Rajasthan crisis deepens, Speaker CP Joshi to move Supreme Court over three-day breather to Sachin Pilot

Rajasthan Assembly Speaker CP Joshi to move Supreme Court.

Rajasthan Legislative Assembly Speaker CP Joshi on Wednesday said that he will file a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court, a day after the High Court barred him from taking action against sacked deputy CM Sachin Pilot and 18 other dissident Congress MLAs till the verdict is pronounced in the case on Friday.

Addressing the media in Jaipur, Joshi said that the Speaker has the right to send a show-cause notice to MLAs. The Speaker’s remarks came in reference to the High Court’s observation that a whip can be issued only for an Assembly session but not with respect to a party meeting.

“Speaker has the complete authority to send a show-cause notice. I have asked my counsel to file SLP in Supreme Court,” he told reporters. Joshi argued that the state was heading towards a constitutional crisis and the Speaker’s authority to issue show-cause notices are well defined by the Supreme Court.

“Speaker’s responsibilities are well defined by the Supreme Court and Constitution. As Speaker, I got an application and to seek info on it, I issued show-cause notice. If the show cause notice will not be issued by authority, then what is the work of authority?” Joshi said.

The ruling Congress in Rajasthan had sought action against Pilot and 18 others for defying the party whip to attend the Legislature Party meeting twice last week. Following a complaint by the Congress, Speaker CP Joshi issued disqualification notices to the Pilot and 18 others.

The MLAs then moved the High Court, arguing there were no grounds to disqualify them just for missing two meetings of the CLP.

After hearing the arguments of both the sides, the High Court on Tuesday reserved its order for Friday. The court also requested Speaker Joshi to defer action on disqualification notices to dissident Congress MLAs till July 24.

The court said it will pass an appropriate order on the writ petition filed by the Pilot camp on July 24.

The Congress government in Rajasthan plunged into crisis after Sachin Pilot’s open revolt against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. Pilot was sacked as the deputy CM and PCC chief as well.