UP BJP MLA's Seat Declared Vacant Following Conviction In Muzaffarnagar Riots Case

The Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Monday declared the seat of BJP MLA Vikram Singh Saini as vacant following his disqualification after being convicted by a court in a 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots case.

An MP/MLA court of Muzaffarnagar had recently awarded the BJP legislator two years of imprisonment in the case.

The assembly secretariat on Monday issued a notification declaring the Khatauli seat in Muzaffarnagar which is represented by Vikram Saini as vacant.

The Representation of the People Act says that anyone sentenced to imprisonment of two years or more shall be disqualified "from the date of such conviction" and remain disqualified for another six years after serving time in jail.

RLD president Jayant Chaudhary had raised questions on the Uttar Pradesh assembly speaker for not disqualifying the BJP MLA after his conviction in the case.

Jayant Chaudhary had accused the speaker of bias over the disqualification of Samajwadi Party MLA Azam Khan following his conviction by a court in a hate speech case, saying the decision in the matter was a quick one, while there was "no initiative" in case of the BJP MLA.

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