Speaker’s three-month delay in deciding disqualification of rebel TMC MPs a ‘red flag’: SC

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that the three months taken so far by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to decide the disqualification petitions against 20 rebel Trinamool Congress MPs was a “red flag”, Bar and Bench reported.

However, the court refused to set a deadline for the speaker to decide the petitions.

A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana was hearing a plea by Abhishek Banerjee, a leader of Mamata Banerjee-led faction, seeking an early decision on the disqualification petitions.

The disqualification petitions were filed by Abhishek Banerjee on June 19 after 20 of TMC’s 28 Lok Sabha MPs announced a merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India. The group has been supporting the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in the Lower House of Parliament.

Abhishek Banerjee had argued that the 10th Schedule of the Constitution was clear that if a member voluntarily gives up the party’s membership, they are to be disqualified as MPs.

On Wednesday, the court verbally observed that the speaker was expected to take an “expeditious decision”, Live Law reported.

“A few months may be a red flag and that is well taken,” Bar and Bench quoted Bagchi as saying. “Why have you not finished it, when it is a matter of moments and has repercussions in various collateral proceedings and also the democratic...

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