Congress open-ended on proposal to impeach CJI

New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday kept “open-ended” the option of moving a motion of impeachment against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra in the coming Budget Session of Parliament, saying its leaders in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha would talk to other parties and then take a stand in the matter.

CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury had said on Tuesday that the Opposition parties are in talks with each other on moving an impeachment motion against the CJI two weeks after four senior judges questioned the allocation of cases in the Supreme Court.

“After talking to all parties, our leaders in both Houses will make our stand clear on the impeachment of CJI Misra,” Congress leader R.P.N. Singh told reporters.

Under the Constitution, 50 Rajya Sabha members and 100 Lok Sabha MPs can move an impeachment motion against a Supreme Court judge. Once a motion is moved, it is mandatory for the Chair to admit it and form a committee to enquire into the charges. Sources said, however, that the Congress was far more interested in keeping up political pressure on the judiciary rather than actually moving a motion. A senior Congress leader said the party was a divided house on moving an impeachment motion. While some leaders like Kapil Sibal favour such a motion, others, like former ministers P. Chidambaram and Salman Khurshid, are against it.