Chennai: The hearing on the seven petitions filed by the DMK party and rebel AIADMK MLAs relating to assembly proceedings, commenced in the Madras High Court on Thursday.
Justice K. Ravichandrabaabu had on November 2 pointed out that the petitions relating to assembly proceedings involve constitutional issues and the powers of the Speaker in such issues and referred the matters to a larger bench. Accordingly, the First Bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M. Sundar took them up for hearing.
Senior counsel Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the 18 rebel MLAs disqualified by the Speaker on September 18 under the anti-defection law, submitted that their disqualification was a premeditated ambush.
The Speaker of the House has passed the order based on irrelevant considerations, ignoring relevant considerations, which was malice in law, he added. He said the Speaker has failed to act upon a complaint made on March 20 against Deputy Chief Minister O. Paneerselvam and 10 other MLAs, who voted against the confidence motion moved by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on February 18. But the Speaker has acted upon the 18 MLAs at rocket speed.
The worst part was, even the order of disqualification was not made available to the 18 MLAs. It was first revealed to the media, then, uploaded to the website and thereafter, it was circulated to the affected parties, he added. The bench posted to November 20, further hearing of the petitions.
