Hearing underway in Rajasthan HC on petition by Pilot, 18 MLAs against disqualification notices

Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], July 20 (ANI): Hearing resumed on Monday on a petition filed by Sachin Pilot and 18 other Congress MLAs against disqualification notices issued to them by the Assembly Speaker before Jaipur Bench of Rajasthan High Court.
The bench of Chief Justice Indrajit Mahanty and Justice Prakash Gupta are hearing the matter.
Senior lawyer Abhishek Singhvi, representing Rajasthan Speaker, today told the court that Speaker's order can be challenged only on the limited ground but those grounds aren't there in the petition.
The hearing before the Assembly Speaker in the disqualification matter has been deferred till Tuesday in view of the hearing before the High Court.
On Friday, Prateek Kasliwal, appearing for state Legislative Assembly Speaker CP Joshi, said that the petitioners' lawyers have concluded their arguments in the court.
"On Friday the matter was heard in the High Court. Petitioners' lawyers (Harish) Salve and (Mukul) Rohatgi concluded their arguments. The hearing will continue at 10 am on Monday," Kasliwal had told reporters after the hearing outside the court premises.
"Abhishek Manu Singhvi has given an undertaking that the hearing before the Legislative Assembly slated for 5 pm Friday has been deferred till Tuesday," Kasliwal had said.
A division bench of the Rajasthan High Court, headed by Chief Justice Indrajit Mohanty, had on Thursday deferred the hearing on the matter to Friday after Sachin Pilot camp sought to amend their petition against the disqualification notice.
Pilot and the MLAs from his camp approached the Rajasthan High Court over disqualification notice seeking the quashing and setting aside of the show cause notice issued to them on July 14 by the Speaker of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly.
The development came after Rajasthan Assembly Speaker CP Joshi sent notices to Pilot and 18 MLAs under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, popularly known as the anti-defection law after chief's whip application for their disqualification. MLAs were earlier asked to present before Assembly Speaker on July 17.
According to the notice, if these MLAs fail to respond to the notice then the Speaker can proceed ex parte and disqualify them from the Assembly.
The Congress complaint and the Speaker's notice came after Pilot and the lawmakers supporting him skipped Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meetings on July 13 and 14.
Rajasthan Congress continues to remain in turmoil after simmering differences between Pilot and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot came out in the open. Pilot was, on July 14, also sacked from the posts of Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister and state PCC president.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has blamed the BJP for attempting to destabilise the state government by poaching MLAs.
A controversy had broken out in Rajasthan after Special Operation Group (SOG) sent a notice to Pilot to record his statement in the case registered in the alleged poaching of Congress MLAs in the state. (ANI)