Cong not for impeachment

CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechuri on Tuesday batted for an impeachment motion against Chief Justice of India Dipak Mishra in the coming budget session from next Monday.

He even claimed talks were on with the Congress and other Opposition parties for the move on the basis of the issues flagged by the four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court against the CJI early this month.

A majority in the Congress is, however, opposed to any impeachment as its president Rahul Gandhi decided against any such action after consultations with legal luminaries in the party, including P Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, on the very day the four judges revolted.

Party sources said the Congress sticks to the statement issued by Rahul that day, calling for the Supreme Court itself to sort out the issues flagged. After deciding not to politicise the judges' anguish, the Congress won't agree to any impeachment.

Impeachment of the CJI or any Supreme Court or High Court judge requires support of a minimum of 50 MPs in the Rajya Sabha or a minimum of 100 Lok Sabha MPs. Without Congress, the Opposition's plan to support the CPM impeachment motion may not succeed.

Though the issues raised by the four judges still remain unresolved, the CJI has indicated to the judges that he would adopt the policy in the Bombay and the Delhi High Courts to decide subject-wise Benches to minimise any arbitrariness in appointment, which is the main issue raised by the four judges.