Action awaited on impeachment notice in RS against HC judge Yadav for 'unacceptable remarks': Cong

New Delhi, Jun 9 (PTI) The Congress on Monday said action is awaited on a notice moved in the Rajya Sabha in December last year for the impeachment of Allahabad High Court Judge Shekhar Kumar Yadav for making "unacceptable remarks with a deliberate communal intent" in a public function.

The opposition party's assertion came over a media report which claimed that the Supreme Court was preparing to initiate an in-house inquiry into Yadav's controversial speech at a VHP event last year, but dropped the plan after receiving a categorical letter from the Rajya Sabha secretariat that asserted exclusive jurisdiction over the matter.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "Way back on December 13, 2024, as per rules 55, opposition MPs had submitted an impeachment motion to the Chairman, Rajya Sabha against a sitting judge of the Allahabad High Court for making provocative and unacceptable remarks with a deliberate communal intent in a public function." "Action on this is still awaited," Ramesh said in a post on X and also shared the media report.

Members of several opposition parties on December 13 had moved the notice in the Upper House for the impeachment of Allahabad High Court Judge Yadav over his controversial remarks at a VHP event.

The notice for moving the impeachment motion was signed by 55 opposition MPs, including Ramesh, Kapil Sibal, Vivek Tankha, Digvijaya Singh, John Brittas, Manoj Kumar Jha and Saket Gokhale.

These MPs had met the Rajya Sabha secretary general and handed over the notice for impeachment a few minutes before the start of the day's proceedings.

The notice for the motion was moved under the Judges' (Inquiry) Act, 1968, and Article 218 of the Constitution, seeking initiation of proceedings for impeachment of Justice Yadav.

The notice mentioned that the speech/lecture delivered by Justice Yadav during an event organised by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) prima facie showed that he "engaged in hate speech and incitement to communal disharmony in violation of the Constitution of India".

The notice also mentioned that the judge prima facie showed that he targeted minorities and displayed bias and prejudice against them.

At a VHP function on December 8, Justice Yadav said the main aim of a uniform civil code was to promote social harmony, gender equality and secularism.

A day later, videos of the judge speaking on provocative issues, including the law working according to the majority, were circulated widely on social media, prompting strong reactions from several quarters, including opposition leaders. PTI ASK KVK KVK