New Delhi, 20 December (H.S.): Thirty-six retired judges, including former Supreme Court Justice Krishna Murari and ex-chief justices of various high courts, on Saturday issued a scathing statement urging parliamentarians, lawyers, and citizens to reject the opposition's impeachment motion against Madras High Court Judge Justice G.R. Swaminathan, terming it a grave assault on judicial independence and democratic foundations.
They described the move as part of a clear and deeply troubling pattern where political elements target the higher judiciary for rulings misaligned with their ideological preferences, warning that success would erode the Constitution's core principles.
The controversy ignited on December 1, 2025, when Justice Swaminathan's single-judge bench ruled that the Arulmighu Subramania Swamy Temple at Thiruparankundram hill in Madurai bore a duty to light the traditional Karthigai Deepam lamp at the Deepathoon—a stone pillar—alongside customary illuminations near the Uchi Pillaiyar Mandapam.
The judge emphasized this practice would not infringe on the rights of the adjacent Sikandar Badushah Dargah or the Muslim community, rejecting objections amid claims of encroachment on temple land.
When temple authorities hesitated citing law-and-order risks, Swaminathan followed up on December 3 by authorizing devotees to light the lamp by 6:00 p.m., deploying CISF personnel for security.Opposition MPs, led by DMK legislators, submitted the impeachment notice to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on December 9, alleging judicial overreach, bias, and a pattern of controversial rulings favoring Hindu claims in temple-mosque disputes.
The Tamil Nadu government challenged the orders in the Supreme Court, fueling political uproar with BJP slamming the bid as shameful while advocates near Swaminathan denied caste or communal motivations.The ex-judges stressed even the cited grounds fell wholly inadequate for such an extraordinary constitutional remedy, insisting judgments merit appeals, not impeachment threats.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
