SC issues notice to Tamil Nadu, others on DMK plea for disqualification of 11 AIADMK MLAs

The Supreme Court Wednesday issued notices to Tamil Nadu government and others on DMK's petition seeking direction to the Assembly Speaker to forthwith decide the pending plea for disqualification of 11 AIADMK lawmakers who had voted against Chief Minister K Palaniswami during the 2017 confidence vote.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly secretary to respond on DMK's petition seeking direction to the former to take a call on latter's plea, demanding the disqualification of 11 AIADMK MLAs including deputy CM O Panneerselvam.

DMK MLA and party whip in TNLA R Sakkarapani had moved the petition against the speaker for not deciding anything on the letter of DMK since March 2017.

"Even as the SC on February 14, 2020 had directed the TNLA speaker to decide on the matter, he has not reacted on the direction. The inaction of speaker P Dhanapal is absolutely arbitrary and violative of articles 14,19, 164 (1B),191 and 10th schedule of Indian Constitution," the DMK leader's counsel argued.

A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde took note of plea of the main opposition party and sought responses from the state government and other authorities including the Speaker, P Dhanapal and adjourned the matter for four weeks.

It is noted when confidence motion was initiated against the current AIADMK government in 2017, O Panneerselvam and 10 of his supporting MLAs had voted against their own government.

Therefore, the DMK approached TNLA speaker to take action against the 11 AIADMK MLAs for not abiding the whip issued to them. However, the speaker has not decided on the matter till now.