Congress to Move Allahabad HC Against Speaker's Ruling Rejecting its Plea to Disqualify Two MLAs

The Congress will move Allahabad High Court to challenge Uttar Pradesh assembly Speaker Hriday Narayan Dikshit's decision rejecting its plea to disqualify the party's two "rebel" MLAs, Aditi Singh and Rakesh Singh.

"The legal cell of the party in Delhi is preparing the petition for moving the high court," Congress Legislature Party leader Aradhana Misra told PTI on Wednesday.

On Speaker's ruling that the Congress' plea seeking disqualification of its two MLAs "lacked substance and sufficient evidence", Misra said, "There is sufficient ground for the disqualification of these two MLAs and the party had presented it before the Speaker."

"The acts and conduct of these two MLAs show that they want to willingly give up the membership of the House. Their actions are tantamount to voluntarily giving up their membership (of the Assembly) under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution," Misra said, adding they have been continuously indulging in anti-party activities.

Giving an example, she said Aditi Singh participated in the special Vidhan Sabha session on October 2 last year defying the party whip against it.

"She said she did not get the whip. Even so, when she reached the Vidhan Sabha she was fully aware that the entire opposition had boycotted the session. She did not just take part in the proceedings for four hours but also spoke in the house praising the government," Misra said.

Aditi Singh later tweeted remarks which amounted to criticising the party, the CLP leader said.

About Harchandpur MLA Rakesh Singh, the CLP leader said he publically criticised the party on several occasions.

Once he also organized a 'havan' on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday, she added.

Speaker Dikshit dismissed the Congress petitions seeking disqualification of Rae Bareli MLA Aditi Singh and Harchandpur MLA Rakesh Singh saying they "lacked substance".

Before moving the Speakers office for disqualification of the duo, the Congress party had served a show-cause notice to Aditi Singh for attending the special session of the Vidhan Sabha on October 2 last year, defying the party's whip. She had not responded to the notice.

She was also sent a reminder for her reply but she refrained from responding to it after which the party had filed the disqualification petition.

Rakesh Singh has been accused of indulging in anti- party activities during the 2019 general elections by working for the BJP candidate from Rae Bareli from where Congress president Sonia Gandhi was contesting.