Venkaiah Naidu ‘unhappy’ over Oppn making public details of CJI impeachment notice

Informed sources said that Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu was not happy with the way the opposition parties had held a press conference after submitting their impeachment motion to him. 

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, who is examining an impeachment notice against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, is learnt to have asked the secretariat of the Upper House of Parliament to see if there is precedent on opposition members making public the details of such a motion to the media before it is examined.

Informed sources said that Naidu was not happy with the way the opposition parties had held a press conference after submitting their impeachment motion to him.

They said details had been given to the media even before a decision was taken on it by the presiding officer of the Upper House.

The sources said that Naidu has asked the Rajya Sabha secretary general to look for precedent, if any, on the said issue.

Sixty-four members of the Rajya Sabha belonging to seven parties led by the Congress on Friday submitted the impeachment motion for the removal of the Chief Justice on five grounds of “misbehaviour”.

The motion was signed by 71 MPs, but seven have since retired, before the notice was submitted to the Rajya Sabha Chair.

Besides the Congress, those who signed the motion include members of the Samajwadi Party, BSP, CPI-M, CPI, NCP and IUML. Nominated member KTS Tulsi also signed.

This is the first time an impeachment motion has been brought against a Chief Justice of India.