Opposition MPs Move Impeachment Motion Against Madras HC Judge GR Swaminathan

Members of Parliament from the DMK and other opposition parties have moved a motion before the Lok Sabha Speaker seeking the impeachment of Madras High Court judge Justice GR Swaminathan.

Dated December 9, this motion has been moved seeking removal of Justice Swaminathan under Article 217 read with 124 of the Constitution. The signatories (107) include DMK leaders TR Baalu, A Raja, Kanimozhi and Dayanidhi Maran, Samajwadi Party leaders Akhilesh Yadav and Dimple Yadav, Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Gaurav Gogoi and Manickam Tagore, NCPSP's Supriya Sule, Shiv Sena's (UBT) Arvind Sawant, IUML's ET Muhammed Basheer, AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi, VCK's Thol. Thirumavalavan, etc.

The motion seeks impeachment of Justice Swaminathan on grounds of "misconduct". It states that the judge's conduct raises questions about his impartiality, transparency and secular functioning. It further alleges "favoritism" on the part of the judge towards a senior advocate and advocates from a particular community.

The signatories also seek removal of Justice Swaminathan on the ground of deciding cases based on a "particular political ideology" and against secular principles of the Constitution.

It is significant that this development comes in the aftermath of Justice Swaminathan's order last week permitting temple devotees to light a lamp at a stone pillar atop the Thirupparankundram hill near a dargah, an order the Tamil Nadu Government did not implement and has since appealed against.