Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav, judge at Allahabad High Court | Photo: Screengrab/X Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav, judge at Allahabad High Court | Photo: Screengrab/X

The Supreme Court has taken note of the reports about the controversial speech made by Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadavextreme gaming 88, a judge at the Allahabad High Court, during an event organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Sunday. The top Court has sought details of the speech from the Allahabad High Court.

In a press statement, the Supreme Court said, "The Supreme Court has taken note of the newspaper reports of a speech given by Mr Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav, a sitting judge of the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad. The details and particulars have been called from the High Court and the matter is under consideration."

Justice Yadav's speech has drawn widespread criticism for being communal and derogatory towards the Muslim community. He reportedly stated that the country would function as per the wishes of the majority and used the slur "kathmulla" in his speech.

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The issue also echoed in the Lok Sabha, with Srinagar MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi starting to collect signatures on Tuesday to move an impeachment motion in Parliament to remove Justice Yadav. AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi is among the signatories so far.

In a post on X, Owaisi said the judge's behaviour violated constitutional norms. "I have signed a notice seeking removal proceedings against Shekhar Yadav, judge of the Allahabad High Court. The notice requires the signature of 100 Lok Sabha members to be considered by the Lok Sabha Speaker," the AIMIM chief said.

The All India Lawyers Union has also written to the president and the chief justice of India seeking action against Justice Yadav, reported The Hindu. The union said that Yadav’s remarks “amounted to hate speech against the Muslim minority”.

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What Did Justice Yadav Say?

At an event organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad last week, Justice Yadav stated that India would function according to the wishes of the majority. He was quoted by LiveLaw as saying, "This is the law... The law, in fact, works according to the majority. Look at it in the context of family or society... Only what benefits the welfare and happiness of the majority will be accepted."

Justice Yadav, without explicitly naming the Muslim community, asked how their children would be kind and tolerant when animals were being slaughtered in front of them since childhood. He also said while everybody from the community was not bad, "kathmullas are fatal for the country".

In his lecture on the topic, Uniform Civil Code: A Constitutional Necessity, while drawing a comparison between Hinduism and Islam, Justice Yadav reportedly remarked that practices such as untouchability, Sati, and Jauhar had been abolished within Hinduism, yet the Muslim community continued to permit the practice of polygyny, halala, triple talaq etc.

He said, "If you say that our personal law allows this, it will not be accepted. You can't disrespect a woman who has been recognised as a goddess in our Shastras and Vedas. You can't claim the right to have four wives, perform halala, or practice triple talaq. You say, 'we have the right to triple talaq and not give maintenance to women'. But this right will not work. The UCC isn't something that the VHP, RSS, or Hinduism advocate. The country's top court also talks about it.”

This is not the first time that Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav has made controversial remarks. In September 2021, he made headlines after observing that "scientists believe that the cow is the only animal that exhales oxygen". He also called on Parliament to make the cow the national animal and declare cow protection as a "Fundamental Right of Hindus". In the same year, Justice Yadav suggested that the Election Commission ban rallies and postpone the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, due to the Covid-19 threat.

Who Is Justice Yadav?

Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav took oath as an Additional Judge of the Allahabad High Court in December 2019. He graduated in Law from Allahabad University in 1988 and began his legal practice at the Allahabad High Court, specialising in Civil and Constitutional matters. Over the years, he has held several key positions, including serving as an Additional Government Advocate and as Standing Counsel for the State of Uttar Pradesh.

Recently, Justice Yadav was invited to deliver a lecture at the Attlee Hall in the House of Lords, UK Parliament. The lecture was titled "Trailblazer of India: Pioneering the Path to Viksit Bharat India 2047."

During his address, he reportedly introduced himself as a resident of a land where the Ganges flowsextreme gaming 88, where the cow (Gaay), the Ganges River (Ganga), and the Bhagavad Gita (Geeta) hold sacred significance, and where every child is lord Rama. He also strongly praised PM Narendra Modi in his speech.

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