Congress aborts impeachment motion against CJI 'for now'

Amid reports that the Congress and a few parties in the opposition were in actively considering moving an impeachment motion against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra in the Rajya Sabha, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said the party has closed the issue for the time being. 

Leaders of opposition parties were in active discussion on Thursday over moving an impeachment motion against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. Speculations were rife that they might move a notice for the same before the Rajya Sabha chairman on Friday, the last day of the budget session. However, both the houses were adjourned sine die on Friday. 

Leaders of various parties had on Thursday held hectic parleys over moving the motion, the first one to be ever moved against a sitting chief justice.

Top legal hands and MPs of the Congress including some former ministers held a meeting in the office of the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha on the issue.

Media reports suggest that Ghulam Nabi Azad, opposition leader in Rajya Sabha, had collected close to 60 signatures, including from other parties like the Left, NCP, SP and BSP, for moving the motion. However, the DMK and the TMC had abstained from signing the petition. 

Sources said there was some ambiguity on the issue as some top leaders within the Congress were not comfortable moving the motion against the CJI.

Last week, the Bar Council of India (BCI) had said that members of Parliament and legislative assemblies who move an impeachment motion against any judge of the higher judiciary will not be allowed to appear before that court. The BCI's statement came in the backdrop of the impeachment move in Parliament.

(With inputs from PTI)