Eminent jurist Soli Sorabjee today said the Congress-led Opposition had no chance to succeed in the Supreme Court against Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu’s decision rejecting the impeachment notice against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra.

When asked about the procedure ahead if the Opposition moves the apex court to challenge the decision of Naidu, Rajya Sabha Chairman, Sorabjee said “I don’t see chances of the writ petition (challenging Naidu’s decision) succeeding,” he said.

Reacting to Naidu’s order rejecting the impeachment notice against the CJI moved by 64 MPs, the former Attorney General of India said that the RS chairman has “applied his mind” after consulting legal experts on the issue. “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 found no merit in it and no ground for impeachment, therefore, he rejected it,” Sorabjee told a TV channel. The Vice-President 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 these 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. 

 

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