Cong using impeachment as a political tool: Jaitley
The Congress and six other opposition parties on Friday in an unprecedented decision moved a notice for the removal of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, accusing him of “misbehaviour” and “misusing” authority. The opposition parties handed over the notice with the signatures of 71 members of the Rajya Sabha to vice-president and Rajya Sabha chairperson M Venkaiah Naidu. He will decide whether there is any merit or ground for moving such a motion. He may form a committee to look into it in case he thinks it fit or else he can reject the motion.
No Chief Justice has ever been removed in India.
Congress leader Kapil Sibal said the notice has been moved with a “heavy heart” as Justice Misra had not “asserted the independence of the judiciary in the face of interference by the executive”. “As representatives of the people, we are entitled to hold the Chief Justice accountable, just as we are accountable to the people. The majesty of the law is more important than the majesty of any office,” he said.
The leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad, said, “We have moved a motion for the removal of Chief Justice of India under five grounds of misbehaviour . ... While submitting the motion to the RS chairman, we requested him we have the number required for the motion to be entertained ... ”
Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid, however, seemed to disagree with his party colleagues. “I hope not and believe not… impeachment is too serious a matter to be played with on the grounds of disagreement with any judgment or with any point of view of the court.”
Union finance minister Arun Jaitley said the Congress and “its friends have started using impeachment as a political tool” in a long post on Facebook.
“It is not difficult to collect fifty signatures of RS or hundred signatures of LS members even on frivolous issues. To use the power as intimidatory tactics when neither you have a case of “proven misconduct” or the numbers on your side, is a serious threat to judicial independence,” Jaitley said.
NEW DELHI: