A single judge bench of Manipur High Court on May 28 fixed the next hearing for disqualification of seven MLAs to June 10. Justice Kh Nobin heard both the parties and fixed the date for the next hearing.
Manipur Speaker Y Khemchand had reserved the verdict on disqualification case of the seven MLAs who left Congress and joined BJP.
Seven Congress MLAs joined the BJP following which Congress MLAs filed different cases demanding their disqualification as their activities allegedly violated the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.
The Supreme Court had given a landmark judgement in the disqualification case under the Tenth Schedule on January 21. Following the directive from the Supreme Court, Speaker Y Khemchand had dismissed former minister Th Shyamkumar as a member of Manipur Legislative Assembly.
Shyamkumar, who won as a Congress MLA from Andro was sworn in as a minister in the BJP-led government in the state headed by N Biren Singh. The case of the seven MLAs is still pending before the tribunal.
The Supreme Court on January 21 had directed the speaker to take action within three months. The three months period has already lapsed and the Supreme Court had granted liberty to petitioners to directly approach the Supreme Court in case no action was taken.
The petitions were filed against O Lukhoi, Ksh Biren, P Brojen, Ngamthang Haokip, Ginsuanhau and Y Surchandra.
The counsels of the MLAs sought three weeks’ time for filing counter affidavit. It was objected by the counsel appearing for the petitioner on the ground that the respondents are buying time so that the election of the Rajya Sabha can be held. It was submitted by both the counsels for the petitioner that since the time period for disposal of the disqualification petition pending before the speaker has been prescribed by the Supreme Court, the speaker ought to have disposed of the said petitions within the time prescribed by the Supreme Court counting the same, at least, from the date on which judgment and order was delivered by the Supreme Court.
