The Supreme Court of India.
Credit: PTI File Photo
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered against the declaration of the Bihar Legislative Council by-election result for the seat previously held by RJD leader Sunil Kumar Singh expelled for his controversial remarks against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh passed the order after hearing senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Singh, who submitted that the by-election result was likely to be announced on January 16 for the seat as the election was unopposed.
The bench said no results for the seat should be declared, as it is already hearing the arguments on the matter.
“Meanwhile, the result of the by-election in the state legislative council in respect of vacancy by removal of petitioner shall not be declared," the bench said.
The court scheduled the matter for further hearing on Thursday.
During the hearing, Singhvi submitted that the allegation in the case is in connection with the use of a derogatory word against Nitish Kumar, which was also used by Singh's colleague. Singhvi added that only his client was permanently expelled, while the other person was only temporarily suspended for only two days.
In addition to Singh’s expulsion, another RJD MLC, Mohd Qari Sohaib, who also engaged in disruptive behaviour on the same day, was suspended for two days. It would be the end of democracy if remarks made by his client resulted in permanent expulsion, Singhvi said.
The counsel contended that the court had heard his plea against the expulsion since August 2024, and if the court allowed the petition in future, it would be a peculiar situation with there being two candidates for a single seat.
The court said it would hear the response of the state legislative council the ethics committee and others, on Thursday after which it would reserve its judgment on the matter.
On July 26, last year, Singh was expelled from the Bihar Legislative Council for unruly behaviour in the House.
Singh, considered close to RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family, was charged for sloganeering against Nitish Kumar on February 13, 2024, during a heated exchange in the House. The motion for Singh’s expulsion was passed by voice vote, a day after the ethics committee submitted its report to acting chairman Awadhesh Narain Singh. The ethics committee report said while Sohaib expressed regret for his actions during the inquiry, Singh remained defiant.