New Delhi [India], March 24 : Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar has called for a meeting on Monday to deliberate on his observations made in the Upper House on March 21 following concerns over the alleged discovery of cash at the residence of Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma.
The meeting has been scheduled for 11.30 am with the Leader of the House, JP Nadda and the Leader of Opposition, Mallikarjun Kharge.
The meeting aims to discuss the constitutional and legislative issues he raised in response to points brought up by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had on March 21 raised the alleged recovery of cash from the residence of a sitting judge of the Delhi High Court, to which Jagdeep Dhankhar said that he would get in touch with the Leader of the House and Leader of the Opposition and find a mechanism for a structured discussion on the issue.
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh sought the Chair's response on judicial accountability and reminded him about a pending notice regarding the impeachment of a judge of the Allahabad High Court.
The Rajya Sabha Chairman said that he would now get in touch with the leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha and the leader of the house as well to evolve a structured discussion.
Dhankhar on March 21 had underscored the sanctity of constitutional amendments, emphasising that any changes to the Constitution must follow due parliamentary and legislative processes before receiving presidential assent under Article 111.
"....The Leader of the House is not here. I had to reflect in a very focused manner that what appears in the Indian Constitution has to emanate first from our founding fathers and then any change affected whatsoever has to be sanctified by the Parliament and in some cases by 50 per cent of the state legislatures and then finally it gets constitutional sanction with the Hon'ble President signing it under article 111 and therefore I had pleaded with the leader of the house that the House needs to know that Constitution which according to this directive holds the field today," Dhankhar said earlier.
"You all will recollect if the mechanism which was passed by this house with near unanimity, with no dissension, only one abstention in Rajya Sabha, all political parties converging, going in for the initiative of the government. I wish to find out the status of that which emanated from the Indian Parliament made sacrosanct by the endorsement of 16 state assemblies in the country and signed by the President under Article 111 of the Constitution," he added.
He referred to historic legislation passed with overwhelming support from the Rajya Sabha and endorsed by 16 state assemblies, questioning its current status.
"That historic legislation endorsed by this Parliament with unprecedented consensual support unknown to the parliamentary history of this country dealt with the malaise very severely. If the malaise had been dealt with perhaps we would not have countenanced such kind of issues. What bothers me is that the incident happened and did not immediately surface," Dhankhar said.
"If it happens with a politician, he becomes a target, a bureaucrat, an industrialist immediately and therefore systemic response which is transparent, accountable, effective, I am sure will be on the way. I will get in touch with the Leader of the House, and the Leader of the Opposition and find a mechanism for a structured discussion during the session subject to their agreement," he stated.
Meanwhile, Congress MPs Manickam Tagore and Renuka Chowdhury gave Adjournment Motion notices in Parliament demanding a discussion on the Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma who is facing a probe over cash allegedly recovered from his residence.
In their notice, they urged that the government must provide an explanation and assurances regarding the matter.
"It is essential that this issue is thoroughly discussed and the truth is laid bare for the people of India," the notice further reads.
This came after a fire at the residence of a Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma inadvertently led to the discovery of a large amount of cash. The cash was found initially by fire tenders when a fire broke out in the judge's residence on March 14, while, the judge was not present at his house.
Earlier, sanitation workers said they found burnt pieces of currency notes near the official residence of Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma is facing a probe over cash allegedly recovered from his residence.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna on Saturday constituted a three-member committee consisting of Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, Himachal Pradesh Chief Justice GS Sandhawalia and Karnataka High Court Judge, Justice Anu Sivaraman to conduct an inquiry into the allegations.
The Supreme Court released the inquiry report filed by Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay into the controversy involving High Court Justice Yashwant Varma, as per a press release by the Supreme Court.
In his report, the Delhi High Court Chief Justice said that he is of the prima facie opinion that the entire matter warrants a deeper probe.
The apex court also released the response of Justice Yashwant Varma, who has denied the allegations and said that it clearly appeared to be a conspiracy to frame and malign him.
Justice Varma stated that no cash was ever placed in that storeroom either by him or any of his family members, and he said he strongly denounced the suggestion that the alleged cash belonged to them.
The room which caught fire and where cash was allegedly found was an outhouse and not the main building where the judge and family reside, he stated.
The Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, Devendra Kumar Upadhyay, instructed Justice Yashwant Varma to preserve all communication on his phone while acting on the directive of the Chief Justice of India (CJI); this included conversations, messages, and data, as the controversy surrounding him continued to unfold.