On Tuesday (25th March), Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar has called for an all-party meeting in the wake of “piles” of unaccounted cash at the official residence of Delhi High Court Judge Yashwant Varma. He has called it a “critical” and “serious” matter.
Informing the Rajya Sabha, Chairman Dhankhar said, “I have called a meeting of all political parties’ floor leaders today at 4:30 pm to discuss the Justice Varma matter.”
The Vice President noted that a day earlier he held discussions with the Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition regarding this issue. It was suggested, during these discussions, that the Rajya Sabha Chairman should hold a meeting with all political parties’ floor leaders.
VP Dhankhar said, “The issue is undoubtedly serious. The three of us took note of the developments and also acknowledged the unprecedented initiative by the Chief Justice of India to put everything in the public domain. However, a suggestion was put forth by the Leader of the Opposition, and agreed upon by the Leader of the House, that the issue needs to be deliberated upon with the floor leaders at my instance.”
He added, “I have scheduled the meeting after seeking convenience at 4:30 pm today with the floor leaders. I am sure we will have a very fruitful interaction and find a way forward because the Legislature and Judiciary function optimally when they perform at their best. I do not wish to be judgmental on any issue, but one thing that has found widespread acceptance in the country is that the entire material available with the Supreme Court has been shared with the public.”
Strikingly, the Vice President called this meeting 10 days after a fire incident was reported at the official residence of Delhi High Court Judge Yashwant Varma which led to the discovery of “piles” of unaccounted cash.
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In his defence, Justice Varma has denied the allegations, asserting that neither he nor his family owns the cash. He has argued that the incident was part of a conspiracy to malign his image. Nonetheless, the Supreme Court has released a video which shows wades of burnt cash discovered at the fire site. The discovery of substantive burnt cash has intensified the raging debate over Judicial accountability and Collegium system.
