Congress Party divided over CJI impeachment issue as Ex-PM Manmohan abstains.

The impeachment motion brought on by the Congress Party against the Chief Justice of India is a move which is doomed to fail right from the start. The enthusiasm being shown by the Congress Party and its associates is nothing but a façade to hide the disappointments they have faced in the recent past. The opposition parties have resorted to bring about a motion seeking the removal of the ‘first among the equals’ in the Supreme Court of India. This assault on the Constitutional safeguards and values in a democracy which allows the judiciary to function without any external pressure, is worthy of condemnation. The condemnation is coming from all sides for the opposition, even from the inside.

But looks like the plan has started backfiring already, and hilariously so. Congress, for starters, comes across as a divided unit. Top Congress Party leader Salman Khurshid has denied his involvement in the impeachment motion being brought against the CJI. Apart from being a senior leader of the Congress Party, Khurshid is also a senior advocate. “I am not party to or privy with discussions that have taken place between different parties and for me to reflect specifically on whether the grounds are justified would be unfair.” Khurshid told the reporters when he was questioned regarding his involvement in the CJI impeachment motion. He basically denied his involvement in the talks held before the motion was decided to be presented before the Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu. Salman Khurshid also added that “Impeachment is too serious a matter to be played with frivolously on the grounds of disagreement with any judgment or point of view of the court.” Khurshid’s statement is critical of the manner in which the opposition parties have decided to handle it.

The first one to reportedly disagree in writing against the motion was senior Congress Party leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi. Singhvi thought that it was not a legally viable option and he was backed by another senior leader and the former Law Minister Veerappa Moily. Even senior Congress leader and lawyer of the Supreme Court, Manish Tewari, disagreed with the decision of the Congress Party with regard to the impeachment.

Another top Congress Party leader who did not sign the motion is ex-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Mr. Singh reportedly did not agree with the party leadership decision to bring the motion on the ground. When questions were raised about Mr. Manmohan Singh not signing the motion due to his differences with the decision of the party it was another Congress leader Kapil Sibal who came to the rescue of the Congress Party.
“We didn’t involve Manmohan Singh intentionally as he is an ex-PM” said Congress leader Kapil Sibal. This confusing statement is bereft of any meaning as there is no reason why a Congress party leader would not follow the directions of the party. Mr. Singh is an ex-PM and is well known for showing his conformity with the party time and again. This reportedly might be the first time that Mr. Singh has decided not to go with the whims and fancies of dynasty leadership.

The Congress Party leadership at the top is ill-equipped to understand the deep significance of bringing this motion. Apart from top Congress leaders, other parties such as Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) from the opposition have also backed out of the impeachment motion being presented. They reportedly decided to back out of the motion and chose not to sign the motion which is going to be a complete failure, a wise move to salvage some of the respect which they have lost in the recent past owing to the loss in elections and verdicts of the Apex Court. This rebellious behavior by senior Congress leaders and other opposition parties shows the rift which has emerged in the Congress Party and the whole anti-Modi front today. There will be more such rifts to follow in the future thanks to the ‘brilliant mind’ of Rahul Gandhi working at the top. The neglect of a sharp political mind at the decision making centre will be keenly felt by the Congress Party and opposition workers in the time to come.