New Delhi, April 22: The Congress on Sunday hit out at the BJP for "defending" Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and said the latter should consider recusing himself from judicial and administrative work till he was cleared of the charge of "misbehaviour".
"If his (CJI) own conduct is under a cloud, should he not consider recusing himself from performing judicial and administrative duties and submit himself to an inquiry so that the high office and his individual integrity are cleared or the process of law is followed in an appropriate manner," Congress Spokesperson Rajdeep Surjewala told a press conference here.
"... the highest (law) officer of the country, an officer who is head of India's judiciary, an officer who heads the final temple of justice, an officer to whom people go to seek justice... Caesar's wife must be above suspicion. And that's why we have left it to his (CJI) conscience," he added.
"This will ensure that the process of law is followed in an appropriate manner."
In an unprecedented move, 64 members of the Rajya Sabha belonging to seven parties led by the Congress on Friday submitted an impeachment motion for the removal of the Chief Justice on five grounds of "misbehaviour".
Surjewala's remarks came in the wake of media reports that the CJI had decided not to recuse himself from administrative and judicial work in the Supreme Court.
Hitting out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Surjewala said the ruling party was compromising the position and office of the Chief Justice as a neutral arbitrator and head of the judiciary and the ruling party was doing a great disservice to the independence of the Indian judicial system.
"Does the CJI belong to a political party, ruling or otherwise? Does the CJI have to be defended by political parties or Ministers in the government? Is it not a disservice to the CJI office? They are compromising the position and office of the CJI," Surjewala said.
He said that Chief Justice Misra must tell the BJP not to politicise his high office and not to politicise the impeachment motion.
Vivek Tankha, Chairman of the Congress' Legal Department, said: "He is the Chief Justice of India. He should voluntarily submit to any probe. He should regain public faith. Till then, he should think whether he should work as a Judge or not."
He maintained that the impeachment motion was not meant to insult or lower his dignity but to take the allegation against him to its logical conclusion.
Another Congress leader and Senior Advocate K.T.S. Tulsi said that the nature of charges against the CJI was so serious that an enquiry should be ordered at the earliest.
"The enquiry will be able to protect the dignity of the office of the Chief Justice of India. If no enquiry is held, it will cause much greater damage to the Supreme Court prestige," Tulsi said.
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Islamabad locked down ahead of planned protest by Imran Khan's party in Pakistan
Islamabad (PTI): Amid stringent measures put in place by the Pakistan government to thwart the protest march on Sunday, jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party is preparing to proceed with its highly anticipated march towards Islamabad.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, led by former Prime Minister Imran Khan, has called on the public to join the march to "break the shackles of slavery."
The federal government has taken several steps to block the protest, including deploying heavy security forces, sealing key roads, and setting up barriers around the capital.
The Interior Ministry has emphasised that, in accordance with court orders, no protests or sit-ins will be allowed in Islamabad, and any attempts to disrupt public order will be met with legal action.
Khan, in a statement, urged the masses to unite for the protest, calling it a movement for freedom and justice.
The PTI leaders earlier on Sunday held a high-level meeting at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister’s House to finalise the strategy for the planned protest, Geo News reported.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has said that he will arrive in Swabi at 3pm to oversee the preparations for the planned protest and lead the party's march to Islamabad, the report added.
The chief minister also directed the party's activists intending to attend the march to reach Swabi by 3pm.
Ignoring calls by the government to postpone the protest – the second one in as many months – Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) declared to go ahead with its planned march to Islamabad coinciding with the arrival of a large Belarusian delegation even as the authorities issued a warning of a potential threat during the protest.
The PTI gave a call last week for a long march to Islamabad to press for three demands: the release of the incarcerated party founder and other leaders, against the alleged “stolen mandate” during February 8 elections and restoration of the judiciary by revoking the recent 26th amendment to the Constitution that granted legislators more power in appointing top judges.
Meanwhile, Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, has opted not to participate in the protest but will oversee the convoys from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister's House.
In preparation for the protest, Islamabad’s federal government has fortified security measures, sealing off several key roads and blocking routes leading to the Red Zone, where critical government buildings are located.
Containers have been placed across the city, including along the Srinagar Highway, GT Road, and the Expressway, limiting access to strategic areas like D-Chowk, Islamabad Airport, and the A-11 point at New Margalla Road.
Rangers, along with police and Frontier Constabulary (FC), have been deployed to monitor the area. The federal government has also warned against any unlawful protests, stating that no one will be permitted to hold a demonstration in violation of judicial orders, with legal action promised against any violators.
Also, Pakistan Railways has suspended all train services between Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Peshawar in light of the ongoing PTI protest, the Express Tribune reported.
According to railway authorities, services between Peshawar and Rawalpindi, Lahore and Rawalpindi, as well as between Multan and Faisalabad to Rawalpindi, have been halted immediately.
Additionally, all 25 train bookings for Sunday, November 24, have been cancelled, and passengers will receive immediate refunds for their tickets.
The suspension of services and the cancellation of bookings have impacted daily commuters and travellers, as Pakistan Railways responds to the security situation surrounding the ongoing protests.
Section 144 – which prohibits gatherings of individuals – has been in effect in Islamabad since November 18. On the other hand, the Punjab government too has enforced Section 144 across the province from November 23 to November 25, banning protests, public gatherings, rallies, and sit-ins.
Despite the heightened security and restrictions, the PTI has remained persistent about proceeding with its protest march and subsequent sit-in to press for its demands.
Additionally, internet and mobile services have been partially suspended in Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Punjab as a precaution.
Users in Islamabad are facing partial disruptions in internet services at various locations, while it remains unhindered in neighbouring Rawalpindi.
Meanwhile, mobile services also remain fully operational in Rawalpindi.
Public transport, including metro bus services in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, has been halted, and all bus terminals at Faizabad, linking the twin cities, have been barricaded.
Khan, 72, has been implicated in dozens of cases since his government was dismissed through a no-confidence motion in 2022. He has been in Adiala Jail at Rawalpindi since last year facing, according to his party, over 200 cases; got bail in some of them, convicted in some others, and hearings going on for some more.
Khan's party won the largest number of seats in the February general elections despite contesting as independents as the party was denied an election symbol and the PTI chief has already alleged that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and its coalition partners, including Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had “stolen the mandate” to grab power at the federal level.
Relations between the PTI and the PML-N-led coalition government -already tense since Khan’s ouster in 2022 - have strained even more in recent times.
