Disappointed & Distressed: Jurists React to CJI Impeachment Motion

Around 64 MPs belonging to the Congress, NCP, the CPI-M and CPI, the SP and the BSP signed the impeachment notice.

Ram Jethmalani, Soli Sorabjee and Prashant Bhushan.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

As Opposition parties led by the Congress met Vice President and Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and handed over a notice for impeachment of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, several jurists raised objections expressing their ‘disappointment’ over the move.

Around 64 MPs belonging to the Congress, the NCP, the CPI-M and CPI, the SP and the BSP signed the notice for the impeachment against the CJI.

Speaking to News 18, former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee said that he was “disappointed and distressed” at the Opposition’s move.

I am very disappointed and distressed that some members of the Opposition parties want to impeach the Chief Justice. The CJI can be impeached, but on substantial grounds. We will be striking at the very roots of the judiciary if we take this forward.

Soli Sorabjee, former Attorney General

Senior advocate Ram Jethmalani meanwhile termed the motion a ‘mischievous propaganda.”

In an interview with News 18, Jethmalani said it was ‘mischievous to name a CJI as a criminal.’

Speaking to the channel, Jethmalani said:

The persons who have initiated this mischievous propaganda are people who have no knowledge of the law at all. Or, they know the law and they have completed ignored it.

However, senior advocate Prashant Bhushan opined that the impeachment motion would help stop ‘further erosion’ of the judiciary.

The Supreme Court had earlier in the day said it was "very disturbed" by the course of developments involving public statements by the Members of Parliament (MPs) on the removal of the Chief Justice of India (CJI).

The apex court had said it was "very unfortunate" that despite knowing the law that till a certain point, the issue of impeachment cannot be made public, the politicians were holding public discussions.

(With inputs from PTI)