JOIN USDMK not to sign impeachment motion against CJI
DMK, an important ally of the Congress, decided not to sign the impeachment motion since it did not agree with its senior partner on the reasons cited for the removal of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra.
Sources in the party told DH that the DMK's decision not to sign the motion was just “one-off incident” and should not be seen as a sign of drifting away from the Congress, with whom the alliance still exists and “going strong.”
“We have not signed the motion and that is it. We have decided to wait till the motion is taken up and comes for debate in Rajya Sabha. We will decide our stand – whether to support or oppose – then. Anyway, our MPs not signing the motion has not made any difference. The Congress had enough support to move the motion and it has now been submitted to the Chairman,” a senior DMK leader said.
Another leader, who is also an MP, said the party did not fully agree with the reasons given by the Congress for impeaching the Chief Justice of India. “We are of the opinion that the reasons are not strong enough to seek impeachment of the CJI. We also feel that the charges levelled against him are not that grave for raising a revolt against the CJI,” the leader said.
No misunderstanding
Party seniors said the decision was taken by the top brass after consulting legal eagles within the party, who advised them to wait till the motion comes up for debate, and also asserted that this would not affect their relationship with the Congress.
“Still, we have not decided not to support the motion. We have only decided to take a decision when it comes up for debate. So, there is no scope of any misunderstanding with the Congress,” another leader said, when asked whether the DMK-Congress ties have come under strain.
DMK and Congress have been in an alliance since 2004, barring a three-year gap between 2013 and 2016.