New Delhi: Senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP, Kapil Sibal, has strongly criticised Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar for not acting on an impeachment motion filed against Allahabad High Court judge Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav, nearly six months after it was submitted.
Speaking at a press conference here on Tuesday, Sibal revealed that the motion, submitted on December 13, 2024, bore the signatures of 55 Rajya Sabha members. Despite the passage of half a year, he said, no action has been initiated by the Chairman.
“It is the constitutional duty of the Chairman to verify the signatures and take the next steps. Should that really take six months?” Sibal asked.
“If those occupying high constitutional offices delay such matters, it raises serious concerns,” he said.
Sibal also questioned whether the government was attempting to shield Justice Yadav, who is accused of making communal and inflammatory remarks during a speech at an event organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) within the Allahabad High Court Bar Association premises in December 2024.
Justice Yadav had reportedly stated that India should run according to the will of the majority and made remarks perceived as targeting the Muslim community. A video of the speech was circulated widely on social media.
Following the incident, the Supreme Court took cognisance and sought a report from the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court.
According to Sibal, the Chief Justice submitted a negative report on Justice Yadav’s conduct. Despite this, the Rajya Sabha Secretariat reportedly wrote to the Chief Justice of India, requesting that the in-house enquiry be halted, citing the pending impeachment motion in Parliament.
“This is unprecedented,” Sibal said. “The in-house procedure of the Supreme Court is independent and should not be obstructed by parliamentary processes that haven’t even been admitted yet.”
Sibal warned that delays in constitutional processes could erode public trust in the judiciary and Parliament alike. He also alleged that the government’s push to control judicial appointments was part of a broader attempt to undermine judicial independence.
“If the government wants to take control of judicial appointments and protect judges accused of communal bias, it’s a dangerous path for our democracy,” he said.
(IANS)
