Congress, opposition parties move impeachment notice against CJI

New Delhi: Opposition parties combinedly, led by Congress, met Vice President Venkaiah Naidu on Friday and moved an impeachment motion seeking the removal of CJI Dipak Misra.

The Congress and some other opposition parties have submitted a petition in Rajya Sabha to initiate the impeachment of Chief Justice Dipak Misra following a discussion at senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad's room in the Parliament House complex.

After the talks with Azad, the opposition leaders went to meet the Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman to submit the petition.

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After meeting the Vice President Ghulam Nabi Azad said that as many as 71 MPs had signed the impeachment motion against the CJI. He further stated, "As 7 MPs have retired the number of valid consents is now 64 and we still have more than the minimum requirement needed to entertain the motion. We are sure that the Hon Chairman will take action."

It is to be mentioned that besides the Congress, the opposition parties' meeting was attended by leaders of the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

The reason for this step has been cited by the Congress leaders as, "the issues raised by four senior most Supreme Court judges have not yet been addressed by Chief Justice Misra."

They said the party was concerned about the independence of the judiciary and it must be protect from gross interferences by the government.

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Speaking on the matter, Kapil Sibal stated, "We wish this day had never come in the fabric of our constitutional framework. Since the day Justice Misra was appointed as CJI there have been questions raised in the manner in which he has dealt with certain cases."

"When the judges of the Supreme Court themselves believe that the Judiciary's independence is at threat, alluding to the functioning of the office of the CJI, should the nation stand still and do nothing?," Sibal further stated.