All parties on board for motion to remove Justice Varma: Rijiju

Two days to go for the monsoon session of Parliament, the government on Friday said all parties were on board about the motion for the removal of Justice Yashwant Varma after charred currency notes were recovered from his official residence in Delhi on March 14.

Advertisement

Noting that Justice Varma's move to challenge as unconstitutional the apex court's in-house committee findings in his matter had no bearing on Parliament's power to remove a judge, government ministers said Parliament had the right to remove a Supreme Court or a high court judge.

“If Justice Varma does not agree with the report and approaches the Supreme Court or a high court, it is his prerogative. But Parliament has the right to remove a Supreme Court or high court judge," said Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, meanwhile, said all parties were agreeable on bringing the motion to remove Justice Varma.

Noting that corruption in higher judiciary was a serious matter, Rijiju said with all parties on board, a motion would be brought in the monsoon session. The motion, expected in the Lok Sabha, will have to be signed by 100 MPs.

"I have spoken to senior leaders of different political parties and will also engage some single-MP parties to see that this (motion for removal) emerges as a united stand of Parliament," Rijiju told a news agency. He said corruption was a very serious issue as judiciary dispensed justice.

"That is why the motion for the removal of Justice Yashwant Varma is to be signed by all political parties... On corruption in the judiciary, we have to unite and cannot take partisan positions. It should not be made a political issue," said Rijiju, noting that the Congress had also assured support for the motion.

The monsoon session is scheduled from July 21 to August 21. Once the removal motion comes to the Lok Sabha secretariat, the Speaker will admit it. It will be followed by authentication of all 100 signatures and then the constitution of a three-member committee (Chief Justice of India or any Supreme Court judge, chief justice of a high court and an eminent jurist). This committee will probe the matter and will have three months to submit its report, Lok Sabha sources said, adding that if the report came during the monsoon session and the Lok Sabha passed the removal motion, the Rajya Sabha would also have to take up and pass the motion in the same session.

Several political leaders, however, privately said the motion may take longer than the upcoming monsoon session to pass.