Union Home Minister Amit Shah sharply criticised the INDIA bloc on Wednesday for initiating an impeachment motion against Madras High Court Judge Justice G.R. Swaminathan, alleging that the unprecedented move was driven purely by “appeasement politics” rather than judicial misconduct. Speaking during the Lok Sabha debate on electoral reforms, Shah declared that never since Independence had a judge faced removal merely for delivering a judgment.

The controversy stems from Justice Swaminathan’s order directing authorities to allow the traditional Karthigai Deepam lamp to be lit atop a hillock near the Subramaniya Swamy Temple in Tiruppur district, close to a dargah. Over 100 INDIA bloc MPs submitted a notice to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking the judge’s impeachment, claiming his rulings displayed religious bias and favoured certain lawyers.

Shah expressed astonishment that even Shiv Sena (UBT), traditionally aligned with Hindu sentiments, had signed the petition. He accused the Opposition of targeting the judge solely to placate their vote bank after the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government objected to the court’s directive, which overturned a longstanding practice of lighting the lamp at an alternative site.

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The incident had sparked unrest last week when right-wing activists clashed with police during the festival, insisting on following the court’s order. DMK MP Kanimozhi defended the impeachment move, asserting that Justice Swaminathan’s judgments had repeatedly shown religious partiality and undermined constitutional secularism.

The development marks the first instance of a sitting High Court judge facing an impeachment threat over a specific ruling on religious practice, intensifying the political confrontation between the ruling NDA and the Opposition Alliance ahead of crucial parliamentary sessions.

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