The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to around 20 MPs facing disqualification petitions filed by Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee, while considering his plea alleging delay in the matter.
A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, sought responses from the concerned MPs. However, the Court did not issue notice to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at this stage.
The dispute concerns MPs who were elected on TMC tickets and later left the party to join the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), according to Banerjee's plea.
Banerjee approached the Supreme Court over the alleged delay in deciding the disqualification petitions pending before the Speaker under the anti-defection framework.
During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Central government, urged the Court not to issue notice to the Lok Sabha Speaker.
“I have some reservations about issuing notice to the Speaker,” Mehta submitted.
Justice Joymalya Bagchi indicated that the focus should be on ensuring timely consideration of the matter rather than issuing an order against a constitutional authority.
“We are not to pass any order against a constitutional authority, but to ensure that it is done in a timely manner. That is the most important,” Justice Bagchi observed.
When Banerjee questioned why notice was not being issued to the Speaker, Justice Bagchi asked whether he was interested in the adjudication of the dispute or merely the issuance of notice.
The Supreme Court issued notice to the concerned MPs and sought their responses. It refrained from issuing notice to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at this stage.
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