AAP MLA moves SC against disqualification notice

A Delhi AAP MLA, who crossed over to the BJP, on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court against a notice for disqualification issued by the Assembly Speaker.

Senior advocate Soli Sorabjee mentioned the writ petition filed on behalf of Bijwasan MLA Devender Sehrawat before a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and B R Gavai for urgent hearing.

The top court, however, asked him to approach the Delhi High Court, saying “adequate remedy is available under Article 226 (writ jurisdiction of the high court)”.

But upon insistence by the counsel, the court asked him to circulate the petition.

“We will examine it and consider if it required hearing here,” the bench said, giving him liberty to mention again on Thursday.

Just a day before, Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel has issued disqualification notice under the anti-defection law to Sehrawat and another AAL MLA Anil Bajpai for switching over to the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

The action by the Speaker was initiated on a complaint made by Saurabh Bharadwaj, AAP MLA and party spokesperson. The two MLAs, for their part, maintained they had not filled up the primary membership form of the BJP.