Will Carry Sanatana Dharma In Heart; Hope My Title Won't Be Taken Away Before My Tenure Ends: Justice GR Swaminathan

The judge was speaking at a “Divine award” ceremony organised by the Dhara foundation. The judge lit a lamp which looked similar to the stone pillar atop Thiruparankundram hills and remarked he “hoped the lamp was not a survey stone”.

The judge also said that he believed he had 4.5 years of service left and hoped that he was not removed from his post before that. This statement comes after MPs from opposition parties moved an impeachment motion against the judge.

“I believe I have 4.5 years of service. Hopefully, they won't take away my title before that. In the remaining 4.5 years, I want to show excellence and carry Sanatana Dharma in my heart. This event has given me that confidence,” the judge said during his address.

The judge's recent order in connection with the lighting of a lamp at the Thiruparankundram Hill had caused much debate in the country. While some welcomed the judgment and opined that it protected the rights of the Hindu community, many also criticised the order for its potential to create law and order problems in the State.

On December 1, the judge ordered the management of Arulmighu Subramaniya Swamy Temple to light the lamp at 6 pm on December 3rd. A contempt petition was then moved by the Petitioner on December 03, alleging that no arrangements had been made to comply with the order. The judge then permitted the petitioner-devotee, along with 10 more persons, to light the lamp themselves. It also asked the CISF to give protection to the Petitioners.

The situation, however, turned volatile when the petitioner devotees approached the area to light the lamps. The collector imposed a prohibitory order, and the Commissioner of Police, in view of the prohibitory order, refused to allowthe  lighting of the lamp.

Though an appeal was filed, a division bench upheld the order of the single judge.

Meanwhile, members of Parliament from the DMK and other opposition parties moved a motion before the Lok Sabha Speaker seeking the impeachment of Justice GR Swaminathan on the grounds of misconduct. The opposition argued that the judge's conduct raises questions about his impartiality, transparency and secular functioning. It further alleged "favoritism" on the part of the judge towards a senior advocate and advocates from a particular community.

Following the impeachment motion, former judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts issued a statement criticising the move and terming it as a “brazen effort to browbeat judges who do not fall in line with the ideological and political expectations of a particular section of society.”