UPA, Left urge governor to ensure fair trial against 3 MLAs

Ranchi, Sep 9 (UNI) Opposition UPA and Left parties today urged Jharkhand Governor Sayed Sibtey Razi to ensure transparency while the state assembly speaker deals with three legislators, who have been served showcause notices under anti-defection law after they quit the Arjun Munda ministry.

Speaker Inder Singh Namdhari was under fire after he served anti-defection notices to three legislators - Mr Kamlesh Singh, Anos Ekka and Stephen Marandi, who joined hands with the Opposition this week to form an alternative government in Jharkhand.

RJD state president Gautam Sagar Rana said the UPA and Left leaders had paraded up to Raj Bhavan to submit a memorandum urging the Governor to ensure fair trial by of thethree legislators by the Speaker.

Mr Rana said a delegation comprising 21 members met the Principal Secretary to the Governor and handed over a memorandum demanding to prevent the Speaker from taking ''immoral steps to save the BJP-led NDA government in Jharkhand''. The Governor was not present when the delegation went to Raj Bhavan.

Among others, who went there were Khagendra Thakur (CPI), Prakash Viplav (CPI(M), Yogendra Pandey ( Forward Block), Prabhakar and Anadi Brahm from Congress and the Vinod Pandey of JMM.

The UPA has decided to gherao the Speaker's residence and the state assembly tomorrow and nthe day after respectively.

Meanwhile, Congress spokesman Gulam Sarvar Rizvi said the Speaker had crossed his limit and ''misused'' his position while dealing with the crisis in the NDA government.

Mr Rizvi claimed that the Speaker's serving defection notices to three MLAs was undemocratic and unconstitutional.

He said when the UPA leaders claimed the support of Anos Ekka, the speaker allegedly blackmailed and pressed him to be with the NDA coalition in Jharkhand.

Now when Mr Ekka had joined the UPA camp, the speaker served defection notice as another pressure tactics, he added.

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