SC to hear AAP MLA's plea against disqualification

The Supreme Court is to take up on Friday a plea by a Delhi AAP MLA against the notice for disqualification issued by the Assembly Speaker for crossing over to the BJP.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and B R Gavai told senior advocate Soli J Sorabjee that the writ petition filed by Bijwasan MLA Devender Sehrawat would be heard on Friday, June 28.

Sehrawat on Wednesday moved the top court for quashing of the action sought to be initiated against him under the anti-defection law.

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

However, 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 as soon as the bench assembled, Justice Khanna said the petition would be heard on Friday.

Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel had issued the 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. Bajpai is MLA from Gandhinagar constituency here.