Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla issues notice to 20 TMC rebel MPs (Img: X)
New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has issued notices to 20 Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs in connection with a petition seeking their disqualification under the anti-defection law. The lawmakers have been asked to submit their responses within seven days.
The development comes a day after the Supreme Court sought responses from the 20 MPs on a plea filed by TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, who has challenged the delay in deciding the disqualification petitions pending before the Lok Sabha Speaker.
The notice issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat is dated August 25 and includes a copy of Banerjee's petition filed on June 18 under Rule 6 of the Members of Lok Sabha (Disqualification on Ground of Defection) Rules, 1985.
The 20 MPs have been directed to submit their comments on the allegations within seven days of receiving the notices. Their responses are expected to form part of the proceedings concerning the disqualification petitions.
On Tuesday, a bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana heard Banerjee's plea challenging the delay in deciding the petitions.
The Supreme Court issued notices to the 20 MPs and sought a response on the plea for expeditious consideration of the disqualification proceedings.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Secretary General, informed the court that notices had already been issued to the MPs in connection with the petitions filed by the TMC under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.
The court, however, emphasised that the issue was not merely about issuing notices but also about completing the proceedings within a reasonable time frame.
The dispute centres on allegations that the 20 MPs abandoned the TMC and subsequently aligned themselves with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI).
The TMC has argued that the MPs were elected on its symbol and that their move amounts to voluntarily giving up membership of the party, which could attract disqualification under the anti-defection provisions.
The MPs, on the other hand, have maintained that their move amounts to a valid merger and have been recognised as an NCPI group in the Lok Sabha.
The MPs named in the petition are Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Satabdi Roy, Prasun Banerjee, Rachana Banerjee, Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia, Partha Bhowmick, Arup Chakraborty, Adhikari Deepak Dev, Sayani Ghosh, Bapi Haldar, Md Abu Taher Khan, Kalipada Saren Kherwal, Asit Kumar Mal, June Maliah, Mitali Bag, Khalilur Rahaman, Mala Roy, Sharmila Sarkar and Yusuf Pathan.
