“Breakthrough after 2 months”: Sagarika Ghose demands disqualification of 20 rebel MPs after LS Speaker issues notices

New Delhi [India], August 26 (ANI): Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Sagarika Ghose on Wednesday welcomed Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla's decision to issue notices to 20 rebel MPs, alleging that they violated the Constitution and anti-defection law by joining another party after being elected on a different symbol.
"What has happened today is a breakthrough. It is very significant and important that after two months, the Speaker's Office has finally acted and sent a notice to the 20 traitors who, having won on a particular symbol, have now joined another party," Ghose told ANI.
She alleged that the 20 MPs had betrayed the mandate of the people and called for their immediate disqualification under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.
"These 20 traitors are in violation of the Constitution and the law. They have betrayed the mandate of the people, the democracy and the Constitution. Under the 10th Schedule, they attract immediate disqualification because the 10th Schedule is very clear that MPs cannot merge, but only parties can merge," she said.
Ghose said the 20 MPs deserve immediate disqualification, adding that the Speaker's office acted two months after the petition was filed and following the Supreme Court's intervention on Abhishek Banerjee's plea.
"These 20 MPs, these 20 traitors, deserve to be immediately disqualified. It is very significant that this disqualification petition, which we moved in June, it has taken two months for the Speaker's office to act. The Speaker's office has acted after the Supreme Court has given directions in this matter, after Abhishek Banerjee approached the Supreme Court," she said.
"We now demand that these 20 traitors be disqualified," Ghose added.
Meanwhile, TMC MP Saugata Roy, reacting to the development, said, "This is a legal matter on which our lawyer Kalyan Banerjee gave a statement yesterday. I don't want to say anything on this."
The remarks came after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla issued notices to the 20 MPs in connection with TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee's petition seeking their disqualification. The MPs have been asked to submit their responses within seven days.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Supreme Court sought responses from the 20 rebel MPs on Banerjee's plea challenging the delay in deciding the disqualification petitions pending before the Lok Sabha Speaker.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana issued notices to the MPs on Banerjee's plea seeking directions to the Speaker for expeditious disposal of the petitions filed under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Secretary General of the House, informed the court that notices had already been issued to the 20 MPs on the disqualification petitions filed by the TMC.
Responding to the submission, Justice Joymalya Bagchi observed, "It is not a question of issuing notices; it is a question of concluding the proceedings within a time frame."
The TMC has accused the 20 MPs of abandoning the party and subsequently joining the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). Banerjee has contended that their conduct attracts disqualification under the anti-defection provisions of the Constitution.
The petition has arrayed the Lok Sabha Speaker and the House Secretary General as the principal respondents in the petition, while also impleading the 20 MPs whose disqualification is being sought.
The respondents include Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Satabdi Roy, Prasun Banerjee, Rachana Banerjee, Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia, Partha Bhowmick, Arup Chakraborty, Adhikari Deepak Dev, Sayani Ghosh, Bapi Haldar, Md Abu Taher Khan, Kalipada Saren Kherwal, Asit Kumar Mal, June Maliah, Mitali Bag, Khalilur Rahaman, Mala Roy, Sharmila Sarkar and Yusuf Pathan. (ANI)