CPM to push for CJI Misra's impeachment

New Delhi: Two weeks after four senior most judges of the Supreme Court raised questions over the allocation of cases in the Supreme Court, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Tuesday said his party is reaching out to other Opposition parties to discuss the possibility of bringing an impeachment motion against the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra in the coming Budget Session.

“The CPI(M) is discussing with other opposition parties the possibility of bringing an impeachment motion against the CJI,” Mr Yechury said.  

He said that he already has on board parties like Nationalist Congress Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Sharad Yadav faction of the JD(U) and was in talks with the Samajwadi Party to move an impeachment motion against the CJI in the Rajya Sabha.

According to the constitution, 50 members in the Rajya Sabha and 100 MPs in the Lok Sabha can move impeachment motion against a Supreme Court judge.

Though Mr Yechury claimed that the Congress was also on board, sources in the Congress party said it was a divided house with a section led by senior leader Kapil Sibal backing it and another which has leaders like former finance minister P. Chidambaram against it.

Four senior judges of the Supreme Court had virtually revolting against CJI Misra, raising questions on selective allocation of cases and certain judicial orders.

Opposition parties have already called for a probe into the issues flagged by the four judges, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that the judiciary should sort it out itself.

The Budget Session of Parliament is set to commence on January 29 and the Union Budget for 2018-19 will be presented on February 1.

The first phase of the session will be from January 29 to February 9. After a recess, Parliament will meet again from March 5 to April 6.