Rajasthan crisis: Speaker’s plea to be heard by SC tomorrow

New Delhi, July 22: The Speaker of the Rajasthan Assembly has moved the Supreme Court challenging the order of the Rajasthan High Court that has directed that the disqualification proceedings be kept in abeyance. The petition will be taken up tomorrow.

His contention is that the the notice issued to the 19 rebel MLAs of the Congress, including Sachin Pilot on disqualification petition is part of the Assembly proceedings and hence cannot be interfered within the interim by the HC. He also contends that the HC could not have interfered with the proceedings by ordering a deferment till July 24.

He contended that the HC's order to him to defer the Tenth Schedule or anti defection proceedings till July 24 is a direct intrusion by the judiciary into his exclusive domain.

Meanwhile, Sachin Pilot has filed a caveat seeking to be heard before any interim order is passed in the case.

On Tuesday, the Rajasthan HC had reserved its orders for Friday, while directing the Speaker not to go ahead with the disqualification proceedings against Sachin Pilot and the rebel MLAs.

Arguing for Pilot before the HC, senior counsel, Mukul Rohatgi had said that the Speaker issued notice on the same day of the complaint.

While showing grounds of malafide, he said that there was less time granted for a reply than has been stated in the rules. There was no material to show application of mind before the notice of issued and the notice just paraphrased the words of the complaint. Further no reasons were recorded to issue notice and the notice says if the reply is not in writing it will be decided expert.

The submissions were made in the Rajasthan High Court, which is hearing the petitions filed by Pilot and the rebel MLAs against the disqualification notice issued by the Speaker of the legislative assembly.