The High Court of Uttarakhand on Tuesday set the date of next hearing on the petition filed by the nine rebel Congress MlAs challenging their disqualification by the Speaker as April 23. The court ordered both the parties to submit affidavits. While the advocates representing the Speaker would file affidavit on April 18 those representing the rebel Congress MlAs would submit the rejoinder on April 22.
The court refused to give an interim order on the petition. The single bench said that this was not the right time to give any interim order with the petition on Appropriation Ordinance and validity of imposition of the President's Rule under Article 356 of the Constitution pending before a double bench.
Notably, the Nainital High Court had on April 7 granted the Centre time till April 12 to file rejoinder to the Congress' plea, challenging the Appropriation Ordinance and validity of imposition of the President's Rule under Article 356 of the Constitution. The next hearing of that case would be held on April 18.
On Tuesday, the hearing on the rebels' plea continued till noon.
It should mentioned here that the petition was filed on March 30 before the single bench of Justice UC Dhyani against the Speaker's action on March 27, questioning its validity on the ground that it had been taken after invocation of Article 356 in the State when the Assembly was already under suspended animation.
The nine rebel Congress leaders are former CM Vijay Bahuguna, Harak Singh Rawat, Shailarani Rawat, Subodh Uniyal, Shailendra Mohan Singhal, Pradeep Batra, Umesh Sharma 'Kau', Amrita Rawat and Pranav Champion.
Senior advocates Aryama Sundarman, l Nageshwar Rao, Dinesh Dwivedi, former CM Vijay Bahuguna's son Saket Bahuguna and others argued on the behalf of the rebel Congress MlAs. They again said that the Speaker's action was unconstitutional with the MlAs remaining with the party.
Senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Avtar Singh and others pleaded in the court for the Speaker. They said that the Speaker's action was right, citing the fact that the MlAs had broken ranks with the Congress.