Government reaches out to political parties on Justice Varma
Government reaches out to political parties on Justice Varma's removal; wants everyone on board
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju underlined the government's resolve to take all political parties on board in moving impeachment motion against Justice Yashwant Varma
NEW DELHI — Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday
underlined the government's resolve to take all political parties on board in
moving an impeachment motion against Justice Yashwant Varma, saying corruption
in the judiciary cannot be approached through a "political prism".
He said the government wants the exercise aimed at axing
Justice Varma, embroiled in a case of alleged corruption and indicted by a
Supreme Court-appointed committee, a "collaborative effort".
Burnt pieces of a currency note seen among debris near
the residence of Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma, in New Delhi,
Sunday, March 23, 2025. (PTI Photo/Kamal Singh)
Rijiju told reporters here that he has already initiated
discussions with all political parties to bring the motion in Parliament's
Monsoon session, starting from July 21, against the Allahabad High Court judge.
He said the government wants all parties to "jointly"
move the motion to remove Justice Varma.
Rijiju said he will reach out to smaller parties, while
all major parties have already been informed about the plan to bring a motion
of impeachment against Justice Varma.
"The government feels that the matter related to
corruption is not one political party's agenda. It is a stand of all parties to
fight against the menace of corruption, whether it is the judiciary or any
other space," he said.
The minister underlined that the government would like to
take all political parties on board on the issue as corruption in the judiciary
cannot be approached through a "political prism".
He said most parties will revert after discussing the
issue internally.
To a query, Rijiju said the decision on whether the
motion will be brought in the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha will be taken based
on the business of each House.
According to the Judges (Inquiry) Act of 1968, once a
motion to remove a judge is admitted in any of the Houses, the speaker or the
chairman, as the case may be, will constitute a three-member committee to
investigate the grounds on which the removal (or, in popular term, impeachment)
has been sought.
The committee consists of the chief justice of India
(CJI) or a Supreme Court judge, the chief justice of one of the 25 high courts
and a " distinguished jurist".
Rijiju said the present case is "slightly
different" as an in-house committee formed by then CJI Sanjiv Khanna has
already submitted its report.
"So what is to be done in this matter, we will take
a call," he said.
The minister said the process has to be followed, but how
to "integrate the inquiry already conducted" needs to be decided.
"As per the rule, a committee has to be constituted
and then the committee has to submit a report and the report will be tabled in
the House and discussions will start to impeach. Here, a committee has already
been constituted, not by Parliament. But it cannot be brushed aside" as it
was constituted by the CJI, he said.
Responding to questions that a committee has to be
mandatorily formed under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, Rijiju said the speaker will
take a decision in this regard.
He said reconciling the report of the in-house panel and
the one under law is a "secondary matter". The primary objective is
to bring the impeachment motion.
Rijiju hoped that the removal proceedings will be passed
in the two Houses in the Monsoon session beginning July 21 and ending August
12.
A fire incident at Justice Varma's residence in the
national capital in March, when he was a judge at the Delhi High Court, had led
to the discovery of several burnt sacks of cash at the outhouse.
Though the judge claimed ignorance about the cash, the
Supreme Court-appointed committee indicted him after speaking to a number of
witnesses and recording his statement.
The then CJI Khanna is believed to have prodded him to
resign but Justice Varma dug in his heels. The apex court has since transferred
him to his parent cadre, the Allahabad High Court, where he has not been
assigned any judicial work.
Justice Khanna had written to the president and the prime
minister, recommending the impeachment motion, which is the procedure for axing
members of the higher judiciary from service.
