A plea was filed in the Supreme Court Monday seeking directions to the Speaker to decide the issue of disqualification of former BJP leader Mukul Roy as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal.
The plea filed by advocate Bijan Ghosh contended that Roy, who defected to Trinamool Congress, has been nominated as Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee of the state Assembly during the pendency of the petition before Speaker by leader of the opposition Suvendu Adhikari seeking his disqualification under the anti-defection law, Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.
The plea said that the question of disqualification was brought to notice to the Speaker as far as back on June 18, 2021 by the leader of the opposition as per para 6 of the Schedule but the Speaker till date has not taken any decision.
“An illegal advantage is being taken of the silence in the Constitution by a constitutional body to act unconstitutionally,” the plea alleged.
“Defection is a serious offence against democracy, a clear breach against voters and stamping political morality. If defection is not prevented – Democracy would be reduced to an unreliable institution and seriously prejudices political stability.
"It goes to the very root of democratic faith and values. Thus when one defects his political party and joins another political party – he is disqualified to remain a member of the House,” the plea said.
Roy, who has switched over to the ruling Trinamool Congress after winning the West Bengal Assembly election on a BJP ticket, on July 16 took charge as the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman of the House.
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Published 19 July 2021, 17:03 IST