Legal experts divided on rejection of notice

VP Naidu acted in a hurried manner: Former Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee

Former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said on Monday Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu acted in a "hurried manner" while rejecting the impeachment notice against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra.

"This instance has set a bad precedence, which is not good for democracy," he told PTI here, adding that Naidu should have followed proper procedures before rejecting the notice.

"There are procedures in the Constitution and chairman of Rajya Sabha should have followed it instead of acting in a hurried manner," Chatterjee said.

Referring to previous instances of impeachment notices, Chatterjee said procedures were then followed properly.

Naidu rejected on Monday the unprecedented impeachment notice given by Opposition parties, led by the Congress, against CJI Dipak Misra, saying it "lacked substantial merit" and allegations were neither "tenable nor admissible".

The vice-president held that the allegations emerging from the present case have a serious tendency of "undermining" the independence of the judiciary.

NAIDU (L) on Monday turned down the impeachment notice given by the Congress & six other opposition parties against CJI MISRA (R), saying it lacked substantial merit and that the allegations were neither "tenable nor admissible".