Disqualification Of Turncoat BRS MLAs: Decide in 3 wks or face contempt, SC warns Speaker

New Delhi/Hyderabad: Giving one last opportunity, the Supreme Court on Friday gave three weeks’ time more to Telangana Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar to decide on the disqualification petitions pending against BRS MLAs for shifting their loyalties to Congress. The apex court also warned of issuing contempt orders if a decision is not taken by that time.

The issue of disqualification petition and contempt of court came up for hearing before the bench of Justice Sanjay Karol and Augustine G Masih in the Supreme Court on Friday. Appearing on behalf of the Speaker, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that the proceedings were underway, and the Speaker was on verge of taking a decision. He informed the court that the Speaker had disposed of the majority of cases and the hearing of two more cases was going on. The advocate also pointed out that the Municipal elections were going on in the state and sought additional time. However, the Court however, said that the case was given extensions multiple times and it could not be kept pending indefinitely.

However, the counsel appearing on behalf of the BRS party advocate Mohit Rao said that the Speaker had conducted only one single hearing despite repeated opportunities provided by the court. 

The council pointed out that one BRS MLA had contested Lok Sabha election on the Congress ticket. Similarly, the daughter of a party MLA also contested on the Congress Lok Sabha ticket, and the MLA was continuing with her.

Stating that sufficient time was already given, the Court said that the matter would be taken up for hearing after three weeks. Justice Karol pointed out that during the previous hearing, the Speaker had sought four weeks’ time, but the court gave two weeks to see if there was any development and added that they expect the Speaker to take a decision positively.

BRS MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy and BJP MLA A Maheshwar Reddy had filed contempt petitions in the Court seeking action on the Speaker for not implementing the orders issued on July 31 last year wherein the Supreme Court had asked the Speaker to take a decision within three months.

The Court said that three weeks’ time would be treated as final. The failure to take a decision within this timeframe would be viewed seriously, the apex court said, listing the matter after three weeks.