against him are not new. These were levelled at him in August, and a petition signed by 50 MPs from both Houses was submitted to the President of India and the Chief Justice of India. We are waiting for the Speaker to make the right decision."
Weighing in on the matter, Retired High Court Judge Hari Parandaman said, "Our appeal is that, since an impeachment motion is given, the matters relating to the Thiruparankundram case, Dindigul case and Kanyakumari case should be posted before some other judge by the Chief Justice. The Chief Justice can post any matter before any judge."
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske slammed Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) for consenting to impeach Justice Swaminathan.
"It is very sad that the people who call themselves the dynasts of Balasaheb Thackeray have also written against the judge who gave the verdict to lamp diyas at the Thirupparankundram hill near the Dargah," he said.
An unrest broke out during the Hindu festival of Karthigai Deepam last week, when activists from right-wing groups clashed with police after state government officials failed to light the sacred lamp at the hilltop stone lamp pillar. The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court had earlier directed that the lamp be lit at the hilltop temple.
Acting on a petition filed by a right-wing activist, Justice G.R. Swaminathan had instructed state authorities to ensure that the sacred lamp was lit atop the hill. However, government officials maintained that this violated the longstanding practice of lighting the lamp at the nearby Deepa Mandapam, a ritual observed for several years.