THE All India Lawyers Union (AILU) has issued a strong condemnation of Justice Shekhar Yadav, a sitting judge of the Allahabad High Court, for delivering a speech at a Vishwa Hindu Parishad event that is against the Constitution and is a direct affront to its basic structure of secularism and judicial independence.

In a press statement released on December 9, the AILU denounced the speech, asserting that its content constituted hate speech targeting the Muslim minority under the guise of promoting a majoritarian Hindu ideology. AILU noted that the remarks were "vicious, vitriolic, and venomous," and called it as unbecoming of a sitting judge and is in violation of the constitutional oath of office.

The AILU highlighted broader concerns about the judicial appointment and accountability mechanisms, blaming the collegium system for failing to ensure the independence and impartiality of judges. According to AILU, this incident exposes systemic weaknesses in the selection and oversight of judges in India’s constitutional courts.

The statement called for the establishment of an independent constitutional mechanism for judicial appointments that balances the interests of the executive, judiciary, and other stakeholders, ensuring transparency and accountability.

The AILU appealed to the President of India, the Chief Justice of India, and the Supreme Court to take immediate action against Justice Yadav. It urged the initiation of appropriate proceedings to uphold judicial integrity and reaffirm the principles of democracy and secularism enshrined in the Indian Constitution.

The AILU also expressed grave concern over Justice Yadav’s interpretation of democracy, which it equated with a vision of "Hindutva Rashtra." The statement warned against conflating democracy with religious majoritarianism, asserting that such views undermine the pluralistic and secular fabric of the nation.