Unhappy over the Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal refusing to disqualify the suspended BJP MlA Bhim lal Arya, State BJP has decided to move to the High Court. The Speaker said in his ruling on Monday that he had retained the rebel BJP MlA’s membership of the Assembly as the State BJP leadership had failed to present circumstantial evidence to prove that Arya had defied the party whip.
Notably, State BJP claimed that the party’s chief whip Madan Kausik had issued a whip, asking all its MlAs to be present in the Assembly on March 18-the day the political uncertainty, still plaguing the State, began. Arya had abstained from the House that fateful day in defiance of the party whip to help the Congress, State BJP leaders said.
Expressing resentment over the Speaker’s ruling, State BJP president Ajay Bhatt said that they had been left with no other option but to challenge it in the court. “The ruling is biased. The Speaker has acted partisan by sparing Arya disqualification because of his helping the Congress in the House. The Speaker’s action has been influenced by the fact that he would vote for the Congress in case a floor test is held,” he said.
He further alleged that the Speaker had demeaned the dignity of the chair he was occupying by acting as a stooge of the former CM Harish Rawat.
Bhatt said that his party was mulling to file a case against Bhim lal Arya, tagging him with the charge of defying the party whip by his calculated absenteeism from the House to help Congress and spite BJP onMarch 18- the day the party MlAs along with the nine Congress rebels had demanded division of votes on the appropriation bill. “The Speaker intriguingly took as many as 27 days to pronounce his ruling while he acted in unearthly haste when he acted on the issue of dissident Congress MlAs’ disqualification. This reveals the bogs of partisanship his mind is wallowing in,” Bhatt said.
However, despite being pressed, the State BJP chief declined to say when they would move High Court on the matter.