Congress to move SC against impeachment rejection; BJP hails Naidu's decision

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday rejected the impeachment notice given by opposition parties led by the Congress against CJI Dipak Misra, saying it lacked substantial merit and that the allegations were neither "tenable nor admissible".

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday rejected the impeachment notice given by opposition parties led by the Congress against CJI Dipak Misra

NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday rejected the impeachment notice given by opposition parties led by the Congress against CJI Dipak Misra, saying it lacked substantial merit and that the allegations were neither "tenable nor admissible". Reacting to Naidu's decision, the Opposition said it will move the Supreme against the rejection. Addressing a press conference here, senior Congress leader and Supreme Court lawyer Kapil Sibal termed the Rajya Sabha chairman's order as "illegal". He alleged that Naidu rejected the impeachment notice without a full-fledged enquiry. "For the first time in the history of India, an impeachment motion moved by members of the Parliament was not even discussed. Important matters like an impeachment motion shouldn't be disposed off in a tearing hurry. It is our privilege to move the motion," he told the media.

For the first time in the history of India, an impeachment motion moved by members of the Parliament was not even discussed: Congress leader @KapilSibal

— ABP News (@abpnewstv) April 23, 2018

If fifty Rajya Sabha members move a motion for the impeachment of a judge, the motion has to be dealt with by the Chairman, not in his judicial or quasi-judicial capacity: @KapilSibal

— ABP News (@abpnewstv) April 23, 2018

He said the Opposition will move the Supreme Court against Naidu's order. "We will certainly file a petition (in the SC) against it and would want the CJI to not take any decision with respect to it, be it the listing or anything else, we will accept whatever the SC decides," Sibal said.

We'll certainly file a petition (in Supreme Court) against this & would want the CJI to not take any decision with respect to it, be it the listing or anything else, we;ll accept whatever SC decides: Kapil Sibal after impeachment motion against CJI was rejected by Vice President pic.twitter.com/mOBOF0PIeP

— ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2018

Welcoming the decision, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra accused the Congress of not having faith in the constitutional bodies of the country. "The Congress party and its leaders don't trust the Army, the Chief Justice of India, the Supreme Court of the country, the Election Commission, EVM machines, RBI, PMO and even the President of India. They don't trust any constitutional institution in the country," Patra said at a presser here.

Congress party and its leaders don't trust the Army, the Chief Justice of India, the Supreme Court of the country, the Election Commission, EVM machines, RBI, PMO and even the President of India. They don't trust any constitutional institution in the country: Dr. @sambitswaraj pic.twitter.com/pqf9nHpSvl

— ABP News (@abpnewstv) April 23, 2018

BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi said the vice-president, who is also the ex-officio chairman of the Rajya Sabha, applied his mind and gave a detailed order. "I must express my gratefulness to the vice-president who has applied his mind and gave a detailed order. The second aspect is regarding the complaint itself. It is a major wrong. The language itself in which it has been drafted says it appears, prima facie it appears, it looks. "Plus, there is a division on this within the Congress party only goes to show that some vested interests are propagating these kinds of harm to the institution in political interest because they seem to be out of power," she told PTI. Another BJP MP Subramanian Swamy hailed Naidu's decision saying: "The vice president should have rejected it (impeachment notice) the day it was filed because the content of the notice was made public."