A day after Justice KM Joseph ‘smiled’ in the Supreme Court at the calls for genocide of Brahmins and said that beheading calls by PFI were reactions to actions, the Legal Rights Observatory (LRO) has decided to write an official letter to the President of India seeking impeachment of the Justice Joseph and to stop all his post-retirement benefits. The LRO stated in the tweet that Justice KM Joseph openly threatened Hindus and justified their killings.
LRO said in a tweet that the Supreme Court judge openly threatened Hindus, justified their killings, and made a statement similar to Rajiv Gandhi during the Sikh pogrom.
Justice KM Joseph will retire on 6 June during court vacations which begin on 21 May.
We r writing to @rashtrapatibhvn against Justice #KMJoseph for impeachment n to stop all his post retirement benefits. He openly threatened Hindus, justified their killings, made statement similar to Rajiv Gandhi during #Sikh pogrom @AmitShah @KirenRijiju @barandbench @LawBeatInd pic.twitter.com/nJozTpjTUZ
— Legal Rights Observatory- LRO (@LegalLro) March 30, 2023
The legal activist group has also called for a placard protest on social media asking people to condemn the statement made by the Justice. “Hold a hand written ‘We Protest Justice KM Joseph for Judicially Supporting Hindu Genocide’ placard- Click a photo and post on social media. We were silent when SC blamed Nupur Sharma for Sar Tan Se Juda terrorism! Judges shud to be condemned,” LRO said in a tweet.
Placard Protest Appeal🙏
— Legal Rights Observatory- LRO (@LegalLro) March 30, 2023
Hold a hand written “We Protest Justice KM Joseph for Judicially Supporting Hindu Genocide” placard- Click a photo- post on twitter/fb tagging #LRO!
We were silent when SC blamed Nupur for #SarTanSeJuda terrorism!
Judges shud to be condemned! @barandbench pic.twitter.com/gyW2QMkxVd
Yesterday Legal Rights Observatory tweeted that the comments of Justice Joseph in the Supreme Court had “shown in top most judicial authority- How activist, highly biased, ideologically inebriated judge looks like!” They had added, “Justice Joseph has raised the bar in SC for all wannabe liberal judges by selectively ignoring genocidal calls and by mocking caste specific hatred!”
Responding to the call, some Twitter users posted photographs of themselves holding the placard as appealed by LRO.
Thanks for Placard Protest🙏
— Legal Rights Observatory- LRO (@LegalLro) March 30, 2023
Here is Vaishampayan Family against judicial bias!
Hindus boldly calling out #Hinduphobe Justice #KMJoseph for supporting Hindu genocide!,
Raise your voice 🙏 pic.twitter.com/J2kuESwWto
Justice KM Joseph yesterday along with Justice BV Nagarathna was hearing a contempt plea regarding hate speech made against Muslims in rallies across Maharashtra. During the hearing, Justice Joseph happened to smile at hate speech against Hindus which was highlighted by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta. Mehta mentioned about a DMK leader calling for the butchering of Brahmins, to which Justice Joseph apparently smiled. SG then retorted by saying that it was not a matter to be laughed at.
SG: Please hear this clip from Kerala. This is shocking. It should shock the conscience of this court. A child has been used to say this
— Bar & Bench (@barandbench) March 29, 2023
..we should be embarrassed…he says Hindus and Christians should prepare for final rites…
Justice Joseph: yes yes we know..
SG: Then you…
Justice Joseph then asked SG if he knew who Periyar is. SG Mehta said that just because it is a hate speech, it cannot be pardoned because it is said by someone famous. In June 2022, DMK leader R Rajiv Gandhi said that Tamil Brahmins should have been killed as per the directions of Dravidian icon Periyar. In a contentious tweet, the DMK leader remarked, “If we Shudras had done what Periyar told us back then, we wouldn’t have had to struggle with Brahmins for justice, rights, education and equality. 3% of you (Brahmins) are still dominating some areas.”
Further, SG Mehta also played a hate speech clip from Kerala. It was from a rally organized by the banned PFI in which a sall chld could be seen saying that Hindus and Christians should prepare for final rites. Responding to this, Justice Joseph said, “yes yes we know.” The SG then said that the Court should have taken suo moto cognizance of the incident.
Advocate Vishnu Jain, appearing for the Hindu samaj in the case then mentioned the issue of ‘sar tan se juda’ slogans raised in different parts of the country. SG said that these slogans were raised in the PFI rally in Kerala. To this, Justice KM Joseph remarked, “action has an equal reaction”, as reported. He is also reported to have said that hate speech is a vicious cycle and that “people will react”.
SG Mehta taking cognizance of the remark then said, “please do not do this and this will be a justification of the clip. No.” Justice Joseph then attempted to stick to the case and asked Jain to list the ‘sar tan se juda’ point on April 28 this year. “..let the Maharashtra govt respond,” he said.
Justice Joseph: action has an equal reaction..
— Bar & Bench (@barandbench) March 29, 2023
SG: please please please do not do this and this will be a justification of the clip. No no.
Justice Joseph: state is behaving impotent and does not take action in time
SG: Why do you not see the Kerala clip? Mr Jain’s plea has…
‘Protesting against hate packed comments passed by judges is not contempt,’ says LRO
According to the Legal Rights Observatory, Court just ignored the ‘sar tan se juda’ hate speech which has been time and again directed towards Hindus. “In the Nupur Sharma case also, the court had held her responsible for the incident of Udaipur where a tailor was beheaded on video for allegedly supporting her. The country remained silent then. Today it ignored Adv Jain’s listing of ‘sar tan se juda’ matter. It asked to list it later. Isn’t this clear bias,” LRO said.
“The placard protest is part of fundamental rights. The Court accepts right to dissent even in the cases of sedition. In one of the judgements earlier, the court had held that raising anti-national slogans is not a crime. It is freedom of expression. It had termed the sections of sedition are colonial vestiges. What is colonial vestige then? Speaking against the Judge shall not be looked upon as Contempt of Court. It is clear dissent. It is fundamental right,” said LRO while talking exclusively to OpIndia.
“Citizens have right to protest against court judgments and outrageous hate packed comments passed by judges, we don’t think it as contempt,” LRO affirmed.
The comments and actions by Justice Joseph are widely condemned by netizens as well who say that as if hate speech is acceptable if it is issued against Brahmins. The LRO has decided to write to the President of India to seek to stop all the post retirement benefits of Justice KM Joseph. Justice KM Joseph will retire on 6 June during court vacations which begin on 21 May.
