New Delhi, Dec 19: 58 Rajya Sabha MPs have moved a petition before the Chairman seeking impeachment of Gujarat High Court judge J B Pardiwala for his alleged “unconstitutional” remarks against reservation made in the Hardik Patel case.
The MPs alleged that while delivering the judgment on a special criminal application against Hardik Patel, Justice Pardiwala has ruled that two things have “destroyed this country or rather, (have) not allowed this country to progress in the right direction…(i) reservation and (ii) corruption”.
The petition said the judge has also mentioned that “when our Constitution was framed, it was understood that the reservations would remain for a period of ten years, but unfortunately, it has continued even after 65 years of independence”.
The MPs said that the ten-year limit was prescribed for political reservations ie representation to the SCs and STs in the Union and state legislatures, and not the reservation in the areas of education and employment.
It is distressing that Justice J B Pardiwala should be unaware of the constitutional provision with respect to the policy for the SCs and the STs, it said.
The petition by MPs said since the observations of the judge find place in judicial proceedings, “these are unconstitutional in nature and amount to behaviour misconduct towards the Constitution of India that forms the ground for an impeachment”.
Sources in the Rajya Sabha Chairman’s office confirmed having received the petition and said it is “under consideration”.
A minimum of 50 MPs are required to sign such a petition in Rajya Sabha, while in Lok Sabha the number is 100.
Members of a Parliamentary panel on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, cutting across party lines, had on Thursday assailed the alleged “anti-reservation” remarks of a Gujarat High Court Judge and warned of impeachment proceedings against him.
