Facing the possibility of an impeachment motion against him, Gujarat High Court judge justice J B Pardiwala today expunged the remarks he had made against reservation in Hardik Patel case order on an application by the state government seeking removal of the controversial portion.
Justice Pardiwala expunged paragraph number 62 from his order delivered in the case of quota agitation leader Hardik Patel's seeking quashing the plea of sedition charge against him filed by the Ahmedabad police.
The state government today approached the high court requesting the judge to expunge his remarks against reservation saying that it has no relation with the case and that is why paragraph number 62 should be deleted from the order.
Lawyer of Hardik Patel also did not object to removal of those remarks.
The expunging of remarks from the order comes after 58 Rajya Sabha MPs today moved a petition before the Chairman and Vice-President Hamid Ansari against Justice Pardiwala for his allegedly "unconstitutional" remarks against reservation.
The MPs said in the notice that a ten-year limit was prescribed for political reservations i.E. Representation to SCs and STs in the union and state legislatures, and not the reservation in the areas of education and employment.
"It is distressing that Justice J B Pardiwala should be unaware of the constitutional provision with respect to the policy for the SCs and the STs," the notice given to Ansari said.
The petition by MPs said since the observations of the judge find place in judicial proceedings, "these are unconstitutional in nature and amount to behaviour misconduct towards the Constitution of India that forms the ground for an impeachment".
