Rajasthan Crisis: The decision on Sachin Pilot's fight against the Congress will be announced on Friday.
The Supreme Court Thursday allowed the Rajasthan High Court to pronounce order on the plea of 19 dissident Congress MLAs, including Sachin Pilot, against the Assembly Speaker's notice for initiating disqualification proceedings against them but said that it would be subject to the outcome of the petition before the top court.
Rajasthan Assembly Speaker CP Joshi however failed to get any interim relief on his plea alleging that the high court cannot interdict the disqualification proceedings undertaken by him under the 10th schedule of the Constitution.
A bench of Justices Arun Mishra, B R Gavai and Krsihna Murari said Joshi's plea raises important questions and requires prolonged hearing. "We are not restraining the High Court from passing the order but it will be subject to the outcome of the petition (of Speaker) before the Supreme Court," the bench said while fixing the plea for hearing on July 27. "Voice of dissent in a democracy cannot be shut down", the bench observed.
Sachin Pilot and 18 other rebel MLAs had gone to the Rajasthan High Court against disqualification notices served to them by the assembly Speaker after they skipped two meetings called by the Chief Minister. The High Court will announce a decision on Friday, and asked Speaker CP Joshi to pause any action against the rebels till then.
Here are the Highlights on Rajasthan Political Crisis:
Audio clips on toppling Congress government genuine: Ashok Gehlot
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot says the audio clips on toppling the Congress government in Rajasthan are genuine and they can be sent abroad for tests.
"If they think they don't trust the Rajasthan government, then they can send the audio-tapes to FSL agency in the US for a voice test. They should step forward and undergo voice test. Union Ministers, MLAs, MPs give speeches... so everyone knows it is their voice," he says.
"Still, the first reaction always is 'it wasn't my voice'. They are also threatening people. Nothing is going to work. Satyamev Jayate," the CM adds.
Sachin Pilot Wins A Big Step In Supreme Court Against Congress
Congress rebel Sachin Pilot has scored a good day in court in his fight against former boss and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. The Supreme Court today refused to stop the Rajasthan High Court from announcing its decision tomorrow on a petition by Sachin Pilot and 18 other rebel MLAs challenging disqualification notices served to them for defying the Congress party.
Read Here The Chief Minister has accused Sachin Pilot, his deputy until he sacked him last week, of conspiring with the BJP to bring down the Congress government in Rajasthan in a plan similar to Madhya Pradesh, where the Kamal Nath government crashed in March following Jyotiraditya Scindia's switch from the Congress to the BJP.
Union Minister, Congress Target Over Rajasthan, Faces Credit Scam Probe
A court in Jaipur has ordered the Rajasthan Police to investigate an alleged scam in which BJP leader and Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat is an accused. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, battling rebellion by his former deputy Sachin Pilot that has pushed his government to the brink, had named Mr Shekhawat among BJP leaders who were allegedly involved in deal-making with rebel Congress MLAs.
Read here The Supreme Court allows Rajasthan High Court to deliver its ruling on the rebel MLAs plea tomorrow but the judgment will be subject to the outcome of the Supreme Court order.
The Supreme court tells Kapil Sibal, let the matter be heard at length, your questions require lengthy hearing. Kapil Sibal asks Supreme Court to suspend the High Court order but the court says it needs to be examined. Kapil Sibal also asks the Supreme Court to transfer the High Court petition here but the court says that can't be done right now.
The issue of whether the disqualification process against MLAs is permissible or not cannot be taken note of at this stage: Speaker to Supreme Court.
The court asks Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, it is the matter of just one day, why can't you wait? You have a problem only with two words. The order everywhere says 'request', Supreme Court tells Kapil Sibal.
Rajasthan Speaker's petition in Supreme Court: There can't be a protective order at this stage. When Rajasthan High Court extended time to reply on notices and said no directions will be passed, that was a protective order, says Kapil Sibal
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal appearing for Rajasthan Speaker CP Joshi says, the court can't direct the Speaker to extend the time to file their replies to the anti-defection notices. It's not in the jurisdiction of the court.
Supreme Court Justice Arun Mishra asks Kapil Sibal, can't a court intervene when the Speaker suspends or disqualifies a MLA even as the proceedings are pending before the court? Sibal answers "But only when the Speaker disqualifies or suspends."
Court Can't Direct Speaker: Kapil Sibal
The Supreme Court hearing on Assembly Speaker CP Joshi's plea begins.
After the Speaker's sudden move, Sachin Pilot's team also petitioned the Supreme Court to give it a hearing before taking any decision. A three-judge Supreme Court bench will decide whether the Rajasthan High Court can announce its verdict tomorrow on team Pilot's challenge to the Speaker's disqualification notices.
In Sachin Pilot vs Ashok Gehlot, Crucial Day In Supreme Court
Whether the process to disqualify Sachin Pilot and other Congress rebels can continue may be revealed today as the Supreme Court takes up rival petitions filed in the Rajasthan government crisis. Speaker CP Joshi had yesterday asked the Supreme Court to stop the Rajasthan High Court from giving any verdict on the rebels' challenge to disqualification notices he had sent last week.
Read Here "For some time now, attempts have been made to destabilise democratically-elected governments, disregarding the spirit of the anti-defection law enacted by the Rajiv Gandhi government in 1985 and amended later by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. This is an insult to the people's mandate and open violation of constitutional values. Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh are prime examples of this," Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot wrote to the PM Modi.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, battling rebellion by his former deputy Sachin Pilot that has pushed his government to the brink, has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging attempts by the BJP to engineer defections by bribing Congress MLAs. In the letter dated July 19 (Sunday), Mr Gehlot named Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat among BJP leaders he said were involved in deal-making with rebel Congress MLAs.