More than 50 RS members want Gujarat HC judge impeached for anti-quota comments

More than 50 Rajya Sabha members have petitioned Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Mohammad Hamid Ansari to begin impeachment proceedings against Justice J B Pardiwala of the Gujarat High Court for his “unconstitutional” remarks against reservations in a case connected with Patidar leader Hardik Patel. Sources in Ansari’s office confirmed to The Indian Express that they have received the petition. The newspaper reports that signatories to the petition “include Anand Sharma, Digvijaya Singh, Ambika Soni (Congress), Sharad Yadav (JD-U), D Raja (CPI), K N Balagopal (CPI-M), Satish Misra and Narendra Kumar Kashyap (BSP), Tiruchi Siva (DMK), D P Tripathi (NCP) and Ramdas Athawale (RPI).” Earlier this week, Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti, spearheading the quota stir for reservation in Gujarat, has threatened to launch an indefinite hunger strike after 21 December if its leaders including Hardik Patel are not released from jail. PAAS leaders from across the state on Tuesday handed over common memorandums to district collectors and other government officials at taluka levels in various parts of the state. [caption id=“attachment_2488352” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Hardik Patel in a file photo. Ibnlive[/caption] The organisation said its members will resort to indefinite fast across the state if its demands are not met by 21 December. The Patel leaders asked the government to release their leaders who were arrested by police during their recent agitation seeking reservation for community members in government jobs and education institutes. “Our members today gave such memorandum to collectors and mamlatdars in various parts of state. Our leaders and other Patel youths are lodged behind bars on false charges. We will not give up till they are released,” said city PAAS convener Atul Patel. The organisation also asked the government to withdraw sedition charges slapped against Hardik Patel, Chirag Patel, Ketan Patel, Dinesh Bambhaniya and Nilesh Arvadia. Two sedition complaints were filed against Hardik Patel in October, the first one in Surat and another in Ahmedabad. His bail pleas were turned down by the courts in Ahmedabad and Surat. With PTI inputs