“Where do you think an impeachment motion begins? The MPs present here know,” he said, hinting at the Constitutional provision wherein MPs could initiate impeachment proceedings against members of the higher judiciary. “As a Minister, I can sign such a motion. All of you can sign such a motion,” Baalu said, addressing the MPs present.

Baalu also wondered why the case relating to the Sethusamudram issue “always came up before a particular judge”. It was also “strange” that the Supreme Court Bench heard a petition by the AIADMK seeking to declare the DPA’s call for a bandh as “unconstitutional” on a Sunday, he said.

CPI National Secretary D Raja said: “The judiciary should know its limits”. The Parliament, representing the people, had powers to enact laws and amend the Constitution. “The role of the judiciary is only to supervise the laws and interpret them,” he said. The “growing conflict” between the judiciary and the legislature was not in the interest of democracy, said Raja, emphasising the need for “greater judicial accountability”.

Wondering if courts and judges “descended from heaven”, CPI(M) State Secretary N Varadharajan said: “It is disturbing that the judiciary is opposing people’s welfare schemes.”

More strident in his criticism of the judiciary, CPI State Secretary D Pandian, said: “Those punished by the judiciary during the freedom struggle became national heroes. Gandhi became Father of the Nation.” But the judge who sentenced Gandhiji to undergo six years imprisonment was completely forgotten, he said.