New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday withdrew its petition on the impeachment move against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, which was recently rejected by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu.
Petitioners, two Congress Rajya Sabha parliamentarians — Pratap Singh Bajwa and Amee Harshadray Yajnik — questioned the decision to assign the case to a five-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court.
The petition which was filed on Monday had said Vice President Venkaiah Naidu’s decision to reject the Opposition’s impeachment notice was “illegal and arbitrary” and taken in a “cavalier, cryptic and abrupt manner”, without an inquiry.
The judges assigned to hear the Congress’ challenge were Justices AK Sikri, SA Bobde, NV Ramana, Arun Mishra and AK Goel.
Justices Bobde and Ramana are both in line for chief justice. Justice Sikri, who will head the bench, is number six in seniority.
In April, the impeachment petition signed by over 60 Rajya Sabha parliamentarians called for Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra’s impeachment six months before he retires. The motion “doesn’t deserve to be admitted”, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, who is also the chairman of the Rajya Sabha, said just three days later.