'CJI impeachment rejection not in haste', says Venkaiah Naidu

A day after rejecting the Opposition's notice for the impeachment of CJI Dipak Misra, Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday defended his stand and said he took a timely, not hasty, decision.

"Decision on the Notice of Motion for Removal of Chief Justice of India given came after over a month of due diligence and in strict conformity with the provisions of the Constitution and the Judges Inquiry Act of 1968," he said.

Naidu's decision prompted the Opposition, particularly the Congress, to announce that it would challenge the rejection in the Supreme Court.

Naidu's decision was slammed as "hasty" by the Congress, sparking a war of words with the ruling BJP. The notice was dismissed at the preliminary stage of the multi-step impeachment process.

Sources said that Naidu, who chairs the Rajya Sabha, arrived at the decision based on the opinion of top legal and constitutional experts, including former secretary generals of Lok Sabha and other legal luminaries with whom he held extensive consultations.

Reportedly, Naidu also took the views of top legal and constitutional experts, including former chief justices and judges, over the past two days before taking the decision, the sources said.