'A comedy piece': Madras HC judge's remark against advocate sparks row; Bar protest

Chennai: In a dramatic courtroom exchange at the Madras High Court on Monday, Justice G.R. Swaminathan openly confronted senior advocate K. Vanchinathan over allegations of caste and communal bias, accusing the lawyer of running a sustained and unfounded campaign to malign the judiciary.

"You are a comedy piece," Justice Swaminathan remarked during the proceedings.

“I don’t know who called you all revolutionary. You are all comedy pieces,” he added, reacting sharply after Vanchinathan declined to respond to questions orally and instead asked the court to issue a written order.

The hearing was held after Vanchinathan was summoned over a series of social media posts and interviews in which he allegedly accused Justice Swaminathan of communal and caste bias in his judgments. The Court sought clarity on whether the advocate stood by those allegations or wished to retract them.

Justice Swaminathan underscored that while criticism of judicial rulings is acceptable, imputations of caste-based prejudice are unacceptable.

Meanwhile, the confrontation has sparked a backlash among the legal fraternity in Nagapattinam. Members of the Nagapattinam Bar Association staged a protest outside the District Court on Monday, condemning Justice Swaminathan’s courtroom remarks.

(With inputs from Bar and Bench)