- By Shubham Bajpai
- Fri, 12 Dec 2025 08:06 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Madras High Court Justice GR Swaminathan finds himself in mid of a political battle as Opposition MPs, led by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (DMK) Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, have moved an Impeachment Motion against him in the Lok Sabha. They have argued that his conduct "raises serious questions regarding impartiality, transparency, and the secular functioning of the judiciary".
The members of Parliament have argued that they had submitted a 13-point representation to the President on August 12, but no action was taken. They have accused him of furthering 'undue favouritism and 'impartiality'.
Who is Justice GR Swaminathan?
Justice Swaminathan is a first-generation judge born in 1968. His career started with practice in Chennai, which lasted for 13 years. After the Madurai Bench was established, he shifted his practice.
He was the standing counsel for several public sector undertakings and became the Assistant Solicitor General for the Madurai Bench in 2014.
In June 2017, he was promoted to the rank of Additional Judge of the Madras High Court. Later, he was made a permanent judge.
According to the Madras High Court website, he has authored 52,094 judgments and orders, including several landmark judgements on prisoners' rights, free speech, animal rights and the rights of the differently-abled.
What triggered impeachment motion?
The row erupted with his December 1 verdict, where he directed the Tamil Nadu authorities to ensure lighting of a lamp at the deepathoon (pillar) atop Thiruparankundram Hill, during the Hindu festival of Karthigai Deepam in Madurai district.
The pillar is located near a dargah, which made it a communal issue. However, Justice Swaminathan had held that the Arulmighu Subramania Swamy temple was duty-bound to light the lamp at the deepathoon.
However, the authorities maintained that this violated the longstanding practice of lighting the lamp at the nearby Deepa Mandapam, a ritual observed for several years.
As the order remained unimplemented, Justice Swaminathan on December 3 passed another order and permitted the devotees to light the lamp themselves. He also directed the CISF to ensure security. The DMK government, against this, moved to the Supreme Court.
Why is DMK against Justice Swaminathan?
DMK has been at loggerheads with Justice Swaminathan over several judgments. One of such cases is his May 2024 order permitting angapradakshinam in Karur.
Angapradakshinam is a ritual where devotees roll over plantain leaves discarded after others have eaten on them. The Opposition MPs had called the verdict a violation of the 2015 judgment by a Division Bench, which called the ritual 'inhuman'.
Savukku Shankar Detention: Savukku Shankar, a YouTuber, was detained by the police over his 'criticism' of the state government. The MPs have argued that Justice Swaminatha was approached by two highly placed persons who requested him not to decide the detention order on merits. However, he neither identified them nor initiated contempt, which raises concerns about his transparency and judicial integrity.
Mocking Dravidian model: In their representation, the Opposition MPs had also cited his comments at a book release event where he mocked the Dravidian model and impersonated former Chief Minister Karunanidhi.