An impetuous move

So the Congress party submits a notice of impeachment of the Chief Justice of India along with BSP, SP, NCP, CPI and CPM. A Congress statement clarified that it is doing so with a heavy heart since there is no way to protect the institution except to move an impeachment motion. Everyone understands the pain of the Congress and others. The move comes a day after the Supreme Court bench led by the Chief Justice judged that the death of Judge B H Loya in 2014 was natural and no investigation was needed into it. Judge Loya was to decide on charges of murder against BJP President Amit Shah.

The Opposition feels that sensitive cases like this one should not be assigned to handpicked judges. The impeachment notice also refers to the allegations raised in January by four top judges of SC over the 'master of roster' issue. The first talk of impeachment of the CJ popped up then. Rahul Gandhi went ahead and tweeted that truth had a way of catching up and it would with Amit Shah one day. Perhaps, he was referring to the future when a Congress government would be in place at the Centre and that he would use his power to make "truth catch up with Amit Shah."

The very surmise that one could draw from the notice unless one is virulently anti-BJP, is that the Apex Court is biased. The very basis for such a conclusion is the very notice itself as the Congress feels that anything less than sentencing Amit Shah for murder would tantamount to bias. Because it thinks that the Court had given a wrong judgment, it wants an impeachment to save an institution.

No judge of the Supreme Court could be removed from his office except by an order of the President passed after an address by each House of Parliament supported by a majority of the total membership of that House and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members of that House present and voting has been presented to the President in the same season. That is Constitution. It is significant the members of the DMK, TMC and RJD are no longer part of the Congress gambit.

Opposition of people to the Hindutva agenda of the BJP is understandable and so is the anger over its marginalisation of dalits and minorities and the growing attacks on liberal and free voices in the country. The ruling party's attempt to take control of institutions with its ideologues is also questionable. But hitting out at the SC itself accusing it of nepotism just because Amit Shah is not punished is astounding.

Whether one agrees or not, this is a clear case of an attempt to politicise an institution by the Congress. Exigency gives the law but self-interest violates it! By putting politics ahead of livelihood issues, such lawmakers are turning their backs on the people. Taking things to the extreme may only provoke fatigue and outrage. Eyes will not see the truth as long as the admiring heart wishes them to be blind. Anyway, Rahul is only known more for his impetuosity.