Chennai: High drama was witnessed on the precincts of the Madras high court on Monday with Justice C S Karnan addressing the media at the gates and pronouncing that India “is a racist nation” and he was “ashamed to be born here”.
He also declared he would “cancel birthright” and migrate to “a country where there is no racism”. The high point of the public performance was when he announced he would issue a judicial order directing the Chennai police commissioner to arrest, under the SC/ST (prevention of atrocities) Act, the two Supreme Court judges who had earlier in the day ordered that no work be allocated to him.
Read: Madras High Court judge defies Supreme Court
“They (the two Supreme Court judges) had passed the order against me only because I am a Dalit. This hurts not just me, it hurts 125 crore people of this country. Am I a subordinate of Supreme Court judges? What mistake have I committed? On what grounds did they pass their order? I was not given a hearing, no documents, no evidence….I questioned the increasing racism and they transferred me”, he told the huge gathering of media persons plus members of the public, and lawyers.
“I will drag them (two judges) to the Parliament. I will seek their impeachment. I will prove my innocence… Upper castes dominate all the high courts in the country and the Supreme Court”, Justice Karnan declared, making it clear that he would stretch his battlefield well beyond the Madras high court and the Supreme Court by petitioning the lawmakers. He gave enough indication of his intent by marking copies of his letter to the Chief Justice of India — which he even called a ‘suo moto judicial order’ — staying his transfer to Calcutta high court to Dalit political leaders Ramvilas Paswan and Mayawati, besides the chairman of the National Commission for SCs and STs.
He had also marked copies to the President of India, the PM, Union law minister and Congress president Ms Sonia Gandhi. When a reporter asked him why he marked copies to Paswan and Mayawati, Justice Karnan shot back, “They are our community (Dalit) leaders and they will effectively take up the issue before the Parliament”. As for Sonia Gandhi, she “will also take up this issue because she is the Opposition leader”.
To another question whether the media would not expose itself to contempt of court proceedings if it reported his media meet, Justice Karnan said, “I am passing a judicial order right now directing the SC and the Madras HC not to initiate any contempt against print and visual media for reporting this (media meet)”.
There was some drama earlier in the afternoon when reporters arrived at Justice Karnan's chamber on being informed that he wanted to meet the media. “Where are the cameras?” the judge demanded to know and when the reporters replied that they were all from the print media, he was visually disappointed. “You will print (media meet) only tomorrow morning whereas TV will flash it to the world immediately. I want the cameras”, declared the judge. The reporters then pointed out that TV cameras were not allowed into the court premises and there was the CISF security personnel guarding the entrance, the judge said, “Then I shall go to the gate myself and meet the media”.
He then marched out of his chamber situated on the second floor of the court building and reached the gate in quick time.
