‘VP had begun legal consultations before the notice was filed’

Rajya Sabha chairperson M Venkaiah Naidu had anticipated the Opposition’s plan to move a notice for removal of CJI Dipak Misra and started consulting constitutional and parliamentary experts on the options available to him long before he was formally handed over the notice by the Congress and six other opposition parties on April 20, a senior Rajya Sabha secretariat official familiar with the development said.

“For some time, there was a buzz in political circles that the opposition parties could initiate a process seeking CJI’s removal. We heard about it and informed the chairman, who then started consultations to find out the options before him if such a thing happens,” added this person who asked not to be identified.

The actual decision making process started only after the parties submitted the notice on April 20. “The secretariat read old documents related to similar notices moved in the past, tracked their histories, and researched Constitutional provisions, before Naidu signed the order, refusing to admit the notice on Monday,” a second Parliament official said on condition of anonymity. On Sunday, Rajya Sabha Secretariat officials burned the midnight oil to arrive at a decision based on consultations with legal luminaries and constitutional experts.

“On Sunday evening, the RS chairman had a series of meetings with constitutional experts, including Attorney General KK Venugopal, former Attorney General K Parasaran, and former SC judge B Sudarshan Reddy. The file containing his order was ready by around 11 pm on Sunday,” the first official said.

MOUSHUMI DAS GUPTA