• NET Web Desk

Recently, the Supreme Court (SC), agreed to hear the petitions filed by three former Congress MLAs who challenged the Manipur High Court (HC) verdict regarding the disqualification of 3 Member of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs).

The petition asserted about upholding order of the assembly speaker disqualifying them from being members of the House.

SC issued notices and sought responses from the office of the assembly speaker and others on three separate petitions filed by the disqualified MLAs who have challenged the June 2 verdicts of the high court.

The petitions filed stated that enough material was present before the speaker to draw an inference that they had voluntarily given up their membership of Indian National Congress (INC).

The three MLAs were disqualified by the speaker on June 18 last year.

After disqualification, petitions were filed alleging that they had voluntarily given up their membership of the INC and given their support to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

It was also alleged in the disqualification petition that they had participated in political works and programmes hosted by the BJP.

A bench comprising justices U.U. Lalit and Ajay Rastogi, while asking the respondents to file their affidavits within two weeks, posted the matter for hearing on September 29.

The top court was hearing three separate petitions filed by Kshetrimayum Biren Singh, Yengkhom Surchandra Singh and Sanasam Bira Singh who were elected as MLAs as Congress candidates in the March 2017 assembly election.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the petitioners, told the bench that the high court order be stayed.

The bench further stated it was issuing notice on the petitions and the matter would be heard on September 29th.

Rohatgi told the bench that petitioners have approached the apex court as the high court had upheld their disqualification and the alleged ground of disqualification is that they have voluntarily given up the membership of the Congress party.