MLAs suspension: Telangana High Court serves notice to Assembly secretary

Hyderabad: Responding to the plea of suspended BJP MLAs, Justice Shameem Akhter on Wednesday issued notice to the Secretary, Telangana Legislative Assembly directing him to respond to it by Thursday by duly furnishing the reasons for the MLAs suspension.

The Judge further directed the Registry, High Court to send the notice to the Secretary through special messenger and permitted the petitioner to serve personal notice on the Secretary.

The Judge was hearing the writ petition filed by the three suspended BJP MLAs, Raghunandan Rao, Eatala Rajender and Raja Singh, challenging their suspension from the ongoing Assembly session and seeking a direction to participate in the ongoing session. Moreover, to furnish the resolution copy of their suspension.

The court, though issued a notice to the Assembly Secretary, did not pass any orders on furnishing the resolution copy though the three MLAs were suspended from the ongoing Assembly session as the Advocate General Banda Shivananda Prasad vehemently opposed the submissions of D Prakash Reddy, senior counsel appearing for the suspended MLAs.

When Justice Shameem Akhter asked the senior counsel as to on what basis the petitioners have approached the court in the absence of suspension orders, he informed the court that they have filed the newspaper clippings which were concerned with the suspension.

Meanwhile, the Advocate General informed the court that the courts cannot interfere in the Assembly proceedings, and further added that the authenticity of the video submitted by the petitioners have to be verified.

Justice Shameem Akhter, after hearing the contents of the AG said, "The proceedings in the Assembly have been recorded by your officials also… the petitioners have come with the allegation that there is a substantial illegality committed in the Assembly... you have to explain by placing on record rebutting their allegations."