CJI steers clear of Justice Dinakaran impeachment issue

 Chief Justice of India Justice K G Balakrishnan on Saturday steered clear of the controversy surrounding Karnataka High Court  chief Justice P D Dinakaran, against whom an impeachment move is gaining momentum, saying he had nothing to do with it. "I have nothing to do with that," Justice Balakrishnan responded when reporters sought his reaction on the sidelines of a conference on "Alternative Dispute Resolution - Conciliation and Mediation" here. Asked if he had "assigned" any work to Justice Dinakaran even after the move on impeachment, he declined to comment. The move by BJP, Samajwadi Party and Left Front to get impeached Justice Dinakaran, who is facing land-grabbing allegations, gathered momentum this week with 50 Rajya Sabha members reportedly backing it. Justice Dinakaran was conspicuous by his absence at the conference's inaugural function, attended, among others, by Union law minister M Veerappa Moily, Karnataka governor H R Bhardwaj and chief minister B S Yeddyurappa. Asked for his reaction to the controversy surrounding Justice Dinakaran, whose elevation to the Supreme Court had been stalled following the allegations, Moily said he would not like to discuss appointments to higher judiciary in public, adding, one has to maintain discipline and exercise restraint while commenting on such matters. Meanwhile, an angry Bhardwaj objected to the playing of "Karnataka anthem" at the beginning of the conference and directed it to be stopped, saying the national anthem should be the first, which was adhered to.