 "SC seeks details from HC on Justice Shekhar Yadav's controversial speech")
The Supreme Court has sought details from the Allahabad High Court following media reports about a speech delivered by Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav at a Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) event. The apex court’s move comes amid concerns that the speech, deemed controversial, may have violated judicial ethics.
Justice Yadav, addressing a VHP provincial convention on December 8, reportedly endorsed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and made remarks perceived as targeting the Muslim community. Videos of his statements, widely circulated online, have drawn criticism from Opposition parties and legal experts.
Criticism and calls for inquiry
The Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms (CJAR), led by advocate Prashant Bhushan, has written to Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, demanding an “in-house inquiry” into Justice Yadav’s conduct. CJAR alleged that his participation in a VHP event and the content of his remarks undermined judicial impartiality and violated constitutional principles of secularism.
In the letter, Bhushan cited several controversial statements by Justice Yadav, including references to the cow, the Ganga, and the Gita as symbols of Indian culture. These statements, CJAR argued, were divisive and eroded public trust in the judiciary. They also allegedly contravened the Restatement of Values of Judicial Life, a code of conduct adopted by the Supreme Court in 1997.
CJAR has called for Justice Yadav’s immediate suspension and the formation of an in-house committee to investigate his conduct.
CPI (M): 'No place in court of justice'
Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat also wrote to the Chief Justice, condemning Justice Yadav’s speech as a violation of his oath of office. She stated that individuals making such remarks have “no place in a court of justice” and urged a strong institutional response to safeguard the judiciary’s neutrality.
SC takes cognisance of remarks
The Supreme Court, in an official statement, confirmed that it had taken cognisance of the media reports and requested specific details from the Allahabad High Court. It emphasised that the matter is under consideration.
(With agency inputs)