SC allows Rajasthan Speaker to withdraw plea

Excelsior Correspondent

NEW DELHI, July 27: The Supreme Court on Monday allowed Rajasthan Assembly Speaker C P Joshi to withdraw his plea against the State High Court’s order of July 24 asking him to defer disqualification proceedings against former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot and 18 other rebel Congress MLAs.
”We allow you to withdraw your (the petitioner) plea,” a bench of the Apex Court, headed by Justice Arun Mishra said.
Senior advocate and legal expert Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Rajasthan Assembly Speaker, submitted to the Apex Court bench led by Justice Mishra that they were withdrawing petition after Rajasthan High Court order on July 24.
Mr Sibal informed the Apex Court that the Rajasthan High Court had passed a fresh 32-page order on July 24 wherein several questions, including interpretation of the Tenth Schedule, were raised.
“We have to weigh our legal options on what to do next,” Mr Sibal said while withdrawing his petition. Governor Kalraj Mishra returned a fresh proposal by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday seeking a session of the Assembly on July 31.
Meanwhile, the Congress has begun holding a nationwide protest in front of every Raj Bhawan under the ‘Speak Up for Democracy’ campaign alleging ”biased role” of the Rajasthan Raj Bhawan by not allowing the Ashok Gehlot government to call the Assembly session.
In Lucknow, as part of the protest, hundreds of Congress workers were arrested in front of the Uttar Pradesh Raj Bhawan while they were protesting against the ongoing political crisis in Rajasthan.
The Congress workers were led by Ajay Kumar Lallu and AICC Gen Secy in-charge of Chhattisgarh PL Punia. Before the arrest, the Congress activists tried to clash with security personnel but were overpowered and pushed into buses and taken away.
Those arrested included Congress Lucknow city president Mukesh Singh Chauhan.