Senior advocate Aryaman Sundaram, appearing for the petitioners, accused the respondents of taking contradictory positions
Hyderabad: The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved orders in the batch of writ petitions and a SLP complaining against the Assembly Speaker’s delay in deciding disqualification petitions against BRS legislators who had defected.
The SLP was filed by BRS legislators Padi Kaushik Reddy and K.P. Vivekanand challenging the Telangana High Court division bench orders urging the Speaker to decide on the disqualification petitions in a reasonable period. A single-judge bench had directed the Assembly secretary to fix the schedule of hearing within four weeks.
A division bench of the Supreme Court, comprising Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice A.G. Masih, questioned senior counsel Abhishek Manu Snghvi, appearing for the Assembly secretary, what could a reasonable period for the Speaker to act. “Should we wait until 2028 and allow a mockery of the process,” the bench retorted.
The court once again took serious note of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s remarks that there would be no byelections. Justice Gavai observed that the Chief Minister should have exercised restraint when the issue was sub-judice. He had made similar comments less than a year back, the bench said and added, “he is giving value to separation of powers.”
Senior advocate Aryaman Sundaram, appearing for the petitioners, accused the respondents of taking contradictory positions.
“They argue courts cannot interfere before a decision is made but later concede that exceptional delays warrant intervention,” he said.
He insisted that the Speaker’s silence and inaction against Revanth Reddy’s comments on the floor of the Assembly raised serious concerns. Sundaram urged the court to set a strict deadline for the speaker.
