VP Naidu has no power to reject impeachment against CJI: Prashant Bhushan

New Delhi: Eminent lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan has said that vice president Venkaiya Naidu does not have the powers to reject the notice to impeach Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra, adding that he can only check if the notice is correct procedure-wise.

“What!! VP Naidu rejects impeachment motion against CJI signed by 64 RS MPs! On what grounds? He has no power to say that charges are not made out. That’s for the inquiry committee of 3 judges. He only has to see if it’s signed by >50 MPs & possibly if charges are of misbehaviour,” Bhushan tweeted.

Not only him, but several other political leaders raised concern over the matter. “This is a really important matter. We don’t know what was the reason for the rejection. Congress and other opposition parties will talk to some legal experts and take the next step,” Congress leader PL Punia said.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi tweeted, “Expectedly, Sh Naidu rejected implement motion. Unexpectedly, he did so within one day of returning from outstn. Hopefully, the alacrity was not intended to render infructuous calls for CJI to stop Admn work.”

Naidu had on Monday said that the impeachment motion against the CJI lacked substantial facts to hold the latter guilty of misbehaviour. Naidu said, “I have applied my mind to all five charges made out in Impeachment Motion and examined all annexed documents. All facts as stated in motion don’t make out a case which can lead any reasonable mind to conclude that CJI on these facts can be ever held guilty of misbehaviour.”