By CK Nayak
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday ruled that notices be issued to KHNAM legislator Paul Lyngdoh and Independent MLA Limison D Sangma, upholding the power of Meghalaya Assembly Speaker Bindo M Lanong to go ahead with the disqualification proceedings against them.
The Bench headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan, hearing a petition filed by former Meghalaya Finance Minister Conrad Sangma on behalf of MPA, said notices should be issued to Mr Lyngdoh and Mr Sangma. Senior advocate Amit Kumar argued for the petitioner.
The apex court order is now applicable to all the five suspended MLAs.
It was learnt that though the apex court upheld the supremacy of the Speaker, the voting rights of Mr Lyngdoh and Mr Sangma have remained intact as ruled by the Shillong Bench of the Gauhati High Court.
Speaker likely to issue fresh notices to Paul, Shullai today
Our Reporter adds in Shillong: Assembly Speaker Bindo M Lanong is likely to issue fresh show-cause notices to KHNAM legislator Paul Lyngdoh and Deputy Speaker Sanbor Shullai on Wednesday.
Mr Lanong on Tuesday said show-cause notices would be issued again to Mr Lyngdoh and Mr Shullai for their failure to respond to the notices served on them earlier.
Sources said both Mr Lyngdoh and Mr Shullai would have to reply to the new show-cause notices by April 7.
"Mr Lanong would like to disqualify the suspended legislators before April 15 to ensure early restoration of a popular government in the State," the sources added.
Meanwhile, asked if the voting rights of the suspended MLAs had been restored by the Supreme Court, the Speaker said, "This is just a rumour spread by Congress in order to create confusion in the minds of the public. In the fresh ruling on Tuesday, the Supreme Court has only upheld the power of the Speaker to go ahead with the disqualification proceedings."
Mr Lanong pointed out that the apex court had, by an order similar to the earlier one given in the case of Independent legislator Limison Sangma, also quashed the High Court stay order on suspension of KHNAM MLA Paul Lyngdoh. "The Speaker's ruling will prevail in all such (court) rulings," he said.
Earlier, Mr Lanong had made it clear that he would abide by his own decision.
Lapang complains to PC against Speaker
A PTI report from Shillong says Opposition leader DD Lapang has complained to Union Home Minister P Chidambaram about Assembly Speaker BM Lanong's alleged "partisan and arbitrary" behaviour.
"I met Chidambaram on Monday and explained the circumstances under which the Speaker violated the constitutional powers. Even though there is a no-confidence motion pending against him, he first invalidated five votes and cast his vote to save the government," Mr Lapang said on Tuesday.
Blaming the Speaker for the complete "breakdown of constitutional machinery" in the State, Mr Lapang said, "His (Speaker's) remarks that the court's ruling staying the suspension of the five MLAs is not binding on him is unwarranted, uncalled-for and unconstitutional."
"The dictatorial manner of functioning of the Speaker is a blot in the constitutional scheme of things in the country," he alleged.
Maintaining that the Supreme Court has not interfered in the High Court's ruling staying the suspension of the five MLAs, the Congress leader claimed that the voting rights of the five MLAs, four of whom had reportedly pledged support to Congress, had been restored. THE SHILLONG TIMES
No comments:
Post a Comment