THIS HAPPENS ONLY IN INDIA: MPs ASK FOR IMPEACHMENT OF HONEST AND OUTSPOKEN JUDGE

58 MPs SEEK IMPEACHMENT OF GUJARAT HC JUDGE

A distinguished Parsi judge of the Gujarat High Court, Justice J B Pardiwala made the following remarks in his recent judgement in Hardik Patel case on Reservations. Unfortunately our law makers are going to impeach him for this para. What did he say that triggered the impeachment motion by 58 Congress MPs in the Rajya Sabha?

"If I am asked by anyone to name two things, which has destroyed this country or rather, has not allowed the country, to progress in the right direction, then the same is, (i) Reservation and (ii) Corruption. It is very shameful for any citizen of this country to ask for reservation after 65 years of independence. When our Constitution was framed, it was understood that the reservation would remain for a period of 10 years, but unfortunately, it has continued even after 65 years of independence. The biggest threats, today, for the country is corruption. The countrymen should rise and fight against corruption at all levels, rather than shedding blood and indulging in violence for Reservation. Reservation has only played the role of an amoeboid monster sowing seeds of discord amongst the people. The importance of merit, in any society, cannot be understated. The merit stands for a positive goal and when looked at instrumentally, stands for “rewarding those actions that are considered good”. Then, this instrumental nature of merit that should be given importance – emphasizing on and rewarding merit is a means towards achieving what is regarded as good in the society. The parody of the situation is that India must be the only country wherein some of the citizens crave to be called backward."

Weeks after the Supreme Court scrapped the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act, BJP member Udit Raj had targeted the judge in the Lok Sabha. Pardiwala had made the remarks on December 1 while quashing the charge of ‘waging war against government’ against Patel quota stir leader Hardik Patel and retaining the one of sedition. An impeachment motion has to be passed by a two­ thirds majority of members present and voting. It has to be moved by a minimum of 100 Lok Sabha members or 50 Rajya Sabha members.

Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat, Pravin Rashtrapal said, ” a meeting of Dalit community was called on December 12 in Ahmedabad in which all party members remained present. A decision was taken in this meeting that the Judge should face impeachment motion for comparing corruption with reservation system.”