Initiating a debate on judicial propriety, Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav, the current judge of the Allahabad High Court, has made strong comments on Muslim marriage practices and supported the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) while speaking at a VHP event.
Addressing a program organized by the VHP’s legal cell at the court premises on Sunday, Justice Yadav said, “You cannot insult a woman who is recognized as a goddess in our scriptures and Vedas. You cannot claim the right to have four wives, do Halala or practice triple talaq. You He says, we have the right to say ‘triple talaq’, we have the right not to admit women.
According to a VHP press release, the judge also spoke in favor of UCC. ‘Having different constitutions for people of different communities and religions in one country is no less than a threat to the nation. When we talk about human upliftment, it should rise above religion and be within the scope of the constitution,” the statement said, quoting him.
“If we want to protect the interests of women, whether it is her property, her upbringing, her rightful share in the property, remarriage or the freedom to choose a spouse, all these things should be decided within the limits. One is the scope of the constitution,’ he said.
Judge Yadav said that the constitution does not allow the interests of Muslim women to be determined separately or the interests of women of other religions to be determined in a different way.
This is not the first time the judge has attracted public scrutiny. In September 2021, while dismissing a bail plea of a person registered under the UP Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955, Justice Yadav asked the Center to declare the cow as the national animal, introduce a bill in Parliament for cow protection and “recognize the cow. The fundamental right of Hindus.” Protection as”.
In October 2021, while granting bail to an accused, he had observed that Parliament should pass a law to honor Hindu gods.
In December 2023, while hearing another bail plea, he directed the Prayagraj Police Commissioner to submit a progress report on how many cow slaughter cases have been filed in the district and the status of each, “cases due to seriousness of cow slaughter” in Uttar Pradesh.
Justice Yadav was admitted as an advocate in 1990. During his career in the Allahabad High Court, he represented both the Central and State Governments in several capacities.
According to the HC website, he served as Additional Government Advocate and Standing Counsel for UP before serving as Senior Counsel for the Union of India and Senior Counsel for Railways until he was sworn in as a judge of the High Court on December 12. 2019
Justice Yadav was first recommended to the Supreme Court Collegium for appointment as a High Court Judge on February 14, 2018. However, a collegium comprising Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Madan Lokur stayed his recommendation on September 25, 2018. Following the retirement of CJI Mishra, the Collegium, headed by CJI Gogoi, recommended the appointment of Justice Yadav as an Additional Judge of the Allahabad High Court on 12 February 2019. His appointment as permanent judge was approved on March 5, 2021.
– Input from Maulshree Seth in Lucknow