Kolkata (West Bengal): West Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee on Wednesday dismissed the complaint against the defection of Mukul Roy filed by BJP MLA and Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari stating that he did not find merit in the argument of the petitioner.
Banerjee, an eminent lawyer, said that the petitioner focused on electronic evidence which failed to prove the allegation. "I heard from both sides, elaborately discussed the earlier rulings cited by the petitioner, and came to the conclusion that the petitioner has failed to prove his contention. The petitioner put the focus on electronic evidence. I took note of those pieces of evidence and those too failed to prove the charge," he said.
Speaking to the media after giving the ruling Banerjee refused to make any further comment on the matter stating that it is a matter of law. Sources in the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) said that the Speaker's ruling implied that Roy is still a BJP MLA. Roy was elected to the State Assembly in the 2021 Assembly elections from the Krishnanagar South assembly constituency on a BJP ticket and within a few days after the results were declared Roy defected to the TMC.
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Adhikari filed a petition before the Assembly Speaker seeking that Roy is disqualified as an MLA under the anti-defection law. Earlier in February, Banerjee dismissed the petition following which Adhikari challenged the decision in the Calcutta High Court.
"Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and MLA Ambika Roy had questioned the validity of the appointment of Mukul Roy as PAC Chairman and sought his disqualification as MLA. They moved court. The matter went to the Supreme Court from the high court but the honorable Supreme Court sent it back to the high court and the honorable high court asked me to pronounce my verdict within a month," said Banerjee. The High Court issued the order on April 11 and the Speaker announced his decision on May 12.
