The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Friday demanded the removal of Meghalaya High Court Judge Sudip Ranjan Sen for saying that “India should have become a Hindu country after Partition”. Sen had made the comment while disposing of a petition filed by a person who was denied a domicile certificate by the state government.
On Monday, Sen had cited Pakistan’s declaration of itself as an Islamic country and said India should have declared itself a Hindu nation then as the countries were divided based on religion. “I make it clear that nobody should try to make India as another Islamic country, otherwise it will be a doomsday for India and the world,” the judge had said in his order.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) said it will consult other political outfits in Parliament to discuss the possibility of Sen’s impeachment. The party also asked Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi to keep Sen away from judicial duty.
“The Supreme Court had earlier given a verdict that secularism, amongst others, is a fundamental feature of our Constitution,” the party said in a statement. “Justice Sen reflects his political faith akin to RSS ideology of Hindu Rashtra. By smuggling in the brazen communal view on partition and making an obvious political statement on a proposed amendment to the Citizenship Act, he has both undermined the pre-eminent role of Parliament and independence of the Judiciary.”
Such views will increase discord in the region, the CPI(M) said, adding that Sen has “lost his moral right to continue in the office as a judge in a High Court”.
The judge’s statement was criticised by several other people too. “It is a secular country and will remain secular,” The Print quoted National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah as saying. “Those who want to talk anything else, they can say what they like as it is a democratic nation but it won’t make any difference.”
Nationalist Congress Party leader Majeed Memon said the judge did not know India’s history. “Crores of Muslims did not go to Pakistan because India was a secular nation that was to be run according to a secular constitution,” Memon said.
Several civil and student groups also condemned his statement.
On Thursday, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi had described Sen’s comments as unacceptable. Owaisi had said the judiciary and government should take note of the judge’s comments.
Sen has also been embroiled in another controversy surrounding a showcause notice he sent to The Shillong Times, asking it to explain why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against the newspaper for an article it published about a court order seeking better facilities for retired judges and their families.
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