New Delhi: The Centre on Friday said that the impeachment motion against Justice Yashwant Varma, in whose official residence a huge pile of burnt notes was recovered following a fire call in March this year, would be initiated in the Lok Sabha where 145 MPs had signed for the motion.
The Opposition had initiated a move in the Rajya Sabha by submitting a notice of impeachment with 65 signatures on Monday to then Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, an announcement on which by him in the House is seen by some as a reason behind his sudden resignation as Vice-President.
As speculation was rife on which House would initiate the proceedings, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju cleared the air by announcing after a Business Advisory Committee meeting of the LS that, “We shouldn’t remain in any doubt, proceedings to remove Justice Yashwant Varma will begin in Lok Sabha.”
He added that all the parties would move unitedly on the issue. “'On Justice Yashwant Varma, we had clearly said that if there is corruption in the judiciary on that matter, we all should work together and move a motion together..” But not giving a timeline, he added that other matters would be taken after the discussion on Operation Sindoor.
Incidentally, the issue of the Opposition submitting a notice of impeachment to Dhankhar and his announcement of having received one with 63 signatures had not gone down well with the Centre as it had already collected 145 signatures to move the motion in the LS. Meanwhile, it is learnt that the LS Speaker, in concurrence with the RS, will upon formal submission of the “removal motion” form a three-member committee comprising a sitting Supreme Court judge, a High Court judge and a noted jurist to probe the charges against Justice Varma.
Impeachment of the judge would only be proceeded with in case sufficient reasons are found in the report to proceed against the judge. Sources said the impeachment notice given by the Opposition in RS would be junked, since there was no need for withdrawal as it was never adopted by the House. The Centre is also learnt to have obtained the signatures of some Opposition MPs on the impeachment notice moved in LS. Rijiju said the government has spoken to some leaders.
