Cash-at-home row: Congress to back bid to sack Justice Yashwant Varma , but with a 'rider'

NEW DELHI: With government indicating that it will set up a statutory inquiry committee as part of impeachment proceedings of Justice Yashwant Varma contrary to its earlier stance, Congress is likely to support the move to sack the judge on corruption charges, even as it plans to use the platform to "embarrass" BJP for ignoring similar proceedings against another judge Shekhar Yadav over "hate speech".

The push in Congress is to use impeachment proceedings to hammer at government's "selective approach" against judges. In a rare occurrence, twin impeachment proceedings are hanging fire simultaneously - Varma is facing the charge of corruption after the alleged recovery and burning of cash at his residence, while Allahabad high court judge Shekhar Yadav is in the firing line for his controversial comments about Uniform Civil Code.

Interestingly, while central govt has announced its intent to bring an impeachment motion against Varma, opposition last Dec filed an impeachment notice against Yadav for "hate speech" but govt has maintained silence on it.

Senior lawyer and Congress MP Abhishek Singhvi said, "There should be no double standards in the way govt seeks to approach Varma and Yadav cases. Selectivity and opportunism between the two cases is not good. Both deserve initiation of impeachment process. In Yadav case, govt has already dragged its feet long enough."

Congress sources said the party is expected to support impeachment of Varma in monsoon session of Parliament. Congress functionaries like Singhvi and Vivek Tankha had earlier targeted govt for planning to do away with the inquiry panel provided for in Judges Inquiry Act , and warned that the "violation" will lay grounds for Varma's discharge later.

Now, sources said, govt has since conveyed that it will set up an inquiry committee on Varma.

However, a big issue for opposition is "hate speech" by Justice Yadav, for which its impeachment notice is pending. Modi govt has not given any indication on taking it up, despite public calls for it by Congress functionaries, and a letter by lawyer-MP Vivek Tankha to Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar.

A senior Congress functionary said, "We are not linking the two issues of impeachment. We will support the move to sack Varma, but we will use the platform to embarrass govt on its selective approach on accountability in the judiciary."