Cong yet to take stand on Dinakaran impeachment

A day after Opposition parties garnered the support required for moving an impeachment (removal) motion against Justice P.D. Dinakaran, the ruling Congress on Saturday remained undecided about its stand on the issue.

A day after Opposition parties garnered the support required for moving an impeachment (removal) motion against Justice P.D. Dinakaran, the ruling Congress on Saturday remained undecided about its stand on the issue.

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The number of Rajya Sabha MPs having signed the impeachment motion against the Karnataka High Court Chief Justice touched 70, mounting pressure on the Congress

An impeachment motion can be moved if it signed by either 50 Rajya Sabha MPs or 100 Lok Sabha MPs, depending on in which House the motion is moved.

In this case, it is being moved in the Rajya Sabha.

A delegation of Opposition parties, likely to be led by leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley and CPI(M) parliamentary group leader Sitaram Yechury, will meet Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari on Monday to present the motion.

Leaders of the BJP, CPI, Samajwadi Party and Akali Dal will also be part of the delegation.

The Congress said it would take a decision on the issue in due course. “The party has not taken a decision as yet. It would, therefore, neither be proper nor appropriate to comment on the party line now,” said party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi.

Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily said, “It is not a matter of public debate,” he said.

A number of Congress MPs Hindustan Times spoke to said the party should take a position on the sensitive issue soon.

“They don’t need us. The opposition has managed the motion without us, but I hope the party takes a stand either way,” said a Congress leader.

Another leader said the party is unlikely to take a stand on the Dinakaran issue anytime soon, and the hinted that the Opposition move may not go too far, since they do not have the numbers to get the motion passed.

Other UPA constituents have also chosen to remain silent.

Once a motion is admitted, the Rajya Sabha chairman will form a committee comprising a Supreme Court judge, a High Court Chief Justice and a jurist to probe the allegations.