The Delhi High Court on Monday rejected pleas of AAP MLAs Anil Bajpai and Col. Devender Sehrawat, objecting to the Legislative Assembly Speaker hearing disqualification proceedings against them.
Justice Vibhu Bakhru said there was “no infirmity” in the procedure adopted by Speaker Ram Niwas Goel and rejected the MLAs’ contention that he should have first decided their application, alleging bias on his part, before going ahead with the proceedings. The court, however, said that “the Speaker will address all the contentions advanced by the petitioners [MLAs]”.
During the hearing, a submission was made on behalf of the Speaker that the MLAs would be granted two more days to file their response to the notice issued to them on the petition seeking their disqualification under the anti-defection law. AAP MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj had on June 10 filed the petition seeking their disqualification for allegedly joining the BJP. The Speaker had issued notice to the MLAs on June 17 asking them to file their response by July 8.
‘Political inclinations’
The lawyers for Mr. Bajpai and Mr. Sehrawat contended that the Speaker is not supposed to have political inclinations, but was seen attending events and protests of AAP. They contended that the Speaker might not impartially adjudicate the disqualification proceedings and said that the issue be sent either to the Deputy Speaker or a committee be constituted to hear the matter.
