Opposition conspiring to weaken democracy: Shivraj Singh Chouhan on impeachment motion against CJI

Chouhan, in a series of tweets, ripped apart the opposition over the impeachment motion, which has been brought after the Supreme Court rejected all pleas seeking an independent probe in the death of Justice BH Loya, who was hearing the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case in which Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Amit Shah was accused.

In the first tweet, Chouhan said: "The opposition is nervous after the series of election losses and the Supreme Court's judgement in Loya case. The allegations against the CJI is a political stunt. What the opposition wants to prove by raising questions against the constitutional bodies? It is a conspiracy to weaken the democracy."

"The opposition, out of frustrations of election losses, wants to create a mistrust over the constitutional bodies by bringing the impeachment motion. This is dangerous for democracy..." the CM said in a follow up tweet.

The latest tweet reads, "The top court has asked the opposition not to bring political matters before the judges but should go to the parliament. But the opposition is ready to go to any extent...I haven't seen and heard such a degradation in politics ever."

Sixty-four Rajya Sabha MPs from seven opposition parties, led by the Congress, signed impeachment motion against Misra for what they said "five listed grounds of misbehaviour."

"We have moved an impeachment motion seeking the removal of CJI Dipak Misra," opposition leader in the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad said after meeting Vice President Venkaiah Naidu.

Azad said  seven parties, including SP, BSP, CPM, CPI, Muslim League have extended support to the impeachment move.

He said that 71 MPs had signed the impeachment motion (against CJI) but as seven have retired the number is now 64.

The impeachment move has its genesis in the public complaint made by four  senior judges of the top court- Justices Jasti Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, Madan B Lokur and Kurian Joseph-  that cases with far reaching consequences were assigned to selective judges.

Justice Chelameswar, who represented the four judges in an unprecedented press conference, said they had approached the CJI with a letter but failed to convince him.

image: twitter.com/ChouhanShivraj