“Kathmullas…Are Fatal For The Country”: Allahabad High Court Judge At A VHP Event
Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh: Sitting Judge Shekhar Kumar Yadav of the Allahabad High Court has come under fire following his participation and controversial remarks made in an event organised by the right-wing organisation Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s legal cell on Sunday. Along with Justice Yadav, a sitting judge of the Allahabad High Court, Justice Dinesh Pathak was also present at the event, which was held at the high court’s library hall.
During his speech, Justice Yadav made a row of contentious remarks against the Muslim community. He said that the welfare and happiness of the majority overrides those of others and that India “will function according to the wishes of the majority living here. This is the law.”
Also Read | Allahabad High Court Recuses From Hearing Mohammed Zubair’s Plea
Referring to extremists as “kathmullah,” a slur against Muslims, the judge called them “harmful” to the country. “Lekin yeh jo kathmullah hai jo… yeh sahi shabd nahi hai… lekin kehne mein parhez nahi hai kyunki woh desh ke liye bura hai… desh ke liye ghatak hai, khilaaf hai, janta ko bhadhkane wale log hain… desh aage na badhe is prakar ke log hai… unse saavdhaan rehne ki zaroorat hai (But these kathmullahs… this may not be the right word… but I won’t hesitate to say it because they are harmful to the country… they are detrimental, against the nation, and people who incite the public. They are the kind of people who do not want the country to progress, and we need to be cautious of them),” he stated as quoted by Bar and Bench.
He further added that children of the Hindu community were taught to be kind, empathetic, and non-violent, while those of the Muslim community don’t develop compassion and tolerance as they grow up “witnessing the slaughter of animals.”
The event discussed the waqf law, the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), and the reasons and preventions of religious conversion. Speaking on UCC, the judge, while women were revered as goddesses in Hindu scriptures, members of a particular community (Muslims) still claim the right to have multiple wives, engage in Halala, or practice Triple Talaq. “I vow that this country will surely enact a uniform law, and it will happen very soon,” he added.
Also Read | WhatsApp VHP Vigilantes In Chhatisgarh Forcing Christians To Convert: Report
Addressing the Ayodhya judgement, he remarked, “Could you have ever imagined seeing the Ram Mandir with your own eyes? Many of our ancestors made sacrifices with the hope of seeing Ram Lalla freed and witnessing the grand temple’s construction. Although they couldn’t live to see it, they played their part, and now, we are witnessing it ourselves.”
Emphasising the Hindu identity, he commented that irrespective of whether one followed the Quran or the Bible, if they viewed India as their mother and were willing to sacrifice their life for it during a crisis, they were Hindu.
AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi stated that the VHP was banned on several occasions and called it “unfortunate: that the High Court judge attended an event by such an organisation. Quoting Dr. BR Ambedkar, he wrote, “The Constitution of India is not majoritarian but a democratic one. In a democracy, the minority’s rights are protected. As Ambedkar put it “…as a King has no Divine Right to rule, so also a majority has no Divine Right to rule.”
Owaisi further added, “This speech indicts the collegium system and raises questions on judicial impartiality. How can a minority party expect justice before someone who participates in VHP’s programs?”
TMC leader Mahua Moitra took to X and wrote, “Sitting HC judge attends VHP function, says country will function as per Hindus. And we are celebrating 75 years of our Constitution! Supreme Court, Hon’ble CJI – suo moto cognizance anyone?”
Also Read | 30 Ex-Judges Of Supreme Court, High Courts Attend VHP Meet On Temple Disputes, Waqf Bill And Conversions
In 2021, Justice Yadav had urged the central government to bring a law for the protection of cows, to declare it as a fundamental right of Hindus, and to declare the cow as the national animal.
Interestingly, Justice SK Yadav had delivered the verdict in the 28-year-old Babri demolition case in September 2020. He had acquitted all 32 accused in the high-profile case, including BJP’s founder members, LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, on September 30 by a special court in UP’s Lucknow.
“Anti-social elements brought down the structure. The accused leaders tried to stop these people,” he had said, citing that giving a provocative speech was not enough to prove guilt. Notably, the opposition had slammed the decision for holding no one accountable even when the Supreme Court of India had called the demolition illegal.
