Fifty eight Rajya Sabha members moved a notice to impeach a Gujarat High Court judge for his remarks against reservation while hearing a case concerning Hardik Patel, who is leading a stir for reservation for patidars.

The notice moved by MPs including Congress’ Oscar Fernandes, CPI’s D Raja, and Janata Dal United’s KC Tyagi has been admitted by Rajya Sabha chairman.

The MPs have taken exception to the judge’s remarks in the Hardik Patel case. He is reported to have said in his judgment, “If I am asked by anyone to name two things, which has destroyed this country or rather, has not allowed the country, to progress in the right direction, then the same is, (i) Reservation and (ii) Corruption.”

“It is very shameful for any citizen of this country to ask for reservation after 65 years of independence. When our Constitution was framed, it was understood that the reservation would remain for a period of 10 years, but unfortunately, it has continued even after 65 years of independence,” the judge said.

Members of a Parliamentary panel on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, cutting across party lines, also assailed the “anti-reservation” remarks Judge.

The members of Parliamentary Standing Committee on SC/ST at a meeting in Parliament House on Thursday condemned the remarks by the judge and resolved to stage a protest in front of BR Ambedkar’s statue on December 23.

The meeting was attended among others by Union ministers Ram Vilas Paswan and Thawar Chand Gehlot.

A single judge bench of Gujarat High Court presided over by Justice J B Pardiwala, on Friday, deleted the ‘anti-reservation’ observations of the judge from his recent judgment on a quashing petition moved by Patidar quota stir leader Hardik Patel & others on the ground that they were not ‘relevant’ or ‘necessary’ to decide the petition. Justice Pardiwala passed an order in this regard while acting on a Speaking to Minutes application moved by the State of Gujarat to delete the observations.