Madras High Court Judge Justice GR Swaminathan. File | Photo credit: The Hindu
Four months before the Thirupparankundram controversy, INDIA bloc MPs wrote separately to President Droupadi Murmu and the then Chief Justice of India BR Gavai about the conduct of Madras High Court judge Justice GR Swaminathan, accusing him of favoring advocates from the Brahmin community and those associated with “right-wing ideologies”.
The identical letters were dated August 11, 2025, four months before the opposition asked Parliament for a motion to impeach Justice Swaminathan, a judge of the Madurai Bench of the Supreme Court.
These letters said Justice Swaminathan’s conduct amounted to “proven misconduct and gross misconduct” that affected the impartiality, transparency and secular functioning of the judiciary.
“During his tenure as a single judge, Justice GR Swaminathan is perceived to have consistently favored rosters and time slots for a specific set of advocates, particularly those from the Brahmin community and those espousing right-wing ideologies,” the letters said.
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The MPs said the judge’s pattern of behavior shows “caste preferences”, contributing to a perception of exclusivity and caste alignment in the functioning of the judiciary.
The spotlight is on the judge after his recent order directed the Subramaniya Swamy temple authorities in Thirupparankundram, Madurai to ensure that the Karthigai Deepam is lit on a deepathoon (pillar) near the hilltop dargah.
“Several of His Lordship’s judgments and observations reflect a recognizable ideological orientation of right-wing political philosophy. While judges may have personal beliefs, this must not influence judicial reasoning, particularly in cases involving fundamental rights and protection of minorities as enshrined in the Constitution,” the letters read.
The letters cited several cases they said showed the judge’s “ideological partisanship.” One of them, the letters say, was in the case of permission for “Annathanam” (giving free food to devotees) and “Angapradakshinam” (rolling plantain leaves left by devotees after the meal) at the Karur temple.
“His Lordship’s order permitted this uncivilized practice and superseded the previous judgment of the Division Bench which prohibited the same practice in the same temple as inhuman… This perception of ideological partisanship undermines public confidence in judicial neutrality and challenges the expectation that the courts will remain independent of political or social affiliations,” the letters said.
Published – 10 Dec 2025 21:51 IST
