The Congress, on Monday, sought to disapprove the opposition move to impeach Karnataka Chief Justice P D Dinakaran saying it is not proper to air opinion on a matter which is under consideration of the apex court.
"The Supreme Court collegium is looking into the matter and unless it takes a decision on it, it is not proper for anyone to air his opinion on the issue," party spokesperson Shakeel Ahmad told media-persons in New Delhi.
His comment came close on the heels of 75 MPs belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party, Left Parties, Samajwadi Party, Janata Dal-United, Akali Dal and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam submitting a petition to Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari seeking the impeachment of Justice Dinakaran, who is facing allegations of land grab.
The government on its part steered clear of the issue with Union Law Minister Minister Veerappa Moily saying, "We do not discuss matters pertaining to the appointments in the higher judiciary...we have not seen the petition." Senior Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Sitaram Yechury told media-persons that the MPs submitted the impeachment motion in exercise of Constitutional provisions.
Leader of Opposition in the Upper House, Arun Jaitley, said that Justice Dinakaran should not continue. Asked whether Congress members had also signed, he said if the Congress MPs wanted to join, they were welcome. If the motion is admitted, a three-member committee comprising a Supreme Court judge, a high court chief justice and a jurist would be set up to go into the issue.
