HC showcause to Rajasthan Speaker over resignation by MLAs
The court gave the speaker and his secretary three weeks’ time to reply to the notice.
The court gave the speaker and his secretary three weeks’ time to reply to the notice.
The six MLAs were initially with the BSP but later switched to Congress. The Assembly Speaker declared them members of Congress.
Earlier on Monday, Speaker CP Joshi had dropped his plea in the Supreme Court, against the High Court order asking him to defer his decision on disqualification notices issued to former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot and 18 rebel Congress MLAs.
Rajasthan Speaker's counsel, Kapil Sibal, told the top court that the High Court had passed a fresh order on July 24 which raised several other issues including interpretation of the 10th Schedule and added that the Congress government will weigh the legal options.
Since the Governor has not responded to the plea, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said he and the Congress MLAs supporting him will directly make a collective request.
In a petition filed on Wednesday, Congress MLA Prithviraj Meena sought the Centre to be impleaded in the ongoing case filed by the Pilot camp challenging Para 2 (1) (a) of the Schedule X of the Constitution.
Speaker Joshi had told the Supreme Court that the Rajasthan High Court cannot restrain him from initiating disqualification proceedings against Sachin Pilot and the dissident legislators till July 24.
The plea contended that the High Court has intervened in the pending Tenth Schedule proceedings at the initial notice stage and restrained the Speaker from even calling for replies and conducting the disqualification proceedings pending against the rebel MLAs till July 24.
In another respite for the Sachin Pilot camp, the Rajasthan High Court on Tuesday asked the Assembly Speaker not to take any action against them till Friday when it will deliver its order on their petition.
After Sachin Pilot gave the second CLP meeting a miss on Tuesday, he was removed as the Deputy Chief Minister as well as the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief.