Karnataka Chief Justice P D Dinakaran, who has kept away from judicial work, ruled out resignation and termed the impeachment motion tabled against him in Rajya Sabha as "unfortunate" on Thursday.
Dinakaran also sought to rubbish allegations of land grabbing in Tamil Nadu as "baseless and incorrect", claiming that he can substantiate that his family was not holding any land beyond the limit.
"Where is the question of stepping down," Dinakaran said, when asked if he would step down in the backdrop of move to impeach him and protest by lawyers in Karnataka.
On the impeachment motion moved against him in Rajya Sabha, he said it was not an end by itself and nothing could be concluded on that.
"I can only say it is an unfortunate situation. Unfortunate not from my point of view, unfortunate for not taking the entire reality and entire facts available on record into consideration," he told Times Now news channel.
When pointed out that there is a demand for not elevating him to the Supreme Court, Dinakaran said the inclusion of a name in the list was not in his hands. "I have highest respect and confidence in the system," he said.
Asked about Karnataka lawyers' demand that he should not attend work, he said there was no question of him abstaining from work, as he has "not committed any illegality, any impropriety or misconduct or misbehaviour".
However, a one-line notification issued by Karnataka high court Registrar General Budhihal on Wednesday said Dinakaran would not be presiding over the Bench till further orders.
It was not immediately clear whether Dinakaran had himself withdrawn from judicial duties or was directed to do so.
Sources said Dinakaran had opted out of judicial duties on his own and that he would only take up administrative matters.
Claiming that the allegations against him were "without any substance or without any basis", Dinakaran said the IT returns would reveal the fact that he owned these lands "even before my elevation as a judge in December 1996".
