Judge Impeachment Move Draws Fire from Centre
A major constitutional controversy has erupted in the country after the Opposition’s INDIA bloc moved to initiate an impeachment motion against a sitting judge of the Madras High Court, Justice G.R. Swaminathan. This unprecedented move in recent political history has drawn swift and fierce condemnation from the central government, with Home Minister Amit Shah leading the charge in Parliament, labeling the action an attempt to intimidate the judiciary and silence judicial orders that go against a particular political narrative.
The impeachment notice, signed by over 100 Members of Parliament (MPs) from the Opposition alliance, was submitted to the Lok Sabha Speaker.The motion is principally targeted at the Judge’s recent ruling concerning a religious practice—the lighting of the traditional Karthigai Deepam lamp atop the Thiruparankundram hill in Madurai, a site that is also close to a historic dargah. Justice Swaminathan’s order, which permitted the ritual lamp to be lit at a contested pillar on the hill, was met with resistance from the state government, citing law-and-order concerns, and has fueled a deep communal and political row in Tamil Nadu.
In his sharp counter-attack in the Lok Sabha, the Home Minister questioned the very motive of the Opposition’s action. He accused the INDIA bloc of displaying an “Emergency mindset” and using the constitutional mechanism for removing a judge—a process reserved for ‘proven misbehaviour or incapacity’—as a tool for political pressure and ‘vote bank appeasement.’ The Minister argued that seeking a judge’s removal merely because a political party disagrees with a judicial verdict sets a dangerous precedent, threatening the fundamental independence of the country’s judiciary.
The Opposition, led by the DMK from Tamil Nadu, defended their move, citing alleged grounds of ‘misconduct,’ including claims of ‘judicial indiscipline’ and deciding cases based on a ‘particular political ideology’ rather than strictly on legal merit. They assert that the Judge’s order on the Madurai temple lamp went against a previous High Court Division Bench ruling on the same matter and was potentially inflammatory in a communally sensitive area.
The BJP and its allies have strongly backed Justice Swaminathan, accusing the Opposition of attacking the judge for upholding a centuries-old Hindu tradition. They have also pointed out that the judicial process is still ongoing, with the Tamil Nadu government having already moved the Supreme Court to challenge the High Court’s order.The political battle has now moved from the courtroom to the floor of Parliament, turning the principle of judicial accountability into a major ideological flashpoint ahead of crucial state elections. This development is seen as placing immense pressure on the Lok Sabha Speaker, who must now decide whether to admit the motion for further inquiry by a special committee.
