Cong MPs see Dalit angle,rally behind Dinakaran

Rashtrapal along with another Congress MP J D Seelam had raised Dinakaran issue in the Rajya Sabha on Friday evoking strong protests from Opposition benches.

“We are for corruption-free judiciary. There were reports of corruption in judiciary from Orissa,Chandigarh,Allahabad,etc. Impeach them first. Apply it uniformly. Just because Dinakaran is a Dalit,you are trying to taint him. I am not going into the merits of his case. Message should not go that Dalits have no backing,” Seelam told The Indian Express.

Rashtrapal who had met Dinakaran recently said he would talk to Dalit MPs in both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha and would also try to meet the Congress president in this regard. “His (Dinakaran’s) argument is that he had bought land before he became a judge. He was a leading lawyer. His wife is a doctor. He has ancestral property. Has anybody complained against him? Has the Income-Tax Department levied any penalty against him? Besides,land is a subject of the state government,which has to initiate action first. As for Housing Board flats,is there any law that judges cannot apply?” said Rashtrapal.

Rashtrapal and Seelam were not the only ones to raise the Dalit flag in connection with Dinakaran’s impeachment issue. “We agree with them,” Congress MP from Karauli-Dholpur Khiladi Lal Bairwa told The Indian Express. A Central Minister from Karnataka was also learnt to be of the opinion that there was “Dalit factor” behind the move against Dinakaran.

Unsure about the party’s stance,some Dalit MPs of the Congress are,however,keeping their cards close to their chests. Jalandhar MP Mohinder Singh Kaypee and Ujjain MP Prem Chand Guddu maintained they were yet to think about this issue. “We will see,” said Kaypee.

Dalit MPs from opposition parties would,however,take their respective party line. “Be it a Dalit or anybody,if he is wrong,he must be removed,” said BJP MP from Bhind Ashok Argal.

Dinakaran’s elevation only in abeyance: CJI

CJI K G Balakrishnan on Friday said the Supreme Court collegium had only decided to keep “in abeyance” the recommendation for elevation of Karnataka High Court Chief Justice P D Dinakaran. The CJI’s clarification assumes significance in light of reports in a section of the media which said the collegium had decided to withdraw the recommendation of Dinakaran in light of serious allegations against him.

Talking to reporters here,the CJI said the decision to keep Dinakaran’s name in abeyance was taken in view of the impeachment proceedings against him in the Rajya Sabha over land grabbing allegations. “When impeachment motion is pending against him,there is no question of bringing him to the Supreme Court at this stage,” Balakrishnan said. The CJI was responding to questions on whether the collegium had dropped Dinakaran’s name for elevation to the apex court. He further informed that a letter would be sent to the government to keep the matter of Dinakaran’s elevation in abeyance.