While hearing a case at the Karnataka High Court, a judge called a Muslim populated locality in Bengaluru, Gori Palya, as ‘Pakistan’ sparking massive public outrage.
A video of the judge, Vedavyasachar Srishanananda, went viral on social media on Wednesday.
The judge while discussing traffic jams near the Mysore road flyover said, “Go to Mysore road flyover every auto rickshaw has 10 people. It is not applicable because the Mysore flyover head left for the market from Goripalya which is in Pakistan not India,” This is the reality no matter how strict a police officer is deployed there, he will be beaten up there.”
Criticizing the judge’s remarks, an X user wrote, “A judge calls his country’s citizens ‘Pakistani’ . Is there anything more shameful? Will the Supreme Court take suo moto?”
Several other users condemned the statement calling it an encouragement to dehumanize Indian Muslims even more. The users noted that the judiciary, police, educational institutions, media and the government are systematically discriminating Muslims in the country.
Members of the ruling Congress government accused the party of engaging in politics of appeasement and failing to do their part in addressing problems in Muslim majority areas.
Advocate Sanjay Ghose expressed shock and said, “A judge of an Indian constitutional Court referring to fellow citizens of a different fate as Pakistani is astonishing.”
Justice Srishanananda has served as an additional judge of the Karnataka High Court since may 2020 and is now serving as a permanent judge in September 2021.
