Finish In 3 Weeks Or Face Contempt: SC To Speaker

The Supreme Court today gave Telangana Speaker Gaddam Prasad a final opportunity to decide on the disqualification petitions against the defecting BRS MLAs.

The court directed the Speaker to take a decision within a stipulated time frame and granted a three-week deadline before adjourning the hearing.

A bench comprising Justices Sanjay Karol and Augustine George Masih heard petitions filed by the BRS seeking the disqualification of the MLAs who had defected from the party.

During an earlier hearing, the bench had observed that sufficient time had already been given to the Speaker to act on the matter, and had directed him to complete the hearings and submit a report to the court.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the government, informed the court about the developments since that last hearing. He said that the Speaker had begun inquiries into the disqualification petitions. The inquiry in one case has been completed, while proceedings in two others were underway, he said.

Singhvi sought additional time citing the ongoing municipal elections. The court accepted the request and granted a three-week extension, but warned the advocate that failure to announce a decision within the deadline would invite contempt proceedings.

Advocate Mohil Rao, representing the BRS, argued that there was clear evidence in the remaining cases. "Nothing further remains to be investigated. One MLA won on a BRS ticket and later contested as a Congress MP candidate, while another MLA's daughter contested on a Congress ticket," he submitted.