HC Reprieve For Pilot, Rebel MLAs On Disqualification

The Rajasthan High Court will on Monday resume hearing on a petition filed by former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot and 18 other MLAs challenging the disqualification notice issued to them.

Prateek Kasliwal, appearing for state Legislative Assembly Speaker CP Joshi, said that the petitioners’ lawyers concluded their arguments in the court today.

“Today the matter was heard in the High Court. Petitioners’ lawyers (Harish) Salve and (Mukul) Rohatgi concluded their arguments. The hearing will continue at 10 am on Monday,” Kasliwal told reporters after the hearing outside the court premises here.

He also said that the hearing before the Assembly Speaker in the disqualification matter has been deferred till Tuesday in view of the hearing before the High Court.

“Abhishek Manu Singhvi has given an undertaking that the hearing before the Legislative Assembly slated for 5 pm today has been deferred till Tuesday,” Kasliwal said.

A division bench of the Rajasthan High Court, headed by Chief Justice Indrajit Mohanty, had on Thursday deferred the hearing on the matter to Friday after Sachin Pilot camp sought to amend their petition against the disqualification notice.

Pilot and the MLAs from his camp approached the Rajasthan High Court over disqualification notice seeking the quashing and setting aside of the show cause notice issued to them on July 14 by the Speaker of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly.

The development comes after Rajasthan Assembly Speaker CP Joshi sent notices to Pilot and 18 MLAs under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, popularly known as the anti-defection law after chief’s whip application for their disqualification. MLAs were earlier asked to present before Assembly Speaker on July 17.

According to the notice, if these MLAs fail to respond to the notice then the Speaker can proceed ex parte and disqualify them from the Assembly.

The Congress complaint and the Speaker’s notice came after Pilot and the lawmakers supporting him skipped Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meetings on July 13 and 14.

Rajasthan Congress continues to remain in turmoil after simmering differences between Pilot and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot came out in the open. Pilot was, on July 14, also sacked from the posts of Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister and state PCC president.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has blamed the BJP for attempting to destabilise the state government by poaching MLAs.

A controversy had broken out in Rajasthan after Special Operation Group (SOG) sent a notice to Pilot to record his statement in the case registered in the alleged poaching of Congress MLAs in the state. (ANI)