Rajasthan HC to hear Pilot’s petition today

The hearing remained inconclusive on Monday and Chief Justice Indrajit Mahanty said it will be concluded Tuesday. The order is also likely to be pronounced on Tuesday. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, counsel for the Speaker, argued that the petition was premature as a decision was yet to be taken on disqualifying the MLAs from the House. He said there was no scope for interference by a court over the show cause notices issued by the Speaker.

The disssident MLAs had moved court on Friday amid the infighting in the State unit of the Congress, as Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his now sacked deputy Sachin Pilot tussled for power. The petition was taken up a by a bench of Chief Justice Indrajit Mahanty and Justice Prakash Gupta. The proceedings resumed on Monday morning and continued till the evening.

The notices to the MLAs were served after their party complained to the Speaker that they had defied a whip to attend two Congress Legislature Party meetings last week. The Pilot camp, however, argues that a party whip applies only when the Assembly is in session. In its complaint to the speaker, the Congress had sought action against Pilot and the other dissidents under paragraph 2(1) (a) of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution. The provision disqualifies MLAs if they “voluntarily give up the membership of the party that they represent in the House.

Meanwhile, The Rajasthan government has withdrawn its “general consent” to the CBI to conduct raids and investigations, and the agency will now need prior permission from the State. The State government issued a notification requiring the CBI to take prior consent of the State for investigation of an offence under section three of the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946.According to the officials, the ‘’general consent’’ of the State will no longer be valid in the offences under this law.