CONFIRMED: Former PM Manmohan Singh hasn't signed Congress-led Opposition's CJI impeachment motion

Hours after Salman Khurshid's statement revealed that the Congress party was divided over the motion to impeach the Chief Justice of India, Republic TV has received confirmation that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is not among the 71 purported signatories of the motion.

Earlier in the day, when senior party leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Kapil Sibal were announcing that they had met with Rajya Sabha chairman and Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and moved the motion to impeach CJI Dipak Misra over charges of 'misbehaviour', they claimed that they had the support of seven parties totalling 71 members of the Upper House. Seven of these members have since retired from the Rajya Sabha, but their signatures had been taken before that, Ghulam Nabi Azad said.

At the briefing, answering a question posed by a journalist, Sibal had claimed that they had purposely excluded Manmohan Singh from the motion to impeach the CJI on account of his being a former Prime Minister of India.

READ | Arun Jaitley Slams Opposition Over Loya Death Case & CJI Impeachment Furore; Accuses Them Of Almost Creating A Judicial Mutiny

Shortly after the briefing, senior Congress leader and former Union Law Minister in the UPA government Salman Khurshid had spoken out against anyone attempting to cast aspersions on the judiciary.

Khurshid said:

"I don't think anyone should cast aspersions on the judiciary. The judiciary is well equipped to handle very difficult matters. Not everyone will always agree with the judiciary. The judiciary itself doesn't always agree amongst itself, there are dissenting judges. There's always a possibility that a larger bench will overturn the decision even of the highest court. But I think that all of us who work here understand that this is part of a procedure. We should respect it. Ultimately the judiciary must have the respect of everybody in this country."

Khurshid's remarks carried a diametrically-opposite tone and tenor to that of Ghulam Nabi Azad and Kapil Sibal. Sibal had most certainly cast aspersions on the judiciary when he alleged that the CJI hadn't asserted the independence of the judiciary in light of interference of the executive.

"Should the nation stand still and do nothing? Should the people of this country allow the institution to diminish? That's what we were confronted with", Sibal had said, adding that they had moved the motion with "a very heavy heart."

Other senior Congress leaders have advised Rahul Gandhi against the move as well, Republic TV has learnt.

Speaking to reporters after the Congress' (Opposition parties') news briefing, senior CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat claimed to have no knowledge of the impeachment motion, though he said he'd heard that his MPs had signed it.

"I can't say anything on impeachment. I have no idea. You all are informing me. I heard that our MPs have signed the motion but I don't know much about it. I can't comment on it. I need to find out all this. And then I will say something."

Karat had also said that he was unaware of the Opposition's meating with the Vice President.