Over 100 MPs back impeachment motion after unaccounted cash found at Justice Yashwant Varma’s home. Rijiju says, “All parties united on corruption in judiciary.”
New Delhi: Over 100 Members of Parliament have signed their consent to bring an impeachment motion against Supreme Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma.
This was confirmed by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju. Justice Varma became the centre of controversy after a massive amount of unaccounted cash was found in his home in Delhi following a fire incident in March.
The huge cash recovery led to strong allegations of corruption in the Judiciary, pushing the Supreme Court to launch an internal inquiry.
A three-member inquiry panel later recommended that Justice Varma be impeached. However, Justice Varma has challenged this recommendation in the Supreme Court itself.
This incident has occurred at a time when there are already voices in the ruling government expressing concerns about what they call “judicial overreach” by the Supreme Court.
These voices have been stressing on the supremacy of Parliament over the judiciary.
According to the Indian Constitution, a Supreme Court judge can only be removed by the President of India based on proven charges of “misbehaviour or incapacity.”
To start this removal process, an impeachment motion needs to be brought in either House of Parliament and must have the support of at least 50 members in the Rajya Sabha or 100 in the Lok Sabha.
Once admitted, the motion requires the backing of two-thirds of the total MPs present and voting in that House.
Kiren Rijiju earlier stated that the issue of corruption in the judiciary is “an extremely sensitive” one and that there is a rare agreement among all political parties.
He declared,
“The government will bring an impeachment motion against Justice Yashwant Varma in this session,”
Sources have confirmed that even the Congress party, which is the main opposition, is supporting the ruling BJP on this matter. Reportedly, 35 MPs from the Lok Sabha, including the Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, have signed the motion to impeach the judge.
As the Monsoon Session is set to begin, Minister Rijiju spoke to the media and shared that 40 leaders from 51 political parties took part in the all-party meeting conducted before the session.
He stated,
“They presented their views and we requested everyone to ensure that the House runs smoothly. It is a shared responsibility – both the ruling and opposition sides must contribute. We will take up the suggestion of giving more time to smaller parties in the BAC (Business Advisory Committee) meeting, in accordance with the rules,”
The government is also preparing for strong criticism from the Opposition over recent issues like the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, and concerns over Operation Sindoor.
There’s also a buzz around former US President Donald Trump’s claim that he helped broker a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, a claim likely to add fuel to the Parliament debate.
Minister Rijiju said,
“We are ready to discuss all important issues, including Pahalgam and Operation Sindoor – but it must be as per parliamentary rules. We have listened to all suggestions from the opposition members.”
When asked about the Opposition’s repeated criticism that Prime Minister Narendra Modi avoids Parliament, Mr Rijiju replied,
“The Prime Minister is always present in the House, except during foreign visits or in rare special situations. Constantly dragging the Prime Minister into every issue is not appropriate. Whenever a particular department is being discussed, the minister concerned is present to respond.”
The government has listed 15 important bills to be discussed in this session. These bills cover various areas including taxation reforms, shipping regulations, governance in sports, and preservation of India’s geo-heritage.
The Opposition, meanwhile, is preparing to take on the government aggressively. During the all-party meeting, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, who is the Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha, said that Prime Minister Modi must speak in Parliament and give answers on crucial matters such as the Pahalgam terror incident, India’s foreign policy, and the ongoing crisis in Manipur.
He demanded,
“Why hasn’t the Prime Minister visited Manipur yet? We want focused discussions on national security and foreign affairs,”
NCP MP Supriya Sule also raised strong objections over the lack of accountability in the Pahalgam terror case.
“Why have the terrorists who gunned down innocents in Pahalgam not been caught yet?”
she questioned. She also criticised a Maharashtra minister who was allegedly seen playing rummy in the Assembly.
She demanded,
“Farmers are dying by suicide, and ministers are busy playing games. He must resign,”
AAP leader Sanjay Singh brought up former US President Trump’s statement about Operation Sindoor and expressed concerns about the Special Intensive Revision of the voter list in the election-bound state of Bihar.
From the BJD (Biju Janata Dal), MP Sasmit Patra shared his concern over a student self-immolation case in Odisha. He said this reflected the complete failure of law and order in the BJP-led state.
Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav accused the Central Government of failing in its foreign policy and questioned the transparency of the voter list revision in Bihar.
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