Impeachment move to demonise bodies: BJP

BJP president Amit Shah on Monday led the party's charge against the move to impeach Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, claiming it was part of a larger trend to "demonise and weaken" every institution that maintains its identity and does not "kowtow" to the Gandhi dynasty.

Shah's views were echoed by party spokespersons, who accused the Congress of destroying every institution in the country fearing that their "family rule" may not remain sustainable.

In a blog released in counter to Congress' programme 'Save Constitution Day', Shah said if there was one political party post-independence that has "trampled" upon the Constitution "in letter and spirit, time and again, it is the Congress party".

"Right now, the buzzword for the Congress and their friends is impeachment. The judiciary, an institution trusted by 125 crore Indians, has incurred the wrath of Congress and the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty in particular. I will not get into the reasons (which everybody knows) but I will say that this is a part of a larger trend to demonise and weaken every institution that seeks to maintain its individual identity and not kowtow to the dynasty," he said.

Motion rejected

The post was made public hours after Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu rejected the seven Opposition parties' impeachment motion against Chief Justice Misra. "Those who do not trust the Army, the Judiciary, the Supreme Court, the Election Commission, EVMs, the RBI are now saying democracy is in danger," he said.

In back-to-back press conferences, BJP spokespersons Sambit Patra and Meenakshi Lekhi claimed that Congress has a "long history of disrupting institutions" of democracy.

"Rule of law cannot be confused with the rule of a dynasty. Judiciary is one institution which is respected by all and their independence has to be maintained but Congress party has repeatedly shown that they are the institutional disruptors and they can go to any extent to play their dirty politics. We are thankful to the Vice President (and Rajya Sabha Chairman) for not allowing Congress to misuse institutions," Lekhi said.

'Rahul failed politician'

Patra charged, "Rahul Gandhi is a failed politician. He could not convince people about his politics, that is why he has stooped to undermining the institutions of the country in desperation."

He claimed the Congress does not trust any constitutional institution in the country and the Gandhi family had a sense of entitlement always.

"Nehru wanted to be the Prime Minister and agreed to partition. Indira Gandhi imposed Emergency. Rajiv Gandhi allowed the Sikh rioters to stay in power. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul are not sparing any of the institutions of the country," he alleged.