It is a surprise that the high court bench took so long to just say that the court cannot interfere in the powers of the Speaker and give its verdict in the case pertaining to the 10 AIADMK MLAs including Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, O Panneerselvam, who had voted against the AIADMK government. One wonders how the courts became aware only now that they cannot interfere in the matter of the Speaker after sitting on the verdict for so many months. It is a surprise that the court has upheld the appointment of the three Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs unilaterally appointed by the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, allowing the powers and jurisdiction of the Speaker to be buried under the carpet.
The Chief Justice of the Madras High Court has asserted that she has acted following her conscience and is answerable to god alone. People would be waiting to see if her conscience leads her to pronounce a reasonably acceptable judgment in the cases filed by the other 18 AIADMK MLAs disqualified by the same Speaker who failed to take any action against the 10 MLAs referred to above.
Shalini Gerald, Chennai
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