Strong proof needed for motion, says Jaitley

Labelling the Opposition’s attempt to move an impeachment motion against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra “misconceived”, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday said impeachment motions required strong evidence of gross misconduct and could not be a “fishing and roving enquiry”.

In a post on Facebook, Mr. Jaitley also hit out at the Congress for saying it would move the Supreme Court to challenge Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu’s dismissal of the impeachment notices. The Minister said accepting or rejecting such notices was the sole discretion of the Chairman of the House.

‘Rarest of rare cases’

“An impeachment motion was intended to be filed in the rarest of rare cases. These cases would include those where a “gross misconduct” has been indulged in by a delinquent judge during his tenure as a judge.

“The Congress Party’s argument that they are making vague allegations which can only be proved in an inquiry is not tenable. Vague and unsubstantiated allegations can never be a basis of a roving fishing inquiry against the holder of a high office,” Mr. Jaitley said.