Impeachment motion against Justice Shekhar Yadav stalled due to MP's double sign

The impeachment motion filed by the opposition against Allahabad High Court judge Justice Shekhar Yadav is currently stuck due to procedural technicalities in Parliament. The motion, which was submitted over an allegedly controversial statement made by Justice Yadav, is presently pending with the Vice President of India.

The Rajya Sabha Secretariat has begun a detailed verification of the 55 signatures submitted along with the motion, as mandated by parliamentary protocol.

The scrutiny began following a complaint that one MP's signature had been recorded twice. However, the concerned Member of Parliament has denied signing the document more than once.

As per established procedure, all signatures must be verified in a specific format before the motion can move forward. Currently, 19-21 signatures of MPs are yet to be verified.

According to sources, no further action will be taken on the impeachment motion unless all signatures are fully authenticated. Moreover, any discrepancies, such as duplicate signatures or errors in the motion’s format, could lead to its rejection on technical grounds.

On December 13, 2024, lawmakers led by Samajwadi Party MP Kapil Sibal submitted an impeachment notice against Justice Yadav to the Rajya Sabha Secretary General. The move followed controversial remarks made by Justice Yadav at a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) event.

In widely shared videos, Justice Yadav supported the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and said laws should reflect the will of the majority. "The law works according to the majority. Only what benefits the majority’s welfare and happiness will be accepted," he said.

Justice Yadav had faced more controversies before as well. In September 2021, during a hearing on cow slaughter, he claimed that cows exhale oxygen and urged Parliament to declare the cow India’s national animal and cow protection a "Fundamental Right of Hindus".

He denied bail to an accused under the UP Cow Slaughter Act, adding that even Mughal ruler Akbar had banned cow slaughter and calling cow protection a part of Indian culture. His comments were widely shared on social media.