Lok Sabha Secretariat seeks replies from 20 rebel TMC MPs within 7 days
The Lok Sabha Secretariat has issued notices to 20 rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs, seeking their replies within seven days on disqualification petitions filed by TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee, according to sources.
The notices, dated August 25, forwarded a copy of Banerjee's petition dated June 18, which was filed under Rule 6 of the Members of Lok Sabha (Disqualification on Ground of Defection) Rules, 1985. The MPs have been asked to furnish their comments on the petition within seven days of receipt of the notice.
The development comes a day after the Supreme Court agreed to hear Banerjee's plea seeking an expeditious decision on the disqualification petitions. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana issued notice to the 20 rebel MPs. The court declined to issue notice to the office of the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Secretary-General after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said he was representing them.
During the hearing, the court observed, "It is not a question of issuing notices; it is a question of concluding the proceedings within a time frame."
The dispute follows a rebellion within the TMC parliamentary party after 20 of its Lok Sabha MPs announced that they had joined or merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a Tripura-based political outfit, and sought separate recognition in the House. The rebel MPs have since been treated as an NCPI group in Parliament and have participated in NDA parliamentary activities.
The TMC has maintained that the MPs were elected on its symbol and that their decision to align with another political formation amounts to voluntarily giving up membership of the party, attracting disqualification under the anti-defection law. The rebel camp, on the other hand, has maintained that its move constitutes a valid merger under the law.
Banerjee had earlier submitted separate disqualification petitions against the 20 MPs and subsequently sought expeditious disposal of the proceedings. He had also met the Lok Sabha Speaker on August 12 over the issue after sending a written reminder on July 27.
The 20 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.
