Prayagraj, Apr 15 (PTI) Allahabad High Court judge Shekhar Kumar Yadav, against whom a notice for impeachment was given by Rajya Sabha MPs in December 2024 over his alleged controversial remarks at a VHP event, retired on Wednesday and claimed that his words were “twisted”.
Addressing the Full Court reference held in his honour, Justice Yadav asserted that he had never discriminated on the basis of caste or religion and claimed he was targeted without fault.
“I had no fault. It was the fault of those who twisted and presented it,” he said.
He also thanked the members of the bar for supporting him during that period, stating, “Another phase came, in which I had no fault, and during that, I got your support. Had I not received it, I would have been shattered”.
Judges of the high court, including Chief Justice Arun Bhansali, Additional Solicitor General of India, Additional Advocate Generals of Uttar Pradesh, senior advocates, lawyers, the President of the Bar Association along with other office bearers were present.
Justice Yadav allegedly made remarks touching upon religion, governance and minority communities at a December 8, 2024, event by the legal cell of the VHP.
The following day, videos of the judge purportedly making remarks like the ‘law working according to the majority’ were circulated widely on social media, prompting strong reactions from several quarters, including opposition leaders who labelled it as “hate speech”.
In his ceremonial farewell speech in a jampacked courtroom of the chief justice, Justice Yadav strongly defended his impartiality on the bench. “You are lawyers of every caste here; no person can say that I discriminated while delivering justice. I never differentiated between small or big lawyers, or lawyers of any caste,” he said Justice Yadav spoke of the impeachment motion notice against him, noting that an explanation was sought and an inquiry initiated against him.
He said he was “targeted without fault” but received full support from his Bar Association.
“I prayed to God that you people may not face such situations,” he said.
Chief Justice Bhansali and other speakers praised Justice Yadav, saying throughout his entire career, he was courteous and “his behaviour to the bar was very supportive”.
Yadav had appeared before the Supreme Court collegium headed by the then Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna after he was asked to put forth his version on the controversial statements attributed to him.
The top court had taken note of news reports over the statements and sought a report from the Allahabad High Court on the issue.
Members of several opposition parties on December 13, 2024, moved the notice in the Rajya Sabha for his impeachment.
The notice was signed by 55 opposition MPs, including Ramesh, Kapil Sibal, Vivek Tankha, Digvijaya Singh, John Brittas, Manoj Kumar Jha and Saket Gokhale.
Justice Yadav was appointed as an additional judge of the Allahabad High Court on December 12, 2019 and was made a permanent judge on March 26, 2021. PTI COR RAJ RT RT
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