All parties backing Justice Varma’s impeachment over cash row: Kiren Rijiju

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Friday that all political parties are on the same page regarding the move to impeach Justice Yashwant Varma after sacks of burnt currency notes were found at the official residence in March. Justice Varma was asked to resign but he refused, following which a recommendation for his impeachment was sent to the Union government.
“I have spoken to all the senior leaders of different political parties. I will also get in touch with some of the single-MP parties because I do not want to leave out any member. So it becomes a unified stand of the Parliament of India,” Rijiju told PTI news agency in an interview.

The minister further said that the initiative is not government-driven but comes from Members of Parliament across party lines, including from the Congress, who support the motion to remove Justice Varma.

‘Corruption in judiciary an extremely sensitive, serious matter’

“Corruption in the judiciary is an extremely sensitive and serious matter, because the judiciary is where people get justice. If there is corruption in the judiciary, it is a serious concern for everybody. That is why the motion for the removal of Justice Yashwant Varma is to be signed by all the political parties,” Rijiju said.

The minister welcomed the support of the Congress, saying, “I am happy that they understood things as they should be, because no party can be seen to be standing with a corrupt judge or protecting a corrupt judge.”

Rijiju emphasised the need for unity on the issue, saying, “When it comes to corruption in the judiciary, we have to stand together. There cannot be any partisan attitude and it should not be made a political issue.”

The Congress also confirmed that all its MPs will support the motion against Justice Varma.

The parliamentary affairs minister said that a motion for a judge’s removal requires signatures from at least 100 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 50 in the Rajya Sabha. The petition is then submitted to the chair, who will inform the House and initiate an inquiry under the Judges Inquiry Act.

The process includes a three-month-long investigation, followed by a discussion in both Houses of Parliament based on the enquiry report.

Misconduct serious enough to warrant his removal: Probe panel

The move to impeach Justice Varma follows a fire incident in March at his Lutyens’ Delhi residence, which led to the discovery of sacks containing half-burnt cash in the outhouse. At the time, Justice Varma served as a judge in the Delhi High Court.

He was later repatriated to the Allahabad High Court, but no judicial work was assigned to him. An in-house inquiry ordered by then Chief Justice of India Sanjeev Khanna found that the judge and his family had covert or active control over the storeroom where the money was found. The panel concluded the misconduct was serious enough to warrant his removal.

Justice Varma denied any wrongdoing, but the findings of the inquiry proved otherwise.

Responding to former law minister Kapil Sibal’s remarks comparing Justice Varma to Justice Shekhar Yadav of the Allahabad High Court, who recently made a controversial statement, Rijiju dismissed the criticism.

“We will not be driven by one lawyer-MP’s agenda. We are not here to set an agenda or drive an agenda. We are working purely in the interest of the country,” he said.

Calling Sibal “a very average lawyer,” Rijiju added, “He cannot guide the Parliament of India. The Parliament of India will be guided by all the members of Parliament.”

He further said, “Sibal does not realise that many MPs have gone far beyond him in terms of understanding, intellectual capability and knowledge of law.”