Chandigarh, July 26

The Punjab and Haryana High Court was today told that the Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker had issued notice to six AAP MLAs.

The submission came during the hearing of a petition filed in public interest for directing the Speaker to forthwith pass “appropriate order” regarding their disqualification as members of Punjab Legislative Assembly.

As the petition filed by Labh Singh against Sukhpal Singh Khaira, Baldev Singh, Nazar Singh Manshahia, Amarjit Singh Sandoa, Jagdev Singh and Pirmal Singh Dhaula came up for preliminary hearing, Punjab Advocate-General Atul Nanda submitted directions could not be issued by the High Court to the Speaker because of jurisdictional issues.

Taking note of the arguments and the submission that notice already stood issued, the Bench of Chief Justice Ravi Shanker Jha and Justice Arun Palli disposed of the matter.

Petitioner Labh Singh through senior advocate Baltej Singh Sidhu had earlier contended that the MLAs had incurred disqualification the day they joined another party on the ground of defection provided under Article l9l(2) and Clause 2(1)(a) of Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India. — TNS