Congress critical of Mayawati for politicising Dinakaran impeachment issue - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

The Congress party on Sunday termed the views of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on impeachment of Karnataka High Court Chief Justice PD Dinakaran as an instance of politicising the issue. Dinakaran's elevation to the apex court has been kept on hold following allegations of corruption and land encroachment against him. Mayawati had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday asking Dinakaran to be provided with an opportunity to present his case before any action was taken against him. Reportedly, there was a tinge of caste-orientation in her letter. Addressing the media in the national capital, spokesperson of the Congress party Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that the issue was not caste or creed based. “As far as the Congress party is concerned, I don't think we see it in any matter as a caste or community based issue. It is an issue firstly, in judicial domain and secondly, in a constitutional process of impeachment. That's a process, which has to work itself out,” Singhvi said. “I don't see any reason to make it into a caste-based issue. And unless and until that process works itself out, it would not be right to inject political comments into it,” he added. Cutting across party lines, about 75 members of the Rajya Sabha have signed an impeachment petition against Justice Dinakaran to initiate proceedings for his removal. The Congress party has not signed the motion, which has been submitted to Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari. As per rules of the Rajya Sabha, if 50 members sign on a demand for a motion, it becomes the property of the House and immediate action has to be taken. Justice Dinakaran was to be elevated to the Supreme Court by the Chief Justice of India, but his name was withheld on the alleged charges of corruption and land encroachment. The Supreme Court Collegium has also decided not to consider Justice Dinakaran’s appointment.