DMK leader humiliated lower caste people, judges: Madras HC

The judge held that DMK leader's statement under question amounted to humiliation and insult to the oppressed community.

The Madras high court has refused to quash a case against DMK’s MP and organising secretary RS Bharathi for alleging that judges belonging to Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) were elevated “only as alms” by the DMK and late former chief minister M Karunanidhi.

Madras High Court.(HT file)

In a court order dated February 22, justice N Satish Kumar said that the “remarks have been made in public view and not only against the persons holding high posts but also some other retired Judges… which prima facie insult and humiliate such people.”

The judge directed the special MP/MLA trial court to speed-up the proceedings and conduct hearings on a day-to-day basis while dismissing the petition. It is nothing but a humiliation and insult to the oppressed community. Bharathi allegedly made the speech in February 2020 in Kalaignar Vaasagar Vattram (reading circle) where he told a gathering of about a hundred people that the appointment of justice A Varadharajan and eight other lower-caste judges were “alms” from his party.

“The entire statements made by the person are not in good taste. Intellectual debates have been forgotten by the so-called leaders,” the order read. “On the other hand, under the guise of freedom guaranteed under the Constitution, the persons claiming to be leaders are spitting venom against opponents,” the judge said.