All options open: Congress on motion against CJI Misra

New Delhi: As a fresh set of questions were raised over the functioning of the Supreme Court, the Congress on Thursday indicated that the option of moving an impeachment motion against the Chief Justice of India remained “open”. However, what seemed to be holding the party back was that the refusal of other parties to come onboard that might signal a division in ranks among the Opposition, which can hamper the Congress’ efforts towards formation of a grand anti-BJP alliance in the run up to the 2019 general elections.

Three Opposition parties — the Trinamul Con-gress, DMK and SP — have either refused to sign or are having a rethink on their decision to sign the motion, which has been initiated by Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Though senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal maintained that more than the requisite number of 50 signatures have been acquired for the motion and under the law it was not mandatory for all parties to sign, sources said that the Congress high command was worried that it might signal a division in Opposition ranks which might not bode well for a Grand Alliance to take on the BJP.

“We are very concerned about what is happening in the Judiciary and we believe that the option (of impeachment of Chief Justice of India) is still open to us,” Mr Sibal said.

On being grilled about whether the Congress was dithering as all other Opposition parties were not on board, the senior lawyer said: “You require 50 signatures... Law does not say every Opposition party must be represented.”

Top sources in the party, however, said many leaders, including Mr Azad himself, who has been in the thick of forging together an Opposition alliance, feel that if all other parties were not on board it would send a wrong signal that the front was divided.