Venkaiah Naidu has rightly applied his mind: Soli Sorabjee on CJI impeachment notice

Eminent jurist and former attorney general of India Soli Sorabjee on Monday welcomed Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu’s decision to reject the impeachment notice against CJI Dipak Misra, saying he has “rightly applied his mind”.

Sorabjee said the vice president has found no merit in the notice given by opposition parties led by the Congress for impeachment and has consulted legal experts before arriving at the decision.

“The vice president has applied his mind. He has consulted legal experts and has come to a decision. We did not want the matter hanging indefinitely.”

“He (Naidu) has gone into the matter and has found no merit in it and no ground for impeachment, therefore, he rejected it,” Sorabjee told a TV channel.

When asked about the procedure ahead if the opposition moves the apex court to challenge Naidu’s decision, Sorabjee said he did not see the petition succeeding.

“I don’t see chances of the writ petition (challenging the VP’s decision) succeeding,” he said.

Naidu has rejected the impeachment notice against the CJI, citing lack of substantial merit in it.

“We cannot allow any of our pillars of governance to be weakened by any thought, word or action,” the vice president said in his order.

Seven opposition parties led by the Congress had last week moved a notice before him for impeachment of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) on five grounds of “misbehaviour”.

This is the first time ever that an impeachment notice has been filed against a sitting CJI.

Leaders of the opposition parties had on Friday last met Naidu and handed over the notice of impeachment against the CJI bearing signatures of 64 MPs and seven former members, who recently retired.

The parties had briefed the media after handing over the notice to the Upper House chairman.