Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 4 Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday said he will closely examine the applications of rebel TMC MPs seeking more time to respond to his disqualification notices.
The MPs, who joined the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), have so far been given four extensions to give their replies.
Some of the 20 rebel MPs have submitted applications seeking more time to respond.
“I have not seen but I am told some MPs have submitted applications seeking extension of the time. I will examine their applications. I will see whether any more extension can be given within the rules and if so how many times,” Birla told reporters on the sideline of a conference here.
On September 23, the Supreme Court had remarked that it expected the Lok Sabha Speaker to take an “expeditious” decision on the plea seeking disqualifications of 20 rebel TMC MPs who joined the NCPI.
Last month, Birla had said he will hear both sides and expedite the process when the responses come from the members.
TMC leader in Lok Sabha Abhishek Banerjee had submitted 20 separate petitions to the Speaker, seeking the disqualification of the rebel MPs under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution.
He had argued that the MPs have voluntarily given up the membership of the TMC by joining another party and are, therefore, liable to be disqualified.
Banerjee also urged the speaker not to accord any recognition, status or facility to any group claiming to be a separate faction of the TMC.
The TMC leader later moved the Supreme Court claiming delay in deciding the disqualification proceedings initiated against the MPs.
He sought directions for the Speaker to decide the disqualification petitions in accordance with the anti-defection provisions of the Constitution.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana had said it was aware that it cannot direct the Lok Sabha Speaker, “but we just want to remind him about expeditious resolution”.
The dispute follows a rebellion within the TMC parliamentary party after 20 of its Lok Sabha members announced that they had joined or merged with the NCPI, a little-known political party, and sought separate recognition in the House.
The rebel MPs have subsequently been treated as an NCPI group in Parliament and have participated in ruling NDA parliamentary activities.
The TMC has maintained that the MPs were elected on its symbol and that their decision to align with another political formation amounts to voluntarily giving up membership of the party, attracting disqualification under the anti-defection law.
The rebel camp, however, has maintained that its move constitutes a valid merger.
(PTI News)
