The possibility of Opposition parties moving an impeachment motion against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra seems to be fading with just four days for the current session of Parliament to end and many key Opposition parties yet to make up their mind.
According to sources the Congress which is anchoring the petition has got over 60 signatures from Opposition MPs. But many key political parties including the Trinamool Congress which has 12 members in the upper house, Biju Janata Dal (8), DMK (4) have not signed the petition.
Other than the Congress, the Left parties, NCP and Samajwadi Party have signed the petition.
Out of those who have signed, at least a dozen are MPs whose term ends on the midnight of Monday. “If the petition was moved in the chairman’s office by today [Monday] evening, then it would have been valid. But after they retire, the petition lapses,” explained a senior Congress MP who had signed on the proposed impeachment motion.
Sources in the Rajya Sabha Chairman’s office said no formal motion was brought to the his office until Monday evening.
The Congress continued to maintain its ambivalence but Kapil Sibal, seen by many as one of the driving forces behind the move, made a comment open to interpretation. “The process to impeach a judge is constitutional. The motives to impeach him must never be political. A fearless judiciary is our only hope,” Mr. Sibal said on twitter.
The parties are still debating within themselves on the political pros and legal cons of such a petition. A senior Trinamool Congress leader said the party is still weighing its options on the petition. The party was uncomfortable from the beginning on moving such a petition, which it said was a long and a messy affair and may fail to make the desired political point.
Backers dilemma
The DMK too has not yet made up its mind. “We haven’t signed the petition. Our working president (M.K. Stalin) and others are discussing the issue,” DMK MP M.K. Kanimozhi said. Meanwhile, those members who have signed the petition are left wondering on its fate. “NCP’s five members have signed, so have many other parties. The Congress is the holder of the petition. They have the requisite numbers. We do not know what is holding them back,” NCP MP Majeed Memon said.
