look news india
The issue of Trinamool Congress (TMC) and its rebel MPs has once again heated up in Indian politics. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has officially issued notice to 20 rebel TMC MPs. After hearing the petition of MP Abhishek Banerjee in the Supreme Court, the Speaker has directed all these MPs to file their reply within seven days.
Abhishek Banerjee’s petition and action of Supreme Court
Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee had approached the Supreme Court demanding cancellation of membership of MPs who had rebelled against the party. Banerjee had alleged in her petition that there was unnecessary delay in taking a decision on the petitions for cancellation of membership pending with the Lok Sabha Speaker.
While hearing the case on Tuesday, the bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana had issued notice to those 20 rebel MPs. During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing on behalf of the Lok Sabha Speaker and the General Secretary of the House, informed the court that notices have already been sent to these MPs by the Speaker under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution (anti-defection law). However, reacting to this, Justice Joymalya Bagchi clarified that the main issue is not just issuing the notice but completing the entire proceedings legally within a stipulated time frame.
TMC’s allegation: Rebel MP joins NCPI
Trinamool Congress alleges that these 20 MPs have separated from the party line and joined the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). The party argues that this conduct of these leaders is a direct violation of the anti-defection provisions of the Constitution, under which their Lok Sabha membership should be canceled with immediate effect.
In this legal petition filed by Abhishek Banerjee, apart from the Lok Sabha Speaker and the General Secretary of the House, all the 20 rebel MPs whose membership is in danger have also been made defendants.
Prominent MPs coming under notice
Prominent rebel MPs who come under the ambit of this notice issued by the Lok Sabha Speaker and the petition of TMC include Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Shatabdi Roy, Prasun Banerjee, Rachna Banerjee, Jagdish Chandra Burma Basunia, Partha Bhowmik, Arup Chakraborty, Adhikari Deepak Dev, Sayani Ghosh, Bapi Halder, Mohd. Abu Tahir Khan, Kalipada Saren Kherwal, Asit Kumar Mal, June Malia, Mithali Bagh, Khalidur Rahman, Mala Roy, Sharmila Sarkar and former cricketer Yusuf Pathan. Now all these MPs will have to submit their answers within seven days, on which the eyes of political circles across the country are fixed.