Mayawati supports CJ Dinakaran; writes to PM

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Saturday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking his intervention to ensure Karnataka High Court Chief Justice P D Dinakaran gets an opportunity to present his point of view before any action is taken against him.

Justice Dinakaran, who faces the charge of amassing disproportionate assets and grabbing land, faces an impeachment motion admitted against him in the Rajya Sabha.

Mayawati said 'the manner in which things are moving ahead at present, without giving him (Justice Dinakaran) any chance to explain his case and without giving any serious thought to it, was not in keeping with the importance of the matter.'

She told the Prime Minister that any further action against Justice Dinakaran should be taken only after taking his viewpoint as also taking all aspects into consideration 'in a just and unbiased manner.'

Denying an opportunity to Justice Dinakaran, to express his viewpoint 'is against the principle of natural justice,' Mayawati said.

"He should be given a chance to explain himself in the matters relating to him before contemplating any action against him," the UP Chief Minister said in the letter terming the issue as 'most important.'

Justice Dinakaran, who is not attending to any judicial matter in the High Court, belongs to dalit community.

The Centre, however, steered clear of Mayawati's letter.

"The matter is in the stage of impeachment. I would not like to say anything on the issue," Law Minister M Veerappa Moily told PTI.