107 Signatures Against One Judge, Deepam Ruling Sparks Debate
Is the INDIA bloc opposing the right of Hindu devotees in Tamil Nadu to pray? Have they really moved a motion to impeach Justice G.R. Swaminathan of the Madras High Court simply because he delivered a judgment allowing the lighting of the Karthigai Deepam lamp atop the hill at Thiruparankundram? And more importantly, why are parties like the Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharad Pawar), and the Samajwadi Party getting involved in an issue rooted in a local temple dispute in Tamil Nadu?
These questions are now reverberating through the power corridors after the Opposition alliance submitted an impeachment notice with 107 signatures to the Lok Sabha Speaker, seeking Justice Swaminathan's removal. While the DMK's stance on this issue is familiar, what has raised eyebrows is the support extended by other INDIA bloc parties.
The judgment, the impeachment motion, and the politics surrounding it also echoed in the Lok Sabha today during the debate on electoral reforms. Home Minister Amit Shah even singled out Uddhav Thackeray for his party's decision to back the impeachment move.
